Author: claimsbot

1. A client computer-based method for executing secure electronic transactions over a communications network, the method comprising:
receiving a user’s password to initiate secure socket layer (SSL) communications with a transaction site on a server;
verifying that a web session associated with the SSL communications is encrypted by associating a domain name of the transaction site with its SSL public key; and
adding the user’s password to an encrypted message generated by the user within the web session.
2. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the password is added at the end of the uniform resource locator (URL) referrer field of a hypertext markup language (HTML) header of the encrypted message.
3. The method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:
querying an exclusion list with the domain name of the transaction site to determine if a security of the transaction site needs verification; and
if the transaction site is not on the exclusion list, initiating the verification by querying an allowed list with the domain name to determine if the transaction site is allowed to continue the web session.
4. The method in accordance with claim 3, further comprising, if the transaction site is on the allowed list, retrieving SSL public key for the transaction site from a known public key list.
5. A method for executing secure electronic transactions over a communications network, the method comprising:
initiating a web session of secure socket layer (SSL) communications with a transaction site on a server; and
adding the user’s password to an encrypted a message generated by the user within the web session.
6. The method in accordance with claim 5, wherein the password is added at the end of the uniform resource locator (URL) referrer field of a hypertext markup language (HTML) header that designates the URL of the transaction site.
7. The method in accordance with claim 5, further comprising transmitting the message with the user’s password in the HTML header to the transaction site
8. A client system for executing secure electronic transactions over a communications network, the system comprising:
a secure transaction module configured to add a user’s password to an encrypted message generated by the user for transmission within a web session initiated with a transaction site.
9. A client system in accordance with claim 8, wherein the secure transaction module is configured to add the user’s password at the end of the uniform resource locator (URL) referrer field of a hypertext markup language (HTML) header of the encrypted message.
10. A client system in accordance with claim 9, wherein an exclusion list with the domain name of the transaction site is queried to determine if a security of the transaction site needs verification.

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. A water-repellent, oil-repellent, and antifouling antireflection film comprising a plate substrate, water-repellent, oil-repellent, and antifouling transparent fine particles fused onto a surface of the substrate, and a film composed of a water-repellent, oil-repellent, and antifouling substance and coating a portion of the surface of the substrate excluding the portion onto which the transparent fine particles are fused.
2. The water-repellent, oil-repellent, and antifouling antireflection film according to claim 1, wherein the surface of each of the transparent fine particles is partially fused onto the surface of the substrate and the remaining exposed surface thereof is coated with the film composed of a water-repellent, oil-repellent, and antifouling substance.
3. The water-repellent, oil-repellent, and antifouling antireflection film according to claim 2, wherein the film composed of a water-repellent, oil-repellent, and antifouling substance is covalently bound to a surface of each of the transparent fine particles and the surface of the substrate.
4. The water-repellent, oil-repellent, and antifouling antireflection film according to claim 1, wherein the transparent fine particles may be transparent fine particles with different particle diameters.
5. The water-repellent, oil-repellent, and antifouling antireflection film according to claim 1, wherein the film composed of a water-repellent, oil-repellent, and antifouling substance contains a \u2014CF3 group.
6. The water-repellent, oil-repellent, and antifouling antireflection film according to claim 1, wherein the transparent fine particles are any of silica fine particles, alumina fine particles, or zirconia fine particles being translucent and having a softening point higher than that of the surface of the substrate.
7. The water-repellent, oil-repellent, and antifouling antireflection film according to claim 1, wherein the particle diameter of the transparent fine particles is smaller than 400 nm.
8. The water-repellent, oil-repellent, and antifouling antireflection film according to claim 1, wherein a water contact angle is equal to or larger than 140\xb0.
9. The water-repellent, oil-repellent, and antifouling antireflection film according to claim 1, wherein a transparent film that is fused onto the transparent fine particles at a lower temperature than the substrate is used to fuse the transparent fine particles onto the surface of the glass substrate and the film composed of a water-repellent, oil-repellent, and antifouling substance coats a portion of the substrate excluding the portion onto which the transparent fine particles are fused through the transparent film.
10. A lens having a surface coated with the water-repellent, oil-repellent, and antifouling antireflection film according to claim 1.
11. A glass sheet having a surface coated with the water-repellent, oil-repellent, and antifouling antireflection film according to claim 1.
12. Glass having a surface coated with the water-repellent, oil-repellent, and antifouling antireflection film according to claim 1.
13. An optical apparatus equipped with the lens having a surface coated with a water-repellent, oil-repellent, and antifouling antireflection film according to claim 10.
14. A solar energy system equipped with the glass sheet having a surface coated with a water-repellent, oil-repellent, and antifouling antireflection film according to claim 11.
