Abrasive cleaning and decontamination methods and systems are disclosed. The methods and systems use a high pressure liquefied gas, such as carbon dioxide, which produces insignificant quantities of secondary waste. These principles of the invention exploit the properties of the relatively high triple point of CO2 in order to first pressurize it to 35,000 to 60,000 PSI from a pressurized liquid. In the pressurized state, such a fluid can be at or above room temperature, allowing for transport over long distances in a flexible high pressure hose. At a point of use, a heat exchanger may subsequently chill the liquid, so that after expansion through a small high pressure orifice, a significant fraction of the liquid is converted to solid phase crystals exiting at high velocity to effectively clean and decontaminate. For more aggressive cleaning, abrasive particles and/or small diameter solid CO2 pellets can be entrained into the high pressure CO2 slipstream.

Many types of surfaces require cleaning and decontamination of coatings and residues without significant impact to the base surface. It is desirable to aggressively clean a variety of coatings and contaminants without leaving behind additional cleaning residues, such as chemical solvents, water, grit media, etc. This is particularly problematic in the field of nuclear radioactive facility clean-out and decontamination, as any cleaning substance will likewise become radiologically contaminated. Disposing of large volumes of cleaning materials becomes costly, dangerous, and time consuming. What is therefore desired is a cleaning media imparting high kinetic momentum transfer to relatively hard particles which impact the surface to be cleaned, but then sublimate into a harmless gas. This is particularly important in the cleaning and decontamination of nuclear radioactive related facilities, where even tiny amounts of residual nuclear contamination deposited on surfaces or diffused therein are highly hazardous and expensive to remove and dispose of with conventional methods. As an example, disposal of a single gallon of nuclear radioactive contaminated water used as a cleaning agent can cost in excess of $1000. To dispose of contaminated solid material can cost $50–500 per pound, depending on the contamination level. It is therefore desirable to clean every nook and cranny on equipment and facilities, so that the dismantled structures can be classified as low level waste, which can be cheaply handled and buried at approved nuclear burial sites.
A known method for cleaning involves the use of CO2 pellets accelerated by a source of compressed air. Patents describing the use of CO2 pellets for cleaning include U.S. Pat. No. 5,109,636 to Lloyd, et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 5,445,553 to Cryer, et. al. Other cleaning systems generate a source of CO2 snow, which are, in effect, small diameter solid particles. Cleaning systems generating CO2 snow are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,514,024 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,390,450 to Goenka. Nevertheless, the systems described in the referenced patents do not possess sufficient energy to ablate and clean the types of surfaces commonly found in a contaminated nuclear facility. In a nuclear facility, it is desirable to clean painted metals down to the base material, or abrade concrete with up to 2–4 mm surface material removal, because radiological contaminates can directly and indirectly diffuse into porous structures.
Other existing methods of cleaning involve the use of high pressure cryogenic liquids that are sprayed from a high pressure nozzle. U.S. Pat. No. 5,733,174 to Bingham et al., is typical of the use of high pressure cryogenic liquid use. Bingham et al. discloses a slurry of high pressure Nitrogen and CO2 co-existing as a slurry, which is pumped at high pressure and delivered to a surface to be cleaned as a jet. The N2 and CO2 are in a liquid state, the N2 comprising a cryogenic fluid and the CO2 comprising a non-cryogenic fluid. As the N2 and CO2 expand through a high pressure orifice, a phase change occurs. The CO2 is super-chilled and precipitates to solid CO2 particles at high velocity. The solid CO2 particles eventually evaporate, leaving no secondary waste. The disadvantages of such typical cryogenic systems include the required use of rigid, non-flexible high pressure metallic tubing for delivery of the cryogen to the nozzle orifice. Rigid tubing poses severe limitations on the ability to maneuver an orifice cleaning head to desired orientations needed to access complex equipment needing cleaning and decontamination, particularly when such equipment is in highly hazardous closed cells and only robotic access is possible. In addition, rigid cryogenic tubing requires highly effective insulation, since the cryogenic liquid within the tubing is at a very low temperature, and must be maintained at low temperatures until it exits the orifice. Moreover, cryogenic N2 is a very expensive to purchase, deliver, and pump.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved non-cryogenic cleaning system that can be deployed in remote and inaccessible environments using an ambient temperature low cost flexible hose, and which is much more aggressive in terms of effective material removal.

High pressure cleaning and decontamination system


A method and apparatus of a device for resource management by using a hierarchy of resource management techniques with dynamic resource policies is described. The device terminates several misbehaving application programs when available memory on the device is running low. Each of those misbehaving application programs consumes more memory space than a memory consumption limit assigned to the application program. If available memory on the device is still low after terminating those misbehaving application programs, the device further sends memory pressure notifications to all application programs. If available memory on the device is still running low after sending the memory pressure notifications, the device further terminates background, idle, and suspended application programs. The device further terminates foreground application programs when available memory on the device is still low after terminating the background, idle, and suspended application programs.

An operating system is a collection of software that manages device hardware resources and provides common services for computer programs. The operating system is a vital component of the system software in a device. The system software manages and integrates a computer's capabilities. The system software includes the operating system, utility software, device drivers, and other software tools. Application software can be considered to be the computer software that causes a computer to perform useful tasks in response to user requests. A specific instance of application software is called a software application, application program, application or app, which are used interchangeably below. Application programs usually require an operating system to function.
As more and more services are becoming available for small or mobile devices, the number of applications running in a single device has increased significantly. Usually, a mobile device is used mostly for certain specific applications, while being equipped with general purpose computing capabilities. For example, it is common to find a mobile phone that also runs a browser application, a gaming application, and a media player application, etc. On the other hand, a mobile video player device may run a gaming application and/or an email application in addition to a video application. Multiple applications or processes in the same device compete with each other by sharing the same memory resources and computation resources embedded inside the device. The operating system performs resource/memory management to deal with resource contention in concurrent computing. Examples of resource/memory management techniques are described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,827,358, and U.S. publication numbers 2012/0179882 and 2013/0332936, all of which are incorporated herein by reference.
These applications or processes consume resources of the device, such as central processing units (CPUs), memory, input/output, etc. When two or more applications are running at the same time, the competition for the resources of the device can result in user interface glitches, the device feeling sluggish, slow response to touches or other inputs, and/or the device locking up if there are insufficient resources available to be applied to the applications. Typically, when two or more applications or processes are launched, a fixed portion of the device's resources may be applied to each of the applications or processes so that each application or process cannot consume more than the assigned fixed portion of the device's resources during execution. Such a mechanism may not be sufficiently flexible under certain circumstances. For example, an application such as photo editing software may temporarily require a large amount of memory to edit a photo or an album. If such a large amount of memory exceeds the ordinary memory usage associated with the application, the application may not be able to acquire it, even though the memory resources are widely available in a data processing system.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Resource management with dynamic resource policies


A plurality of detection target portions are arranged around a rotating shaft of a rotating-body, one of which causes a detector to generate a first detection signal different from a second detection signal generated from the others. A first generating unit generates a reference signal indicating a reference rotational-position of the rotation-driving source or the rotating-body before one rotation from a timing of the first detection signal. A second generating unit reads periodic variation information from a storage unit based on the reference signal, and generates a rotation-velocity correction signal for the rotation-driving source.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a technology for driving a rotating-body by transmitting a rotation force from a rotation-driving source via a rotation-force transmission mechanism.
2. Description of the Related Art
In an electrophotographic-system image forming apparatus that forms an image by forming toner images on a surface of a photoconductive drum and transferring them to a recording sheet, for example, it is necessary to accurately match peripheral velocity of a photoconductive drum with a carrier speed of a recording sheet to transfer toner images formed on a surface of a photoconductive drum to a recording sheet without change.
When the photoconductive drum is rotated and driven, for example, by a DC motor, it is general on account of stabilization of rotation velocity and securement of a driving torque that the motor is rotated relatively at high velocity and the rotation velocity is reduced by decelerating means such as a gear reducer to drive the photoconductive drum. However, in this event, even if the motor as a rotation-driving source is rotated at a stable velocity, periodic variation occurs in rotation velocity of the photoconductive drum due to a difference in processing accuracy (an accumulated pitch difference concerning a gear, decentering of a rotating shaft, and the like) in a rotation force transmission mechanism that includes a gear. As a result, there is a possibility that a reproduced image is degraded.
Therefore, a rotating-body driving device is proposed to correct this velocity variation that, on condition that a motor is previously rotated at a certain velocity in shipment of an image forming apparatus, exchange of a photoconductive drum, or the like, the rotation force is supplied through a rotation force transmission mechanism to a rotating-body, and a periodic variation component in rotation velocity of the rotating-body is measured to store it in a memory, reads the periodic variation component from the memory, when using an image forming apparatus, and performs velocity correction in opposite phase to reduce velocity variation of the photoconductive drum (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2005-312262).
As shown in FIG. 24, in the rotating-body driving device, a disk-shaped detection target body (encoder) 111 that includes a single slit 114 for detecting a reference rotational-position and a plurality of slits 113 (4 slits in this case) for detecting the other rotational positions is mounted around a rotating shaft 112 of a photoconductive drum, and a detector 117 that detects a rotational position of each of the slits that move along with rotation of the photoconductive drum is arranged opposite to the encoder 111. A motor is rotated at a certain velocity and a time difference of timing at which the detector 117 detects the slits 113 is detected. After a calculation, a periodic variation component is extracted, as shown in FIG. 25, the component is stored in a memory by corresponding to timing (home position) at which the detector 117 detects the slit 114 and then the slit 113. To correct velocity variation, when detecting the above home position, a periodic variation component is read from the memory based on a phase corresponding to the home position and velocity correction in opposite phase of the periodic variation component is performed so that, as shown in FIGS. 26A and 26B, periodic variation in rotation velocity of the photoconductive drum is controlled.
However, the slit 114 for detecting a reference rotational-position is mounted on the encoder 111 separately from the slits 113 for detecting a time difference in the rotating-body driving device. Therefore, for example, when the number of slits 113 is increased to enhance accuracy of detecting a time difference for accurate extraction of a periodic variation component, it is difficult to provide the slit 114. The slit 114 is a slit only to detect a home position. Therefore, whenever a slit is detected, it is necessary to have determination means to determine once, after the detector 117 detects a slit, whether the slit is for detecting a home position or for detecting correction data and to store only the slit that is determined as a slit to detect correction data in a memory, thereby increasing a load to process software.
Thus, the applicant of the application proposes a rotation detecting device that uses a slit that has a larger width for detection of both a home position and velocity variation by making one of slits 113 shown in FIG. 24 wider in a peripheral direction of the encoder 111, identifying passing of the slit that has a larger width based on a difference of a detection signal from the detector 117 caused by a difference in a width of a slit, counting the number of detection of ends of slits 113 in the peripheral direction (a front end in a rotating direction of the encoder 111) through the detector 117 from the time point, and detecting an end of a slit in the peripheral direction with respect to the number of counting the following slits before detecting the slit 113 that has a larger width ("4" in FIG. 24) as well as generating a home position signal (Patent Application No. 2005-266708).
However, the rotation detecting device identifies passing of the slit that has a larger width and then generates a first home position signal after a rotation of the photoconductive drum. Therefore, until a home position is detected after starting a motor and the photoconductive drum rotates once, correction of velocity variation is not started. It is required to reduce time to form a first copy in an image forming apparatus in view of energy saving and appliance with respect to a user. It is necessary, to meet the requirement, to form an image on a photoconductor in a possibly short time after start of a motor. However, it is impossible for the rotation detecting device to sufficiently meet the requirement of reducing time to copy.

