All The Claims

1. A clearcoat coating composition, comprising
(a) a least one member selected from the group consisting of
(1) an acrylic polymer having both secondary hydroxyl functionality and functionality selected from the group consisting of carbamate functionality, urea functionality, and both carbamate and urea functionality and
(2) a mixture of a first acrylic polymer with secondary hydroxyl functionality and a second acrylic polymer with functionality selected from the group consisting of carbamate functionality, urea functionality, and both carbamate and urea functionality,
wherein said acrylic polymer or acrylic polymers of (a) have weight average molecular weights of at least about 2400;

(b) a carbamate-functional or urea-functional material that is the reaction product of
(1) a compound comprising a primary carbamate or primary urea group and an hydroxyl group and
(2) a compound that is reactive with hydroxyl groups on a plurality of molecules of compound (1), but that is not reactive with the carbamate or urea groups on compound (1); and

(c) a crosslinking component comprising a crosslinker reactive with active hydrogen groups.
2. A clearcoat coating composition according to claim 1, wherein said composition comprises acrylic polymer (a)(1).
3. A clearcoat coating composition according to claim 2, wherein said acrylic polymer (a)(1) has primary carbamate functionality.
4. A clearcoat coating composition according to claim 1, wherein said composition comprises mixture (a)(2).
5. A clearcoat coating composition according to claim 4, wherein said second acrylic polymer has primary carbamate functionality.
6. A clearcoat coating composition according to claim 1, wherein said secondary hydroxyl functionality is formed by reaction of a glycidyl group with a carboxylic acid group.
7. A clearcoat coating composition according to claim 1, wherein said acrylic polymer or acrylic polymers of (a) have weight average molecular weights of at least about 4000.
8. A clearcoat coating composition according to claim 1, wherein said acrylic polymer or acrylic polymers of (a) have weight average molecular weights of up to about 5000.
9. A clearcoat coating composition according to claim 1, wherein said acrylic polymer (a)(1) or said first acrylic polymer of (a)(2) has an hydroxyl equivalent weight of up to about 600 grams per equivalent.
10. A clearcoat coating composition according to claim 1, wherein said acrylic polymer (a)(1) or said first acrylic polymer of (a)(2) has an hydroxyl equivalent weight of at least about 150 grams per equivalent.
11. A clearcoat coating composition according to claim 1, wherein said acrylic polymer (a)(1) or said second acrylic polymer of (a)(2) has a carbamate equivalent weight of up to about 700 grams per equivalent.
12. A clearcoat coating composition according to claim 1, wherein said acrylic polymer (a)(1) or said second acrylic polymer of (a)(2) has a carbamate equivalent weight of at least about 350 grams per equivalent.
13. A clearcoat coating composition according to claim 1, wherein compound (b)(1) is a member selected from the group consisting of hydroxyethyl carbamate, hydroxypropyl carbamate, and hydroxybutyl carbamate.
14. A clearcoat coating composition according to claim 1, wherein compound (b)(2) is a member selected from the group consisting of the isocyanurate of isophorone diisocyanate and the isocyanurate of hexamethylene diisocyanate.
15. A clearcoat coating composition according to claim 1, wherein the clearcoat coating composition comprises about 5 weight percent to about 30 weight percent of the compound (b), based on the vehicle weight.
16. A clearcoat coating composition according to claim 1, wherein the clearcoat coating composition comprises about 10 weight percent to about 15 weight percent of the compound (b), based on the vehicle weight.
17. A clearcoat coating composition according to claim 1, further comprising a carbamate-functional or urea-functional material comprising at least two functional groups, at least one of which is a carbamate or urea group that is the reaction product of
(1) an hydroxyl group of a first compound that is the result of a ring-opening reaction between a compound with an epoxy group and a compound with an organic acid group and
(2) cyanic acid or a carbamate or urea group-containing compound.
18. A clearcoat coating composition according to claim 1, further comprising a carbamate-functional or urea-functional material that is the reaction product of
(1) a compound comprising a carbamate or urea group and an active hydrogen group that is reactive with (2), and
(2) a lactone or a hydroxy carboxylic acid.
