A lightweight, small portable hopper for bulk materials that is removably mountable on a tractor trailer is disclosed. Such trailer includes a trailer bed that is formed with a central opening, and the hopper is usable on it while also leaving space for transporting other items. The hopper includes an upright body with an inner surface that includes plural regions defining a bulk-material storage space. The body also includes a generally downwardly converging section that is supportably positionable on the trailer bed through the central opening, with a subsection terminating with a dispensing port. Also included is internal bracing structure attached to generally opposing regions of the inner surface of the body, and extending across the bulk-material storage space to promote self-supportability of the hopper when it is loaded. The internal bracing structure may include plural, laterally spaced, horizontally-positioned first braces attached to corresponding, generally opposing regions of the inner surface. Also, the internal bracing structure may include plural, laterally spaced, upwardly extending, opposing pairs of second braces that are attached to internal, upwardly extending surfaces of the body, with desired pairs being interconnected by a corresponding first brace. Also disclosed is stop structure positioned across the bulk-material storage space to block a bulk-material loader bucket from extending down and in through the open top of the body and against the inner surface of the hopper while loading bulk material into it. The hopper has an open top and a tarp rack for holding a tarp that is positionable over the top to protect the load from inclement weather conditions.

The present invention relates to bins for holding bulk materials, and more particularly to a portable hopper for bulk materials with internal bracing for removably mounting on a tractor trailer.
Conventional portable bins for holding/dispensing bulk materials are heavy, relatively large, relatively tall, unbraced structures. The heavy, large size of such bins is required to adequately support a loaded condition when they contain bulk material such as rock, sand or gravel. Certain of the bins are mountable on truck trailers but, due to their large size, they limit use of the trailer to transporting solely the bins, i.e. there is no room for carrying additional material.
Recently, the American Association of Highway and Transportation Engineers set certain vehicle specifications that require tractor/truck trailer beds to be about 45 feet in length for loads of approximately 80,000 lbs. The old specification required trailers to be about 32 feet in length. For certain shipping operations, it is the required additional 13 feet of length is not needed. One example of these operations is when dense/palletized product is shipped. The approximate 80,000 lb. load limit can easily be contained within about a 25-32 foot section of the newly required 45 foot long trailer.
Suppliers of bagged cement and other dense products are faced with the problem of what to do with the extra space on the trailer. One possible solution would be to place an empty portable hopper for bulk materials on the trailer. The idea is to fronthaul finished product with a lightweight portable hopper, and then backhaul the hopper loaded with bulk materials that are used as raw material for the bagged cement supplier.
Conventional bins do not provide the solution because they are constructed with large dimensions and heavy materials to meet other requirements such as being able to support the weight of a load of bulk material. The net effect is that conventional bins will not fit in the extra space on the new 45 foot trailers. An example of just such a bin is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,138,163 to Calvert et al. which shows a large, heavy bin that covers substantially the entire truck trailer. Calvert et al. shows non-intersecting, unconnected endwall, sidewall and roof stiffeners that are designed to add a flexural capability to the bin. Calvert et al. also shows a relatively heavy container because it states that the stiffeners are spaced apart to provide for a thicker container that will be rupture resistant.
Another representative, conventional, truck trailer-mounted bin is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,270,921 to Nadolske et al. Nadolske et al. shows a system for mounting several bins with bulk material on a trailer for dispensing the material downwardly through an opening in the trailer. Nadolske et al. shows a system designed specifically for multiple bins each with supporting legs and a bottom discharge outlet mounted on a semi-trailer and positionable over one of plural spouts formed in the trailer frame. To dispense material from a bin, its bottom discharge outlet must be aligned with a spout, a valve must be opened, and a complex feeder-unloader unit must be moved along a track system built into the trailer frame until it communicates with the spout. Nadolske et al. does not address the problem of structuring a single, lightweight portable hopper for the extra space on new 45 foot trailers.
Other conventional portable bins are designed for handling by forklifts by including channels formed in corresponding bottom sections solely for receiving forklift tines. Examples of such bins are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,685,398 to King, 3,083,879 to Coleman, and 3,318,473 to Jones et al.
Nowhere in the prior art is there shown or suggested to construct a portable container for bulk materials so that it may be sized small relative to a trailer bed, and therefore able to provide room for carrying other items on the trailer in addition to the loaded container itself.
Also, nowhere in the prior art is there shown or suggested to form channels in such portable containers for handling by forklifts, with such channels formed by pipes or tubes that are positioned across the inside of the hopper for reinforcing it, and for providing stop structure to block the bucket of a front end loader from extending down and in against the inside surface of the wall of the hopper while loading of the container with bulk material.
Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to provide a portable container for bulk materials that overcomes the drawbacks of prior art bins.
Another object is to provide such a container for removably mounting to a truck trailer, and being constructed to be sized small enough relative to the trailer bed so that other items may be co-transported with it.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide such container that is suitably lightweight for allowing removal from the truck trailer when empty via a forklift.
Another object is to provide such container with an open top for loading bulk material into it using a conventional quarry loader with bucket, and with stop structure to block the bucket of the loader from extending down and in against the inside surface of the hopper while loading bulk material.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide such container with an open top for loading bulk material into it using a conventional loader with bucket, and a rack for storing a tarp that may be positioned over the open top when a load is being transported under inclement weather conditions.
An additional object is to provide such container for removably mounting on a truck trailer that is constructed to be suitably short for allowing loading of bulk material into it through its open top by conventional quarry loaders.


An LED ceiling tile combination is described which includes a ceiling having at least one LED fixture integrated therewith. The LED fixture can include least one LED, and a support structure for the at least one LED strip.

1. Field
Example embodiments in general relate to a combination ceiling tile integrated with a light emitting diode (LED) fixture, a LED fixture and a ceiling tile configured to receive one ore more LED strips thereon.
2. Description of the Related Art
Lighting systems are responsible for about 35 percent of the electricity costs in a typical commercial building and 10 percent in industrial settings. Conventional fluorescent lamps such as T8 lamps with electronic ballast are used for new fixtures and retrofits in typical settings such as commercial office buildings, schools, and in industrial lighting. The inside of a fluorescent lamp includes electrodes and a gas containing argon and mercury vapor. A stream of electrons flows through the ionized gas from one electrode to the other, to collide with the mercury atoms and excite them. As the mercury atoms move from the excited state back to the unexcited state, the atoms give off ultraviolet photons. The photons hit the phosphor coating on the inside of the fluorescent tube, and this phosphor creates visible light photons.
Fluorescent bulbs are fabricated in several sizes, examples including 2′, 3′, 4′ and 8′ lengths for straight tubes, and 8″ and 12″ circular shapes. The straight tubes have a cycle life of about 20,000 hours (7-10 years, on average), whereas the circular bulbs are rated at an average life of about 12,000 hours. The straight tubes are often bundled in sets of 2-4 lamps within a housing known as a troffer that is integrated within a ceiling tile space, typically taking up the space of one or two standard 2′×2′ ceiling tile spaces or a single 2′×4′ standard ceiling tile space.
However, the use of fluorescent lighting poses several problems. For example, fluorescent lamps require a ballast to stabilize the lamp and to provide the initial striking voltage required to start the arc discharge. Additionally, because the arc is quite long relative to higher-pressure discharge lamps, the amount of light emitted per unit is low, so fluorescent lamps are typically large. Further, some find the color spectrum produced by fluorescent lighting harsh and displeasing.
One common problem is that the mercury inside a fluorescent tube tends to migrate to one end of the tube, leading to only one end of the lamp producing most of the light. Moreover, the disposal of phosphor and the small amounts of mercury in the tubes poses an environmental issue.
Fluorescent lamps typically operate best around room temperature (for example, about 68 degrees Fahrenheit or 20 degrees Celsius). At much lower or higher temperatures, lamp efficiency decreases; at low temperatures (below freezing) standard fluorescent lamps may not start. Special fluorescent lamps are therefore needed for reliable service outdoors in cold weather.
Another common problem with fluorescent lighting is that fluorescent lamps do not give out a steady light. Instead, and particularly toward the end of tube life, the lamps often flicker (fluctuate in intensity) at a rate that depends on the frequency of the driving voltage. While this is not easily discemable by the human eye, it can cause a strobe effect. This annoying "disco strobe" effect is particularly common with fluorescents at the end of tube life. The strobe effect poses a safety hazard in a workshop for example, where something spinning at just the right speed may appear stationary if illuminated solely by a fluorescent lamp.
LEDs are becoming widely used in many consumer lighting applications. In consumer applications, one or more LED dies (or chips) are mounted within a LED package or on an LED module or strip, which may make up part of a lighting fixture which includes one or more power supplies to power the LEDs. The module or strip of a fixture includes a packaging material with metal leads (to the LED dies from outside circuits), a protective housing for the LED dies, a heat sink, or a combination of leads, housing and heat sink. Various implementations of LED fixtures including one or more LED modules, arrays or strips of LEDs are becoming available in the marketplace to fill a wide range of applications, such as area lighting, indoor lighting, backlighting for consumer electronics, etc. LEDs may offer improved light efficiency, a longer lifetime, lower energy consumption, no environmental disposal issues and reduced maintenance costs, as compared to light sources such as T8 fluorescent lamps.