Method and device for driving rotating-body, process cartridge, image forming apparatus, and computer program product


This technology relates to assigning a task to a current task queue based on one or more matching category when the new task is received within an application for execution. Availability of one or more existing idle threads within one or more thread groups required for the execution of the received task determined based on one or more utilization parameters, where each of the thread groups is associated with one or more task queues and where the current task queue is one of the task queues. One or more new threads are created to allocate for execution of the task when the existing idle threads are determined to be unavailable in the thread groups within the application. Next, the created new threads are allocated to the task when the existing idle threads are determined to be unavailable. The task is executed using the allocated new threads.

A thread is a light-weight process. The implementation of threads and processes differs from one operating system to another, but in most cases, a thread is contained inside a process. Multiple threads can exist within the same process and share resources, such as memory, while different processes do not share these resources.
Multi-threading is a widespread programming and execution model that allows multiple threads to exist within the context of a single process. These threads share the resources allocated to the process, but are able to execute independently. An interesting application of multithreading is when it is applied to a single process to enable parallel execution on a multiprocessing system. Multithreading allows the process to be executed faster on computer systems that have multiple CPUs, CPUs with multiple cores, or across a cluster of machines—because the threads of the program naturally lend themselves to truly concurrent execution. Accordingly, managing of threads is extremely important.
Unfortunately, existing thread management technologies leads to situation where threads of one group would be idle, while threads in other groups are created to execute a number of tasks without using the idle threads thereby not effectively managing the threads. This situation is due to unsupervised creation of threads by individual applications without having any visibility on idle threads being available.

Methods for managing threads within an application and devices thereof


A liquid crystal display device is provided which is capable of reducing flicker over all areas of a liquid crystal panel. A common voltage having a predetermined level is fed to the liquid crystal panel and a reference voltage is fed from a digital-analog converter to a liquid crystal driving circuit and an image corresponding to a pixel data signal is displayed. The pixel data signal is reversed relative to a reference voltage for every one horizontal period. The reference voltage having been adjusted so as to be higher in side portions rather than central portions in the liquid crystal panel is applied to the liquid crystal driving circuit. As a result, even if a common voltage is not made uniform through entire portions of a common electrode, adjustment can be achieved so that flicker is minimized over all areas in the liquid crystal panel.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display device and to a method for driving the same and more particularly to the liquid crystal display device and the method the same that can be suitably used in a device such as a liquid crystal projector in which a screen of high quality with flicker being reduced is required.
The present application claims priority of Japanese Patent Application No. 2002-172039 filed on Jun. 12, 2002, which is hereby incorporated by reference.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional liquid crystal display device, in order to prevent deterioration of a liquid crystal material, is driven with an alternating current so that a polarity of a voltage to be applied to the liquid crystal material is alternately reversed at predetermined time intervals.
The conventional liquid crystal display device of this type, as shown in FIG. 11 for example, includes a liquid crystal panel 10, a liquid crystal driving circuit 20, and a common voltage generating circuit 30. The liquid crystal panel 10, as shown in FIG. 12, has a plurality of signal lines X1, X2, . . . , Xn to which a corresponding pixel data signal D is fed, a plurality of scanning lines Y1, Y2, . . . , Ym to which a scanning signal V is fed, a plurality of MOSFETs (Metal Oxide Semiconductor Effect Field Transistors) 11ij (i=1, 2, . . . , n; j=1, 2, . . . , m) each being placed at a point of intersection of each of the signal lines X1, X2, . . . , Xn and each of the scanning lines Y1, Y2, . . . , Ym pixels (picture elements) 12ij (i=1, 2, . . . , n; j=1, 2, . . . , m), capacitors 13ij (i=1, 2, . . . , n; j=1, 2, . . . , m), "Cs" line being commonly connected to each of the capacitors 13ij, and a common electrode 14 being connected commonly to each of the pixels 12ij and to which a common voltage Vcom (FIG. 11) is applied, in which an image is displayed by a pixel data signal D fed to the pixels 12ij on the scanning lines Y1, Y2, . . . , Ym to be selected by the scanning signal V.
The liquid driving circuit 20 reverses a polarity of a pixel data signal D corresponding to a video signal "in" relative to a reference voltage Vf for every one horizontal period and feeds the reversed signal to each of the signal lines X1, X2, . . . , Xn in the liquid crystal panel 10 and, at a same time, feeds the scanning signal V in predetermined order to each of the scanning lines Y1, Y2, . . . , Ym The common voltage generating circuit 30 generates the common voltage Vcom.
In the conventional liquid crystal display device, as shown in FIG. 13, to the liquid crystal panel 10 is applied the common voltage Vcom having a predetermined voltage level and to the liquid crystal driving circuit 20 is applied the reference voltage Vf having a predetermined voltage level and an image corresponding to the pixel data signal D is displayed. The pixel data signal D is reversed relative to the reference voltage Vf for every one horizontal period. Moreover, the common voltage Vcom is adjusted so that flicker occurring due to the reversal of the pixel data signal D can be minimized.
However, the conventional liquid crystal device as described above has following problems. That is, in the conventional technology, in order to minimize flicker, only the common voltage Vcom is calibrated. However, since the common electrode 14 is placed over all areas of the liquid crystal panel 10, due to a voltage drop caused by a resistor component of the common electrode 14, in many cases, the common voltage Vcom is not made uniform over all areas in the liquid crystal panel 10. For this reason, the common voltage Vcom to be used to minimize flicker varies in the liquid crystal panel 10 and, as a result, it is impossible, in some cases, to successfully perform calibration to minimize flicker over all areas of the liquid crystal panel 10. For example, since the common voltage Vcom to be used when flicker occurring in side regions in the liquid crystal panel 10 is minimized is made different from the common voltage Vcom to be used when flicker occurring in regions in a vicinity of a center of the liquid crystal panel 10 is minimized, a phenomenon occurs in which the common voltage Vcom to be used when flicker is minimized over all areas of the liquid crystal panel 10 can not be successfully calibrated. Therefore, a problem arises that display image quality is degraded.
To solve this problem, a liquid crystal device is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2000-305063. The disclosed liquid crystal device is so constructed that a common voltage can be fed from each of the right and left sides in order to enable optimum calibration of flicker at both right and left sides within a face of a liquid crystal panel. It is expected by using this configuration that an optimum common voltage is applied at both the left and right sides of the liquid crystal panel and flicker occurring within the face of the liquid crystal panel is made almost uniform; however, to achieve such the effect, it is necessary to construct the liquid crystal panel so as to have special configurations, which are not readily achieved. Moreover, since a required optimum common voltage is different between portions on both sides of the liquid crystal panel and its central portions, it is difficult to successfully reduce flicker within the face of the liquid crystal panel. When the liquid crystal panel is increased in size in particular, such a tendency becomes remarkable.