15. A display equipped with the glass having a surface coated with a water-repellent, oil-repellent, and antifouling antireflection film according to claim 12.
16. A method for manufacturing a water-repellent, oil-repellent, and antifouling antireflection film comprising:
a step C of preparing a fine particle dispersion liquid in which transparent fine particles are dispersed;
a step D of attaching the transparent fine particles to a surface of a substrate by applying the fine particle dispersion liquid to the surface of the substrate and then drying it;
a step E of fusing the transparent fine particles onto the surface of the substrate by heating the substrate having a surface to which the transparent fine particles are attached at a temperature lower than a softening point of the transparent fine particles;
a step F of washing away a portion of the transparent fine particles that are not fused onto the surface of the substrate; and
a step G of forming a film composed of a water-repellent, oil-repellent, and antifouling substrate on a fine-particle-fused substrate, i.e., the substrate having a surface onto which the transparent fine particles are fused.
17. The method for manufacturing a water-repellent, oil-repellent, and antifouling antireflection film according to claim 16, further comprising a step B of coating a surface of the substrate with a transparent film that is insoluble in the fine particle dispersion liquid and fused onto the transparent fine particles at a lower temperature than the substrate before the step D.
18. The method for manufacturing a water-repellent, oil-repellent, and antifouling antireflection film according to claim 17, wherein a sol-gel method is used to form the transparent film.
19. The method for manufacturing a water-repellent, oil-repellent, and antifouling antireflection film according to claim 17, wherein a temperature used in a heating process in the step E is at least 250\xb0 C. and lower than softening points of the substrate and the transparent fine particles.
20. The method for manufacturing a water-repellent, oil-repellent, and antifouling antireflection film according to claim 16, further comprising a step A of coating the transparent fine particles with a monomolecular film composed of a first silane compound having a linear group, in which transparent fine particles \u201ca\u201d are dispersed in a first chemisorption solution containing the first silane compound and a non-aqueous organic solvent to initiate a reaction between a silyl group of the first silane compound and a reactive group existing on a surface of the transparent fine particles \u201ca\u201d, wherein a heating process in the step E is carried out in an atmosphere containing oxygen.
21. The method for manufacturing a water-repellent, oil-repellent, and antifouling antireflection film according to claim 20, wherein an organic solvent is used to prepare the fine particle dispersion liquid and the linear group is a carbon fluoride group.
22. The method for manufacturing a water-repellent, oil-repellent, and antifouling antireflection film according to claim 20, wherein water, an alcohol, or a mixed solvent thereof is used to prepare the fine particle dispersion liquid and the linear group is a hydrocarbon group.
23. The method for manufacturing a water-repellent, oil-repellent, and antifouling antireflection film according to claim 16, wherein formation of the film composed of a water-repellent, oil-repellent, and antifouling substance in the step G is achieved by bringing a second chemisorption solution containing a second silane compound having a carbon fluoride group and a non-aqueous organic solvent into contact with the fine-particle-fused substrate to initiate a reaction between a silyl group of the second silane compound and a reactive group existing on a surface of the fine-particle-fused substrate.
24. The method for manufacturing a water-repellent, oil-repellent, and antifouling antireflection film according to claim 23, wherein, in the step G, an unreacted portion of the second silane compound is washed away after the reaction between a silyl group and a reactive group.
25. The method for manufacturing a water-repellent, oil-repellent, and antifouling antireflection film according to claim 23, wherein the first silane compound contained in the first chemisorption solution andor the second silane compound contained in the second chemisorption solution is an alkoxysilane compound.
26. The method for manufacturing a water-repellent, oil-repellent, and antifouling antireflection film according to claim 23, wherein the first silane compound contained in the first chemisorption solution andor the second silane compound contained in the second chemisorption solution is a halosilane compound.
27. The method for manufacturing a water-repellent, oil-repellent, and antifouling antireflection film according to claim 23, wherein the first silane compound contained in the first chemisorption solution andor the second silane compound contained in the second chemisorption solution is an isocyanate silane compound.
28. The method for manufacturing a water-repellent, oil-repellent, and antifouling antireflection film according to claim 25, wherein those containing the alkoxysilane compound of the first and second chemisorption solutions further contain at least one compound selected from the group consisting of metal carboxylate salts, metal carboxylate esters, polymers based on a metal carboxylate salt, chelates based on a metal carboxylate salt, titanate esters, and chelates based on a titanate ester as a condensation catalyst.
