A first contact reactor, mechanical separator device, one or more second contact reactors, silo, filter, one or more fans each equipped with one or more vibration dampers, an optional wet scrubber and stack are each integrated into a single compact air quality control system (AQCS) compartment. Additionally, a process gas cooling system may be integrated into the compact AQCS compartment. Benefits of the subject compact AQCS compartment includes footprint reduction, operating cost reduction from reduced pressure drop due to reduced ductwork, capital cost reduction from reduced ductwork, noise reduction, weather protection and increased adaptability to meet specific system requirements.

In the process for electrolytic production of aluminium, such as by the Hall-Heroult process where aluminium is produced by reducing aluminium oxide in an electrolytic smelting pot filled with melted electrolyte in the form of a fluoride-containing mineral to which aluminium oxide is supplied, the process effluent gases comprise fluoride-containing substances such as hydrogen fluoride (HF) and fluorine containing dust. As these substances are extremely damaging to the environment, such must be separated before the process effluent gases may be discharged into the surrounding atmosphere. At the same time, the fluorine-containing melt is essential to the electrolytic process, and thus it is desirable to recover the compounds for recirculation to the electrolysis process. This recirculation may take place by absorption of the fluorine-containing substances on a particulate adsorbent.
As noted, the electrolytic reaction occurring in the electrolytic smelting pots produces process effluent gas in the form of hot, particle-laden effluent gas, typically cleaned in a gas cleaning unit before being discharged to the atmosphere. An example of a gas cleaning unit for cleaning the effluent gas generated in electrolytic smelting pots is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,885,539. The gas cleaning unit disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,885,539 comprises a first contact reactor and a second contact reactor. The effluent gas from the electrolytic smelting pots is first forwarded to the first contact reactor and is, in the first contact reactor, brought into contact with recycled alumina. The partly cleaned effluent gas is then forwarded to the second contact reactor and is, in the second contact reactor, brought into contact with fresh alumina. The partly used alumina is recycled from the second contact reactor to the first contact reactor. A dust removal device removes the alumina from the effluent gas, which is then discharged to the atmosphere.
The system for recovery of the fluoride compounds comprises a filter system, which is included in a closed system. It is important to have stable transport of the gases from the aluminium production process to the filter system. This transport is accomplished in gas ducts where the gases, by means of large fans, are conveyed through the gas ducts, comprising main ducts and branch ducts, to the filter system. For each aluminium production cell a branch duct is brought into the main duct, the cross section of the main duct increases gradually, by means of diffusers as the gas quantity increases. It is very important for the process as well as the environment that the gas distribution is as even as possible, and traditionally this is achieved by an increasingly stronger throttling of the process gas in the branch duct the closer to the suction fans the branch duct is localized. Throttling represents sheer energy loss through a pressure drop.
Gas cleaning units for cleaning of process gases produced during electrolytic processing of aluminium include both centralized systems and decentralized systems. Centralized systems often include one or several halls comprising electrolytic cells whereby each hall may comprise between 70 and 150 electrolytic cells, with cleaning equipment arranged centrally between the halls or outside. The centralized system is connected with each of the cells by means of comprehensive and costly ductwork. Aluminum oxide used as adsorbent during the cleaning process is stored in separate silos before or after use in the cleaning process and thereafter transported back to each cell by means of transportation vehicles, cranes or other transportation system for aluminum, such as a system for transportation in a compact phase.
Decentralized systems are used to clean process gases from between 5 to 40 electrolytic cells, more preferably between 10 to 20 electrolytic cells. As such, less ductwork is required, and transportation needs for movement of aluminum oxide are greatly reduced. Large flexibility is achieved as to operation start up, and distance between aluminum oxide storage and the electrolytic cells may be minimized. Additional benefits achieved by decentralized systems are described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,406,524.
Although systems for cleaning process effluent gases produced during electrolytic processing of aluminium are known, improved systems that reduce operation costs, reduce equipment footprint, reduce capital costs, and/or increase adaptability to meet specific system requirements for larger production facilities, are still needed in the aluminium production industry.

Compact air quality control system compartment for aluminium production plant


Embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for associating rule mining. By way of example, embodiments obviate or mitigate performance and stability problems associated with conventional association rule mining approaches, by proposing concepts implementing association rule mining using rolling filtering bitmaps over dynamic data.

Association rule mining (ARM) is a widely used knowledge discovery technique and a known in field of the data mining. Since the introduction of ARM by Rakesh Agrawal, ARM has been utilized to identify patterns of data and/or association rules in large amounts of data (e.g., databases).
A primary aim of extracting knowledge from databases is to generate a large frequent itemset that is iterative. However, it is a complex task because generating frequent itemsets exhausts system resources. For instance, generating candidate itemsets and calculating the occurrence of a candidate itemset in a transaction set and subsequently in a database involves several iterations. Each iteration requires time and incurs heavy computation cost.
Further, if the data is dynamic (i.e., data of the database changes over time), conventional ARM algorithms need to rescan the entire database. Consequently, a large/high computation cost is incurred and, as such, conventional approaches are not feasible for real-time applications.

International Business Machines Corporation


A bake system may include a chamber having an internal space, a stage disposed in the internal space of the chamber and on which a target substrate is disposed, a gas ejection structure providing a process gas in the chamber, an exhaust structure, an atmosphere analyzer monitoring moisture and oxygen in the chamber, and a gas supplier controlling a flow rate of the process gas based on information provided from the atmosphere analyzer. The exhaust structure may include a suction part disposed in the internal space, and an exhaust part connected to the suction part and is disposed outside the chamber.

The present disclosure relates to a bake system and a method of fabricating a light-emitting display device using the same, and in particular, to a highly reliable bake system and a method of fabricating a light-emitting display device using the same.
An organic light emitting display device that is one of self-luminescent display devices. Due to its technical advantages, such as wide viewing angle, good contrast, and fast response speed, the organic light emitting display device is emerging as a next-generation display device.
The organic light emitting display device includes an anode electrode, a cathode electrode, and a light emitting layer that is disposed between the anode and cathode electrodes. The light emitting layer is formed of an organic light emitting material. In the case where positive and negative voltages are respectively applied to the anode and cathode electrodes, holes injected from the anode electrode move into the light emitting layer through a hole injection layer and a hole transport layer, and electrons from the cathode electrode move into the light emitting layer through an electron injection layer and an electron transport layer. In the light emitting layer, the electrons are recombined with the holes to produce excitons. When the excitons make a transition to an excited state from a ground state, light is emitted from the light emitting layer.
Here, the hole injection layer, the hole transport layer, and the light emitting layer are formed by ejecting an organic solution that contains an organic material onto a target substrate using a solution coating method, such as an inkjet printing method or a nozzle printing method, and drying the organic solution thereafter.

Bake system and method of fabricating display device using the same


The invention provides a method for encrypting a program for execution on a remote host computer on a network, such that correct execution by the remote host computer is ensured, and such that the remote host computer remains unaware of the computations or data associated with execution. Results from the computations at the remote host computer are transmitted to a control computer, on the network, which decodes the results to useful data representative as output from the program. In a first step of the method, the program is encoded as a unitary matrix multiplication, Uij, of i dimensions by j dimensions. Un is the set of unitary matrices of size n, forms a non-commutative group under matrix multiplication, and has a unique group-invariant Haar measure probability distribution; Uij is thus an element of Un. In a second step, an input data string to the program is encoded as a vector bj of n dimensions. The first and second steps can be performed in either order. In a third step, two independent identically distributed unitary matrices Xij, Yij are generated from the Haar distribution over Un. Preferably, Xij, Yij are randomly generated. In a fourth step, U′ is computed as XUY* and sent to the remote host over the network. In a fifth step, b′ is computed as Yb and sent to the remote host over the network. The fourth and fifth steps can be performed in either order. In a sixth step, the remote host computes the product of XUY* and Yb and sends the result to the control computer on the network. In a seventh step, the control computer computes X*XUb to determine the multiplication of Ub, the desired output of the program.

Distributed network-based computing is growing quickly, particularly with the computerization of corporations and the expansion of the Internet. Security for distributed network-based computing is thus of utmost importance to ensure data integrity and privacy, and to maintain corporate and intellectual integrity.
One particular threat to security in distributed network-based computing involves program execution on a remote host ("host" is used herein synonymously with host computer) that may or may not be reliable or "trusted." The prior art has been unable to ensure that (a) such program execution is performed correctly or (b) the remote host learned nothing of computations or data associated with underlying program execution. Accordingly, improvements to network security to address these security issues are needed.
One object of the invention is to provide a method for encrypting and subsequently executing programs on a remote computer in a manner that solves the afore-mentioned problems. Special computing hardware is not required. This object and others will be apparent in the description that follows.