Liquid crystal display device and method for driving the same


A non-volatile memory cell has a single crystalline substrate of a first conductivity type with a top surface. A first region of a second conductivity type is in the substrate along the top surface. A second region of the second conductivity type is in the substrate along the top surface, spaced apart from the first region. A channel region is the first region and the second region. A word line gate is positioned over a first portion of the channel region, immediately adjacent to the first region. The word line gate is spaced apart from the channel region by a first insulating layer. A floating gate is positioned over another portion of the channel region. The floating gate has a lower surface separated from the channel region by a second insulating layer, and an upper surface opposite the lower surface. The floating gate has a first side wall adjacent to but separated from the word line gate; and a second side wall opposite the first side wall. The second side wall and the upper surface form a sharp edge, with the second side wall greater in length than the first side wall. The upper surface slopes upward from the first side wall to the second side wall. A coupling gate is positioned over the upper surface of the floating gate and is insulated therefrom by a third insulating layer. An erase gate is positioned adjacent to the second side wall of the floating gate. The erase gate is positioned over the second region and insulated therefrom.

Non-volatile memory cells having a floating gate for the storage of charges thereon are well known in the art. Referring to FIG. 1 there is shown a cross-sectional view of a non-volatile memory cell 10 of the prior art. The memory cell 10 comprises a single crystalline substrate 12, of a first conductivity type, such as P type. At or near a surface of the substrate 12 is a first region 14 of a second conductivity type, such as N type. Spaced apart from the first region 14 is a second region 16 also of the second conductivity type. Between the first region 14 and the second region 16 is a channel region 18. A word line 20, made of polysilicon is positioned over a first portion of the channel region 18. The word line 20 is spaced apart from the channel region 18 by a silicon (di)oxide layer 22. Immediately adjacent to and spaced apart from the word line 20 is a floating gate 24, which is also made of polysilicon, and is positioned over another portion of the channel region 18. The floating gate 24 is separated from the channel region 18 by another insulating layer 30, typically also of silicon (di)oxide. A coupling gate 26, also made of polysilicon is positioned over the floating gate 24 and is insulated therefrom by another insulating layer 32. On another side of the floating gate 24, and spaced apart therefrom, is an erase gate 28, also made of polysilicon. The erase gate 28 is positioned over the second region 16 and is insulated therefrom. The erase gate 28 is also immediately adjacent to but spaced apart from the coupling gate 26 and to another side of the coupling gate 26. The erase gate 28 has a slight overhang over the floating gate 24. In the operation of the memory cell 10, charges stored on the floating gate 24 (or the absence of charges on the floating gate 24) control the flow of current between the first region 14 and the second region 16. Where the floating gate 24 has charges thereon, the floating gate 24 is programmed. Where the floating gate 24 does not have charges thereon, the floating gate 24 is erased. The memory cell 10 is fully disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,868,375 and in U.S. Pat. No. 6,747,310 whose disclosures are incorporated herein in their entirety by reference.
The memory cell 10 operates as follows. During the programming operation, when charges are stored on the floating gate 24, a first positive voltage in the shape of a pulse is applied to the word line 20 causing the portion of the channel region 18 under the word line 20 to be conductive. A second positive voltage, also in the shape of a pulse, is applied to the coupling gate 26. A third positive voltage, also in the shape of a pulse, is applied to the erase gate 28. A voltage differential also in the shape of a pulse, is applied between the first region 14 and the second region 16. All of the first positive voltage, second positive voltage, third positive voltage and the voltage differential are applied substantially at the same time, and terminate substantially at the same time. The electrons from the first region 14 are attracted to the positive voltage at the second region 16. As they near the floating gate 24, they experience a sudden increase in the electric field caused by the voltage applied to the coupling gate 26 and the erase gate 28, causing the charges to be injected onto the floating gate 24. Thus, programming occurs through the mechanism of hot electron injection.
During the erase operation when charges are removed from the floating gate 24, a high positive voltage is applied to the erase gate 28. A ground voltage can be applied to the coupling gate 26 and/or the word line 20. Charges on the floating gate 24 are attracted to the erase gate 28 by tunneling through the insulating layer between the floating gate 24 and the erase gate 28. In particular, the floating gate 24 may be formed with a sharp tip facing the erase gate 28, thereby facilitating the Fowler-Nordheim tunneling of electrons from the floating gate 24 through the tip and through the insulating layer between the floating gate 24 and the erase gate 28 onto the erase gate 28. As disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,868,375 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,747,310, it may be beneficial to have a sharp edge or tip between the side wall of the floating gate 24 and the top surface of the floating gate 24 so that electrons may more readily tunnel from the floating gate 24 to the erase gate 28 during the erase operation.
During the read operation, a first positive voltage is applied to the word line 20 to turn on the portion of the channel region 18 beneath the word line 20. A second positive voltage is applied to the coupling gate 26. A voltage differential is applied to the first region 14 and the second region 16. If the floating gate 24 were programmed, i.e. the floating gate 24 stores electrons, then the second positive voltage applied to the coupling gate 26 is not able to overcome the negative electrons stored on the floating gate 24 and the portion of the channel region 18 beneath the floating gate 24 remains non-conductive. Thus, no current or a minimal amount of current would flow between the first region 14 and the second region 16. However, if the floating gate 24 were not programmed, i.e. the floating gate 24 remains neutral or perhaps even stores some holes, then the second positive voltage applied to the coupling gate 26 is able to cause the portion of the channel region 18 beneath the floating gate 24 to be conductive. Thus, a current would flow between the first region 14 and the second region 16.

Method of making a split gate non-volatile floating gate memory cell having a separate erase gate, and a memory cell made thereby


A digital broadcast transmitter/receiver, and a signal processing method thereof, includes a randomizer randomizing a dual transport stream which includes a normal data packet and a robust data packet and into which stuff bytes are inserted, a stuff-byte exchanger replacing the stuff bytes of the randomized data with known data, a first RS encoder performing RS-encoding of data output from the stuff-byte exchanger, a packet formatter performing an interleaving of the robust packet of the data output from the first RS encoder and reformatting the packet, an interleaver interleaving data output from the packet formatter, a trellis encoder performing a trellis encoding of interleaved data, a second RS encoder changing a parity by performing an RS encoding of the robust data of the trellis-encoded data, and a modulator modulating data output from the trellis encoder and RF up-converting the modulated data.

1. Field of the Invention
Aspects of the present invention relate to a digital broadcast transmitter/receiver and a signal processing method thereof, and more particularly, to a digital broadcast transmitter/receiver and a signal processing method thereof which can improve the receiving performance of the receiver by inserting a known sequence into stuff bytes added to a dual stream in the digital broadcasting transmitter which transmits the dual stream, and transmitting the dual stream with the inserted known sequence.
2. Description of the Related Art
An ATSC (Advanced Television Systems Committee) VSB system, which is an American-type digital terrestrial broadcasting system, is a signal carrier type broadcasting system. The system uses a field sync signal in the unit of 312 segments. Accordingly, the conventional digital broadcast receiver has a deteriorated receiving performance in an inferior channel environment, and especially in a Doppler-fading channel environment.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating the construction of a transmitter of a general American-type digital terrestrial broadcasting system. The digital broadcast transmitter of FIG. 1 is an EVSB (Enhanced VSB) system proposed by Philips, and can provide and transmit a dual stream obtained by adding robust data to normal data of the conventional ATSC VSB system. The digital broadcast transmitter of FIG. 1 includes a randomizer 110 for randomizing data. A first RS (Reed-Solomon) encoder 120 RS-encodes the output of the randomizer 110. A packet formatter 130 interleaves robust data of the encoded data, reformats the packet at a ½ rate, inserts a PID (Packet Identifier) value into the packet, and multiplexes the packet and normal data. An interleaver 140 interleaves the data from the packet formatter 130. A trellis encoder 150 performs an enhanced coding of the robust data at the output of the interleaver 140 and performs a ⅔-rate trellis encoding of the data. A controller 160 outputs a signal for controlling the normal data and the robust data. A second RS encoder 170 performs RS re-encoding of the enhance-coded robust data so as to be compatible with a conventional receiver and replacing a parity. A multiplexer 180 inserts a field sync signal and a segment sync signal into the trellis-coded data. A modulator 190 adds a pilot signal to the output signal of the multiplexer 180, and performs a VSB modulation and RF up-conversion of the multiplexed data.
FIG. 2 shows the format of the dual stream type data output from the transmitter of FIG. 1. Referring to FIG. 2, a dual stream type transport stream packet is composed of a 4-byte transport stream header and a 184-byte payload data. The normal data and the robust data are arranged in the payload data at predetermined intervals.
Referring to FIG. 1, the normal data and the robust data are multiplexed and input to the randomizer 110, according to the dual stream mode for transmitting the normal data and the robust data through one channel. The input data is randomized by the randomizer 110, and is input to and RS-encoded by the first RS encoder 120 so as to correct bit errors occurring due to the channel. The RS-encoded data is input to the packet formatter 130, and a robust process is performed in a manner that robust data of the encoded data is interleaved and reformatted to a packet at a ½ rate, and a PID (Packet Identifier) is inserted into the reformatted packet. This packet and normal data are then multiplexed and output to the interleaver 140. The data output from the packet formatter 130 is interleaved through the interleaver 140, and then is input to the trellis encoder 150. The robust data of the reformatted data is enhanced-coded, and then is trellis-encoded at a ⅔ rate through the trellis encoder 150. The enhance-coded robust data is then re-encoded through the second RS encoder 170 so as to be compatible with the existing receiver, and a parity replacement is performed with respect to the re-encoded data. The replaced parity is input to the trellis encoder 150. The signal having passed through the multiplexer 180 for inserting a field sync signal and a segment sync signal into the trellis-encoded data, after a pilot signal is added thereto, is VSB-modulated and RF-up-converted through the modulator 190. Here, the normal data and the robust data are controlled according to a control signal output from the controller 160.
As described above, the American-type digital terrestrial broadcasting system in FIG. 1 is constructed so that it can produce a dual stream by adding the robust data to the normal data of the existing ATSC VSB system. However, in spite of the dual stream transmission through the addition of the robust data to the normal data, the American-type digital terrestrial broadcasting system in FIG. 1 has the problem that its receiving performance in a multi-path channel is hardly improved due to the transmission of the existing normal data stream. That is, the existing digital terrestrial broadcasting system has little improvement of the receiving performance according to the improvement of the normal stream. Also, according to the American-type digital terrestrial broadcasting system, the improvement of the receiving performance in a multi-path environment is not great even with respect to the robust stream.

