The invention relates to a percussion tool having an internal combustion engine and a hammer mechanism that can be driven by the internal combustion engine by means of a transmission. A part of the engine housing, the transmission housing, or the impact hammer mechanism housing is enclosed by a cover. The cover is spaced at a distance from the remainder of the machine, so that a gap is present between the cover and the remainder of the machine. Cooling air can flow into the gap at the lower face of the cover and flow back out via a flue and an opening. The components beneath the cover are thereby effectively cooled, even without an additional cooling air blower.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a percussion tool, such as a drill hammer and/or impact hammer, having an internal combustion engine.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Percussion tools, including drill hammers and/or impact hammers having an internal combustion engine, referred to hereinafter as hammers for short, are known in particular to be relatively heavy breaker hammers, with which work is carried out in a substantially vertically downward direction. Due to the internal combustion engine, a striking mechanism, in particular a pneumatic spring striking mechanism, can be driven via a transmission and acts on a tool, for example drill bit. In petrol hammers of this type, a cooling air fan driven by the crankshaft of the internal combustion engine is provided to cool the engine. The cooling air fan generates a cooling air flow, which is guided along the outer side of the engine housing, that is to say of the cylinder of the internal combustion engine, in particular along the cooling ribs provided on the outer side of the cylinder.
The striking mechanism driven by the internal combustion engine and provided to generate the working motion of the hammer may also be heated intensely due to the air compression, in particular if the striking mechanism is a pneumatic spring striking mechanism. To cool the striking mechanism, it is therefore known to provide an additional fan wheel, which generates a separate cooling air flow for the striking mechanism. Corresponding installation space has to be provided for this additional fan wheel, thus increasing the complexity of the construction.
The principle of active cooling with the aid of forced convection on the basis of cooling air flows, which have been generated by cooling fans, has proven its worth in practice. However, there may be a problem in the fact that the active cooling does not function if the device is switched off. In particular, individual components of the hammer, for example the cylinder, the exhaust gas system, or the striking mechanism, are heated very intensely during operation. If the hammer is switched off and cooling no longer functions, the heat present distributes throughout the entire device, and therefore components which were not heated to a large extent during operation are also heated considerably. The temperature differences within the hammer become balanced over time, which leads to undesired intense heating of previously cool components. The temperature of the device only decreases gradually, and slowly overall, to ambient level.
The tank, fuel-guiding parts, and also the carburetor are included in particular among the parts which are cooler during operation. These components heat up considerably once the device has been switched off, which increases the tendency for the formation of vapor bubbles in the fuel. Start-up of the engine if the device is hot and after only a short break can be impaired, which, at the least, restricts the comfort for the operator.
An impact tool having an internal combustion engine is described in CH 110 334 A. A flywheel has blade-like spokes, with which a forced cooling air flow is produced. The cooling air flow is drawn beneath a sleeve through grooves so as to cool the engine.
Another impact tool is described in GB 255 519, in which the exhaust gas of an internal combustion engine is diverted via a nozzle. The exhaust gas flow entrains a cooling air flow, which is guided via a sleeve to cool the engine.
A hammer having a protective hood is known from DE 30 35 351 A1, said protective hood covering the hammer above, at the front and at the sides. The engine is left open so as to allow cooling thereof. The protective hood is located on the whole at a distance from the actual hammer and is cushioned against the hammer by means of springs.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,934,935 A describes an internal combustion engine in which cooling ribs are enclosed by a casing. The casing has openings in its lower and upper regions, whereby cooling air can flow in through said openings and can exit therefrom.

Drill hammer and/or impact hammer having free convection cooling


A livestock management system is provided that sorts animals for split-weight feeding based on a calculated median weight of a herd. The system includes a pen area partitioned into a first feeding area containing at least a first feeder, a second feeding area containing at least a second feeder, and a common watering area containing at least one waterer. First and second one-way gates are respectively provided between the feeding areas and the watering area allowing animals to pass from the feeding areas into the watering area. A walk-through scale has an inlet open to the watering area, and first and second outlets open to the first and second feeding areas, respectively. The walk-through scale has a sort gate for selectively directing animals into the first and second feeding areas based on a comparison of a detected weight of the animal and a calculated median weight of the herd.

Meat packers and their customers are demanding the production and delivery of market animals with weights that must meet progressively tighter windows for acceptable weights. Marketing animals, whose weights fall outside the specified weight ranges, usually result in significant deductions from market prices for such underweight or overweight animals.
Simultaneously, producers are increasingly conscious that underfeeding or overfeeding not only hurts their bottom line profitability, but feeding a feed that is not optimum each phase of the growth cycle unnecessarily burdens them with waste nutrient disposal costs and regulatory review.
Historically pig producers selected animals for market by simple visual inspection, relying on pig judging skills to identify market animals. Such methods are neither sufficiently accurate nor reliably consistent for modern markets. The use of single-animal farm scales, such as the Osborne Industries ACCU-ARM® scale, is sufficiently accurate to select animals for market. Using such scales has been shown to amply reward the user with a profitable payback at market for both the cost of equipment and labor for weighing.
To manage feed, phase feeding is increasingly employed, changing feed composition to match growth utility at multiple intervals during the growth cycle. These changes are best accomplished with an accurate understanding of the daily weight distribution and its rate of change for the animals. Although visual inspection or fixed calendar-based growth curves have usually been the methods used to make phase feed changes, visual inspection is approximate at best, and growth curves do not take into account the effects of environmental temperatures or pen stocking densities which both affect actual rate of gain.
Although using scales to weigh market animals or measure weight distributions is clearly desirable, weighing one animal at a time requires substantial labor and time, two commodities that are often unavailable in modern finishing operations. Furthermore, weighing animals that fail to meet the marketing range always causes a temporary, but costly interruption to their normal growth. For phase feed changes, weighing of small samples of the pen is the only practical method, but is not really much more accurate than visual estimating. If large numbers of animals must be inspected, the use of single-animal scales is simply too slow to be practical.
The first step in automated weighing must be to spread the cost and equipment maintenance over a large number of animals. This consideration leads naturally to the conclusion that managing finishing pigs in large pens is highly desirable.
Other automated sorting systems have been developed and used in the past with only limited success. The "food court" sorting system essentially groups all of the feeders into a relatively small area of the finishing room. The remainder of the finishing room is reserved as a loafing area without feeders. Both the food court and the loafing areas are provided with water.
Several weeks prior to marketing with the food court system, a sorting scale is moved into position and pigs must enter the food court through a sorting scale in order to be fed and return to the loafing area via one-way gates. At some point, a sort weight or weight range is assigned to the sort scale and the food court is divided into a market animal pen and a reject pen for pigs outside the sort range. The reject pigs can return to the loafing area via a one-way gate, but the market animals are prohibited from remixing in the loafing area by locking the one-way exit gates. After about 24-hours, the market animals are loaded out and the pen is returned to normal operation. The sort off of market animals is repeated until all animals have been selected for specific markets or fed out to meet the target ranges set earlier.
The food court system has several distinct disadvantages. For example, because the food court provides both food and water in a very compact area, the dominant pigs in the group both have no incentive to leave and can easily control access to the feeders and intimidate less aggressive pigs. This type of dominant behavior is most easily seen in adult sows, but exists with adolescent pigs as well. The food court arrangement almost ensures a wider spread of weights in the group and a longer time to market with higher facilities utilization costs.
Moreover, the automatic market scale of the food court system is used in such a way that very accurate weights are required with pigs on one pass through the scale. The pigs must be accurately separated, weighed, and then released into the market pen. Moving across such a scale with multiple moving gates requires training. Training occurs because feed is the incentive. This means that feed restriction is a necessary consequence for this training, often in the final weeks prior to market when extending the market date is least affordable.
Automatic marketing scales and the food court system both combine to increase facilities utilization costs because increasing the number of "tail-enders" is a necessary outcome for this system.
Thus, there is a need in the industry for an improved livestock management system and method for split-weight feeding that solves the problems with the prior art described above.

Livestock management system and method for split-weight feeding based on median weight of herd


The present invention relates to metal oxide based memory devices and methods for manufacturing such devices; and more particularly to memory devices having data storage materials based on metal oxide compounds fabricated with a roughness tuning process including an ion bombardment step of a bottom electrode surface prior to formation of a memory element on the bottom electrode surface. Ion bombardment improves the flatness of the bottom electrode which is beneficial in achieving a more uniform electrical field during operation, which improves device reliability.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to metal oxide based memory devices and methods for manufacturing such devices; and more particularly to memory devices having data storage materials based on metal oxide compounds fabricated with a roughness tuning process including an ion bombardment step of a bottom electrode surface prior to formation of a memory element on the bottom electrode surface. Ion bombardment improves the flatness and decreases the surface roughness of the bottom electrode which is beneficial in achieving a more uniform electrical field during operation, which improves device reliability.
Description of Related Art
Resistive random access memory, RRAM or ReRAM, is a type of nonvolatile memory that provides the benefits of small cell size, scalability, ultrafast operation, low-power operation, high endurance, good retention, large On/Off ratio, and CMOS compatibility. One type of RRAM includes a metal oxide layer than can be caused to change resistance between two or more stable resistance ranges by application of electrical pulses at levels suitable for implementation in integrated circuits, and the resistance can be read and written with random access to indicate stored data.
RRAM memory may include a metal oxide memory element in a current path between first and second electrodes. The electrodes may be terminals to access devices and/or may be coupled to access lines such as bit, word, and source lines. The access lines are connected to circuitry to perform operations, such as SET and RESET operations, which may operate to change the state of the memory element in order to store data.
In prior methods of forming a memory element of an RRAM memory cell, a metal plug, such as a tungsten plug, is deposited using chemical vapor deposition (CVD). A chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) process is performed on the plug. The CMP process is followed by an oxidation process such as rapid thermal oxidation. This oxidation process creates a layer of metal oxide that is the memory element of the RRAM memory cell. The resulting memory cell may have a rough interface between the bottom electrode surface of the tungsten plug formed by the CMP process and the metal oxide memory element. In addition to this rough interface, the rough bottom electrode surface may cause the top surface of the memory element to be rough as well. This roughness of the memory element will cause a rough interface between the memory element and a top electrode deposited on the memory element. These rough interfaces between the electrodes and the memory element lead to a non-uniform oxide profile that may cause severe leakage current, leading to poor switching behavior and poor uniformity, which effect device reliability. Further, the rough interfaces may cause a wide distribution of resistances from cell to cell.
It is therefore desirable to provide a memory cell and method of manufacture that provides interfaces between the memory element and the top and bottom electrodes that have low surface roughness.

