An object is to provide an acid-type carboxymethylated cellulose nanofiber in which the viscosity is not excessively high at the time of preparing a dispersion liquid and the introduced carboxymethyl group is desalted to convert the acid type, and the acid-type carboxymethylated cellulose nanofiber has 0.01 to 0.50 of the degree of substitution with carboxymethyl group per glucose unit, wherein the B-type viscosity in an aqueous dispersion with a concentration of 0.95 to 1.05% by mass is 1000 mPa·s or more under the condition of 60 rpm and 20° C., and 7000 mPa·s or more under the condition of 6 rpm and 20° C.

There is known a technique of mercerizing a cellulose-based raw material and thereafter reacting the resultant with monochloroacetic acid or sodium monochloroacetate thereby to introduce a carboxymethyl group into cellulose (for example, see Patent Document 1). In the cellulose to which the carboxymethyl group is introduced, the carboxymethyl group is negatively charged in the solution. Therefore, when the cellulose to which the carboxymethyl group is introduced is fibrillated in the solvent, the dispersion liquid of a cellulose nanofiber is obtained (for example, see Patent Document 2).
The cellulose nanofiber is a biodegradable water-dispersible material. Since the cellulose nanofiber obtained by the aforementioned method is in the form of dispersion liquid, it can also be modified by blending with various water-soluble polymers or complexing with an organic or inorganic pigment. Also, the cellulose nanofiber can be transformed into a sheet or a fiber. Taking advantage of such properties, developing novel highly functional commercial products by applying the cellulose nanofiber to highly functional packaging materials, transparent organic substrate members, highly functional fibers, separation membranes, regenerative medical materials, and the like are studied.
For using the cellulose nanofiber as a thickener, a gelling agent, a shape retention agent, an emulsification stabilizer, a dispersion stabilizer, and the like, a method for producing aqueous dispersion of a partial acid-type CMC salt nanofiber has been proposed (for example, see Patent Document 3).
Also, in consideration of the application to the aforementioned uses, it is preferable to produce high concentration dispersion liquid of the cellulose nanofiber. However, when the concentration of the dispersion liquid of the cellulose nanofiber is high, the viscosity thereof becomes excessively high. Thus, a problem in terms of handling properties may arise.
In view of such a problem, a technique for improving the fluidity of the cellulose nanofiber to which the carboxymethyl group is introduced has been proposed (for example, see Patent Document 4).
Patent Document 4 discloses a method for producing cellulose nanofiber dispersion liquid having excellent fluidity by containing a certain amount of monovalent or divalent metal ions in anion modified cellulose nanofiber dispersion liquid. In the Document, a carboxy group and a carboxymethyl group are exemplified as anionic modifications.

Acid-type carboxymethylated cellulose nanofiber and production method thereof


A polymer is characterized by a repeat unit represented by Structural Formula (I):

Polymers, such as polyorganosilicones and polyesters, can be found in every corner of today's society due to their excellent mechanical and chemical properties. Polyorganosilicones, including polysilanes and polycarbosiloxanes, have interesting properties such as photo-conductivity and luminescence, and possess high thermal stability at the same time. See, e.g., Chojnowski et al., Polymer Preprints, 42, 227 (2001); Interrante et al., Polymer Preprints, 42, 225 (2001); Zhong et al., Langmuir, 16, 10369 (2000); and Bruma et al., J. Macromol. Sci. Polymer Reviews, C41, 1 (2001). Polyesters, on the other hand, because of their degradability, can be used in biomedical applications such as sustained-release drug delivery. See, e.g., Kopecek et al., J. Biomed. Mater. Res. Symp., 1, 43 (1971).
There is a need for developing new polymers, such as polyorganosilicones and polyesters, in particular ones having, for example, improved thermal and/or flame retardant properties.

Abstract: or a copolymer thereof. A crosslinked polymer characterized by a repeat unit represented by Structural Formula (II), (III), (IV) or (V):

Abstract: or a copolymer thereof, wherein at least one such repeat unit of a first polymer strand is crosslinked with at least one repeat unit of a second polymer strand by at least one bridging unit, the first and second polymer strands and the repeat unit being components of the crosslinked polymer.

The United States of America, as Represented by the Secretary of the Army


A storage processing apparatus controls a second volume of a second virtual storage device storing a duplicate of a first volume of a first virtual storage device, the storage processing apparatus including a memory that stores a first identifier of the first volume received from the first virtual storage device; and a controller that establishes the first identifier stored in the memory as a second identifier of the second volume, and reports the first identifier established by the establishing in accordance with a notification request of the second identifier.

Storages for virtual environments, i.e., virtual storage devices, have been used which are storage systems that have volume configurations and storage capacities not restricted by the volume configurations and storage capacities of physical storage devices. A virtual storage device includes an internal real storage unit (also referred to as real SU or, simply, SU) that controls the access to a physical storage device. A processor unit (PU) that manages the real storage unit creates virtual volumes (hereinafter referred to as VDISKs). Physical storage areas of the real storage unit are assigned to the virtual storage areas in the VDISK.
An example virtual storage device will now be described that includes a real SU having four groups of redundant arrays of inexpensive disks (RAIDs) and eight logical units (LUNs) each having a capacity of one terabyte (TB). The virtual storage device provides any number of VDISKs having any capacity, e.g., eighty VDISKs each having a capacity of 100 GB, for a business server used in business systems, regardless of the number and size of real LUNs.
Some virtual storage devices can expand the storage areas of the entire virtual storage devices if the devices need additional storages. For example, the storage area of such a virtual storage device can be expanded in units of a combination of a PU and an SU, which manage the real storage unit. The addition of an extended set consisting of a combination of a PU and an SU to a virtual storage device is referred to as "scaling out." A virtual storage device that has the ability to scale out is known as a "scale-out virtual storage device."
The reliability of an entire information processing system can be enhanced in preparation of disasters and system updates through the installation of multiple virtual storage devices at sites geographically remote from each other.
In such a configuration, the virtual storage device used by the business server is installed at a local or primary site, and a backup virtual storage device is installed at a remote or secondary site. The PU of the virtual storage device at the primary site and the PU of the virtual storage device at the remote site are connected with a data transmission line via a switch (SW). In preparation for damage of the local site, the data stored at the local site is duplicated to (backed up at) the remote site through a remote copy (RemoteCopy (RC)) session.
If the local site is damaged by a disaster, the service can be continued through the use of the data duplicated in the remote site. To continue the service, the remote copy session must be deleted. This is because data cannot be written in the VDISK of the secondary site if the remote copy session is active.
FIG. 20 illustrates a site-switching process in a conventional virtual storage system in case a local site is damaged by a disaster.
In Step S101, the local site is damaged in a disaster.
In Step S102, an operation administrator of the information processing system instructs the cancellation of a schedule of remote copy of the virtual storage device with a web GUI or a command line interface (CLI) of a management server at the remote site.
In Step S103, the schedule of remote copy of the virtual storage device at the remote site is cancelled.
In Step S104, the secondary site is designated as a primary site, and the service provided by the business server is resumed using the VDISKs of the latest primary site.
A business server running virtual software, such as VMWare ESXi (trademark), requires resigning (re-registration) for each VDISK to use the data sent to a secondary site through remote copy and resume the service.
The resigning is a process of copying a volume (VDISK) registered as a data store in a virtual storage device and registering the duplicated VDISK as a data store. During the resigning, the identifier of the original VDISK is compared to the identifier of the duplicated VDISK. If the identifiers do not match, the identifier of the duplicated VDISK is rewritten. For example, ESXi uses VDISK identifiers that conform to the format of T11 network address authority (NAA).
NAA conforms to the convention associated with Internet small computer serial interface (iSCSI) node names in the RFC-3980 iSCSI. The NAA identifier contains a serial number unique to VX and a volume number unique to the created volume. The NAA identifier corresponds to a value unique to each volume (VDISK).
The resigning, which must be performed on every VDISK, requires five or more minutes every VDISK. For example, the resigning of 300 VDISKs requires 5 hours 48 minutes and 7 seconds.
A scale-out virtual storage device has several thousands to several tens of thousands VDISKs. Thus, the resigning process is extremely time-consuming, preventing the practical switching of a virtual storage device between sites.

Storage processing apparatus, computer-readable recording medium storing program for controlling storage, and storage system


An auction management system brokers, between a seller and a buyer, a discrete traffic block of an ad placement. The auction management system comprises a traffic block definition tool providing workflows for obtaining traffic block parameters defining the discrete traffic block, the traffic block parameters comprising: i) an identification of the ad placement; ii) a volume parameter defining the volume of traffic included in the discrete traffic block; iii) at least one duration parameter defining an active time period during which the volume of traffic included in the discrete traffic block will be provided; and iv) an auction parameter defining an expiration time before which buyers submit offers to purchase the discrete traffic block. A listing search tool provides web pages displaying a listing of a plurality of listed discrete traffic blocks. Each listed discrete traffic block comprises a discrete traffic block with an expiration time that has not yet passed. The listing includes, for each listed discrete traffic block, the traffic block parameters associated therewith. An auction management tool provides for: i) obtaining a buyer compensation parameter from each of a plurality of buyers bidding for purchase of the discrete traffic block; and ii) designating the buyer that that provided a compensation parameter meeting selection criteria as the winning buyer. An order management system directs placement of buyer advertisement content designated by the winning bidder within the ad placement for the volume of traffic defined by the volume parameter and during the time period defined by the at least one duration parameter.