Digital broadcast transmitter/receiver having improved receiving performance and signal processing method thereof


This invention provides a tool for tightening and loosening lenses with respect to camera bodies. The tool includes a body that defines a cavity that is slightly larger in diameter than the sidewalls of the lens adjacent the lens face. Within the cavity is a thin, high-friction, elastomeric material that resides between the edges of the lens when the cavity is pressurably engaged over the lens face. The material frictionally couples the tool body to the lens face and adjacent side walls, thereby allowing a predetermined level of torque to be applied to tighten or loosen the lens. The tool can be adapted for attachment to a handle, such as a torque wrench or can include a handle specifically adapted/contoured for grasping by a user's hand.

In the manufacture of cameras for industrial applications, such as vision systems, the use of relatively small lenses including the ubiquitous M12 base design is extremely common. Typically, the camera body includes a recessed mounting hole with internal threads to receive the external threads of the lens. During manufacture and/or in the field, it is desirable to install, and sometimes remove, the lens unit from the camera body. In doing so, the user engages the exposed face of the lens, generally in the region of the rim surrounding the optic, and turns to either tighten or loosen it.
It is common for the front and side surfaces of the lens to be relatively free of detents or other structures that can allow insertion of a tool to assist in turning the lens. When there is sufficient clearance, the user simply grasps the sides of the lens body with sufficient gripping force and tightens or loosens the lens to a desired degree. However as cameras become increasingly compact, particularly those used in vision system applications the like the In-Sight system available from Cognex Corporation of Natick, Mass., the lens becomes lower-profile and closely mounted. In such cases there may be insufficient clearance to grasp the lens body effectively. The problem is illustrated in the schematic cutaway view of the front face 100 of a vision system camera. In this example, the lens 110 is surrounded by a rig illumination structure 120 (and other bezels that) that leaves a relatively small gap G. In this arrangement, it is challenging to tighten or loosen the lens without a special tool, and even with a tool, there are typically no formations for the tool to engage on many lens types.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a mechanism for tightening and loosening a lens where there exists low clearance between the sides of the lens and the surrounding camera structures. This mechanism should be straightforward to use by both manufacturers and subsequent end users and allow for sufficient torque to be applied to the lens to ensure its secure tightening to and/or loosening from a mounting hole as desired. The mechanism should also avoid scratching or damaging the lens optic or surrounding face and sidewalls.

Tool for installing and removing threaded camera lenses


An LED lamp or LED lighting assembly includes a light guide having opposed major surfaces configured to propagate light by total internal reflection and a light input edge extending between the major surfaces. A light source is adjacent to the light input edge and is configured to edge light the light guide. In some embodiments, the light source is moveable relative to the light input edge, and the spectrum of the light output from the light guide may be adjusted by movement of the light source relative to the light input edge.

Energy efficiency has become an area of interest for energy consuming devices. One class of energy consuming devices is lighting devices. Light emitting diodes (LEDs) show promise as energy efficient light sources for lighting devices. But control over the spectrum of the light output from the lighting devices is an issue for lighting devices that use LEDs or similar light sources.


A device for treating esophageal target tissue comprises a catheter, a balloon and a refrigerant delivery device. The catheter has a distal portion and a refrigerant delivery lumen. The balloon is mounted to and the refrigerant delivery device is coupled to the distal portion. The refrigerant delivery device comprises a chamber with the refrigerant delivery lumen opening into the chamber, a refrigerant delivery opening fluidly coupled to the balloon interior, and a distribution passageway fluidly coupling the chamber and the refrigerant delivery opening. A refrigerant is deliverable through the refrigerant delivery lumen, into the chamber, through the distribution passageway, through the refrigerant delivery opening and into the balloon interior so to place the balloon into an expanded, cooled state so that the balloon can press against and cool esophageal target tissue. The medical device may include means for sensing a leak in the balloon.

Throughout the human body there are lumens, such as the esophagus and colon, which may have components which may become metaplastic or neoplastic. Often, it is desirable to remove or destroy these unwanted tissues. One of these cases where tissue removal and/or ablation are desirable is Barrett's Esophagus, which is a pre-cancerous condition of the esophagus typically often associated with gastric reflux disease (GERD). Although GERD can be medically controlled, Barrett's Esophagus does not spontaneous resolve once the GERD has abated. However, it has been shown that if Barrett's Esophagus is ablated, the normal esophagus lining can be restored and therefore lower the risk of developing esophageal cancer.
A variety of techniques have been evaluated for ablation of this condition. These techniques include photodynamic therapy, endoscopic resection of the lining of the esophagus, and ablation using a variety of energy sources such as argon plasma coagulation (APC), radio-frequency (RF) and cryogenic via a direct spray of liquid nitrogen.


A transmission beam change method is disclosed for a wireless communication transmitter adapted to transmit an orthogonal frequency division multiplex (OFDM) signal using a transmission beam of a plurality of transmission beams available at the wireless communication transmitter. The method includes temporarily adapting an output power during a transmission beam change from one transmission beam to another transmission beam. In some embodiments, the transmission beam change is performed during a cyclic prefix (CP) of an OFDM symbol and the temporary adaptation is applied to only a part of the CP. Temporarily adapting the output power includes decreasing the output power to initiate the temporary adaptation and increasing the output power to terminate the temporary adaptation. In some embodiments, the temporary adaptation is performed during all transmission beam changes or only when an occurrence frequency of transmission beam changes is higher than a threshold value.

One technique to improve system performance in wireless communication is to use an advanced antenna system (AAS). This technique is considered, for example, in relation to standardization and implementation of fifth generation (5G) of cellular communication systems. Properly controlled advanced antenna arrays enable beamforming for transmission and/or reception, which can be used to increase capacity and/or coverage for a cellular communication system.
An array of antennas, or antenna array, may be controlled by controlling the phase of a signal at the different antenna elements of the antenna array. Alternatively, an antenna array may be controlled by controlling a time delay at the different antenna elements of the antenna array. Yet alternatively, an antenna array may be controlled by controlling the phase and amplitude of a signal at the different antenna elements of the antenna array.
Several different techniques exist to control the relative phase (or time delay) between radio frequency (RF) signals of the array. Examples of such techniques include analog beamforming, digital beamforming and hybrid beamforming; all of which are well known in the art.
In analog beamforming, phase shift (or time delay) is typically applied to the RF-signal or to the local oscillator (LO) signal that is used for up/down conversion of the transmission/reception signal. In digital beamforming, phase shift (or time delay) is typically implemented digitally, e.g., by digitally phase shifting an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) modulated signal in time or frequency domain. Hybrid beamforming is a mixture of analog and digital beamforming.
FIG. 1 illustrates example transmitter arrangements for analog beamforming (a), digital beamforming (b) and hybrid beamforming (c).
As illustrated in part (a) of FIG. 1, analog beamforming may be achieved in relation to a processing chain comprising a modulator (MOD), an inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT), a digital front end (DFE), a digital-to-analog converter (DAC), a low pass filter (LPF) (or band pass filter, BPF) and a mixer (MIX). Analog beamforming may be achieved by properly phase shifting the signal for each antenna element before amplifying the signal in respective power amplifiers (PA). In part (a) of FIG. 1, the phase shift is illustrated by phase shifters (SF), but may be implemented in any suitable way. For example, the local oscillator (LO) signal used for up-conversion in the mixer may be phase (and possibly amplitude) shifted to provide the signal for each antenna element.
Part (b) of FIG. 1 illustrates digital beamforming, where the signal to be transmitted is digitally shifted in phase or time (and possibly in amplitude) in a beamformer (BF). For an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) signal, for example, the shifting may be performed in time or frequency domain. In part (b) of FIG. 1, the beamformer is illustrated as inserted, in processing chains of the respective antenna elements, after the modulators (MOD) of the processing chains. Each of the processing chains of this example also comprise, after the beamformer, an inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT), a digital front end (DFE), a digital-to-analog converter (DAC), a low pass filter (LPF) (or band pass filter, BPF), a mixer (MIX), and a power amplifier (PA).
Part (c) of FIG. 1 illustrates hybrid beamforming which is a mélange of analog beamforming via analog shifting (SH) and digital beamforming via a digital beamformer (BF).
When a change in beam direction is performed, the corresponding changes in phase/time/amplitude shifts will typically result in a spectrum broadening of the signal. In digital beamforming (and to some extent in hybrid beamforming) the spectrum broadening may be mitigated by the channel filtering (e.g., the low pass filters, LPF, of FIG. 1).
However, such mitigation will not address the analog part of the beamforming in the case of hybrid beamforming, and is not available at all for pure analog beamforming. Thus, the transmitted signal will have a broadened spectrum due to beam change in these approaches.
As a consequence, the adjacent channel leakage ratio (ACLR) will be degraded, which may in turn cause a loss in capacity on adjacent channels and/or difficulties to fulfill regulatory emission limits.
To serve many users with low latency the beam direction may need to be changed quite frequently. Furthermore, performing a beam sweep typically comprises a large amount of beam changes in a short time span. In some example scenarios, the beam direction may change as often as once per OFDM symbol. In systems using OFDM, a change in beam direction is typically done in the cyclic prefix (CP) of OFDM symbols.
Therefore, there is a need for alternative approaches to beam change management. Preferably, such approaches avoid, or at least mitigate, the spectrum broadening caused by beam changes.

