Power supplied to an information handling system electronic component through a circuit board has component package inductance parasitic effects compensated by configuring connections to the electronic component to have increased parasitic capacitance. For instance, power and ground vias that connect a processor to power and ground planes of the circuit board are aligned to create a desired parasitic capacitance that reduces the impact of parasitic inductance relating to signal compensation, power delivery and high speed decoupling. The desired distributed capacitance is modeled by altering the radius associated with the equivalent line charge of the power via, the distance associated with the line charges between power and ground vias, and the via barrel length.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to the field of information handling system circuit boards, and more particularly to a system and method for capacitive coupled via structures between circuit board ground, power and circuit planes.
2. Description of the Related Art
As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option available to users is information handling systems. An information handling system generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the information. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements vary between different users or applications, information handling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
Over the past several decades, information handling systems have steadily increased their capacity to process and store information in designs having compact footprints. These improvements have been largely based on the availability of processors to handle greater numbers of computations with increased speed by fabricating increased numbers of circuits within a given size of semiconductor material. The processor designs have improved by increasing the number of cycles performed in a given time frame and decreasing the operating voltages. Improved processors allow more rapid execution of application instructions for interaction with an information handling system user as well as improved communication of information through busses that interface various components of an information handling system, such as memory, network interfaces and graphic display interfaces. Information handling system designers face a substantial challenge in interfacing the various components through a circuit board. For instance, design challenges include arranging components in a compact footprint with ease of assembly and adequate cooling. One type of circuit board-to-processor interface that has become increasingly common is the ball grid array (BGA) connector and socket. BGA sockets provide high density, high input/output count packaging with reduced pin-to-pin trace gaps by distributing the ball and grid connections between the processor and the circuit board.
One difficulty often faced in the design of information handling system circuit boards is that the speed, density and power requirements of powerful processors tend to generate undesired electromagnetic effects and interference. For instance, parasitic inductance is associated with the physical structure of integrated circuits. The parasitic inductance tends to disrupt power supply to the integrated circuit, especially at current flows having lower voltages and greater transient surges to meet the demands of powerful modern processors. Small parasitic effects have more pronounced effects on power delivery to processors, especially in transient conditions, as operating voltages decrease. Discrete component solutions are typically employed to reduce the undesired impact on power supply and delivery, such as associating capacitance with a power supply circuit board wire line to smooth current flow during transient power demands. However, the ability of discrete component solutions to compensate for power delivery, decoupling and processor package parasitic effects has fallen behind as processor density has increased and supply voltage decreased, especially in highly utilized areas of a circuit board such as near BGA socket connectors.

System and method for capacitive coupled via structures in information handling system circuit boards


A boat hull having a door and a method of making the door, which can swing to an open position and closed position. The door can be used for entering or exiting the boat. The door can remain closed with a door lock assembly and door strike. An outer door frame and gussets provide support for the hull and door.

This invention relates to a boat door and a method of making the door. This invention relates to doors for watercraft, including drift or dory boats.
U.S. Patent Application Publication number 2007/0295257 discloses a boat having an outside pocket door, which slides in the housing for entry and egress.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,833,829 discloses a sliding door for closure of entranceways and to companionway entrance closure for watercraft.
There is a need for an entry and egress door on fishing boats. There is need for an entry and egress door on drift or dory boats.
The present invention door or doors make it easier for a passenger to enter or exit the boat. Without a door the passenger would have to lift their leg over the gunwale or side of the boat causing a potentially dangerous falling situation by putting passenger off balance if they catch their shoe or boot or foot. Older people, children, or people with disabilities particularly have problems climbing in and out of boats. Having a door cuts the distance to climb into the boat, making it similar to getting into a vehicle with a door.
The door also makes it easier to get into the boat while boat is on a trailer. Present designs force the person wanting to get in the boat to climb over the gunwale or side of the boat creating a potentially dangerous situation. The door makes this simpler by dropping the distance it takes to maneuver the side or gunwale of the boat.
The main usage of a drift or a dory boat is for different types of fishing. Passengers may be wearing hip waders for fly fishing, or boots to keep warm and dry in winter seasons. Having to maneuver in and out of the boat while wearing this type of gear is made easier with a door.
In addition, the present invention includes a method of making the door.
The door or doors of the present invention are located above the water line to allow the door to be opened while traveling if the water conditions are favorable.


The vehicle-use power supply control apparatus is for controlling transmission of electric power between a vehicle-mounted power supply apparatus including switching elements turned on and off in accordance with manipulation signals and an external power supply located outside the vehicle. The vehicle-use power supply control apparatus includes a control section to output an electric power transmission command signal depending on an electric power transmission request signal received from an external device, and a manipulation signal generating section to generate the manipulation signals based on the electric power transmission command signal received from the control section. The control section is configured to operate in order that noise sound generated due to switching operation of the vehicle-mounted power supply apparatus is within an audio frequency range.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle-use power supply control apparatus mounted on a vehicle for controlling transmission of electric power between the vehicle and an external power supply by manipulating a vehicle-mounted power supply apparatus, and to a control apparatus for controlling an electric rotating machine mounted on a vehicle as a main engine.
2. Description of Related Art
As described, for example in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2010-70030 (Patent document 1), there is proposed a technique to charge a vehicle battery used for supplying electric power to an electric motor serving as a vehicle main engine from a commercial power supply, and supplying electric power stored in the battery to the outside.
However, there is a concern in such a technique that if transmission of large electric power is interrupted accidentally, for example, by an electrical connection being broken mistakenly by a person near the vehicle who is not aware that electric power transmission is being carried out, disadvantageous effects may occur.
Meanwhile, the level of noise emitted from an electric motor mounted on a vehicle as a main engine and an inverter for supplying electric power to this motor varies depending on the switching frequency of this inverter. Accordingly, as described, for example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2009-303288, it is known to suppress the noise by changing the frequency of a carrier when the inverter is manipulated based on the result of comparison between the carrier and a command voltage.
The noise generated by an electric motor can be suppressed easily compared to the noise generated by an internal combustion engine. Accordingly, a vehicle having an electric motor as its main engine is much quieter than a conventional vehicle whose main engine is an internal combustion engine. On the other hand, however, there is a concern that a quiet vehicle is hard to notice by pedestrians when the vehicle starts moving or is running at a low speed.

Vehicle-use power supply control apparatus and control apparatus for controlling electric rotating machine mounted on vehicle as main engine


An AMOLED back plate includes a substrate on which a buffer layer and a poly-silicon section are sequentially formed. A source and a drain are respectively formed of P-type heavy doped micro silicon on the poly-silicon section that have edges facing and spaced from each other to define a channel therebetween. A gate isolation layer is formed on the buffer layer, the source, the drain and the channel. A gate is formed on the gate isolation layer and has opposite edges that face in directions toward the edges of the source and the drain. The opposite edges of the gate are spaced from the edges of the source and the drain by predetermined spacing distance in horizontal directions so as to prevent the gate from overlapping the source and the drain.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display technology field, and more particularly to a manufacture method of an AMOLED back plate and a structure thereof.
2. The Related Arts
In the display field, liquid crystal display (LCD), organic light emitting diode (OLED) and other panel display techniques have been gradually replaced the conventional cathode ray tube (CRT) displays. The OLED possesses many outstanding properties of self-illumination, low driving voltage, high luminescence efficiency, fast response, high clarity and contrast, near 180° view angle, wide range of working temperature, applicability of flexible display and large scale full color display. The OLED is considered as the most potential flat panel display technology.
The OLED can be categorized as passive matrix OLED (PMOLED) and active matrix OLED (AMOLED) according to the driving types. Generally, the AMOLED comprises a low temperature poly-silicon (LTPS) drive back plate and an electroluminescence layer for being the self-illumination component. The low temperature poly-silicon possesses higher electron mobility. For the AMOLED, the LTPS material possesses advantages of high resolution, fast response, high brightness, high aperture ratio, low power consumption, et cetera.
A structure of an AMOLED back plate according to prior art is shown in FIG. 1. The manufacture process of the AMOLED back plate generally is:
step 1, deposing a buffer layer 200 on a glass substrate 100;
step 2, deposing an amorphous silicon layer (a-Si) on the buffer layer 200, and using the Laser process to make the amorphous silicon layer to be crystallized and converted to be a poly-silicon layer (Poly-Si);
step 3, patterning the poly-silicon layer with photo and etch processes to form a first poly-silicon section 301 and a second poly-silicon section 303;
step 4, deposing an N type heavy doped amorphous silicon layer N+a-Si on the buffer layer 200, the first poly-silicon section 301 and the second poly-silicon section 303, and implementing the photo process to define the position of a channel 400, and etching to pattern the N type heavy doped amorphous silicon layer N+a-Si for forming a source/a drain 401 on the first poly-silicon section 301 and an electrode 403 on the second poly-silicon section 303 except an area corresponding to the channel 400;
step 5, deposing and patterning the gate isolation layer 500 on the buffer layer 200, the source/the drain 401 and the electrode 403;
step 6, deposing and patterning a first metal layer on the gate isolation layer 500 to form a gate 601 and a metal electrode 603, wherein the gate 601 is above the source/the drain 401 and partially overlaps the source/the drain 401 in a horizontal direction;
step 7, sequentially forming an interlayer insulation layer 700, a metal source/a metal drain 801, a flat layer 900, an anode 1000, a pixel definition layer 1100 and a photo spacer 1200 on the gate isolation layer 500, the gate 601 and the metal electrode 603 with deposition, photo and etch processes.
The metal source/the metal drain 801 are electrically connected to the source/the drain 401; and the anode 1000 is electrically connected to the metal source/the metal drain 801.
The first poly-silicon section 301, the source/the drain 401, the gate 601 and the metal source/the metal drain 801 construct a drive TFT, and the second poly-silicon section 303, the electrode 403 and the metal electrode 603 construct a storage capacitor.
The drive TFT of the AMOLED back plate shown in FIG. 1 is an NMOS, and the AMOLED panel may suffer image sticking more easily. Besides, the contact resistance between the source/the drain 401 formed with the N type heavy doped amorphous silicon layer N+a-Si and the first poly-silicon section 301 is higher, and thus, the conductive current of the drive TFT can be lower. In addition, the source/the drain 401 and the gate 601 partially overlap each other in the horizontal direction and this may cause a leakage current of the drive TFT to be excessively high.