RRAM process with roughness tuning technology


The sintered body has an average particle size in the range of 0.1 μm or more and 5 μm or less, includes gamet-type oxide base material particles having at least Li, La, and Zr, has 8% by volume or more of voids, and has an ionic conductivity of 1.0×10−5 S/cm or more at temperature of 25° C.

Conventionally, solid electrolytes have been proposed that include a Li—La—Zr garnet phase and a Li2+xC1−xBxO3 phase (0<x<0.8). It is said that this solid electrolyte can suppress a different phase having low ionic conductivity. Also, particles of La2Zr2O7 and Li2CO3 having a particle size of about 100 nm are prepared, and a molded body formed of the particles is sintered at 1130° C. for 18 minutes and then heat-treated at 900° C. for 2 hours to obtain a sintered body having a density of 95% by volume and an average particle diameter of 1 μm, and a conductivity of 1.3 mS/cm.

Sintered body and method for manufacturing thereof


Attenuating embedded phase shift photomask blanks capable of producing a 180.degree. phase shift with an optical transmissivity of at least 0.0001 at wavelengths <400 nm comprise alternating layers, either periodic or aperiodic, of an optically transmissive material and an optically absorbing material and are made by depositing alternating layers of optically transmissive material and optically absorbing material on a substrate, preferably by vapor deopsition.

This invention relates to phase shift photomask blanks in photolithography with short wavelength (i.e., <400 nm) light. More specifically this invention relates to phase shift photomask blanks that attenuate and change the phase of transmitted light by 180.degree. relative to light propagating the same path length in air. Such photomask blanks are commonly known in the art as attenuating (embedded) phase shift photomask blanks or half-tone phase shift photomask blanks. Still more particularly, this invention proposes novel attenuating embedded phase-shift photomask blanks, whose optical properties can be engineered at any wavelength by multilayering ultrathin UV transparent layers, periodically or aperiodically, with ultrathin UV absorbing layers.
The electronics industry seeks to extend optical lithography for manufacture of high density integrated circuits to critical dimensions of 0.25 mm and smaller. To achieve this, lithographic photomask blanks will need to work with short wavelength light, i.e. <400 nm. Two wavelengths targeted for future optical lithography are 248 nm (KrF laser wavelength) and 193 nm (ArF laser wavelength). A phase shift mask enhances the patterned contrast of small circuit features by destructive optical interference.
The concept of a phase shift photomask blank that attenuates light and changes its phase was revealed by H. I. Smith in U.S. Pat. No. 4,890,309 ("Lithography Mask with a p-Phase Shifting Attenuator"). Known attenuating embedded phase shift photomask blanks fall mainly into two categories: (1) Cr-based photomask blanks containing Cr, Cr-oxide, Cr-carbide, Cr-nitride, Cr-fluoride or combinations thereof; and (2) SiO.sub.2 - or Si.sub.3 N.sub.4 -based photomask blanks containing SiO.sub.2 or Si.sub.3 N.sub.4 together with a predominantly opaque material, such as MoN or MoSi.sub.2. Commonly the latter materials are referred to generically as `MoOSiN`. Cr-based photomask blanks have the advantage that they are chemically durable and can use most of the familiar processing steps developed for opaque Cr photomask blanks. The second category of photomask blanks based on SiO.sub.2 - or Si.sub.3 N.sub.4 exploit their transparency into the deep UV and ease of dry etching with more innocuous fluorine-base chemistry. However, the need to develop photomask blanks for even shorter wavelengths (<200 nm) renders Cr chemistries less desireable because photomask blanks based exclusively on Cr (i.e., oxides, nitrides, carbides, fluorides or combinations thereof) are too optically absorbing at such wavelengths. The disadvantage of `MoSiON` photomask blanks in this short wavelength regime is that they are too Si-rich and consequently have poor etch selectivity relative to the quartz (SiO.sub.2) substrate. Thus, they require an etch stop, an additional layer of a material which etches poorly in a fluorine etchant.
In addition, there are references in the literature to attenuating embedded phase shift photomask blanks comprising hydrogenated amorphous carbon layers, tantalum and its compounds with a layer of Cr metal, or one or more layers composed of a hafnium compound.
Practical phase shift photomask blanks require tailorable transmissivity at the operating wavelength (<400 nm) and at the inspection wavelength (typically 488 nm). Additional desirable properties include electrical conductivity for permitting electron-beam patterning, dry-etchability with selectivity to the photoresist and the quartz substrate, environmental, chemical, and radiation stability. It would also be advantageous, if the same process could be used to fabricate photomask blanks with the needed optical properties at different wavelengths.
It is common in the art to modify the chemistry of the topmost layer of, or add a layer to a binary or phase shift photomask blank, so that it is anti-reflective or more chemically robust. Although these photomask blanks then contain "multiple" layers in the sense that they have at least two layers, these additional layers do not tailor the optical transmissivity and transmitted phase of the photomask blank.


An intra-operative ultrasound probe for use with a robotic and laparoscopic surgical systems that allows for direct surgeon control over the position and orientation of the ultrasound image is presented. The transducer is designed to interface with the laparoscopic grasper so that it is easy to pick up in a locking, self-aligning and repeatable manner. The transducer is tracked in space using either forward kinematics or electromagnetic sensing, allowing multiple 2D images to be combined in order to create 3D ultrasound volumes. The 3D volumes can be further processed and displayed on the surgeon's console, or used to register and display acquired pre-operative images at the correct spatial location within the patient.

Minimally invasive surgery ("MIS") minimizes the overall trauma of a surgery by performing the procedure through small incisions in the abdominal wall. In comparison to traditional open surgical techniques, MIS offers the patient minimal tissue damage, reduced recovering time and quicker return to normal activities.
One type of MIS is laparoscopy, in which the surgeon performs the operation through small incisions into the abdominal, thoracic or pelvic cavities. Long instruments and a camera are inserted through these incisions and grant the surgeon access to the patient's internal organs with much reduced trauma to the body. An absorbable gas, such as carbon dioxide is used to distend the patient's cavity and provide a larger working space. Many types of surgical procedures can be performed with this method, including nephrectomy, prostatectomy and hysterectomy.
The introduction of robotic laparoscopic techniques has allowed surgeons greater dexterity by increasing the number of degrees of freedom available inside the body. Some robotic systems also include a stereo camera system, meaning the surgeon can see his/her tools and the anatomy in three dimensions, thus regaining depth perception. During robotic surgery, though, the operating surgeon is further separated from the patient and must rely on assistants to interact with the patient. Assistants perform such tasks as passing in suture, controlling suction or controlling an external laparoscopic ultrasound transducer.
Ultrasound is currently used during liver resection to localize and stage the lesions as well as determine the extent of the resection required. Similarly, ultrasound is used during partial nephrectomy to determine the resection margins and identify proper blood flow through the kidney after the tumour is removed. There have also been reports of the use of ultrasound for prostate surgery.
Ultrasound is a user dependent imaging modality, meaning that more experienced ultrasonographers are often able to create better, more informative images than those created by a less experienced user, because the positioning of the transducer imaging region is crucial to the understanding of the underlying anatomy. In addition, hand-eye coordination allows the person holding the ultrasound transducer to better correlate the image shown on the machine with its location in relation to the patient and other anatomy. Unfortunately, during laparoscopic surgical procedures and in particular during robotic laparoscopic procedures, the ultrasound transducer is often controlled by an assistant. This causes additional confusion as the ultrasound operator must position the ultrasound transducer to image tissue that is manipulated (retracted, cauterized, cut, sutured etc.) by the surgeon, and must follow the surgeon's verbal instructions or anticipate the surgeon's needs. This is clearly difficult and limits the use of intra-operative ultrasound.
With more advanced laparoscopic ultrasound techniques, ultrasound could be used more extensively in more procedures, increasing the amount of information available to the surgeon. This additional information could increase the surgeon's efficacy and efficiency as well as the patient's safety.


A vehicle, such as a motorcycle or ATV, includes a frame, an internal combustion engine, a radiator, a control module and a heat guard. The radiator is configured for receiving fresh air and for expelling heated air. The control module includes an engine control unit for the internal combustion engine. At least a portion of the heat guard is positioned adjacent to and between the radiator and the control module. The heat guard is configured to deflect at least a portion of the heated air expelled by the radiator from contacting the control module. The heat guard is also configured for receiving fresh air for cooling the heat guard to reduce radiation of heat from the heat guard to the control module.