Power scaling of transmission signal during transmission beam change


An electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes a memory configured to store a speech translation model and at least one processor electronically connected with the memory. The at least one processor is configured to train the speech translation model based on first information related to conversion between a speech in a first language and a text corresponding to the speech in the first language, and second information related to conversion between a text in the first language and a text in a second language corresponding to the text in the first language, and the speech translation model is trained to convert a speech in the first language into a text in the second language and output the text.

1. Field
The disclosure relates to an electronic device and a method for controlling thereof. More particularly, the disclosure relates to an electronic device that can perform translation for a user speech by using speech translation, and a method for controlling thereof.
2. Description of Related Art
Recently, artificial intelligence systems are being used in various fields. In particular, artificial intelligence systems are being used widely in the field of translating various languages.
In the past, a speech recognition model and a machine translation model were used for translating a user speech input in a first language into a text in a second language. For example, a user speech in a first language was converted into a text in the first language, and the converted text in the first language was translated into a text in a second language.
However, in this case, necessary resources increased as two kinds of models were used, and accordingly, there were problems that relatively long time was consumed until a user acquired a translated result text, and errors were worsened as the process went through each model.
The above information is presented as background information only to assist with an understanding of the 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 disclosure.

Electronic device and method for controlling the electronic device thereof


A server which smoothly transmits/receives a moving image from image sensing device via the Internet. The server comprises a camera which converts an object image into an image signal, a camera controller which controls the camera, and a camera driver. When the image signal converted by the camera is transferred as still-image data on the Internet, the data is transferred by the HTML or HTTP protocol, on the other hand, when the image signal is transferred as moving-image data, the data is transferred by another protocol.

This invention relates to a server and a terminal corresponding to the specification of the Internet, methods for communication used by the server and the terminal, and a storage medium for storing the methods implemented by software.
A camera control system for controlling a camera (e.g., panning, tilting and zooming of the camera) from a remote place is widely known.
In this system, even though camera control is performed via a network, a device for camera control and a client device do not depend on common specification but on unique specifications (e.g., protocol and control information).
However, in recent years, the Internet has been becoming popular with rapidity, and there is an increasing need from end users to see video images sensed by a camera at a remote place via the Internet.
Also, there is a need to obtain video images currently image-sensed at a remote place in realtime, by sequentially transferring obtained video images.
If this transfer is realized, it is possible to obtain in realtime video images of remote sights while staying at home, or even obtain video images of foreign countries in accordance to circumstances.
However, the data transmission protocol used on the Internet is a sort of file transfer protocol, in which communication is terminated upon completion of transmission of one image.
Accordingly, to transmit a moving image obtained from image sensing means such as a video camera, the file transfer protocol is not appropriate from the point of operation control of the image sensing means.
The present invention has been made in consideration of the above situation, and has its object to provide a server and a terminal for excellent transmission/reception of a moving image from image sensing means via the Internet, methods for communication used by the server and terminal, and a storage medium for storing the methods implemented by software.
According to the present invention, the foregoing object is attained by providing a server comprising: control means for controlling image sensing means for converting an object image into an image signal; first transmission means for transmitting the image signal converted by the image sensing means, as still-image data, by a first protocol corresponding to the Internet; and second transmission means for transmitting the image signal converted by the image sensing means, as moving-image data, by a second protocol different from the first protocol.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same name or similar parts throughout the figures thereof.

Server, terminal and control methods for transmitting real-time images over the internet


A method of inspecting a vehicle, comprising providing at an inspection site a hand-held inspection wand that transceives audio-visual information with a command/remote site a safe distance from the inspection site and that is staffed by law enforcement personnel, stopping the vehicle at the remote site, instructing an occupant of the vehicle to exit the vehicle and grasp the wand, transmitting instructions from the command site to the occupant via the wand, that direct the occupant to capture video of the vehicle at the remote site using the wand, capturing video of the vehicle using the wand, transmitting the captured video from the wand to the command site, and displaying the transmitted captured video at the command site.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to remote inspections of vehicles, their occupants and contents.
2. Background
Terrorist attacks, including suicide bombings, directed against personnel and infrastructure are on the increase. Often, terrorists pack a vehicle, such as a car or truck, with explosives, and trigger the explosives as the vehicle is driven into a target. Targets include road side security check points staffed by security personnel who inspect vehicles and their occupants for suspicious activity and dangerous materials, such as explosives, or illicit drugs. Such security personnel, employing conventional inspection techniques, are in harms way because they are dangerously near the vehicle under inspection; likely, they will be killed when the vehicle is detonated. Accordingly, there is a need for security checkpoint systems and technique that enable security personnel to perform vehicle inspections at check points, while keeping the security personnel out of harms way.

Remotely directed vehicle inspection method and apparatus


A shift control method and system for an automatic transmission. The control method includes calculating a clutch engaging pressure for each shift speed corresponding to an engine load and calculating an optimal engaging pressure for an operating clutch in each shift ratio. The system includes a control unit and sensors for executing the method.

Generally, in automatic transmissions that are applied to a vehicle, a shift control device controls hydraulic pressure through control of a plurality of solenoid valves based on various conditions such as a vehicle speed and a throttle opening ratio. When the driver manipulates the shift lever to a desired shift range, a port conversion in a manual valve occurs and various operating elements of the gear shift mechanism are selectively operated according to the duty control of the solenoid valve using hydraulic pressure supplied from an oil pump. A gear shift is thereby performed.
Because vehicles having such automatic transmissions may be exposed to various driving conditions, companies invest in extensive research for improving performance of the engine and automatic transmission. In particular, in the case of the automatic transmission, research directed to shift control methods for controlling automatic transmissions are widely performed. In one exemplary method, if it is determined that a kickdown shift is performed as a result of a driver's abrupt depression of an acceleration pedal, a transmission control unit controls a line pressure to be a maximum value. Then, if it is determined that a predetermined time has elapsed, the transmission control unit generates a shift signal and performs a shift control. In such a conventional shift control, if a shift signal is generated in a state that each clutch is supplied with normal line pressure, the line pressure is controlled to rise to its maximum value, and a shift is performed after a predetermined time has lapsed. After the shift has been started, line pressure is supplied as an engaging pressure according to 100% of a line pressure duty.
In the above-stated conventional control, the line pressure is preferably determined by multiplying a highest clutch engaging pressure of the clutch engaging pressures for all shift ratios by a safety factor. However, in such a conventional shift control, if a shift is performed, the line pressure is controlled to its maximum value, and the shift signal is generated after the predetermined time has lapsed. Accordingly, as shown in a region A of FIG. 4, a release pressure increases for a moment and then decreases, so that a shift delay time to an actual shift point becomes long. Thus, a shift responsiveness and a shift feeling deteriorate.
The information disclosed in this Background of the Invention section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art that is already known to a person skilled in the art.

Shift control method of automatic transmission for vehicles


A liquid-absorbing, rot-, chemical-, and skid-resistant mat fastened to an inner folding frame held in place within the area of use by an outer frame adapted to be secured to any surrounding wall. The inner frame is foldable and includes attachments by which the frame and mat, after being folded over itself, can be removed from the area of use by an overhead cabling or on a specially fitted wheeled trolley.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a floor covering and more particularly to a readily portable framed, liquid-absorbing mat which minimizes solid or liquid waste collection and disposal costs. One application of this device would be for collection and disposal of animal waste from confined animals such as livestock.
2. Description of Related Art
Since time immemorial, straw or other livestock bedding material has been used as bedding for domestic animals. Once soiled, the bedding must be removed and disposed of, usually being stored near the stable then hauled away for use as compost and manure.
Bedding is today becoming relatively expensive and a regular supply is becoming difficult to obtain. Further, the use of bedding, even by farmers who grow their own, requires the use of special bedding-handling equipment, (e.g. bailers) and storage locations (e.g. barns), together with the labor of collecting and storing the bedding and for frequent bedding-handling throughout the year, i.e. mucking out and laying new bedding.
Animals are frequently housed in a barn containing individual stalls in which the floor is either a dirt, clay, gravel, or stonedust floor, or a wooden grating, or brick laid directly on earth, or concrete. More often than not, the animal occupying the stall defecates and urinates on the bedding.
Unfortunately, the bedding does not absorb the urine and dirt floors turn to mud easily upon an animals' urination. When the stall is cleaned, the removal of the mud forms holes in the dirt which require constant attention and which are not always easy to fill in.
Wooden gratings or "duckboards" and other plastic gratings are hard for lying on, fairly expensive, provide unsuitable footing for many kinds of livestock and further can interfere with the flow of water when washing down a barn. Plus, an animal may be cut with splinters, which if lodged under the skin, may fester.
Brick and concrete floors are not only hard, but they are also cold and generally require the use of large quantities of bedding requiring frequent replacement. Brick and concrete floors, also, are subject to the drawback of encouraging various ailments in the animals using them, in particular joints often become sprained, wrenched, deformed, rheumatic, or arthritic.
It has also been proposed to cover floors for stabling by juxtaposing layers formed by natural and/or synthetic material. However, the results obtained till now are not satisfactory. Manufactured stall floor covers do not have the resiliency nor the permeability necessary for the good accommodation of animals. They address only stall floor maintenance reduction, rather than facilitating the collection and disposal of waste.

