The present invention discloses a semiconductor memory device that includes first and second memory banks. A first control signal generating circuit generates a first control signal responsive to an external clock. A first data output circuit transmits a first output data responsive to the first control signal. An internal clock signal generating circuit outputs first and second buffered clock signals responsive to the external clock. A second control signal generating circuit generates a second control signal responsive to the first buffered clock signal and the first control signal. A second data output circuit transmits a second output data responsive to the second control signal. A third data output circuit transmits a third output data responsive to the first and second buffered clock signals. The present invention prevents data read errors resulting from variations in power supply voltage and temperature.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor memory device and, more particularly, to a double data rate (DDR) semiconductor memory device and a data read method of the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional double data rate (DDR) semiconductor memory device includes a first circuit that latches and outputs data from a memory cell array responsive to a first control signal and a second circuit that latches and outputs data from the first circuit responsive to a second control signal. The first control signal is generated responsive to an external clock signal. The second control signal is generated responsive to a buffered clock signal that is generated from an internal clock signal generating circuit.
As with all power supplies, the power supply of the DDR semiconductor memory device has a range of possible voltage outputs. It may be at its normal, nominal, value. Or depending on other conditions may drop slightly below its nominal value, to a low power supply voltage. Or the output voltage may drop slightly above its nominal value, to a high power supply voltage. Similarly, the temperature of the DDR semiconductor memory is not constant and may move through a range. This variation in power supply voltage and circuit temperature effects the operation of the memory device. For example, a column selecting signal and the first control signal, which are dependant on an externally-applied clock signal, are advanced at high power supply voltage and low temperature. On the other hand, the buffered clock signal and the second control signal, which are dependant on an internal clock signal, are delayed at high power supply voltage and low temperature.
This is because the internal clock signal generating circuit includes a delay locked loop (DLL) or a phase locked loop (PLL) and is designed such that these circuits either advance or delay the buffered clock signal according to variations of power supply voltage and temperature so that data can be outputted at an exact time. That is, compared to normal operation, the internal clock signal generating circuit operates to delay the buffered clock signal at high power supply voltage and low temperature which can advance the first control signal. On the other hand, at low power supply voltage and high temperature the internal clock signal generating circuit operates to advance the buffered clock signal which can delay the first control signal.
However, a problem is created at high power supply voltage and low temperature in that the first control signal is advanced and the second control signal is delayed. This causes the first and second control signals to overlap, leading to data read errors.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a conventional DDR semiconductor memory device. The DDR semiconductor memory device of FIG. 1 includes a memory cell array 10 having a first (odd) memory bank and a second (even) memory bank, a column decoder 12, sense amplifiers 14-1 and 14-2, multiplexers 16-1 and 16-2, data output buffers 18-1 and 18-2, a data output driver 20, a first control signal generating circuit 22, an internal clock signal generating circuit 24, and a second control signal generating circuit 26.
In FIG. 1, SA denotes the sense amplifiers 14-1 and 14-2, DBMUX denotes the multiplexers 16-1 and 16-2, DOB denotes the data output buffers 18-1 and 18-2, and DOD denotes the data output driver 20.
The DDR semiconductor memory device of FIG. 1 operates as follows. The first and second memory banks read data from memory cells selected by a word line (not shown) and a bit line (not shown). The first and second memory banks then output a data DOO and DOE, respectively.
A clock signal CLK is generated by buffering a clock signal applied from an external portion. The column decoder 12 decodes an address Ai applied from an external portion to generate a column selecting signal CSL responsive to the clock signal CLK. The sense amplifiers 14-1 and 14-2 amplify the data DOO and DOE to output first data FDOO and FDOE, respectively, responsive to a first control signal FRP. The multiplexers 16-1 and 16-2 latch the first data FDOO and FDOE to output a second data SDOO and SDOE, respectively, responsive to a second control signal SRP. The data output buffers 18-1 and 18-2 buffer the data SDOO and SDOE to generate data DQO and DQE, respectively, responsive to buffered clock signals CLKDQF and CLKDQS. The data output driver 20 drives the data DQO and DQE to generate an output data DQ. The first control signal generating circuit 22 generates the first control signal FRP responsive to the clock signal CLK. The internal clock signal generating circuit 24 generates the buffered clock signals CLKDQF and CLKDQS responsive to the clock signal CLK. The internal clock signal generating circuit 24 may be composed of a Delay Locked Loop (DLL) or a Phase Locked Loop (PLL). The second control signal generating circuit 26 receives the buffered clock signal CLKDQF to generate the second control signal SRP.
FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the second control signal generating circuit of the conventional DDR semiconductor memory device. The second control signal generating circuit of FIG. 2 includes an inversion and delay circuit 40 and a NOR gate NOR1.
The second control signal generating circuit of FIG. 2 operates as follows. The inversion and delay circuit 40 inverts the buffered clock signal CLKDQF and delays it for a predetermined time period. The NOR gate NOR1 NORs an output signal of the inversion and delay circuit 40 and the buffered clock signal CLKDQF to generate the second control signal SRP. The second control signal SRP has a pulse width set by the length of time the buffered clock signal CLKDQF is delayed by the invert and delay circuit 40 and is responsive to a falling transition of the buffered clock signal CLKDQF.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the conventional DDR semiconductor memory device generates the column selecting signal CSL and the first control signal FRP by using the external clock signal CLK while the second control signal SRP and the buffered clock signals CLKDQF and CLKDQS are generated by using the internal clock signal generating circuit. Thus, the column selecting signal CSL and the first control signal FRP move in opposite directions from the second control signal SRP and the buffered clock signals CLKDQF and CLKDQS based on a variation in a power supply voltage and temperature.
FIG. 3 is a timing diagram of a read operation of the semiconductor memory device of FIG. 1 operating with an adequate power supply voltage and at room temperature (normal operating conditions), where a read command RD is applied, and after 2.5 clock cycles data is outputted to an external portion with a burst length of 4.
When a read command RD is applied responsive to a rising edge of a clock signal CLK, the column decoder 12 generates a column selecting signal CSL responsive to the clock signal CLK. The first and second memory banks sequentially output data DOO1 and DOE1 and data DOO2 and DOE2 responsive to the column selecting signal CSL, respectively. The sense amplifiers 14-1 and 14-2 sequentially amplify the data DOO1 and DOE1 and the data DOO2 and DOE2 to sequentially output a data FDOO1 and FDOE1 and a data FDOO2 and FDOE2, respectively, responsive to a first control signal FRP. The multiplexers 16-1 and 16-2 sequentially latch the data FDOO1 and FDOE1 and the data FDOO2 and FDOE2 to sequentially generate a data SDOO1 and SDOE1 and a data SDOO2 and SDOE2, respectively, responsive to a second control signal SRP.
The data output buffers 18-1 and 18-2 sequentially buffer the data SDOO1 and SDOE1 and the data SDOO2 and SDOE2 to sequentially output a data DQO1 and DQE1 and a data DQO2 and DQE2, respectively, responsive to the buffered clock signals CLKDQF and CLKDQS. The data output driver 20 sequentially drives the data DQO1 and DQE1 and the data DQO2 and DQE2 outputted from the data output buffers 18-1 and 18-2 to generate output data DQ1 to DQ4.
FIG. 4 is a timing diagram illustrating a read operation of the semiconductor memory device of FIG. 1 operating under high power supply voltage and low temperature conditions. When a read command RD is applied, and after 2.5 clock cycles data is outputted to an external portion with a burst length of 4. The dotted lines of FIG. 4 denote when the signals of FIG. 3 are generated.
As shown in FIG. 4, when the semiconductor memory device operates at a high power supply voltage and low temperature, the column selecting signal CSL and the first control signal FRP, which are generated responsive to a clock signal CLK, are advanced compared to that of FIG. 3. One the other hand the buffered clock signals CLKDQF and CLKDQS and the second control signal SRP are delayed compared to that of FIG. 3. Therefore, there exists a time period T1 when the second pulse of the first control signal FRP and the first pulse of the second control signal SRP overlap. Therefore, the data SDOO1 and SDOE1, which are outputted responsive to the first pulse of the second control signal SRP, are not transmitted completely, but the data SDOO2 and SDOE2, which are outputted responsive to the first pulse of the second control signal SRP, are transmitted completely. Also, the data DQO1 generated responsive to the first pulse of the buffered clock signal CLKDQF is not transmitted completely, and the data DQE1 generated responsive to the first pulse of the buffered clock signal CLKDQS is not transmitted. Consequently, the order of the output data is changed, and the output data DQ2 is not generated, leading to a data read error. The origin of the data error is the overlap of the second pulse of the first control signal FRP and the first pulse of the second control signal SRP.
FIG. 5 is a timing diagram illustrating a read operation of the semiconductor memory device of FIG. 1 operating under low power supply voltage and high temperature conditions. When a read command RD is applied, and a data is outputted to an external portion after 2.5 clock cycles with a burst length of 4. Dotted lines of FIG. 5 denote when signals of FIG. 3 are generated.
As shown in FIG. 5, when the semiconductor memory device operates under low power supply voltage and high temperature conditions, the column selecting signal CSL and the first control signal FRP, which are generated responsive to the external clock signal CLK, are delayed compared to that of FIG. 3. On the other hand, the buffered clock signals CLKDQF and CLKDQS and the second control signal SRP are advanced compared to that of FIG. 3. Therefore, there exists a time period T2 when the first pulse of the first control signal FRP and the first pulse of the second control signal SRP overlap.
However, in this case, responsive to the second control signal SRP, the data SDOO1 and SDOE1 and the data SDOO2 and SDOE2 are completely latched and then outputted, whereby the output data DQ1 to DQ4 are sequentially outputted.
As described above, the conventional DDR semiconductor memory device does not cause a data read error operating under normal conditions or low power supply voltage and high temperature conditions but does causes a data read error operating under high power supply voltage and low temperature conditions. This data read error occurs when an overlap occurs between the (n+1)th pulse of the first control signal FRP and the nth pulse of the second control signal SRP.