LED ceiling tile combination, LED fixture and ceiling tile


A semiconductor memory device includes a drive clock supplier and a signal generator. The drive clock supplier supplies a drive clock which is obtained by dividing an internal clock with a divide ratio, wherein the drive clock synchronizes with a rising edge of the internal clock with which an internal write signal synchronizes. The signal generator counts time corresponding to a write-recovery on the basis of the drive clock, to generate a precharge signal.

The present invention generally relates to semiconductor design technologies, and, more particularly, to a semiconductor memory device having a precharge signal generator capable of securing a timing margin in case of driving at a high frequency, without increase in its size and current consumption.
Generally, a write operation of a DRAM is performed by a write command and a write-precharge-command. Upon input of the write command, only the write operation is carried out, in which data is stored in a unit memory cell designated by a corresponding address. Meanwhile, upon input of the write-precharge-command, the write operation followed by an operation of precharging an activated word line is conducted. In addition, the write command and the write-precharge-command are distinguished from each other by a logic level of a specific address.
The following is a detailed description of a precharge signal generator for generating a precharge command to precharge a corresponding bank that becomes active by the write operation.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a structure of a conventional precharge signal generator being used in a semiconductor memory device.
Referring to FIG. 1, the conventional precharge signal generator includes a clock buffer 10 for receiving an internal clock CLK and generating a pulse clock CLKP, a write interval signal generator 20 for producing a write interval signal T_APCG in response to a column address AY<8> and an internal write signal CASP6WT<0>, and a signal generator 30 for generating a precharge signal APCG<0> after a delay time corresponding to a write-recovery time in response to the write interval signal T_APCG.
For reference, the write interval signal generator 20 and the signal generator 30 are blocks which generate the precharge signal APCG<0> to precharge a word line activated within a first bank. As such, to generate a precharge signal APCG<0:3> for each bank in the device, the internal write signal CASP6WT, activated with bank information and write information, is applied to the write interval signal generator 20. That is, the conventional precharge signal generator is provided with plural write interval signal generators and signal generators for precharging each bank within the semiconductor memory device, and precharges a specific bank in response to an activation of a corresponding signal out of a plurality of internal write signals CASP6WT<0:3>, which is activated depending on the bank information.
Further, the write-recovery time used herein is the time that elapses after the inflow of data stored in a cell into a bit line sense amplifier (which amplifies the input data) (not shown) until an update of the cell with data from outside in the bit line sense amplifier by an activation of a corresponding word line. This write-recovery time is decided by setting a write-recovery-information signal TWR<3:5> upon an initial operation. For example, if the write-recovery time is 3, the write-recovery-information signal TWR<3> is activated to a logic high level and the other signals TWR<4>and TWR<5> are inactivated to a logic low level.
In succession, if the column address AY<8> has a logic high level, this implies that the write-precharge-command is applied, and if the column address AY<8> has a logic low level, this implies that the write command is applied.
Meanwhile, the signal generator 30 is embodied by a multiplicity of shifters which delay the write interval signal T_APCG for a delay time corresponding to the write-recovery-information signal TWR<3:5>.
FIG. 2 is a waveform diagram describing the operation of the conventional precharge signal generator shown in FIG. 1.
First, a write-precharge-command WTWAP<0> is applied and its corresponding data is then received from outside. When the reception of the data is completed, the internal write signal CASP6WT<0> is activated in synchronization with the pulse clock CLKP.
Then, the write interval signal generator 20 activates the write interval signal T_APCG in response to the internal write signal CASP6WT<0> and the column address AY<8>.
Next, the signal generator 30 activates the precharge signal APCG<0> in synchronization with a rising edge of the pulse clock CLKP after a delay time corresponding to the write-recovery-information signal TWR<3:5>, starting from the activation time of the write interval signal T_APCG. At this time, the time corresponding to the write-recovery-information signal TWR<3:5> is counted by the pulse clock CLKP outputted from the clock buffer 10. For reference, it is assumed that the write-recovery time is set to 3 clocks and thus the write-recovery-information signal TWR<3> is activated.
On the other hand, as for a case where a write-precharge-command WTWAP<1> is applied for making a second bank active, the operation is performed in the same way, and therefore, details thereof are omitted here for simplicity.
As mentioned above, upon application of the write-command with precharge information, the conventional precharge signal generator in the semiconductor memory device counts a delay time corresponding to an internal latency and a write-recovery on the basis of the pulse clock with the same frequency as the internal clock, and thereafter generates the precharge signal. Thus, the more the delay time increases, the more it needs shifter devices for counting.
As a result, the conventional precharge signal generator has several problems in that a timing margin of the generator is reduced in case of driving at a high internal clock frequency, and its size and current consumption increase due to the increase of shifters in the signal generator.

Semiconductor memory device having precharge signal generator and its driving method


A signal transmission method, a signal transmission device and a computer-readable storage medium are provided. The method includes: determining user equipment; and transmitting beams of a 5th-Generation (5G) signal to the user equipment, where the 5G signal includes a plurality of Synchronization Signal Block (SSB) sets, at least one SSB set includes an even number of SSBs, the even number of SSBs include a plurality of groups of SSBs, each group of SSBs include two SSBs, and the plurality of groups of SSBs are transmitted in a plurality of time slots in radio frames of the 5G signal, with each group of SSBs being transmitted in one time slot; and the SSBs are used for carrying a Physical Broadcast Channel (PBCH), the PBCH carries first information, a scrambling code of the PBCH comprises second information, and the first information and the second information are used for determining time-domain information of the SSBs.

At present, in a 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) 5th-Generation (5G) standardization process, a Synchronization Signal Block (SSB) is transmitted mainly in a beam scanning manner, and the SSB carries a synchronization signal and a Physical Broadcast Channel (PBCH).
Based on introduction of SSB, the concept of SSB sets is further introduced. For example, a transmission cycle of each SSB set is 20 milliseconds and a transmission cycle of a PBCH is 80 milliseconds, namely four transmission cycles of SSB sets may exist in the transmission cycle of the PBCH. Each transmission cycle of the SSB set further includes two 10-millisecond radio frames, and transmission of all SSBs is completed within a certain 5-millisecond time period of each radio frame, namely a radio frame may include two SSB transmission windows.
Therefore, to enable user equipment receiving SSBs to determine an absolute time position of each SSB, the absolute time position is usually determined according to resources in a PBCH in the SSB. However, the absolute time position specifically includes a time position of a transmission cycle of a SSB set in a transmission cycle of the PBCH, a time position of a radio frame in the transmission cycle of the SSB set and the like, and determination of these time positions requires relatively more resources of the PBCH that is originally low in capacity. As a result, other information may not be effectively transmitted through the PBCH.

Signal transmission method and signal transmission apparatus

Beijing Xiaomi Mobile Software Co., Ltd.


A truck bed cover for a pickup truck includes a first panel assembly and a second panel assembly that is pivotally connected to the first panel assembly such that the second panel assembly pivots relative to the first panel assembly between a closed configuration and an open configuration providing an uncovered region adjacent the first panel assembly. The first panel assembly includes a panel having a cover configuration where the panel covers a part of a truck bed and a compartment configuration where a free end of the panel engages a floor of the truck bed to form part of a compartment beneath the truck bed cover.

Pickup trucks often have open top truck beds that are exposed to environmental conditions, such as rain, sun, etc. Truck bed covers, sometimes referred to as tonneau covers, are known that cover the truck beds and provide some barrier to the environment and some added security for items in the truck bed. Different types of truck bed covers are available. One such truck bed cover is a single-piece panel that is hingedly connected on a forward wall on the truck bed. Another type of truck bed cover is formed as a flexible substrate that can be rolled and unrolled to cover the truck bed. Yet another type of truck bed cover is formed of multiple panels that are hingedly connected to one another to fold and unfold between open and closed positions. While these multiple panel truck bed covers can be only partially opened by moving only one panel, they leave the truck bed again open to the environment. What is needed is a truck bed cover that can form enclosed compartments underneath the truck bed cover when the truck bed cover is only partially opened to isolate a portion of the truck bed from the environment and provide added security.

Truck bed covers including a compartment forming panel

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.


An image information management system includes: a reading device which reads unique information from a storage medium in which the unique information is stored; an imaging device which automatically starts shooting a video at a time of detecting a change of a picture image in an image area; and a processing device which includes a database which receives the unique information read by the reading device and the image information shot by the imaging device and associates the unique information and the image information to store the unique information and the image information. The processing device includes a control unit which associates the unique information and the image information to store the unique information and the image information in the database in a case of receiving the unique information and the image information, and which associates the image information and identification information indicating that no unique information is received to store the image information and the identification information in the database in a case of receiving only the image information from the imaging device and no unique information from the reading device.