Many vehicles include an internal combustion engine and an engine control unit which manages and monitors operation of the internal combustion engine. As the engine control unit typically includes complex and sensitive electronic components, it is often desirable to locate the engine control unit in a position upon the vehicle where it is unlikely to sustain damage from impact, heat, moisture and/or other environmental conditions.
Positioning of an engine control unit can accordingly be challenging in many vehicles, particularly open-type vehicles such as motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles ("ATVs"). In many circumstances, it has been found desirable to locate the engine control unit adjacent to the vehicle's radiator. However, in such circumstances, heat generated by the radiator can adversely affect the engine control unit.
Accordingly, in one conventional arrangement, as shown in FIG. 2, a heat guard 112 is disposed between a radiator 110 and a control module 114 upon a vehicle. The control module 114 is shown to be seated within a support assembly 116. The heat guard 112 is shown to comprise a heat guard panel 126 and an insulation member 118 attached to the heat guard panel 126. Upon movement of the vehicle, fresh air 120 impacts the heat guard 112 and is directed upwardly, and fresh air 122 passes through the radiator 110 and is converted into heated air 124. At least a portion of the heated air 124 impacts the heat guard 112 and is accordingly prevented from impacting the control module 114. However, after prolonged impact of the heated air 124 against the heat guard 112, the temperature of the heat guard 112 can increase substantially, and the heat guard 112 can accordingly radiate heat (e.g., shown as 125) to the control module 114. Accordingly, even though the heat guard 112 can prevent the heated air 124 from directly impacting the control module 114, the heat radiated from the heat guard 112 can result in excessive heating of the control module 114.

Vehicle including heat guard for control module


There is disclosed a silver halide color photographic light-sensitive material having at least one photographic constitutional layer coated on a support, wherein at least one of the photographic constitutional layers contains at least one reducing agent for color formation represented by formula (I), at least one coupler for forming a diffusive dye, and at least one mordant. The material is capable of reducing the amount of developer and to be replenished or discharged after processing, and of reducing the occurrence of stain after development during storage of the material. There is also disclosed an image-forming method using the material. ##STR1## wherein C.alpha. represents a carbon atom; Z represents a carbamoyl, acyl, alkoxycarbonyl, or aryloxycarbonyl group; and Q represents a group of atoms to form, together with C.alpha., an unsaturated ring.

Generally, when a color photographic light-sensitive material is exposed to light image-wise and then color-developed, the oxidized p-phenylenediamine derivative reacts with couplers to form an image. In this system, color reproduction by the subtractive color technique is used, and, to reproduce blue, green, and red colors, dye images are formed that are yellow, magenta, and cyan in color, respectively complementary to blue, green, and red.
Color development is achieved by immersing a light-exposed color photographic light-sensitive material in an aqueous alkali solution having a p-phenylenediamine derivative dissolved therein (a color developer). However, there is a problem that the p-phenylenediamine derivative in an aqueous alkali solution is unstable and is apt to deteriorate over time, and in order to retain stable development performance, the color developer must be replenished frequently. Further, the disposal of used color developers containing a p-phenylenediamine derivative is burdensome, and together with the above frequent replenishment, the treatment of used color developers discharged in large quantities gives rise to a serious problem. Thus, there is a strong demand for the attainment of low replenishment and reduced discharge of color developers.
One effective measure proposed for attaining low replenishment and reduced discharge of color developers is a method wherein an aromatic primary amine developing agent or its precursor is built in a hydrophilic colloid layer of a light-sensitive material, and examples of the aromatic primary amine developing agents or their precursors that can be built in include compounds described, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,507,114, 3,764,328, and 4,060,418, and JP-A ("JP-A" means unexamined published Japanese patent application) Nos. 6235/1981 and 192031/1983. However, since these aromatic primary amine developing agents and their precursors are unstable, there is the defect that, when the unprocessed light-sensitive material is stored for a long period of time or is color-developed, stain occurs. Another effective measure proposed is a method wherein a sulfonylhydrazine-type compound, as described, for example, in European Patent Nos. 0545491A1 and 565165A1, is built in a hydrophilic colloid layer of a light-sensitive material. However, the sulfonylhydrazine-type compounds listed therein still cannot attain satisfactory color density when chromogenically developed, and there is the problem that, when the sulfonylhydrazine-type compound is used with a two-equivalent coupler, the color formation is little. In comparison with four-equivalent couplers, two-equivalent couplers have such merits that stain originating in the couplers can be reduced, the activity of the couplers is easily adjusted, and coupling split-off groups in couplers can be allowed to have various functions. It is desired to develop a technique that can utilize these merits.
On the other hand, a dye obtained from a hydrazine compound, such as a carbamoyl hydrazine compound, and a dye-forming coupler is a dissociating-type dye that dissociates to form color. Therefore, color images cannot be obtained unless the dye is dissociated by immersion into an alkali solution after a color development treatment. However, under such a condition that the dye is dissociated, a remaining hydrazine compound itself is dissociated, and this dissociated compound tends to react with the coupler, to bring about the problem of causing considerable stain during long-time storage after the treatment.

Silver halide color photographic light-sensitive material and image-forming method


A film formation method for a semiconductor process includes placing a plurality of target objects at intervals in a vertical direction inside a process container of a film formation apparatus. Then, the method includes setting the process container to have a first vacuum state therein, and supplying a first film formation gas containing a hydrocarbon gas into the process container, thereby forming a carbon film by CVD on the target objects. Then, the method includes setting the process container to have a second vacuum state therein, while maintaining the process container to have a vacuum state therein from the first vacuum state, and supplying a second film formation gas containing an organic silicon source gas into the process container, thereby forming an Si-containing inorganic film by CVD on the carbon film.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a film formation method and apparatus for a semiconductor process for forming a multi-layered film containing a carbon film, which is incorporated in, e.g., a multi-layered resist structure used as a mask for manufacturing semiconductor devices. The term "semiconductor process" used herein includes various kinds of processes which are performed to manufacture a semiconductor device or a structure having wiring layers, electrodes, and the like to be connected to a semiconductor device, on a target object, such as a semiconductor wafer or a glass substrate used for an FPD (Flat Panel Display), e.g., an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), by forming semiconductor layers, insulating layers, and conductive layers in predetermined patterns on the target object.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the process of manufacturing semiconductor devices, a plasma etching process is performed by use a resist mask to form a circuit pattern. A photolithography technique is used to perform patterning of such a resist mask. For semiconductor devices in the generation with a CD of 45 nm, ArF resist is used to address miniaturization, but it is low in plasma resistance. In order to solve this problem, there is proposed a method in which a mask (having a multi-layered resist structure) is prepared by laminating an SiO2 film and a plasma resistant resist below ArF resist. However, for semiconductor devices in the generation with a CD of smaller than 45 nm, the film thickness of ArF resist needs to be as small as 200 nm. Where this ArF resist film thickness is used for plasma etching, an SiO2 film to be etched through the ArF resist and a resist film therebelow to be etched through the SiO2 film need to have a total thickness of smaller than 300 nm. In this case, however, such a mask cannot have a sufficient plasma resistance in light of the thickness of an etching target film, thereby deteriorating accuracy of etching. In light of this problem, an alternative film having a higher etching resistance is required in place of the resist film on the lower side. There is proposed a technique in which an amorphous carbon film is used as such an alternative film (U.S. Pat. No. 7,064,078 etc). Conventionally, studies are made to form an amorphous carbon film of this kind by single substrate CVD.
However, the single substrate CVD is high in initial cost and low in productivity. Further, since amorphous carbon can be easily oxidized and degraded, it is necessary to maintain the film quality of the amorphous carbon film when a subsequent film is formed on the amorphous carbon film.

Film formation method and apparatus for semiconductor process


Methods are described for increasing levels of healthy vaginal bacteria by treating the vaginal mucosa with bacteriocins derived from Lactobacillus paragasseri, Lactobacillus gasseri, and other bacterial strains. The bacteriocins are surprisingly advantageous as being selectively active against Lactobacillus iners but relatively inactive against H2O2-producing Lactobacillus species. Because L. iners is involved in the onset and maintenance of vaginal dysbiosis, selective removal of this bacterium from the vaginal microbiome treats or prevents conditions associated with vaginal dysbiosis, such as bacterial vaginosis and its sequelae.