Semiconductor memory device and data read method of the same


A method of etching an article having a substrate, an etchable film and a mask layer having a pattern formed therein includes the step of exposing the article to an etchant gas mixture which includes a halogen-containing gas and an inert gas. An etching profile is formed which is substantially smooth across an interface between the etchable film and the mask layer. The method is particularly useful in producing components of articles such as flat-panel displays.

Conventional etching methods typically include the steps of applying a photoresist to an article having an etchable film, for example, aluminum or amorphous silicon, supported on a substrate. The photoresist is selectively exposed and developed to form a mask layer over the film. The portions of the film not covered by the mask layer are etched to remove the exposed portions of the etchable film. Finally, the mask layer is removed, for example, by use of a solvent.
Known etching processes include "wet" etching. In a wet etching process, the article to be etched is exposed to an etching solution, such as a solution including hydrofluoric acid (HF). Wet etching processes are described, for example, in S. Ghandhi, VLSI Fabrication Principles (2d. Ed., John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, N.Y. 1994), pp. 589-613.
Wet etching processes, however, suffer from various disadvantages. For example, it is usually impracticable to change the etching solution after each article is processed; etching solutions typically are changed once per week. As a result, particles and residues accumulate in the etching solution. These accumulations tend to reduce the quality of the etching over time. Another problem is lack of uniformity. Wet etching processes are often incapable of uniformly removing an exposed etchable film over the entire exposed surface of the article, and in particular can suffer from undercutting of the etchable film. Such processes furthermore require a substantial area for the required etching tanks, rinsing tanks, drying apparatus, etc. Finally, wet etching processes, particularly those using strong etchant solutions and/or organic solvents, are environmentally hostile and generate significant disposal problems.
Dry etching methods avoid many of the problems associated with wet etching methods in the production of integrated circuits. Dry etching methods are described, for example, in the above-noted publication at pp. 613-624. Such methods include dry physical etching methods, such as ion beam etching and sputter etching, and dry chemical etching. Dry etching methods typically utilize fewer chemicals and in smaller quantities, are readily automated, and give rise to fewer disposal problems.
In producing integrated circuits, it is important that the etching process employed produce a substantially vertical profile in the etched film. FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a conventional dry etching process. In FIG. 1, an article including a substrate 10, an etchable film 12 (for example, an aluminum film or an amorphous silicon film), and a mask layer 14 in which a pattern 16 is formed is exposed to an etchant gas. Alternatively, the article can be subjected to plasma etching. Mask layer 14 has a mask surface 18 which forms a first etch angle .theta..sub.1, with respect to etchable film 12. After removal of the exposed portion of etchable film 12 by the selected etching process, the surface 20 of the etchable film 12 forms a second etch angle .theta..sub.2 with respect to substrate 10, as shown in FIG. 2. Surface 20 preferably forms an angle .theta..sub.2 of about 85.degree.-90.degree., preferably approximately 90.degree..
In the illustrated process, etchable film 12 etches at rate R.sub.F, and mask layer 14 etches at rate R.sub.M. The ratio of the two rates, R.sub.F /R.sub.M, preferably is substantially greater than one, and is typically about 4 to 10. The high etch rate of film 12 with respect to mask layer 14 enables formation of a substantially vertical etching profile in film 12, as shown in FIG. 2.
In other applications, however, such as the production of flat panel displays (FPDs), it is important to produce a profile which is inclined with respect to the vertical, i.e., a tapered profile. As shown in FIG. 3, it may be desired to produce an etch angle .theta..sub.2 in etchable layer 12 which is between about 15.degree. and 60.degree.. To produce such a tapered profile, it is desirable that the respective etch rates of film 12 and mask layer 14 are more nearly equal in value, preferably such that the ratio R.sub.F /R.sub.M is less than about 2, very preferably between about 1 and 2.
Problems arise in producing tapered profiles. It is difficult, for example, to achieve the desired low ratio of R.sub.F to R.sub.M with known dry etching techniques. More significantly, it is difficult to completely etch the interface 22 at which etchable film 12 and mask layer 14 meet. The difficulty arises due the presence of oxidation products, such as alumina (Al.sub.2 O.sub.3) in the case of an aluminum film 12 or silicon dioxide (SiO.sub.2) in the case of an amorphous silicon film 12, which may be present in a surface region 24 of film 12, and/or the presence of mask residues. If interface 22 is etched at a lower rate than mask 14 and film 12, a "ledge" 26 is formed at interface 22, as shown in FIG. 4, and a continuous tapered contour cannot be produced.
In known processes for producing a tapered etch profile, chlorine-based etching chemistry is frequently employed. For example, when etchable film 12 is an aluminum film, boron chloride (BCl.sub.3) and chlorine gas (Cl.sub.2) are employed. Initially, BCl.sub.3 removes the Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 oxidation products from surface region 24 of the exposed aluminum film 12. The mixture of BCl.sub.3 and Cl.sub.2 is then used to etch aluminum film 12 and mask 14. However, the gas mixture does not remove the Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 from interface 22 as effectively as it removes film 12 and mask 14. This again results in formation of a ledge 26, preventing a smooth etch profile from being formed across film 12 and mask layer 14.
Processes for etching a film 12 of other known materials also encounter problems with ledge formation. When film 12 is an amorphous silicon film, BCl.sub.3 typically removes the silicon oxidation products from surface region 24 of exposed silicon film 12. Cl.sub.2 is then used to etch silicon film 12. Again, Cl.sub.2 does not remove the silicon from interface 22 at the same rate as it removes film 12 and mask layer 14, and a tapered contour cannot readily be formed.
A need exists for a dry etching method that enables production of an etched article, such as a FPD, having a smooth, continuous tapered etch profile which is substantially free of ledges and other irregularities.


According to some embodiments, a wheel restraint system comprises a chock track coupled to a vehicle transport, an anchor mandrel, a ratchet mandrel, and a strap. The anchor mandrel is coupled to the chock track on a first side of a vehicle tire and comprises a pair of strap guides. The distance between the pair of strap guides is wider than the strap. The ratchet mandrel is coupled to the chock track on a second side of the tire. The ratchet mandrel comprises a ratchet for applying a rotational force and a slot for receiving the strap. The slot is wider than the strap. One end of the strap is coupled to the anchor mandrel and the other is inserted into the ratchet mandrel slot. Applying a rotational force to the ratchet mandrel produces a tightening force that tightens the strap around a portion of the vehicle tire.

Automobile manufacturers often transport vehicles via railroad lines on multi-deck railcars, such as autoracks. In general, larger vehicles (such as trucks and SUVs) are transported on bi-level autoracks and smaller vehicles (such as compact cars and sedans) are transported on tri-level autoracks. Conventional systems for restraining vehicles during transport vary depending on the type of autorack. For example, bi-level autoracks typically employ wheel chocks that attach to steel wire grating panels fastened to the driving surface of a deck of the autorack ("bi-level vehicle restraint system"), while tri-level autoracks typically employ wheel chocks that attach to and are cantilevered over a raised "hat" shaped steel extrusion welded to the deck adjacent to the driving surface ("tri-level vehicle restraint system"). Moreover, bi-level vehicle restraint systems are often designed to effectively secure larger vehicles, but not smaller vehicles. And tri-level vehicle restraint systems are usually designed to effectively secure smaller vehicles, but not larger vehicles.
Passenger vehicles and light trucks are equipped with many different widths of tires. The tri-level wheel chock uses a strap to restrain the vehicle during transportation on a rail car. The strap is connected to an anchor mandrel or chock body. The strap is then placed over the tire's treads and is attached to a ratchet mandrel (which may be interchangeably referred to herein as a winch mandrel). The end of the strap is fed through a slot in the ratchet mandrel. The slot allows for the strap end to be pulled through, slack taken up and adjusted to length. The strap is then tightened by rotating the ratchet mandrel. This causes wrapping of the strap upon itself, which creates friction so that the strap cannot be pulled out of the slot.
In existing systems, the wheel chock, ratchet mandrel and anchor mandrels have a fixed location for the strap slot and strap anchor points. The wheel chock or vehicle restraint system is attached to a raised chock track. The Association of American Railroads (AAR) loading rules state that the vehicle's tire sidewall must not be any closer than ½″ from the track sidewall with the optimum spacing of 2″ from the track sidewall, which works well for medium and large sized tires. Vehicles are often parked off center to allow for driver's egress by increasing the driver's door swing clearance.
Vehicles with narrow tires using these AAR loading rules (or vehicles that are parked off center) often have the strap installed off the center of the tire treads (and sometimes on the shoulder of the tire treads). The shoulder of the tire tread has a radius that may cause the strap to slip off from movement developed during transportation. The strap is also equipped with rubber cleats designed to engage the treads of the tire to restrain the tire in the cross car direction and to prevent the strap from pulling off the tire in case of impact force induced yawing or truck hunting induced side-to-side motion. Often, these cleats are not engaged into a tire tread since the location of the centerline of the strap is fixed, and the vehicle cross car position varies. The strap on a shoulder of a tire or with the strap cleat not inserted into a tread may be worked off the tire tread easier.