Conventionally, a suspicious individual is imaged with using an imaging device such as a security camera in order to use it for security or as strong evidential information for identifying a criminal person.
As a system with using the security camera, there is known such a system that a predetermined place is imaged with using the security camera at any time and its image information is stored as a picture so that a criminal behavior is confirmed by displaying the recorded image information on a display in a case of a crime and/or an accident. In addition, there is known a suspicious individual imaging system (see Patent References-1 to 4, for example), in which a suspicious individual intrusion detector is provided in advance in the system, and in a case of intrusion of a suspicions individual, the suspicious individual is imaged by operating a security camera.
Patent Reference-1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-open under No. 9-198577
Patent Reference-2: Japanese Patent Application Laid-open under No. 10-222773
Patent Reference-3: Japanese Patent Application Laid-open under No. 2001-302133
Patent Reference-4: Japanese Patent Application Laid-open under No. 2004-5511
However, in such a case that the criminal person is the trusted employee, like the office crime, since he or she is not imaged by the suspicious individual intrusion detector as the suspicious individual, the imaging system of the suspicious individual is useless.
Thus, in this case, such a time-consuming work that the predetermined place is imaged with using the security camera at any time and the picture of the suspicious employee is searched out of history information of the image information and confirmed becomes necessary.
There is disclosed a system capable of starting shooting by the imaging device by reading the ID information stored on the ID card owned by the employee with using a reader/writer, and capable of searching the image information on the basis of the ID information by associating the image information shot by the imaging device with the ID information and storing them.
However, when the suspicious person having no ID card illegally enters the room, the imaging device does not shoot the video, which becomes problematic for security reason.


A method of inspecting an inspection pattern using a statistical inference function is disclosed. The inference function is generated in relation to optical reference signal data and reference pattern characteristic data for a plurality of reference patterns formed by a unit process of interest on reference substrates.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus adapted to inspect a pattern on a substrate and a related method. More particularly, the invention relates to a method and apparatus adapted to inspect a pattern characteristic using a statistical inference function using a light signal corresponding to the pattern characteristic.
This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 2004-66203 filed on Aug. 23, 2004, the subject matter of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
2. Description of the Related Art
As semiconductor devices have become more highly integrated and operating speeds have increased, design rules have changed. In general, a contact area and other critical dimensions defining the layout of contemporary semiconductor devices have gradually been reduced. These even smaller dimensions are increasingly intolerant to design and manufacturing errors. Yet, such ever smaller defects are harder and harder to identify during quality assurance processes. For example, common processing defects include voids formed in an insulation interlayer and a bridge defect formed on the contact plug of a stacked capacitor structure. As the overall dimensions of these individual components have shrunk over time, the associated processing defects have become ever more small and difficult to locate.
Most processing defects are caused by a pattern defect. Hence, each thin layer formed by a unit process step during the manufacture of a semiconductor device must be inspected for the presence of pattern defects. For example, the thickness of a thin layer formed on a substrate must be inspected following a deposition process. The thickness and/or width of a substrate pattern must similarly be inspected following a photolithography process. Where an inspected thickness or width is determined to be outside the allowed error tolerance, the process conditions associated with the unit process are often changed to prevent the subsequent formation of additional processing defects.
A scanning electron microscope (SEM) measurement or an optical measurement is widely utilized in pattern inspection processes.
A conventional SEM measurement technique typically involves direct examination of a substrate portion (hereafter the "specimen") including the pattern to be inspected. To do this, an electron beam is projected onto a cross sectional surface of the specimen, and secondary electrons are discharged from the specimen. The discharged secondary electrons are detected by the SEM, and the SEM provides a corresponding two dimensional image of the specimen, or the inspection pattern. This image is often referred to as a vertical profile of the inspection pattern. The physical properties of the inspection pattern such as a thickness, a width and a height are directly measured from the vertical profile of the inspection pattern. From the physical properties determined by the SEM measurement, a direct determination may be made as to whether or not the measured physical properties meet design specifications (e.g., fall within error tolerances).
Unfortunately, the SEM measurement requires a vacuum state and a lengthy examination period in order to provide satisfactory inspection results. The slow rate of inspection provided by SEM measurements is particularly disadvantageous in the context of modern manufacturing facilities which require highly efficient processes in order to ensure commercially viable productivity.
A conventional optical measurement technique typically involves periodically irradiating a surface portion of a substrate containing the desired inspection pattern, and detecting an optical signal reflected from the inspection pattern using an optical detector. The reflection optical signal is thereafter analyzed by the complex combination of a matrix function and an electromagnetic function to determine the physical properties of the inspection pattern and to estimate whether or not the obtained physical properties are within the allowable tolerance limits.
The conventional optical measurement technique provides fairly accurate results where the inspection pattern is formed with a relatively simple, two-dimensional matrix shape. However, the conventional optical measurement technique has a great difficulty analyzing the large number of reflected optical signals generated by more complicated inspection patterns. Indeed, such analysis typically requires the use of a costly computer server to process a large number of complex, reflected optical signals.
Thus, the two most common techniques used to detect pattern defects require an examination of the physical properties of the inspection pattern. Yet, an accurate measurement of the physical properties of an inspection pattern is not necessarily required for the detection of pattern defects, and further reliance on the examination of physical properties will only become ever more fruitless as pattern designs are defined in smaller and smaller dimensions. For these reasons, ongoing research continues into the problems associated with pattern defect inspections and the proper formation of patterns on semiconductor devices.
For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2002-261139 discloses a method of forming a pattern with optimal thickness or width by optimally varying the processing conditions during a unit process in accordance with variations in the amount of light reflected from the surface of an inspection pattern.
Unfortunately, this disclosure has a problem in that the optimal reflection light and the optimal pattern have no unique correspondence with each other, since an accurate statistical analysis correlating the reflection light and physical properties of the inspection pattern are not usually known.
Additionally, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2001-330421 discloses a method of inspecting a pattern using a surface ratio for the pattern with respect to the underlying substrate. That is, the surface ratio is obtained by relating a detection pulse derived from a light reflected from the surface of the inspection pattern and an output pulse derived from a source light irradiating the substrate. Yet, unfortunately, this disclosure has limited utility to only those inspection patterns having clear periodic features repeated across the substrate since the surface ratio of the inspection pattern is obtained from the ratio of the inspection pulse with respect to the output pulse. Accordingly, the inspection method proposed in this Japanese laid-open patent document cannot be applied to inspection patterns lacking such periodic features.
These disclosures are but two examples of the many inadequate attempts previously made to develop an improved method of inspecting for defects in an inspection pattern without the requirement of accurately measuring the physical properties of the inspection pattern.

Method and apparatus for inspecting substrate pattern


In a hydrostatic continuously variable transmission, a hydraulic pump is linked to a hydraulic motor by a hydraulic closed circuit to change the capacity of the hydraulic motor so as to change the speed of a motorcycle continuously. A clutch device comprising a clutch valve for connecting and disconnecting a high pressure side oil passage and a low pressure side oil passage constituting the hydraulic closed circuit. A governor mechanism for generating governor force corresponding to the input rotation speed of the hydraulic pump and applying this governor force in the closing direction of the clutch valve. A spring for giving urging force in the opening direction of the clutch valve, and a buffer mechanism having a variable oil chamber and an oil pool chamber for easing the opening and closing movements of the clutch valve activated according to the governor force and the urging force.

Various types of hydrostatic continuously variable transmissions have been known and implemented. For example, patent document 1, patent document 2 and patent document 3 proposed by the present applicant disclose a hydrostatic continuously variable transmission. This hydrostatic continuously variable transmission disclosed by these patent documents comprises a cam plate type axial plunger pump, a cam plate type axial plunger motor, and a hydraulic closed circuit for connecting the outlet port and inlet port of the cam plate type axial plunger pump to the inlet port and outlet port of the cam plate type axial plunger motor, a pump cam plate member is driven by an engine, a pump cylinder and a motor cylinder are joined together and connected to an output shaft, and the rotation of a motor cam plate member is restricted, and the angle of the motor cam plate can be changed.
In the hydrostatic continuously variable transmission thus constituted, it has been known that a clutch valve for connecting and disconnecting a high pressure side oil passage and a low pressure side oil passage constituting the hydraulic closed circuit is installed to control the size of rotation drive force to be transmitted from the hydraulic pump to the hydraulic motor and to cut off the transmission of this rotation. For example, patent document 3 discloses an automatic clutch device which comprises this clutch valve. This clutch valve has a spring (urging means) for urging it in the opening direction and a hydraulic governor for generating governor oil pressure corresponding to the input engine speed and is opened or closed according to the urging force of the spring and the force of the governor (governor oil pressure) to connect or disconnect the high pressure side oil passage and the low pressure side oil passage.
[patent document 1] JP-A No. 42446/1994
[patent document 2] JP-A No. 2920772
[patent document 3] JP-A No. 100909/1997
In the above clutch valve, when the input engine speed is low (for example, when the engine idles), the urging force of the spring prevails and the clutch valve is opened (the clutch is disconnected) and when the input engine speed is high, the force of the governor prevails and the clutch valve is closed (the clutch is connected). However, at around an input engine speed at which the clutch valve moves in the opening direction, forces in the direction of disconnection and the direction of connection compete with each other. When force in the direction of disconnection grows all of the sudden by oil pressure due to the quick operation of a throttle, the clutch valve moves in the direction of disconnection in spite of an acceleration state, and the clutch is disconnected. Thereafter, the clutch valve moves in the direction of connection due to the force of the governor caused by an increase in engine speed, and the clutch is connected. That is, when the opening and closing operations of the clutch valve are repeated, it is difficult to transmit power stably.