Users of the Internet are frequently presented with display advertisements within web pages. These advertisements may be in the form of banner advertisements, pop up ads, pop under ads, or other static or dynamic display advertisements within (or associated with) a web publisher's web site.
The goal of each these advertisements is to entice the user to link to the advertiser's web site for additional information and/or ultimately to solicit the sale of a product or service to the user. As such, displayed advertisements may be associated with a link such that if the advertisement is clicked, the user's web browser is redirected to the advertiser's designated web page.
Because of the above described dynamics of Internet advertising, certain terminology has evolved in the Internet advertising industry. For example: i) the event of rendering an advertisement to an end user within a web publisher's web site is generally referred to as an advertisement impression; ii) the event of a user selecting an advertisement, or clicking on the advertisement, such that his/her browser is redirected to the advertiser's website is generally referred to as a "click" or "click-through"; iii) web publishers may be referred to as sellers of advertisement space, sellers of Internet traffic, or sellers; iv) advertisers may be referred to as buyers; v) the quantity of impressions that a web publisher is able to deliver during a period of time may be referred to as its inventory or inventory of Internet traffic, or traffic available for buyers to purchase; and vi) the distinct portions of a web publisher's inventory that can be delivered to end users distinguishable based on end user attributes such as geography, demographics, and/or behavioral patterns may be referred to as segmented inventory or traffic segments.
For example, a web publisher which has traffic of 10,000 "hits" per day has the ability to deliver 10,000 banner advertisements per day. Therefore the publisher has an inventory of 10,000 banner advertisement impressions per day which can be sold.
Further, if the impression is delivered on a web page where user registration is required to access the web page, and such registration requires the user to disclose his/her gender, then the inventory of 10,000 banner advertisements can be segmented into a male segment and a female segment. If, on average, the 10,000 hits are 50% male and 50% female, the publisher has segmented inventory of 5,000 banner advertisement impressions per day as its male traffic segment and 5,000 banner advertisement impressions per day as its female traffic segment.
Advertisement inventory is generally priced and sold utilizing transactional units based on a per-impression transactional model or on a per-click transactional model. An advertiser purchasing placement within a web site utilizing the per-impression transactional model will pay a fee to the publisher (or a broker) that is calculated based on the quantity of impressions rendered. An advertiser purchasing placement within a web site utilizing the per-click transactional model will pay a fee to the publisher (or a broker) calculated on the number of end users that "click through" the advertisement impression to the advertiser's website.
In more detail, the most common transactional units are Cost-Per-Thousand-Impressions (CPM) and Cost-Per-Click (CPC). Other transactional units which require at least user interaction with the advertisement impression and click through to the advertiser's web site include Cost-Per-Lead (CPL), Cost-Per-Acquisition/Action (CPA).
Website owners generally sell their inventory utilizing one of two dominant business models. The first dominant business model includes a buyer initiating a request for proposal (RFP) process. The buyer's RFP may describe the advertising campaign in terms of its overall objectives for advertising a particular product or service over a distinct period of time. Further, the RFP may typically specify proposed sales goals, conversion goals and branding goals, and target user attributes likely to improve the campaigns success. As is typical of any RFP process, the buyer will distribute the RFP, particularly to those web publishers (or brokers) known to have inventory, or segmented inventory, suited to meet the goals and objectives of the campaign.
Each seller receiving the RFP may determine whether it has available inventory, or segmented inventory that meets the buyer's stated goals. If a seller has available inventory, or segmented inventory, that meets the stated goals in the RFP, the seller may submit a proposal for the delivery of inventory that meets all or part of the buyer's volume requirements. The proposal typically is a firm offer that remains open for the buyer to accept during a defined period of time.
The buyer then reviews those submitted proposals and selects/accepts those responses that the buyer determines provide the inventory most suitable for meeting the campaign objectives.
The second dominant business model includes use of an ad network. An ad network aggregates web publishers with available inventory and sells such inventory to buyers—which it also aggregates. Such inventory is often sold in a continuous auction meaning that an available impression may be sold, at least in part, to the advertiser with the highest yielding advertisement (e.g. the highest remuneration expected to be received for the lowest quantity of inventory to be delivered at such time as the impression is to be rendered to the end user viewing the publisher's web page.
For example, an ad network may categorize the web sites of several publishers within a topical category for purposes of defining available inventory associated with such topic. Advertisers would then place bids associated with such topic. As such, so long as the advertiser remains the highest bidder for such topical category, its advertisement content will be rendered over that of other advertisers placing lower bids. Further, the highest bidder may be determined utilizing relative yield between multiple bids.
The primary advantage of the RFP process is that the advertiser maintains control over: i) in which web publisher's websites its advertisement content appears; and ii) to which end user segments its advertisement content is rendered. This control enables buyers to select what it perceives to be the highest value inventory, or inventory segments, and makes it economically feasible for the buyer to pay a premium for such highest value inventory, or inventory segments.
An advertiser purchasing inventory through an ad network may only control the topical category on which the advertiser is bidding—but limited control over which web publisher's websites within the topical category will deliver its advertisement content to end users—and little control over the end user segments to which its advertisement content will be delivered.
As such, from the perspective of an advertiser, inventory purchased through an ad network is generally "less targeted" than inventory purchased through the RFP method because the ad network inventory is defined by the ad network categorization—not the buyer's campaign specific objectives. Therefore, from the perspective of an advertiser, the inventory within the topical category likely contains a composition of inventory that the advertiser would perceive as high value inventory and inventory that the advertiser would prefer not to purchase. A rational advertiser considers these factors when purchasing through and ad network and will therefore typically pay less per impression or per click per other action performed for such less targeted inventory.
Further yet, because ad networks often operate in an auction environment that is continuous, there is little predictability as to the quantity of impressions that will be delivered on a certain budget—as a buyer may be outbid at any time.
There are also disadvantages of use of an ad network from the seller's perspective. Because the seller's inventory is aggregated with inventory of other sellers within a topical category—and is generally purchased as a composition by a buyer, it is difficult for a seller to promote the value of its website or its traffic, or traffic segments, over other sellers within the topical category. As such, it may be difficult for a seller to realize the maximum value of the traffic, or traffic segments, that it could deliver on a more targeted basis.
Secondly, because of the continuous auction system, there is little predictability of the revenue a seller will receive for delivering inventory through the ad network—or even if there will be buyer bidding any minimum price at the time the seller is to deliver an impression—leaving what may be referred to as unsold inventory.
On the other hand, some disadvantages of the RFP process include the fact that the entire RFP process is very time consuming and labor intensive process for all parties. The RFP process also fails to create a true open-market environment for the sale and purchase of inventory because: i) buyers are limited in their available options for the purchase of inventory by the RFPs it sends out; and ii) sellers are limited in their opportunities to sell their available inventory to RFPs received and the efforts of its sales staff to directly sell their inventory to buyers, which may or may not result in the initiation of the RFP process, outlined above. As such, there are transaction and/or pricing inefficiencies that are mitigated in the Internet based open market created by an ad network.
In view of the foregoing, what is needed is a system and method for brokering the sale of Internet advertisement inventory as a discrete traffic block of segmented inventory in a manner that does not suffer the disadvantage of the present business models used for selling/purchasing Internet advertising inventory.

System and method for brokering the sale of internet advertisement inventory as discrete traffic blocks of segmented internet traffic


A hydraulic motor assembly includes a flow controller, a displacement controller and a hydraulic motor. The flow controller controls the flow of hydraulic fluid through the hydraulic motor and the displacement controller controls motor displacement. The hydraulic motor converts the pressure and flow into angular displacement of a drive shaft. An electrical generator is connected to the motor drive shaft and provides electrical power to accommodate a varying electrical load. As the electrical load varies, the flow controller and displacement controller vary the flow and displacement of the hydraulic motor to vary the torque applied to the generator by the drive shaft so that the drive shaft rotates at a desired speed.

There are many different types of agricultural machines. Some machines are self-propelled machines, while others are towed by a towing vehicle. Some towed implements have electric motors or electric actuators that need to be powered.
In order to power electric actuators or electric motors on a towed implement, it is not uncommon for the electric motor or electric actuator to receive a power source from the towing vehicle. For instance, some electric actuators or electric motors are powered from an electrical system on the towing vehicle.
The discussion above is merely provided for general background information and is not intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.

Agricultural machine with a hydraulically driven generator


Systems and methods for enacting or applying configuration changes (e.g., updates, optimizations) in a network element of a production network are provided. The configuration changes may be proposed and enacted in a collaboration system between artificial intelligence (AI) devices and human-controlled devices. According to one implementation, a system includes a production network having a plurality of network elements and a computer connected to the production network. The computer is configured to request a new configuration update regarding a first network element. The system further includes an electronic ledger configured to store a history of one or more configuration updates that have been previously enacted with respect to the first network element.