Variable strap location on wheel restraint system


An open-ended, cylindrically configured cleaning cloth sleeve having elasticized openings at both ends for the purpose of securing the device, as positioned, on the hand, wrist or forearm of a user. The elasticized openings provide ready accessibility to the hand when dusting or cleaning, or immediate withdrawal to the wrist or forearm for temporary storage when not in use. The elasticized openings allow instant hand, finger or fingertip protrusion and retraction while the device remains on the hand of a user.

Most dusting-cleaning cloths are traditionally manufactured as rectangular cut, one-dimensional cloths, available in a variety of fabrics. A flat cloth is quite adequate for most cleaning, dusting or drying tasks—especially when dealing with large, flat surfaces. And most professional cleaning persons prefer a flat cloth to most alternative choices such as the various sundry of cleaning gloves or mitts currently on the market. A mitt restricts the thumb and therefore prevents full contact with the complete surface of the cleaning fabric matter. A flat, open cleaning cloth is more versatile in experienced hands. However, a loose cleaning cloth is easily misplaced or left behind when working a multi-task job.
In recent times, various forms of gloves, mitts or envelope configurations have appeared in the marketplace. These assorted hand enclosures are usually designed for more limited applications than the traditional rectangular cloth, but are popular items in routine household usage. But like the one-dimensional cloth, they are easily misplaced. And these products waste both time and motion in the very act of removing and replacing them on the hand when switching tasks. Such hand enclosures also need to be removed when handling or operating other tools for safety reasons.


A system, apparatus and method for facilitating the selection, purchasing and ordering glass products, which is informative to guide a novice user in selecting a glass product, even where the glass is comprised of glass panels of more than one manufacturer, the present invention providing an apparatus with a processor which is controlled by software to facilitate a selection process which integrates the comparison of glass products and their properties, as well as, including particular properties of particular components of a glass product, the apparatus can work with a user input device, such as a keyboard or mouse, and is programmed to display graphics associated with selections and potential selections for glass products. The system and method providing selection menus for display on a display device and an animation graphic associated with a selection presented to the user. The system, apparatus, and method integrates the glass product selection information which the user chooses, and preferably the invention makes selections for the user, based on the user's previous choices and specified target performances to present to the user potential glass products.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a method, apparatus and system for selecting, ordering and purchasing glass products, in particular glass fabrication products used in the construction of doors, windows, skylights, storefront, curtainwall, and other residential and commercial glass applications.
2. Brief Description of the Related Art
Glass panels are used widely in the construction of buildings, and are primarily used in the form of a door or window. The glass window or door panel may comprise a single layer of glass, or multiple layers of glass, laminated together or separated with an insulating material or gas there between. For example, insulating glass fabrications may have two panels of glass separated by an insulator, such as air or argon gas, which is sealed between the glass panels.
Glass products are utilized to satisfy a variety of aesthetic as well as functional requirements. For example, an architect designing a structure, such as a building or dwelling, typically begins the glass selection process by specifying certain colors for the glass which will comprise the windows or doors. Architects and designers may select certain colors for glass in residential and commercial applications. Glass color is integrated by the designer or architect in conjunction with the other building materials, including their textures and colors.
The color of glass may affect other physical properties of the glass or bear a relationship to characteristics of the glass. For example, performance characteristics for glass, may include colors, transmission, reflection, transparency, absorption, thickness, weight, and other physical or observable properties. In the past it has been time-consuming and difficult to determine the glass requirements to be included in a glass specification. For example, one traditional way to obtain information needed in writing a glass specification is to manually sort through numerous catalogs, or reference sheets identifying characteristics for glass. This method generally involves looking through a manufacturer's catalog to ascertain whether there is a particular glass that meets ones requirements for color and performance. Often an individual may look to more than one manufacturer's catalog and continue this process in search of a particular glass, or glass fabrication. The process is even more complex when more than a single glass panel is involved, as many glass specifications written today comprise insulating glass or laminated glass panels. Many codes and regulations mandate minimum insulation requirements that must be met by the specified glass products. The selection of glass products has largely been through reference to a single company's product catalog, presenting for selection the glass products of that company.
Another traditional way to arrive at a glass product is to consult a trained product representative who would utilize a computer software program, which is essentially a database of glass information from which calculations may be made. This type of program does not provide a specification, but rather, provides a basic result of a calculation. One would then take the numbers obtained from the calculation and interpret them in order to finalize the glass selection process. From there, the glass specification would be developed. With this prior method, it appears that even after ascertaining the calculated values, there still needs to be prepared a glass specification, which requires the utilization of the information from the calculations obtained with the program. Once calculated, in the event that the glass performance characteristics specification do not satisfy the target performance requirements, changes would require recalculating the numbers in order to provide acceptable color and performance characteristics. The recalculation can take place many times before a desirable specification is obtained, and the recalculation generally requires that the user perform an additional calculation, in the same manner as the first calculation. This process is not only time consuming, but requires users to start over each time a new calculation is to be performed. And even then, after determining that a particular glass product, when the performance calculation is completed, would potentially meet the properties desired, after arriving at a glass specification, often a sample must be obtained to visually evaluate the glass. Since the calculation may be time consuming, calculating, deriving a specification and obtaining a sample may be done several times before a suitable glass selection is arrived at. This process can often take several days or much longer.
The software available for use in connection with the calculation of numeric values for certain properties of glass products generally requires the user to have detailed prior knowledge in order to select a glass for a starting point. From there, the type of glass which the user selects, either from the user's own prior knowledge or a catalog, could be tested to determine whether that selection would be appropriate for the performance properties desired. A drawback of this type of process is that the user was essentially required to possess particular knowledge in order to select a starting point to make a glass selection. From there, calculations would be made and the user could test the calculations arrived at with the program against the desired performance properties for the glass. If the performance properties were not acceptable, then the user would repeat the calculation from the beginning, selecting another glass product to test.
One example of a prior software program used in connection with glass products is WINDOW 4.1, a program which compares a user's glass product input with a database of glass performance characteristics for the selected glass product to determine the selected product performance properties. The database information for the program comprises measured characteristics for a number of glass products which are recalled when the associated glass product is selected by the user.
In many instances selecting a glass product is even more complex, since a glass fabrication may, as mentioned above, comprise a composite of one or more glass panels which can be laminated together, include glass coatings or other performance enhancing materials. Further adding to the array of the glass structure may be films or layers between the composite, such as insulating materials including air, argon or other gases. All of these additional components affect the performance characteristics of the glass. In addition, often, it may not be desirable for a single manufacturer of a glass panel to supply both panels or components used to comprise a glass product. This may be the case, for example, where the glass product is an insulating or laminated product. In many instances, it may be necessary to utilize products for an insulating or laminated glass product which are supplied by one or more different manufacturers. This further adds to the complexity of selecting glass products and arriving at a glass specification which will satisfy the performance characteristics desired for the application. Designers who work with glass products which are a significant element of a structure or other design, a most common example being window panels of a building, must take into consideration the performance properties of the glass, and if laminated, coated, or multi-layered, the properties of any other materials, as well as their cumulative or combined effect on the glass.
A need exists for a way to facilitate glass selection so that experienced or novice users may arrive at a glass specification to facilitate selecting a glass product, ordering a glass product, and purchasing a glass product, without requiring the user to preselect a product, and which is informative to guide the user in selecting a glass product, even where the glass is comprised of glass panels of more than one manufacturer.

Method, apparatus and system for selecting, ordering and purchasing glass products


A miniaturized hockey game having a wall structure and a floor structure configured to represent a hockey rink along with hockey sticks and a puck. The wall structure is removable from the floor structure. To that end the floor structure include recessed grooves for receiving and supporting the wall structure. A faceoff platform is on top of a dividing wall of the wall structure. The wall structure includes scoring apertures for simulating nets and center apertures for providing obstacles to increase the difficulty of play. In use players stand along the perimeter of the hockey game and manipulate a puck using their hockey sticks to cause the puck to pass through the scoring apertures to score points.