Clutch device for a hydrostatic continuously variable transmission


A portable light includes first and second d.c. lamps. A first housing portion has longitudinal access and encloses the first lamp while projecting a first light beam in a direction of longitudinal access. The first housing portion has a exterior surface contour and includes a compartment containing an electrical device connectable to a d.c. power supply connectable in circuit with the first lamp. A second housing portion is the shape of a hand grip and extends from first side of the first housing portion in a direction transversed to the longitudinal access to the first housing portion. The second housing portion encloses the second lamp which is connectable in circuit with the electrical device for projecting a second light beam in the direction forming at an angle with the longitudinal access of the first housing portion. A support is pivotally connected to the first housing portion and is pivotable between a closed position in which the support has a shape which generally conforms to the contour of the exterior surface of the first housing portion and an open position in which the support forms a stand extending from an opposite side of the first housing portion from that of the first side of the first housing portion for stabilizing the portable light source on a surface so that one of the fist and second lamps can be directed to a work area.

The invention relates to a portable, handheld light, and more specifically to a multi-function portable light which can be utilized as a handheld flash light and which can be additionally utilized as a lamp for lighting a work area without being hand held by the user.
Portable lights employing high intensity lamps powered, for example by a 12 volt or 6 volt battery are well known and are widely commercially available. Such portable lights are often housed in a cylindrical or boxy type housing and it is common to attached a hand grip to the housing for easily directing the light beam.
One inconvenience in utilizing such portable lights is that when the user directs the light beam in a forward direction to light up more distant stretches of a path, the area of the path immediately in front of the footsteps of the user remains dark, presenting the possibility of stumbling over an unseen object and/or irregularity in the pathway. If the user directs the light beam to the immediate area in front of himself or herself, then the more distant areas of the pathway remain dark. Accordingly, the user of the portable light is forced to continue switching the direction of the light beam so that both the immediate area in front of the user as well as the more distant areas can be illuminated. It would be desirable if the user did not have to continue switching directions of the light beam and still have near and distant areas illuminated.
Additionally, it is often desirable to utilize a portable light to illuminate a work area without having to hold the portable light to stabilize it. Furthermore, it is often not necessary to utilize the full candle power of the high intensity lamp for illuminating a relatively close work area. Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a mechanism for stabilizing the portable light on a surface and to utilize a lower intensity lamp beam in order to conserve battery power.


Embodiments of the invention provide a semiconductor memory device. In some embodiments, the device includes a bottom electrode extending in a y-direction relative to top surface of a substrate and a top electrode extending in an x-direction relative to the top surface of the substrate. An active area is located at the cross-section between the bottom electrode and the top electrode and is located on vertical side walls extending in a z-direction of the semiconductor memory device with respect to the top surface of the substrate. An insulating layer is located in the active area in between the top electrode and the bottom electrode.

The present invention relates in general to fabrication methods and resulting structures for semiconductor devices. More specifically, the present invention relates to fabrication methods and resulting structures for semiconductor memory devices having vertical active regions.
As the functionality of integrated chips increases, the need for more memory also increases. Designers have been looking to decrease the size of the memory elements and to stack more memory elements in a unit area to achieve greater capacity and lower costs per bit. With advancements in lithographic techniques, significant shrinkage of memory elements has been achieved. For example, flash memory can achieve high density by using 3D arrays, such as using vertical NAND cell stacking. Due to its high density, flash memory has been widely used as a large-capacity, nonvolatile memory, which can store data when it is powered off. However, it has been found that further miniaturization of the flash memory is limited as production costs have become increasingly high.
Designers are now looking at next generation nonvolatile memories such as MRAMs (Magnetoresistive Random Access Memory), PCRAMs (Phase Change Random Access Memory), CBRAMs (Conductive Bridging Random Access Memory) and RRAMs (Resistive Random Access Memory), to increase writing speed and decrease power consumption. Among the nonvolatile memories, the RRAM has the most potential to replace flash memories due to its simple structure, simple crossbar array and ability for low-temperature fabrication. A unit element of the RRAM is a two-terminal device composed of only an insulator positioned between two metal electrodes. For example, in a RRAM, a memristor element (e.g., HfOx) is sandwiched between two electrodes. Defects (e.g., oxygen vacancies) are intentionally introduced in the memristor film that can be programmed to different logic states such as a low-resistance state (logic "1") or a high-resistance state (logic "0") by changing the polarity of electrical field across the memristor element.

Semiconductor memory device having a vertical active region

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION


An air conditioning cooling apparatus and method which includes the steps of supplying cooling air generated from a cooling apparatus into an air passageway formed below a floor; guiding the cooling air within the air passageway into an equipment assembly disposed on the floor through an opening located in the floor; communicating the cooling air introduced into the equipment assembly into a plenum and introducing the air released from within the equipment into the plenum and communicating the released air through the cooling apparatus for cooling the released air. The method permits temperature differential between the air supplied to the air passageway and the air introduced into the plenum from the equipment assembly to be 45xc2x0 F. to substantially 40xc2x0 F. so as to reduce the power necessary for operating on the fan of the blowing apparatus.