Currently, production networks can be controlled by human-based computing devices and Artificial Intelligence (AI) computing devices. The configuration of network elements of a production network can be updated or changed by these computing devices in order to correct errors in the configuration and to make improvements in the operation of the network elements. This collaboration results in the improvement of the production networks and is able to recognize the contributions that various entities have made toward improving the network. These production networks can be controlled via various approaches, including control planes, Software Defined Networking (SDN) controllers, Network Management Systems (NMS), and the like.
Although there is a movement towards autonomous control (e.g., AI-based network control), the reliability of various AI systems can vary. Also, the reliability of agents of human-controlled computers may also vary. Conventionally, collaborative systems use a "proof of work" system, where computers compete to be the first to enact configuration changes. However, quicker solutions do not always equate to reliable solutions.
Most issues in a production network are caused by configuration errors in the network elements when changes or updates to the configuration are enacted. Also, there are currently no secure ways to keep a history of configuration updates and thereby determine which source is responsible for enacting configuration changes that may create errors. Therefore, a need exists for improved supervision of configuration updates and for securely tracking or registering prior configuration updates so that accountability can be determined.

Registering collaborative configuration changes of a network element in a blockchain ledger


A system and method control a gas turbine subject to fuel composition variation. The method includes operating a first effector to control the gas turbine based on fuel composition. The method also includes operating a second effector to maintain operation of the first effector within a first boundary limit, the second effector operation being initiated when the operating the first effector reaches a second boundary limit within the first boundary limit.

The subject matter disclosed herein relates to gas turbine control and, more specifically, to control that accommodates changes in fuel composition.
The stability of power grid frequency requires that the power supplied to the grid equals the power demand from the grid. One of the factors that can cause variation in the power supplied to the grid by gas turbine engines is a change in the composition of the fuel supplied to the gas turbine. Composition variation of the natural gas supply is a common issue. Variation in fuel composition poses concerns for combustion dynamics, combustor blowout, emissions compliance (e.g., NOx, CO), auto-ignition, and flashback. Most premixed combustion systems are designed with sufficient auto-ignition and flashback margin to accommodate expected pipeline compositional variation. Thus, combustion dynamics, emissions compliance, and blowout remain the primary gas turbine operability concerns associated with fuel quality variation.
Most prior approaches to maintain acceptable combustor operability in the face of compositional variation in the fuel have proven costly and slow. For example, because combustor operability is acceptable within a defined range of the Modified Wobbe Index (MWI) [an extension of Wobbe Index (WI), which captures normalized energy output of a given gas, that includes fuel temperature], one approach involves compensating for changes in gas composition with changes in fuel temperature to maintain a constant MWI. This approach involves closed-loop control of MWI by varying the temperature set-point of a gas fuel heater. However, the approach is costly, because it requires a Wobbe meter and/or gas chromatograph, and slow because of the time constant typically associated with heating and cooling large amounts of natural gas.
One form of gas turbine control that is fast enough to accommodate rapid variations in fuel composition involves distribution of the fuel supply among the multiple nozzles of a combustor in a method referred to as combustor fuel staging or fuel split scheduling. When controlled with a model-based algorithm, fuel splits have proven to be a fast effector that accommodates rapid changes in fuel composition. While extremely effective when authority is available, the fuel split control is subject to limits beyond which it is ineffective in maintaining stability. When fuel split is thus limited, it will be unable to accommodate additional rapid changes in fuel composition. Thus, the ability to accommodate rapid fuel variation across the widest possible range of fuels would be appreciated in the power industry.

System and method to control a gas turbine subject to fuel composition variation


A radiological imaging apparatus capable of improving an arrangement density of semiconductor radiation detectors and detector units thereof, each detector unit consisting of a plurality of combined substrates having a detector substrate which includes semiconductor radiation detectors and a signal processing substrate which includes integrated circuits, housed in a housing. The detector substrate protrudes outward from an opening of the housing. A plurality of detector units are attached to a ring-shaped unit support section in a circumferential direction thereof. More specifically, the detector substrate protrudes inward from the unit support section and the housing is attached to the unit support section.

The present invention relates to a radiological imaging apparatus and detector unit thereof.
A radiological imaging apparatus such as a positron emission tomography (hereinafter referred to as "PET apparatus") for diagnosing an examinee by detecting radiation emitted from the examinee given radioisotope and laid on an examining table using detectors arranged around the examinee is known.
The PET apparatus is an apparatus which administers radioisotope to an examinee, detects γ-rays emitted from within the body of this examinee using γ-ray detectors arranged around the examinee and outputs a two-dimensional or three-dimensional image of the examinee (e.g., see JP-A-2003-185750 (paragraph 0002, FIG. 12)).
In a nuclear medicine diagnosis using such a radiological imaging apparatus, a diagnosis is conducted by obtaining a two-dimensional or three-dimensional image of the examinee. For this purpose, it is important to obtain a two-dimensional or three-dimensional image with high resolution using the radiological imaging apparatus and to attain this object, for example, hundred thousand (hundred thousand channels) or more detectors are used for the radiological imaging apparatus. Furthermore, since detailed diagnoses are often conducted using a slice image in the direction of the body axis of the examinee, it is important to obtain a slice image with high resolution. To attain this object, it is necessary to arrange many detectors in a close-packed manner and a close-packed arrangement in the circumferential direction is particularly important. On the other hand, when many detectors are used, maintenance thereof may become difficult.
However, conventionally there have not been enough studies on a structure which would satisfy both a structure of equipment for obtaining an image with high resolution and a structure of equipment for making maintenance easier.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a radiological imaging apparatus and detector unit thereof capable of facilitating replacement of radiation detectors and improving an arrangement density of radiation detectors.

Radiological imaging apparatus and its detector unit


A docking station capable of assembling a portable electronic device is provided. The portable electronic device has a display screen and a slot. The docking station includes a body and a pressing member. The body has a protrusion. The pressing member is movably arranged in the body, so as to be hidden in the body or moved out of the body. When the portable electronic device is locked with the protrusion through the slot, the pressing member is moved out of the body and presses against the portable electronic device along a pressing direction, so that the portable electronic device is fixed onto the body. The pressing direction is perpendicular to the display screen.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a docking station, and more particularly to a docking station of a portable electronic device.
2. Description of Related Art
Owing to the progress towards science and technology, various portable electronic devices including notebook computers, smart phones, and tablet PCs have been launched. Users may access and process data through the portable electronic devices in a timely manner, and therefore the portable electronic devices have become indispensable to our daily lives. For instance, the tablet PC characterized by compact volume and portability can be used even when the user is not at home.
However, when using the tablet PC, the user is often required to hold the tablet PC with one hand or horizontally place the tablet PC on the desk. In this case, the user cannot use the tablet PC with ease and is thus likely to suffer from fatigue. Besides, the convenience of using a touch screen does not comply with all users' requirements, and accordingly related docking stations have been gradually developed. FIG. 1 is a schematic view illustrating a conventional docking station and a tablet PC before assembly. FIG. 2 is a schematic view illustrating the conventional docking station and the tablet PC depicted in FIG. 1 after assembly. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating the region A in FIG. 2. With reference to FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, the docking station 100 includes a locking member 110 and a latch 120. The latch 120 is hidden in the locking member 110. When a tablet PC 50 is bonded to the docking station 100, the locking member 110 is installed in a slot 52 of the tablet PC 50 and is locked to the tablet PC 50 by the latch 120. In general, there is a gap G between the locking member 110 and the inner wall of the slot 52 for the sake of assembly. However, when the user uses the tablet PC 50, the tablet PC 50 may tremble due to the gap G, and therefore the quality of using the tablet PC 50 may be negatively affected. As a result, how to provide the docking station with stable support to ensure favorable quality of using the portable electronic device has become one of the issues to be resolved in the computer industry.


This invention relates to semiconductor devices and to printed circuit boards (PCB) or circuit assemblies used to electrically connect components. Delay devices are associated with the conductive traces or with integrated circuits. Delay is used to offset then realign the wave edges of propagating signals so as to minimize electric field effects on nearby signals. Impedance controlling devices are used to minimize reflections. The effects of split planes may be minimized or negated.

Printed circuit boards (PCBs), also called printed wiring boards (PWBs) are used to electrically connect one or more electronic components. Electrical devices are usually attached to the top or bottom of the printed circuit board. Conductive material called a "trace" connects the electrical devices mounted to the printed circuit board. Conductive planes may be placed above or below the traces. The traces and the planes may be separated by a dielectric or non-conductive material. The conductive planes may be used for a plurality of different purposes. For example, the conductive planes may be used as an electrical ground plane functioning as an electrical ground return path. The conductive plane may also be used as an electrical power plane functioning as a power distribution path. Together, the trace and plane provide a complete electrical path to and from electrical components associated with a printed circuit board. Generally speaking, traces typically connect signal paths of electronic components associated with a printed circuit board, while planes typically connect power or ground paths of electrical components associated with a printed circuit board. A cross-section of a simple example of a printed circuit board is depicted in FIG. 1.
Trace layers, dielectric or non-conductive layers, and plane layers may be repetitiously laminated to increase the number of traces available for connecting electrical components. A typical cross section of printed circuit board is shown below in FIG. 2.
Minimizing layers is desirable to reduce the cost of a printed circuit board. A power plane or ground plane may often be segmented or discontinuous. One segment of a plane may be used to distribute a voltage, while another segment is used to distribute a different voltage or to serve as an electrical ground. These segments may be coplanar. A segmented ground plane may provide a current path or current return path for more than one voltage. A typical cross section of printed circuit board with split planes is shown below in FIG. 3.
An electrical driver may electrically raise or lower a voltage value of an associated trace. The voltage value often corresponds to a logic value. As the electrical driver attempts to change the voltage value of the trace, a charging current propagates down the trace. A wave edge is created. The edge represents a change in current and a change in voltage. These changes are accompanied by electric fields. As the electric signal propagates down the trace, power or ground planes may provide a return path for current and electric fields. Electric fields produced by the propagating signal follow the signal down the trace. These electric fields may couple to nearby traces and induce an undesired artifact on other signals. See FIG. 4
The induced signals travel in approximately the same direction as the original signal when traces are approximately parallel. Proper design dictates spacing traces far enough apart to reduce or negate the undesired coupling when possible. See FIG. 5.
When power planes or ground planes are discontinuous (split, segmented), propagating signals that cross the split encounter a discontinuity in the conductive plane return path. The discontinuity effects the signal and the associated electric fields. As the leading edge of the signal approaches the area of a plane split, the associated electric fields spread away from the originating trace, and may induce an undesired signal on a nearby trace (See FIG. 6). Additional separation of the traces is usually impractical to avoid this increased coupling, since the area of the printed circuit board is limited and costly.
Electronic circuits receiving signals of effected traces may sample erroneous electrical values at their inputs. Sampling an erroneous value is undesirable. Another effect of the discontinuous plane is a change in the electrical impedance of the trace. Since geometry is a factor in the impedance of a trace, a change in geometry causes a change in the trace impedance. A change of impedance causes reflections of the propagating signal.
Therefore, a need existed to provide an improved printed circuit board and method to overcome the above problem. The improved printed circuit board and method must minimize cross talk between signals on the printed circuit board. The improved printed circuit board and method must further minimize reflections due to split planes on the printed circuit board.