Manufacture method of AMOLED back plate and structure thereof

Shenzhen China Star Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd.


For multichannel multiuser detection in a wireless communication system such as a CDMA system, for a set of user spreading codes, coefficients to delay lines are adjusted and the delay line output processed to estimate a symbol. The symbol is estimated based on a space-time correlation for an antenna space delay time correlation. The estimated symbol is then remodulated and subtracted from the received antenna signal corresponding to other users of the wireless communication system. The adjusting and processing are iterated until the estimated symbols converge such that they correspond to a predetermined symbol decision criteria.

The cellular telecommunications industry has been rapidly expanding since its inception, and is likely to continue at a phenomenal rate for at least the next few decades. Digital wireless connectivity for both voice and Internet access has experienced particularly high demand in the cellular market. Accordingly, the demand for higher user connectivity and for higher data rates continues. The problem of adding more cellular users can be solved by two fundamentally different approaches. One method is to reduce the cell size, increasing the total number of cells. This approach requires the installation of more cellular base stations. Another method is to employ more sophisticated signal processing to enable more efficient use of the available spectrum to accommodate multiple users.
There are two widely known approaches to multi-user access, that is how to share a single frequency allocation among multiple users within a cell, in digital wireless communications: time division multiple access (TDMA), and code division multiple access (CDMA). TDMA, used for GSM (Global System for Mobile) phones, is currently the most popular approach. In this approach, each user in a cell takes a turn in time. While one user is transmitting, all other users in the cell remain quiet. In CDMA, used by Qualcomm (IS-95), users transmit simultaneously, in the same frequency allocation. The signal for a given user is disentangled from all others by using its unique spreading sequences. The next generation of cellular phone systems (3G) will use CDMA.
In a multiuser spread spectrum system, such as a CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) system, wireless transmissions are received simultaneously from many users. Any single transmission can be reflected from a variety of objects, causing the same transmission to be received in a multiple, overlapping forms of varying signal strength at various delays and at various angles of arrival. Multiple arrivals arising from a single transmission are often called multipath. The spreading code assigned to each user can be used to identify individual signals, but the fact that many users are received simultaneously (cochannel interference) means that extracting the information content from each transmission is difficult. Signals are distinguished from each other by spreading codes, and by patterns in multipath delays and angles of arrival. Techniques that exploit these differences can be used to mitigate cochannel interference. For example, angular (spatial) separations between signals can be exploited by using arrays of antenna elements, which are sensitive to angles of arrival. Temporal differences between signals due to spreading codes and multipath can also be exploited with or without the use of antenna arrays. Both spatial and temporal interference suppression are computationally intensive. Accordingly, it is generally infeasible to perform both spatial and code mitigation while maintaining acceptable communication throughput in a wireless communication system.
For multiaccess wireless communication systems such as CDMA, given a set of user spreading codes and multiple antenna elements, coefficients of a space-time beamformer are adjusted and the beamformer outputs are processed to estimate data symbols. Each data symbol is remodulated using estimates of the multipath for that symbol and subtracted from the received antenna signals to provide temporal mitigation of interference for other users of the wireless communication system. The space-time beamforming and temporal mitigation of interference are iterated until the estimates of data symbols converge in the sense of a predetermined decision criteria. The same demodulation techniques can be employed in multiple input (more than one transmit antenna), multiple output (multiple receive antennas) MIMO links whether or not a single user or a network or users are involved.
In such a wireless communication system, wireless transmissions are received at one or more antennas. Accordingly, the same transmission may be received at multiple antennas. Further, the wireless transmission may be reflected or refracted from obstacles in the transmission path such that the same transmission is received at multiple delayed times that differ at each antenna. The receiver utilizes a beamformer that combines various delayed versions of the output from each antenna in order to provide the most reliable data decision for a particular user. Each user requires a different beamformer. The spreading code is used to determine the beamformer coefficients by correlating with the delayed outputs. Prior to beamforming, the antenna outputs may have had other users temporally mitigated. Thus the beamfomer only needs to mitigate residual power from other users that are known to the wireless system (known spreading codes) or unknown (users in adjacent cells).
In a multi-user system, transmissions of other users are also be received by the antenna. For each user in turn, the remaining users constitute interference that must be mitigated in order to demodulate successfully. Mitigation can occur through spatial filtering based on multiple antenna elements, through linear temporal filtering based on spreading codes and multipath delay patterns, and through nonlinear temporal filtering based on feedback from the demodulation of interfering cochannel signals. Previous data decisions, correct or not correct, are used in conjunction with estimates of multipath delays in order to mitigate cochannel signals. Mitigation occurs by remodulating the demodulated data in accordance with the spreading code of the signals and estimated multipath delay pattern. The resulting signals (all but the signal currently being demodulated) are subtracted from the antenna outputs, which are then fed to an adaptive space-time beamformer whose output is demodulated to form the estimated data of the signal currently being demodulated. Each signal, in turn, is demodulated in this fashion. When all signals have been demodulated. The process is iterated until a convergence criterion is satisfied. The exact manner in which signals are subtracted from the antennas varies according the iteration and convergence criterion.
The spreading code can also be indicative of the particular data symbol transmitted. Spreading codes are known in the wireless industry and are represented by various industry standards such as IS-95. In an IS-95 CDMA transmission, one of 64 symbols may be received, each symbol using a different, but related, spreading code. The symbol is demodulated, in principle, by correlating the output of the space-time beamformer with each of the candidate spreading codes. The largest correlation selects a spreading code, constituting demodulation.
In CDMA systems, users are physically distributed away from the antenna at various distances. Typically, users from more remote locations tend to be received as more attenuated signals. Similarly, signals from nearby users are typically received with less attenuation. Some wireless systems vary the signal power level to accommodate attenuation. In such systems, however, a transmission having a greater received power level can cancel transmissions of a lower received power level. For this reason, precise base station power level regulation must be employed such that all transmissions, or delayed signals, are received within an acceptable power spread, or range. Each iteration of the multichannel multiuser detector described above successfully demodulates more and more signals. Signals tend to be successfully demodulated in the order of received power, taking into account beamforming gain and multipath. It is often advantageous for the basestation to set received power levels in such a manner that convergence is accelerated.
In the invention as defined by the present claims, the transmissions corresponding to interfering users are processed as interference rather than noise. Rather than ignoring the signals corresponding to other users, as in typical prior art systems, interfering signals received at multiple antenna elements and multiple delays are demodulated and subtracted from the antenna elements, leaving in principle, only the signals corresponding to the user of interest. Both spatial and temporal structures of the data are exploited in the signal processing. By treating the transmissions of other users as interference, rather than noise, sensitivity to precise power level regulation is avoided, since the stronger signals are more easily separated from the weaker signals and are eventually mitigated when the weaker signals are demodulated. In this manner, interference from other users is intelligently mitigated, in contrast to traditional approaches which ignore the effects of in-cell and out-of-cell interference by treating these effects as noise.


