1. A method for providing a batch of liquid colorant, comprising:
providing a color station that makes batches of liquid colorant;
receiving an order from a customer for a batch of liquid colorant;
placing the order in a database at the color station;
detecting the customer approaching the color station to receive the batch of liquid colorant where the customer is detected by a proximity detection process of the color station;
processing the batch of the liquid colorant at the color station after detecting the customer; and
delivering the batch of liquid colorant to a concrete truck of the customer at the color station where the batch was processed.
2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising placing an order, wherein the order is placed by the customer, a customer dispatcher, or by a central authority that operates the color station.
3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the order for a batch of liquid colorant is stored by the color station in a pending orders database.
4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the processing is initiated by proximity detection.
5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the proximity detection is passive or active.
6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the passive proximity detection uses a global positioning system, a long range one-way transponder device, a data modem transceiver, or a metropolitan area network communication device, and the active proximity detection uses web-based dispatch or cellular telephone dispatch.
7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the concrete truck is remotely sensed via a proximity detection process of the color station before the concrete truck arrives at the color station.
8. A method for providing a batch of liquid colorant, comprising:
providing a color station that makes batches of liquid colorant;
receiving an order from a customer for a batch of liquid colorant;
detecting a concrete truck of the customer approaching the color station to receive the batch of liquid colorant wherein the customer is detected by a proximity detection process of color station;
processing the batch of the liquid colorant at the color station after detecting the concrete truck; and
delivering the batch of liquid colorant to the concrete truck of the customer at the color station where the batch was processed, wherein the color station detects the approaching concrete truck, and then the color station begins to process the order of the batch of liquid colorant for the concrete truck such that the color batch will ready for the concrete truck or nearly ready for the concrete truck when the concrete truck arrives at the color station.
9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the order is received by a central authority and the order is communicated to the color station.
10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the order is received by a central authority, the order is logged into a central server queue, the order is transferred to the color station, and a proximity detection process or a manual entering of an order number begins the batch processing.
11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the central authority provides the customer with an order number, the customer contacts the central authority and enters the order number, and the order number is matched to an identification number in a database of the color station.
12. The method according to claim 1, wherein order information is used to determine product shortage in advance.
13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the color station is remotely controlled by a central authority.
14. A method for receiving order information and delivering a batch of liquid colorant, comprising:
providing a color station;
providing a central authority system that operates the color station remote in location to the central authority;
receiving order information from a customer for a batch of liquid colorant at the central authority system;
placing the order information into a central database as a pending order;
providing the customer with an order number corresponding to the order information;
communicating the order to a local database at the color station;
initiating processing of the batch of liquid colorant at the color station after receiving contact from the customer and detecting a concrete truck of the customer approaching the color station by a proximity detection process of the color station;
delivering the batch of liquid colorant to the concrete truck of the customer at the color station where the batch of liquid colorant was processed.
15. The method for receiving order information and delivering a batch of liquid colorant according to claim 14, wherein the the contact from the customer includes the customer logging into the central authority’s website.
16. The method for receiving order information and delivering a batch of liquid colorant according to claim 14, wherein the receiving order information for a batch of liquid colorant includes receiving customer identification, the desired color station to utilize, the desired color for the colorant batch, the cement content of the load of wet concrete, the size in yards of the load of wet concrete, and the date and time the order is to be fulfilled.
17. The method for receiving order information and delivering a batch of liquid colorant according to claim 14, wherein the central authority system provides the customer with an order number corresponding to the order placed via a web entry form after checking to determine if there is sufficient product available for the customer at the color station.
18. The method for receiving order information and delivering a batch of liquid colorant according to claim 14, wherein the central authority communicates the order to the local database at the color station, and the order is maintained in a pending status in the database at the central authority system and in the local database at the color station until the order is confirmed or cancelled by the customer.
19. The method for receiving order information and delivering a batch of liquid colorant according to claim 14, wherein the central authority place the order into a job stack residing at the local color station.
20. The method for receiving order information and delivering a batch of liquid colorant according to claim 19, wherein the job stack includes a listing of all pending orders, and each order has a date and time to be fulfilled and a confirmation number associated with it.