System and methods for encrypted execution of computer programs


A torque wrench has a shank, an arm, a torque-adjusting device, a handle and an adjusting knob. The handle is mounted around one end of the shank and has a mouth. A window is defined in the periphery of the mouth. The adjusting knob is rotatably attached to the shank. A stepped protrusion formed on the adjusting knob is connected to the torque-adjusting device and is received in the mouth. A scale is formed on the outer periphery of the stepped protrusion and corresponds to the window. An index line is formed on the handle and corresponds to the scale. Accordingly, the scale can be easily read through the window with the index line. The mouth can provide a protecting effect to the scale to keep the scale from being worn off, such that the useful life of the torque wrench is prolonged.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a torque wrench, and more particularly to a torque wrench with an easy-read scale.
2. Description of Related Art
To provide a precise tightening to a fastener, a torque wrench is used to tighten the fastener to secure two objects together with a desired torque. An adjusting knob is mounted on the torque wrench to adjust the torque that the wrench applies to the fastener. To show the amount of torque to the user, a scale is mounted around the outer periphery of the adjusting knob, and a pointer is mounted on the shank of the wrench to point out the number on the scale. Consequently, the user can read the torque provided by the wrench from the pointed number on the scale.
However, as the scale of the conventional torque wrench is exposed on the outer periphery of the adjusting knob, the scale is easily worn off when the user rotates the adjusting knob. The scale will lose its indicating function after a long time of use.
To overcome the shortcomings, the present invention tends to provide a torque wrench to mitigate or obviate the aforementioned problems.
The main objective of the invention is to provide a torque wrench with an easy-read scale. The torque wrench has a shank, an arm, a torque-adjusting device, a handle and an adjusting knob. The handle is mounted around one end of the shank and has a mouth formed on one end of the handle. A window is defined in the periphery of the mouth. The adjusting knob is rotatably attached to the shank. A stepped protrusion is formed on the adjusting knob. The stepped protrusion is connected to the torque-adjusting device and is received in the mouth. A scale is formed on the outer periphery of the stepped protrusion and corresponds to the window on the handle. An index line is formed on the handle and corresponds to the scale on the adjusting knob. The scale can be easily read through the window with the index line. Because the scale is received in the mouth on the handle, the scale will not be worn off even after a long time of use, and the useful life of the torque wrench is prolonged.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.


The present disclosure relates to an image information generation method, a pulse wave measurement system and an electronic device. The method comprises: with respect to a target part, acquiring a first infrared image sequence, each infrared image in the first infrared image sequence including at least a vein pattern; by registering the vein pattern in each infrared image in the first infrared image sequence, correcting each infrared image in the first infrared image sequence, thereby obtaining the corrected first infrared image sequence; removing at least the vein regions from respective infrared images in the corrected first infrared image sequence, to obtain image information of remaining regions as image information for pulse wave measurement.

Recently, photoplethysmography (PPG) and photoplethysmographic imaging (PPGi) are applied to perform pulse wave measurement. Basic principles of such methods are a Lamber-Beer law and a light scattering theory, a jump of a blood volume (i.e., a pulse wave) will cause a change in transmitted or scattered light of a corresponding part. In the PPG method, a photo sensor is used to measure a change in intensity of light transmitted through a target part or light reflected from the target part, to obtain a volume pulse wave; in the PPGi method, a camera is used to acquire an optical image of a light source transmitted or reflected via the target part, a degree of a change in color and/or luminance is analyzed through image processing, the volume pulse wave may be measured. Acquisition of the image or the light intensity has two forms of transmission and reflection: a method of acquiring transmitted light to perform imaging is applicable to a target part such as a finger, an earlobe, etc., with a small thickness, and with respect to a thick part such as a palm, etc., it is possible to adopt a method of acquiring reflected light to perform imaging.

Image information generation method, pulse wave measurement system and electronic device

Beijing BOE Technology Development Co., Ltd.


Disclosed is a method for selectively separating 2-nitrosophenol from an isomeric mixture containing 2-nitrosophenol and 4-nitrosophenol by contacting the mixture with an organic solvent so as to preferentially dissolve the 2-nitrosophenol from the mixture.

Spiro(indolino)benzoxazine or spiro(benzindolino)-benzoxazine photochromic compounds may be prepared by condensing a nitrosophenol compound with an indoline (Fischer's base) or indolium salt, e.g., iodide salt, as described, e.g., in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,816,584, and 4,936,995.
In order to improve the yield of spiro(indolino) type photochromic compounds, e.g., of the type described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,816,584, the substituted or unsubstituted indoline or indolium salt should be reacted with nitrosophenol, e.g., 3,5-dimethoxy-2-nitrosophenol, containing as little as possible of isomers, e.g., 3-5-dimethoxy-4-nitrosophenol, that do not produce photochromic compounds.
However, the typically used methods of making, e.g., 3,5-dimethoxy-2-nitrosophenol, also may result in coproduction of substantial amounts, i.e., up to about 70 weight percent, and typically from about 35 to 50 weight percent of 3,5-dimethoxy-4-nitrosophenol, necessitating selective separation of the 2-nitrosophenol (ortho) isomer from admixture with the 4-nitrosophenol (para) isomer to obtain 2-nitrosophenol isomer of sufficient purity to produce acceptable yields of photochromic compound.
One such method of selectively separating the 2-nitrosophenol isomer from admixture with the 4-nitrosophenol isomer is described by Cronheim, J. Org. Chem., 12, 1, 7 & 20 (1947) wherein the 2-nitrosophenol isomer is selectively complexed with copper salts. However, attempts to duplicate this technique have not been successful.
In accordance with this invention, a straightforward, convenient, readily reproducible method has been found for preferentially dissolving 2-nitrosophenol (ortho) isomer from a mixture of 2-nitrosophenol and 4-nitrosophenol (para) isomers, which method enables isolation of 2-nitrosophenol isomer of at least 90 percent purity.

Method of separating 2-nitrosophenol isomer from admixture with 4-nitrosophenol isomer


Methods and systems are provided for detecting degradation of a positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) system valve and a cylinder valve. In one example, a method may include comparing a rate of pressure bleed-up in a PCV system during each of a cold-engine condition and a hot-engine condition to differentiate between the PCV valve and the cylinder valve.

During a power stroke of piston of an engine cylinder, a portion of the gases combusted within the cylinder may escape past a ring forming a seal around the piston base in a process known as blow-by. The escaped gases may accumulate in the crankcase, resulting in a buildup of pressure that may lead to degradation of oil stored in the crankcase to lubricate piston movement. The engine may include a crankcase ventilation system to vent gases out of the crankcase and into an engine intake manifold to provide continual evacuation of gases from inside the crankcase in order to reduce degradation of various engine components in the crankcase. The crankcase ventilation system may include a positive crankcase ventilation valve (PCV valve) for enabling one-way flow of crankcase gases from inside the crankcase to the intake manifold.
Crankcase ventilation systems may be intermittently diagnosed for PCV valve degradation. One example approach for PCV valve diagnostics is shown by Satou in US 2009/0211545. Therein, PCV valve degradation is determined based on air changes (e.g., changes to a throttle position) and fuel changes (e.g., fuel injection adjustments) required to maintain an idle speed as an opening of the PCV valve is adjusted. The opening of the PCV valve is, in turn, selected based on an air/fuel ratio of blow-by gas.
However, the inventors herein have recognized potential issues with such approaches. As one example, the blow-by based diagnostics approach may have significant noise issues due to various engine loads. These include, for example, engine friction, barometric pressure, AC compressor load, alternator load, etc. Consequently, computation intensive noise reduction algorithms may be required. In hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV), engine run time may be limited, thereby providing fewer opportunities for PCV valve diagnostics. Other sources of degradation such as in the cylinder valves may limit identification of a PCV valve degradation during a PCV system diagnostic routine.
In one approach to at least partially address these issues, a method for an engine crankcase ventilation system is provided. The method for an engine comprises: differentiating between degradation of a positive crankcase ventilation system (PCV) valve, a crankcase ventilation tube, and a cylinder valve based on a rate of pressure bleed-up in a PCV system during each of a cold-engine condition and a hot-engine condition. In this way, by carrying out PCV system diagnostics in the cold engine condition and the hot engine condition, PCV valve degradation and cylinder valve degradation may be identified and differentiated.
In one example, the positive crankcase ventilation system may include each of an isolation valve coupled to a junction of crankcase ventilation tube and fresh air intake passage and a PCV valve coupled to PCV line. By closing each of the isolation valve and the PCV valve, the PCV system may be isolated from the air intake system. After an engine temperature reduces following an engine shut-down, a cold-engine PCV diagnostic routine may be initiated. The diagnostic routine may include closing the isolation valve and spinning the engine unfueled to generate an intake system vacuum. Once a desired intake system vacuum level is reached, a variable displacement engine (VDE) mechanism may be used to deactivate each of the deactivatable cylinders and the cylinder valves (intake valves and exhaust valves) of the deactivatable cylinders may be closed. Further, the engine may be rotated to stop at a desired position where the cylinder valves of the non-deactivatable cylinders are closed, thereby closing all cylinder valves. The PCV system may be evacuated via the PCV valve and once the vacuum is transferred to the PCV system, the PCV valve may be passively or actively closed. The vacuum decay in the PCV system may be monitored via a pressure sensor coupled to the crankcase ventilation tube. If it is determined that the rate of vacuum decay is lower than a threshold, it may be indicated that the PCV valve and the cylinder valves are not degraded. However, if it is determined that the rate of vacuum decay is higher than a threshold, immediately after a subsequent engine shut-down, a hot-engine PCV diagnostic routine may be initiated. If during the hot-engine diagnostic routine, the rate of vacuum decay in the PCV system is higher than a threshold, it may be indicated that the PCV valve is degraded. However, if during the hot-engine diagnostic routine, the rate of vacuum decay in the PCV system is lower than a threshold, it may be indicated that the PCV valve is not degraded but the cylinder valves may be degraded. Appropriate mitigating actions may be taken in response to detection of PCV valve/cylinder valves degradation.
In this way, by sealing the PCV system and monitoring vacuum decay in the PCV system during both cold-engine condition and hot-engine condition, PCV valve degradation and engine cylinder valve degradation may be identified and appropriate mitigating steps may be undertaken during subsequent engine cycles. By introducing the PCV isolation valve, it is possible to seal the PCV system when desired. The technical effect of carrying out the PCV system diagnostics during a vehicle key-off condition is that the diagnostics may be periodically carried out in HEV and PHEV vehicles where engine run time may be limited. Also, by carrying out the diagnostics during the vehicle key-off condition, change in engine noise due to the diagnostic routine may not be encountered by the operator. Overall, by regularly monitoring the health of the PCV system, desired engine emissions quality and fuel efficiency may be maintained.
It should be understood that the summary above is provided to introduce in simplified form a selection of concepts that are further described in the detailed description. It is not meant to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, the scope of which is defined uniquely by the claims that follow the detailed description. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any disadvantages noted above or in any part of this disclosure.