Systems and methods for fabricating multi-functional articles comprised of additively formed gradient materials are provided. The fabrication of multi-functional articles using the additive deposition of gradient alloys represents a paradigm shift from the traditional way that metal alloys and metal/metal alloy parts are fabricated. Since a gradient alloy that transitions from one metal to a different metal cannot be fabricated through any conventional metallurgy techniques, the technique presents many applications. Moreover, the embodiments described identify a broad range of properties and applications.

The development of new metal alloys (a field called metallurgy) is limited by the foundry processes used for alloying. New metal alloys must typically be melted at high temperatures, allowed to mix to promote homogeneity, and are then cast into billets of a single composition. Due to the nature of conventional homogenous alloying, it is extremely difficult to fabricate a piece of metal that has a gradient of compositions from one metal to another. Yet such gradient properties would be extremely useful, based on the wide assortments of "post processing" methods often employed to locally change the properties of a metal alloy. For example, the contact surfaces on the teeth of metal gears need to be hard to avoid abrasive wearing while the bulk of the gear needs to be tough to support the loads without failing. To do this, the teeth in some cases are infused with carbon in a process called "case hardening" to change the properties only in the desired area. In another example, shot peening the surface of a brittle metal may be used to improve the fatigue properties locally near the surface by creating a gradient of mechanical properties from the interior of the part to the exterior. While these post-processing techniques are able to modify some properties of some materials, there are substantial limitations both as to the types of properties that can be modified, and to the materials that can undergo such modification.
Recently, Additive Manufacturing (AM) techniques have been developed that may shift the paradigm of traditional metal production. These AM processes are typically designed as 3D printing techniques for fabricating metal alloys into net-shapes, as is common with plastics. Traditionally, a complex part is fabricated either by molten casting or molding, or from a solid piece of metal by machining a large billet whose overall dimension is larger than the outer-most piece of the finished hardware. AM techniques build the part up by depositing material layer-by-layer using computer aided processing. Only the material needed in the final part is deposited, thus eliminating the need for complex machining.
One AM technology that has promise is Laser Engineered Net Shaping (LENS). LENS is an additive manufacturing process for fabricating metal parts from a Computer Aided Design (CAD) solid model. It is very similar to other rapid prototyping techniques in that it fabricates a solid part by layers at a time, however, the LENS technology is unique in that it is able to produce fully dense parts with material properties similar to its wrought counterparts. The novelty of LENS lies in its multi-nozzle capability and precision deposition.
The LENS process fabricates a part by a laser head emitting a beam onto a substrate mounted on a worktable, simultaneously injecting metal powder into the molten pool from its powder delivery nozzles. These nozzles are connected to a hopper (a maximum of four hoppers using currently available equipment), delivering the powdered metal to the work zone. Either substrate or laser head is moved in the X-Y direction to deposit a thin layer of metal, creating the geometry of a part. After a layer is deposited, the laser head and powder nozzles move incrementally in the positive Z-direction, creating a 3-dimensional part. (See, Griffith, M. L. et al., Sandia Report—SAND2000-1000C: 18 May 2000, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.) Because multiple nozzles and multiple powder feedstocks may be used, LENS has the ability to mix powder streams of different materials, thereby producing components with precise composition control. It has been theorized that this capability to alter composition may be useful for minimizing the stress effects of mismatched coefficients of thermal expansion between dissimilar materials during thermal cycle and optimizing the mechanical properties critical to component performance.
A number of groups have identified the LENS technique's potential to allow for changing geometric properties (surface finish, part size, etc.) and material properties (coefficient of thermal expansion, tensile strength, etc.) within an article of manufacture to create truly multi-functional graded materials and parts. (See, Griffith, M. L. et al., cited above.) For example, LENS and other direct laser metal deposition techniques have been used to fabricate functionally graded materials for metallurgical research. Many graded materials have been deposited, such as iron-to-manganese and iron-to-nickel to study LENS process variables (laser power, powder feeder speeds, layer thickness, etc.) by analyzing melt-pool size and porosity; and Titanium-to-niobium graded compositions were 3D printed to present the capability of controlling properties of fabricated parts. (Atwood, C. J.; et al., Sandia Report—SAND2007-7832: November 2007; and Lewis, G. K., and Schlienger, E., Materials and Design, 21, 417, 2000, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.) However, these studies invariably stress the singular and non-generalizable nature of these results.
Accordingly, a need exists for a generalized technique that would allow a manufacturer to identify a set of different desired physical/chemical/electrical/magnetic/properties within a part, identify the terminal materials that would be needed to generate those properties, and then formulate a method of determining the necessary material gradients to allow for the changes in physical properties.

Methods for fabricating gradient alloy articles with multi-functional properties


The present disclosure provides a semiconductor structure. The semiconductor structure includes a substrate having a first region and a second region; a first fin feature formed on the substrate within the first region; and a second fin feature formed on the substrate within the second region. The first fin feature includes a first semiconductor feature of a first semiconductor material formed on a dielectric feature that is an oxide of a second semiconductor material. The second fin feature includes a second semiconductor feature of the first semiconductor material formed on a third semiconductor feature of the second semiconductor material.

The semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) industry has experienced exponential growth. Technological advances in IC materials and design have produced generations of ICs where each generation has smaller and more complex circuits than the previous generation. In the course of IC evolution, functional density (i.e., the number of interconnected devices per chip area) has generally increased while geometry size (i.e., the smallest component (or line) that can be created using a fabrication process) has decreased. This scaling down process generally provides benefits by increasing production efficiency and lowering associated costs. Such scaling down has also increased the complexity of processing and manufacturing ICs and, for these advances to be realized. Similar developments in IC processing and manufacturing are needed. For example, a three dimensional transistor, such as a fin-like field-effect transistor (FinFET), has been introduced to replace a planar transistor. A FinFET can be thought of as a typical planar device extruded out of a substrate and into the gate. A typical FinFET is fabricated with a thin "fin" (or fin structure) extending up from a substrate. The channel of the FET is formed in this vertical fin, and a gate is provided over (e.g., wrapping around) the channel region of the fin. Wrapping the gate around the fin increases the contact area between the channel region and the gate and allows the gate to control the channel from multiple sides. This can be leveraged in a number of way, and in some applications, FinFETs provide reduced short channel effects, reduced leakage, and higher current flow. In other words, they may be faster, smaller, and more efficient than planar devices.
However, because of the complexity inherent in FinFETs and other nonplanar devices, a number of techniques used in manufacturing planar transistors are not well suited to fabricating nonplanar devices. As merely one example, conventional techniques for forming FinFETs may produce undesirable epitaxy growth degradation and induce epitaxy growth related defects and voids in the regions for other devices, such as bipolar junction transistors (BJTs), diodes or passive devices, such as pickup features. Therefore, while existing fabrication techniques have been generally adequate for planar devices, in order to continue to meet ever-increasing design requirements, further advances are needed.

Integrated circuit structure with substrate isolation and un-doped channel

TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.


A conveyor belt includes first and second conveyor belt portions and each one of the conveyor belt portions includes top and bottom layers made of elastomer material. A reinforcement layer is sandwiched between the top and bottom layers and includes mutually parallel steel cords. Each conveyor belt portion further includes an end section whereat the top and bottom layers are removed to expose the steel cords. First and second part hinges are assigned to respective ones of the end sections and each includes a hinge plate having bores to accommodate the exposed steel cords. The hinge plates are pressed to fix the cords securely in position. The part hinges each include a plurality of crenellated projections at a free end thereof. The part hinges are assembleable to conjointly define a hinge connecting the first and second connecting belt portions to each other.