21. The method for receiving order information and delivering a batch of liquid colorant according to claim 14, wherein the customer’s pending arrival at the color station is confirmed via proximity detection, the central authority system contacts the local color station, the color station again checks the availability of the product and begins the processing of the color batch.
22. The method according to claim 14, wherein the color station is remotely controlled by the central authority.
23. A method for providing a batch of liquid colorant, comprising:
providing a color station operated by a central authority, wherein the color station prepares batches of liquid colorant;
receiving an order from a customer for a batch of liquid colorant at the central authority;
communicating the order to the color station;
detecting an approaching concrete truck by a proximity detection process of the color station and processing the batch of the liquid colorant at the color station such that the batch of liquid colorant will be ready or will be nearly ready for the concrete truck when the concrete truck arrives at the color station;
maintaining a database of customer order information and liquid colorant supply information; and
pumping the batch of liquid colorant into a customer’s concrete truck at the color station where the batch of liquid colorant was processed.
24. The method according to claim 23, wherein the customer has zero or more orders affiliated with the customer and the customer has at least one plant where the concrete is received.
25. The method according to claim 23, wherein a concrete plant is assigned to a color station in nearby proximity.
26. The method according to claim 23, wherein the color station has a status type of operational or inoperational.
27. The method according to claim 23, wherein each order is associated with only one plant and each order has at least one status.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An optical film comprising at least one resin-layer comprising a thermoplastic norbornene resin formed of a polymer comprising:
a structural unit represented by a general formula (1) shown below,
wherein.
n represents either one of 0 and 1,
m represents either on of 0, and an integer of at least 1;
X represents either one of a group represented by the formula \u2014CH\u2550CH\u2014 and a group represented by the formula \u2014CH2CH2\u2014;
R1, R2, R3, and R4 each represent, independently, any one of a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, a substituted or unsubstituted hydrocarbon group of 1 to 30 carbon atoms which may contain a linkage group incorporating an oxygen atom, a nitrogen atom, or a sulfur atom, and a polar group; or R1 and R2, or R3 and R4, or R2 and R3 may be bonded to each other to form a hydrocarbon ring or a heterocyclic ring, wherein said hydrocarbon ring or said heterocyclic ring may be either on of a separate stand-alone structure, or a polycyclic structure formed through condensation with another ring, and said formed hydrocarbon ring or said heterocyclic ring may be an aromatic ring or a non-aromatic ring,
wherein within at least a portion of said structural units are incorporated within said polymer, either at least one of said groups R1 to R4 has a group represented by a general formula (2) shown below, or said groups R2 and R3 are bonded to each other to form at least one group selected from the general formulas (3) and (4) shown below:
\u2014(CH)p\u2014O\u2014C(O)\u2014R5\u2003\u2003(2)
wherein, p represents an integer of 1 to 5, and R5 represents any one of a biphenyl group, an \u03b1 or \u03b2 naphthyl group, an anthracenyl group, and one of these groups in which a hydrogen atom has been substituted with a halogen atom or a hydrocarbon group of 1 to 10 carbon atoms,
wherein, R1 and R4 represent identical meanings as defined above in relation to said general formula (1), and R6 to R11 each represent, independently, any one of a hydrogen atom; a halogen atom; a substituted or unsubstituted monovalent hydrocarbon group of 1 to 10 carbon atoms which may contain a linkage group incorporating an oxygen atom, a nitrogen atom, a sulfur atom or a silicon atom; and a monovalent polar group, and
wherein, R1 and R4 represent identical meanings as defined above in relation to said general formula (1), and R12 to R15 each represent, independently, any one of a hydrogen atom; a halogen atom; a substituted or unsubstituted monovalent hydrocarbon group of 1 to 10 carbon atoms which may contain a linkage group incorporating an oxygen atom, a nitrogen atom, a sulfur atom or a silicon atom; and a monovalent polar group, V and W each represent, independently, either one of a single bond, and a bivalent group selected from a group consisting of \u2014O\u2014, \u2014CO\u2014, \u2014NR16\u2014, \u2014(CR17R18)q-wherein q=1 to 5, \u2014COO\u2014 and \u2014OCO\u2014, and R16 to R18 each represent, independently, any one of a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, and an aliphatic hydrocarbon group, an alicyclic hydrocarbon group and an aromatic hydrocarbon group of 1 to 10 carbon atoms,
a plurality of X’s present in a molecule of said polymer being the same or different.