Hockey is one (1) of the fastest growing sports in the United States. While traditionally hockey was a winter sport only played in colder regions, one can now find hockey leagues in the spring, summer, and fall all across the United States. Fast, exciting, and fun, hockey can be, and is, played by the very young to the very old. From junior leagues to international teams, millions of Americans simply love hockey.
Hockey is a game usually associated with ice. Unfortunately this greatly reduces the possibility for many people to enjoy hockey. In addition to those without access to a hockey rink there are those who are out of shape, perhaps elderly or disabled, who have a different skill level than other players, or who for a variety of other reasons are not able to enjoy the physical aspects of hockey as played on ice.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a means by which the fun, competition, and thrills associated with the game of hockey can be enjoyed by all, regardless of access to a hockey rink. Beneficially such a means would enable multiple people to compete in a challenging environment. Preferably such a means would be easy to use, low in cost, simulate hockey play, could be used both indoors and outdoors, and would not require too much space.


A ball sleeve coupled between inner sliding rail and outer sliding rail of a hidden sliding track assembly is disclosed having four longitudinal rows of openings for accommodating balls, a narrow thin wall portion longitudinally extended on the middle between two distal ends of the top wall thereof through which the user can expand said sleeve body for easy installation of the balls in the openings and easy coupling of the ball sleeve to the inner sliding rail of a hidden sliding track assembly, and a plurality of recessed bearing portions respectively disposed at two sides of each of opening for supporting the balls in the openings.

The present invention relates to a hidden sliding track assembly for drawer or the like and more specifically, to a ball sleeve for use in the inner sliding rail of a hidden sliding track assembly, which has a narrow thin wall portion on the middle of the top wall of the sleeve body thereof for easy installation, and recessed bearing portions for supporting balls in respective openings in the sleeve body.
A regular ball sleeve 6 for use in a hidden sliding track assembly (see FIG. 1) has a sleeve body 61 of substantially η-shaped cross section. The sleeve body has four longitudinal rows of openings 611 respectively arranged in four angles of the inside space. Balls 7 are respectively mounted in the openings 611 by means of the application of a special mold and a special machine. After installation of the balls 7 in the openings 611, the ball sleeve 6 is coupled to the inner sliding rail 8 and the outer sliding rail 9. This ball sleeve installation procedure is complicated. In order to prevent falling of balls 7 out of the openings 611 of the sleeve body 61, the sleeve body 61 must be coupled to inner sliding rail 8 and the outer sliding rail 9 step by step each time a limited number of balls 7 have been installed in the openings 611. Further, the mounting tools are expensive.
The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is therefore one object of the present invention to provide a ball sleeve for use in the inner sliding rail of a hidden sliding track assembly, which is easy to install. It is another object of the present invention to provide a ball sleeve for use in the inner sliding rail of a hidden sliding track assembly, which is inexpensive to manufacture.
According to one aspect of the present invention, the ball sleeve has a narrow thin wall portion longitudinally extended on the middle between the two ends of the top wall of the sleeve body thereof through which the user can expand the sleeve body for easy installation of balls in the openings and easy coupling of the ball sleeve to the inner sliding rail of a hidden sliding track. According to another aspect of the present invention, the sleeve body of the ball sleeve further has a plurality of recessed bearing portions respectively disposed at two sides of each opening for supporting the balls in the openings, keeping the balls rotatably in close contact between the inner sliding rail and outer sliding rail of the hidden sliding track assembly.

Ball sleeve for use in the inner sliding rail of a hidden sliding track assembly


A cooling device for an electronic component, includes: a metal pipe; a metal foil provided on an external surface of the metal pipe; and a thermally-cured resin layer that bonds the external surface of the metal pipe and the metal foil together.

In recent years, an electric vehicle, a fuel cell vehicle, a hybrid electric vehicle and the like using electricity as a driving force instead of an internal combustion engine have drawn attention. In these vehicles, power is obtained by supplying electrical energy stored in batteries to motors via inverters and driving them. Since high-currents flow through these inverters, heat generated at electronic components called power semiconductors such as IGBTs (insulated-gate type bipolar transistors) constituting the inverters increases. Accordingly, a cooling device having a large cooling capacity for cooling the electronic components is required.
Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2008-221951) discloses a method in which an electronic component (an inverter 10) is fixed directly on a cooling device including a metal pipe, and a coolant is caused to flow in the metal pipe of the cooling device to cool the electronic component.

Method for manufacturing a cooling device for electronic component


Apparatuses, methods, and systems are disclosed for hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledgment bundling. One apparatus includes a processor that generates a hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledgment bundle for transmission in a first available feedback resource. In such an apparatus, the hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledgment bundle includes a first number of hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledgements of first hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledgments, and the number of hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledgments is less than a threshold number of hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledgments. The apparatus also includes a transmitter that transmits the hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledgment bundle in the first available feedback resource.

The following abbreviations are herewith defined, at least some of which are referred to within the following description: Third Generation Partnership Project ("3GPP"), Positive-Acknowledgment ("ACK"), Binary Phase Shift Keying ("BPSK"), Clear Channel Assessment ("CCA"), Cyclic Prefix ("CP"), Channel State Information ("CSI"), Code Division Multiple Access ("CDMA"), Common Search Space ("CSS"), Downlink Control Information ("DCI"), Downlink ("DL"), Downlink Pilot Time Slot ("DwPTS"), Enhanced Clear Channel Assessment ("eCCA"), Evolved Node B ("eNB"), European Telecommunications Standards Institute ("ETSI"), Further Enhancement MTC ("FeMTC"), Frame Based Equipment ("FBE"), Frequency Division Duplex ("FDD"), Frequency Division Multiple Access ("FDMA"), Guard Period ("GP"), Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request ("HARQ"), Licensed Assisted Access ("LAA"), Load Based Equipment ("LBE"), Listen-Before-Talk ("LBT"), Long Term Evolution ("LTE"), Machine Type Communication ("MTC"), Multiple Input Multiple Output ("MIMO"), Multi User Shared Access ("MUSA"), Negative-Acknowledgment ("NACK") or ("NAK"), Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing ("OFDM"), Primary Cell ("PCell"), Physical Broadcast Channel ("PBCH"), Physical Downlink Control Channel ("PDCCH"), Physical Downlink Shared Channel ("PDSCH"), Pattern Division Multiple Access ("PDMA"), Physical Hybrid ARQ Indicator Channel ("PHICH"), Physical Random Access Channel ("PRACH"), Physical Resource Block ("PRB"), Physical Uplink Control Channel ("PUCCH"), Physical Uplink Shared Channel ("PUSCH"), Quality of Service ("QoS"), Quadrature Phase Shift Keying ("QPSK"), Radio Resource Control ("RRC"), Random Access Procedure ("RACH"), Resource Spread Multiple Access ("RSMA"), Round Trip Time ("RTT"), Receive ("RX"), Sparse Code Multiple Access ("SCMA"), Scheduling Request ("SR"), Single Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access ("SC-FDMA"), Secondary Cell ("SCell"), Shared Channel ("SCH"), Signal-to-Interference-Plus-Noise Ratio ("SINR"), System Information Block ("SIB"), Transport Block ("TB"), Transport Block Size ("TBS"), Time-Division ("TD"), Time-Division Duplex ("TDD"), Time Division Multiplex ("TDM"), Transmission Time Interval ("TTI"), Transmit ("TX"), Uplink Control Information ("UCI"), User Entity/Equipment ("Mobile Terminal") ("UE"), Uplink ("UL"), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System ("UMTS"), Uplink Pilot Time Slot ("UpPTS"), Ultra-reliable and Low-latency Communications ("URLLC"), and Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access ("WiMAX"). As used herein, "HARQ-ACK" may represent collectively the Positive Acknowledge ("ACK") and the Negative Acknowledge ("NAK"). ACK means that a TB is correctly received while NAK means a TB is erroneously received.
In certain wireless communications networks, HARQ may be used. Various differences exist between HARQ implementation in FDD systems and TD-LTE. For example, in FDD systems, for a transmission on subframe N, a HARQ-ACK message is sent on subframe N+4. The reason for the 4 subframe delay in the transmission of a HARQ-ACK message may be due to a processing delay of about 3 ms at the receiver. If the HARQ-ACK message is a NAK, retransmission may be scheduled on subframe N+8 for UL transmissions while the DL retransmission may be asynchronous.
In TD-LTE, a time association between the data transmission and the HARQ-ACK may not be maintained due to the variable numbers of DL and UL subframes present in a frame. Specifically, the UL and DL delay between data and HARQ-ACK is dependent on a TDD configuration chosen. Therefore, a fixed delay between a transmission and the HARQ-ACK is not possible in TD-LTE. In TDD, a delay between the transmission and the HARQ-ACK depends on both a TDD configuration and a subframe in which the data was transmitted. A fixed delay cannot be assured because subframes are allocated to DL and UL depending on the configuration. For example, in TDD configuration 1, there are some DL subframes for which the nearest UL subframe (greater than a separation of 4 or more subframes) is 7 subframes away.
In TD-LTE, a number of DL subframes in a frame is not necessarily equal to a number of UL subframes in a frame. For instance, configurations 0-5 have more DL subframes than UL subframes. Consequently, data transmission from multiple DL subframes needs to be acknowledged in a certain UL subframe and vice-versa for certain cases for the UL data transmission. Accordingly, the transmission of multiple HARQ-ACK messages in UL or DL subframes is a unique feature of TD-LTE as compared to FDD. For example, in TDD configuration 1, DL data in subframe 0 and subframe 1 are acknowledged in subframe 7 to avoid further delays. In certain configurations, HARQ-ACK bundling and/or HARQ-ACK multiplexing may be used; however, certain HARQ-ACK bundling and/or HARQ-ACK multiplexing may not be efficient and/or optimal.

Hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledgment bundling


A winding body for holding a winding of an electrical conductor to produce a coil for an electrical machine includes a winding area formed by a winding support and two sidepieces connected to the winding support. The sidepieces form the boundaries of the winding area and are connected to the winding support. Various measures are proposed for mounting a compact winding on the winding body, for arranging the winding body without play and in an operationally reliable manner on a tooth of an electrical machine, and for wiring several coils together in a space-saving manner by using the winding body.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a winding body for holding a winding of an electrical conductor to produce a coil for an electrical machine, the winding body having a winding area formed by a winding support and two sidepieces which form the boundaries of the winding area, the sidepieces being connected to the winding support.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 6,541,888 discloses a coil body which is used with a second coil body to produce a coil designed to be mounted on a tooth of a rotor or stator yoke of an electrical machine. In their totality, the individual coils on the stator form a concentrated winding of an electrical machine. Each coil has an individual conductor strand. The leading and trailing ends of adjacent ones of the coils are connected electrically to each other by linking the conductors of the coils.

Winding body for a coil of an electrical machine


A heat-resistant hollow cylindrical container comprising a neck, a shoulder, an upper body, a middle body provided with pressure reduction absorbing panels, and a lower body including a bottom wall, wherein said pressure reduction absorbing panels are arranged symmetrically relative to a central axis of the container, each of said pressure reduction absorbing panels is located inside an imaginary outer periphery of the cylindrical shape of the container, and each of said pressure reduction absorbing panels is provided with at least a pair of protuberances to be hooked by a finger. The middle body is provided with two pressure reduction absorbing panels arranged symmetrically respective to the central axis of the container. Said protuberances form a gap therebetween, and have a width and a height so sized as to allow a finger tip to be placed into the gap. Said middle body is also provided with groove-shaped ribs arranged along the upper and lower edges of thereof to absorb changes in an internal pressure in the container. Each of said groove-shaped ribs has an eccentric profile with a depth gradually decreasing to become nil in one of the lateral sides of the body.

This invention relates to a heat-resistant hollow container made of synthetic resin and formed by biaxially oriented blow-molding. More particularly, the present invention relates to a heat-resistant container made of synthetic resin and provided with projected sections on the wall thereof so as to be easily hooked by finger tips without forming a handle on the container body.
In recent years, since juice and other beverages are consumed by a large volume to reflect the changes in peoples life styles, containers made of synthetic resin and showing various different profiles are produced to contain such beverages. Some of such containers are very large, and become too heavy when filled with liquid, so that sometimes it can be too cumbersome and inconvenient to carry them and handle them otherwise.
In an attempt to eliminate the inconvenience, some large containers are provided with a handle on the body of the container, so that it may be easily carried by hand.
Large hollow containers for containing detergents and oil that do not need to be hot-filled are normally made of polyethylene or vinyl chloride resin, and formed by blow molding. It is easily to mold such a container with a handle integrally fitted to the container body by blow molding.
However, it is stipulated by law that containers for containing juice and other beverages need to be hot-filled and sterilized for the purpose of food sanitation, and therefore such hollow containers are required to be heat-resistant.
In recent years, heat-resistant containers are generally made of polyethylene-terephthalate (PET) resin and formed by blow molding in view of the safety of food, appearance including transparency, lightweight and mechanical strength.
However, to the contrary of the case of molding a hollow container from polyethylene or vinyl chloride resin, it is very difficult to mold a hollow container of PET resin integrally with a handle by blow molding, because of the properties of the resin and the process required to make the container heat-resistant.
Therefore, currently available containers of PET resin are normally prepared by injection molding a handle in advance, and then by insert molding the container with the handle, so as to attach the handle to the container body.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2-191156 discloses a heat-resistant container made of PET resin and provided with a handle, which is currently known as typical container of the type under consideration. FIG. 9 of the accompanying drawings illustrates a container 50 as disclosed in the above Laid-Open No. 2-191156. Referring to FIG. 9, a handle 51 comprises a grip 52 and a pair of arms 53, 53 projecting horizontally from opposite ends of the grip 52, and each of the arms 53 is provided at the other end thereof with a projection 54. The handle 51 is attached to a recess 55 provided at an upper portion of the container. The recess 55 is provided with a securing recess 55 at an innermost of thereof. The projection 54 is engaged with the securing recess 55, so that an outer surface of the handle 51 is flush with an outer surface of the body of the container.
While a container provided with such handle shows a simple profile and a simple structure so that it can be molded with ease, when the container is inadvertently dropped on the floor with the handle facing downwardly during transportation or in use, the projecting ends of the arms of the handle tends to push the container body to break the body.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-223254 discloses a container realized by improving the handle of the above patent document as shown in FIG. 10. Referring to FIG. 10, a container 60 is provided with a recess 67 at an upper portion of a body. Each of an upper lateral wall and a lower lateral of the recess 67 is provided with an engaging hole. The recess 67 of the container is also provided with a central vertical groove. A handle 61 comprises a grip plate 62, an upper securing arm 63a extended forwardly from an upper end of the grip plate, a lower securing arm 63b extended forwardly from a lower end of the grip plate, and a securing beam plate 65. The upper securing arm 63a is provided with an upward projection 64a. The lower securing arm 63b is provided with a downward projection 64b. The handle 61 is attached to the container by engaging the securing arms 63a, 63b with the engaging holes. The securing beam plate 65 is engaged with the central vertical groove. When forming the container with the handle, the handle 61 is arranged in a metal mold, a preform of PET resin is arranged in the mold, and then the preform is blow-molded by insert molding to form the container 60 with the handle.
Since the handle as disclosed in the latter patent document is attached to the container by insert molding in such a way that the securing beam plate and the securing arms of the handle engage respectively with the central vertical groove and the upper and lower engaging holes, the handle does not become loose nor come off from the right position. Additionally, since the securing beam plate 65 connects the upper and lower securing arms 63a, 63b, the distance between the arms 63a and 63b is maintained, and therefore does not push the container body, so as not to break the container when the container is inadvertently dropped on the floor with the handle facing downwardly during transportation or in use.
However, the above described known containers are not necessarily easy to grasp. A container provided with a handle is easy to grasp only when the grip portion of the handle is large enough for the four fingers of a hand to be snugly placed there, and in other words, the container should be large. However, the container body of the above described containers cannot always provide a room large enough for receiving such a handle.
Meanwhile, most popular containers for containing juice and other beverages are heat-resistant, and have a profile which is basically that of a cylinder or that of a polygonal prism with a capacity of 1.5 liters or less. Such containers need to satisfy various requirements in terms of the shape, the height and the overall size of the container, the surface area of the pressure reduction absorbing panels and the strength and the ease of molding of the container, so that the handle has to be subjected to a number of restrictions. In other words, the handle is not allowed to take a sufficient space, and is normally required to be minimized particularly when the container is intended to be placed on a display shelf.
Therefore, such container with such handle, particularly a cylindrical container with such handle, designed to meet the above requirements is not necessarily grasped by hand with ease.
In order to attach the handle to the container body, it is necessary to mold the handle and then to insert-mold them. Thus, a complex molding apparatus needs to be installed to involve a number of molding steps and high manufacturing cost.
Additionally, most containers provided with a handle fitted thereto by the above described method are designed to be filled with liquid at or near room temperature or, if hot-filled, with liquid heated to 75xc2x0 C. at most. Heat-resistant containers that are designed to be filled with liquid heated to about 85xc2x0 C. are not available at present.
This is because it is difficult to uniformly heat-set the undercut portions where the handle having a complex profile is attached to the body of the PET container. Thus, if such container is filled with liquid of very high temperature, the undercut portion tends to be thermally deformed to disengage the handle from the container.
When filling heat-resistant PET resin containers with juice or some other beverage, the containers have to be hermetically sealed immediately after the filling operation, and then heated for sterilization typically in a pasteurizer for food sanitation. Then, if PET resin container has relatively low rigidity, the container tends to be deformed when cooled after the heating process because of the reduced internal pressure produced by the cooled content.
Deformed containers obviously lose some of the commercial value because of the poor appearance and, therefore, containers are normally provided in the body wall thereof with a pressure reduction absorbing panels (walls) in order to prevent such deformation.
Most popularly available heat-resistant containers adapted to withstand temperature as high as 85xc2x0 C. have a cylindrical profile, because such a profile provides excellent moldability and pressure resistance.
Therefore, hollow cylindrical containers are generally provided with four or six pressure reduction absorbing panels arranged on the body wall of the container as shown in FIG. 7 or 8 in order to absorb changes in the internal pressure.
FIG. 7 shows a hollow cylindrical container 11 comprising a neck 12, an upper body 14, a middle body 15 and a bottom 16, wherein the middle body 15 is provided with deformable pressure reduction absorbing panels 15a in order to absorb decrease of internal pressure. Pressure reduction absorbing panels having such a profile can absorb the decrease in the internal pressure to a large extent. FIG. 8 shows a hollow cylindrical container 21 comprising a neck 21, an upper body 24, a middle body 25 and a bottom 26, wherein a large number of deformable protuberances 25a are arranged as pressure reduction absorbing panels in the middle body in order to increase an amount of absorption of decrease of internal pressure.
The above described known containers do not provide any gripping problem so long as they have a capacity of 500 milliliter or less, but become to be gripped less easily by a single hand when the capacity exceeds a liter. If the user tries to grip such a large container by a single hand, it tends to slip out of hand and drop. Therefore, the user may have to hold it with two hands to a great inconvenience on the part of the user.
In view of the above described circumstances, it is therefore the object of the present invention to provide a hollow heat-resistant container (particularly, a hollow cylindrical heat-resistant container) without a handle fitted to the body of the container and with a profile easily held by a single hand.
According to the invention, the above object is achieved by providing a heat-resistant hollow cylindrical container comprising a neck, a shoulder, an upper body, a middle body provided with pressure reduction absorbing panels, and a lower body including a bottom wall, wherein said pressure reduction absorbing panels are arranged symmetrically relative to a central axis of the container, each of said pressure reduction absorbing panels is located inside an imaginary outer periphery of the cylindrical shape of the container, and each of said pressure reduction absorbing panels is provided with at least a pair of protuberances to be hooked by a finger. The middle body is provided with two pressure reduction absorbing panels arranged symmetrically respective to the central axis of the container.
Also, there is provided a heat-resistant hollow cylindrical container comprising a neck, a shoulder, an upper body, a middle body provided with pressure reduction absorbing panels, and a lower body including a bottom wall, wherein said middle body comprises a front pressure reduction absorbing panel, a rear pressure reduction absorbing panel, a left side surface and a right surface, said pressure reduction absorbing panels are arranged symmetrically relative to a central axis of the container, each of said pressure reduction absorbing panels is located inside an imaginary outer periphery of the cylindrical shape of the container, and each of said pressure reduction absorbing panels is provided with at least a pair of protuberances to be hooked by a finger.
Said protuberances form a gap therebetween, have a width and a height so sized as to allow a finger tip to be placed into the gap.
Said middle body is provided with groove-shaped ribs arranged along the upper and lower edges of thereof to absorb changes in an internal pressure in the container. Each of said groove-shaped ribs has an eccentric profile with a depth gradually decreasing to become nil in one of the lateral sides of the body.
Therefore, according to the invention, the container is easily held or grasped by a single hand, has a high heat-resistance by absorbing the change of the internal pressure in the container.