Generally, healthy vaginal microbiota exhibits low species diversity, and contain bacterial communities dominated by only a few Lactobacillus spp., which are gram-positive rods that play an important role in resisting infection via production of lactic acid and acidification of the vagina, by production of other antimicrobial products, such as H2O2 and antimicrobial peptides, or by competing for binding sites with vaginal pathogens (See, Osset et al., 2001. Assessment of the capacity of Lactobacillus to inhibit the growth of uropathogens and block their adhesion to vaginal epithelial cells. J. Infect. Dis. 183:485-91). The species of Lactobacillus most commonly isolated from the reproductive tracts of healthy women worldwide include L. crispatus, L. iners, L. jensenii, and L. gasseri. See, e.g., Srinivasan et al., 2012. Bacterial Communities in Women with Bacterial Vaginosis: High Resolution Phylogenetic Analyses Reveal Relationships of Microbiota to Clinical Criteria PLoS One 7(6), Article No.: e37818; Antonio et al., (1999) J Infect. Dis. 180:1950-1956; Vasquez et al., (2002) J Clin. Microbiol. 40:2746-2749; Vallor, A. C., et al. J Infect Dis. 2001 Dec. 1, 184(11):1431-6; Ravel, J., et al. Proc Natl Acad Sci, USA. 2011 Mar. 15, 108 Suppl 1:4680-7. These species are phylogenetically and functionally different from food and/or environmental Lactobacillus species. They metabolize glucose to lactic acid, contributing to the maintenance of a low vaginal pH (≤4.5) that accounts for a major part of the non-specific host defense of the vagina. Indeed, it has been demonstrated that women who have a vaginal microbiota with low species diversity, dominated by L. crispatus, L. gasseri, L. iners, and L. jensenii (i.e., Lactobacillus-dominated microbiota), experience a lower frequency of gonorrhea, chlamydial infections, trichomoniasis, BV, and HIV acquisition. L. crispatus and L. jensenii strains typically produce H2O2, a bactericidal agent, whereas about half of L. gasseri strains produce H2O2, and L. iners strains are generally not capable of producing H2O2 (Antonio, M. A. et al., (1999) J Infect. Dis. 180:1950-1956; France, M. T. et al., (2016) Appl Environ Microbiol. 82:7063-7073). H2O2-producing Lactobacillus are considered to be protective vaginal Lactobacillus, generally associated with vaginal health. Conversely, L. iners, a non-H2O2-producing Lactobacillus, is not considered a protective Lactobacillus because it coexists with BV organisms and is often present during BV.
In most healthy women of child-bearing age, the vaginal microbiota is dominated by 107-109 colony forming units (CFU) of Lactobacillus per gram of fluid. Some women of childbearing age lack or have low levels of protective vaginal Lactobacillus, which can be due to the fact that the vaginal ecosystem is dynamically affected by the menstrual cycle, medications, general health status, sexual and hygiene practices, and contraception. When the normal acidic environment of a healthy vagina dominated by protective H2O2-producing Lactobacillus spp. is lost, it is generally replaced with a more diverse microbiota populated with non-Lactobacillus spp., such as Gardnerella vaginalis, Atopobium vaginae, Leptotrichia amnionii, Eggerthella, and organisms within the Clostridiales order. This increase in the number and diversity of such anaerobic bacteria and the loss of protective H2O2-producing Lactobacillus spp. are hallmarks of dysbiosis and BV. BV is associated with increased risk acquiring of multiple sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including chlamydia, gonorrhea, genital herpes, trichomoniasis, HIV, and HPV infection and progression to cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN). BV is also implicated in numerous gynecologic and obstetric complications, including pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), endometritis, and post-operative infections, such as post-cesarean endometritis and post-hysterectomy vaginal cuff cellulitis. Strong associations have also been reported between BV and pre-term delivery, miscarriage, amniotic fluid infections, and poor in vitro fertilization outcomes. The presence of lactobacilli decreases the odds for fetal inflammatory responses to placental colonization with pathogens.
While L. iners can acidify the vagina like the other H2O2-producing Lactobacillus spp., L. iners produces less lactic acid, no D-lactic acid, and no H2O2, thereby offering comparatively less overall protection against vaginal colonization by pathogenic species. Furthermore, L. iners is the only vaginal Lactobacillus spp. to be recovered in high numbers in diverse microbiota and during BV. See, e.g., Vaneechoutte, M. et al. (2017) Research in Microbiology, 168(9-10):826-36. Thus, the role for L. iners is ambiguous, as it exists in the vaginal microbiota of asymptomatic women while also being the only vaginal Lactobacillus species that can coexist with BV-associated bacteria. See, e.g., Petrova, M. I. et al (2017) Trends Microbiol. 25(3):182-91; Beamer, M. A. et al. (2017) Anaerobe, 45:40-3. L. iners is the only Lactobacillus species known to produce a cytotoxin (inerolysin), which is similar to vaginolysin produced by G. vaginalis (Rampersaud R. et al. (2011) J Bacteriol 193:1034-41). Expression of the L. iners cytotoxin is highly up regulated during BV (Macklaim J. M. et al. (2013) Microbiome 1:12). L. iners has an unusually small genome with reduced metabolic capabilities and has a greater dependency on exogenous nutrients than other vaginal lactobacilli (Macklaim J. M. et al. (2011) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 108 Suppl 1:4688-95; France, M. T. et al., (2016) Appl Environ Microbiol. 82:7063-7073). Vaginal mucosa that is populated with significant amounts of L. iners can predispose women to developing a more diverse microbiota containing BV-associated bacteria because the L. iners-dominated bacterial community is the least stable, and L. iners is usually the major Lactobacillus species present during the transition to BV. See, e.g., Gajer, P. et al. (2012) Sci. Transl. Med. 4(132):132ra52; Macklaim, J. M. et al. (2011) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 108 Suppl. 1:4688-95; Santiago, G. L. et al. (2012) PLoS One, 7(9):e45281. For example, women colonized with L. crispatus, a protective vaginal species, have a 5-fold decreased risk for developing BV, while women with L. iners have a significantly greater risk of developing BV. See, Verstraelen, H. et al. (2009) BMC Microbiol., 9:116, doi: 10.1186/1471-2180-9-116. Since L. iners is resistant to metronidazole, typically the only Lactobacillus present during BV, and competes for the same ecological niche as the other vaginal lactobacilli, it is usually the first Lactobacillus species to emerge and recolonize the vagina following treatment of BV with metronidazole. See, e.g., Jakobsson, T. et al. (2007) J Clin. Microbiol. 45(9):3145; Srinivasan, S. et al. (2012) PLoS One, 7(6):e37818; Ferris, M. J. et al. (2007) J Clin. Microbiol. 45(3):1016-8.
Thus, women with low levels of H2O2-producing vaginal Lactobacillus can have a higher susceptibility to BV and associated gynecologic and obstetric complications, such as PID, pathogen transmission, higher miscarriage rates, preterm birth, and lower success rates when undergoing in vitro fertilization treatment, compared to women with relatively high population levels of Lactobacillus spp. that produce H2O2. Methods of increasing population levels of Lactobacillus spp. that produce H2O2 in the vaginal mucosa have been described as far back as the early 1990's. More recently, a method of combining products containing Lactobacillus spp. that produce H2O2 with the use of antibiotics have been described. However, without removing the large populations of L. iners from the vaginal mucosa to create a niche for H2O2-producing Lactobacillus spp. to grow and recolonize the microbiome, the non-Lactobacillus spp. associated with BV will recolonize and lead to more instances of BV. Therefore, a bactericidal product is needed for the treatment of vaginal infections, which selectively inhibits L. iners, creating a vaginal niche for protective H2O2-producing Lactobacillus spp. to grow and thrive. The present invention addresses these and other needs.

Bacteriocins to improve vaginal colonization of hydrogen peroxide producing lactobacillus for female reproductive health


A releasable coupling, including a first and a second coupling part for transmitting torque, where the first coupling part has a projection which extends in the direction of the geometrical axis of rotation and in the circumferential surface of which a first peripheral groove is embedded, that the second coupling part has a recess which is matched in cross section to a receptacle on the projection and in the circumferential surface of which a second peripheral groove is embedded, that an annular securing element is provided, the securing element being elastically deformable with respect to the contour of its open or closed periphery and, in the separated state of the two coupling parts, being insertable into one or optionally into one of the peripheral grooves and the contour of which, in the separated state of the two coupling parts, projecting out of the peripheral groove.

A large number of couplings of this kind of different designs are known. However, if said couplings are couplings which can be connected with a view to being released, complex additional devices are sometimes required for the engagement and disengagement procedures. Secondly, that is to say if the couplings are permanently closed couplings, establishing and releasing the coupling connection is often only possible by way of an assembly/disassembly procedure. Known in particular are couplings of which the two coupling parts have to be screwed to one another in order to transmit torque. This is only possible when, depending on the installation position of the coupling, there is sufficient installation space and an adequate degree of accessibility, but this is not always the case in the desired manner and/or leads to structural constraints. Furthermore, such assembly (disassembly) often also takes an undesirable amount of time.
Against this background, it is an object of the invention to develop the coupling cited in the introductory part in a manner which is advantageous for use, so that in particular the abovementioned disadvantages may be avoided as far as possible.


A fiber-reinforced resin material includes a thermoplastic resin and a bundle of reinforced fibers arranged in one direction, the thermoplastic resin being a reactive resin. The thermoplastic resin may be an epoxy resin. The reinforced fibers may be carbon fibers. A molded fiber-reinforced resin body is obtained using the fiber-reinforced resin material. The molded fiber-reinforced resin body may be formed by the application of heat and pressure.

As a molded fiber-reinforced resin body obtained using reinforced fibers and a resin, a sheeted thermosetting prepreg (a thermosetting prepreg sheet) is known which is obtained using reinforced fibers, such as glass fibers, and a thermosetting resin, such as a thermosetting epoxy resin.
However, thermosetting prepreg sheets cannot be remolded. In addition, uncured sheets (sheets before thermosetting) need to be stored in, for example, a low-temperature storehouse. Furthermore, it takes many hours for uncured thermosetting resin to cure, which causes a problem in productivity.
Moreover, a molded fiber-reinforced body obtained using reinforced fibers and a thermoplastic resin is known which overcomes the aforementioned disadvantages.
The molded fiber-reinforced body including the thermoplastic resin is manufactured by agitating the thermoplastic resin and the reinforced fibers with an agitator, such as a screw agitator, in a manner that the individual axial directions of the reinforced fibers are randomly oriented in the thermoplastic resin. Such a molded body manufactured in this way hardly causes anisotropy in which the mechanical properties, such as strength and elastic modulus, are different depending on the direction.
However, reinforced fibers, such as carbon fibers, are broken and cut during the agitation of the thermoplastic resin and the reinforced fibers. This may possibly decrease the strength of the resulting molded body.
In view of this, a method is known by which a sheet comprising a bundle of carbon fibers oriented in one direction is interposed between two thermoplastic films and then melted by the application of heat at temperatures of 230° C. to 260° C. in a manner that the sheet comprising the bundle of carbon fibers is impregnated with the thermoplastic films to obtain a molded fiber-reinforced body (Patent Literature [PTL] 1).
It has been reported that this method has provided a molded fiber-reinforced resin body which is superior in the mechanical properties and the uniformity of the properties despite the low volume fraction of reinforced fibers.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Fiber-reinforced resin material and molded fiber-reinforced resin body obtained using the same


An electrical terminal assembly includes a base having a body including a first end and a second end. First and second opposed base beams extend from the first end of the body in a first direction. A spring clamp has a clamp base and first and second opposed spring beams extending from the clamp base in the first direction and disposed over the first and second base beams biasing the first and second base beams toward one another. The body of the base is configured to permit the spring clamp to be inserted onto the base in a second direction normal the first direction.