The present invention relates to a computer room reduced air flow method and assembly but is not limited to use in computer rooms and instead can be utilized with respect to any equipment assembly requiring cooling which is positioned in a room. The method and assembly described below permits achieving energy savings while reducing the amount of air required to cool electronic/heat generating equipment, where a computer rack heat extraction device (CRHED) or similar device such as a custom air handling unit (AHU) is utilized. The method and apparatus permits the collection of heat generated, for example, by the rack electronic equipment.
The conventional computer room method and assembly illustrated in FIG. 1 exemplifies the approach for cooling electronic equipment commonly used currently wherein an array of racks of equipment are positioned on a raised floor. FIG. 1 illustrates an air conditioning system used in the method and apparatus of a conventional system wherein a room space 1 defined by a room floor, sidewalls 3 and a ceiling 4 having a plurality of ceiling panels is provided. The room floor 2 is positioned a predetermined distance above a base floor 5 such that the room floor 2 and the base floor 5 in combination form a double floor structure having a free space 6 (i.e. air passageway) formed therein. A rack 7 for one or more computer processing units (CPU) is disposed on the floor 2 wherein electronic cables for the rack are capable of being housed in the free space 6 of the double floor structure but can be specifically communicated to the rack separate from the free air space if desired.
In installing each of the CPUs or other equipment on the rack on the floor, a plurality of support members can be provided which are stationary by being fixed by bolts or similar fastening elements to predetermined positions on the floor 2.
The rack 7 is positioned in a casing 8 having air inlets 8a and air outlets 8b formed respectively in a bottom plate of the casing 8 and in the ceiling portion of the casing 8. A computer case fan 9 is operable during operation of the equipment 7 so as to assist the airflow upwardly from the casing through the air outlets 8b. As shown in FIG. 1, the CPU members are arranged in an air passageway formed within the casing 8. The floor 2 includes a plurality of floor panels located on pedestals 2b, one panel 2a of which includes a plurality perforations to allow air flow as indicated by the arrows to flow through the front of the outside housing of casing 8, through the CPU rack 7 and out the back of casing 8. A cooling unit 14 is positionable either inside or outside the room 1 and is communicated with a heat exchanger or other air conditioning equipment so as to permit a cooling coil 15 located within unit 14 to cool air blowing therethrough. The cooling unit 14 also includes a fan 16 which is positionable below cooling coil 15. An inlet 20 is provided to allow air from the room to flow thereinto from the room, the air in the casing 8 mixing with room air prior to being introduced into the cooling unit 14, as illustrated in FIG. 1. The fan 16 is therefore arranged between the air inlet 20 and an air outlet 22 located at the lower portion of unit 14 and feeds air into the free space 6 located above the base floor 5. The fan 16 thus permits air in the interior of the room to be sucked into the air inlet 20 of the casing 8 and also permits the air in the room to pass through cooling coil 15. The air in the room is typically at a temperature of 75xc2x0 F.xc2x1.
The above-noted approach for cooling electronic equipment thus permits the area in the free space 6 below the raised floor 2 to be used for cable management and also serve as a supply air plenum. The computer room air conditioning units (CRACUS) utilize cooling coil 15 to cool the air. The CRACUs supply conditioned air at approximately 55xc2x0 F. to the under floor supply air plenum or free space 6. Floor tiles with perforations or slots to allow air to flow from under the raised floor to above the floor are positionable below or are adjacent to the rack 7. Other perforated tiles are positioned throughout the room to provide air supply to other heat generating equipment and to maintain the room in an ambient environment.
As illustrated by the arrows in FIG. 1 showing the air flow, the conditioned air is then drawn into the rack 7 by either convection by air flow from perforated panels 2a into the casing 8 or by fans 9 located in the top of the racks. The air enters the racks at a temperature of approximately 55xc2x0 F., is heated by the CPUs or other electronics, and flows upwardly out of the rack at approximately a temperature of 95xc2x0 F. The warm air leaves the rack and mixes with the conditioned ambient environment of the room 1 which is at a temperature of approximately 75xc2x0 F., and thus returns to the CRACU""s at a temperature of approximately 75xc2x0 F. as illustrated in FIG. 1.
In view of the foregoing, it can be understood that conventional CRACU""s have a 20xc2x0 delta T (+ or xe2x88x924xc2x0 F.) across the cooling coil 15. This is also coincident with the space delta T which is defined as being the difference in temperature between the air supplied to the space, and the air returned from such space. The temperature of the air returned from the space is usually coincident with the ambient space temperature such that the return air at 75xc2x0 F. enters the return on top of the CRACU""s, passes across the cooling coil 15 and is discharged at a temperature of substantially 55xc2x0 F. at the bottom of unit 14 so as to pass into the free space 6. The required air quantity to cool such space is a direct function of the space delta T. The equation set forth below is used to calculate the required air flow or cubic feet per minute (CFM) of air to cool a space:
CFM=BTUH/1.08xc3x97delta T
From the foregoing, it can be appreciated that the disadvantage of the conventional system set forth above requires a significant amount of fan horsepower for operation and thus the need has arisen for reducing the amount of horsepower necessary to operate the fan 16.
The devices of the type described above are exemplified by, for example, by U.S. Pat. No. 5,718,628; U.S. Pat. No. 4,774,631 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,910,045, the disclosure of each of which is herein incorporated by reference, as is the disclosure of provisional application No. 60/183,328, the priority of which has been claimed in the present application.
An object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus which utilizes an increased delta T to reduce their required air quantity, thus resulting in a reduced airflow method and apparatus. Specifically, the present invention utilizes approximately 40xc2x0 F. delta T to reduce the CFM by substantially 50%. The substantially 50% reduction in the airflow will serve to effectively correspondingly reduce the required power by substantially 50%, resulting in substantial energy savings. A key element of the method and apparatus is an increase in delta T above what is conventionally used. The present invention is capable of operating in a range of delta T from 25xc2x0 F. to 45xc2x0 F. In this regard, it is noted that the use of a 40xc2x0 F. in the description set forth below is solely exemplary in illustrating device and greater or lesser temperature variations are possible.
An object of at least one embodiment of the present invention is to provide an air conditioning method and apparatus which utilizes the steps of supplying cooling air generated from a cooling apparatus into an air passageway formed below a floor; guiding the cooling air within the air passageway into an equipment assembly disposed on the floor through an opening located in the floor; communicating the cooling air introduced into the equipment assembly into a plenum and introducing the air released from within the equipment into the plenum for communicating such released air to the cooling apparatus. The method may also include the step of guiding the air from the equipment assembly through at least one duct into the plenum and may include the step of cooling the cooling air generated from the cooling apparatus to a temperature of substantially 55xc2x0 F. while also heating the air released from the equipment assembly to a temperature of substantially 95xc2x0 F. prior to introducing such air to the cooling apparatus so as to form a closed loop in terms of cycling of the air through the cooling assembly and the equipment assembly.
A further object of the present invention is to obtain a temperature differential between the air supplied to the air passageway or plenum from the cooling apparatus and the air introduced into the plenum from the equipment assembly so as to be substantially 40xc2x0 F., thus permitting lower power requirements of the fan utilized to assist flow of the air in the closed loop.
A further object of the present invention is to position the fan between the cooling apparatus and the air passageway so as to permit blowing of the air into the passageway towards the equipment assembly, although it is understood that the fan can be located anywhere within the closed loop so as to assist flow of air between the blowing apparatus and the equipment assembly.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus wherein the cooling assembly is located either within or outside the computer room, the equipment assembly comprising either at least one computer processing unit or other type of processing unit in combination with an additional heat generating equipment or with out such equipment. In addition, a further object of the present invention is to cool equipment assembly generating heat which does or does not include computer equipment.
An additional object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioning assembly for performing the method described above.


A portable jogging tricycle includes a main frame, a handle base, a rear wheel support frame connected to opposite sides of the handle base, two front wheel support frames and two foldable frames attached between the handle base and the front wheel support frame. The foldable frame includes a plurality of scissor lifts and is used for folding the two front wheel support frames close to the handle base. The main frame includes a plurality of pivoted arms for folding the main frame together to fold in the handle base and the rear wheel support frame.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tricycle, and more particularly to a portable jogging tricycle.
2. Description of the Related Art
Currently, with more convenient transportation options, such as motorcycles, cars, trains, subways, and elevators, people have less and less opportunity to exercise, and busy modern lifestyles are causing increasing numbers of people to be less and less healthy. Consequently, some people have added exercise regimens to their daily routines, such as bicycle riding. Furthermore, in typical metropolitan areas, parking spaces are difficult to find and fuel prices are high, and so more and more people are choosing two-wheeled vehicles, such as bicycles or motorcycles, for their mode of daily transportation.
However, most people would prefer to reduce their commuting times to have time for other activities, and so riding a bicycle is more practical for relatively short commuting distances. But, in typical metropolitan areas, people still usually need to walk from public transportation stops to their final destinations. Therefore, some people like to ride and carry bicycles instead of walking to save on commute time.
Nevertheless, typical bicycles are not very portable, and so it is difficult to travel with them when using public transportation. Some foldable bicycles can be folded up into smaller sizes, but a folded bicycle is not itself mobile and so needs to be lifted and carried around.
Furthermore, current jogging exercise machines are in the form of treadmills, which provide a rolling belt upon which a user runs. However, this machine is an indoor exercise machine which may make the user feel that exercising with it is boring.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide a portable jogging tricycle to mitigate and/or obviate the aforementioned problems.


A new and distinct variety of Alstroemeria distinguished by its mildly spicy carnation fragrance and rose-pink flowers highlighted by the white central portion of the inner petals, the upper portions of which are tipped in rose-pink. Brown streaks are present on the inner petals increasing in size toward the outer end of the petals.

The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of Alstroemeria plant, known by the cultivar name Inca Koya, originiated by the inventor Michael Neuroth from a hybridization made in a controlled breeding program on Lummi Island, Wash., U.S.A., in August 1990. The female parent being the Brazilian specie A. caryophyllae and the male pollen parent being of unknown parentage but of select quality.
The new cultivar was selected as one flowering plant within the progeny of the stated parentage by Michael Neuroth on Jul. 30, 1991 in a controlled environment on Lummi Island, Wash.
The first asexual reproduction of the new cultivar was done by rhizome divisions taken from the initial selection on Nov. 29, 1991 in a controlled environment on Lummi Island by Michael Neuroth. Examination of plants reproduced by the above rhizome division has demonstrated that the combination of characteristics as herein disclosed and claimed for the new cultivar are firmly fixed and retained through generations of asexual reproduction.
The new cultivar has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary with changes in environment such as temperature, light intensity and day length. The following observations, measurements and comparisons describe plants grown on Lummi Island under greenhouse conditions which approximate those generally used in commercial practice.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be basic characteristics of the new cultivar which together distinguish this Alstroemeria as a new and distinct cultivar:
1. Medium flowers with the outer perigon petals being rose-pink and the inner perigon petals being cream white tipped in rose-pink.
2. Streaking appears on the upper surface of the inner perigon petals, with streaks being dark brown and increasing in thickness towards the outer ends of these inner petals.
3. Long or short stems depending on temperature and light intensity.
4. Long flowering season.
5. Fragrant flowers.


The present invention broadly concerns layered structures of substantially-crystalline materials and processes for making such structures. More particularly, the invention concerns epitaxial growth of a substantially-crystalline layer of a first material on a substantially-crystalline second material different from the first material.