19. A clearcoat coating composition according to claim 1, further comprising a carbamate-functional or urea-functional material that is the reaction product of
(A) the reaction product of
(1) a compound comprising a primary carbamate or primary urea group and an hydroxyl group and
(2) a lactone or a hydroxy carboxylic acid and

(B) a compound that is reactive with hydroxyl groups on a plurality of molecules of compound (A), but that is not reactive with the carbamate or urea groups on compound (A).
20. A clearcoat coating composition according to claim 1, further comprising a carbamate-functional or urea-functional material that is the reaction product of
(A) the reaction product of
(1) a compound comprising a primary carbamate or primary urea group and an hydroxyl group and
(2) a lactone or a hydroxy carboxylic acid and

(B) a compound that converts an hydroxyl group on (A) to a carbamate group, or a compound comprising a group that is reactive with a hydroxyl group and a carbamate or urea group or group that can be converted to carbamate or urea.
21. A clearcoat coating composition according to claim 1, further comprising a carbamate-functional material that is the reaction product of
(1) a first material that is the reaction product of a mixture including at least a polyisocyanate and an active hydrogen-containing chain extension agent with
(2) a compound comprising a group that is reactive with said first material and a carbamate group or group that can be converted to a carbamate group.
22. A clearcoat coating composition according to claim 1, comprising a further material having at least two carbamate groups and a hydrocarbon moiety having about 24 to about 72 carbon atoms.
23. A clearcoat coating composition according to claim 22, wherein the further material has from two to four carbamate groups.
24. A clearcoat coating composition according to claim 22, wherein the further material has two carbamate groups.
25. A clearcoat coating composition according to claim 22, wherein the hydrocarbon moiety has from about 36 to about 72 carbon atoms.
26. A clearcoat coating composition according to claim 22, wherein the hydrocarbon moiety has from about 36 to about 54 carbon atoms.
27. A clearcoat coating composition according to claim 22, wherein the hydrocarbon moiety has about 36 carbon atoms.
28. A clearcoat coating composition according to claim 1, comprising a further material having a structure selected from the group consisting of
wherein each R group is independently an alkyl of 5 to 8 carbon atoms.
29. A clearcoat coating composition according to claim 1, wherein (c) is an aminoplast crosslinker.
30. A clearcoat coating composition according to claim 1, wherein (c) is a melamine formaldehyde crosslinker.

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 piston pump device with a support unit, a pump cylinder, and a pump piston arranged in the pump cylinder, the pump cylinder having a longitudinal center axis, and a cylinder bottom arranged perpendicular to the longitudinal center axis, the pump piston being movable relative to the cylinder bottom, and the pump cylinder being secured on the support unit by a securing unit, wherein the securing unit has a leaf spring, which permits a pivoting movement of the longitudinal center axis of the pump cylinder relative to the support unit.
2. The piston pump device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the securing unit is secured on the cylinder bottom.
3. The piston pump device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the securing unit forms a leaf spring clamp, and wherein the leaf spring clamp anchors the pump cylinder in relation to the support unit.
4. The piston pump device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the leaf spring in the undeflected state forms a plane, and wherein a rectilinear continuation of said longitudinal center axis runs in the plane.
5. The piston pump device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the leaf spring has a free length and a width, wherein the leaf spring is made flexible in its free length, and wherein the ratio of free length to width is less than 1.
6. The piston pump device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the securing unit has a single leaf spring.
7. The piston pump device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a cylinder-side first securing element formed in one piece with the pump cylinder or welded onto the pump cylinder, or cast therein.
8. The piston pump device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the cylinder-side first securing element is arranged in the cylinder bottom.
9. The piston pump device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the cylinder bottom has a substantially plane area for closing the pump cylinder, and an outwardly protruding securing seat which is formed integrally on the plane area and which serves to receive the cylinder-side first securing element.