It is known to join conveyer belts of elastomeric material continuously by the two ends of the conveyer belt being joined in the end regions after specific finishing of the rubber covering layers and by said ends being connected non-detachably to each other by vulcanization.
This is standard practice particularly in the case of steel cord conveyer belts and is used even following damage and subsequent repair of a steel cord conveyer belt. After the belt ends are overlapped and the exposed steel cord end sections placed one inside another and after rubber covering plates are placed on a steel cord belt connection is produced by vulcanization. The outlay on apparatus and time for producing a steel cord belt connection of this type is high. The production process or conveying process is interrupted during this time.
In order to achieve at least an emergency operation of the conveyer system, it is known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,246,101 to expose some steel cord ends at both broken ends of the belt and to couple these ends frictionally to a separate coupling piece of firm material. However, this connection should be regarded merely as a short-term connection for an urgently-required conveyer system within the context of an emergency connection having reduced load-bearing capacity. After a possible shutdown of the conveyer system, the conveyer belt is customarily closed again continuously by vulcanization of the two ends thereof.
For certain conveyer belts, endless connections or end connections by mechanical connecting devices are also known. In this case, the particular belt end has a mechanical connecting part which is releasably coupled to the connecting part of the other belt end in each case. One such releasable connecting form is the hinge form. In this case, the belt ends each have a part hinge which is joined together in a complementary manner to the part hinge of the upper belt end in each case and is connected in a tension-proof manner thereto by a coupling rod guided through the crenellation-type, intermeshing hinge loops.
These releasable connections are used particularly for conveyer belts which can be fitted only with a large outlay or which have to be more frequently exchanged, shortened or lengthened during operation. These hinge connections are predominantly used in the case of fiber-reinforced conveyer belts. In the case of steel cord conveyer belts, the hinge-like connections have not been able to gain acceptance, since the tension-proof connection of the hinge parts to the belt ends constitutes an unresolved problem.
It is known from GB 902,200 to provide conveyer belt segments with a cord insert made of steel wires. The wire cord insert consists of a narrow rubber band which is laid helically over the width of the belt and receives some wires in the vulcanizable rubber mixture thereof, which is rolled out to form the band, lying next to one another in parallel in a horizontal plane. At each segment end, the rubber band is shaped by being laterally offset twice in each case to form a plurality of loops. When returning from each loop, the rubber band again undergoes a lateral offset and runs laterally next to the band supply in the same horizontal plane. The rubber band thereby forms a plurality of spaced-apart, rubberized loops lying in one plane at both ends of the conveyer belt segment. The steel wires are deflected from the direction thereof, running in the belt segment, to the loop region and from the latter. The loops which are formed lie at a distance from one another in the form of crenellations. Complementary, rubberized loops of the belt end of another conveyer belt segment can engage in the intermediate spaces formed in this manner. The two rows of loops are coupled to one another in a hinge-like manner by means of a coupling rod.
The steel wires shaped to form the loop have to be very sharply deflected. This leads to a significant reduction in the permissible tensile loading and to a risk of the steel wires breaking. It is apparent that only very thin steel wires can be deformed in this way at all. This construction is unsuitable for steel cord conveyer belts which transmit large forces and have relatively rigid steel cords. In addition, the thickness of the entire belt cross section is inevitably increased in the region of the belt end by the construction, which is disadvantageous when the entire conveyer belt circulates in the conveyer system.

Steel cord conveyor belt having a connecting hinge for coupling two belt ends


A litter box envelope comprising a top sheet and a bottom sheet bonded to each other along the side edges and one end edge of each so as to leave an open end for receiving a litter box therein; a facing sheet of tear resistant, claw and scratch-proof material of non-woven nylon fibers, which are spun-bonded and heat treated. The facing sheet is adapted to receive litter material therein.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the class of animal husbandry and, more particularly, to a disposable litter box envelope especially adapted for use by cats and/or household pets.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the past, cats and other animals kept indoors have been trained to use litter boxes. The simplest of these was the common sandbox. Thereafter, slightly more sophisticated litter was substituted for sand. Such litter has been formed of sawdust, clay, ground stone, etc., which may have been treated with perfumes, deodorants and reactants to minimize odors which emanate from both solid and liquid waste.
Fairly recently litter pads have been developed which have been marketed primarily as liners for litter boxes. These liners have the general construction of diapers and have a base or bottom sheet of fluid impervious material, a pad (usually of absorbent material, such as wood fluff) and a top sheet of thin material, such as a woven or non-woven sheet, sometimes of hydrophilic material, but usually of hydrophobic material. These litter pads are designed to be used in existing litter boxes, but have the disadvantage that they must be first separately fastened in the litter box and, secondly, that they are usually oversize, thus, having a relatively difficult fit. As such, the area of effectiveness of the pad is reduced in comparison to its size and, further, the effective area of the litter box is decreased due to creases, folds and bumps caused by misfits. In addition, the extra size of these pads increases costs.
While the use of pads provides some means for disposing of the used litter and to-be-discarded pad, the pad itself is cumbersome to handle, as well as being somewhat unpleasant to handle. Furthermore, even with the use of litter, some waste comes into contact with the litter box, which, of course, must then be washed or otherwise cleaned.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,640,225 to P. Yananton, issued Feb. 3, 1987, for "Odorless Animal Litter Unit," there is disclosed such a pad which is further provided above the top sheet with a "claw resistant" mesh. Such a pad can be used with variuos types of litter and in various types of litter boxes. However, in any event, there is no means for eliminating contact of the waste with the litter box and the necessity of periodic cleaning.
Litter box liners have been made from a single sheet of waterproof material, which has been spread over the litter box before placement of the litter material therein. Trash bags formed of sheet or film material have been placed over a litter box much in the same manner and, alternatively, the litter box has been placed within the trash bag in a pillowcase or envelope-like manner. Such attempts at litter box liners are generally unsuccessful because the sheet material is very easily torn and not at all claw-proof. Simple scratching turns these liners into shreds.


Described is a fiber optic distribution cable having increased flexibility despite the presence of a metallic shield. The shield is a metal tape having dense transverse corrugations. Flexibility also arises from the use of multiple strength members and filaments rather than a single tensile strength member. Such flexibility is highly useful when routing the cable through distribution pedestals.

The field of the invention is that of fiber optic outdoor distribution cables.
Field trials are underway to extend the use of optical fibers from large telecommunication trunk cables to local networks carrying optical fibers to local subscribers, such as individuals or small businesses. Such distribution cables must carry a smaller number of optical fibers than the larger trunk cables and must have the capability to branch off individual optical fibers or optical fiber subunits. Traditionally, routing of smaller communication cables takes place through existing distribution pedestals or other enclosures providing limited internal space. In such enclosures, cables having a smaller minimum bending radius have an advantage over cables having a larger minimum bending radius. The minimum bending radius as used herein is that bending radius through which an optical cable may be flexed over a long period of time without a significant increase in attenuation of signal.
Another requirement of such distribution cables is that they be able to function in outdoor environments. Such environments require means to resist the invasion of water and rodent attacks and further provide protection against tensile forces and blows to the exterior of the cable.


Compliance schemes may be associated with compliance types to provide resource compliance management. Compliance types may be created and associated with different compliance schemes. Compliance state for the compliance types may be generated and provided in response to requests to access the compliance state. Queries for compliance state, for example, may request compliance state, and query predicates or other criteria may be applied to the compliance state in order to perform the query.

Complex systems include many different resources accountable to different configurations, states, or conditions in order to properly perform different tasks, operations, or services. Compliance management systems provide assessment tools in order to identify those resources that fail to conform to a desired configuration, state, or condition. In order to quickly remedy non-conforming resources, efficient techniques for identifying the compliance state of individual resources and collections of resources may be highly desirable.
While embodiments are described herein by way of example for several embodiments and illustrative drawings, those skilled in the art will recognize that embodiments are not limited to the embodiments or drawings described. It should be understood, that the drawings and detailed description thereto are not intended to limit embodiments to the particular form disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope as defined by the appended claims. The headings used herein are for organizational purposes only and are not meant to be used to limit the scope of the description or the claims. As used throughout this application, the word "may" is used in a permissive sense (i.e., meaning having the potential to), rather than the mandatory sense (i.e., meaning must). Similarly, the words "include," "including," and "includes" mean including, but not limited to.
It will also be understood that, although the terms first, second, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first contact could be termed a second contact, and, similarly, a second contact could be termed a first contact, without departing from the scope of the present invention. The first contact and the second contact are both contacts, but they are not the same contact.