Printed circuit board (PCB) which minimizes cross talk and reflections and method therefor


A down remaining apparatus has an upper stabilizer which supports the down reaming apparatus in the bored hole. A plurality of wheel assemblies are radially attached to the hub of the upper stabilizer. Each of the wheel assemblies has rotatable tires oriented against the bored hole wall, and a rotatable overload wheel which contacts the tunnel wall upon compression of the tires. A weight assembly comprising a plurality of stacked plates is secured to the frame of the down reaming apparatus and has manways therethrough which allow passage of workers. A lower stabilizer provides additional support for the down reaming apparatus. A plurality of wheel assemblies are radially attached to the hub of the lower stabilizer. Each of the wheel assemblies has a rotatable wheel pivotally attached to the lower stabilizer hub and spaced therefrom by a compressible bumper which reacts against the bored hole wall to stabilize the down reaming apparatus.

The invention is in the field of rock boring machines, and more specifically such machines for reaming substantially vertical holes, or holes at a slight angle from true vertical, by initiating rock boring at ground level and boring a predetermined distance underground. No known down reaming apparatus is capable of boring substantially larger holes (preferably having a diameter of at least four meters) in a substantially continuous manner.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,965,995 issued to Sugden discloses a machine for boring a large diameter blind hole in a sequential, non-continuous manner. The cutterwheel is mounted at the lower end of the machine for rotation about a horizontal tubular support. A gripper assembly secures the machine against the tunnel wall while thrust cylinders thrust the rotatable cutterhead downwardly. As the machine is advanced, the cutterwheel is rotated to make a first cut in the shape of the leading portion of the cutterwheel. The cutterwheel is then retracted out from the cut and is rotated about the axis of the hole. This repositions the cutterwheel so that when it is advanced again, during the next cutting step, it will make a second cut which crosses the first This procedure is repeated until the desired cross-sectional configuration (e.g. circular) of the hole is obtained The above described sequential boring method employing a gripper assembly and thrust cylinders has been found to be time consuming and requires a complex and expensive machine. U.S. Pat. No. 3,965,995 lists numerous prior art shaft forming machines, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,270,618 issued to Owens teaches an earth boring apparatus which is used for boring a blind pilot hole of a relatively small diameter which is subsequently enlarged by raise boring. Initially, the earth boring apparatus is employed to bore a blind pilot hole. Then the apparatus is removed from the hole and a room is blasted at the blind end of the hole. Next, the pilot hole cutterhead is replaced by a reamer and the apparatus is again inserted into the hole. The reamer is an adjustable diameter type and its diameter is increased once it is within the blasted room. The diameter of the reamer is increased by a plurality of cutter carrying arms which swing outwardly from the axis of rotation of the reamer. The earth boring apparatus is then raised from the room upwardly towards the ground surface to bore a hole of the desired diameter.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,646,853 issued to Sugden et al. discloses a shaft boring machine having step-wise operation. The machine includes a cutterwheel assembly having a substantially horizontal axis of rotation and having multiple peripherally mounted roller cutter units. Motors are provided for rotating the cutterwheel assembly about its horizontal axis. A cutterwheel carriage and vertical guide columns support the cutterwheel assembly and allow movement of the cutterwheel assembly in a vertical plane. A base frame supports the vertical guide columns. The base frame is slewed in a substantially horizontal plane by a slew drive system. Plunge cylinders mounted on the cutterwheel carriage and the base frame lower and raise the cutterwheel assembly in a vertical plane. A lower gripper ring stabilizes the machine in the shaft and includes a circular track for supporting the base frame and further includes a lower gripper cylinder system for holding the gripper ring stationary in the shaft. An upper gripper ring provides further stabilization of the machine in the shaft and includes an upper gripper cylinder system for holding the upper gripper ring stationary in the shaft. Walking cylinders are mounted on the lower and upper gripper rings for raising and lowering the rings. U.S. Pat. No. 4,646,853 discloses additional prior art patents pertaining to shaft boring machines, the U.S. patent disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,270,618 issued to Owens cites prior art patents for drilling machines located at an upper level which bore a large diameter hole in a single downward pass, drilling machines at an upper level which first drill a small pilot hole on a single downward pass and then enlarge the pilot hole in a single upward pass, and machines having expandable reamers. These prior art patents are incorporated herein by reference.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,840,272 issued to Crane et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 3,999,616 issued to Crane et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,009,909 issued to Robbins et al.; and patents cited therein disclose machines for upward tunneling, as opposed to down reaming.
A need thus exists for a down reaming apparatus capable of boring a large diameter hole in a substantially continuous manner.
A need also exists for this type of down reaming apparatus which is stabilized in the bored shaft by means of non-gripping stabilizer assemblies having rotatable elements which allow vertical movement of the down reaming apparatus within the tunnel.
A need also exists for this type of down reaming apparatus in which a gear assembly is employed to multiply the torque transmitted from the drill string to the cutterhead.
A need also exists for this type of down reaming apparatus in which a weight assembly is secured on the frame of the down reaming apparatus such that loads from rotation of the cutterhead are transmitted through the frame and into the weight assembly.
A need also exists for this type of down reaming apparatus in which the weight stack has a manway therethrough for access by workers to the cutterhead for cutterhead repair and/or reconfiguration.
A need also exists for this type of down reaming apparatus of this type in which the cutterhead diameter can be increased by the addition of a single spacer having a cutter assembly thereon.


The present invention relates to compounds of formula (I),

The present invention relates to compounds of formula (I) and (Ia),

wherein R1 to R4 are described below, or pharmaceutically acceptable salt, enantiomer or diastereomer thereof.
Toll-like receptors (TLRs) recognize a wide range of conserved pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs). They play important roles of sensing invading pathogens and subsequent initiation of innate immune responses. There are 10 known members of the TLR family in human, which are type I transmembrane proteins featuring an extracellular leucine-rich domain and a cytoplasmic tail that contains a conserved Toll/interleukin (IL)-1 receptor (TIR) domain. Both TLR7 and TLR8 are localised intracellularly to the endosomal membrane. They are phylogenetically similar and are both capable of recognizing single-stranded RNA (ssRNA) and short double-stranded RNA, due to their roles in sensing different viral pathogens. TLR7 and TLR8 also can be stimulated with oligoribonucleotides and a variety of synthetic chemical agonists such as imidazoquinolines. Following binding of ssRNA or small molecules to TLR7 and/or TLR8, the receptor in its dimerized form is believed to undergo a structural change leading to the subsequent recruitment of adapter proteins at its cytoplasmic domain, including the myeloid differentiation primary response gene 88 (MyD88). Following the initiation of the receptor signalling cascade via the MyD88 pathway, cytoplasmic transcription factors such as interferon regulatory factor 7 (IRF-7) by TLR7 and/or nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) by TLR8 are activated. These transcription factors then translocate into the nucleus and initiate the activation of various genes, e.g., type I interferon (IFN-α and IFN-β) and other pro-inflammatory cytokine genes, e.g. IL-6, TNFα et al.
TLR8 is known to be primarily expressed in monocytes/macrophages and myeloid dendritic cells (mDCs), while TLR7 is predominately expressed in plasmacytoid DCs (pDCs) and, to some extent, in B cells and monocytes/macrophages. The TLR7 or TLR8 selective agonist can activate different cell types and induce different immune response. However, a TLR7/8 dual agonist has the potential to activate induce broad immune response. Because of their efficiency in activating immune responses, the TLR7 and/or TLR8 agonists are being investigated for a broad variety of applications, including antiviral and antitumor therapies and use as a vaccine adjuvant.
Several TLR7 and/or TLR8 agonists have been used for therapeutic purposes. Imiquimod (ALDARA™) is a U.S. FDA approved TLR7 agonist drug for topical use to treat skin lesions due to human papillomavirus infection. The TLR7/8 dual agonist Resiquimod (R-848) and the TLR7 agonist 852A are under evaluating for treating human genital herpes and chemotherapy-refractory metastatic melanoma, respectively. ANA773 is an oral pro-drug TLR7 agonist, developed for the treatment of patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and chronic hepatitis B infection. GS-9620 is an orally available TLR7 agonist. A phase Ib study demonstrated that treatment with GS-9620 was safe, well tolerated and resulted in dose-dependent ISG15 mRNA induction in patients with chronic hepatitis B (E. J. Gane et al, Annu Meet Am Assoc Study Liver Dis (November 1-5, Washington, D.C.) 2013, Abst 946). More recently, VTX-2337, a highly selective TLR8 agonist, discovered by VentiRX Pharmaceuticals (WO 2007024612), has been used in treatment of human head and neck cancer patients. (D. W. Northfelt et al, Clin Cancer Res 2014, 20, 3683-3691.) Although quite a few TLR7 agonists have been reported in the last decade, and only few TLR8 or TLR7/8 dual agonists were reported, there is still high unmet clinical need for developing potent and safe TLR7 and/or TLR8 agonists as new antiviral and antitumor treatment to offer more therapeutic solutions or replace existing partly effective treatments.