Solid and liquid waste collection device


There is provided a metal oxide having a continuous nano-fiber network structure as a negative active material for a secondary battery. A method for fabricating such negative active material for a secondary battery comprises spinning a mixed solution of a metal oxide precursor and a polymer onto a collector to form composite fibers mixed with the metal oxide precursor and the polymer, thermally compressing or thermally pressurizing the composite fibers, and thermally treating the thermally compressed or thermally pressurized composite fibers to remove the polymer from the composite fiber.

Recently, electronic devices (e.g., MP3 players, digital cameras, mobile phones, digital camcorders, PDAs, notebooks, and the like) are being made smaller in size for being more easily carried. With such trend, studies on a secondary battery as a source of power supply capable of being smaller and lighter for being more easily carried and more durable, in particular, a Li-secondary battery, have been steadily progressing. For such source of power supply, if a battery as a thin layer having a thickness of a few tens of nm to a few μm can be integrated inside of a micro device, it can be widely used in various fields such as MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical System), micro robotics, micro sensors, and the like as well as in portable devices.
Meanwhile, considering the depletion of petroleum resources, environmental pollution, etc., many efforts have been continuously made towards replacing existing internal combustion engine automobiles with electric vehicles (EV) or hybrid electric vehicles (HEV). For this, there is a need for a battery having a high power density, excellent stability and low cost.
A battery includes a cathode, an anode, an electrolyte and a separator. Among these, the active material of each of the cathode and the anode is the most influential factor on battery characteristics.
In general, for a cathode material of a lithium secondary battery, J. B. Goodenough et al. (US) introduced a design using a LiCoO2 positive active material having a layered structure in 1980. Since then, the cathode material of the lithium secondary battery was first commercialized by SONY (Japan) in 1991 and is widely used till now.
There are various materials for the anode, such as lithium metal, a lithium metal alloy, a carbon material, silicon, tin oxide, a transition metal oxide, and the like. However, a carbon material which is low in potential change with respect to an intercalation and emission reaction of lithium and has an excellent reversibility, has become commercialized.
However, the carbon material (graphite) currently being commercialized and used intercalates one lithium atom per 6 carbon atoms (LiC6) in theory, limiting the theoretical maximum capacity to 372 mAh/g and thus limiting an increase in its capacity.
In addition to the carbon material, when lithium is used, a high capacity can be implemented due to a high energy density. However, dendrite formation due to the strong reducing power of lithium causes problems related to stability. Due to the intercalation and deintercalation processes of lithium, cycling characteristics are greatly reduced.
Silicon, tin or alloys thereof are being studied as alternatives. Silicon undergoes a reversible reaction with lithium through a compound formation reaction with lithium and has a theoretical maximum capacity of 4200 mAh/g, which is a greatly higher value compared to that of a carbon-based material. Further, tin oxide also has a high theoretical capacity (bulk SnO2, 1494 mAh/g). However, a very great volume change of 200-350% occurs due to a reaction with lithium when charging/discharging, thereby causing the separation of the negative active material from the collector during repetitive charging/discharging cycles or deteriorating the cycling characteristics due to an increase in resistance according to the change in contact interface among the negative active materials.
To overcome these problems, Korean Laid-Open Patent Publication No. KR10-2007-0005149 disclosed a tin-based nano-powder capped with a monomer which is used as a negative active material for a secondary battery of high efficiency, showing excellent cycling characteristics. However, expensive nano-powder of 10 nm-300 nm should be used and organic coating is needed, thereby entailing high fabrication cost and making the process complicated.
Further, Korean Laid-Open Patent Publication No. KR10-2005-0087609 disclosed that when a small amount of SnO2 is added into carbon powder used as an anode material of a conventional lithium secondary battery, high reversibility and excellent cycling characteristics were obtained. However, it was observed that the cycling characteristics were progressively reduced after 10 charging/discharging cycles.
Further, in order to minimize such volume changes and obtain high capacity values, studies on growing a SnO2 nanowire by a thermal evaporation of metal Sn have been made by Z. Ying et al. [Characterization of SnO2 nanowires as an anode material for Li ion-batteries, Applied Physics Letters, 87, 113108, 2005]. However, a significant amount of capacity decay from 1250 mAh/g to 700 mAh/g was observed from the 2nd cycle to the 15th cycle.
Recently, interest is highly increased in electrospinning as a fabrication method of a functional nano-fiber. Nano-fibers fabricated by electrospinning have a high porosity and an enhanced surface to volume ratio thus to be expected to have enhanced physical properties. However, in the case of a metal oxide/polymer composite fiber obtained by electrospinning, while polymers are decomposed, in a thermal treatment process at a high temperature of more than 450° C., it is observed that a rapid volume contraction is accompanied and cracking or separation from a lower substrate on which the composite fiber is formed occurs.
Accordingly, when a metal oxide such as SnO2 is used as a negative active material, there is a need for a composition with a metal oxide having a new structure which can minimize a volume change when charging/discharging and highly enhance the cycling characteristics. Also, there is required a composition with a metal oxide which can be applied to a thin film or a thick film with comparatively low cost processes and rapid yield. Further, by increasing adhesion with the substrate, enhancement of stability and high output density can be obtained. Accordingly, a next generation negative active material having a high possibility of commercialization needs to be developed by highly improving the "rate performance" which is considered to be a weakness of common negative active materials.

Anode for secondary battery having negative active material with nano-fiber network structure and secondary battery using the same, and fabrication method of negative active material for secondary battery

Korea Institute of Science and Technology


A vehicle door module includes a door latch mounted on the module and has first and second bent wire rods pre-assembled on the door latch. The portion of the module to which the door latch is mounted is of molded plastic construction and has an integrally molded first receptacle in which the first bent wire rod is releasably snap-retained. A plastic mounting clip is attached to the door latch and has a molded second receptacle in which the second bent wire is releasably snap-retained. The first and second receptacles retain the first and second bent wire rods, respectively, to orient the bent wire rods to facilitate installation of the module into a vehicle door. The first and second receptacles permit release of the first and second bent wire rod therefrom to permit connection of the bent wire rods respectively to an outside door handle and an outside lock cyinder.

It is well known in vehicle doors to provide a door module in which a frame of metal or molded plastic carries a plurality of components such as the window regulator and door latch.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,535,553, teaches such a door module in which the frame is of molded plastic construction and includes a molded plastic frame portion to which the door latch is attached. An advantage of this modular construction is that the inside door handle and lock operating buttons may be assembled onto the module and connected to the door latch by bent wire rods which are also pre-assembled and tested as part of the door module. After the module is mounted inside the vehicle door, additional bent wire rods are installed onto the latch and connected to the outside door handle and outside lock cylinder.
A disadvantage of the aforedescribed module construction resides in the difficulty for the assembly person to reach inside the door to make the connection between the bent wire rods and the door latch.

Rod orienting receptacles for door module installation


When electronic mail transmitting operation is performed, it is checked whether the standby mode is the digital mode. If the standby mode is not the digital mode, processing for changing the standby mode from the analog mode to the digital mode is executed. When the standby mode is changed to the digital mode, the electronic mail is transmitted through a digital channel. If the standby mode cannot be changed to the digital mode, the transmission electronic mail is stored in a memory, and message hold transmission control is executed afterward.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mobile communication terminal which performs radio communication with a base station by selectively using a plurality of communication modes.
2. Description of the Related Art
As a mobile communication terminal, a mobile communication terminal of a so-called dual mode type is available, which performs radio communication by selectively using an analog communication mode and a digital communication mode in accordance with the communication mode used by a base station. With the use of a terminal of the type, the user can perform radio communication with one terminal even in an area where only a base station conforming to an analog communication mode such as AMPS (Advanced Mobile Phone Service) is installed and an area where only a base station conforming to a digital communication mode such as the TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access) mode or CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) mode is installed. That is, the mobile communication terminal is very convenient.
An increasing number of mobile communication terminals such as portable telephones and PDA (Personal Digital Assistants) have an electronic mail communication function as a well as a speech function. Electronic mail services generally include an Internet mail service via the Internet and a short message service (SMS) of transmitting electronic mail between mobile communication terminals in accordance with a protocol unique to a carrier. All these services use a digital communication mode.
For this reason, when a user tries to transmit/receive electronic mail by using a mobile communication terminal of the dual mode type described above, he/she cannot transmit or receive any electronic mail while a base station conforming to an analog communication mode is captured. In such a case, the user must try to switch to a digital communication mode or transmitting or receiving operation again after the communication mode is switched to the digital communication mode. That is, cumbersome operation is required.