29. The method for manufacturing a water-repellent, oil-repellent, and antifouling antireflection film according to claim 25, wherein those containing the alkoxysilane compound of the first and second chemisorption solutions further contain at least one compound selected from the group consisting of ketimine compounds, organic acids, aldimine compounds, enamine compounds, oxazolidine compounds, and aminoalkylalkoxysilane compounds as a condensation catalyst.
30. The method for manufacturing a water-repellent, oil-repellent, and antifouling antireflection film according to claim 28, wherein at least one compound selected from the group consisting of ketimine compounds, organic acids, aldimine compounds, enamine compounds, oxazolidine compounds, and aminoalkylalkoxysilane compounds is additionally used as a promoter.

1. A plurality of semiconductor nanowires each being fixed to the same support, each of the nanowires comprising II-VI materials and each nanowire terminating in a free end and a metal alloy nanoparticle is fixed to each nanowire at its free end, wherein the metal alloy nanoparticle is a nanowire growth catalyst having a melting point of 330\xb0 C. or less and above the metal alloy’s eutectic temperature.
2. The plurality of semiconductor nanowires of claim 1 wherein the support includes glass, semiconductor substrates, metal foils, or high temperature plastics.
3. The plurality of semiconductor nanowires of claim 1 wherein the support includes a low energy surface film.
4. The plurality of semiconductor nanowires of claim 3 wherein the low energy surface film includes silicon oxide or aluminum oxide.
5. The plurality of semiconductor nanowires of claim 1 wherein the metal alloy nanoparticle is gold-tin (Au\u2014Sn).
6. The plurality of semiconductor nanowires of claim 5 wherein the molar percentage of tin in the gold-tin alloy is at least 56%.
7. The plurality of semiconductor nanowires of claim 1 wherein the II-VI materials includes binary, ternary, or quaternary II-VI compositions.
8. The plurality of semiconductor nanowires of claim 1 wherein the diameter of each nanowire is less than 500 nanometers.
9. The plurality of semiconductor nanowires of claim 8 wherein the diameter of each nanowire is less than 100 nanometers.
10. The plurality of semiconductor nanowires of claim 1 wherein the length of each nanowire is greater than 500 nanometers.
11. The plurality of semiconductor nanowires of claim 10 wherein the length of each nanowire is greater than 2 microns.
12. The plurality of semiconductor nanowires of claim 1 wherein each nanowire includes one or more discrete heterostructure units whose II-VI material composition is either uniform or varies over its length.
13. The plurality of semiconductor nanowires of claim 12 wherein the discrete heterostructure units have lengths which range from 1-10 nm to microns.
14. The plurality of semiconductor nanowires of claim 1 further including dopants in the nanowires which modifies the conductivity of the nanowires.
15. The plurality of semiconductor nanowires of claim 14 wherein the dopants are n-type and are selected from Al, In, Ga, Cl, Br or I.
16. The plurality of semiconductor nanowires of claim 14 wherein the dopants are p-type and are selected from N, P, As, Li, Cu, or LiN.

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. A protective helmet to be worn on the head of a person, comprising:
A rigid outer shell defining an interior chamber; and
A controlled air dissipation (CAD) assembly removably installed within said interior chamber of said outer shell and including an inner shell liner, first and second primary bellows units mounted to a first surface of said inner shell liner, first and second secondary bellows units mounted to a second surface of said inner shell liner, a primary air transfer conduit and a secondary air transfer conduit, said first primary bellows unit including at least two first primary bellows chambers which are fluidically interconnected by a first primary air channel to facilitate air transfer therebetween, said second primary bellows unit including at least two second primary bellows chambers which are fluidically interconnected by a second primary air channel to facilitate air transfer therebetween, said primary air transfer conduit fluidically interconnecting one of said first primary bellows chambers with one of said second primary bellows chambers to facilitate air transfer between said first and second primary bellows units, said first secondary bellows unit including at least two first secondary bellows chambers which are fluidically interconnected by a first secondary air channel to facilitate air transfer therebetween, said second secondary bellows unit including at least two second secondary bellows chambers which are fluidically interconnected by a second secondary air channel to facilitate air transfer therebetween, said secondary air transfer conduit fluidically interconnecting one of said first secondary bellows chambers to one of said second secondary bellows chambers to facilitate air transfer between said first and second secondary bellows units, said inner shell liner including first and second air transfer holes, said first air transfer hole arranged to facilitate air transfer between one of said first primary bellows chambers and one of said first secondary bellows chambers, and said second air transfer hole arranged to facilitate air transfer between one of said second primary bellows chambers and one of said second secondary bellows chambers.