Substituted aminothiazolopyrimidinediones for the treatment of virus infection

Abstract: wherein R1 to R4 are as described herein, and their prodrugs or pharmaceutically acceptable salt, enantiomer or diastereomer thereof, and compositions including the compounds and methods of using the compounds.


A disc-shaped grindstone 1 includes a plurality of split grindstones provided in an outer circumferential surface of a disc-shaped base 3. At least a part of the split grindstones include a moving grindstone 6 which is movable in the axial direction of the disc-shaped base 3. Since a part of the split grindstones 4 is the moving grindstone 6 which is movable in the axial direction, the width of the disc-shaped grindstone 1 may be changed in a manner such that the moving grindstone 6 is moved in the axial direction. Accordingly, it is possible to promptly handle a plurality of kinds of grinding targets without replacing the disc-shaped grindstone 1.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a disc-shaped grindstone which is used to grind, for example, a shaft object such as a crank shaft.
Description of the Related Art
Hitherto, there is known a disc-shaped grindstone used to grind a pin portion and a journal portion of a crank shaft (for example, see Japanese Patent Publication No. 11-207576 A). The disc-shaped grindstone grinds a shaft object such as a crank shaft by the outer circumferential surface thereof in a rotation state.


A tail rib structure comprises a tail rib with its inner end pivotally connected to the outer end of a flexible rib by way of a pin passing through a round hole on a flat portion formed on the inner end of the tail rib and a husk encasing the joint between the tail rib and the flexible rib. The tail rib structure can provide high wind-resistant strength for an umbrella.

FIG. 1 shows a prior art umbrella, in which a husk (1) encloses the pivotal joint connecting a tail rib (2) to an intermediate rib (3) to form a construction of an umbrella. The husk (1) has a tail end (11) embracively engaged with the front end of the tail rib (2) to enhance the strength of an umbrella and to align the tail rib (2) and the intermediate rib (3) in an approximately straight line when the umbrella opens. However, the outer end (21) of a tail rib (2) is usually connected to an umbrella cloth. When wind is strong, the energy applied on the surface of an umbrella canopy and transmitted to ribs (as shown in FIG. 2) often breaks the husk (1) at its root (111) and the tail rib (2), which disables an umbrella.
In view of the deficiency, the primary object of the invention is to provide a tail rib structure that elongates the pivotal joint between the tail rib and the flexible rib and which encases the joint in a husk to construct an umbrella having high wind resistant strength.
Now, the structure and features of the invention are described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Tail rib structure having an effect of enhancing wind-resistant strength of an umbrella


A compound of formula 1

The present invention relates to new anticholinergics of general formula 1
wherein A, X−, and the groups R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7, and R8 have the meanings given herein, processes for preparing them, and their use as pharmaceutical compositions.
Anticholinergics may be used therapeutically in a variety of complaints. Particular mention should be made here, for example, of the treatment of asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). For treating these diseases WO 92/16528 proposes anticholinergics which have a scopine, tropenol, or tropine basic structure. The objective on which WO 92/16528 is based is to prepare compounds with an anticholinergic activity which are characterized by a long-lasting activity. To solve this problem, WO 92/16528 discloses, inter alia, benzilic acid esters of scopine, tropenol, or tropine.
For treating chronic diseases it is often desirable to prepare pharmaceutical compositions having a fairly long duration of activity. As a rule, this ensures that the concentration of the active substance needed in the body to achieve the therapeutic effect is provided over a fairly long period of time without having to administer the drug too frequently. Moreover, administering an active substance at fairly long time intervals makes a major contribution to the patient's well being. It is particularly desirable to provide a drug which can be used in a therapeutically beneficial manner by a single application per day (single dose). The use of a drug once a day has the advantage that the patient can become accustomed relatively quickly to regularly taking the drug at certain times of the day.
In order to be used as a medicament for use once a day, the active substance to be given must meet particular requirements. First of all, the onset of the desired activity should take place relatively quickly after administration of the drug and ideally should have as constant an effect as possible over a subsequent fairly long period of time. On the other hand, the duration of activity of the drug should not substantially exceed a period of about one day. Ideally, an active substance has an activity profile such that the preparation of a drug for administration once a day, which contains the active substance in therapeutically beneficial doses, can be deliberately controlled.
It has been found that the benzilic acid esters of scopine, tropenol, and tropine disclosed in WO 92/16528 do not meet these stringent requirements. Because of their extremely long period of activity, which significantly exceeds the above-mentioned period of about one day, they cannot be used therapeutically for administration in a single dose per day.
The aim of the present invention is therefore to provide new anticholinergics which, by virtue of their activity profile, make it possible to prepare a drug for administration once a day. A further objective of the invention is to prepare compounds characterized by a relative rapid onset of activity. The invention further sets out to provide compounds which, after a rapid onset of activity, have as constant an activity as possible over a subsequent lengthy period of time. A further aim of the invention is to provide compounds whose duration of activity does not substantially exceed a period of about one day in therapeutically beneficial doses. Finally, the invention sets out to provide compounds which have an activity profile which ensures good control of the therapeutic effect (i.e., total therapeutic effect without side effects caused by a build-up of the substance in the body).

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Anticholinergics, processes for preparing them and pharmaceutical composition containing them

Abstract: A compound of formula 1

Abstract: wherein:    A is a group selected from

Abstract: X− is an anion with a single negative charge;    R1 and R2 are each independently a C1-C4-alkyl optionally substituted with hydroxy or halogen; and    R3, R4, R5, R6, R7, and R8 are each independently hydrogen, C1-C4-alkyl, C1-C4-alkyloxy, hydroxy, CF3, CN, NO2, or halogen,with the proviso that at least one of the groups R3, R4, R5, R6, R7, and R8 is not hydrogen, processes for preparing these compounds, pharmaceutical compositions containing these compounds, and their use as pharmaceutical compositions.

Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG


An integrated measuring scoop apparatus includes a mounting ring with at least a first mounting protrusion extending inwardly from an inner surface of the mounting ring; a measuring scoop having a bowl and an handle; and a recessed area in an exterior surface of the bowl and terminating in an upper support surface being arranged for engagement with the mounting protrusion and the handle being arranged for engagement with the mounting protrusion.

Powdered and granulated products are sometimes sold to consumers in relatively large, bulk containers. In order for the consumer to make use of the product, it is frequently necessary or desirable for a specific quantity of the product to be measured and dispensed from the container. An example of such a product for which this would be necessary are dietary supplements. In order to facilitate measuring and dispensing by the consumer, producers frequently include a measuring scoop in the container. In most cases the measuring scoop provided is made of plastic and is relatively small relative to the interior space of the container.
During shipment of the product, the container is continually moved, jostled, and handled with various degrees of care. All of this movement promotes settling of the contents.
Typically, this movement and the resulting settling can result in the measuring scoop being buried to at least some degree in the powdered or granulated material within the container. Particularly when the container is first opened by the consumer—when the container is full—this makes finding the scoop difficult. The consumer must dig through the material to try to find the scoop. This is messy and unsanitary.
There are prior art products that incorporate a means to mount a scoop near the open top of a container. However, these products require either separate structures distinct from the rest of the container or fairly elaborate molds.
Therefore, it would be advantageous to provide an apparatus that ensures appropriate placement of a measuring scoop in an accessible location within a container while being easily integrated into the overall container structure.


