All The Claims

1. A photoelectric conversion element comprising a compound represented by the following formula (1) between a pair of opposed electrodes:
wherein Ar1, Ar2 and Ar3 are each a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group or a substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclic group, provided that Ar1, Ar2 and Ar3 may be combined with each other to form a ring; X is an organic residue having an acidic group; and n is an integer of 2 to 8.
2. The photoelectric conversion element of claim 1, wherein the acidic group is at least one selected from the group of a carboxy group, a phospho group and a sulfo group.
3. The photoelectric conversion element of claim 1, wherein, in formula (1), n is 2 to 6.
4. The photoelectric conversion element of claim 1, wherein in formula (1), n is 2 or 3.
5. The photoelectric conversion element of claim 1, wherein the organic residue having an acidic group is one selected from the group of
6. The photoelectric conversion element of claim 1, wherein the formula (1) is represented by formula (2):
wherein R1 is a halogen atom, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkoxy group, a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkenyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted amino group or a substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclic group; X1 is the same as defined in X; and a1 is an integer of 0 to 4.
7. The photoelectric conversion element of claim 1, wherein the formula (1) is represented by formula (3):
wherein R21 and R22 are each a halogen atom, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkoxy group, a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkenyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted amino group or a substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclic group; X2 is the same as defined in X; and a2 and b are each an integer of 0 to 4.
8. The photoelectric conversion element of claim 1, wherein a semiconductor layer and an electrolyte layer are provided between the opposed electrodes and the semiconductor layer comprised a semiconductor bearing the compound represented by formula (1).
9. The photoelectric conversion element of claim 8, wherein the semiconductor is at least one selected from the group consisting of TiO2, ZnO, SnO2, Fe2O3, WO3, Nb2O5, CdS and PbS.
10. The photoelectric conversion element of claim 8, wherein the semiconductor is TiO2.
11. A solar cell comprising a photoelectric conversion element, wherein the photoelectric conversion element comprises a compound represented by the following formula (1) between a pair of opposed electrodes:
wherein Ar1, Ar2 and Ar3 are each a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group or a substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclic group, provided that Ar1, Ar2 and Ar3 may be combined with each other to form a ring; X is an organic residue having an acidic group; and n is an integer of 2 to 8.
12. The solar cell of claim 11, wherein the acidic group is at least one selected from the group of a carboxy group, a phospho group and a sulfo group.
13. The solar cell of claim 11, wherein, in formula (1), n is 2 or 6.
14. The solar cell of claim 11, wherein in formula (1), n is 2 or 3.
15. The solar cell of claim 11, wherein the organic residue having an acidic group is one selected from the group consisting of
16. The solar cell of claim 11, wherein the formula (1) is represented by formula (2):
wherein R1 is a halogen atom, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkoxy group, a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkenyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted amino group or a substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclic group; X1 is the same as defined in X; and a1 is an integer of 0 to 4.
17. The solar cell of claim 11, wherein the formula (1) is represented by formula (3):
wherein R21 and R22 are each a halogen atom; a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkoxy group, a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkenyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted amino group or a substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclic group; X2 is the same as defined in X; and a2 and b are each an integer of 0 to 4.
18. The solar cell of claim 11, wherein a semiconductor layer and an electrolyte layer are provided between the opposed electrodes and the semiconductor layer comprised a semiconductor bearing the compound represented by formula (1).
19. The solar cell of claim 18, wherein the semiconductor is at least one selected from the group consisting of Ti2, ZnO, SnO2, Fe2O3, WO3, Nb2O5, CdS and PbS.
20. The solar cell of claim 18, wherein the semiconductor is TiO2.

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 method of producing a grid for a battery plate comprising:
providing a rotary expander for forming a large number of zigzag slits in a metal sheet having two or more opposed disk cutter rolls, each of said disk cutter rolls having:
a plurality of disk cutters on a same shaft with forming a gap therebetween, each of said disk cutters being configured by:
alternately forming ridges in which a peripheral side face protrudes toward an outer periphery from a reference circumferential face of a predetermined radius,
and valleys in which a peripheral side face composed of a face substantially extending along said circumferential face is formed, in a whole periphery of a peripheral edge of a disk, said reference circumferential face being centered at an axis of said disk; and,
for each of said valleys, forming a groove which is opened in a peripheral side face of said valley, in a peripheral edge portion of one of disk faces in which said valleys that are adjacent to each other via a ridge are formed in an oppositely reverse manner, wherein:
in each of said disk cutters, an inclined face is formed in each of said peripheral side faces which extend from apexes of ridges formed on both sides of each of said valleys to said valley, said inclined face more approaching the axis as being nearer to said one of said disk faces in which said groove of said valley is formed; and
passing said metal sheet between said two or more opposed disk cutter rolls.