10. The piston pump device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the cylinder-side first securing element is a block-shaped metal piece.
11. The piston pump device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the securing unit has a cylinder-side clamping device and a support-side clamping device, wherein the leaf spring has a first end and a second end, and wherein the first end is clamped in the cylinder-side clamping device and the second end is clamped in the support-side clamping device.
12. The piston pump device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the cylinder-side clamping device and the support-side clamping device each have a first and a second securing element, wherein the leaf spring is clamped at the first end and the second end, two ends between the securing elements, and wherein a first and a second of the securing elements are in each case screwed together.
13. The piston pump device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising two pairs consisting of a pump cylinder, a piston and a securing unit, and wherein the longitudinal center axes of the pump cylinders extend parallel to each other in the undeflected state of the pump cylinders.
14. A suction pump comprising:
a piston pump device having a support unit;
a pump cylinder having a longitudinal center axis and a cylinder bottom arranged perpendicular to the longitudinal center axis;
a pump piston arranged in the pump cylinder, the piston being moveable relative to the cylinder bottom;
a securing unit for securing the pump cylinder on the support unit;
a crankshaft for moving the pump piston;
a motor for driving the crankshaft; and
a gear mechanism connecting the motor and the crankshaft, the gear mechanism being a sing-stage gear;
wherein the securing unit has a leaf spring which permits a pivoting movement of the longitudinal center axis of the pump cylinder relative to the support unit.
15. The suction pump as claimed in claim 14, wherein an adjustment and control unit is present, by means of which the motor is adjustable to at least one speed, preferably exactly three discrete speeds.
16. The suction pump as claimed in claim 15 wherein the motor is adjustable to exactly three discrete speeds.

1. An image processing apparatus for processing electronic image data obtained by an image pickup operation via an optical system, the image data having pixel data two-dimensionally-arranged in a row direction and a column direction, the image processing apparatus comprising:
a memory that stores the image data at least before image processing and further stores the image data after image procession;
a first data-order converting unit that sequentially reads the pixel data row by row in a row direction in units of a block of the two-dimensional arrangement of the image data via a bus from the memory and thereafter sequentially outputs the pixel data in the block obtained by reading column by column in the column direction to change an order of the image data;
an image processing unit that is connected to the first data-order converting unit for performing pipeline processing via an information sending channel different from the bus, inputting the image data outputted column by column in the column direction from the first data-order converting unit, performing image processing, and thereafter outputting the image data in the column direction; and
a second data-order converting unit connected to the image processing unit for performing pipeline processing and sequentially outputting column by column in the column direction, the image data in the block obtained by inputting the image processed image data outputted in the column direction from the image processing unit, to restore the original order of the image data,
wherein the image processing unit comprises a distortion correction processing unit that corrects distortion aberration caused by the optical system, and
wherein the distortion correction processing unit comprises:
an interpolating coordinate generating unit that generates interpolating coordinates;
an inner memory unit for storing a portion of the image data; and
an interpolation calculating unit for generating pixel data of interpolating coordinates from image data stored in the inner memory unit based on the interpolating coordinates generated by the interpolating coordinate generating unit.
2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first data-order converting unit can change the size at least one of the image data in the row direction and the image data in the column direction read from the memory in units of a block.
3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the image data before the image procession is any of the following; the image pickup data that is obtained by photoelectrically converting, by image pickup means, a subject optical image formed by the optical system and outputted; non-compressed image data that is the image pickup data subjected, as occasion demands, to predetermined processing, excluding compressing processing; and compressed image data that is obtained by compressing processing after performing predetermined processing on the image pickup data, excluding the compressing processing, as occasion demands.
4. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image data before the image procession is any of the following; image pickup data that is obtained by photoelectrically converting, by image pickup means, a subject optical image formed by the optical system and outputted; non-compressed image data that is the image pickup data subjected, as occasion demands, to predetermined processing, excluding compressing processing; and compressed image data that is obtained by compressing processing after performing predetermined processing on the image pickup data, excluding the compressing processing, as occasion demands.
5. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the interpolating-coordinate generating unit comprises:
an interpolating-position generating unit that generates coordinates of a pixel of an interpolating target in the image after correction of the distortion; and
a distortion-correcting-coordinate converting unit that obtains coordinates in the image before correction of the distortion, corresponding to the coordinates generated by the interpolating-position generating unit.
6. The image processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the interpolating-coordinate generating unit further comprises a selector that selects either of the coordinates generated by the interpolating-position generating unit or the coordinates obtained by the distortion-correcting-coordinate converting unit, and outputs the selected coordinates to the interpolation calculating unit.
7. The image processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the distortion-correcting-coordinate converting unit obtains coordinates in the image before correcting the distortion, corresponding to the coordinates generated by the interpolating-position generating unit, by using a predetermined correcting formula including a polynomial obtained by linearly combining the integer power of the distance from the center of distortion to the interpolating position.
8. The image processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the polynomial includes a term of a high degree of the distance, which is higher than the second degree.
9. The image processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the image processing unit further comprises another image processing unit other than the distortion correction processing unit, and
the distortion-correcting-coordinate converting unit outputs, to the other image processing unit, information on the distance from the center of distortion to the interpolating position.
10. The image processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the above-described another image processing unit comprises at least one of a shading correcting unit, a low-pass filter processing unit, and an edge-emphasis processing unit.
11. The image processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the image processing unit further comprises another image processing unit other than the distortion correction processing unit, and
the distortion-correcting-coordinate converting unit outputs, to the other image processing unit, information on the distance from the center of distortion to the interpolating position.
12. The image processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the above-described another image processing unit comprises at least one of a shading correcting unit, a low-pass filter processing unit, and an edge-emphasis processing unit.
13. The image processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the distortion-correcting-coordinate converting unit obtains coordinates in the image before correcting the distortion, corresponding to the coordinates generated by the interpolating-position generating unit, by using a predetermined correcting formula including a polynomial obtained by linearly combining the integer power of the distance from the center of distortion to the interpolating position.
14. The image processing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the polynomial includes a term of a high degree of the distance, which is higher than the second degree.
15. The image processing apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the image processing unit further comprises another image processing unit other than the distortion correction processing unit, and
the distortion-correcting-coordinate converting unit outputs, to the other image processing unit, information on the distance from the center of distortion to the interpolating position.
16. The image processing apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the above-described another image processing unit comprises at least one of a shading correcting unit, a low-pass filter processing unit, and an edge-emphasis processing unit.
17. The image processing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the image processing unit further comprises another image processing unit other than the distortion correction processing unit, and
the distortion-correcting-coordinate converting unit outputs, to the other image processing unit, information on the distance from the center of distortion to the interpolating position.
18. The image processing apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the above-described another image processing unit comprises at least one of a shading correcting unit, a low-pass filter processing unit, and an edge-emphasis processing unit.

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 light emitting device driver circuit for driving a light emitting device circuit according to a rectified dimming signal, wherein a phase-cut dimming circuit converts an AC signal to an AC dimming signal, and a rectifier circuit converts the AC dimming signal to the rectified dimming signal, the light emitting device driver circuit comprising:
a power stage circuit, which is coupled to the rectifier circuit, for operating at least one power switch therein according to an operation signal, to convert the rectified dimming signal to an output signal, for driving the light emitting device circuit; and
a control circuit, for generating the operation signal according to a current sense signal related to a current flowing through the power switch, and a feedback signal related to the output signal, the control circuit including:
a pulse width modulation (PWM) circuit, for generating a PWM signal according to a level of the feedback signal;
a current limit (CL) circuit, for generating a CL signal according to the current sense signal and a predetermined current threshold, wherein the CL signal indicates whether the current sense signal reaches the predetermined current threshold; and
a determination circuit, which is coupled to the PWM circuit and the CL circuit, for generating the operation signal, and determining a duty of the operation signal according to one of the PWM signal and the CL signal;
wherein the power stage circuit operates the power switch according to the operation signal, to maintain an absolute level of an AC dimming current not lower than a holding current in an ON phase period;
wherein the operation signal is generated for a plurality of times in the ON phase period, wherein the duty of the operation signal in a portion of the times is decided by the PWM signal, and the duty of the operation signal in another portion of the times is determined by the CL signal;
wherein the AC dimming signal includes the AC dimming current flowing through the phase-cut dimming circuit, and the phase-cut dimming circuit blocks an OFF phase period of the AC signal and retains the ON phase period of the AC signal, to generate the AC dimming signal.