In a radiofrequency network, such as a Bluetooth network, two devices are securely identified to one another for a communication session. One of the devices is designated as a master apparatus, and the other is a slave apparatus. An automatic identification process is carried out by placing the two devices in close proximity with one another, and transmitting very short range signals from the master apparatus, to be exclusively received by the slave apparatus. If the two devices are able to communicate over this short range, an identification key is generated and passed to the slave apparatus for subsequent exchanges in normal, larger range communications.

The invention relates to radiofrequency networks in which the network units communicate with one another by means of radiofrequency links and, more particularly, a method, in the networks, which permits two units in the network to recognise each other and to then communicate in a secure manner.
Making radiofrequency links between electronic units such as a personal computer, a printer, a mobile or fixed-line phone, etc., is known by making use of, for example, the specifications of a network known as "BLUETOOTH" which are defined in documents ETS 300-328 and ETS 300-339.
In such a BLUETOOTH network, the units each have an address by which they can be identified but this address is clearly transmitted in radiofrequency signals. The result is that the radiofrequency links are not secure.
To overcome this problem, it is proposed to enter an identical secret code in each of the two units to be connected and this will then permit session keys to be generated for authentication and encryption.
This process can prove to be tiresome, in that it is necessary to key in the code twice on a keyboard and the code may have numerous digits or letters.
Moreover, some network units, an earphone for a mobile phone, for example, might not have a keyboard, with the result that this code must be registered permanently, or almost permanently, in the unit with no keyboard. This leads to permission to access the network for anyone who picks up the unit, without having to identify themselves as a user.
It is also proposed to connect the two units with a cable link in order to exchange the session keys under maximum security, to ensure subsequent authentication and encryption. The inconvenient thing about this solution resides in the fact that each unit must be fitted with a special plug which will differ from one unit to another. An aim of the present invention, therefore, is to implement a process of recognition between two units in a radiofrequency network, a method which allows secure recognition of the two units to occur.