System and method for diagnosing a positive crankcase ventilation valve


Methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for memory access to a dual in-line memory module (DIMM) form factor flash memory are provided. Embodiments include receiving, by a controller from a processor through cacheable memory in the processor, a read request; transmitting, by the controller, the read request to the DIMM form factor flash memory; polling, by the controller, a read queue in the DIMM form factor flash memory until data is ready for the read request; copying from the DIMM form factor flash memory, by the controller, the data corresponding to the read request to a read queue in the controller; transmitting, by the controller on an interface between the controller and the processor, an invalidate command for the cacheable memory; and in response to receiving the invalidate command, reading by the processor the data stored in the read queue in the controller.

1. Field of the Invention
The field of the invention is data processing, or, more specifically, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for memory access to a dual in-line memory module (DIMM) form factor flash memory.
2. Description of Related Art
Flash memory is a type of non-volatile computer storage chip that can be electronically erased and reprogrammed. Flash memory may be implemented on dual in-line memory module (DIMM) form factor. During portions of read and write transactions to DIMM form factor flash memory, the DIMM form factor flash memory is polled to determine transaction statuses before other portions of the read and write transactions are completed. The performance of the component of the system that is tasked with polling the DIMM form factor flash memory is therefore impacted. In systems where the processor polls the DIMM form factor flash memory, the performance of the entire system is impacted.

Memory access to a dual in-line memory module form factor flash memory


Systems and methods for providing one or more reference currents with respective negative temperature coefficients are provided. A first voltage is divided to provide a divided voltage, which is compared to a reference voltage (e.g., a bandgap reference voltage) to provide a control voltage. The first voltage and the one or more reference currents are based on the control voltage.

Market forces demand that image sensors continue to have ever increasing frame rates and improved gain performance. Accordingly, the analog gain block of modern image sensors, including a differential amplifier, analog-to-digital converter (ADC), etc., is often designed to operate faster and more linearly, leading to greater power consumption. For example, the power consumed by image sensors in the current generation can be greater than twice the power consumed by those in the previous generation. Greater power consumption results in a higher operating temperature for the image sensor. Experimental data shows that a junction temperature of a typical modern image sensor is approximately 30-40° Celsius higher than its ambient temperature, depending on the package module size, material, etc. Consequently, temperature dependence of the image sensor bias has become a significant issue in image sensor design.
Current reference modules are often employed to bias components, such as the analog gain block, of modern image sensors. However, conventional current reference modules typically provide reference currents having positive temperature coefficients, meaning that an increase of temperature leads to a greater reference current value. A greater reference current value causes a greater power consumption, resulting in a higher operating temperature for the image sensor.
Thus, systems and methods for providing a reference current with a negative temperature coefficient are needed to address self-heating issues associated with conventional current reference modules.
In the drawings, like reference numbers indicate identical or functionally similar elements. Additionally, the leftmost digit(s) of a reference number identifies the drawing in which the reference number first appears.

Systems and methods to provide reference current with negative temperature coefficient


A tool for tensioning safety cable to a predetermined tension limit and for automatically terminating the cable when the predetermined limit is reached. The tool comprises a rotatable wheel mounted for reciprocating rotation about a point on the tool for incrementally advancing the cable during a drive stroke and a toggle assembly operatively connected to the rotatable wheel for affecting its reciprocal rotating motion. A tension setting mechanism is operatively coupled to the toggle assembly for inhibiting rotation of the rotatable wheel when tension on the cable is greater than a preselected value. A clamp is operative in response to inhibited rotation of the rotatable wheel for terminating the cable by crimping a ferrule to the cable while simultaneously severing a free end of the cable. The tool includes an elongated nosepiece having an aperture for receiving the ferrule and passing the cable therethrough. The nosepiece includes an inner flange which fits within a formed recess in the tool and is spring-loaded into the recess. The nosepiece can be depressed out of the recess enabling rotation of the nosepiece about its elongate axis so as to position the aperture at selected angular positions.

Various types of machinery are subject to vibration which can loosen nuts and bolts. Safety wire has long been used as protection to resist such loosening. In such use, safety wire secures two or more parts together so that loosening of one part is counteracted by tightening of the wire. Typically, a single wire is passed through an aperture in a nut or bolt, the free ends twisted together up to another part, one of the ends inserted through an aperture in the another part and the ends again twisted. The standards for utilization of safety wire are critical and are set forth in Aerospace Standard AS567, entitled "General Practices for the Use of Lockwire, Key Washers and Cotter Pins," available from the Society of Automotive Engineers, Inc., 400 Commonwealth Dr., Warrendale, Pa.
Safety wire or lockwire, as it is sometimes known, has several known problems. More recently, there has been developed an improved locking system using safety cable. Safety cable is a stranded cable having a termination on one end allowing the cable to be pulled to a predetermined tension through the aforementioned apertures in nuts and bolts. After tensioning, the free end of the cable must be terminated to hold the tension and cleanly severed to minimize any possibility of snags on loose wires. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a tool which simultaneously crimps a ferrule onto the cable and severs the free end of the cable while establishing a predetermined tension in the cable. Further, safety cable is utilized on bolts and fasteners which are often located in cramped or minimally accessible locations. Positioning of the tool in such locations may require rotation of the tool into awkward or even impossible positions. Accordingly, it is also desirable to provide a tool which is adaptable to apply ferrules in different angular orientations.


One embodiment of an cabinet according to the present invention comprises an inner cabinet having a plurality of inner walls that form an enclosure. A phase change material covers at least some of the plurality of inner walls. An outer cabinet is positioned around the inner cabinet and comprises a plurality of outer walls arranged such that there is a space between the inner and outer walls. A mechanism is included for drawing air from outside of the outer cabinet into the space between the inner and outer walls. The phase-change material is arranged to melt when exposed to heat energy to reduce heat transfer into the enclosure. The enclosure is particularly adapted for holding heat sensitive devices such as batteries with the cabinet controlling heat transfer during cyclic heat exposure.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to thermally insulated enclosures and cabinets and more particularly to thermally insulated cabinets for protection against cyclic thermal exposure.
2. Description of the Related Art
Heat sensitive materials and components must sometimes be located in an environment that experiences heat fluctuations that are detrimental to their longevity or effectiveness. For example, the telecommunications industry typically uses lead acid batteries as a source of back-up power in the event of a power failure in locations removed from environmentally protected buildings. The batteries are typically stored in a cabinet that is exposed to elevated temperature from daytime ambient (usually in the summer). Cabinets located in an outside environment can be exposed to temperatures ranging from minus 20° Celsius(C.) to plus 55° C., and the temperature experienced by the cabinet spreads into its interior. Lead acid batteries experience damage or shortened life-span when exposed to these extreme temperatures. High temperatures are especially damaging and the life expectancy of lead acid batteries can be reduced by half for every 10° C. above the optimum 25° C. that the batteries are stored in.
The most common technique for protecting this type of equipment from extreme temperatures is to use an electric heater to raise low temperatures in the cabinet and air conditioning to lower high temperatures in the cabinet. These types of cabinets, however, are relatively expensive and the operating power for the heater and air conditioner adds to the overall operating expense of the cabinet. The heater and air conditioning units also require periodic maintenance of filters and compressors, and repair when the units fail. This also adds operating expense to the cabinets.
An apparatus for protecting batteries against damaging heat is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,006,944 to C. Machledt. A storage vault is described for storing batteries underground. Through the use of an underground vault, the sides are not exposed to ambient air temperatures and the sun. The top is insulated with fiberglass to protect the batteries from overhead sun. One disadvantage of such an underground vault is the high cost of installation, necessitating excavation for installation and the complexities of building a structure underground. Another disadvantage is the added cost of maintenance procedures that must be conducted underground.
Another apparatus for protecting either materials or components is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,832,988 to Mistry, which utilizes heat exchangers to cool cabinets. A columnar heat exchanger is mounted within the cabinet and is used in combination with a diverter for controlling the flow of outdoor air through the system. One disadvantage of this apparatus is that lead acid batteries do not generate much heat when idle or in operation, and heat exchangers typically only work when there is a temperature difference between the inside and outside environments with energy moving in the direction of higher temperature to lower temperature.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Thermally insulated cabinet and method for inhibiting heat transfer


A mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention may comprise: a display unit; a memory which stores hierarchy information including a plurality of categories that are classified based on the hierarchy; and a learning data unit which obtains user information, which provides the hierarchy information if a category corresponding the obtained user information among the plurality of categories is not stored, and which registers the category corresponding to the user information in the hierarchy information.