2. The protective helmet of claim 1 wherein said first primary bellows unit includes a first primary base section adapted to be mounted to said first surface of said inner shell liner, a plurality of first primary pad sections extending from said first primary base section and which define said first primary bellows chambers therein, and a plurality of first primary bridge sections formed in said first primary base section which interconnect adjacent first primary pad sections and define said first primary air channels, and wherein said second primary bellows unit includes a second primary base section adapted to be mounted to said first surface of said inner shell liner, a plurality of second primary pad sections extending outwardly from said second primary base section and which define said second primary bellows chambers therein, and a plurality of second primary bridge sections formed in said second primary base section which interconnect adjacent second primary pad sections and define said second primary air channels.
3. The protective helmet of claim 2 wherein at least one of said first primary pad sections includes a first primary air charge hole to permit ambient air to communicate with said interconnected first primary bellows chambers, and wherein at least one of said second primary pad sections includes a second primary air charge hole to permit ambient air to communicate with said interconnected second primary bellows chambers.
4. The protective helmet of claim 3 wherein said first primary base section of said first primary bellows unit is thermally bonded to said first surface of said inner shell liner, and wherein said second primary base section of said second primary bellows unit is thermally bonded to said first surface of said inner shell liner.
5. The protective helmet of claim 4 wherein said primary air transfer conduit is thermally bonded to said first surface of said inner shell liner and defines a primary air passage having a first end fluidically communicating with one of said first primary bellows chambers and a second end fluidically communicating with one of said second primary bellows chambers to thereby establish a primary air flow circuit between said first and second primary bellows units.
6. The protective helmet of claim 1 wherein each of said first primary bellows chambers associated with said first primary bellows unit is aligned with a corresponding one of said first secondary bellows chamber associated with said first secondary bellows unit, and wherein said first air transfer hole is formed in said inner shell liner to facilitate air transfer between said aligned sets of first primary and secondary bellows chambers.
7. The protective helmet of claim 3 wherein said first secondary bellows unit includes a first secondary base section adapted to be mounted to said second surface of said inner shell liner, a plurality of first secondary pad sections extending from said first secondary base section and which define said first secondary bellows chambers therein, and a plurality of first secondary bridge sections formed in said first secondary base section which interconnect adjacent first secondary pad sections and define said first secondary air channels, and wherein said second secondary bellows unit includes a second secondary base section adapted to be mounted to said second surface of said inner shell liner, a plurality of second secondary pad sections extending outwardly from said second secondary base section and which define said second secondary bellows chambers therein, and a plurality of second secondary bridge sections formed in said second secondary base section which interconnect adjacent second secondary pad sections and define said second secondary air channels.
8. The protective helmet of claim 7 wherein at least one of said first secondary pad sections includes a first secondary air charge hole to permit ambient air to communicate with said interconnected first secondary bellows chambers, and wherein at least one of said second secondary pad sections includes a second secondary air charge hole to permit ambient air to communicate with said interconnected second secondary bellows chambers.
9. The protective helmet of claim 8 wherein said first secondary base section of said first secondary bellows unit and said second secondary base section of said second secondary bellows unit are thermally bonded to said second surface of said inner shell liner.
10. The protective helmet of claim 9 wherein said secondary air transfer conduit is thermally bonded to said second surface of said inner shell liner and defines a secondary air passage having a first end communicating with one of said first secondary bellows chambers and a second end communicating with one of said second secondary bellows chambers to thereby establish a secondary air flow circuit between said first and second secondary bellows units.
11. The protective helmet of claim 1 wherein said inner shell liner includes front and rear mounting flanges for releasably mounting said CAD assembly to said outer shell.
12. The protective helmet of claim 1 wherein said first primary bellows unit is fabricated as a one-piece first primary pad component and said second primary bellows unit is fabricated as a one-piece second primary pad component.
13. The protective helmet of claim 12 wherein said first secondary bellows unit is fabricated as a one-piece first secondary pad component and said second secondary bellows unit is fabricated as a one-piece second secondary pad component.
14. The protective helmet of claim 13 wherein said first primary pad component, said second primary pad component, said first secondary pad component and said second secondary pad component are each molded from a plastic material capable of being thermally bonded to corresponding surfaces of said inner shell liner.