This invention relates in general to electrical terminals such as for use in high power vehicle electrical connectors. Electrical connectors commonly include a body having a nonconductive housing encasing a conductive set of female electrical terminals. The female terminals are each connected to a respective end of a wire connector or fuse element retained in the housing for completing an electrical circuit. The female terminals are inserted over a set of male blade terminals. For example, the male blade terminals may be housed in another connector housing, such as for example, a power distribution box. The female terminals are typically designed with a spring-type feature to maintain a strong electrical contact with the outer surface of the male terminal blades.
Copper has good electrical conductivity properties and has been a preferred material for terminals, even though it is relatively expensive. However, copper is susceptible to relaxation (i.e., loss of spring force) as the temperature of the copper material increases. Since the temperature of the terminals increases as the current drawn in the electrical circuit increases, copper terminals have a reduced ability to maintain strong clamping force onto the male terminal blades. Relaxation of the female terminals may decrease the overall contact area with the male blades, resulting in reduced electrical conductivity, increased resistance, and a further increase in temperature.
It is desirable to keep the overall size of an electrical distribution box or other connectors as small as possible, while still providing the necessary current-carrying capacity. In some situations, the spring force cannot be further increased by simply making the terminals thicker or wider. When copper is used, the size limitations may make the desired spring force unattainable.
Some conventional electrical terminals have a two-piece configuration such that a copper base is used for providing the electrical communication with a wire connector. The base includes a plurality of fingers or beams which mechanically and electrically engage with a male terminal. A spring clamp is disposed over the plurality of beams of the base such that a compressive force biases the beams in an inward direction against the male terminal. The spring clamp is made of a suitable material, such as steel, having a high yield strength or spring-like quality. The material of the spring clamp retains its spring like qualities over a relatively large temperature range, which is ideal for high power applications, such as within electric or hybrid vehicles. However, it is desirable to mount the spring clamp onto the base such that undue stress or deformation is applied to the base and/or spring clamp during the assembly process.


A method (100) is provided for characterizing a functionality of a flash (14) from at least one image (200) captured with a camera (12) using the flash (14). The method (100) includes: analyzing the image (200) by segmenting (106) the image (200) into at least one sub-region (206, 208), and applying a metric (108) to the sub-region (206, 208) to measure an image property within the sub-region (206, 208); and determining (110) the functionality of the flash (14) in response to a result of the applied metric.

The present inventive subject matter relates generally to the art of automated camera systems. Particular but not exclusive relevance is found in connection with red light enforcement and/or other traffic cameras. Accordingly, the present specification makes specific reference thereto. It is to be appreciated however that aspects of the present inventive subject matter are also equally amenable to other like applications.
To capture high quality images, red light, traffic and/or other like automated camera systems commonly use one or more flashes or illumination devices to illuminate regions or objects of interest when ambient light is low, e.g., at night time or when there are cloudy or overcast conditions. Without sufficient illumination, objects of interest such as vehicles, drivers and/or license plates, may not be accurately visualized and/or identifiable in images captured by the camera system. For example, accurate visualization and/or identification of such objects in captured images are often important for law enforcement purposes and/or the issuing of traffic citation.
Over time, flashes, lamps and/or other illumination devices can degrade and ultimately stop functioning altogether. Such failure and/or degradation can result in insufficient illumination when the camera system is capturing an image in a low ambient lighting condition. In turn, one or more objects of interest in such a captured image may not be accurately visualized and/or identifiable. For example, a typical flash configuration may include three flash devices—one auxiliary flash to generally illuminate a vehicle, a second license plate flash to illuminate a vehicle's license plate and a third flash to illuminate a driver of the vehicle. Sufficient degradation and/or failure of any one of these flashes when the camera system is obtaining an image in low ambient lighting conditions may result in insufficient illumination of the target object in the captured image such that the target object is not well visualized and/or not readily identifiable in the captured image. Accordingly, enforcement or other actions reliant on accurate visualization and/or identification of one or more such objects in the captured image may be frustrated.
Traditionally, operators of automated camera systems such as those mentioned above relied on human labor-intensive practices to monitor, check and/or verify proper flash operation. For example, an operator may periodically or intermittently conduct a manual review of images obtained from a camera system and visually inspect them for flash failures. Such an operator may commonly be assigned a significant number of cameras to check on a fairly frequent basis. Accordingly, such a process can be repetitive and prone to human oversight and/or error. Furthermore, such manual visual inspection is not conducive to tracking gradual flash degradation over time as subtle changes in illumination may not be readily apparent upon casual visual inspection of the images. Additionally, a maintenance technician may be assigned to manually inspect and/or conduct live tests of the flash devices in the field at periodic or intermittent intervals. Again, this is a labor-intensive process prone to human oversight and/or error.
Accordingly, a new and/or improved method, system and/or apparatus for monitoring, detecting, reporting and/or forecasting flash degradation and/or failure in automated and/or other camera systems is disclosed which addresses the above-referenced problem(s) and/or others.


A system and method are provided to efficiently provide coverage within a large scale of a building by identifying user equipment (UE) on a floor by floor basis using a distributed antenna system (DAS) and pseudo timing advance values (TA) assigned to each floor. By applying different pseudo delays on a plurality of distributed antenna basis located at each floor, a base station can know a floor at which a user equipment is located through a timing advance value of the user equipment. When a traffic amount increases based on the measured traffic amount of each floor, the base station may increase a carrier and adjust an amplifier output on a floor by floor basis, thereby efficiently using power and maintaining a user's quality of experience (QoE).

A distributed antenna system (DAS) uses a plurality of distributed antennas connected to a single base station by wire or a dedicated line. The base station manages a plurality of antennas distributed and located within a cell serviced by the base station. The DAS is different from a centralized antenna system (CAS) in which antennas of a base station are intensively located at the center of a cell in that the plurality of antennas in the DAS are distributed within a cell.
In order to efficiently provide coverage in a large scale building, a recent mobile communication network provider has used a DAS connected by an optical fiber. In this case, because one cell provides a service to a plurality of floors of the building, there is a drawback in that a distribution of users and traffic within the cell is not known. For example, a distribution of users and traffic on respective floors of the building is not known. As used herein, the term "traffic" represents an amount of data or an occupying time of moving data through a network and describes a load applied to a communication apparatus or system based thereon.
However, when traffic is concentrated at a specific floor of the building, a user's quality of experience (QoE) is deteriorated due to the traffic concentration and since a mobile communication network provider cannot analyze the cause, the provider cannot efficiently operate the communication network to correct the problem. Therefore, a method of measuring traffic of each floor of the building is required.
The above information is presented as background information only, and to assist with an understanding of the present disclosure. No determination has been made, and no assertion is made, as to whether any of the above might be applicable as prior art with regard to the present disclosure.

Apparatus and method for measuring traffic of users using distributed antenna system


The present disclosure provides a transgenic plant comprising one or more nucleotide sequences encoding polypeptides selected from photosystem II subunit S (PsbS), zeaxanthin epoxidase (ZEP), and violaxanthin de-epoxidase (VDE), operably linked to at least one expression control sequence. Expression vectors for making transgenic plants, and methods for increasing biomass production and/or carbon fixation and/or growth in a plant comprising increasing expression of at least one of PsbS, ZEP and VDE polypeptides are also provided.