Context awareness technologies have been developed together with devices for recognizing or predicting the demand of a user through learning machine based on past information, the environment of a user, a current situation of the user, or a specific schedule of the user as data mining, pattern recognition, or other intelligent algorithms and technologies are provided.
With development of context awareness technology, the demand for a mobile terminal capable of performing a function suitable for a user's situation is increasing.
An artificial intelligence device having artificial intelligence is a smart secretary and needs to always have latest information about the current state of a user in order to assist the user.
However, there is a problem that objects to be handled are too many to always maintain the latest information of the user for all categories.


A combination trucker""s belt and extrication harness is provided, said combination including a belt having loop portions and connection means at each of its ends, and a multi-use strap affixed to the second end and contained within a quick-open hook-and-loop fabric pouch. The multi-use strap includes a first ring connected to the loop portion of the second end of the belt, a short strap connected at one of its ends to the first ring and connected at its other end to a second ring, a long strap connected to the second ring and extending from the second ring through a snap connector having adjustment means and a tail portion extending beyond the snap connector which terminates in a third ring. The multi-use strap may be deployed for multiple uses, including aerial platform tethering, search tethering, and for configuring as a leg and pelvis reinforcement making the combination suitable as a low angle rescue harness and emergency rappelling harness.

Not applicable.
Not applicable.
This invention relates to climbing and personal safety harnesses, and more particularly to a combination trucker""s belt and extrication harness having a rapid deployment multi-use strap adapted for use by rescue and paramilitary personnel, and particularly well-suited for use by firefighters working in burning structures.
Firefighters routinely confront the danger of entrapment in burning buildings, some of which are multistory buildings. When rapid egress or escape is necessary, it is common for firefighters to use a rope in connection with an emergency climbing harness to rappel to a safe level or to the ground. The equipment currently needed for this feat is heavy, bulky, and potentially dangerous to haul about during firefighting maneuvers. Accordingly, firefighters are reluctant to carry it into a burning structure. Furthermore, the process of putting on the equipment and then deploying it for use can be time consuming and complicated in an urgent situation, particularly when a broiling sea of smoke churns the air and blinds and chokes the firefighter.
The field of firefighter safety equipment includes several commendable attempts at addressing this problem, including an earlier patented extrication harness invented by the present inventor and disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,105,169. The apparatus disclosed therein comprises a harness strap assembly similar in design and function to a climbing harness, but incorporated into the liner of the pants of a firefighter""s turnout suit. The suit liner is modified by the addition of two or more belt loops, each of which incorporate snaps or hook and loop fastener patches for inserting and releasing the harness strap itself, but these loops preferably will be sewn or riveted shut.
Other prior art devices of note in the firefighting safety equipment field include: U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,036,548 and 5,136,724 teach forms of combined firefighters"" turnout pants and safety harness; U.S. Pat. No. 3,973,643, which teaches a firefighters"" safety coat with detachable harness; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,979,153, which discloses a safety suit with built-in harness. Relevant designs from related fields but not necessarily adapted (either well or at all) for firefighter use include U.S. Pat. No. 5,857,540, which discloses a harness comprising an elongated belt, having two straps that may be converted into leg straps; U.S. Pat. No. 5,145,027, which teaches a roping sit harness for climbing or caving, comprising a pair of thigh loops in the form of closed loops and a belt with a central clasping device; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,615,750, which discloses a climbing harness having adjustable leg loops and rise.
Despite the thoughtful and occasionally important contributions to the field of climbing harnesses generally, and more particularly to personal safety and extrication harnesses, there remains a need for an improved extrication harness that is easy to transport, and rapid and uncomplicated in deployment and use. The combination trucker""s belt and extrication harness of the present invention entirely accomplishes these ends.
The express objective of the present invention is to teach a new and improved combination firefighter trucker""s belt and extrication harness. The belt/harness combination comprises a waistband terminating in a first end having an adjustment buckle assembly which connects to a V-ring on a second end of the waistband, and interposed between the two ends are a number of integral features, including ax holder rings, and a strip of fabric sewn into the waistband so as to form a succession of fabric loops adapted for carrying equipment and tools.
The inventive combination includes at least one multi-use strap which is folded and contained within a pouch on the side of the waistband. The pouch is formed by a back section of fabric attached to the waistband and a plurality of fabric flaps which folded inwardly over the back section. Flaps are secured to and opposing flap with surface fasteners.
The multi-use strap comprises a short strap of webbing attached at its first end to a D-ring which overlays the waistband V-ring. It is connected at its second end to an O-ring. A long strap of webbing extends from the same O-ring through a snap connector to its tail portion that terminates in a Shane ring. The snap connector may be adjusted and securing in its position along the length of the long strap.
Because of the configuration of the multi-use strap when deployed, it may be used for a number of practical purposes, including as a tether to a ladder or an aerial platform, a search tether, a connection for bearing a heavy load, or as a leg reinforcement strap for providing pelvic support when using the belt/harness to rappel in a low angle bailout or rescue operation.

Combination trucker""s belt and extrication harness


A bucket assembly for attachment to a machine, such as a skid steer or tractor, that includes a bucket and a mounting assembly that permits swiveling of the bucket about a vertical axis and pivoting of the bucket about a horizontal axis.

Buckets are commonly used by people to move large amounts of material or heavy items. These buckets are often attached to machines such as skid steers, mini skid steers, tractors, or others. Some problems that conventional buckets have are they are not capable of moving in small spaces, they are not easily maneuverable, and they cannot be dumped into tall containers.
Conventional buckets can only move on the y-axis and the z-axis, meaning that they can only be moved up and down and be dumped. Therefore, when a user wants to be able to load the bucket from the left or the right or wants to dump the bucket to the left or the right the user has to move the entire machine to place the bucket into a different location. Most conventional buckets can only be dumped into container that are the height the machine extends, this is a problem for dumping into tall containers or trucks. While some buckets are capable of high dumping, they are not also capable of rotating.
Description of the Related Art Section Disclaimer: To the extent that specific patents/publications/products are discussed above in this Background Section or elsewhere in this Application, these discussions should not be taken as an admission that the discussed patents/publications/products are prior art for patent law purposes. For example, some or all of the discussed patents/publications/products may not be sufficiently early in time, may not reflect subject matter developed early enough in time and/or may not be sufficiently enabling so as to amount to prior art for patent law purposes. To the extent that specific patents/publications/products are discussed above in this Background Section and/or throughout the application, the descriptions/disclosures of which are all hereby incorporated by reference into this document in their respective entirety(ies).


A light-emitting device in an aspect of the present invention includes at least one light emitter, a first phosphor, and a second phosphor. The first phosphor emits, in response to light emitted from the at least one light emitter, light having a first peak wavelength in a wavelength region of 400 to 480 nm. The second phosphor emits, in response to light emitted from the at least one light emitter, light having a second peak wavelength in a wavelength region of 480 to 600 nm. The at least one light emitter has a third peak wavelength in a wavelength region of 280 to 315 nm and emits light in the wavelength region of 280 to 315 nm.

Recent illumination apparatuses may include semiconductor light emitters such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs) as light sources, instead of fluorescent or incandescent lamps. For example, illumination apparatuses including such light emitters as light sources are used for visual inspection of painted surfaces of, for example, home appliances and automobiles.
A semiconductor light emitter emits light with a narrow region of wavelengths, and simply emits monochromatic light. To produce white light as illumination light, multiple semiconductor light emitters that emit light in different wavelength regions are prepared, and multiple light beams with different colors emitted from such semiconductor light emitters are mixed to into white light. In some cases, multiple phosphors that emit fluorescence in different wavelength regions using excitation light with the same wavelength are prepared, and light emitted from a semiconductor light emitter and multiple fluorescence beams with different colors emitted with excitation light from the semiconductor light emitter are mixed into white light. This method of mixing colors allows production of a light source that emits white light or that emits light with another spectrum for intended use (refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2015-126160).
However, the technique described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2015-126160 may cause illuminated surfaces to appear differently when illuminated with white light and when observed with sunlight.