An apparatus for measuring ice amount of ice tank for ice-storage type air-conditioning system generally includes an operation control circuit and a software control flow for the operation control circuit, characterized in that the amount of ice in the ice tank is precisely calculated from the conductivity of the water in the ice tank through the operation control circuit as input data for energy management control system to improve the efficiency for the air-conditioning system.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention is related to a method and apparatus for measuring ice amount of ice tank for ice-storage type air-conditioning system and in particular to one by which the amount of ice in the ice tank can be precisely calculated from the conductivity of the water in the ice tank as input data for energy management control system to improve the efficiency for the air-conditioning system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are two major types of ice making machine: ice-on coil type and dynamic harvest type. Conventional ice storage HVAC systems are ice-on coil type which uses a coil in ice tank to make ice. During ice producing process, ice is attached on the surface of the coil and the water level in ice tank is slightly increased with the amount of ice made. A liquid level sensor is employed as the ice inventory sensor for the coil-type ice maker.
Modern ice storage systems are dynamic type ice harvester. Ice water is pumped from the ice storage tank and distributed to a thin film surface of ice making plate in ice harvester above the ice tank and returned to the ice storage tank by gravity. When water temperature is low, some of the water is frozen into sheets of ice. Periodically, hot gas is injecting into ice making plate to melt a thin layer of ice slab. Ice is then released from ice harvester and dropped into ice tank.
The liquid level sensor for the conventional coil-type ice maker is not an adequate instrument to measure the amount of ice for dynamic ice harvester. The density of ice is 0.92. Hence, before all the water in ice tank is becoming ice, the ice slab or ice particle is floated on the water surface. The volume of ice underneath the water surface and the volume of water transformed into ice are equal. Water level will not change until ice has reached the bottom of the ice tank, and the liquid level sensor will not be able to distinguish half tank of ice from no ice.
So far, there is no adequate method to correctly measure the amount of ice in the ice tank for dynamic type ice harvest systems. The ice inventory in ice tank is an essentially important parameter for effective control of thermal storage management for large scaled HVAC industries.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for measuring ice amount of ice tank for ice-storage type air-conditioning system by which the amount of ice in the ice tank can be precisely calculated from the conductivity of the water in the ice tank as input data for energy management control system to improve the efficiency for the air-conditioning system.

Method and apparatus for measuring ice amount of ice tank for ice-storage type air-conditioning system


Irrespective of the current situation of a recipient, a message storing service can be actively used by an originator's will, and the recipient can know without a delay that a message addressed to the recipient has been stored. A service for message originator can be specified so that even if a mobile communication terminal device on a recipient side is in a state where it can immediately perform communication when a message is transmitted from a mobile communication terminal device on an originator side, the message is temporarily stored in a message storing box of a telephone answering service subscribed to by a subscriber A as the originator of the message, and the message is delivered to the mobile communication terminal device on the recipient side at timing intended by the originator A.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a communication message storing and delivering device, a mobile communication terminal device, and communication message storing and delivering method, a communication message such as an audio and video message.
As used herein, "delivery" not only includes sending a message stored by a communication message storing and delivering device therein to a mobile communication terminal device, but also includes acquiring a message by a mobile communication terminal device accessing a communication message storing and delivering device.
2. Description of the Related Art
In conventional message services of audio communication using a mobile communication terminal device such as a cellular phone and audio-visual communication (video phone), there is a widespread service in which, when a recipient is in a state of being unable to make a response because the location of a recipient is out of service or because of a user setting, power exhaustion, or the like, a message to the recipient is temporarily stored in a predetermined storing device by telephone answering service, and the message is provided to the mobile communication terminal device when the mobile communication terminal device returns to a state of being able to make a response.
However, in this typical telephone answering service, if the telephone answering service is not subscribed to by a recipient, a message is not stored as described above. An originator needs to originate a call again. Therefore, the originator is unsatisfied with it as a user.
To solve such originator's dissatisfaction during use of the service, a technique has already been proposed in which, even if telephone answering service is not subscribed to by the recipient, a message can be stored when the recipient is in a state where it cannot respond.
For example, according to the disclosure of JP 2007-243469 A, a history of calling for an audio message from an audio message delivering device is stored in a recipient's terminal, and the recipient can call the audio message delivering device and requests the audio message therefrom to receive it at an appropriate time after the calling.
Thereby, the audio message can be transmitted to the recipient at a time convenient for the opposite party even if the recipient does not subscribe to telephone answering service or the telephone answering function of its telephone set is turned off.
In addition, according to the disclosure of JP 2001-204078 A, even if telephone answering service is not subscribed to by a recipient, a message is recorded using the telephone answering service on an originator, and the recipient is notified through an e-mail that the message has been recorded, so that the recipient can listen to the recording of the message without a delay. Therefore, the convenience of the telephone answering service is further improved.
Further, JP 2006-166013 A discloses that a plurality of recipients are specified by a delivery destination specifying section of a mobile switching center to perform broadcasting to them, and audio data is provided at a date and time specified by a date and time specifying section of the mobile switching center.
In the proposals of the above JP 2007-243469 A and JP 2001-204078 A, the convenience of the telephone answering service is enjoyed at the originator's cost, even if the telephone answering service is not subscribed to by the recipient, and it is assumed that when the recipient can respond immediately, a transmitted message is delivered to the recipient without going through an additional storing process or the like.
Although JP 2006-166013 A discloses broadcasting to a plurality of recipients and delivery at a specified date and time, there is no method so that a recipient (expected recipient) can know that a message to the recipient has been stored at an early stage, so the message is delivered to the recipient after its non-responding state is cancelled.
Therefore, the inventors of the present invention discovered that any of the above JP 2007-243469 A, JP 2001-204078 A and JP 2006-166013 A does not disclose a method for optionally enabling a message storing service to be used on originator's will and a method for a recipient to know without delay that a message addressed to the recipient has been stored, even if the telephone answering service is not subscribed to by the recipient and whether or not the recipient can respond at a current situation.

Communication message storing and delivering device, mobile communication terminal device, and communication message storing and delivering method


Provided are a polarizing plate and an optical display device including same, the polarizing plate comprising a polarizing film and a contrast ratio enhancement layer formed on a light-emitting surface of the polarizing film, wherein the contrast ratio enhancement layer comprises: a first resin layer including a pattern unit having one or more engraved patterns and a flat portion formed between the engraved patterns; and a second resin layer directly formed on the pattern unit, wherein the engraved patterns have a base angle of approximately 75° to approximately 90°, the pattern unit satisfies formula 1, the first resin layer has a refractive index larger than that of the second resin layer, and the first resin layer includes a dye of which the maximum absorption wavelength is approximately 550 nm to approximately 620 nm.

A liquid crystal display device is operated by emitting light from a backlight unit through a liquid crystal panel. Therefore, front contrast ratio (CR) is relatively good in the liquid crystal display device. However, lateral contrast ratio of the liquid crystal display device is relatively low. There has been an attempt to increase the lateral contrast ratio by modifying the structure of the liquid crystal panel or liquid crystals. However, as the lateral contrast ratio increases, the front contrast ratio tends to decrease. Thus, it is necessary to increase the lateral contrast ratio while minimizing reduction of the front contrast ratio.
Reduction of the lateral contrast ratio may be prevented by diffusing concentrated light passing through the liquid crystal panel and the polarizing plate. An optical film including a bead may be employed to diffuse the concentrated light. However, diffusion efficiency or processability may be low in this method.
One example of the background technique is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. 2006-251659.

Polarizing plate and optical display device including same


A polarizer and method of making the polarizer includes forming plural grooved lines on a surface of a supporting body that is transparent to visible light. The plural grooved lines are straight, concave and parallel to one another. Respective of the plural grooved lines include a sidewall portion that has a fine line formed thereon where the fine line constitutes a residual portion of a larger thin film that was subjected to an etching process. The fine line is composed of a semiconductor a metal or a combination of the two.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a polarizer that converts circularly polarized light into linearly polarized light in a visible light range, and more particularly relates to the polarizer and method of making the polarizer which has a fine line therein that enables the polarizer to serve as a high transmittance polarizer for use in a display, such as a computer display.
2. Discussion of the Background
Several examples of conventional polarizer, and the problems associated therewith are descried below.
A first conventional method of forming method a polarizer and a polarizing plate is explained in Japanese Laid Open Patent Application No. 01-93702. In this document a polarizing plate is made according to a straight-forward manufacturing process, where the plate has excellent optical properties. The polarizing plate includes many rod elements arranged on a surface of a substrate in a predetermined direction and affixed thereto. The respective rod elements are made of fine ferromagnetic particles.
As identified by the present inventors, an uneven distribution of the respective elements in the polarizing layer is large, as is an unevenness of the rod element material itself. With respect to the material, it is necessary that the material exhibit a large light absorption and refractive index. However, such materials are not preferable at this point in time, for various reasons.
A second conventional polarizer is a wire grid polarizer that is described on Page 103 in "Physics of a Man of Today--Light and Magnetism", by Katsuaki Satoh of Tokyo Agriculture and Industry University, 1988. This paper describes a polarizer that functions on light having a longer wavelength than 2.5 .mu.m. In this polarizer, a line of gold or aluminum is formed on a transparent substrate (silver bromide or polyethylene etc.) at a fine interval therein. In this case, when the interval of the line is d and the wavelength is .lambda., with respect to light having a wavelength .lambda.>>d, a transmission light becomes almost completely linearly polarized, with a vibrational surface that is vertical with respect to the line. For a middle infrared ray (i.e., .lambda.=2.5 .mu.m to 25 .mu.m), the gold line is formed at an interval of d=0.3 .mu.m on the substrate of silver bromide. For a long infrared ray (i.e., .lambda.=16 .mu.m to 100 .mu.m), the aluminum line is formed at an interval of d=0.7 .mu.m on the substrate of polyethylene. The respective degrees of polarization are generally thought to be about 97%.
As identified by the present inventors, a problem with this conventional apparatus is that the apparatus works on infrared rays having a relatively long wavelength, but does not function on rays in the visible light range. Moreover, in this wire method, a width of the line cannot be narrowed, such as to 500 .ANG. or less.
POLAR CORE is a conventional product offered by Corning Company and is a glass material that has a polarization property owing to an arrangement of metallic silver that is extended in one direction. The material has advantages in that it is heat resistant, moisture resistant, chemical resistant, and resistant to damage by a laser, unlike conventional polarizers made of organic materials. This product is mainly for use on infrared rays, however, under special specification conditions the material may be used on visible light.
As identified by the present inventors, a limitation with POLAR CORE is that when it is used for visible light, the material has a brown-colored outward appearance. Thus, the material is not suitable for use in a display device because it is dark and does not have the needed contrast, as is the case with conventional polarizers made of organic materials. Further, the price of the material is high and it is difficult to make large units with this material. Moreover, a light transmittance characteristic of this material is between 400 nm to 800 nm (when a thickness is 2 mm), and thus, it is not enough.
A group of Tohoku University has described a micro wire array that has a surface of aluminum that becomes oxidized in an anode and becomes alumina, and a fine hole is formed therein. Ni or Cu etc. are inserted into the fine hole, and thereby the polarizer for the infrared ray is formed.
As identified by the present inventors, insufficient evidence is present on the characteristics of its light transmission, however, transmittance in the infrared ray range, which is a main utility range, is 85%, a low value. This group makes the polarizer by inserting a metallic particle layer in an island-like form, between glass layers so as to extend the metallic particle layer. However, a degree of polarization is not enough in the visible light range and thus it is also only suitable for use in long wavelengths in the infrared ray spectrum.
A laminating type polarizer is reported by Professor Shoujiro Kawakami of Electricity and Communication Laboratory in Tohoku University. The polarizer is for use in the visible light range and uses Ge (germanium) of 60 .ANG. to 80 .ANG. in thickness and SiO.sub.2 of 1 .mu.m in thickness alternately laminated so as to create a composite thickness in the neighborhood of 60 .mu.m. A performance index .alpha.TE/.alpha.TM (ratio of exhaustion constant of a TE wave and a TM wave) which is measured in the wavelength of 0.6 .mu.m, is nearly 400, and the exhaustion ratio which is measured in the wavelength of 0.8 .mu.m is 35 dB, which are adequate for visible light.
However, as identified by the present inventors, since the polarizer is formed by a sputtering method, a thickness of only 50 .mu.m to 100 .mu.m, at most, is formed. This thin film on the substrate is sliced in 3 .mu.m to 35 .mu.m in thickness and then used. The device is used as mounted to a light sensing system or a light wave guide device etc. A similar device that operates for a wave length of 850 nm or more is produced by the similar producing method and is sold as a product name of LAMI POLE by Sumitomo Osaka Cement Company. However, this method cannot be formed into a large size area.
The inventors' previous patent documents describe a technique in which the polarizer is formed by dispersing a metal or semiconductor particle of 100 .ANG. or less in an organic solvent, and coating it on a transparent substrate in straight line form, and heating (burning) the same so as to form the polarizer.
On the other hand, the present invention is a method for forming the polarizer by general lithography techniques, and relates to a basic structure (a fine line being formed on one transparent supporting body), that improves the polarizer described in the previous patent documents. The present method for forming the polarizer involves making the fine line thinner, an improving the aspect ratio (ratio between height and width of the fine line) by making the aspect ratio larger so as to improve performance.