Light intensity in plant canopies is very dynamic and leaves routinely experience sharp fluctuations in levels of absorbed irradiance. Several photo-protective mechanisms are induced to protect the photosynthetic antenna complexes from over-excitation when light intensity is too high or increases too fast for photochemistry to utilize the absorbed energy. Excess excitation energy in the photosystem II (PSII) antenna complex is harmlessly dissipated as heat through an inducible protective process, which is observable and often named as non-photochemical quenching of chlorophyll fluorescence (NPQ; Miller et al. Plant Physiol. Vol 125, 1558-1566, 2000). Changes in NPQ can be fast but not instantaneous, and therefore lag behind fluctuations in absorbed irradiance. The rate of NPQ relaxation is considerably slower than the rate of induction, and this asymmetry is exacerbated by prolonged or repeated exposure to excessive light conditions. This relatively slow rate of recovery of PSII antennae from the quenched to the unquenched state may imply that photosynthetic quantum yield and associated CO2 fixation are transiently limited by NPQ upon a change from high to low light intensity. When this hypothesis was tested in model simulations and integrated over a crop canopy, corresponding losses of CO2 fixation were estimated to range between 7.5%-30% (Zhu et al. J. Exp. Bot. Vol 55, 1167-1175, 2004). Based on these computations, increasing the relaxation rate of NPQ suggests a possible strategy to improve photosynthetic efficiency, however experimental proof has so far been lacking.
While the exact NPQ quenching site and nature of the quenching mechanisms involved are still being elucidated, it is clear that for NPQ to occur, PSII-associated antennae need to undergo a conformational change to the quenched state, which can be induced by a number of different mechanisms with contrasting time constants. The predominant and universally present mechanism of NPQ in higher plants is so-called energy-dependent quenching (qE). Induction of qE requires low thylakoid lumen pH and is greatly aided by the presence of photosystem II subunit S (PsbS) and de-epoxidation of violaxanthin to antheraxanthin and zeaxanthin via the reversible xanthophyll pigment cycle.
Overexpression of PsbS strongly affects the amplitude of qE formation, and results in an increased rate of induction and relaxation of qE, but can compete with photosynthetic quantum yield under less stressful conditions. Thus, while the enhancement of qE via PsbS overexpression may offer increased photoprotection under high light or rapidly fluctuating conditions, the positive effects of PsbS overexpression alone on CO2 fixation and plant growth, will depend greatly on the prevailing light environment. An alternative route of NPQ manipulation is to modify the reversible xanthophyll pigment cycle. A schematic representation of the pathway for the biosynthesis of carotenoids (carotenes and xanthophylls) from lycopene is shown in FIG. 17. Zeaxanthin accumulation is associated with several NPQ components (qE, qZ, and qI). The conversion of violaxanthin to zeaxanthin in excess light is catalyzed by the enzyme violaxanthin de-epoxidase (VDE). The conversion of zeaxanthin to violaxanthin is catalyzed by the enzyme zeaxanthin epoxidase (ZEP). Arabidopsis mutants with increased xanthophyll pigment pool size were shown to have slower rates of NPQ formation and relaxation while the amplitude of NPQ was unaffected. Interestingly, the rate of NPQ formation and relaxation in these mutants and the wild-type control plants appeared to be mainly controlled by the de-epoxidation state of the xanthophyll pigment pool. It was shown by Nilkens et al. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta 1797; 466-475 (2010) that in particular the kinetics of zeaxanthin epoxidation are strongly correlated with the rate of NPQ relaxation. Therefore, the rate of adjustment of xanthophyll cycle equilibrium also has control over the rate of NPQ formation and relaxation, and seems to be affected by the xanthophyll pool size relative to the rate of turn-over by violaxanthin de-epoxidase (VDE) and zeaxanthin epoxidase (ZEP).
It is yet to be determined whether NPQ can be manipulated to reduce transient competition with photosynthetic quantum yield at low light intensity, while maintaining photo-protection at high light intensity. Plants having improved quantum yield and CO2 fixation under fluctuating light conditions could provide improved plant growth and crop yields.

Transgenic plants with increased photosynthesis efficiency and growth

The Board of Trustees of The University Of Illinois

The Regents of the University of California


An antenna core produced by shaping a soft magnetic metal powder with the use of a resin as a binder, wherein the soft magnetic metal powder is an amorphous soft magnetic metal powder or a nanocrystal-containing amorphous soft magnetic metal powder, of the general formula (1): (Fe1-x-yCoxNiy)100-a-b-cSiaBbMc (1), and wherein the resin as a binder is a thermosetting resin. In the formula, M is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Nb, Mo, Zr, W, Ta, Hf, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Y, Pd, Ru, Ga, Ge, C, P, Al, Cu, Au, Ag, Sn and Sb. Each of x and y is an atomic ratio and each of a, b and c an atomic %, satisfying the relationships: 0≦x≦1.0, 0≦y≦0.5, 0≦x+y≦1.0, 0≦a≦24, 1≦b≦30, 0≦c≦30 and 2≦a+b≦30.

There has been known an antenna core formed by shaping a soft magnetic metal powder with the use of a resin as a binder in view of easy shape machining.
In Patent Document 1, there has been disclosed an antenna core excellent in magnetic characteristics employing a nanocrystal magnetic powder or the like with the use of a thermoplastic resin as a binder. However, since an antenna core is produced by a hot press method with the use of a thermoplastic resin as a binder, an antenna core is not taken out from a mold if it is not fully cooled. Accordingly, when an antenna core is continuously produced, there is a problem such that it takes time for cooling, resulting in a poor productivity.
In Patent Document 1, a resin used as a binder is limited to a thermoplastic resin, while the Tg range of a thermoplastic resin, the range of mixing ratio of a magnetic powder and a thermoplastic resin, and the press pressure at a hot press procedure are further limited. All of these limitations are to improve soft magnetic characteristics of a magnetic powder or to prevent soft magnetic characteristics from being deteriorated by applying the unnecessarily higher pressure to the magnetic powder. That is, in the conventional technical knowledge, when a thermosetting resin is used as a binder, soft magnetic characteristics of the magnetic powder are considered to be deteriorated due to shrinkage stress of a resin during a curing process. Accordingly, in order to avoid such deterioration, a thermoplastic resin is used, while the Tg range of a thermoplastic resin, the range of mixing ratio of a magnetic powder and a thermoplastic resin, and the range of press pressure at a hot press procedure are further limited.
In Patent Document 2, there has been disclosed an antenna core excellent in impact resistance composed of an insulating soft magnetic material having various soft magnetic metal powders and various organic binders. However, in Patent Document 2, there has been described only the use of "a Fe—Al—Si alloy powder" and "a polyurethane resin as an organic binder", and "such a core is produced by laminating a sheet-like core material having a thickness of 1 mm, that is, a sheet," but details of the soft magnetic metal powder and the organic binder are not disclosed. Accordingly, respective details of the soft magnetic metal powder and the organic binder used for the antenna core are not clear.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2004-179270
Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2005-317674


Disclosed is a bearing including a perforated annular body and a solid lubricant filled in holes on the perforated annular body, wherein the perforated annular body is made from a steel plate covered with a layer of copper of 1 mm in thickness and shape formed through the processes of punching, bending, and welding for permitting the layer of copper to be disposed on the inside.

The present invention relates to bearings, and relates more particularly to a bearing with an embedded solid lubricant which is less expensive to manufacture, and which produces a satisfactory lubricating effect.
In a normal machine, bearings may be used to hold an axle allowing it to make a rotary or reciprocating motion. FIG. 1 illustrates a sleeve bearing according to the prior art, which should be lubricated with a lubricating oil so that the friction resistance between the sleeve bearing and the axle being held is reduced. In practice, despite the application of a lubricating oil, the friction resistance between the sleeve bearing and the axle is still high. FIG. 2 illustrates a bearing with an embedded solid lubricant which produces a relatively better lubricating effect. The bearing is comprised of a perforated annular body made from steel or copper, having its holes filled up with a graphitic or polyimide lubricant. Using a steel plate to make the bearing will relatively increase the friction resistance between the bearing and the axle being held. Using a copper plate to make the bearing can reduce the friction resistance, however, it will relatively increase the cost of the bearing.


Fail information from testing of a DUT memory array is captured and compressed by utilizing a compression matrix which is related in size to the available redundancy associated with the DUT (device under test) memory array, and which, in essence, defines the limits of redundancy repair. The compression matrix includes a plurality of matrix cells fewer in number than the number of memory cells in the DUT memory array and is arranged in a matrix of compression rows and compression columns, the number R of compression rows in the compression matrix being equal to (a predetermined number of redundant rows in the memory array) times (a predetermined number of redundant memory columns+1), and the number C of compression columns in the compression matrix being equal to (a predetermined number of redundant memory columns) times (a predetermined number of redundant memory rows+1). The compression matrix is loaded with the fail information concurrently with testing of the DUT memory array.

In order to analyze and effect redundancy to repair defective memory rows and/or columns of a memory device (e.g., a RAM), all fail information with respect to the memory array of the device must be captured and analyzed. Several approaches are known in the art:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,456,995 (Ryan; assigned to the assignee of the present application) discloses an approach wherein a counter is provided which is capable of providing a count value up to the number of bits in a RAM under test, and wherein there is a counting of fails by word line, and then by bit line in a two pass test.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,460,999 (Schmidt; related to the '997 Harns patent); U.S. Pat. No. 4,460,997 (Harns; related to the '999 Schmidt patent) disclose approaches which employ an error capture RAM which is configured both in size and arrangement to mirror those of a RAM under test. Testing is conducted, and any memory failures which occur along the memory array are recorded in a corresponding location in the error capture RAM. In order to extract the fail information from the error capture RAM to perform redundancy analysis, time-consuming software routines or special hardware is required.
The just-discussed conventional apparatus and method are disadvantageous in that, error capture RAMs increase in cost as the device under test (DUT) grows in size, and in addition, the extraction of fail information also grows in complexity, typically requiring several passes through the error capture RAM resulting in substantial time consumption.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,586,178 (Bosse; related to the Bosse '915 patent) and U.S. Pat. No. 4,639,915 (Bosse; related to the Bosse '178 patent) are directed to array testing apparatus for determining fail positions, and a method for replacing the fails with redundant lines. An analog summer is used to count the fails and the failed row and column addresses are stored in separate parallel lists requiring both addresses to be stored for each fail. Such arrangement causes the speed of the Bosse circuit to be lowered because of cycle time, and also causes bit failure address latches and a fail matrix to be substantially large.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,627,053 (Yamaki et al) discloses a method of repairing a semiconductor memory device having spare lines. All possible solutions of remedy using spare lines or spare blocks are obtained via analysis of the result of a test of the device, and then all possible solutions are screened under conditions related to the quality and reliability of the device so as to determine a best solution.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,628,509 (Kawaguchi) discloses an array testing apparatus designed to replace failed lines with redundant lines, by utilizing RAMs as look-up tables for storing fails. Disadvantages are present as there is a slowing of a speed of the circuit, and also, the fail counters are arranged such that there is a potential that some fails will be missed.
JP 52-67227 (Takezono) discloses a memory unit wherein failure areas which occur in clusters are collected together and memorized by an auxiliary memory.
Further approaches of background interest are described in: JP 55-28119 (Narumi); JP 55-34380 (Narumi); JP 56-61100 (Aida); JP 55-113200 (author unknown); JP 56-73354 (author unknown); JP 56-73355 (author unknown); JP 56-84056 (author unknown); JP 56-124200 (Nozaki); JP 56-130899 (author unknown); JP 57-88600 (Ishiguro); JP 57-130295 (Nigorikawa); JP 57-164497 (Miyazaki); JP 57-164500 (Eguchi); JP 58-115698 (Nishimoto); JP 59-207497 (author unknown); JP 60-70375 (author unknown); JP 60-167199 (Matsuoka); JP 61-68800 (author unknown); JP 61-80070 (author unknown); JP 60-167200 (author unknown); JP 61-199300 (Sueyoshi); JP 61-271700 (author unknown).