15. A protective helmet to be worn on the head of a person, comprising:
A rigid outer shell defining an interior chamber; and
A controlled air dissipation (CAD) assembly removably installed within said interior chamber of said outer shell and including an inner shell liner, first and second primary bellows units mounted to a first surface of said inner shell liner, first and second secondary bellows units mounted to a second surface of said inner shell liner, a primary air transfer conduit and a secondary air transfer conduit, said first primary bellows unit including a first primary bellows chamber, said second primary bellows unit including a second primary bellows chamber, said primary air transfer conduit fluidically interconnecting said first primary bellows chamber with said second primary bellows chamber to facilitate air transfer between said first and second primary bellows units, said first secondary bellows unit including a first secondary bellows chamber, said second secondary bellows unit including a second secondary bellows chamber, said secondary air transfer conduit fluidically interconnecting said first secondary bellows chamber with said second secondary bellows chambers to facilitate air transfer between said first and second secondary bellows units, said inner shell liner including first and second air transfer holes, said first air transfer hole arranged to facilitate air transfer between said first primary bellows chamber and said first secondary bellows chamber, and said second air transfer hole arranged to facilitate air transfer between said second primary bellows chamber and said second secondary bellows chamber.
16. The protective helmet of claim 15 wherein said first primary bellows unit includes a first primary base section adapted to be mounted to said first surface of said inner shell liner, a plurality of first primary pad sections extending from said first primary base section and which each define said first primary bellows chamber therein, and a plurality of first primary bridge sections formed in said first primary base section which fluidically interconnect adjacent first primary pad sections, and wherein said second primary bellows unit includes a second primary base section adapted to be mounted to said first surface of said inner shell liner, a plurality of second primary pad sections extending outwardly from said second primary base section and which each define said second primary bellows chambers therein, and a plurality of second primary bridge sections formed in said second primary base section which fluidically interconnect adjacent second primary pad sections.
17. The protective helmet of claim 16 wherein at least one of said first primary pad sections includes a first primary air charge hole to permit ambient air to communicate with said interconnected first primary bellows chambers, and wherein at least one of said second primary pad sections includes a second primary air charge hole to permit ambient air to communicate with said interconnected second primary bellows chambers.
18. The protective helmet of claim 17 wherein said first primary base section of said first primary bellows unit is thermally bonded to said first surface of said inner shell liner, and wherein said second primary base section of said second primary bellows unit is thermally bonded to said first surface of said inner shell liner.
19. The protective helmet of claim 18 wherein said primary air transfer conduit is thermally bonded to said first surface of said inner shell liner and defines a primary air passage having a first end fluidically communicating with one of said first primary bellows chambers and a second end fluidically communicating with one of said second primary bellows chambers to establish a primary air flow circuit between said first and second primary bellows units.
20. The protective helmet of claim 16 wherein each of said first primary bellows chambers associated with said first primary bellows unit is aligned with a corresponding one of said first secondary bellows chambers associated with said first secondary bellows unit, and wherein said first air transfer hole is formed in said inner shell liner to facilitate air transfer between an aligned set of said first primary and secondary bellows chambers.
21. The protective helmet of claim 16 wherein said first secondary bellows unit includes a first secondary base section adapted to be mounted to said second surface of said inner shell liner, a plurality of first secondary pad sections extending from said first secondary base section and which each define said first secondary bellows chambers therein, and first secondary bridge sections formed in said first secondary base section which fluidically interconnect adjacent first secondary pad sections, and wherein said second secondary bellows unit includes a second secondary base section adapted to be mounted to said second surface of said inner shell liner, a plurality of second secondary pad sections extending outwardly from said second secondary base section and which each define said second secondary bellows chambers therein, and second secondary bridge sections formed in said second secondary base section which fluidically interconnect adjacent second secondary pad sections.
22. The protective helmet of claim 21 wherein at least one of said first secondary pad sections includes a first secondary air charge hole to permit ambient air to communicate with said interconnected first secondary bellows chambers, and wherein at least one of said second secondary pad sections includes a second secondary air charge hole to permit ambient air to communicate with said interconnected second secondary bellows chambers.
23. The protective helmet of claim 22 wherein said first secondary base section of said first secondary bellows unit and said second secondary base section of said second secondary bellows unit are thermally bonded to said second surface of said inner shell liner.
24. The protective helmet of claim 23 wherein said secondary air transfer conduit is thermally bonded to said second surface of said inner shell liner and defines a secondary air passage having a first end communicating with one of said first secondary bellows chambers and a second end communicating with said second secondary bellows chamber to thereby establish a secondary air flow circuit between said first and second secondary bellows units.
25. The protective helmet of claim 15 wherein said first primary bellows unit is fabricated as a one-piece first primary pad component, said second primary bellows unit is fabricated as a one-piece second primary pad component, said first secondary bellows unit is fabricated as a one-piece first secondary pad component, and said second secondary bellows unit is fabricated as a one-piece second secondary pad component.
26. The protective helmet of claim 25 wherein said first primary pad component, said second primary pad component, said first secondary pad component and said secondary pad component are each molded from a plastic material capable of being thermally bonded to corresponding surfaces of said inner shell liner.