Light polarizer and method of producing the light polarizer


A method and apparatus for producing a liquid disperse system in a flow-through channel is described. The flow-through channel has first and second chambers. The liquid in the first chamber is maintained at a steady pressure P.sub.1. The liquid is passed through a localized flow constriction creating cavitation liquid jets that flow into the second chamber. The dynamic pressure of the liquid jets is govern by the equation .rho..nu..sup.2 /2.gtoreq.0.15 P.sub.1 where .rho. is the density of the cavitation liquid jet and .nu. is the velocity of the cavitation jet. Cavitation bubbles are produced in the cavitation liquid jets between 1.times.10.sup.-6 m and 1.times.10.sup.-2 m. The pressure in the second chamber P.sub.2 is maintained such that P.sub.1 /P.sub.2 is .ltoreq.9.8. The liquid disperse system is produced by the collapsing of cavitation bubbles under static pressure P.sub.2 in the second chamber. The pressure P.sub.2 in the second chamber is maintained by a localized resistance at an outlet of the second chamber. The localized flow constriction may be shaped to produce cavitation liquid jets which are cylindrical, ring-shaped, or flat-shaped. The liquid flow may be passed through the flow-through channel a number of times to further increase the production of liquid disperse systems.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to the method of producing liquid disperse systems with the aid of hydrodynamic cavitation. This method may find application in chemical, petroleum, food, cosmetic, pharmaceutical and other branches of industry.
2. Description of the Related Art
At the present time, there are many known methods of producing liquid disperse systems, in particular, suspensions and emulsions, using the effect of hydrodynamic cavitation. In these methods, the emulsification and dispersion processes go on as a result of cavitation influences purposely created in the processing flow by the hydrodynamic course as a result of the passage of the flow through a localized constriction of the flow. The mixing, emulsifying and dispersing influences of hydrodynamic cavitation occur as a result of a great number of powerful influences on the processed components under the collapsing cavitation bubbles.
Known is the issued patent entitled Process and apparatus for obtaining the emulsification of nonmiscible liquids, U.S. Pat. No. 3,937,445 issued Feb. 10, 1976 to V. Agosta, comprising a decrease in the static pressure in the liquid as a result of the passage of it through a constricted Venturi channel, to the pressure of saturated vapors of the liquid and the creation of oscillating cavitation bubbles.
The described method does not provide a high effectiveness of emulsification, in so far as the intensity of the rise of pulsating field of cavitating bubbles is low. The energy which is emitted by the pulsations of a cavitation bubble is always lower than the energy emitted by the collapse of a cavitation bubble. Furthermore, in this case method, uncontrolled cavitation is used that results in the bubbles being distributed in the large volume of the liquid medium. This leads to a decrease in the level of energy dissipation in the mass unit of the medium and does not allow production of thin emulsions.
In another known patent entitled Method of obtaining free disperse system and device for effecting same, U.S. Pat. No. 5,492,654 issued Feb. 20, 1996 to O. Kozjuk et al, which comprises the passage of hydrodynamic flow through a flow-through channel with a baffle body positioned inside of it providing a localized construction of the flow and creation of a cavitation field downstream of it.
Such a method is sufficiently effective for emulsification processes. However, the use of it for homogenization processes when rather finely dispersed emulsions are required during a single pass of components through the device is significantly difficult, and at times not possible. This is associated with the fact that a significant part of the flow energy goes to the generation of the primary cavity, which thereafter tears away from the baffle body and breaks up on the bubbles. The bubbles collapse in the primary cavity disintegration zone where the static pressure in the surrounding liquid appears to be low. At the same time, the static pressure of the surrounding liquid bubbles appears as the main parameter which determines the level of energy emitted during collapse of cavitation bubble. The higher the magnitude of the static pressure, the better the result of cavitation dispersion.
Thus, there continues to exist a requirement for a method which may lead to improved emulsification, dispersion, and homogenization in a more effective way.
The present invention involving the method of producing liquid disperse systems allows creation of optimal regimes of cavitation dispersions as a result of maintenance of the most effective limits of the main parameters of the collapsing bubbles cavitation field. These parameters are related to the sizes of the bubbles, their concentration in the flow and the static pressure in the surrounding liquid bubbles at the moment of their collapse. Given these parameters, it is possible to create controlled cavitation, possessing the most effective technological regimes for dispersion.
The present invention contemplates a new and improved apparatus and method for producing liquid disperse systems with the aid of hydrodynamic cavitation which is simple in design, effective in use, and overcomes the foregoing difficulties and others while providing better and more advantageous overall results.

Method and apparatus of producing liquid disperse systems


To provide a fuel-efficient fuel cell system configured to eliminate flooding in a fuel-based gas flow path, etc. The fuel cell system is a fuel cell system comprising a first fuel cell stack, a second fuel cell stack, a fuel gas supplier, a first supply flow path, a first circulation flow path, a second supply flow path, a second circulation flow path, a first bypass flow path which includes a first on-off valve, a second bypass flow path which includes a second on-off valve, a temperature detector, a current detector, a voltage detector and a controller.