Extensible resource compliance management


A continuous vulnerability management system for identifying, analyzing, protecting, and reporting on digital assets is disclosed. The continuous vulnerability management system comprises a sandbox engine configured to scan digital assets for vulnerabilities, including a static analysis unit for static code scanning, a dynamic analysis unit for analyzing compiled code, and a statistical analysis unit for processing a risk score and generating an audit report. A knowledge base is also disclosed, including a knowledge base engine configured to acquire information related to new vulnerabilities to digital assets. A risk scoring engine is configured to analyze sandbox engine outcomes and assign a risk score to each vulnerable asset. A security control system is configured to act on an identified vulnerable asset based on the risk score assigned to the identified vulnerable asset.

The field of smart contract auditing, in its relatively brief history, already presents a number of challenges to ensure protection and/or rapid reaction to vulnerabilities. The motivation for such protection and reaction is manifest: smart contract vulnerabilities can cost financial institutions millions of dollars. Two cases in the last few years—the BeautyChain™ token (2018) containing an overflow bug leading to more than two billion USD of market value and a DAO hack (2016), due to reentrancy vulnerability, causing a multimillion-dollar loss—provide evidence of smart contract vulnerability challenges. A smart contract of the crypto asset has risk exposure to vulnerabilities, and therefore needs continuous protection.
Existing solutions to smart contract vulnerabilities have attempted to detect, isolate, control and report on vulnerabilities, but they generally suffer from the same defects allowing the vulnerabilities to be introduced in the first place. Auditing too often takes the form of manual expert auditing, e.g., ad hoc checks and "eyeballing." Formal verification processes, i.e., mathematically proving correct code, may be in place, but are highly prone to deterministic complexity, or an inability to check if varying inputs and initial conditions lead to differing results. Moreover, the algorithms often used for formal verifications require manual annotations in the code to guide the mathematical prover algorithm, thereby greatly increasing the likelihood of manual error(s). Some open source tools may be able to analyze code text but they lack systematic design and maintainability, and therefore don't meet an enterprise standard.
There is, therefore, a need for a smart contract monitoring solution that meets the exacting financial enterprise grade of a vulnerability management standard, including automation of monitoring and running algorithms, along with systematic design and maintainability.

Continuous vulnerability management system for blockchain smart contract based digital asset using sandbox and artificial intelligence


Systems, methods, apparatus, and techniques are provided for retransmitting packets of data. A Radio Link Control (RLC) layer data packet is generated, and the RLC layer data packet is converted to one or more physical (PHY) layer data packets. The one or more PHY layer data packets are transmitted. At least one of a hybrid automatic transmission request (HARQ) acknowledgement (ACK) message and a HARQ negative acknowledgment (NACK) message is received from a receiver in response to transmission of the one or more PHY layer data packets. It is determined whether the at least one of the HARQ ACK message and the HARQ NACK message represents a automatic transmission request (ARQ) ACK message or a ARQ NACK message.

Current cellular systems such as Third Generation Partnership Project Long Term Evolution (3GPP LTE) and Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) employ both ARQ and HARQ retransmission schemes. ARQ is implemented at a high level of a protocol stack (e.g., the Radio Link Control (RLC) layer) with a relatively long retransmission time out period, while HARQ is implemented at a low level of the protocol stack (e.g., the medium access control (MAC) and physical (PHY) layers). Additionally, ARQ and HARQ utilize separate and independent mechanisms to provide feedback from a receiver to a transmitter of a communications system so that the transmitter may learn a pass or fail status of received packets. Use of separate feedback for the ARQ and HARQ processes is based on a layered approach to data transmission in cellular systems.

Cross-layer scheduling based on lower layer feedback


A data transfer control device issues a session key identifying an application running on a user terminal. Then the device specifies a first database as a transfer destination of data input into a common data field for the first and a second database and outputs the data to an application process together with a session key. The device then inputs the data in the common data field together with the session key from the application process and updates the first database. After that, the device retrieves and outputs the data requested by the application process from the updated first database.

Computer systems often contain data files and relational database systems with different management formats. Conventionally, technology exists for managing the record formats and table definitions using common record format information and for performing migration between data files and relational database systems in a unified manner.
For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. 2000-347907 discloses a data file automatic conversion device that converts a migration source record or table to a migration destination record or table between data files or relational database systems that have different management formats. This device performs data conversion based on common record format information using expressions that unify the data definition information and attribute information that differs for each source program or relational database system. According to this publication, when moving a migration source data file to a migration destination data file, the data conversion process between data files with different management formats can be unified and automated.
On the other hand, in many businesses recently, the use of supplier-relationship management (SRM) to automate business-to-business processes with suppliers relating to the purchase of products or services is being investigated. SRM aims to decrease the high cost of procurement of a product or service. With SRM, by providing a bid management function that allows buyers and suppliers to participate, cost effectively, in an electronic procurement process, for example, it is possible to realize a process with excellent transparency, a reduction in the overall transaction cycle, an improved supplier selection process, a reduced delivery period, and reduced purchasing costs.
In order to realize such required functions, it is desirable to integrate both the buyer site and the seller site in real time and to manage all the processes in the procurement cycle from the purchase request to payment within the same application. It is proposed that a common materials-management interface be provided for the existing back-end system of each user (buyers and suppliers) and be used in conjunction with an Internet-based system.
However, on a client-side user terminal, when posting data that was input according to the table definitions of an existing back-end database system to a different existing back-end database system, a problem occurs if the data type or format differ. In particular, correspondence cannot be maintained between the databases, which results in the session being invalidated, making it impossible to provide a seamless transaction environment.
A data file automatic conversion device as described above is effective in an environment under which the conversion of record formats and table definitions is permitted. But in a case where the existing back-end system of each user uses a WWW server customized individually for that user, a problem exists in that conversion of the record format or table definitions in the database system can render the existing HTML file resources or application resources unusable.

System and method for transferring data between databases


A method for machining a component. The method includes providing a machining apparatus configured to induce vibrations such that a vibration direction of the machining apparatus is substantially aligned with respect to a machining direction of the component, and vibrating the machining apparatus in the vibration direction to machine the component in the machining direction.

This invention relates generally to machining techniques, and more specifically to methods and apparatus for ultrasonic machining.
At least some known components include features that require ultrasonic machining. More specifically, complex-shaped components, for example gas turbine engine blades, often have geometric constraints which may limit the use of conventional machining methods. For example, blind holes which have non-circular and/or tapered cross-sections may be inaccessible to conventional machining heads. Typically, ultrasonic machining is a "directional" machining process, wherein to optimize performance an amplitude of a sonic vibration is aligned with a direction of desired material removal. However, aligning the sonic vibration amplitude may limit the usefulness of ultrasonic machining when applied to complex-shaped components.
At least some known ultrasonic machining methods use trial and error to machine complex-shaped components. More specifically, in at least some known ultrasonic machining methods, various curved or irregularly-shaped tuning forks or cutters are fabricated, and an amplitude of vibration is bent or redirected into alignment with geometry of the tuning fork or cutter. However, bending or redirecting an amplitude into alignment with the geometry of the tuning fork or cutter may inhibit the amount of energy directed to a machining surface or material, and thus may limit the effectiveness of the ultrasonic machining.

Method and apparatus for ultrasonic machining


A distance measuring device includes a pulsed laser source, a light receiving unit and a computing module. The pulsed laser source emits a laser pulse to a target in accordance with a predetermined period. The light receiving unit has a photon receiving type of light receiving element that receives incident light and outputs a binary pulse, and the binary pulse is used to indicate whether a photon receiving event occurs. The computing module is configured to receive the binary pulse and determine whether an inter-period coincidence event occurs, and the inter-period coincidence event is defined by detecting a plurality of photon receiving events exceeding a predetermined count, on relative positions in a predetermined period number of the predetermined periods. If the calculation module determines that the inter-period coincidence event occurs, a distance of the target is calculated according to time information related to the inter-period coincidence event.