Secure identification method between two radiofrequency network appliances


A carrier for holding a microorganism in soil releases, from a constituting material thereof, an inducer for production of an enzyme of the microorganism for soil remediation. The carrier for holding a microorganism may comprise a combination of a microorganism holding carrier composed of a hydrophilic polymer for holding the microorganism with an inducer-holder composed of another polymer for holding inducer manifesting a biological action to the microorganism adjacent to each other. A method for remediation of soil comprises application of the microorganism-holding carrier into the soil. A soil-remedying agent comprises the microorganism-holding carrier and a microorganism held thereon which exhibits enzyme activity for decomposition of a polluting substance in the soil under action an inducer released by the carrier.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a carrier for immobilization of a microorganism for remediation of soil. The present invention also relates to a method for remediation of soil employing the carrier holding the soil-remedying microorganism.
The present invention further relates to a microorganism-immobilizing carrier for a bioreactor system, a biosensor, and an artificial internal organ utilizing the biological activity of an immobilized microorganism, in particular, to a microorganism-mobilizing carrier which is capable of exhibiting biological activity and improving survivability of the microorganism.
2. Related Background Art
In recent years, various noxious and hardly-decomposable chemical substances have been detected in soils, in rivers, in seas, and in the air, and aggravation of the pollution with such substances is attracting attention. In particular, soil pollution by organic chlorine compounds is causing serious problems. Establishment of techniques for preventing the spread of the pollution and for remedying the polluted environment is strongly desired. For example, soil pollution has become a matter of concern in gas production sites, oil refinery sites, demolished oil refinery sites, demolished fuel stockyard sites, demolished pulp plant sites, etc. Therefore development of soil remediation technique is strongly desired to clean the polluted soils.
The pollution of the soil not only prevents subsequent use of the land but also is liable to cause spreading of the polluted area by diffusion of the polluting substance into underground water and its diffusion with the water. Therefore a soil remediation technique is earnestly desired to be developed early.
Various soil remediation methods are known and have been tried to restore the soil to the original state by removing the polluting substance from the polluted soil.
The methods include physicochemical methods such as aspiration of the polluting substance from the soil by vacuum extraction. The physicochemical methods, however, involve many problems such as high cost, low operability, difficulty in treating the polluting substance existing at a low concentration.
On the other hand, soil remediation utilizing a microorganism, namely bioremediation, is promising.
The bioremediation methods include strengthening of self-cleaning function of ecosystem by activating a native microorganism in the soil to decompose the polluting substance into an innoxious substance; and include also, as an improved method, intentional introduction of microorganism having the ability to decompose the polluting substance from the outside to accelerate the remediation of the polluted soil.
Many kinds of microorganisms are known which have ability of decomposing the polluting substances detected in the soils. Direct application of such a microorganism to the soil does not give usually the intended cleaning effect because the applied microorganism individuals rapidly decrease in number in the soil in a short period.
To solve the problem of rapid decay of the applied microorganism in the soil, a large amount of nutrients for the applied microorganism may be introduced to the soil. This requires a high cost and may cause secondary pollution with the nutrients. Therefore, a method is demanded for maintaining the remediation activity by prolonging the life of the microorganism in the soil without supplying a large amount of the nutrients.
The change of the number of microorganism cells applied to the soil is greatly affected by the water content and the nutrient content of the soil. The amounts of water and the nutrients in the soil depend on the location of the soil, the landform, the vegetation on the soil, the depth, and the soil composition. These factors greatly affect the physiological activity of the microorganism growing in the soil. The situation is the same in the polluted soil.
For example, if the water content of the soil, more correctly the content of water available to the applied microorganism, is not in the range suitable for the microorganism, the applied microorganism usually does not grow well or does not manifest satisfactory activity. If the water content in the environment is deficient, the activity of the microorganism drops: a decomposing microorganism decreases its decomposition activity. At further deficiency of the water, a microorganism having no drought-resistance decreases in number and finally dies, whereas a drought-resistant microorganism also forms spores or goes into a dormant state to exhibit extremely low activity, whereby the decomposition of the noxious substance is not achieved. On the contrary, if the water in the environment is excessive, the oxygen content in the water becomes deficient, and an aerobic microorganism decreases its activity or decreases the number of microorganism cells. Since most of the microorganism having high activity in decomposing polluting substances are aerobic, the oxygen-deficiency is usually undesirable.
Another cause of decrease of the microorganisms in the soil is competition between the applied microorganism and native microorganisms, particularly predation of applied microorganism by protozoa. Suppression of the predation is necessary to improve the survivability of the applied microorganism.
On the other hand, in addition to the improvement of survivability of the applied microorganism, the bioremediation involves another problem on efficiency of diffusion of the applied microorganism in the soil. The bioremediation is directed to a polluted land over a large area which contains a pollutant at a low concentration, and therefore cannot be treated by a physicochemical method such as vacuum extraction. To clean such soil practically, the decomposing microorganism is required to diffuse in the polluted soil. However, the microorganism cannot easily migrate in the soil. Therefore, a method needs to be developed for bringing the microorganism to the proximity to the polluting substance in the soil. Currently conducted methods include injection of a decomposing microorganism into soil by pressure of water or air, application of a large amount of a decomposing microorganism, and so forth. With such a method, however, the diffusion of the microorganism is extremely impeded in some kinds of soils such as soils of a high clay content or of a low water content. Therefore, an improved method is required.
Some pollutant-decomposing microorganisms require coexistence of a low molecular weight compound called an inducer that induces expression of the enzyme. For example, Methylocystis sp. M strain does not decompose TCE (trichloroethylene) until the methane monooxygenase activity is induced by the presence of methane. Pseudomonas cepacia KK01 strain (Deposit No. FERM BP-4235) described in Japanese Patent Application No. 4-103180 decomposes TCE by appearance of toluene-monooxygenase induced by the presence of phenol.
As described above, the biodegradation of noxious substance in the soil or underground water from the polluted soil is conducted usually by a specific decomposing microorganism by co-oxidation or a like mechanism. Therefore, methods are tested or considered which introduce the required substance such as methane or phenol from the outside into the soil. Such methods, however, not only accompany other danger (e.g., inflammation, pollution, etc.) caused by the introduced substance but also cause diffusion of the introduced substance into a larger area or into the air or retention of the substance for a long term by adsorption by soil, which are therefore not practicable.
A method is studied in which the microorganism is mutated by gene technology so as not to require any inducer. In the open system for soil remediation, however, confirmation of safety and legal control of this method are not sufficient and thus, the method is not practicable at present.
Production of useful materials or treatment of waste materials by use of biological activity are widely conducted as a bioreactor. The employed organism includes prokaryote, eukaryote, and recombinant thereof, and is selected therefrom depending on the object. Immobilization of the microorganism in a high density is effective to mitigate mechanical shocks to the organism, to conduct recovery of the product efficiently, and to conduct the treatment continuously. The microorganism-immobilizing carrier investigated for such purposes includes polysaccharides, agarose, alginate gels, acrylamide gels, collagen, and synthetic material modified chemically to have increased suitability for organisms. The method of immobilization of the microorganism includes incorporation by solidification of a polymer, polymerization, or chemical crosslinking with a bonding agent.
The nutrients for growth need to be supplied to the immobilized microorganism by diffusion from outside the immobilizing carrier such as immersion of the microorganism-immobilizing carrier in a liquid culture medium.
In order to maintain the activity of the immobilized microorganism for a long term, an inducer and minerals have to be added by diffusion from the outside in the same manner as the aforementioned nutrients. The inducer is required to be supplied constantly because it stimulates the immobilized microorganism to cause biosynthesis of a specific enzyme system to manifest the activity. However, simple constant supply of the inducer is not sufficient, but the inducer is required to be supplied so as to keep an optimum concentration, because some inducers at a high concentration are harmful to microorganisms to inhibit growth of the cells, and affect adversely the natural environment including humans. For example, a certain Pseudomonas bacterium requires toluene, phenol, or cresol as the inducer for biological decomposition of TCE, with an optimum concentration of the inducer. Naturally an insufficient amount of the inducer does not initiate the activity, while an excessive amount of the inducer inhibits growth of the bacteria. Therefore, the inducer needs to be supplied constantly to keep its optimum concentration for a long period.
However, the introduction of the inducer like phenol and toluene from the outside of the immobilizing carrier is limited since it causes pollution outside the carrier. Because of the low utilization efficiency of the introduced inducer, the amount of the introduction is inevitably larger, which amplifies the pollution. Moreover, the constant supply at the optimum concentration range is extremely difficult. Therefore, use of a bioreactor which employs a microorganism requiring an inducer is restricted greatly. Such problems are not limited to the supply of inducers, but are involved in supply of nutrients and growth factors.

Microorganism-holding carrier and method for remediation of soil employing the carrier


A method of producing an anonymized vector for a text mining task in lieu of a feature vector is disclosed. A vocabulary is created from a corpus of documents, each of the corpus of documents having a context that is similar to a set of target documents. The set of target documents is received. The feature vector is generated from a first document of the set of target documents. The feature vector is transformed into a composition vector. A synthetic vector is constructed based on the composition vector. The synthetic vector is shared as the anonymized vector in lieu of the feature vector.

For centuries, text has been used to convey information between human beings through books, letters, newspapers and magazines. With the advent of the digital age, more and more textual data is being processed and analyzed by machines. Text mining techniques such as text classification, clustering, and sentiment analysis, have been developed to assist us with sorting, filtering, and analyzing documents with the help of computers. In many cases, it is desirable that the author of a text remains anonymous: Search logs can reveal many personal details about a user, critical articles or messages about a company (or government) might have severe (or fatal) consequences for a critic, and negative feedback in customer surveys might negatively impact business relations if the client is identified. Simply removing personally identifying information from a document is, however, insufficient in protecting the identity of the writer. Given some reference texts of suspected authors, so-called authorship attribution techniques allow the re-identification of the author from the text itself. Previous countermeasures to obfuscate texts had only limited success against advanced authorship attribution techniques.

Method and system for automated text anonymization


A bonding member is provided, including, a ceramic member having a concave portion, a metal member having a convex portion corresponding to the concave portion of the ceramic member. A first bonding material joins a bottom portion of the concave portion of the ceramic member and a tip portion of the convex portion of the metal member. The first bonding material has a porous structure, including particles and a brazing filler metal, and covers a corner between tip and side portions of the metal member. A second bonding material including a brazing filler metal joins the side portion of the concave portion of the ceramic member and the side portion of the convex portion of the metal member.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a bonding member including two or more of different kinds of members joined together. More particularly, the present invention relates to an electrostatic chuck which can be suitably used in a semiconductor manufacturing device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a brazing material has been used in a method for bonding a ceramic member and a metal member. However, during the cooling operation after bonding is performed at a high temperature, thermal stress occurs due to the difference in the coefficient of thermal expansion between the different kinds of members, or between the members and the brazing material used to join these different kinds of members. Accordingly, peeling or cracks occur in the vicinity of the bonding interface when one of the members is fragile. Thus, the desired bonding strength and airtightness may not be obtained. Products in which such problems as described above arise in a manufacturing process thereof have to be disposed of as defective products. Thus, the problems described above contribute to increasing product costs of these bonding members. Moreover, if there is a heat cycle when the members are used, the problems described above arise after the members are used for a fixed period of time. Accordingly, the problems also lower the reliability of the product.
In consideration of the present situation described above, a bonding method has been studied which maintains moderate bonding strength between different kinds of members, without lowering the bonding strength due to thermal stress in the vicinity of the bonding interface during a cooling operation after bonding is performed at a high temperature, and without generating cracks in a cooling operation for a member that is vulnerable to the thermal stress. For example, there is disclosed a method for obtaining a bonding layer by using brazing filler metal as a base and adding particles to the brazing filler metal which lower thermal stress (for example, see Japanese Patent No. 3315919). Moreover, there is also disclosed a method for joining different kinds of members together when a width of a gap existing between wall surfaces of the different kinds of members in a fitting structure portion is narrow (for example, see Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-10873). Furthermore, there is also disclosed a bonding adhesive composition which includes a brazing filler metal and a mixture of at least two kinds of particles having different wettability from the brazing filler metal (for example, see Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-122673).
Moreover, as a product which requires bonding of a ceramic member and a metal member, for example, an electrostatic chuck used in a semiconductor process or the like is enumerated. In this electrostatic chuck, the ceramic member and the metal member are joined together in a portion of a substrate, which has built-in electrodes and is made of ceramics or the like, and a terminal, which supplies power to the built-in electrodes, and is made of gold-plated molybdenum or the like.
As described above, various methods for joining a ceramic member and a metal member have been known which do not cause a lowering of bonding strength nor generate cracks during a cooling operation for a member that is vulnerable to thermal stress. However, even by using the methods described above, residual stress is likely to be concentrated in a corner portion when different kinds of members are joined by adopting a structure in which a concave portion is fitted to a convex portion. Therefore, cracks sometimes occur.