Mobile communication terminal for transmission of electronic mail in a digital mode


Apparatus and method for cracking a connecting rod comprises long and short semi circular dies. The dies include self-contained means for biasing their flat surfaces together to enable them to be inserted through the connecting rod bore. The long die is supported on both sides of the connecting rod. The connecting rod bore initially contacts only the long die. A force generating tool passes through the long die and contacts the flat surface of the second die. The tool operates to separate the two dies against the self-contained biasing means such that both dies contact the connecting rod bore. The tool applies a force to the second die along a plane parallel to the longitudinal axis of the connecting rod bore. The force is sufficient to crack the connecting rod. The force may be either an impulsive force or a relatively slowly applied force. After cracking, the tool is withdrawn from the long die, and the self-contained biasing means biases the two dies against each other ready for insertion into another connecting rod bore.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to manufacturing selected components for reciprocating piston mechanisms, and more particularly to apparatus and methods for cracking engine and compressor connecting rods.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is known to intentionally crack automotive engine connecting rods into a main rod section and a cap. Cracking occurs along a plane passing through the center of the crankshaft bore. The cap is later reassembled to the main rod section with a crankshaft throw captured therebetween. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,751,080; 3,818,577; and 3,994,054 illustrate early developments of connecting rod cracking.
More recent examples of techniques and apparatus for performing the cracking process may be seen in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,569,109; 4,684,267; 4,860,419; and 4,936,163. The prior art cracking apparatus often includes a pair of semi-circular dies inserted into the crankshaft bore of a connecting rod. A force is applied to the dies to press them against opposite sides of the crankshaft bore. The dies stress the webs of material on the sides of the bore between the main rod section and the cap until the web separates. In most of the apparatus of the aforementioned patents, an input force is applied in a direction parallel to the plane of cracking. The input force is converted to a direction perpendicular to the plane of cracking by a wedge arrangement. Wedges possess the disadvantage of introducing friction into the cracking apparatus. Consequently, the input forces must be greater than are necessary merely to crack the connecting rods.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,754,906 shows a connecting rod manufacturing system in which a hydraulic cylinder and piston are used to apply an input force that is perpendicular to the cracking plane. Thus, no mechanism for converting force direction is required. On the other hand, the system of U.S. Pat. No. 4,754,906 is expensive to manufacture and maintain, and it is not well suited for production use on a continuous basis.
To assure that the connecting rod cracks exclusively within the desired plane, it is vital that there be no relative rotation between the main rod section and the cap during the cracking process. The prior machines and processes, such as are disclosed in the previously mentioned patents, often employ rather elaborate clamps to hold the main rod section and the cap rotationally immovable relative to each other. Such clamping adds to the expense of the cracking machinery and is further undesirable from a maintenance standpoint.
Another common characteristic of the prior connecting rod cracking devices is that they are limited to a brittle material or manufactured by powder metallurgy techniques. Attempts to crack relatively ductile materials have heretofore been unsuccessful from a commercial standpoint. U.S. Pat. No. 4,768,694 shows a connecting rod fracturing machine cryogenic cooling stations for embrittling connecting rods prior to cracking them. Such cooling equipment and the related cooling processes are undesirably expensive and complicated.
A further drawback of the prior connecting rod cracking machinery is that they support the cracking dies, which extend through the crankshaft bore of the connecting rod, on only one end thereof. That is, the dies are supported in cantilever fashion on one side of the connecting rod. Consequently, the dies bend when the cracking forces are applied to them. Such bending results in non-uniform stresses being produced in the webs along the cracking plane. Faulty cracks are a likely consequence.
European patent 0 396 797 shows a rod cracking system in which an impulsive force is applied to a connecting rod in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the rod crankshaft bore. The connecting rod is placed over cantilever mounted fixed and movable dies. Separate clamps are installed between the free ends of the two dies and respective supports in an attempt to increase the rigidity of the dies. The separate clamps are cumbersome to handle and are impractical for commercial applications. A further disadvantage of the apparatus of European patent 0 396 797 and of several of the previously mentioned U.S. patents is that one or both of the dies are rigidly fixed to mechanisms that slide relative to the machine frame. During the cracking process, reaction forces are created between the sliding components, and those forces necessarily introduce friction into the system. Increased energy to overcome friction must therefore be applied in order to crack the rods.
Thus, a need exists for improved machines and processes for cracking connecting rods.


In a multi-processor system in which several processors compete for exclusive use of a shared resource, a claimant processor asserts exclusive access to a resource by determining whether there exists a competing claim to exclusive access to said resource and then posting a claim to exclusive access to said resource. Following lapse of an interval, the claimant processor then determines whether there exists a competing claim to exclusive access to said resource. Depending on whether or not such a claim exists, the claimant processor then either takes control of the resource or makes another attempt after waiting.

A data storage system can include several independent processors that cooperate to increase throughput of many tasks associated with data storage and retrieval. These processors typically communicate with each other by leaving messages in a shared memory. This shared memory is constantly available to the processors for reading and writing.
Certain tasks require that a processor use a particular system resource to the exclusion of other processors. When a processor is using such a system resource, it is useful to communicate to other processors that the system resource is busy. Conversely, when a processor is done using such a system resource, it is useful to communicate to other processors that the resource is now free.
One approach to providing such communication is to leave messages in the shared memory. However, because the memory is shared, it is possible for a race condition between processors to occur. In such cases, a processor may inadvertently overwrite a message. This can result in two processors attempting to use the same resource at the same time.
To avoid the possibility of having two processors overwrite each other's messages, it is possible to partition the shared memory and to allow a processor write-access to only its partition. However, as the number of processors increases, the amount of memory allocated to each processor decreases. This can result in a processor running short of memory even though considerable memory, which might be available were it not allocated to other processors, stands idle.
Another approach is to maintain a queue for each such resource. However, management of a queue consumes system overhead. It is therefore preferable to avoid such a solution whenever possible.

Inter-processor competition for a shared resource


A backlight device (illumination device) 80 includes a plurality of LEDs 22 and entrance ends 30a that light from the LEDs 22 enters, and further includes a plurality of light guide bars 30 that guide the light from the LEDs 22 and a bar-shaped attachment member 55 to which the LEDs 22 and the light guide bars 30 are attached.

Conventionally, as an illumination device that illuminates a display panel, a direct backlight device (for example, see patent document 1) and an edge light (side light) backlight device are known.
Patent document 1 described above discloses a liquid crystal display device including a direct backlight device using a lamp (fluorescent tube) as a light source. This liquid crystal display device includes a diecast frame that supports a backlight. The diecast frame is an integral structure formed with an outer frame part that has a rising part which protrudes to the side of a liquid crystal panel and a coupling part that couples the outer frame part. In the diecast frame, a hole formation space surrounded by the outer frame part and the coupling part is formed, and a space for holding the lamp is formed by the ringing part.
In the backlight device disclosed in patent document 1, the stiffness of the diecast frame is enhanced by the rising part, and the weight thereof is reduced by the provision of the hole formation space.
Here, since the fluorescent tube is generally formed with a glass tube, when the stiffness of the frame is low, the fluorescent tube is easily broken. Hence, it is necessary to use, as the frame, a highly stiff frame, such as a diecast frame, formed with an integral structure.
However, since the diecast frame is formed by melting and pouring metal into a die, even if the its weight is reduced by the provision of the hole formation space, the weight is heavy as compared with a chassis formed by processing a metal plate or the like. Hence, in patent document 1 where the diecast frame is provided, it is difficult to further reduce the weight of the backlight device.
On the other hand, in recent years, attention has been focused on a method of using a light emitting diode (LED) as a light source instead of a fluorescent tube. In a direct backlight device using LEDs as light sources, the light sources are arranged two-dimensionally (planarly) in a position directly below a display panel. In this case, it is difficult to reduce the number of light sources so that, while the increase in the thickness of the backlight device is reduced, the uniformity of illumination light is acquired. Hence, since the light sources are closely put within an illumination region, it is necessary to use, as a backlight chassis, a box-shaped chassis having a flat surface (flat bottom portion) for retaining the light sources substantially over the entire surface.
In an edge light backlight device, a light guide plate is arranged directly below a display panel, and light sources are arranged around the light guide plate. Hence, in the edge light backlight device, as compared with the direct backlight device, it is possible to reduce the number of light sources. In the edge light backlight device, the light guide plate described above is generally formed with one member having substantially the same area as the display panel.


Disclosed are chalcogenide-containing precursors for use in the manufacture of semiconductor, photovoltaic, LCD-TFT1 or flat panel type devices. Also disclosed are methods of synthesizing the chalcogenide-containing precursors and vapor deposition methods, preferably thermal ALD, using the chalcogenide-containing precursors to form chalcogenide-containing films.