Light-emitting device and illumination apparatus


A method for facilitating recovery from a crash of a solid-state storage device (SSD) is adapted to be implemented by an SSD controller of the SSD that receives a write request. The method includes: assigning a write request identifier (WID) and a request size in a spare area of each written page of the SSD; counting a number of appearances of the WID in all written page(s) to result in a WID count; determining whether the WID count is equal to the request size; and determining that the write request is completed and is eligible for recovery after a crash of the SSD when it is determined that the WID count is equal to the request size.

A conventional solid-state storage device (SSD), especially a consumer-grade SSD with a standard block device interface, is often short of sufficient mechanisms for crash recovery at disk level. Therefore, developers of filesystems and/or application software have to resort to additional measures to ensure stronger guarantee of data integrity (and sometimes data security) upon a crash, such as to modify the filesystems and/or application software to issue redundant write requests or flush requests. However, most of these measures may be unfavorable when considering overhead, and may be adverse to overall system performance.

Method for facilitating recovery from crash of solid-state storage device, method of data synchronization, computer system, and solid-state storage device


A tuneable grating assisted directional optical coupler to couple a transmission signal has a first waveguide including a first core and a first cladding, the first waveguide having a first effective refractive index. The coupler also has a second waveguide including a second core and a second cladding, the second waveguide having a second effective refractive index different from the first effective index and being in substantially close proximity to the first waveguide in a predetermined region to provide coupling therebetween. A periodic perturbation is positioned in the coupling region to cause the coupling to be wavelength selective for one given wavelength function of the first and/or the second effective refractive index. Additionally, the second cladding of the second waveguide has a tuneable material and the first cladding of the first waveguide has a non-tuneable material.

Optical devices for optical channel filtering, such as wavelength add/drop filters, bandpass filters, directional couplers, etc, are important elements of optical telecommunication systems.
In Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM), a plurality of N mutually independent optical signals are transmitted along a line. Each of these independent signals has a respective transmission wavelengths λ1, λ2 . . . , λN, which are different from each other and each of which defines a transmission "channel". All these wavelengths, which have a spacing between them, should be included in a useful amplification bandwidth of optical amplifiers used in the line.
However, for such signal to be useful, it must be possible to wavelength selectively drop the optical signal coming in through an optical fiber (or through another optical conduit) to a fiber/conduit conveying to the respective user/destination and to wavelength selectively add signals to the fiber. Therefore, efficient adding and dropping of channels, without modifying the other optical channels, is even more crucial in DWDM (Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing) where a very high number of channels at slightly different wavelengths is transmitted in a single fiber simultaneously.
For this purpose, it is desirable to realize filters which may add or drop one or more signals in a certain bandwidth. An example of such a filter is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,737,007 to Alferness. In this patent a narrow-band, wavelength selective optical coupler is described, which includes two optical fibers, each comprising a core region and a cladding region, and a Bragg diffraction grating formed in the coupling region of the two fibers.
In the following, only couplers including a grating, which is a periodic structure formed by spatially varying refractive index distribution throughout a defined volume or the boundary of a guiding region, are considered.
In particular, considering two waveguides 1 and 2 having effective refractive indices n1 and n2, respectively, being in close proximity to each other so as to form a directional coupler, and a periodic perturbation (grating) inserted in the coupling region such that its wave-vector obeys to one of the following relationships
                                                    K            +                                    =                                            2                            π                                      Λ              +                                =                                                    β                1                            +                              β                2                                      =                                                            2                                    π                                                  λ                  0                                                                          (                                                      n                    1                                    +                                      n                    2                                                  )                                                                        (        I        )                                                                K            -                                    =                                            2                            π                                      Λ              -                                =                                                    β                1                            -                              β                2                                      =                                                            2                                    π                                                  λ                  0                                                                          (                                                      n                    1                                    -                                      n                    2                                                  )                                                                        (        II        )            where Λ is the grating periodicity, β1 and β2 are the propagation constant in waveguides 1 and 2 at λ0, there is coupling between the two waveguides only at the specific wavelength λ0 named above. If Eq. (I) is satisfied, then the wavelength λ0 is coupled in the backward direction from one waveguide to the other and the directional coupler is said to be a contra-directional coupler, whereas if Eq. (II) is satisfied, the wavelength λ0 is coupled in the forward direction and the coupler is said to be a co-directional coupler.
From the above equations (I) and (II), it is clear that, given a transmission signal including a plurality of channels having different wavelengths (λ1, . . . , λn) propagating in the first waveguide, the filtered wavelength to the second waveguide isλ0=Λ(n1±n2).  (III)
A particularly desirable additional characteristic of optical couplers is wavelength tunability, so that the dropped wavelength may be changed, in order to increase the flexibility of networks. The goal of a tuneable coupler is therefore to select one channel (or several channels) in a given incoming input optical signal and transmitting all other channels through the filter, said channel being changeable.
Several different tuneable optical filters have been developed. A proposed solution has been to realize the core region of one of the two waveguides in a tuneable material, i.e. a material whose refractive index may be changed, therefore changing n1 or n2. This implies, a change in the filtered wavelength λ0 (see eq. (III)).
Silica on its own may be thermo-optically tuned. However its thermo-optic coefficient dn/dT is of the order of 10−5/° C. and a change of temperature of 100° C. will typically shift the filter wavelength by less than 1 nm. This may restrict the applications where the desirable tuning range is of several nm.
In "Thermooptic Planar Polymer Bragg Grating OADM's with Broad Tuning range", published in IEEE Photonics Technology Letters, vol. 11 (1999), p. 448, a tuneable add/drop multiplexer having a grating printed in a single-mode polymeric waveguide with a thin-film heater is described. Thermal tuning can be achieved by a large thermo-optic coefficient dn/dT of −3·10−4/° C.
Applicants have noticed that employment of polymeric materials with high dn/dT in the waveguide core region makes polymer stability a crucial issue and may affect long-term reliability of the coupler. Furthermore, for an OADM (Optical Add/Drop Multiplexer) consisting of a waveguide and two optical circulators, the high cost of the circulators makes the device too expensive.
In "Polarisation insensitive and tuneable optical add and drop multiplexer utising vertically stacked buried semiconductor waveguides", published in Electronics Letters vol. 35, No. 20, p. 1733-1734, a tuneable, vertical and contra-directional coupler filter, in which specially designed buried semiconductor waveguides are used, is disclosed. In particular, the two waveguides are made of InGaAsP, are buried in a InP cladding and a grating is formed between the waveguides in the filter region. The tunability is achieved by changing the temperature.
Applicants have noted that, in order to obtain a tuning of several nm, for example of 10-11 nm, the temperature of III-V semiconductors such as InGaAsP should be varied of at least 500° C., which implies a huge thermal variation of the overall device, which can be detrimental for the device performances. They have further observed that fabrication technology based on III-V semiconductors is rather complex and expensive.
In "Hybrid silica-polymer structure for integrated optical waveguides with new potentialities", published in Material Science and Engineering vol. B57, p. 155-160, a coupler comprising two coplanar waveguides having silica cores and a polymer cladding is described. More specifically, the directional coupler of this paper comprises two ridge cores made of silica which are covered by the same polymer cladding. A Bragg grating is UV-induced in both waveguides in the central part of each sample. The negative thermal optical coefficient for the polymer refractive index enables the authors to auto-stabilise the Bragg grating in temperature.
Applicants have noted that in the described coupler a variation in temperature induces the same variation of effective refractive index in the two waveguides with the aim of stabilizing the coupled wavelength and to render it independent of the temperature. This device would be unsuitable for making a tuneable directional coupler.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,097,865 to Alferness et al. discloses a wavelength filter having a low index waveguide, a high index waveguide, having substantially different geometries which results in substantially different effective indices, and a grating for coupling therebetween. Both waveguides are made of InGaAsP. In this patent, the so obtained high effective index differential Δn=n2−n1 of the filter waveguides is desired in order to achieve a high bandwidth and reduce cross-talk.

Tuneable grating assisted directional optical coupler


A system and method enable a designer to design an application using a design tool, deploy the application for execution, and subsequently view statistics related to the execution within the design tool. The designer uses the design tool to create an application flow for the application, and the design tool then generates software code for such application. In generating software code, the design tool inserts markers in the application code that demarks the boundaries between nodes in the application flow. When the application is executed, a log is created in accordance with the markers such that data is logged for nodes traversed during the execution of the application. Using the logged data, statistics are calculated for one or more of the nodes. These statistics are provided to the design tool and, in the preferred embodiment, displayed in conjunction with the application flow in the user interface of the design tool.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to software design tools and, more particularly to displaying key performance indicators for an executed application in a user interface of an application design tool.
2. Description of the Background Art
As shown in FIG. 1, the lifecycle of an application, especially those that engage in a dialog with a user (e.g., an interactive voice response (IVR) application) often includes phases in design, development, deployment (i.e., execution), and optimization, where optimization is based on performance data generated by application reporting systems. Although this lifecycle is considered a closed loop when there is an optimization recommendation that feeds back to the design process, there is not a set of tools that completely links the application reporting systems to the design tools. Specifically, current application reporting tools do not actively provide key performance indicators (KPIs) back to the software design tool. Consequently, there is a need for a system that is capable of providing KPI data back to the design tool such that an application designer can see high-level and detailed performance indicators within the design tool.