An internal address generating circuit sequentially generates internal addresses in the burst read operation, with an external address being set as an initial value. A memory core has plural memory cells and sequentially outputs, in response to activation of a column selection signal, data read from the memory cells corresponding to the internal addresses in the burst read operation. In the burst read operation, a column control circuit in a memory core control circuit repeats activation of the column selection signal for a certain period during an activation period of an external control signal and forcibly deactivates the column selection signal in synchronization with deactivation of the external control signal. In the burst read operation, an operation state control circuit in the memory core control circuit deactivates an operation state control signal after a predetermined time has elapsed from the deactivation of the external control signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor memory device having a burst operation function
2. Description of the Related Art
As recent portable electronic devices such as a cellular phone has been highly advanced, a data volume handled therein has been on the rise. Accordingly, there has been a demand for a work memory mounted in the portable electronic device to have a larger capacity. Conventionally, the portable electronic device has used a SRAM (Static Random Access Memory) as a work memory because of its easy system configurability. However, the SRAM has a drawback that it requires a larger number of elements to constitute one memory cell than a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory), therefore, the SRAM is not suitable for use in devices requiring a larger capacity. In view of this, a semiconductor memory device called a pseudo SRAM having both a larger capacity of the DRAM and usability of the SRAM has been developed.
Generally, a semiconductor memory device with a memory core of the DRAM such as the pseudo SRAM has a burst operation function for realizing a high-speed access operation. For example, in the burst read operation, upon one read command input, internal addresses are sequentially generated with an external address inputted together with read command being set as an initial value, and data read from memory cells corresponding to the internal addresses are sequentially outputted in synchronization with an external clock signal.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2004-259400 and Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2000-207882 disclose techniques relating to the burst operation function of the semiconductor memory device, for example. In particular, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2004-259400discloses a technique for realizing a burst operation with no limitation to a burst length. Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2000-207882 discloses a technique of improving memory access efficiency in a system controlling a plurality of SDRAMs (Synchronous DRAMs) by shortening a memory cycle when the burst operation function is used.
In the semiconductor memory device such as the pseudo SRAM, it is necessary to secure a certain length of time in a period from the deactivation of an external control signal for forcible termination of the burst read operation, up to the re-activation of the external control signal for start of a subsequent access operation. Note that the external control signal is a signal for instructing the start/end of the burst read operation (for example, a chip enable signal). Accordingly, a minimum standard value called recovery time is set for a deactivation period of the external control signal when the burst read operation is forcibly terminated. The recovery time, if long, gives an adverse effect to a high-speed access operation.
In the semiconductor memory device such as the pseudo SRAM, when the external control signal is deactivated in order to forcibly terminate the burst read operation during an activation period of a column selection signal supplied to a memory core, the column selection signal is kept activated for a certain length of time although it is unnecessary. Further, in the semiconductor memory device such as the pseudo SRAM, an operation state control signal is deactivated in response to the deactivation of the column selection signal after the securement of the time to ensure the operation of the memory core. Note that the operation state control signal is a signal for instructing the activation/deactivation of the memory core (for example, a row address strobe signal). The activation period of the column selection signal continues even after the deactivation of the external control signal, unnecessarily delaying the deactivation timing of the operation state control signal and lengthening an activation period of the memory core after the deactivation of the external control signal more than necessary. As a result, the recovery time at the forced termination of the burst read operation is elongated.


A vehicular lamp includes a lamp source, a lamp body accommodating the lamp source, and a lens attached to the lamp body. The lamp body has an abutment surface on the top portion of a peripheral wall, which is configured to rise in a direction of an optical axis of the light source along a peripheral edge of the lamp body. The abutment surface of the lamp body is configured to incline to the optical axis. Similary, the lens has an abutment surface corresponding to the abutment surface of the lamp body along a peripheral portion of the lens. In this case, the abutment surface of the lens is configured within the dimention of an outer surface of the lens so as not to protrude over the outer surface. The abutment surfaces of the lamp body and the lens are integrally jointed together by laser walding.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicular lamp with a lens attached to a lamp body by laser welding and a method of manufacturing same.
2. Background Art
A vehicular lamp, such as a headlamp for a motor vehicle, is configured to dispose a bulb as a light source and a reflector in a lamp chamber, which is formed by attaching a lens to a front opening of a lamp body. For a configuration in which the lens is attached to the front opening of the lamp body, the prior art has used a laser welding method or the like. Patent Document 1 discloses a laser beam receiving surface is configured in a flange-like shape to protrude outwardly so that the receiving surface can receive a laser beam coming from an oblique direction with respect to a direction where the lens is mounted on the lampbody, which passes through the flange-like shaped portion of the lens.
Specifically, as shown in FIG. 10, the laser welding is applied to the area where an abutment surface 231A at an end of a seal leg 23A of a lens 2 abuts on an abutment surface 121A of a peripheral wall 12A of a lamp body 1A. A laser beam receiving surface 25A that protrudes outward is formed on a top edge of the seal leg 23A to receive the laser beam L projected onto the laser beam receiving surface 25A from an outside of the lens 2A to the abutment surface 121A of the lamp body 1A such that the abutment surfaces 121A and 231A of the lens 2A and the lamp body 1A are laser welded. By way of this configuration, as described in Patent Document 1, compared with the conventional manner that the laser welding process is performed by projecting the laser beam onto the abutment surface while transmitting it through the seal leg along the abutment surface, the disclosed art allows an optical path length that the laser beam transmits through the lens to be shortened. Accordingly, it may be possible to preferably perform laser-welding and avoid loss of the laser beam energy on the abutment surfaces.
[Publication 1] JP-A-2001-243811
In Patent Document 1, the laser beam receiving surface is configured to protrude beyond the outer surface of the seal leg of the lens. When the lens is seen from the front, the laser beam receiving surface appears to protrude from the periphery of the lens. Accordingly, an outside dimension of the lens, i.e., the outside dimension of the lamp, becomes large. Further, when the welded surface between the lens and the lamp body is seen from the front through the lens, it appears dark. Because width dimensions of the laser welded surface (i.e., dimensions in a direction of the thickness of the seal leg) enlarges due to forming the laser beam receiving surface, the dark portion with larger width come out from the outer edge of the lens, and thereby the appearance of the lamp deteriorates. Further, a metal molding structure employed for forming the lens having the laser beam receiving surface configured to protrude beyond the outer surface of the seal leg may be complicated. Thus, this creates rising cost.
An object of the present invention is to provide a lamp with an improved appearance by reducing the dimensions of a laser-welded surface in a direction of its width and a method for manufacturing the lamp.

Vehicular lamp and method of manufacturing same


A transmission particularly a vehicular transmission for the driving and steering of a vehicle comprising a first differential having outputs to left and right wheels of the vehicle and an input powered for forward and reverse propulsion of the vehicle and a second differential controlling the outputs of the first differential for steering the vehicle.

This invention relates to transmissions and more particularly to a vehicular transmission for the driving and steering of a vehicle. Insofar as the invention relates to such vehicular transmissions, it is generally in the same field as that of the inventions disclosed in the following United States Patents:
______________________________________ Number Issue Date ______________________________________ 3,176,546 April 6, 1965 3,256,949 June 21, 1966 3,530,741 September 29, 1970 3,601,211 August 24, 1971 4,700,589 October 20, 1987 4,977,970 December 18, 1990 ______________________________________


The present disclosure provides a loudspeaker device. The loudspeaker device may include an earphone core configured to transfer an electrical signal to a vibration signal; an auxiliary function module configured to receive an auxiliary signal and perform an auxiliary function; a first flexible circuit board configured to electrically connect to an audio signal wire and an auxiliary signal wire of an external control circuit, the audio signal wire and the auxiliary signal wire being electrically connected with the earphone core and the auxiliary function module, respectively through the first flexible circuit board; and a core housing configured to accommodate the earphone core, the auxiliary function module, and the first flexible circuit board. The wiring process inside the loudspeaker device provided in the present disclosure may be simplified, thereby further reducing a volume of the loudspeaker device.

With the development of speaker technology, electronic products (e.g., earphones, MP3, etc.) have been widely used. Speakers may have different product forms. For example, a speaker may be integrated on the eyeglasses (e.g., sunglasses, swimming eyeglasses, etc.) or fixed inside an ear or near the ear of a user through a special structure (e.g., an ear hook). As the functions of the products become more diverse, there may be more and more internal modules and wiring of the speaker, and the wiring may be more and more complicated. The complicated wiring may greatly occupy an internal space of the product, and an unreasonable wiring distribution may cause wires to affect each other, which may cause an abnormal sound and affect the sound quality of the speaker. Therefore, it may be necessary to provide a more efficient wiring technology, to simplify a wiring approach of the speaker and improve the sound quality of the speaker.