Phase change memory (PCM) is a non-volatile memory commonly used in re-writable data storage media such as CDs and DVDs. The phenomenon relies on the ability of chalcogenide materials to exhibit unlimited and reversible phase change between their amorphous and crystalline phases, with each of these phases having very distinct optical and electrical properties. In electronic devices, each of these states is associated with one bit (0 or 1), which enables the storage of data.
The chalcogenide elements include sulfur, selenium, and tellurium. The chalcogenide materials used for PCM may take the form of an alloy and may include germanium and/or antimony. More particularly, Ge2Sb2Te5 (GST) is one of the most studied chalcogenide materials.
Chalcogenide materials may be deposited using sputter techniques. However, sputter techniques may not allow deposition of films of sufficient quality upon introduction of further scaling to tens of nanometers of 3D circuit. Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and atomic layer deposition (ALD) of chalcogenide materials may be needed to allow the manufacturing of giga-bit devices.
The synthesis of (Me3Si)3SiTeSiMe3 and HTeSi(SiMe3)3 is reported, as well as the potential use of these compounds as CVD materials [P. J. Bonasia et al., New reagents for the synthesis of compounds containing metal-tellurium bonds: sterically hindered silyltellurolate derivatives and the X-ray crystal structures of [(THF)2LiTeSi(SiMe3)3]2 and [(12-crown-4)2Li][TeSi(SiMe3)3], J. Am. Chem. Soc. (1992) 114, pp. 5209-5214].
Becker et al. report TMS3Si—Te—Me and TMS3Si—Te—Te—SiTMS3. Synthese, Struktur and Reaktivitat des Lithium-[tris-trimethylsilyl]silyl]tellanids—DME, Z. Anorg Allg. Chem. (1992) 613, pp. 7-18.
Breunig reports the syntheses and properties of stibino or bismuthino selenides or tellurides, such as MeSb(SeMe)2. Phosphorus and Sulfur, 1988, Vol. 38, pp. 97-102.
The problem the industry faces is finding precursors of germanium, antimony, tellurium, selenium, or sulfur which have enough similarities (volatility, decomposition temperature, reaction kinetics . . . ) to allow their use for deposition of chalcogenide-containing films, especially in thermal ALD mode. A plasma source is sometimes added to address this issue, but the radical species generated tend to damage the substrate and step coverage is usually insufficient.

Chalcogenide-containing precursors, methods of making, and methods of using the same for thin film deposition

L'Air Liquide, Société Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procédés Georges Claude


A plug socket is composed by a lower housing, an upper housing, a coiled spring strip and a turning tray. In the lower housing are provided with conductive clips. A circular trough is provided in the top portion of the upper housing. A plurality of plug slots and a hollow with a central hole are provided in the circular trough. The hollow is provided for the coiled spring strip to be placed in, and the inner wall of the hollow is provided with an inserting groove for the outer end of the coiled spring strip to be inserted into. The turning tray is provided to be inlaid in the circular trough. On the bottom of the turning tray is protrudently provided with an axle, which has an inserting groove for the inner end of the coiled spring strip to be inserted into. The axle is provided to penetrate through the passing hole and then to be pivoted in a retaining ring. The turning tray is provided with a plurality of plug slots. In normal times, the turning tray can cover the plug slots of the upper housing to prevent from dust and water and to prevent children from playing with the plug slots and from getting an electric shock.

Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a plug socket whose plug slots are covered in normal times in order to prevent from dust and water and to prevent children from playing with the plug slots and from getting an electric shock.
Generally speaking, children are very curious about everything so as to do many surprising things. For example, they would play with plugs and plug sockets and easily get an electric shock.


A concrete transit mixer truck includes a control system that automatically controls rotation of the mixer drum at a constant drum speed when the mixer truck is traveling. When sensed speed of the truck exceeds a threshold, the control system automatically causes a hydraulic system to rotate the drum at a constant speed, regardless of the truck engine speed.

The present invention relates to concrete transit mixing trucks. In particular, the invention relates to a control system for controlling rotation of the drum of the mixer truck while the truck is in motion.
Concrete transit mixer trucks are used to transport concrete to a worksite while mixing or agitating the payload of cement, aggregate, sand and water. Fins within the drum mix the payload as the drum rotates.
As the concrete constituents are initially loaded into the drum, and as the truck moves to the worksite, the drum is rotated in a first or charge direction, so that the payload tends to move away from discharge opening of the drum. At the worksite, the rotation of the drum is reversed so that it rotates in a second or discharge direction. The fins move the payload toward the discharge opening. A chute attached below the discharge opening delivers the concrete from the drum to the worksite.
The drum is rotated by a hydraulic drive. A hydraulic motor in the hydraulic drive is driven by the truck engine through a power takeoff connection. As a result, the speed of the hydraulic motor driving the drum will vary with engine speed.
The constantly moving concrete within the drum contacts the interior of the drum and fins. Over time, the fins and the interior lining of the drum will be worn to an extent that they require replacement. The replacement of the drum and the fins is an expensive repair.
On average, the drum and fins of a concrete transit mixer truck will require replacement about every 1.5 million revolutions of the drum. Thus, the faster the drum is rotated on average, the sooner the drum and fins will require replacement.
Some concrete transit mixer trucks have been provided with a constant drum speed feature, in which the hydraulic motor is operated at a constant speed, rather than at a variable speed that is a function of the truck engine speed. By using the constant drum speed feature while the truck is traveling to the worksite, the constant rotational speed of the drum will generally be less than the average rotational speed of the drum if the hydraulic motor were allowed to vary with engine speed. A 30 to 40 percent reduction in the number of revolutions can be achieved if constant drum speed is used whenever the truck is traveling to or from a worksite. This can yield significant benefits in maintenance costs for the truck. In addition, it can result in significant savings in fuel and a gain in effective horsepower, because the drum is not accelerated whenever the engine accelerates.
Despite the benefits of a constant drum speed feature, it has not achieved widespread usage, even among businesses owning the trucks with the constant drum speed feature. Because the driver must turn on the constant drum speed feature when traveling, the use of the constant speed feature is dependent upon the driver remembering to activate the system. In addition, many drivers believe that they can control the truck and the drum better themselves manually, and therefore choose not to use the constant speed feature.

Automatic drum rotation control concrete transit mixer truck


A thermally insulating member includes a plane sheet having two ends spaced in a length direction and two sides spaced in a thickness direction perpendicular to the length direction. The plane sheet includes a plurality of rows of slits between the ends of the plane sheet. Each row of slits extends from one of the sides through the other side of the plane sheet. A first spacing between two adjacent rows of slits in the length direction is larger than a spacing between two adjacent slits in the same row of slits in a width direction perpendicular to the length and width directions by a second spacing. A thermally insulating strip is defined between two adjacent rows of slits. A stretchable rib is formed between two adjacent slits in the same row of slits. Each end of the plane sheet is a coupling portion free of the slits.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a thermally insulating member and, more particularly, to a structure of a thermally insulating member providing an excellent thermally insulating effect and using less material for environmental protection as well as greatly reducing the costs for storage and transportation.
2. Description of the Related Art
Persons engaged in the fields of extremely developed industries and businesses must provide the customers with fast and satisfactory commodities or services so as to have a place in the competing markets. With regard to the restaurant business, hot foods to be consumed at certain temperatures, such as coffee, tea, boxed meals, are extremely valued markets by large businesses.
To allow easy carriage and hold of a hot food, a thermally insulating member 1 is generally provided around a packaging material of the hot food. The thermally insulating member 1 avoids the customer from scalding on the hands by the high temperature of the hot food while allowing the customer to directly hold the hot food.
With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the conventional thermally insulating member 1 mainly includes a wavy thermally insulating layer 11 and a surface layer 12. The thermally insulating layer 11 is bonded to the surface layer 12 by an adhesive. In use of the conventional thermally insulating member 1, it is wrapped around an outer periphery of the packaging material of the hot food. In an example of a coffee cup A0 shown in the drawing, the thermally insulating layer 11 directly abuts the outer periphery of the coffee cup A0. Since the thermally insulating layer 11 is wavy, the thermally insulating layer 11 is in discontinuous contact with the coffee cup A0 to reduce direct transmission of the high temperature from the hot food in the cup A0 to the thermally insulating member 1. Thus, the thermally insulating member 1 possesses a thermally insulating effect. After wrapping the thermally insulating member 1 around the cup A0, a customer can directly hold the thermally insulating member 1 to avoid scalding by the high temperature of the hot food in the cup A0, providing the customer with convenience while holding the hot food for eating.
Although the conventional thermally insulating member 1 can insulate the high temperature of the hot food, the thermally insulating effect of the thermally insulating member 1 is mainly provided by reducing the contact area between the thermally insulating layer 11 and the packaging material of the hot food by discontinuous contact. However, the thermally insulating layer 11 of the thermally insulating member 1 is wavy and, thus, contacts with the packaging material of the hot food by a strip-shaped area, which is still relatively large and, thus, provides a limited thermally insulating effect. Namely, the thermally insulating effect of the conventional thermally insulating member 1 should be improved.
With reference to FIG. 2, the conventional thermally insulating member 1 is in a flattened state when not in use. To avoid the loss of the thermally insulating effect of the thermally insulating layer 11, the wavy shape of the thermally insulating layer 11 must not be destroyed no matter in the storage or transportation state. Thus, the conventional thermally insulating member 1 occupies a considerable space during transportation. Particularly, the large volume of the conventional thermally insulating member 1 results in a high transportation cost and causes high costs to persons in the hot food industry using the thermally insulating member 1. As a result, persons in the hot food industry lose their competitiveness due to the increased costs.
Thus, how to provide a thermally insulating member that is low cost in use while providing an excellent thermally insulating effect is a problem to be solved by the manufacturers of the thermally insulating members.