A fuel cell (FC) is a power generation device that generates electrical energy by electrochemical reaction between hydrogen (H2), which serves as fuel gas, and oxygen (O2), which serves as oxidant gas, in a fuel cell stack (hereinafter, it may be simply referred to as "stack") composed of stacked unit fuel cells (hereinafter may be referred to as cells). Hereinafter, fuel gas and oxidant gas may be collectively and simply referred to as "reaction gas" or "gas".
In general, the unit fuel cells are composed of a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) and, as needed, two separators sandwiching the membrane electrode assembly.
The membrane electrode assembly has such a structure, that a catalyst layer and a gas diffusion layer are formed in this order on both surfaces of a solid polymer electrolyte membrane having proton (H+) conductivity (hereinafter, it may be simply referred to as "electrolyte membrane").
In general, the separators have such a structure that a groove is formed as a reaction gas flow path on a surface in contact with the gas diffusion layer. The separators function as a collector of generated electricity.
In the fuel electrode (anode) of the fuel cell, the hydrogen supplied from the gas flow path and the gas diffusion layer is protonated by the catalytic activity of the catalyst layer, and the protonated hydrogen goes to the oxidant electrode (cathode) through the electrolyte membrane. An electron is generated at the same time, and it passes through an external circuit, do work, and then goes to the cathode. The oxygen supplied to the cathode reacts with the proton and electron on the cathode, thereby generating water.
The generated water provides the electrolyte membrane with appropriate moisture. Redundant water penetrates the gas diffusion layer and then is discharged to the outside of the system.
There has been considerable research on a fuel cell system which is installed and used in a fuel cell vehicle (hereinafter may be simply referred to as "vehicle").
For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses a fuel cell system which includes stacks and a discharge gas passage connected thereto and which enables the discharge of water accumulated in the first inner reaction gas flow passage of the first fuel cell stack by utilizing the kinetic energy of exhaust gas from the second inner reaction gas flow passage of the second fuel cell stack.
Patent Literature 2 discloses a fuel cell system in which the oxidation of a cell stack in a non-power generation state is prevented by supplying anode-off gas to the cell stack in the non-power generation state.
Patent Literature 3 discloses a fuel cell system including a pulsing control unit that makes an anode-gas pressure vary in a pulsing manner.
Patent Literature 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 2006-294402
Patent Literature 2: JP-A No. 2016-031841
Patent Literature 3: International Publication No. WO2015-170416
If the water generated by the power generation of a fuel cell, accumulates in a fuel-based gas flow path and so on and puts them in a flooding state, the power generation of the fuel cell may fail. Accordingly, it is needed to efficiently discharge the water from the fuel-based gas flow path and so on without a reduction in fuel efficiency.
The fuel cell system of Patent Literature 1 uses, as a driving force to generate kinetic energy, the driving force (suction) of a turbine disposed on the gas discharge side of each stack. Flooding is likely to occur when the fuel cell is used in a low current range. Since the low current range is a power generation range where a discharged gas pressure is low, a pressure difference between the inlet and outlet of the fuel cell cannot be increased. To generate kinetic energy, accordingly it is needed to increase the suction by forcibly rotating the turbine. As a result, there is a possibility of excess power consumption and a deterioration in the fuel efficiency of a vehicle, etc.
The fuel cell system of the Patent Literature 2 is left in a steady state by just supplying the anode off-gas from one stack to the other stack. Accordingly, it cannot serve as a means to enhance the water discharge properties of a fuel-based gas flow path and so on.
In the fuel cell system of Patent Literature 3, the pulsing control unit adjusts the pulse amplitude of the anode-gas pressure on the basis of the temperature of the anode gas upstream of an ejector. However, pulse generation may be caused by supplying the anode gas to the fuel cell when the discharged gas pressure of the fuel cell is at a low level. Accordingly, it is difficult to cause pulse generation at a desired time.


A method is disclosed for the pretreatment of olefinic hydrocarbon feedstock to remove conjugated dienes and/or basic nitrogen compounds that deactivate acidic catalyst particles used in olefin conversion processes by reacting the dienes with one or more dienophiles to form the corresponding Diels-Alder adduct, followed by catalytic conversion of the olefinic hydrocarbon feedstock containing the adduct. The formation of the Diels-Alder adduct essentially eliminates the role of dienes in the feedstock as catalyst deactivating agents. When maleic anhydride (MA) is employed as the dienophile, basic nitrogen reacts with maleic anhydride, or with the tetrahydrophthalic anhydride adduct, to lower the amount of catalyst deactivating basic nitrogen compounds in the feedstock. Where the olefin conversion process comprises etherification of isoolefins with alkanol in a C.sub.4 + or C.sub.5 + olefinic hydrocarbon feedstream to produce a gasoline boiling range product enriched in oxygen and rich in high octane value alkyl tertiary alkyl ethers, it has been discovered that the adduct, particularly those adducts formed with MA, is in the gasoline boiling range and contributes usefully to the oxygen enrichment of the gasoline and to octane value.

It is known that isobutylene and isoamylenes, and other isoalkenes or isoolefins, produced by hydrocarbon cracking may be reacted with methanol and other C.sub.2 -C.sub.4 lower aliphatic alcohols, or alkanol, over an acidic catalyst to provide methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE), methyl tertiary-amyl ether (TAME) or the like. Generally, it is known that asymmetrical ethers having the formula (CH.sub.3).sub.3 C--O--R, where R is a C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl radical, are particularly useful as octane improvers for liquid fuels, especially gasoline.
MTBE, ethyl t-butyl ether (ETBE), tert-amyl methyl ether (TAME) and isopropyl t-butyl ether (IPTBE) are known to be high octane ethers. The article by J. D. Chase, et al., Oil and Gas Journal, Apr. 9, 1979, discusses the advantages one can achieve by using such materials to enhance gasoline octane. The octane blending number of MTBE when 10% is added to a base fuel (R+O=91) is about 120. For a fuel with a low motor rating (M+O=83) octane, the blending value of MTBE at the 10% level is about 103. On the other hand, for an (R+O) of 95 octane fuel, the blending value of 10% MTBE is about 114.
The liquid phase reaction of methanol with isobutylene and isoamylenes at moderate conditions with a resin catalyst is known technology, as provided by R. W. Reynolds, et al., The Oil and Gas Journal, Jun. 16, 1975, and S. Pecci and T. Floris, Hydrocarbon Processing, December 1977. An article entitled "MTBE and TAME--A Good Octane Boosting Combo," by J. D. Chase, et al., The Oil and Gas Journal, Apr. 9, 1979, pages 149-152, discusses the technology. Preferred catalysts are polymeric sulfonic acid exchange resin such as Amberlyst 15 and zeolites such as zeolite Beta and ZSM-5. The acid resin catalysts are effective catalysts at temperatures below 90.degree. C. At higher temperatures the resin catalyst is unstable. Typically, with acid resin catalyst the etherification reaction is carried out in liquid phase. However, mixed phase etherification is known, particularly where the catalyst is contained as a fixed bed in a fractionator which serves to both separate the reaction products and operate as a vessel to contain the catalyst under etherification conditions. Smith U.S. Pat. No 4,978,807 describes an etherification catalyst reaction zone contained within a distillation tower.
European Patent Applications 0055045 and 0045618 describe isoolefin etherification catalyzed by zeolite. Chu et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,605,787, incorporated herein by reference, describes a process for the preparation of methyl tertiary butyl ether which comprises reacting isobutylene and methanol in the presence of zeolite catalyst.
Typical hydrocarbon feedstock materials for etherification reactions include olefinic streams, such as cracking process light gas containing butene isomers in mixture with substantial amounts of paraffins including n-butane and isobutane. The C.sub.4 components usually contain a major amount of unsaturated compounds, such as 10-40% isobutylene, 20-55% linear butenes, and small amounts of butadiene. Also, C.sub.4 + heavier olefinic hydrocarbon streams may be used, particularly mixtures of isobutylene and isoamylene. C.sub.5 + olefinic hydrocarbon streams containing isoamylene comprising fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) gasoline are an especially important feedstock.
Improvements in the etherification of isoamylenes to TAME in C.sub.5 + FCC gasoline are very desirable to meet the amended requirements of the Clean Air Act with respect to gasoline oxygen content while avoiding C.sub.4 - hydrocarbon evaporative emissions. These amendments specify that gasoline sold in CO non-attainment areas during winter months will have 2.7 wt % oxygen by 1992 while in ozone non-attainment areas 2.0 wt % year round must be achieved by 1995.
As noted above, the use of zeolite catalyst for the etherification reaction of lower alkanol with isoolefins to produce MTBE and/or TAME is well known in the art. Among the advantages in employing acidic zeolite for the catalysis of etherification is the fact that it is much more readily regenerable than acidic resin catalyst. While sulfonated resin catalysts such as Amberlyst-15 are highly effective as etherification catalysts the fact that they are organic resins limits the temperatures to which they can be exposed without degradation. Zeolites, on the other hand, are stable at high temperatures which allows the repeated regeneration of deactivated catalyst. High temperature catalyst regeneration is by far the preferred route for regeneration to remove carbonaceous deposits, particularly produced by diene contaminates in the etherification hydrocarbon feedstream.
It is known that conjugated dienes such as butadiene and higher C.sub.5 + conjugated dienes readily oligomerize on the surface of acidic catalyst particles at moderate temperature forming carbonaceous deposits which accelerate catalyst deactivation. This mode of acidic solid catalyst particle deactivation is relatively generic to olefin conversion processes, particularly zeolite catalyzed etherification of olefinic gasoline streams. Consequently, pretreatment of the feedstock by hydrotreating and stripping is conventionally carried out to lower the concentration of diene in the feedstock. Basic nitrogen compounds, i.e., ammonia or amines, are also known catalyst poisons in etherification processes where they react with acid catalyst sites and lower catalyst activity. To avoid this problem, water washing of the feedstock is usually prescribed. Overall, the pretreatment of etherification feedstock to lower the rate of catalyst deactivation caused by dienes and basic nitrogen compounds represents a substantial economic burden on the etherification process.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved process for the removal of catalyst poisons comprising conjugated dienes, thiophenic sulfur and/or basic nitrogen compounds from olefinic hydrocarbon feedsteams used in zeolite catalyzed olefin conversion processes.
It is a particular object of the invention to provide a process for removing conjugated dienes, thiophenic sulfur and/or basic nitrogen compounds from olefinic hydrocarbon feedstreams employed in solid acid catalyzed etherification processes for the production of alkyl tertiary alkyl ethers.
Yet a further object of the invention is to provide a process for removing catalyst deactivating amounts of dienes from solid acid catalyzed olefin etherification process feedstreams that are carried out on C.sub.4 + or C.sub.5 + olefinic gasoline boiling range hydrocarbons.

Process for improving olefin etherification catalyst life