Apparatus and method for real time data error capture and compression redundancy analysis

International Business Machines Corporation


A modular printhead for an inkjet printer includes a chassis. An elongate ink reservoir structure is mounted on the chassis and defines a number of longitudinally extending ink reservoirs. A series of printhead modules is mounted end-to-end on the chassis so that the chassis is interposed between the ink reservoir structure and the printhead modules. Each printhead module includes a cover member with ink conduits extending through the chassis into respective ink reservoirs. A micro-molding is positioned on the cover member and a printhead integrated circuit is mounted on the micro-molding to receive the ink from the cover member, via the micro-molding, and is dimensioned to extend longitudinally across the cover member. Groups of adjustment formations are engaged with respective printhead modules and arranged on the chassis and displaceable with respect to the chassis to adjust a transverse position of the printhead modules with respect to each other so that the printhead integrated circuits can be brought into alignment with each other.

The printheads used by inkjet printers traditionally traverse back and forth within the printer as a page is fed past the printhead. To increase printing speed, pagewidth printheads have been developed so that the printhead does not need to traverse across the page.
For a number of reasons, it is relatively expensive to produce pagewidth printheads in a unitary form. Therefore, to minimize costs it is preferable to produce a modular pagewidth printhead made up of a series of printhead modules.
It is necessary to align each module so that the printing from one module precisely abuts the printing from the adjacent modules. For most types of printing, it is sufficient to electronically align the modules. This is done by configuring the modules such that they slightly overlap with each other, and then digitally adjusting the printing from each module for a smooth transition of the print data.
Unfortunately, this requires complex manipulation of the print data allocated to the respective modules. The digital controller for the printer needs to be relatively powerful to accommodate this and the associated costs can be prohibitive for the SOHO (small office/home office) market.

Alignment mechanism for printhead modules incorporating elongate printhead integrated circuits


In one aspect, a memory device is provided which includes a plurality of bit lines extending in a first direction, a plurality of word lines extending in a second direction, an array of programmable volumes electrically connected between the bit lines and word lines, and thermally conductive striped patterns located between the programmable volumes of the array and extending in at least one of the first and second directions.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to semiconductor memory devices, and more particularly, the present invention relates to a memory device having a thermal conductor located between programmable volumes of the memory device.
2. Description of the Related Art
A phase-change random access memory (PRAM), also known as an Ovonic Unified Memory (OUM), includes a phase-change material such as a chalcogenide alloy that is responsive to heat so as to be stably transformed between crystalline and amorphous states. Such a PRAM is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,487,113 and 6,480,438.
The phase-change material of the PRAM exhibits a relatively low resistance in its crystalline state, and a relatively high resistance in its amorphous state. In conventional nomenclature, the low-resistance crystalline state is referred to a 'set' state and is designated logic "0", while the high-resistance amorphous state is referred to as a 'reset' state and is designated logic "1".
The terms "crystalline" and "amorphous" are relative terms in the context of phase-change materials. That is, when a phase-change memory cell is said to be in its crystalline state, one skilled in the art will understand that the phase-change material of the cell has a more well-ordered crystalline structure when compared to its amorphous state. A phase-change memory cell in its crystalline state need not be fully crystalline, and a phase-change memory cell in its amorphous state need not be fully amorphous.
Generally, the phase-change material of a PRAM is reset to an amorphous state by heating the material in excess of its melting point temperature for a relatively short period of time. On the other hand, the phase-change material is set to a crystalline state by heating the material below its melting point temperature for a longer period of time. In each case, the material is allowed to quickly cool to its original temperature after the heat treatment.
The speed and stability of the phase-change characteristics of the phase-change material are critical to the performance characteristics of the PRAM. As suggested above, chalcogenide alloys have been found to have suitable phase-change characteristics, and in particular, a compound including germanium (Ge), antimony (Sb) and tellurium (Te) (e.g., Ge2Sb2Te5 or "GST") exhibits a stable and high speed transformation between amorphous and crystalline states.
FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate an example of a memory cell 10 in a 'set' state and in a 'reset' state, respectively, and FIG. 2 is an equivalent circuit diagram of the memory cell 10 of FIGS. 1A and 1B. As shown, the memory cell 10 includes a phase-change element 11 and diode D connected in series between a bit line BL and a word line WL.
It should be noted that the structure of the phase-change element GST is presented as an example only, and that other structures may be possible. Similarly, the connections illustrated in FIGS. 1A, 1B and 2 are presented as examples only, and other configurations are possible. For example, the memory cell 10 may include the phase-change element 11 and a transistor connected in series between the bit line BL and reference potential, with the transistor gated to the word line WL.
In each of FIGS. 1A and 1B, the phase-change element 11 includes a top electrode 12 formed on a phase-change material 14 (e.g., GST). In this example, the top electrode 12 is electrically connected to a bit line BL of a PRAM memory array (not shown). A conductive bottom electrode contact (BEC) 16 is formed between the phase-change material 14 and a conductive bottom electrode 18. The diode D is electrically connected between the bottom electrode 18 and the word line WL of the PRAM cell array (not shown). Specifically, in this example, the N-junction of the diode D is connected to the word line WL and the P-junction of the diode D is connected to the bit line BL via the phase change element 11.
In FIG. 1A, the phase-change material 14 is illustrated as being in its crystalline state. As mentioned previously, this means that the memory cell 10 is in a low-resistance 'set' state or logic 0 state. In FIG. 1B, a portion of the phase-change material 14 is illustrated as being amorphous. Again, this means that the memory cell 10 is in a high-resistance 'reset' state or logic 1 state.
The set and reset states of the memory cell 10 of FIGS. 1A and 1B are establish by controlling the magnitude and duration of current flow through the BEC 16. That is, the memory cell 10 is activated (or accessed) by applying a LOW level voltage to the word line WL. When activated, the phase-change element GST is programmed according to the voltage of the bit line BL. More specifically, the bit line BL voltage is controlled to establish a programming current which causes the BEC 16 to act as a resistive heater which thermally programs the phase-change material 14 in its 'set' and 'reset' states.
FIG. 3 illustrates an example of temperature pulse characteristics of a phase-change material as the phase-change material is programmed in the 'set' and 'reset' states. In particular, reference number 1 denotes the temperature pulse of the phase-change material programmed to its 'reset' state, and reference number 2 denotes the temperature pulse of the phase-change material programmed to its 'set' state.
As shown in FIG. 3, when the phase-change material is programmed to its 'reset' state, the temperature of the material is increased above its melting temperature Tm (e.g., 610° C.) for a relatively short period of time, and then allowed to rapidly cool. In contrast, when the phase-change material is programmed to its 'set' state, the temperature of the material is increased to below its melting point Tm and above its crystallizing temperature Tc (e.g., 450° C.) for a longer period of time, and then allowed to cool more slowly. The fast and slow cooling of the 'reset' and 'set' programming operations are referred to in the art as fast "quenching" and slow "quenching", respectively. The temperature range between the melting temperature Tm and the crystallizing temperature Tc is referred to as the "set window".
As the integration density of the phase-change cells of PRAM devices continues to increase, thermal interference among adjacent cells has become increasingly problematic. That is, as described above in connection with FIG. 3, relatively high temperatures (˜450+° C. to 610+° C.) are needed to reliably program each cell. The resultant thermal energy of a cell being programmed can adversely influence the program state of one or more adjacent cells, thus causing inadvertent write errors in the adjacent cells. This problem is further aggravated in configurations employing so-called line type GST patterns. Here, continuous GST patterns are utilized to define the phase-change regions of multiple memory cells. Thermal interference among cells within each GST pattern represents a significant roadblock to minimizing the pitch of the phase-change cell array of the PRAM device.

Memory device including thermal conductor located between programmable volumes


A closet comprises a support rail, a light, a raceway, a rub strip, and a hinge unit. The support rail is capable of providing structural support for the closet and having a plurality of connecting elements. The light has a first set of connecting elements capable of being engaged to the plurality of connecting elements. The raceway has a second set of connecting elements capable of being engaged to the plurality of connecting elements. The rub strip has a third set of connecting elements capable of being engaged to the plurality of connecting elements. The hinge unit has a shape capable of being connected to the support rail.