A primary concern in obtaining crystalline film growth by molecular-beam epitaxy (MBE) or other vapor-phase technique is the mode of growth of the film. Three principal modes of such film growth are (1) layer-by-layer growth, referred to as a "Frank-Van der Merwe" growth mode; (2) "islanding," referred to as a "Volmer-Weber" growth mode; and (3) layer-by-layer growth to a theshold thickness, followed by islanding, referred to as a "Stranski-Krastanov" growth mode. In either growth mode which entails "islanding," the film ultimately becomes divided into domains or "islands" of crystallinity. Such a division of a film into islands of crystallinity constitutes a disruption of the long-range crystal structure desired for many applications--particularly for many applications in the field of solid-state electronics.
Surface free energies and lattice-strain energies are significant factors in determining which growth mode will be dominant when a crystallizable material is deposited on a surface of a substrate to form a film. Putting aside the matter of the lattice strain energy of the film, theoretical models of epitaxial growth suggest that the growth mode is largely determined by the surface free energy of the substrate surface (.delta..sub.s), the surface free energy of the deposited layer (.delta..sub.f), and an interface free energy (.delta..sub.i). An inequality expression involving these free energies .delta..sub.s >.delta..sub.f +.delta..sub.i specifies a condition under which a deposited film effectively wets a substrate. When a crystallizable material deposited on a substrate wets the substrate, Frank-Van der Merwe layer-by-layer epitaxial growth may occur. If the inequality has the opposite direction, there is usually no wetting of the substrate when the crystallizable material is deposited on the substrate and, Volmer-Weber immediate islanding growth tends to occur. The Stranski-Krastanov thickness-threshold islanding growth generally tends to occur when the deposited material wets the substrate, but the lattice strain energy of the resulting deposited layer is unfavorable, or when there is an added complication such as interface mixing or surface reconstruction.
It would often be desirable to fabricate an epitaxial layer of one element embedded in a crystalline matrix of another element. In other words, it would often be desirable to fabricate layered structures with a crystalline substrate of a first element, an embedded epitaxial layer of a second element, and a capping epitaxial layer of the first element of the substrate.
In general, for two elements A and B, one of the elements has a lower surface free energy than the other. Consequently, if element A can be grown on element B in either a Frank-Van der Merwe layer-by-layer growth mode or a Stranski-Krastanov thickness-threshold islanding growth mode, then element B will grow on element A in a Volmer-Weber immediate islanding mode. Consequently, there is a significant barrier to the growth of an epitaxial layer of one element embedded in a crystalline matrix of the other element; that is, to the growth of layered structures of the elements in the order A/B/A or B/A/B. If the film to be embedded grows well on the substrate, then the capping layer ordinarily does not grow well on the film to be embedded. Conversely, if the capping layer were to grow well on the film to be embedded, then the film to be embedded would tend not to grow well on the substrate in the first instance.
Germanium has a lower surface free energy than that of silicon and the interface free energy .delta..sub.i may generally be considered insignificant. Germanium growth on silicon above about 400.degree. C. follows a Stranski-Krastanov thickness-threshold islanding growth mode: at coverages below about three monolayers, layer-by-layer epitaxial growth is usually observed. At coverages corresponding to more than about three monolayers of germanium, islanding of the germanium generally occurs.
Attempts have been made to avoid such islanding by inhibiting the mobility of the germanium layer by lowering the growth temperature. However, it is generally found that films grown by low temperature processes tend to suffer from poor crystal quality and frequently from inferior electrical properties as well. Other attempts to avoid islanding of germanium on silicon have involved increasing the rate of deposition of germanium. If the germanium deposition growth rate is sufficiently high, it is possible to grow germanium layers with thicknesses which exceed the thickness normally associated with islanding. However, even using such a high-growth rate technique, it has been found that germanium films can be made only about six monolayers thick before a deterioration of the film properties is observed.
The tendency of germanium films to island after the first few monolayers can be observed experimentally using Rutherford ion backscattering analysis. In FIG. 1, 100 keV He.sup.+ Rutherford ion backscattering spectra of germanium deposited on a substrate of silicon (001) by a conventional molecular-beam-epitaxy process are plotted for the initial stages of germanium film growth at about 500.degree. C. After approximately the first three monolayers, the intensity of the leading germanium peak saturates. With further increases in coverage by germanium, the background behind the germanium peak increases, indicating that growth is restricted to islands of .gtoreq.50 .ANG. thickness. The tendency of germanium to cluster on silicon has hindered previous attempts to grow epitaxial films of germanium on silicon.
Attempts to grow multilayer silicon-germanium superlattices must overcome the fundamental limitations imposed by the growth modes of the constituents. Studies of Si/Ge/Si quantum-well structures have revealed islanding of silicon capping layers as well as severe interdiffusion effects, both evidently resulting from surface energetics.

International Business Machines Corporation


A method and an apparatus for calculating a biometric index using biometric information are disclosed. An apparatus for calculating a biometric index using biometric information is provided, the apparatus comprising: a transmission/reception unit for receiving biometric information collected by a user terminal or a biometric information collection apparatus; a storage unit for storing an index calculation formula for calculating a biometric index and a daily body index using the biometric information and daily body index; an extraction unit for extracting the stored biometric information and index calculation formula; and a calculation unit for calculating a biometric index and a daily body index using the received biometric information and the predetermined index calculation formula, wherein the biometric index includes one or more of an eating behavior index, an activity index, a sleep index and a heart rate variability index, and calculates the daily body index using the biometric index.

With the steadily increasing interest in health issues, many people want to know their body conditions these days.
In most past cases, experts interpreted biometric index measurement results, such as blood pressure, blood flow, and glucose measured by measurement devices, so that diagnoses might be made. Recently, telemedicine services are being provided by transmitting and receiving such measurement results by utilizing communication technology. However, it is difficult for the public who are not experts to understand such measurement results and guess their body conditions.
Also, questionnaires used for existing medical consultation are not uniformized, and interpretation thereof is evaluated in contradictory ways in some cases.
Therefore, uniform indices should be used so that health conditions can be evaluated from the viewpoint of the public.
Korean Patent No. 10-1503836 discloses an apparatus and method for calculating a physical age. The apparatus for calculating a physical age according to Korean Patent No. 10-1503836 includes a calculation unit which calculates a physical age of a user by using at least one of the user's back strength, measured high jump value, number of sit-ups, grasping power, height, measured sitting trunk flexion value, maximum oxygen intake, reaction time, weight, and eye-closed single-leg stance duration, and an output unit which outputs the calculated physical age of the user.
Korean Patent No. 10-1503836 is characterized by calculating a physical age but lacks indices for evaluating overall health conditions not only in a physical aspect but also in various aspects.

Method and apparatus for calculating biometric index using biometric information


A hybrid propulsion system includes a main diesel engine for driving the marine turbine and an electric motor. The electric motor has a nominal output that constitutes at least 20% of the nominal output of the main diesel engine. The electric motor remains continuously switched on and maintains, together with a variable-pitch propeller, the main diesel engine at a favorable operating point. The combination of the main diesel engine and the electric motor also allows for a more economical design or operation of the propulsion system.

The propulsion system for large cargo ships, for example container ships, normally provides one slow-running diesel engine for each ship propeller. This slow-running diesel engine supplies all the propulsion power for this propeller. The propulsion power of the diesel engine starts at about 10 to 15 MW. The diesel engines that are used operate on the two-stroke principle. The high power that is required and the low rated rotation speed result in a large swept volume, and thus a large physical volume with a large mass.
A correspondingly large amount of space must be provided in the ship's hull for the diesel engine or, for a multishaft propulsion system, the diesel engines, to be precise at a point which is located close to the stern with respect to the overall length. The engine room is located at a point which intrinsically would be particularly highly suitable for being loaded with containers. There is also a large amount of unused dead space.
Because of the heavy weight of the diesel engine, the hull must be reinforced to a considerable extent at the relevant points.
As in the case of all internal combustion engines, the relative fuel consumption also varies in the case of ship diesel engines as a function of the operating point, that is to say of the rotation speed. The rotation speed range which is best with regard to the fuel consumption occurs at about 85 to 90% of the rated rotation speed for which the diesel engine is designed. At lower rotation speeds, the fuel consumption can be even worse. The ship's captain must therefore keep the propulsion system as close as possible to this optimum operating point.
Variable-pitch propellers, in which the angle of the blades of the ship propeller can be controlled as a function of the torque, provide a certain capability to vary the operation point in the direction of better fuel consumption, even in poor load situations. Nevertheless, the optimum operating point cannot be achieved in all movement conditions.
In addition to the poor fuel consumption at rotation speeds below the rated rotation speed, considerable thermal loads also occur at low rotation speeds, such as those which are required in the lower speed of motion range when the ship is being accelerated. In order to accelerate the ship, the diesel engine has to emit a high torque at a low rotation speed, that is to say it runs at a low rotation speed with a high cylinder charge. The thermal load on the cylinder heads is correspondingly high.
Despite all these disadvantages, the ship diesel engine in container ships is used virtually exclusively, since its procurement costs are very low. The diesel engine is robust and can be produced in countries with low wages, which reduces the production costs.
Besides the diesel drive for ships, it is also known from practice for electric motors to be used for driving the ship propeller. The electrical power for the propeller motor is produced by means of a diesel generator system. High-speed four-stroke diesel engines can be used in this case, which have a considerably better power-to-weight ratio than slow-running diesel engines. Their rotation speed is higher by a factor of approximately 4 to 10 than the rotation speed of the diesel engine for the ship propeller.
Furthermore, converters based on semiconductors can be used to always operate the diesel engine for the diesel generator system independently of the load at that rotation speed at which the fuel consumption with respect to the output power is optimum. This propulsion system concept makes it possible to avoid thermal problems resulting from low rotation speeds and high cylinder charges.
The considerable advantages of an electrical propulsion system are countered by comparatively high investment costs, which are considerably greater than the costs involved for a diesel engine that drives the ship propeller directly.
Finally, a mixed propulsion system is known from practice, which provides a slow-running diesel engine for the ship propeller as the main propulsion device. In addition, a comparatively small electric motor is coupled to the propeller shaft, as a booster. The electric motor power is at most 10% of that of the diesel engine.
The booster motor is used in particular in the low rotation speed range in order to avoid thermally overloading the main propulsion system diesel. A further purpose of the booster motor is to improve the control system dynamic response, for example in operating situations when the propeller is partially moving in and out of the water owing to heavy sea states.