System and method for displaying key performance indicators in an application design tool


The present disclosure relates to the field of liquid crystal display technology, discloses a backlight module and a display apparatus. The backlight module includes a back plate including a bottom plate and a side plate; a light bar including a body and a plurality of light emitting units arranged on the body. The body is fixed at an outer side of the side plate, the side plate is provided with holes at positions corresponding to the light emitting units. The light emitting units extend from the body to an inner side of the side plate through corresponding holes.

Since the liquid crystal does not emit light itself, thus an external backlight source is needed to achieve displaying in a variety of liquid crystal displays (LCDs), such as LCD devices, LCD televisions. Backlight sources can be divided into two types, i.e., edge type and direct type according to their distribution positions. For an edge-type backlight source, due to its advantages, such as low requirements of the number of light emitting devices, low cost, and thin thickness, it is widely used in LCDs of small and medium size.
FIG. 1 is a partial sectional view of an edge-type backlight module, which includes a back plate 1, a light guide plate 5 and an optical film 7 which are arranged on the back plate 1 sequentially. The module further includes a rubber frame 4 configured to fix the light guide plate 5 and the optical film 7, a light bar 2 arranged close to a lateral side of the light guide plate 5. The light bar 2 includes a plurality of light emitting units 3 arranged thereon. A display panel 6 is arranged above the backlight module. A front frame 8 is also provided for assembling the backlight module and the liquid crystal panel 6. The light guide plate 5 is configured to transmit light from a near end to a far end to make light uniformly emitted from an entire light output surface, so as to form a surface light source for the display panel 6 for displaying.
However, it can be seen from FIG. 1 that, a distance L between the light emitting units 3 and a display region (A region) of the display panel 6 is short. Darker zones where less light illuminates and brighter zones where more light illuminates will be formed between adjacent light emitting units 3, that is, light mixed by the light emitting units 3 is not uniform. Such a phenomenon that brighter and darker zones are alternatively distributed is called a hot-spot phenomenon. In order to eliminate the darker zones, a distance between the light emitting units 3 needs to be reduced. In this way, however, a reduction of the number of the light emitting units 3 is limited, which is not conducive to reduce costs. Further, the space reserved for the light bar 2 is very small, which makes the light bar 2 is difficult to be assembled. The heat dissipation space of the light emitting units 3 is small, which makes heat dissipation be difficult and affects the quality of the module. In addition, a driving circuit board on the light bar 2 has a certain thickness, which is not conductive to make the display module thinner.

BEIJING BOE DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.


A power supply system according to the present invention includes a control device (110) which is configured such that if it is predicted that the sum of start-up power for a power generation system (101) and electric power consumed by an external electrical load (105) at start-up of the power generation system (101) and/or the sum of stopped-period power for the power generation system (101) and electric power consumed by the external electrical load (105) at stopping of power generation of the power generation system (101) exceed upper limit power, up to which an electric rate is kept to a relatively low unit price, and that the electric rate is to be changed to a relatively high unit price, then the control device (110) performs control of supplying electric power stored in an electrical storage unit (107) to at least one of the power generation system (101) and the external electrical load (105) in order to prevent the amount of electric power supplied from a power grid (104) from exceeding the upper limit power.

Conventionally, there are proposed electric rate simulation systems which change electric rate setting for a consumer in accordance with the amount of electric power consumed by the consumer (see Patent Literature 1, for example). Patent Literature 1 discloses an electric rate simulation system, which is configured to calculate an electric rate based on information about electric power usage by an electricity consumer, which electric power usage is measured for every predetermined period. The electric rate simulation system calculates the electric rate in a manner corresponding to various electric rate sign-up plans, including an electric rate sign-up plan in which the electric rate varies depending on what hours in a day the consumer uses electric power.

Power supply system, control device of power supply system, operation method of power supply system, and control method of power supply system

PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.


A Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) device and method of operation of the VoIP device are provided. A local telephone number serving a location of the VoIP device is stored in a database of a VoIP service provider. A fixed address is associated with the local telephone number. The local telephone number is provided to an Automatic Location Information database associated with an emergency response system.

Until recently, voice information was carried only over a network dedicated to the voice information, such as a public switched telephone network (PSTN). Presently, however, other technologies have been developed that enable voice to be carried via a variety of networks that are not exclusively dedicated to the transfer of voice information. One of these technologies is Internet telephony, also called voice over internet protocol telephony (VoIP). VoIP contains technologies that enable voice to be carried via a data network of the Internet. In a VoIP system, the analog signals from the voice of a caller are converted into digital signals by a VoIP device before being transmitted through a gateway. The gateway then routes the signals over the PSTN dependent on the setup of the VoIP provider. The digitized, voice signals accordingly travel as discrete packets over a public or private Internet. This saves costs over a conventional PSTN as there is no toll charge when making a call.
However, various problems exist with VoIP systems. One of these problems is determination of the location of a caller for purposes of emergency (medical, police, fire) assistance. To access emergency assistance, a caller dials 911 in the United States or Canada and is connected to a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP). The PSAP is one or more entities that receives emergency calls and dispatches the appropriate emergency services, if necessary. As the basic emergency phone number is the same throughout the United States and Canada, the call is transmitted to one or more routers in a PSTN network of routers through a PSTN gateway to determine the appropriate PSAP to respond to the emergency call, that is, the PSAP most proximate physically to the caller. The appropriate PSAP is determined by using an Automatic Location Identification (ALI) database that associates telephone numbers with street addresses and local emergency response. Once the address is determined, it is transmitted to a display for the benefit of the emergency response personnel. Emergency services then react to a 911 call using the location of the caller.
When using a conventional non-portable telephone, the location of the telephone is known and registered as a particular location. However, the information used to route a VoIP call may not be sufficient to determine the location of the VoIP caller. Unlike fixed telephones, which each use a dedicated switch to connect to the PSTN network, a VoIP network uses one switch to serve multiple VoIP devices distributed over a broad geographic area. Moreover, VoIP devices are nomadic, that is, VoIP phones can be transported to any location where a network connection is available, connected to the Internet, and calls may be made from the new location. Thus, there is no fixed relationship between the location of a caller using a VoIP device and the phone number used by the VoIP device. Nor do VoIP networks generally provide information regarding the location of callers.
Thus, there is a need for a VoIP device and associated method in which emergency calls are routed to a proper emergency service provider for providing appropriate emergency response to the caller.


Cosmetic and pharmaceutical compositions and methods comprising delivery systems for the controlled release and enhanced penetration of biologically active materials (e.g., Vitamin A) to the skin. The delivery systems comprise cholesteric liquid crystals wherein the active material is retained within the lamellar molecular structure (i.e., between the molecular sheets) of the cholesteric liquid crystal.

Vitamin A is known to possess skin conditioning properties. U.S. Pat. No. 4,603,146 refers to Vitamin A acid (retinoic acid) for retarding the effects of aging of the skin. For a general discussion of dermatological uses of Vitamin A, reference may be had to Thomas et al., J. Am. Acad. Derm., Vol. 4, No. 5 (1981).
Vitamin A is a mild irritant. It is generally applied to the skin in a suitable non-toxic, dermatologically acceptable carrier in an amount and at a frequency which are insufficient to cause excessive irritation of the skin. Most compositions for applying Vitamin A to the skin are in the form of cloudy emulsions or grease-like masses.
Cosmetic and pharmaceutical compositions for applying biologically active materials to the skin typically include a carrier for the active materials in the composition. The selection of a suitable carrier for use in compositions in which the release of biologically active materials is controlled is complicated by the fact that the carrier should not interfere with (and preferably enhances) the ability of the composition to release its active material at a suitable rate. In addition, it is desirable if the carrier (or some other component of the composition) functions to enhance the penetration of the composition's biologically active materials to the desired layers of the skin.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,301,023 (the '023 patent) refers to a mixture of two or more cholesteric liquid crystal compounds, suspended in an oleaginous carrier or in an aqueous emulsion, for moisturizing and softening the skin. The '023 patent does not refer to the use of such liquid crystals as a delivery vehicle for biologically active materials. Neither does the '023 patent disclose that the liquid crystals enhance the penetration of and stabilize active materials contained therein.