Autonomous cars have been a popular research topic in recent years, so that there has been a significant increase in the number of researches related to advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and light detection and ranging (LIDAR) correlated with the autonomous cars. Existing LIDAR mainly uses charge-coupled devices (CCDs) or avalanche photodiodes (APDs). Single-photon avalanche diodes (SPADs) stand out from the other sensors due to extreme high gain and its capability to output digital signals.
Since LIDAR has been studied, whether it is Direct Time of Flight (D-TOF) or Indirect Time of Flight (I-TOF), the suppression of ambient light has always been a major issue in the LIDAR studies. Since the amount of background light directly determines an accuracy of the measurement for LIDAR, if the detected background light is too strong, it is necessary to lengthen an integration time to obtain more events to increase a confidence level of the measurement to avoid false detection, or otherwise the power of the light source would need to be increased. However, the cost of lengthening the integration time is that each measurement time will become several times or even tens of times longer, which directly affects a detection rate.
On the other hand, increasing the laser power can cause eye safety problems, and is only suitable for experimental research or special aspects related to space. On the contrary, automobile optical radars are urgently in need of high optical frame rate and low laser power.
Furthermore, in applications relating to automotive optical radars and autonomous driving, background light suppression is important and even directly determines reliabilities of products. However, in the existing suppression technology, although the suppression effect can be achieved, the measurement rate can be sacrificed to a certain extent.
Therefore, improving the measurement mechanism to increase a noise signal ratio (SNR) without affecting the detection rate has become one of important issues in the art.


Systems, methods, machine-readable media, and media device are provided to facilitate seamless flow content splicing to dynamically insert particularized content items in television programming content. A plurality of particularized content items may be received and stored in a content store. First content that corresponds to television programming may be received and processed to detect a first set of color characteristics of video content. A subset of the particularized content items may be selected based on matching a second set of color characteristics of the subset of the particularized content items to the first set of color characteristics of the video content corresponding to the television programming. The first content may be output for display. Then, the subset of the particularized content items may be output for display in succession so that display of the subset of the particularized content items directly follows display of the first content.

This disclosure generally relates to television content handling. Users of televisions and other video distribution platforms are now exposed to more varying types of content than ever before. However, with the proliferation of different content, a viewer can encounter a number of difficulties. Chief among the difficulties is a disconnected user experience when the user views changes in content. The changes in content often result in the user not being able to experience different content seamlessly, which can negatively impact the user's enjoyment. The lack of a relationship between different content items must be solved so as to allow users to better experience different content.
Thus, there is a need for systems and methods that address the foregoing problems in order to provide viewers with better, more tailored viewer experiences. This and other needs are addressed by the present disclosure.