2. A method of producing a grid for a battery plate according to claim 1, wherein said inclined face is formed from a position of each of said peripheral side faces of said ridges, to each of said valleys, the position being higher than said valleys by one third or more of a height in a radial direction of said disk cutter, said height extending from each of said valleys to each of said apexes of said ridges.
3. A method of producing a grid for a battery plate according to claim 1, wherein an inclined angle of said inclined face is substantially equal to or smaller than 40 degrees with respect to the reference circumferential face.

1. An apparatus for detecting a division line depicted on a road on which a vehicle equipped with the apparatus, comprising:
beam scanning means for scanning a beam-formed electromagnetic wave toward the road viewed from the vehicle, the beam-formed electromagnetic wave being transmitted repetitively at intervals along different directions in a width direction of the vehicle and a reflected electromagnetic wave from the road being received, each beam-formed electromagnetic wave being radiated to a radiation area on the road, the radiation areas made by transmitting the beam-formed electromagnetic wave a plurality of times virtually producing a scan area on the road;
measuring means for measuring, for every beam-formed electromagnetic wave, distance data indicative of a distance between a division line on the road and the vehicle, based on information about the reflected electromagnetic wave received by the beam scanning means and an interval between transmission of the beam-formed electromagnetic wave and an appearance of a peak of an electric signal responding to the received reflected electromagnetic wave;
data receiving means for receiving the distance data measured by the measuring means; and
detecting means for detecting the division line on the road based on a specific change predetermined in a sequence of the distance data produced by mapping the received distance data in a scanning order of the beam-formed electromagnetic wave, the specific change being up-and-down changes in the distance data that intersect a reference level previously assigned to the distance data.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the detecting means comprises
extracting means for extracting distance data of a road position from which the specific change is estimated; and
location calculating means for calculating a location of the division line based on the distance data extracted by the extracting means.
3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the detecting means includes
means for differentiating the sequence of the extracted distance data to obtain a sequence of differentiated distance data, and
means for providing, to the specific change of the distance data, a part of the sequence of the differentiated distance data, the part of the sequence of the differentiated distance data showing either a first change in a polarity thereof or a second change in the polarity thereof, the first change in the polarity of the differentiated distance data showing a temporary negative polarity before and after a continuous positive polarity, the second change in the polarity of the differentiated distance data showing a temporary positive polarity before and after a continuous negative polarity.
4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the location calculating means has a capacity to calculate, as the location of the division line, a location based on both specific distance data detected at an end near to a center of each of the radiation areas and an angle showing a direction of the beam-formed electromagnetic wave radiated to obtain the specific distance data.
5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the location calculating means has a capacity to calculate, as the location of the division line, a center between two locations based on both the distance data detected at both ends of the candidate range and angles showing directions of the beam-formed electromagnetic wave used to obtain the distance data detected at both ends of the candidate range.
6. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising inclination calculating means for calculating an inclination of the division line based on data sequentially in time calculated by the location calculating means.
7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the specific change of the distance data is either a first change that the distance data is temporarily increased more than the reference level, then decreased less than the reference level, and then returns to the reference level or a second change that the distance data is temporarily decreased less than the reference level, then increased more than the reference level, and then returns to the reference level.
8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the beam scanning means has a capacity to scan the beam-formed electromagnetic wave such that two or more mutually juxtaposed radiation areas among the radiation areas are overlapped with the division line in the scan area, except that a direction of any of the beam-formed electromagnetic waves agrees with a direction of the division line.
9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the beam scanning means has a capacity to scan the beam-formed electromagnetic wave such that each of the radiation areas has a first length in a radiation direction of the beam-formed electromagnetic wave and a second length in an alignment direction along which the radiation areas align, the first length being longer than the second length.
10. An apparatus for detecting a division line on a road on which a vehicle equipped with the apparatus travels:
beam scanning means for scanning a beam-formed electromagnetic wave toward the road viewed from the vehicle, the beam-formed electromagnetic wave being transmitted repetitively at intervals along different directions in a width direction of the vehicle and an reflected electromagnetic wave from the road being received, each beam-formed electromagnetic wave being radiated to a radiation area on the road, the radiation areas made by transmitting the beam-formed electromagnetic wave a plurality of times virtually producing a scan area on the road;
measuring means for measuring, for every beam-formed electromagnetic wave, both intensity data indicative of intensity of the received reflected electromagnetic wave and distance data indicative of a distance between a division line on the road and the vehicle, based on information about the reflected electromagnetic wave received by the beam scanning means and an interval between transmission of the beam-formed electromagnetic wave and an appearance of a peak of an electric signal responding to the received reflected electromagnetic wave;
data receiving means for receiving both the intensity data and the distance data measured by the measuring means; and
detecting means for detecting the division line on the road based on specific changes predetermined in both a sequence of the intensity data and a sequence of the distance data produced by mapping the received intensity data and distance data in a scanning order of the beam-formed electromagnetic wave, respectively, at least one of the specific changes being changes in a corresponding one of differentiated intensity data and differentiated distance data, the corresponding differentiated data changing in negative and positive polarities thereof.