1. Field
The present disclosure relates generally to storage systems and in particular to a method and apparatus for an aircraft storage system. Still more particular, the present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for a closet within an aircraft.
2. Background
A closet may be an enclosed space, which may be accessed using a door or some other movable barrier. A closet may be used to temporarily store items. In an aircraft, closets may be used to store items, such as, for example, without limitation, baggage, clothing, blankets, pillows, supplies, wheelchairs, emergency equipment, flight crew demonstration equipment, and other suitable items.
In an aircraft, closets may be located in various locations in a passenger cabin of an aircraft. For example, without limitation, a closet may be located as part of a monument dividing seating areas within a passenger cabin, in a gallery, by a door, by a lavatory, and/or some other suitable location. Closets may have different sizes. For example, without limitation, a closet may have a height that extends from the floor into the crown of the aircraft. The closet also may be located under a bin.
An aircraft closet may include, for example, without limitation, panels for walls of the closet, structural corners, and other suitable components used to form the closet, lights, wiring, and molding. With the limited amount of space present in an aircraft, it is desirable to efficiently configure and locate closets to maximize their usability within an aircraft.
Current closet configurations; however, may not efficiently use space within a closet. For example, a light in a closet may be placed in a location that may take up space for storing items. Further, the placement of the light may be in a location providing sub-optimal illumination when placed to increase storage efficiency.
Also, in manufacturing closets, these types of structures may add to the time and cost to manufacture an aircraft. Construction of a closet may require numerous fasteners to attach panels, lights, wiring, rub strips, and other components integrated into the closet. Assembling and attaching these components to each other with mechanical fasteners requires time. Also, as the number of fasteners increases, the amount of time needed to assemble a closet may increase. As a result, the time and cost to install a closet in an aircraft also may increase. This increase in the number of fasteners also may increase the weight of the aircraft.
Accordingly, there is a need for a method and apparatus to overcome the problems discussed above.


A subscriber interface device and method for transmitting a communication signal and a broadcasting signal to each subscriber in a communication-broadcasting convergence FTTH system. A subscriber interface, positioned in the ONU, modulates a first predetermined number of broadcasting signals selected by a subscriber among broadcasting signals received from an OLT, combines a baseband communication signal received from the OLT with the modulated broadcasting signals, and optically transmits the combined communication-broadcasting signal. A subscriber interface receiver positioned in an ONT, splits the combined communication-broadcasting signal, filters the split signals to respective frequency bands, modulates the filtered broadcasting signals, transmits the modulated broadcasting signals to a monitor of the subscriber, and transmits the filtered communication signal as a baseband signal to a communication terminal of the subscriber instead of a passband signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of subscriber interface technologies. More particularly, the present invention relates to the transmitting of communication data and broadcasting/video data to subscribers in a communication-broadcasting convergence FTTH (Fiber To The Home).
2. Description of the Related Art
Data service, such as very high-rate Internet access, is now provided to communication and broadcasting subscribers via ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line), VDSL (Very High Bit-Rate Digital Subscriber Line), Ethernet LAN (Local Area Network), or by a cable modem. Meanwhile, broadcasting service is provided to subscribers by HFC (Hybrid Fiber Coaxial)-based cable broadcasting and satellite broadcasting. That is, the subscribers use different mediums for the communication and broadcasting services and the communication service is available at a mere rate of several mega bits per second.
Therefore, in order to offer high-rate, large-volume communication and broadcasting services to subscribers by overcoming the limitations of the conventional technologies, an FTTH system is generally required. The FTTH system deploys an optical fiber to the home of each subscriber. FTTH systems are divided largely into Passive Optical Network (PON) and Active Optical Network (AON).
A communication-broadcasting convergence FTTH system illustrated in FIG. 1 was previously proposed for the convergence of communication and broadcasting by FTTH. The FTTH system related to the present invention is comprised of an Optical Line Terminal (OLT) 100, an Optical Network Unit (ONU) 200, and an Optical Network Terminal (ONT) 300, which operate as described below.
The OLT 100 receives the digital broadcasting information from an external broadcasting network, and external data communication information through a digital broadcasting/video multiplexer (MUX) 101 and an Ethernet switch 102. A WDM (Wavelength Division Multiplex) MUX 103 in the OLT 100 converts the electrical signals received from the digital broadcasting/video MUX 101 and the Ethernet switch 102 to optical signals, multiplexes them, and subsequently transmits the multiplexed signal in WDM.
The ONU 200 WDM-demultiplexes the optical WDM signal received from the OLT 100 into broadcasting signals and communication signals, converts the demultiplexed signals into electrical signals, processes upstream information received from users, and optically transmits the broadcasting signals and communication signals selectively to the users.
The ONT 300 converts optical signals received from the ONU 200 into electrical signals and distributes the electrical signals according to services. The ONT also optically transmits upstream information from a user to the ONU 200.
With regard to the structure of the ONU 200 shown in FIG. 1, a WDM demultiplexer (DEMUX) 104 separates a received signal into a broadcasting signal and a communication signal. A digital broadcasting/video channel splitter 105 splits the broadcasting signal according to channels and feeds the split signals to a broadcasting switch 106. An Ethernet switch 107 and a controller 108 provide user channel selection information included in the upstream information from ONTs 300 to the broadcasting switch 106. The broadcasting switch 106 transmits user selected channel signals according to the user channel selection information to the respective ONTs 300 through subscriber interfaces 109-1 to 109-n.
Meanwhile, FIG. 1 also shows that the communication signal is provided to the respective ONTs 300 through the Ethernet switch 107 and the subscriber interfaces 109-1 to 109-n.
Subscriber interface technology that converges communication and broadcasting data, and delivers the converged data to subscribers is important to the above-described communication-broadcasting convergence FTTH system. The subscriber interface technology includes the subscriber interfaces 109-1 to 109-n of the ONU 200 and a subscriber interface 114 of the ONT 300. The convergence of communication and broadcasting signals for each user and the transmitting of the converged signal from the OLT 100 to the user/subscriber is a dominant factor that satisfies subscriber satisfaction with the service in the communication-broadcasting convergence FTTH system. Thus, the capability of being able to provide satisfactory subscriber interfacing is an important issue in the art.
FIGS. 2 and 3 are block diagrams of a conventional subscriber interface device. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a subscriber interface transmitter in the FTTH ONU 200 in the communication-broadcasting convergence FTTH system.
Referring to FIG. 2, the subscriber interface transmitter includes a broadcasting/video MUX 201 for time-division-multiplexing user-selected broadcasting/video signals received from the broadcasting switch 106 (shown in FIG. 1), a first modulator 202 for modulating the multiplexed broadcasting/video signal by a carrier frequency (f1) 204, a second modulator 203 for modulating a 125-Mbps Ethernet signal being a communication signal by a carrier frequency (f2) 205, a combiner 206 for combining the modulated broadcasting/video and communication signals received from the first and second modulators 202 and 204, an optical transmitter/converter 110-1 for converting the electrical combination signal to an optical signal and transmitting it to the ONT 300, and an optical receiver/converter 111-1 for converting optical upstream information received from the ONT 300 to an electrical signal.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a subscriber interface receiver in the FTTH ONT 300 (shown in FIG. 1) in the broadcasting-communication convergence FTTH system.
Referring to FIG. 3, the subscriber interface receiver includes an optical receiver/converter 112 for receiving an optical signal from the ONU 200 and converting the optical signal to an electrical signal, a distributor 301 for distributing the communication-broadcasting convergence signal received from the optical receiver/converter 112, a first demodulator 302 for extracting a broadcasting/video signal by demodulating a signal received from the distributor 301 using a carrier frequency (f1) 304, a second demodulator 303 for extracting a 125-Mbps Ethernet signal being a communication signal by demodulating a signal received from the distributor 301 using a carrier frequency (f2) 305, a first LPF (Low Pass Filter) 306 for low-pass-filtering the broadcasting/video signal received from the first demodulator 302, a second LPF 307 for low-pass-filtering the communication signal received from the second demodulator 303, a broadcasting/video DEMUX 308 for demultiplexing the broadcasting/video signal received from the first LPF 306 and outputting video data for respective channels, and an optical transmitter for converting an electrical upstream signal including communication information and broadcasting channel selection information received from a user to an optical signal and transmitting the optical signal to the ONU 200 (shown in FIG. 1).
FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary RF (Radio Frequency) spectrum of signals transmitted from and received at the subscriber interface device illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3.
Referring to FIG. 4, the 125-Mbps Ethernet signal occupies a 500-MHz bandwidth including a main lobe and side lobes in a passband (f2). The broadcasting/video signal is a Multi-Program Transport Stream (MPTS) signal containing a High Definition (HD) image and a Standard Definition (SD) image. If the broadcasting/video signal delivers two broadcasting/video channels in timed division multiplexing (TDM), it requires a data rate of about 62 Mbps. As illustrated in FIG. 4, if it is modulated using the frequency f1, it occupies an about 250-MHz band including a main lobe and side lobes.
In general, a low-price optical transmitter for the FTTH system uses a bandwidth of 1 GHz or so. In the embodiment of the present invention as illustrated in FIG. 4, the 125-Mbps Ethernet signal occupies 50% or more of an available bandwidth, thereby wasting bandwidth. Only if the ratio of the carrier frequency is about ten or more times as high as the data rate will stable data transmission and reception be possible. However, the carrier frequency by which the 125-Mbps Ethernet signal is modulated is 250 to 750 MHz in the embodiment. If the carrier frequency is set as 750 MHz considering the bandwidth of the 125-Mbps Ethernet signal, the maximum ratio of the carrier frequency to the bandwidth is 6 (=750/125 MHz). As a result, it is difficult to achieve stable RF transmission and reception.
When 750 MHz is assigned as the Ethernet band, a maximum available carrier frequency to the broadcasting/video signal is decided at the level of 300 MHz, five or six times as high as a data rate (i.e. 62 Mbps). Hence, RF transmission and reception is difficult as the 125-Mbps Ethernet.
In addition, the broadcasting/video signal illustrated in FIG. 4 is a single signal supporting two channels at a data rate of 62 Mbps. Consequently, channel expandability is limited.

Subscriber interfacing device in communication-broadcasting convergence FTTH