Liquid crystal containing cosmetic and pharmaceutical compositions and methods for utilizing such compositions


The present invention relates to a semi-submersible platform body for supporting drilling, storing, treatment or production of hydrocarbons. The platform body have a cross section with a center point in a first plane, and is defined by a side wall formed by at least one side wall section, the side wall is arranged around the periphery of an open recess. Each side wall section comprises a first and a second side, an upper and a lower edge, the first and second side of the side wall section defines at least a first side wall thickness. The first side of the side wall section faces away from the open recess and the second side of the side wall section faces towards the open recess. The mentioned open recess has a cross section with a center point in the first plane. Further is the center point of the cross section of the open recess displaced a distance in the first plane, from the center point of the cross section of the platform body. The present invention provides for a flexible and versatile platform body which is disposed of the need for custom applications of heavy equipment or facilities in order to prevent displacement of the center of buoyancy.

Semi-submersible offshore platforms are frequently used when drilling, producing or storing hydrocarbons, such as oil and gas, at sea. They are best known for their ability to withstand the environmental forces subjected to the platform by the wind and the sea, primarily in terms of movements and independency of direction of the environmental forces.
Conventional semi-submersible offshore platforms are used primarily in offshore locations where the water depth exceeds about 90 m. This type of platform comprises a hull structure that has sufficient buoyancy to support the equipment deck above the surface of the water. The hull typically comprises one or more submersible pontoons that support a plurality of vertically upstanding columns, which in turn support the deck above the surface of the water. The size of the pontoons and the number of columns are governed by the size and weight of the deck and equipment being supported.
One example of such a semi-submersible offshore platform is described in the patent publication of GB 2,310,634. The semi-submersible platform for storing liquid hydrocarbons comprises a superstructure and six spaced apart legs extending from the superstructure. The superstructure can be equipped with buildings and drilling or production equipment. Each of the legs is divided by an internal wall which defines a storage tank spaced radially inwardly from each of the respective leg. The legs are rigidly interconnected at end portions thereof which are disposed remote from the superstructure by a ring pontoon. Likewise, in the patent publication with the U.S. Pat. No. 4,498,412 is a semi-submersible offshore platform described. The platform comprises an operating deck carried by four cylindrical columns supported by a pontoon structure comprising four sided boxes formed into a square ring.
The above mentioned platforms each utilize the well established technique of using a plurality of columns to minimize the effect of the environmental forces as well as obtaining an appropriate stability of the platform. The wind and the sea can pass underneath the operating deck while the plurality of columns imposes stability to the operating deck by providing several support points to the sea. However, this advantage comes with the price of subjecting pipes and drilling equipment, which extends between the operating deck and the sea floor, to the same environmental forces.
This drawback has been at least partly solved by the platform described in the publication of U.S. Pat. No. 6,945,736 B2. The platform is designed mainly as a vertical flat bottomed cylinder and comprises a centrally arranged vertical through shaft, also referred to as a moonpool, for receiving of risers or other drilling equipment. The cylinder wall comprises a number of tanks in which liquid can be stored. However as the need for offshore solutions increases, the need for platform bodies which are capable of taking on a wide variety of facilities and equipment are needed. When larger facilities, e.g. production facilities, are positioned on platform bodies, there is a constant need to maintain the point of balance so that any facility not risk of shifting the point of balance in an unwanted or unexpected direction. Usually these shifts can be contravened by moving ballast between ballast tanks to compensate of the diversions in point of balance. When storing huge quantities of hydrocarbons this compensation however provides losses in storage capacity. This is indeed a deficiency of known solutions.

Semi-submersible platform body for supporting drilling, storing, treatment or production of hydrocarbons at sea


A circuit includes input drain, source and gate nodes. The circuit also includes a group III nitride enhancement-mode HFET having a source, drain and gate and a voltage shifter having a first terminal connected to the gate of the enhancement mode HFET at a common junction. The circuit also includes a load resistive element connected to the common junction. The drain of the enhancement-mode HFET serves as the input drain node, the source of the enhancement-mode HFET serves as the input source node and a second terminal of the voltage shifter serves as the input gate node.

GaN-based Heterojunction Field Effect Transistors (HFETs) using a wide bandgap semiconductor such as GaN, AlGaN, InGaN, AlGaN, InAlN, AlInGaN and the like have received much attention as a power device for high power application since they are one order of magnitude or more smaller in on-resistance than transistors using Si or GaAs, are capable of operating at higher temperature with high current and can withstand high voltage applications.
One example of a conventional GaN-based HFET is shown in FIG. 1. IN FIG. 1, as well as the figures that follow, like reference numerals are used to denote like elements. As shown, a heterojunction structure is formed on a substrate such as a sapphire, silicon, or diamond substrate 91. The heterojunction structure includes a nucleation layer 92 of GaN, for example, a semi-insulating undoped GaN layer 93, and an undoped AlGaN layer 94, which is generally much thinner than the undoped GaN layer 93. The two-dimensional (2-D) electron gas channel 79 is located adjacent to the interface of layers 93 and 94. An optional layer of GaN a few atomic layers thick may optionally be formed on top of AlGaN layer 94, which is not shown in FIG. 1 or the figures that follow. The optional GaN layer may improve the ohmic contact and often is removed naturally after ohmic annealing and chemical treatment. Two n-AlGaN/GaN contact layers 95 are disposed on the undoped AlGaN layer 94 and annealed to form ohmic contact with the 2-D gas. A source electrode S and a drain electrode D are arranged on their respective contact layers 95. A gate electrode G is formed onto the undoped AlGaN layer 94 and is situated between the source electrode S and the drain electrode D.
The GaN-based HFET device is capable of maximizing electron mobility by forming a quantum well at the heterojunction interface between the AlGaN layer, which has a larger band gap, and the GaN layer, which has a narrower band gap. As a result, electrons are trapped in the quantum well. The trapped electrons are represented by a two-dimensional electron gas 79 in the undoped GaN layer. The amount of current is controlled by applying voltage to the gate electrode, which is in Schottky contact with the semiconductors so that electrons flow along the channel between the source electrode and the drain electrode.
Even when the gate voltage is zero, electrons will be present in the channel because a piezoelectric field is formed that extends from the substrate toward the device surface. Consequently, the GaN-based HFET acts as a depletion-mode (i.e., normally-on) device. For a variety of reasons it would be desirable to provide an enhancement mode (i.e., normally-off) GaN-based HFET. For example, when a depletion-mode HFET is employed as a switching device for a power source, it is necessary to continuously apply a bias voltage to the gate electrode that is lower than the threshold value to keep the switch in the off state. Such an arrangement often results in a more complicated circuit and requires more voltage levels such as negative voltages. On the other hand, if an enhancement mode HFET is employed, the switch can be maintained in the off state even a gate voltage of zero using a simplified circuit. Attempts have been made to manufacture GaN-based enhancement-mode HFETs by depleting or eliminating the two-dimensional gas in the gate area. Unfortunately, such attempts have generally not been satisfactory when pursuing a high positive threshold voltage because of problems such as poor on-state currents, poor breakdown voltages and lower operational speeds due to the resistance and capacitance in the gate regions as well as damage that is caused to the gate regions during fabrication. Therefore, there is an inherent trade-off between a high threshold voltage and a high on-state current/speed.

Enhancement-mode HFET circuit arrangement having high power and high threshold voltage


The present invention is directed to a composite lens, comprising an anterior rigid gas permeable layer, and an annulus of soft material bonded to a posterior surface of the anterior rigid gas permeable layer, wherein a central zone of the composite lens is rigid and without a soft layer, wherein a peripheral zone of the composite lens is generally rigid in its anterior aspect and soft in its posterior aspect.

Refractive correction is achieved through use of spectacle lenses, contact lenses, corneal refractive surgery and intraocular lens implantation. Contact lenses have evolved from non-gas-permeable rigid lenses which made contact with the sclera and vaulted the cornea, to corneal contact lenses made of gas permeable products, and then to corneal-scleral contact lenses made of hydrogel materials. Hybrid lenses were created to provide the improved optics of rigid lenses with the comfort of soft lenses. Conventional hybrid lenses were configured to have a central rigid zone joined at a radial junction to a peripheral hydrogel zone.
Hybrid lenses of this configuration enjoy commercial success with limitations due to the separation of the two materials at their radial junction, lens flexure and tear stagnation due to a circumferential sealing of the lens against the underlying eye. Advanced manufacturing processes and ultra high gas permeable materials have stimulated a resurgence of fully rigid scleral lens designs. Problems with such designs include time consuming lens fitting, lens flexure, scleral impingement, tear stagnation, persistent mid-peripheral bubbles and difficulty in lens removal due to lens adherence.
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2007/0291224 to Shui Lai discloses a lens having a contiguous soft back surface which is bonded to a contiguous rigid front surface. Such a composite lens presents difficulty due to the loss of integrity of the optics due to irregularities caused by the bonding of the soft material to the rigid material in the optic zone of the lens. Further, the expansion of the soft material upon hydration of as little as 1% is known to create stresses at the surface which stimulate optical distortion and potential separation. Additionally, the soft material is known to inter-penetrate the rigid material with resultant random changes in the index of refraction.
Reports of ideal lens-eye relationships with rigid scleral contact lenses detail the importance of having a clearance of between 10 and 100 microns or more between the posterior lens surface and the anterior corneal surface. Hence, there is no clear need for hydrogel material in the corneal portion of a laminated composite hybrid lens.