11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the detecting means comprises
extracting means for extracting distance data from which the specific change of the distance data is detected, from the sequence of the distance date detected in a candidate range, the candidate range being part of the scan area, the part of the scan area providing a specific part of intensity data which belong to the sequence of the intensity data and continuously has a magnitude showing existence of an object in the sequence of the intensity data; and
position calculating means for calculating a position of the division line based on the distance data extracted by the extracting means.
12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the detecting means includes
means for differentiating the sequence of the intensity data to obtain a sequence of differentiated intensity data, and
means for providing, as the specific change of the intensity data, a part of the sequence of the differentiated intensity data, the part of the sequence of the differentiated intensity data showing a change in a polarity thereof such that the polarity is positive and then maintained negatively.
13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the detecting means includes
means for differentiating the sequence of the extracted distance data to obtain a sequence of differentiated distance data, and
means for providing, as the specific change of the distance data, a part of the sequence of the differentiated distance data, the part of the sequence of the differentiated distance data showing either a first change in a polarity thereof or a second change in the polarity thereof, the first change in the polarity of the differentiated distance data showing a temporary negative polarity before and after a continuous positive polarity, the second change in the polarity of the differentiated distance data showing a temporary positive polarity before and after a continuous negative polarity.
14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the location calculating means has a capacity to calculate, as the location of the division line, a location based on an angle showing a direction of the electromagnetic wave used to obtain the intensity data showing a maximum value thereof within the candidate range and the distance data acquired by the electromagnetic wave used to obtain the intensity data showing the maximum value thereof within the candidate range.
15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the detecting means includes
means for differentiating the sequence of the extracted distance data to obtain a sequence of differentiated distance data, and
means for providing, as the specific change of the distance data, a part of the sequence of the differentiated distance data, the part of the sequence of the differentiated distance data showing either a first change in a polarity thereof or a second change in the polarity thereof, the first change in the polarity of the differentiated distance data showing a temporary negative polarity before and after a continuous positive polarity, the second change in the polarity of the differentiated distance data showing a temporary positive polarity before and after a continuous negative polarity.
16. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising inclination calculating means for calculating an inclination of the division line based on data sequentially in time calculated by the location calculating means.
17. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the specific change of the distance data is either a first change that the distance data is temporarily increased more than a reference level previously assigned to the distance data, then decreased less than the reference level, and then returns to the reference level or a second change that the distance data is temporarily decreased less than the reference level, then increased more than the reference level, and then returns to the reference level.
18. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the beam scanning means has a capacity to scan the beam-formed electromagnetic wave such that two or more mutually juxtaposed radiation areas among the radiation areas are overlapped with the division line in the scan area, except that a direction of any of the beam-formed electromagnetic waves agrees with a direction of the division line.
19. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the beam scanning means has a capacity to scan the beam-formed electromagnetic wave such that each of the radiation areas has a first length ni a radiation direction of the beam-formed electromagnetic wave and a second length in an alignment direction along which the radiation areas align, the first length being longer than the second length.
20. A method of detecting a division line depicted on a road on which a vehicle travels, comprising steps of:
scanning a beam-formed electromagnetic wave toward the road viewed from the vehicle, the beam-formed electromagnetic wave being transmitted repetitively at intervals along different directions in a width direction of the vehicle and an reflected electromagnetic wave from the road being received, each beam-formed electromagnetic wave being radiated to a radiation area on the road, the radiation areas made by transmitting the beam-formed electromagnetic wave a plurality of times virtually producing a scan area on the road;
measuring, for every beam-formed electromagnetic wave, distance data indicative of a distance between a division line on the road and the vehicle, based on information about the reflected electromagnetic wave received and an interval between transmission of the beam-formed electromagnetic wave and an appearance of a peak of an electric signal responding to the received reflected electromagnetic wave;
receiving the distance data measured; and
detecting the division line on the road based on a specific change predetermined in a sequence of the distance data produced by mapping the received distance data in a scanning order of the beam-formed electromagnetic wave, the specific change being up-and-down changes in the distance data that intersect a reference level previously assigned to the distance data.
21. The method of claim 20, wherein the detecting step includes extracting distance data of a road position from which the specific change is estimated; and
calculating a location of the division line based on the distance data extracted by the extracting step.
22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the detecting step includes
differentiating the sequence of the extracted distance data to obtain a sequence of differentiated distance data, and
providing, as the specific change of the distance data, a part of the sequence of the differentiated distance data, the part of the sequence of the differentiated distance data showing either a first change in a polarity thereof or a second change in the polarity thereof, the first change in the polarity of the differentiated distance data showing a temporary negative polarity before and after a continuous positive polarity, the second change in the polarity of the differentiated distance data showing a temporary positive polarity before and after a continuous negative polarity.