Systems and methods for facilitating seamless flow content splicing


A novel method and apparatus for determining geolocation of a mobile transmitter is provided. The apparatus and the method utilize an orthogonal projection of a source signal to canceling interference from the source signal in the geolocation process.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a method and apparatus that enables the computation of the geolocation of a communication device, and particularly to the use of such a method and apparatus to compute the location of a mobile transmitter such as a mobile telephone (cell-phone) using either a handset-based or a network-based solution.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is important to be able to geolocate a mobile telephone unit within a given service area both for security and for commercial reasons. As the number of wireless subscribers increase, an increasing number of emergency calls (911 calls) are expected to originate from mobile telephones. A study in the state of New Jersey indicated that about 43% of E-911 calls originated from mobile telephones (xe2x80x98State of New Jersey, Report on the New Jersey enhanced 911 system trial: The first 100 daysxe2x80x99, Jun. 16, 1997). Additionally, the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) has mandated that all mobile units should have a built-in location feature, such that mobile units are able to compute and transmit their location (to an accuracy of within 125 m) to a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) at least 67% of the time. This would facilitate emergency response to be dispatched to the site since the user may be incapacitated, or not be aware of their precise location. Besides emergency services, commercial applications involving location specific services such as advertising, location specific billing, fleet location monitoring, navigation, etc. are also envisioned in the near future.
The prior art for computing the location of a mobile telephone can be split into two broad categories; handset-based solutions and network-based solutions. Handset-based solutions are implemented such that the handset has the capability, using a Global Positioning System (GPS) or, alternatively, the time of arrival of signals (forward-link base station to mobile signals) from different base stations (at least 2 base stations are needed), the signal to noise ratio (SNR) of the signals, or a combination of GPS and time of arrival techniques, to ascertain its relative location with respect to the known, fixed locations of the Base Stations, and thereby its exact location, which it then can transmit to the network or to the PSAP.
There are significant drawbacks to using GPS because the use of a GPS involves additional hardware. Therefore, this handset-based discussion will focus on the use of a forward-link solution. In addition, GPS-alone solutions for mobile stations involve long acquisition times for the GPS signal and require a lot of power in the receiver of the mobile station. Server assisted GPS solutions overcome these limitations, but have poor reception deep inside buildings.
The basic principle of location computation, for a forward-link handset-based solution, is to receive signals from two or more base stations, and use the signal parameters (like SNR or times of arrival) to estimate the location of the handset from each of the base stations. Since the position of the base stations is known, knowledge of the relative position between the two or more fixed locations leads to an estimate of the location of the mobile station.
Network-based solutions involve two or more base stations simultaneously ascertaining the location of the mobile phone from which a location query has originated, relative to the base-stations, using the angle of arrival of the signals (a reverse-link mobile-to-base-station signal), the time(s) of arrival of the signals, or the signal-to-noise ratio of the signals actually received. The signal to noise ratios of these signals are compared to the pre-computed signal-to-noise ratios expected for different locations computed using drive test data. Thus, in a network based solution, two or more base stations receive the signal from the mobile station, i.e., on the reverse link, and those signal parameters (SNR, the time of arrival or the angle of arrival) are used by each base station to estimate the relative location of the mobile, and consequently, its actual location.
There are some deficiencies in each of the methods described above. Methods based on angle of arrival are susceptible to large errors when the base station and mobile station are close to one another; reflections of buildings can also cause huge changes in angles of arrival respect to the line of sight angle and induce errors. In addition, interference from xe2x80x98strongxe2x80x99 interfering sources may prevent adequate signal sources from being received and cause error in computation of location.
Given the importance of location determination, many approaches to computing the location of a mobile telephone exist in the patent literature. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,275,186, by Seung-Hyun Kong, teaches a solution where a dedicated searcher uses a combination of Signal-to-Interference ratios and times of arrival of the signal from a handset at multiple base stations to estimate its location. Both network- and handset-based solutions that depend on times of arrival and angle of arrival techniques share the problem that, in many environments, the three base stations needed to accurately locate the mobile transmitter are not xe2x80x98seenxe2x80x99 by the mobile transmitter because of the near-far problem. This happens because, on the forward link, the interference from a xe2x80x98strongxe2x80x99 base station contributes to the interference seen when the receiver is in the process of detecting and processing xe2x80x98weakerxe2x80x99 base stations.
In the case of network based solutions, interference from other mobile transmitters often prevents three base stations from being able to receive, detect and process the signal from a single mobile transmitter. This occurs because, in the reverse link between the mobile station and base station, especially for a base station that is not the serving base station for the mobile station in question, or for one that is not in handoff, the signals from the other mobiles sharing the bandwidth and being served by the base station cause interference in that base station""s ability to detect and process the signal from the mobile station that needs the location service.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,263,208, by Chang et al., proposes a solution that uses a pre-computed probability map of pilot strengths for a given cellular area, and uses the actual received pilot strengths to estimate the location. They do not specifically address the issue of how a solution may be obtained if an adequate number of pilot signals are not visible to the mobile unit. Thus, there is no teaching of how to solve the problems of angle of arrival, reflections, and strong signals.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,163,696, by Qi Bi and Wen-Yi Kuo, proposes a network based solution where fake handoff messages are used, i.e., the mobile station increases its power until the primary base station and two or more other surrounding base stations are able to receive its signal. This solution, however, will cause increased interference to the signals from the other served mobiles in the area for the base stations in question. Thus, this solution compounds the strong signal problem.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,812,086 to Bertiger et al. proposes a central transceiver and a re-transmitter in order to service users within buildings. Such a system would be very costly and would not permit a user to use a communication device for geolocation purposes in a building that was not fitted with such a system.
The use of power control on the reverse and forward links is designed to limit interference and to ensure that the cellular network is balanced and at its optimal capacity. But even with the use of power control, say, when a mobile phone is very close to a particular base station, such interference is unavoidable because the strength of the signal from that base station contributes to the interference when the mobile phone is in the process of receiving, detecting and processing the signal from base stations 2 and 3, which may be further away. Similarly, in the case of the reverse link, since the serving base station attempts to ensure that all received signals from its mobiles are received with similar power levels and consequently, a nearby mobile station that is requesting location service would have a low transmit power of insufficient strength for two, or even one additional base station to receive this signal accurately enough for location computation. Two approaches exist in the prior art to tackle the near-far problem.
First, U.S. Pat. No. 6,157,842, by Karlsson et al., teach us that the near-far problem can be solved through the cessation of transmission by the strong base station for short intervals, during which time the mobile station can detect and process signals from weaker base stations, taking advantage of the lack of interference from the xe2x80x98strongxe2x80x99 base station. This approach has the disadvantage of potential disruption of communications for other served mobiles of the xe2x80x98strongxe2x80x99 base station. While this approach addresses the strong signal problem, it does not provide a viable solution. In addition, it does not address the angle of arrival or the reflection issues.
Second, U.S. Pat. No. 5,736,964, by Ghosh et al., teaches a solution that relies on the presence of backup emergency pilot generators that are used if a plurality of base stations is not visible. This is an expensive solution since it calls for the installation of equipment that only serves the purpose of location computation. While this approach addresses the strong signal problem, it may not provide a viable solution. In addition, it does not address the angle of arrival or the reflection issues.
Clearly, being able to receive multiple signal sources at a single transceiver, or, multiple transceivers being able to receive a single signal for a network-based solution, is critical to location determination. However, under real conditions, this is often not possible because of interference. The source of interference in spread spectrum systems is generated from the fact that all signal sources share the same bandwidth, all the time, and are simultaneously transmitting.
In spread spectrum systems, each transmitter may be assigned a unique code and in many instances each transmission from a transmitter is assigned a unique code. These codes may be used to spread the signal so that the resulting signal occupies some specified range of frequencies in the electromagnetic spectrum or the codes may be superimposed on another signal that might also be a coded signal. Assigning a unique code to each transmitter allows the receiver to distinguish between different transmitters.
If a single transmitter has to broadcast different message to different receivers, such as a base-station in a wireless communication system broadcasting to different mobiles, one may use codes to distinguish between the messages for each mobile unit. In this scenario, each bit for a particular user is encoded using the code assigned to that user. By coding in this manner, the receiver, by knowing its own code, may decipher the message intended for it from the composite signal transmitted by the transmitter. In some instances, such as in a coded radar system, each pulse is assigned a unique code so that the receiver is able to distinguish between the different pulses based on the codes.
The key idea in all of these coded systems is that the receiver knows the codes of the message intended for it and, by correctly applying the codes, the receiver may extract the message intended for it. However, such receivers are more complex than receivers that distinguish between messages by time and/or frequency alone. The complexity arises because the signal received by the receiver is a linear combination of all the coded signals present in the spectrum of interest at any given time. The receiver has to be able to extract the message intended of it from this linear combination of coded signals.
The following section presents the problem of interference in linear algebraic terms followed by a discussion of the current, generic (baseline) receivers.
Let H be a vector containing the spread signal from source no. 1 and let xcex81 be the amplitude of the signal from this source. Let si be the spread signals for the remaining sources and let xcfx86i be the corresponding amplitudes. Suppose the receiver is interested in source number 1, the signals from the other sources may be considered to be interference. Then, the received signal is:
y=Hxcex81+s2xcfx862+s3xcfx863+ . . . +spxcfx86p+nxe2x80x83xe2x80x83(1)
where n is the additive noise term, and p is the number of sources in the Code-Division Multiple Access (CDMA) system. Let the length of the vector y be N, where N is the number of points in the integration window. This number N is selected as part of the design process as part of the trade-off between processing gain and complexity. A window of N points of y will be referred to as a segment.
In a wireless communication system, the columns of the matrix H represent the various coded signals and the elements of the vector xcex8 are the powers of the coded signals. For example, in the base-station to mobile link of a CDMA system, the coded signals might be the various channels (pilot, paging, synchronization and traffic) and all their various multi-path copies from different base-stations. In the mobile- to base-station link, the columns of the matrix H might be the coded signals from the mobiles and their various multi-path copies.
Equation (1) may now be written in the following matrix form:                                                         y              =                              xe2x80x83                                                                            H                                                        xe2x80x83                                                      θ                                +                                  S                                                        xe2x80x83                                                      φ                                +                n                                                                                =                              xe2x80x83                                                                                [                                          H                                                                    xe2x80x83                                                                  S                                        ]                                                                          [                                                                                θ                                                                                φ                                                                                ]                                                  +                n                                                                        (        2        )
where
H: spread signal matrix of the source that the receiver is demodulating
S=[s2 . . . sp]: spread signal matrix of all the other sources, i.e., the interference
xcfx86=[xcfx862 . . . xcfx86p]: interference amplitude vector
Receivers that are currently in use correlate the measurement, y, with a replica of H to determine if H is present in the measurement. If H is detected, then the receiver knows the bit-stream transmitted by source number 1. Mathematically, this correlation operation is:
correlation function=(HTH)xe2x88x921HTyxe2x80x83xe2x80x83(3)
where T is the transpose operation.
Substituting for y from equation (2) illustrates the source of the power control requirement:                                                                                (                                                                  H                        T                                                                  H                                        )                                                        -                    1                                                                                H                  T                                                y                            =                                                                    (                                                                  H                        T                                                                  H                                        )                                                        -                    1                                                                                H                    T                                                                          (                                                                  H                                                                          xe2x80x83                                                                        θ                                            +                                              S                                                                          xe2x80x83                                                                        φ                                            +                      n                                        )                                                                                =                                                                                (                                                                        H                          T                                                                        H                                            )                                                              -                      1                                                                                H                    T                                                      H                                                        xe2x80x83                                                      θ                                +                                                                            (                                                                        H                          T                                                                        H                                            )                                                              -                      1                                                                                H                    T                                                      S                                                        xe2x80x83                                                      φ                                +                                                                            (                                                                        H                          T                                                                        H                                            )                                                              -                      1                                                                                H                    T                                                      n                                                                                =                              θ                +                                                                            (                                                                        H                          T                                                                        H                                            )                                                              -                      1                                                                                H                    T                                                      S                                                        xe2x80x83                                                      φ                                +                                                                            (                                                                        H                          T                                                                        H                                            )                                                              -                      1                                                                                H                    T                                                      n                                                                                (        4        )
It is the middle term, (HTH)xe2x88x921HTSxcfx86, in the above equation that results in the near-far problem. If the codes are orthogonal, then this term reduces to zero, which implies that the receiver has to detect xcex8 in the presence of noise (which is (HTH)xe2x88x921HTn) only. It is easy to see that, as the amplitude of the other sources increases, the term (HTH)xe2x88x921HTSxcfx86 contributes a significant amount to the correlation function, which makes the detection of xcex8 more difficult.
The normalized correlation function, (HTH)xe2x88x921HT, defined above, is in fact the matched filter and is based on an orthogonal projection of y onto the space spanned by H. When H and S are not orthogonal to each other, there is leakage of the components of S into the orthogonal projection of y onto H. This leakage is geometrically illustrated in FIG. 1.
While the near-far problem has various implications on capacity of communication networks in terms of the interference limiting the number of users, say, on the forward and reverse link of a CDMA system, it is our intent here to focus on the solution to the near-far problem that hinders the ability to precisely identify the location of a mobile transmitter.
Thus, there is a need for an apparatus and method that facilitates either a mobile station being able to receive, detect and process signals from multiple base stations or multiple base stations being able to receive, detect and process signals from a single mobile station, to facilitate the ability of the mobile station or the network to precisely calculate the location of the mobile station in question. Preferably, this solution would function under conditions when interference from a xe2x80x98strongxe2x80x99 base station prevents the mobile station from xe2x80x98seeingxe2x80x99 weaker base stations, and on the reverse link, when interference from many xe2x80x98strongxe2x80x99 mobiles prevents the base stations from xe2x80x98seeingxe2x80x99 the mobile station that requires location service.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for geolocaton which will allow gelolocation of weak signals.
It is a further object to provide a method and apparatus for geolocation that utilizes the orthogonal projection of a signal to cancel interference associated with that signal.
According to a first broad aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for determining geolocation of a mobile transmitter, the method comprising the steps of: generating a location request; detecting a first source signal (y1); generating an orthogonal projection of the first source signal; canceling interference from the first source signal by utilizing the orthogonal projection; detecting at least one more source signal (y2 . . . yn); and utilizing the source signals to determine the location of the mobile.
According to a second broad aspect of the invention, there is provided an apparatus for determining geolocation of a mobile, the apparatus comprising: means for generating a location request; means for detecting a first source signal (y1); means for generating an orthogonal projection of the first source signal; means for canceling interference from the first source signal by utilizing the orthogonal projection; means for detecting at least one more source signal (y2 . . . yn); and means for utilizing the source signals to determine the location of the mobile transmitter.
According to a third broad aspect of the invention, there is provided a method for improving the signal to noise ratio of a source signal by adjusting the correlation length of the source signal, the method comprising the steps of: (A) assigning a first pre determined correlation length to a variable N; (B) increasing the correlation length N by an amount Y; (C) determining the signal to noise ratio of the source signal; (D) comparing the signal to noise ratio to a predetermined threshold to determine if the signal to noise ratio is equal to or above the threshold, if below the threshold, then initiating step E otherwise, initiating step F; (E) comparing the correlation length to a predetermined maximum correlation length and if below the maximum correlation length, returning to step B, otherwise going to step F; and (F) transmitting the source signal for further processing.
According to a fourth broad aspect of the invention, there is provided an apparatus for improving the signal to noise ratio of a source signal by adjusting the correlation length of the source signal, the apparatus comprising: a means for assigning first pre determined correlation length to a variable N; a means for increasing the correlation length N by an amount Y; a means determining the signal to noise ratio of the source signal; and a means for comparing the signal to noise ratio to a predetermined threshold to determine if the signal to noise ratio is equal to or above the threshold, if below the threshold, then initiating a comparing means, otherwise, initiating a transmitting means; wherein the comparing means compares the correlation length to a predetermined maximum correlation length and if below the maximum correlation length, returning to the means for increasing the correlation length, otherwise initiating the transmitting means; and the transmitting means for transmitting the source signal for further processing.
According to a fifth broad aspect of the invention, there is provided a method for determining geolocation of a mobile transmitter, the method comprising the steps of: (A) generating a location request; (B) detecting a first source signal (y1); (C) assigning a first pre determined correlation length to a variable N; (D) increasing the correlation length N by an amount Y; (E) determining the signal to noise ratio of the first source signal (y1); (F) comparing the signal to noise ratio to a predetermined threshold to determine if the signal to noise ratio is equal to or above the threshold, if below the threshold, then initiating step G otherwise, initiating step H; (G) comparing the correlation length to a predetermined maximum correlation length and if below the maximum correlation length, returning to step D, otherwise going to step H; (H) generating an orthogonal projection of the first source signal; (I) canceling interference from the first source signal by utilizing the orthogonal projection; (J) detecting at least one more source signal (y2 . . . yn); and (K) utilizing the source signals to determine the location of the mobile.
According to a sixth broad aspect of the invention, there is provided a method for determining geolocation of a mobile transmitter, the method comprising the steps of: (A) generating a location request; (B) detecting a first source signal (y1) at a first base station; (C) generating an orthogonal projection of the first source signal; (D) canceling interference from the first source signal by utilizing the orthogonal projection; (E) detecting the first signal source (y1) at least one more base station; and (F) utilizing timing information of the source signal to determine the location of the mobile.
According to a sixth broad aspect of the invention, there is provided an apparatus for determining geolocation of a mobile transmitter, the apparatus comprising: means for generating a location request; means for detecting a first source signal (y1) at a first base station; means for generating an orthogonal projection of the first source signal; means for canceling interference from the first source signal by utilizing the orthogonal projection; means for detecting the first signal source (y1) at least one more base station; and means for utilizing timing information of the source signal to determine the location of the mobile.
Other objects and features of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment.