2. The light emitting device driver circuit of claim 1, wherein the determination circuit includes:
a logic gate circuit, which is coupled to the PWM circuit and the CL circuit, for generating a reset signal according to the PWM signal and the CL signal; and
a flip-flop circuit, which is coupled to the logic gate circuit, for generating the control signal according to the reset signal and a set signal, wherein the set signal is related to a clock signal or the feedback signal;
wherein a start time point of the duty of the operation signal is determined by the set signal, and an end time point of the duty of the operation signal is determined by the reset signal.
3. The light emitting device driver circuit of claim 1, wherein the PWM circuit includes:
an error amplifier circuit, for generating an error amplified signal according to the feedback signal and a reference signal; and
a comparison circuit, which is coupled to the error amplifier circuit, for generating the PWM signal according to the error amplified signal and a ramp signal.
4. The light emitting device driver circuit of claim 1, which is not connected to a bleeder circuit in parallel, wherein the bleeder circuit is for consuming a bleeding current which does not flow through the light emitting device circuit to maintain the absolute level of the AC dimming current not lower than the holding current in the ON phase period.
5. The light emitting device driver circuit of claim 1, wherein the current limit (CL) signal is for maintaining the absolute level of the AC dimming current not lower than the holding current in the ON phase period.
6. The light emitting device driver circuit of claim 1, wherein the power stage circuit includes:
a first winding, which is coupled to the rectifier circuit and the power switch, for receiving the rectified dimming signal and determining a switch current flowing through the power switch according to an operation of the power switch;
a second winding, which is coupled to the first winding, for generating the output signal according to the rectified dimming signal and the switch current, the output signal being provided to the light emitting device circuit; and
a third winding, which is coupled to the second winding, for generating a sense signal according to the output signal.
7. The light emitting device driver circuit of claim 6, wherein the first winding and the second winding are connected in series, to form a tapped inductor.
8. The light emitting device driver circuit of claim 6, wherein the power stage circuit further includes a voltage divider circuit, which is coupled to the third winding, for obtaining a divided voltage of the sense signal to generate the feedback signal.
9. A control method of a light emitting device driver circuit, wherein the light emitting device driver circuit is for driving a light emitting device circuit according to a rectified dimming signal, wherein a phase-cut dimming circuit converts an AC signal to an AC dimming signal, and a rectifier circuit converts the AC dimming signal to the rectified dimming signal, the control method comprising:
operating at least one power switch according to an operation signal, to convert the rectified dimming signal to an output signal for driving the light emitting device circuit, and to maintain an absolute level of an AC dimming current not lower than a holding current in an ON phase period;
generating a PWM signal according to a level of a feedback signal related to the output signal;
generating a current limit (CL) signal according to a current sense signal and a predetermined current threshold, the current sense signal being related to a current flowing thorough the power switch, wherein the CL signal indicates whether the current sense signal reaches the predetermined current threshold; and
generating the operation signal according to the PWM signal and the CL signal, and determining a duty of the operation signal according to one of the PWM signal and the CL signal;
wherein the operation signal is generated for a plurality of times in the ON phase period, wherein the duty of the operation signal in a portion of the times is decided by the PWM signal, and the duty of the operation signal in another portion of the times is determined by the CL signal;
wherein the AC dimming signal includes the AC dimming current flowing through the phase-cut dimming circuit, and the phase-cut dimming circuit blocks an OFF phase period of the AC signal and retains the ON phase period of the AC signal, to generate the AC dimming signal.