23. The method of claim 20, wherein the specific change of the distance data is either a first change that the distance data is temporarily increased more than the reference level, then decreased less than the reference level, and then returns to the reference level or a second change that the distance data is temporarily decreased less than the reference level, then increased more than the reference level, and then returns to the reference level.
24. A method of detecting a division line on a road on which a vehicle travels:
scanning a beam-formed electromagnetic wave toward the road viewed from the vehicle, the beam-formed electromagnetic wave being transmitted repetitively at intervals along different directions in a width direction of the vehicle and an reflected electromagnetic wave from the road being received, each beam-formed electromagnetic wave being radiated to a radiation area on the road, the radiation areas made by transmitting the beam-formed electromagnetic wave a plurality of times virtually producing a scan area on the road;
measuring, for every beam-formed electromagnetic wave, both intensity data indicative of intensity of the received reflected electromagnetic wave and distance data indicative of a distance between a division line on the road and the vehicle, based on information about the reflected electromagnetic wave received and an interval between transmission of the beam-formed electromagnetic wave and an appearance of a peak of an electric signal responding to the received reflected electromagnetic wave;
receiving both the intensity data and the distance data which are measured; and
detecting the division line on the road based on specific changes predetermined in both a sequence of the intensity data and a sequence of the distance data produced by mapping the received intensity data and distance data in a scanning order of the beam-formed electromagnetic wave, respectively, at least one of the specific changes being changes in a corresponding one of differentiated intensity data and differentiated distance data, the corresponding differentiated data changing in negative and positive polarities thereof.
25. The method of claim 24, wherein the detecting step includes extracting distance data from which the specific change is detected, from the sequence of the distance date detected in a candidate range, the candidate range being part of the scan area, the part of the scan area providing a specific part of intensity data which belong to the sequence of the intensity data and continuously has a magnitude showing existence of an object in the sequence of the intensity data; and calculating a position of the division line based on the distance data extracted by the extracting step.
26. The method of claim 25, wherein the detecting step includes steps of:
differentiating the sequence of the intensity data to obtain a sequence of differentiated intensity data, and
providing, as the specific change of the intensity data, a part of the sequence of the differentiated intensity data, the part of the sequence of the differentiated intensity data showing a change in a polarity thereof such that the polarity is positive and then maintained negatively.

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 display system for a torque tool with enhanced interaction between the torque tool and a display device, the system comprising:
a housing having a handle at one end, wherein a measuring device for detecting torque is arranged in the housing;
a connection element at the other end of the housing which transmits torque to a workpiece;
a processor-controlled control for digital processing of the set or measured data;
a camera is provided at the torque tool for detecting a workpiece; wherein an image recognition queries the correct torque from a database to adjust the torque wrench automatically without direct action of a user;
a display device cooperating with the control and displaying graphic display contents or data, such as the applied or set torque; the display device is a head-up display having a projection screen on which the display is projected by a projector;
wherein in the display system data or information is first transmitted from the torque tool to an external data processing system; the external data processing system processes the data and forwards it to the projector.
2. A display system according to claim 1, wherein the projection screen is provided on a spectacles-like holder projecting the display by the projector directly in front of an eye of a user.
3. A display system according to claim 1, wherein the transmission device is adapted as a radio connection, an infrared connection or a cable connection between the torque tool and a separate display device.
4. A display system according to claim 1, wherein the projection screen is partially or completely formed as a glass of a pair of spectacles on which the projector projects the display.
5. A display system according to claim 1, wherein a separate display device is an LED display.
6. A display system according to claim 1, wherein the torque tool comprises a voice control or an acoustic signal generator.
7. A display system according to claim 2, wherein the transmission device is adapted as a radio connection, an infrared connection or a cable connection between the torque tool and a separate display device; the separate display device is an LED display; a camera is provided at the torque tool or the spectacles-like holder; and the torque tool comprises a voice control or an acoustic signal generator.
8. A display system for a torque tool with enhanced interaction between the tool and a display device, the system comprising:
a housing having a handle at one end;
a connection element at the other end of the housing for transmitting torque to a workpiece;
a detecting part arranged within the housing for detecting and obtaining a torque related data from the torque tool,
a transmitting part for transmitting the obtained torque related data to an external device for processing at an external data processing system,
a processing part, wherein the external data processing system processes the torque related data;
a forwarding part for forwarding the processed torque related data to a display device provided for displaying the torque related data; the display device is a head-up display having a projection screen on which the display is projected by a projector; and
a camera provided at the torque tool to record operation of the torque tool or processing the workpiece; an image recognition queries a correct torque data from a database, so that the torque wrench is adjusted automatically without direct action of a user.