A Multi-Line Phase Shifter (MLPS) for a vertical beam tilt-controlled antenna is provided, in which a housing is shaped into an elongated rectangular box, a fixed plate is attached on an inner bottom surface of the housing and has transmission lines printed thereon, the transmission lines forming part of a plurality of phase shifting patterns and a plurality of signal division patterns, for dividing an input signal and shifting phases of divided signals, and a mobile plate is installed within the housing, movably along a length direction at a position where the mobile plate contacts a surface of the fixed plate, and has transmission lines printed thereon, the transmission lines forming a remaining part of the plurality of phase shifting patterns for phase shifting by forming variable lines through coupling with the part of the plurality of phase shifting patterns.

(a) Technical Field
The embodiments of the present invention relate generally to an antenna in a mobile communication system and more particularly, to a Multi-Line Phase Shifter (MLPS) being a core part for controlling the vertical beam tilt of an antenna.
(b) Description of the Related Art
Although a fixed antenna was initially used for a Base Station (BS) in a mobile communication system, a vertical beam tilt-controlled antenna capable of vertical and/or horizontal beam tilting has recently been popular due to its benefits. For the vertical beam tilt-controlled antenna, mechanical beam tilting and electrical beam tilting are available.
Mechanical beam tilting relies on a manual or force-driven bracket structure at a portion engaged with a support pole in an antenna. The installation inclination of the antenna is changed according to an operation of the bracket structure, thereby enabling the vertical beam tilting of the antenna. Meanwhile, electrical beam tilting is based on an MLPS. Vertical beam tilting is electrically achieved for an antenna by changing the phase difference between signals provided to vertically arranged antenna radiation elements. An example of the vertical beam tilting technology is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,864,837 entitled "Vertical Electrical Downtilt Antenna", filed by EMS Technologies, Inc. (invented by Donald L. Runyon, et al. and issued on Mar. 8, 2005).
An MLPS is a requisite for electrical vertical beam tilting. The MLPS is used in a variety of fields of a Radio Frequency (RF) analog signal processing end, for phase modulation as well as beam control of a phase array antenna. The MLPS operates based on the principle that a phase difference is incurred between an input signal and an output signal by appropriately delaying the input signal. The phase difference can be obtained by simply differentiating the physical length of a transmission line or differentiating a signal propagation speed along a transmission line in various manners. The MLPS is usually configured so as to change a phase shift by changing the length of a transmission line, for example.
Especially, mobile communication systems have recently required a technique for harmoniously changing the phase of each radiation element in a phase array antenna in order to adjust the coverage of a BS through control of the vertical beam angle of the phase array antenna in the BS. To meet this demand, MLPSs of various structures have been developed and widely used. Particularly, an MLPS may have a structure for dividing an input signal into a plurality of output signals and appropriately controlling the phase difference of each output signal. For example, a technology related to an MLPS for vertical beam tilting is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,831,692 entitled "Low Cost Trombone Line Beamformer" filed by Etenna Corporation (invented by William E. McKinzie, III, et al. and issued on Dec. 14, 2004).
However, the developmental efforts of the MLPS were expended mainly toward improvement of its structure or improvement of the performance of changing the phase of a processed signal, but with no regard to the structure of an antenna in which the MLPS is installed, such as a phase array antenna. Accordingly, there exists a need for studying and developing an MLPS with an improved performance and structure.

Multi-line phase shifter having a fixed plate and a mobile plate in slideable engagement to provide vertical beam-tilt


A method for applying a coating to a surface includes the step of providing a reaction mixture comprising a silicon alkoxide and an alcohol. A reaction limiting amount of water is added. The silicon alkoxides and water are allowed to react to form silica precursor particles during an initial reaction period. A coating precursor composition is prepared by adding an acid soluble in the alcohol to the reaction mixture during a second reaction period after the initial reaction period. The precursor silica particles grow to form silica nanofeatures having a major dimension that is larger than a major dimension of the silica precursor particles. The coating precursor composition is applied to a surface, and the alcohol and water are allowed to evaporate and the silica nanofeatures to adhere to the surface and form a nanostructured layer on the surface. A coating precursor composition and a coated article are also disclosed.

High-performance solar glass and applicable coatings systems are in high demand with the development of the global solar industry including photovoltaic and concentrated solar power electricity generation. Solar power systems are usually exposed to harsh environments, arid or semi-arid desert, where there is abundant sunlight, and where these systems can be easily contaminated with airborne sand and dust. Such systems require periodic cleaning of the exposed surfaces of the solar device to efficiently generate solar power. Therefore, development of high performance coatings having excellent optical clarity with minimal reflectance, anti-soiling properties, and durability to outdoor environmental conditions and cleaning processes, is necessary to achieve high efficiency on solar energy systems as well as reductions in maintenance and operating cost.
Silica thin films have been widely used in coating applications due to its unique features of high transmission, low refractivity index, good durability and environmental resistance. Silica thin films can be prepared by the sol-gel process such as the Stöber process using different coating methods, such as spin, dip, or drawdown coating. The benefit of the sol-gel method is that the structure of the resulting silica thin film can be easily tailored with the reaction condition and its simple and low-cost processing. In the case of a base catalyzed silica sol-gel reaction, colloidal gels are formed and the resulting films have high roughness. These films can be easily removed from the substrates due to weak interaction between particles and to the substrate. With an acid catalyst, linear siloxane polymers are formed in the sol, resulting in a dense and highly cross-linked network structure with smooth surface. A base/acid two catalyst system has been proposed and this process can achieve multiple properties that cannot be possible with each individual catalyst, however, the two catalyst process requires at least two steps which makes the processing complicated and impractical for many applications.

Fused anti-soiling and anti-reflective coatings


Disclosed is a female physical condition managing apparatus comprising: a bioelectrical impedance-meter; a memory for storing the so determined values of bioelectrical impedance; a decision-making unit for making a decision about the physical or mental condition of a woman on the basis of the time series analysis, which is made on the variation of the determined values of bioelectrical impedance; and a display showing the physical or mental condition of the woman in the form of graphs. This permits women to realize quickly what physical or mental condition they are put in. The female physical condition includes the premenstrual syndrome.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a female physical condition managing apparatus which is capable of making a decision about the female physical condition which appears periodically in a female, for example, on the ovulation day, at the time of appearance of the premenstrual syndrome (hereinafter abbreviated as xe2x80x9cPMSxe2x80x9d) for menstruation period or for the pregnancy-possible period.
2. Prior Art
The women""s periodic body condition is related closely with their body temperature. The body temperature transfers from the low-temperature period to the high-temperature period on the ovulation day, and from the high-temperature period to the low-temperature period on the menstruation starting day, as shown in FIG. 1. Women take their body temperature every morning in bed to make manually a graphic record or table showing how the body temperature varies each and every day, thereby making it possible to determine which stage has been reached in the periodic physical condition.
It is necessary that women take their body temperature while laying themselves in bed, and it takes them about five minutes to measure their body temperature with body thermometers. This, however, is difficult to continue for a long time, and women often fall in sleep while taking their body temperature in bed.
A reliable decision can be made about some particular types of female physical condition on the basis of the body temperature, such as determination of the ovulation day, the menstruation period and the pregnancy-possible period, all of which are useful factors for birth control. Determination about whether women undergo the PMS has been increasingly in concern from the point of women""s daily life, but such decision is impossible with recourse to the recording of body temperature. The PMS starts seven days earlier than the beginning of the menstruation period, causing women to suffer from headache, irritation, stomachache, swell or any other unpleasing symptom. When they realize that their unpleasing symptoms are caused simply by the PMS, they can be released from their sufferings significantly.
As a matter of fact determination of the female physical condition from the graphic record of body temperature is difficult, and such determination is apt to be dependent on her discretion.
One object of the present invention is to provide a female physical condition managing apparatus which provides a quick decision on the periodic physical condition including the PMS.
To attain this object a female physical condition managing apparatus according to the present invention comprises: a bioelectrical impedance-meter for determining value of bioelectrical impedance; a memory for storing the so determined values of bioelectrical impedance; a decision-making unit for making a decision about the physical or mental condition of a female on the basis of the time series analysis made on the variation of determined values of bioelectrical impedance; and a display showing the physical or mental condition of the female in the form of graphs. Hereinafter, the word, xe2x80x9cbioelectrical impedancexe2x80x9d is abbreviated as xe2x80x9cBIxe2x80x9d.
The mental condition includes at least one of the feeling, the skin condition and the emission of pheromone whereas the physical condition includes at least one of the swell and the body condition.
The graphs may include bar graphs, circle graphs, line graphs and radar charts.
The bar graphs, circle graphs, line graphs and radar charts may be given in two- or three-dimensional form.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be understood from the following description of some preferred embodiments of the present invention.

Female physical condition managing apparatus