Method and apparatus to compute the geolocation of a communication device using orthogonal projections


A semiconductor device includes first, second and third power supply terminals respectively supplied with first, second and third power supply voltages. The semiconductor device also includes a first terminal connectable to a host device and a second terminal connectable to a peripheral device. The semiconductor device also includes a first circuit block connected to the first terminal and the first power supply terminal and receiving data output from the host device based on the first power supply voltage, a second circuit block connected to the second terminal and the third power supply terminal and receiving data output from the peripheral device based on the third power supply voltage, and a third circuit block connected to the second power supply terminal and controlling operation of the first circuit block and the second circuit block based on the second power supply voltage.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device that controls communication of data performed between a host device, such as a personal computer (Personal Computer), and a peripheral device, such as a printer, a digital camera, and a digital audio player. Especially, the present invention relates to the semiconductor device for the technology performed using Universal Serial Bus (it is called USB hereinafter) with suitable data communications between the host device and the peripheral device. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a method for supplying a power supply voltage to such semiconductor device.
This application is counterpart of Japanese patent application Serial Number 299675/2000, filed Sep. 29, 2000, the subject matter of which is incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, a demand for a portable digital audio player etc. as a portable device has increased rapidly. Such portable device is mainly includes a mounting board, a USB connector mounted on the mounting board, and a slot which can connect memories, such as a flash memory. Further, a controller IC is mounted on this mounting board. The controller IC is made up of a USB control circuit (it is also called USB transceiver), a microcontroller unit (it is called MCU hereinafter), and an I/O block that performs the interface with an external device, such as Flash memory. These circuits are integrated into one chip as the controller IC. This mounting board is built in the digital audio player.
The USB connector can connect the USB and thus the PC as the host device and are connected to the portable device through the USB.
The USB control circuit has a function to receive data from the USB and a function which outputs data to the USB.
The MCU issues predetermined directions to the USB control circuit and the I/O block so that these circuits can perform a predetermined operation.
Peripheral parts, i.e., memories such as Flash memory which stores music data etc., are connected to the slot.
The music data stored in the PC is transferred to the portable device through the USB under control of the PC, and transferred music data is stored in the Flash memory through the USB control circuit based on control of the MCU. Moreover, data stored in the Flash memory is transferred to the PC through the MCU, the USB control circuit, and the USB under control of the MCU, and transferred music data is stored in the PC. As described above, the USB is used to transfer contents data, such as music data, between the PC and the portable device.
Although the above portable devices are portable therefore, they are driven by a battery. Therefore, in order to reduce consumption of a battery, an operation voltage in the portable device must be set up low. Here, the operation voltage means that the power supply voltage supplied to the portable device.
However, since the operation voltage of the USB control circuit and the Flash memory is standardized, the operation voltage of the peripheral part cannot disregard this standardized operation voltage, and cannot set it low. That is, the minimum operation voltage of the peripheral part depends on the standardized operation voltage of the USB control circuit and the I/O block.
Therefore, the further lower power consumption of the whole peripheral device (whole digital audio player) cannot be expected. Especially, since the USB control circuit operates in response to a clock signal having relatively high frequency while data communications are performed using the USB, consuming battery power is hard. Consequently; the semiconductor device having improved power consumption has been desired.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Semiconductor device for supplying power supply voltage to semiconductor device


Method for synchronization of a MoCA network including a plurality of MoCA node devices (n0-n4) interconnected through a coaxial network. The method includes transmitting a reference signal from a first node device onto the coaxial network. The method further includes receiving a loopback signal from a further node device through the coaxial network, determining a time delay value (di,j) based on a time lapse (Ti,j) between transmitting the reference signal and receiving the loopback signal, and sending the time delay value to said further node device.

Since television became a commodity in homes, hotels, offices and other buildings, coaxial (coax in short) networks have regularly been implemented in such facilities. As a result, a large percentage of such facilities built in developed countries during at least the last 50 years are provided with such coaxial networks. Provision of signal access to a building has been accomplished in different ways throughout the years, from the early solution with a local antenna receiver to wired cable TV connection, and later optical fiber networks. Still, there is a need to distribute access within the building, for which the local coaxial network may be used.
Multimedia over Coaxial Alliance (MoCA) is an industry standard alliance developing technology for the connected home. MoCA technology runs over the existing in-home coaxial cabling, enabling whole-home distribution of digital content. MoCA provides the backbone for the home digital entertainment network, and supports streaming media such as standard television and allows linking a set-top box to a TV and other entertainment such as computers or game consoles in multiple rooms using existing wiring.
MoCA is designed and used for providing data access within a home. To operate and gain access to an exterior network provider, a MoCA node device is required. The MoCA node device may be a MoCA adapter or modem, having at least a coaxial connector for connection to the coaxial network, and a network output, such as an Ethernet switch. The node device further includes a MoCA chip or chipset, configured to control media-sharing in accordance with one or more of the MoCA specifications, in cable-equipped households.
In a building complex, a plurality of MoCA node devices may be connected to a common coaxial network. Such MoCA node devices are free running devices, meaning that their local clocks are not synchronized. This means that a MoCA system including a plurality of node devices is typically not optimized for running applications requiring very accurate synchronization to determine time delays relative to each other.

Method and system for synchronization of node devices in a coaxial network