Data processing systems and methods are provided having an on-line transaction processing (OLTP) database and an on-line analysis processing (OLAP) database. The OLAP and OLTP databases are synchronized periodically. In response to a user's query, OLAP cube data that is available in the OLAP database is complimented with data from the OLTP database for inclusion of up-to-date data into the on-line analysis processing.

Conventional relational databases are well known and data collected in support of large enterprises is often collected into relational databases. For example, an enterprise with a sales operation might store all of their data relating to sales transactions in a relational database. A relational database structure defines the tables making up the relational database, along with definitions for the rows and columns of the tables and the relations between tables.
For example, a relational sales database might have an invoice table and a customer table. The invoice table might have columns for an invoice number, customer number, salesperson, sales date, shipping date, etc., with one row per "instance" in the table. In this example, an instance is an invoice. The customer table might have one row per unique customer, and columns for a customer number, customer name, address, credit limit, etc. As for the relations between tables, the relational sales database might relate customer numbers in the invoice table with customer numbers in the customer table.
Such relational structures are well known and methods for navigating large relational databases are known. For example, a user at a relational database client might formulate a Structured Query Language ("SQL") statement and submit that SQL statement to a relational database server. The relational database server would respond to the submission with a table of results that matched the SQL statement. For example, a user might request a list of invoices for a given day listing the customer, the salesperson, and the amount for each such invoice. The list might be informative if the enterprise only makes a few sales per day, but is less likely to be informative if the enterprise makes thousands of sales per day.
To provide workers with informative views of an enterprise's data, analytical systems are often employed. One example of an analytical system is a data warehouse. A data warehouse contains much the same data as the relational database, but in a much different form. As should be apparent with the examples used above, adding one more invoice to the relational database could be as simple as adding a record with the invoice pertinent data to the invoice table.
For this reason, large relational databases used in this way are often referred to as on-line transaction processing ("OLTP") systems. By contrast, the data warehouse usually stores data in aggregate, to allow for high-level analysis of the data. Often the data is aggregated according to multiple criteria, to provide access to data and aggregations much faster than if the same information were obtained from a relational database system.
Such systems of replicated and/or aggregated data are often referred to as on-line analytical processing ("OLAP") systems. In a typical enterprise, the data warehouse is populated and updated periodically from the OLTP data. For example, U.S. Patent Publication No. 2003/0225798 shows a method of capturing data from on OLTP for data warehousing.
The updating process might, for example, provide invoice totals and other data extracted from the OLTP data to the OLAP data structures on a once-daily update. Using an OLAP system, a user might request a chart of the sales by geographic region broken down by month for a year's worth of data.
If such a request were to be made of the OLTP data structures, a server responding to that request would have to scan all the records in several tables to come up with totals for the chart. With one request, the scan might be easy, but when many requests are being made, it is more efficient to make those requests of an OLAP system, since the results for the chart may be obtained by taking the appropriate slice of data from the OLAP data structures. Sometimes, an OLAP data system is represented as a multi-dimensional data structure and each OLAP query is simply a "slice" through this multi-dimensional data structure.
In one common analytical application, a user is presented with a user interface at an OLAP client and uses that OLAP client to "navigate" a set of "cubes" (the multi-dimensional, or "MD" data structure) that were created from the OLTP data structures. Using that OLAP client, the user may navigate the OLAP data using top-down slicing and narrowing mechanisms, looking for points of interest within the information presented.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,480,842 shows a system, including a method for navigating between dimensions and domains, that allows for an interactive response to a query based on data stored in at least one on-line transaction processing (OLTP) database structure and data stored in at least one on-line analysis processing (OLAP) database structure. The system includes a dimension to domain server, which interacts with a user interface client, which presents to a user, representations of elements of the OLTP database structure and representations of elements of the OLAP database structure. The user interface client also includes logic to accept a selection of representations of elements selected by the user, and if the selection comprises more than one element, an association among the elements in the selection. An element relator is provided that relates one or more elements of the OLTP database structure to one or more elements of the OLAP processing database structure when the selection of representations includes at least one element from the OLTP database structure and at least one element from the OLAP database structure. A query formulator, coupled to the user interface client, formulates the query based on the selection and any associations. The query formulator is also coupled to the element relator when at least one association of the selection is an association between at least one element from the OLTP database structure and at least one element from the OLAP database structure. A query server receives the query from the query formulator and provides responses to the query received from the query formulator.
As the execution of queries in the OLTP database is expensive in terms of the required computational resources and due to the negative impact of such queries on the real-time capability of such an OLTP database, embodiment of the invention can provide an improved data processing system that reduces that amount of access operations to the OLTP database, while providing a user with most up-to date data for analytical purposes.


In a network authentication method, a client device stores a certificate reference mapped uniquely to a certificate, which is assigned to an end user, and a reference private key obtained by encrypting a private key with a PIN code determined by the end user. The client device generates a digital signature for transaction data associated with the certification reference using a current key that is obtained by decrypting the reference private key with a user input code obtained through an input operation. A verification server verifies, based on a public key of a stored certificate, whether a received digital signature is signed with the private key, and obtains from the digital signature the transaction data when verification result is affirmative.

Online web-based services are widely used today, typical examples being online banking services and online shopping services. However, problems associated with transaction security have posed serious challenges and risks to institutions and their customers. In a global economy with billions of transactions carried daily over insecure public internet Protocol (IP) networks, identity and/or personal information protection becomes paramount. In general, a customer computer environment is considered to be insecure due to its vulnerability to a variety of malicious software, such as keystroke recorder, Trojan horse, or even screen recorder, etc., that are able to record keystrokes, redirect critical messages to a fake server, or effectively "video record" a computer screen. Through a variety of means, hackers are able to steal customer identities and/or personal information. Even worse, critical data may be modified.
The traditional way to authenticate a customer is for a client computer to provide a user-id and a password. However, this one-factor (e.g., the combination of a user-id and a password) authentication is not secure enough to protect either the customer or the institution from attacks by malicious software or malware (including Trojan horses) using approaches, such as man-in-the-middle (MITM), man-in-the-browser (MITB), and keystroke logging.
Since the user-id and the password may be stolen, an identity verification device, e.g., a universal serial bus (USB) device loaded with a public key infrastructure (PKI) certificate, an integrated circuit (IC) electronic card or a dynamic token, may additionally be used for verifying the identity of the customer, thereby making the cost of customer service for personalization, distribution and troubleshooting considerable. Further, the necessity of having different identity verification devices for different institutions proves to be quite inconvenient for customers.
Therefore, there is still room for improvement in the above techniques.

Network authentication method for secure electronic transactions


In one aspect, a bone plate system is provided including a bone plate and a plurality of cable connector devices configured to be inserted into throughbores formed in bone portions and through openings of the bone plate member aligned therewith. The cable connector devices each include opposite end portions with one end portion configured to abut against the bone adjacent the throughbore and the other end portion configured to be operatively fixed to the bone plate member with the cable portion extending therebetween and in the bone throughbore for securing the bone plate member to the bone portion with the cable connector devices including a cable portion thereof extending in the bone throughbore.

There are presently many different types of bone plate systems for securing bones so that the secured bones may fuse or heal. As used herein, the term bone may refer to a bone, a bone fragment, or a portion of a bone. One application for bone plate systems is repairing one or more ribs after a thoracotomy. A thoracotomy may involve cutting a rib or, in some instances, removing a section of a rib in order to provide access to tissues and organs within the chest cavity of a patient.
After the tissues or organs within the chest cavity have been operated upon, the ribs of the patient may need to be repaired. For example, if one of the ribs has been cut, a bone plate and screws may be used to secure the portions of the cut rib together. However, rib bones are relatively thin such that driving the screws into the portions of the cut rib exerts an outward pressure upon the bone which may splinter the bone. Further, rib bones consist of soft cancellous bone enclosed in a thin, compact layer of hard cortical bone. In order to achieve sufficient purchase in the bone, the screws may need to be driven completely through both layers of cortical bone and the cancellous bone therebetween. This may cause a portion of a screw shank to extend beyond the rib and irritate tissues within the chest cavity of the patient.
A thoracotomy may also involve using a retraction device to retract a pair of ribs of a patient apart in order to provide access to the tissues or organs within a patient's chest cavity. The retracted ribs may not return to their original position after the retraction device has been removed, which may be due to breaking of the surrounding bones and/or cartilage. In one approach, suture wire is looped around the pair of ribs and tightened to approximate the pair of ribs back together. However, each rib has a delicate neurovascular bundle of a vein, an aertery, and a nerve extending along the underside of the rib such that tightening the looped suture wire around the ribs may undesirably pinch the neurovascular bundle of one or more of the ribs.
In some thoracotomy procedures, a rib is cut and the portions of the cut rib are manipulated in order to gain access to a patient's chest cavity and, after the chest cavity has been accessed, a bone plate is used to promote post-operative fusion of the rib portions. More specifically, once the tissues or organs within the chest cavity have been accessed, the rib portions are approximated to return the rib portions to their initial positions. Pilot holes are drilled in the rib portions near the cut ends of the rib portions. Next, a bone plate is positioned on the rib portions so that throughbores of the bone plate are aligned with the pilot holes and the bone plate extends across the cut in the rib. Bone screws are driven through the bone plate throughbores to secure the bone plate to the rib portions and stabilize the rib and bone plate construct. One problem with this approach is that drilling the pilot holes in the rib portions may be difficult because the rib portions are hard to manipulate after being cut. Another problem is that obtaining a precise alignment of the pilot holes in the rib portions and the throughbores of the bone plate is challenging due to the difficulty in drilling properly spaced and oriented pilot holes in the cut rib portions.