2. The optical film according to claim 1 which imparts retardation to transmitted light.
3. The optical film according to claim 2, wherein a ratio between a retardation Re(550) of transmitted light at a wavelength of 550 nm and a retardation Re(400) of transmitted light at a wavelength of 400 nm, namely a ratio Re(400)IRe(550), falls within a range from 1.5 to 1.0, and a ratio between said retardation Re(550) and a retardation Re(800) of transmitted light at a wavelength of 800 nm, namely a ratio Re(800)IRe(550), falls within a range from 1.0 to 0.5.
4. The optical film according to claim 2, wherein in an index ellipsoid in which an in-plane direction of said optical film at which an index of refraction is largest is labeled an x axis, an in-plane direction orthogonal to said x axis is labeled a y axis, a direction through a thickness of said optical film perpendicular to a plane of said optical film is labeled a z axis, and corresponding indexes of refraction are labeled Nx, Ny and Nz respectively, a degree of refractive index anisotropy, represented by a formula (Nx+Ny)2\u2212Nz, is within \xb10.1.
5. The optical film according to claim 2, comprising at least two said resin-layers laminated together, each of the layers imparting retardation to transmitted light, wherein a value represented by a formula:
Re(\u03bb)\u03bb
wherein, \u03bb represents a wavelength of transmitted light from said film, and Re(\u03bb) represents retardation at the wavelength \u03bb,
varies over an entire wavelength range from 400 to 800 nm within \xb120% of the average value.
6. A polarizing plate comprising an optical film according to claim 1.
7. The polarizing plate according to claim 6, wherein said optical film is present as protective film formed on at least one surface of a substrate of said plate.
8. The polarizing plate according to claim 6, wherein said optical film is present as the substrate of said plate.
9. A method for production of an optical film as defined in claim 1, comprising a step for casting an organic solvent solution containing a thermoplastic norbornene resin stated in claim 1.
10. The method according to claim 9, wherein said organic solvent is a mixed solvent of a good solvent and a poor solvent for said thermoplastic norbornene resin.
11. The optical film according to claim 1, wherein in said general formula (1) representing the structural unit a, n=0 and m=1.
12. The optical film according to claim 1, with a light diffusing function on at least one surface thereof.
13. The optical film according to claim 1, with a transparent conductive layer on at least one surface thereof.
14. The optical film according to claim 1, with an antireflective layer on at least one surface thereof.
15. The optical film according to claim 1, wherein the proportion of the structural unit a is from 100 to 5% by weight of said polymer.
16. The optical film according to claim 1, wherein said polymer additionally comprises a structural unit d represented by a general formula (10) shown below,
wherein, h represents 0 or an integer of 1 or greater, i represents 0 or 1; and X, R1, R2, R3 and R4 represent the same meanings as defined in relation to said general formula (1), although cases in which said groups R1 to R4 represent a group represented by said general formula (2), or said groups R2 and R3 are bonded to each other to form at least one group selected from said general formulas (3) and (4) are excluded,
wherein at least one of said groups R1 and R4 represents a polar group.
17. The optical film according to claim 1, wherein said polymer additionally comprises a structural unit d represented by a general formula (10) shown below,
wherein, h represents 0 or an integer of 1 or greater, i represents 0 or 1; and X, R1, R2, R3 and R4 represent the same meanings as defined in relation to said general formula (1), although cases in which said groups R1 to R4 represent a group represented by said general formula (2), or said groups R2 and R3 are bonded to each other to form at least one group selected from said general formulas (3) and (4) are excluded,
wherein at least one of said groups R1 to R4 is a polar group represented by a general formula (9):
\u2014(CH2)zCOOR19
wherein z is from 0 to 5, and R19 is a monovalent organic group.