10. The control method of claim 9, wherein the step of generating the operation signal according to the PWM signal and the CL signal includes:
generating a reset signal by performing a logic operation of the PWM signal and the CL signal; and
inputting the reset signal and a set signal to a flip-flop circuit, to generate the control signal, wherein the set signal is related to a clock signal or the feedback signal;
wherein a start time point of the duty of the operation signal is determined by the set signal, and an end time point of the duty of the operation signal is determined by the reset signal.
11. The control method of claim 9, wherein the step of generating a PWM signal according to a level of a feedback signal related to the output signal includes:
comparing the feedback signal and a reference signal, or a signal related to the feedback signal and a reference signal, to generate an error amplified signal; and
comparing the error amplified signal and a ramp signal to generate the PWM signal.
12. The control method of claim 9, wherein the current limit (CL) signal is for maintaining the absolute level of the AC dimming current not lower than the holding current in the ON phase period.
13. A control circuit of a light emitting device driver circuit, wherein the light emitting device driver circuit is for driving a light emitting device circuit according to a rectified dimming signal, wherein a phase-cut dimming circuit converts an AC signal to an AC dimming signal, and a rectifier circuit converts the AC dimming signal to the rectified dimming signal, wherein the light emitting device driver circuit includes a power stage circuit and the control circuit, wherein the power stage circuit is coupled to the rectifier circuit, for operating at least one power switch therein according to an operation signal, to convert the rectified dimming signal to an output signal, for driving the light emitting device circuit, the control circuit generating the operation signal according to a current sense signal and a feedback signal, wherein the current sense signal is related to a current flowing through the power switch, and the feedback signal is related to the output signal, the control circuit comprising:
a pulse width modulation (PWM) circuit, for generating a PWM signal according to a level of the feedback signal;
a current limit (CL) circuit, for generating a CL signal according to the current sense signal and a predetermined current threshold, wherein the CL signal indicates whether the current sense signal reaches the predetermined current threshold; and
a determination circuit, which is coupled to the PWM circuit and the CL circuit, for generating the operation signal, and determining a duty of the operation signal according to one of the PWM signal and the CL signal;
wherein the power stage circuit operates the power switch according to the operation signal, to maintain an absolute level of an AC dimming current not lower than a holding current in an ON phase period;
wherein the operation signal is generated for a plurality of times in the ON phase period, wherein the duty of the operation signal in a portion of the times is decided by the PWM signal, and the duty of the operation signal in another portion of the times is determined by the CL signal;
wherein the AC dimming signal includes the AC dimming current flowing through the phase-cut dimming circuit, and the phase-cut dimming circuit blocks an OFF phase period of the AC signal and retains the ON phase period of the AC signal, to generate the AC dimming signal.
14. The control circuit of claim 13, wherein the determination circuit includes:
a logic gate circuit, which is coupled to the PWM circuit and the CL circuit, for generating a reset signal according to the PWM signal and the CL signal; and
a flip-flop circuit, which is coupled to the logic gate circuit, for generating the control signal according to the reset signal and a set signal, wherein the set signal is related to a clock signal or the feedback signal;
wherein a start time point of the duty of the operation signal is determined by the set signal, and an end time point of the duty of the operation signal is determined by the reset signal.
15. The control circuit of claim 13, wherein the PWM circuit includes:
an error amplifier circuit, for generating an error amplified signal according to the feedback signal and a reference signal; and
a comparison circuit, which is coupled to the error amplifier circuit, for generating the PWM signal according to the error amplified signal and a ramp signal.
16. The control circuit of claim 13, wherein the light emitting device driver circuit is not connected to a bleeder circuit in parallel, wherein the bleeder circuit is for consuming a bleeding current which does not flow through the light emitting device circuit to maintain the absolute level of the AC dimming current not lower than the holding current in the ON phase period.
17. The control circuit of claim 13, wherein the current limit (CL) signal is for maintaining the absolute level of the AC dimming current not lower than the holding current in the ON phase period.