A heat-sealable biodegradable packaging material, its manufacturing method and a product package formed thereof, where the packaging material comprises a fiber substrate, an inner polymeric coating layer against the fiber substrate, which contains polylactide and a biodegradable polyester that is blended therewith to improve the adhesion between the inner coating layer and the fiber substrate, and an outer coating layer that constitutes the outer surface of the material and contains polylactide and a biodegradable polyester that is blended therewith to improve the heat sealing ability of the layer, the portion of polylactide in the inner layer present in an amount greater than that in the outer layer. The inner and/or outer coating layers can further have blended therewith a small amount of acrylic copolymer that improves the adhesion and/or heat sealing ability. The coating layers can be introduced onto the fiber substrate by extrusion or coextrusion.

The fiber-based packaging material of product packages, such as packing paper or board, is usually provided with a polymeric coating that makes the package tight and by means of which the package can be closed by heat sealing. Multi-layer coatings can comprise an inner EVOH, PET or polyamide layer that provides the material with an effective barrier to water vapor and oxygen, and an outer poly-olefin layer that makes the material heat-sealable. One disadvantage of the said widely-used coating polymers is, however, that they are not biodegradable.
Polylactide (PLA), which has reasonably good moisture and gas barrier properties that are adequate to many applications, has been used as the coating polymer of biodegradable packaging material; however, its use involves a number of problems. Polylactide as such is stiff and fragile, requiring a high extrusion temperature and a fairly large layer thickness to stick to the fiber substrate of the packaging material. Because of the high temperature, polylactide runs the risk of breaking, and in extrusion, the edges of a molten web tend to tear and pin holes easily remain in the extruded layer.
As a solution to said problems, the specification FI-112624 B (EP-1094944 B1, respectively) discloses an inner adhesion layer, which is co-extruded together with an outer polylactide layer and which consists of a biodegradable polymer, examples of which, according to the specification, include some commercial copolyesters, cellulose esters, and polyester amides. They facilitate the extrusion of polylactide and provide adhesion that prevents the coating from peeling off the fiber substrate.
Another problem with the use of polylactide in the outer coating layer of the packaging material is its fairly high melting point, and the resulting poor heat sealing ability. As an improvement to this, the specification US-2002/0065345 A1 discloses a biodegradable aliphatic polyester that is blended with polylactide, its portion in the mixture being at least 9%, and a tackifier, its portion in the mixture being at least 1%. As suitable aliphatic polyesters, the publication mentions polycaprolactone (PLC) and polybutylene succinate adipate (PBSA). According to the patent specification, the mixture can be extruded into a film, which can be axially or biaxially stretched and which can be attached to the fiber substrate by lamination. As a result, polymer-coated biodegradable packaging material is obtained, which has a considerably improved heat sealing ability.
The specification of US 2005/0192410 A1 describes polylactide films and coatings, wherein the processability of polylactide is improved by blending with it 10-40 weight-% of polycaprolactone and 5-10 weight-% of mineral particles. According to the specification, the mixture can be used in extrusion coating, but there is no reference to its adhesion to the fiber substrate or to its heat sealing ability in the specification. Instead, the specification describes the intermediate layers between the carrier and the PLA-based coating layer or the top layers that come on top of the PLA layer compare paragraph [0039] in the specification.
The specification of US 2007/0259195 A1 describes polylactide-based films, which contain, blended therewith, 0.1-10 weight-% of biodegradable polymeric additive, the purpose of which is to increase the crystallinity of the polylactide, improving its heat resistance. As examples of such additives, the specification presents FEPOL 2040 marketed by Far Eastern Textile, Taiwan, and Ecoflex marketed by BASF, both of which comprise polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT). According to the specification, the mixtures can be extruded onto the fiber substrate in a conventional manner, but there is no reference to the adhesion of the mixture to the substrate or to the heat sealing ability of the coating thus obtained. In the specification, the intended improved heat resistance of PLA does not, however, refer to an improvement of the heat sealing ability but rather to its weakening.

Heat-sealable biodegradable packaging material, a method for its manufacture, and a product package made from the material


Apparatus for diagnosis of a skin disease site using spectral analysis includes a light source for generating light to illuminate the disease site and a probe unit optically connected to the light source for exposing the disease site to light to generate fluorescence and reflectance light. The probe unit also collects the generated fluorescence and reflectance light and transmits this light to a spectrometer to be analysed. The spectrometer generates and displays spectral measurements of the fluorescence light and the reflectance light which in together assist the user in diagnosing the disease site. The apparatus makes use of a conventional personal computer using a plug-in spectrometer card to provide a compact and low cost system. The system performs combined fluorescence and reflectance spectral analysis in a quick and efficient manner to provide a powerful tool for dermatologic diagnosis.

Currently, clinical diagnosis of skin disease is generally accomplished by visual inspection under white light illumination. In this process, the reflectance light of a skin lesion is examined. Visual diagnosis alone may not be particularly accurate for early detection of skin cancer since many skin conditions have a similar appearance under white light. Therefore, when a suspect lesion is identified by visual examination, a biopsy is often performed for a definitive diagnosis. Not only is it crucial to diagnose skin pre-cancer or skin cancer at an early stage when it is curable, but it is also important to improve the clinical diagnosis of suspected skin lesions so as to avoid unnecessary skin biopsies.
Several approaches have been tried to improve dermatologic diagnosis. Digital processing of reflectance images has been extensively investigated recently. Although reflectance imaging has led to improvements in the registration, recording, and documentation of skin lesions, there has been little improvement in the diagnostic accuracy. The foregoing approach does not provide any additional data to the physician making the visual assessment because it is still based on the reflectance pattern of a lesion under white light illumination which is essentially the same pattern a human observer sees.
An alternative approach is ultraviolet (UV) or infrared (IR) photography which does extend visual perception of a physician to the UV or IR reflectance patterns. However, the inconvenience due to delays in processing of film images renders this technique impractical for everyday use.
A further alternative approach that is already in widespread medical use involves a "Wood's lamp" which consists of a mercury discharge lamp associated with a filter that transmits UVA light with a 365 nanometer peak while absorbing visible light. When this device is used to assist in skin diagnosis, the eye serves as both the detector and the long pass filter. The eye is not sensitive to UV light, but is sensitive to visible fluorescence light when the "Wood's lamp" is used in a darkened room, where the physician sees an image of a fluorescing disease site. The "Wood's lamp" is useful for the diagnosis of some skin conditions such as tinea capitis, tinea versicolor, erythrasma, and some pseudomonas infections, as well as aiding in the detection and diagnosis of hypopigmented skin. It is of no value in conditions where the fluorescence is not in the visible spectrum.

Spectrometer system for diagnosis of skin disease


There is provided an organic-inorganic hybrid vitreous material comprising a composite of a polycondensate of an organoalkoxysilane represented by R1nSi(OR2)4-n (R1 is an organic group, R2 is a C1-C5 alkyl group, and n is 1-2) and an organic polymer, wherein the polycondensate of the organoalkoxysilane is in 40-70 wt % and the organic polymer is in 30-60 wt % in case that the total weight of the composite is taken as 100 wt %.

Hitherto, inorganic glass has been used as a transparent material. Inorganic glass is superior in transparency, low in water absorption, and very stable. Therefore, it has widely been used as a general-purpose optical material. There has been, however, a problem that it is very heavy as specific gravity is 2.5.
Furthermore, in the case of using inorganic glass, a heating of 350° C. or higher is necessary even in low ones. Thus, there are problems that the forming step becomes complicated and the production cost becomes high, and the like.
To solve these problems, there is proposed an organic-inorganic hybrid vitreous material that is obtained by polycondensation of an organoalkoxysilane, makes a low-temperature forming possible, and is low in water absorption coefficient (see Patent Publication 1).    Patent Publication 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication 2005-146222

Organic-inorganic hybrid vitreous material