An algorithm for computing an efficient, reduced complexity, windowed optimal linear time domain equalizer for a dispersive channel comprises the steps of determining a window of maximum energy in the impulse response of length equal to or less than a number of cyclic prefix samples associated with a received digital data signal, computing the corresponding inside and outside matrices, performing an inverse Cholesky decomposition of the inside matrix, creating a resultant matrix as the product of the outer and the upper and lower square root inner matrix, followed by Householder reduction and QL transformation to thereby compute the time domain equalizer as the linear transformation of the eigenvector corresponding to the smallest eigenvalue at the receiver. The smallest eigenvalue is determined using the aforementioned orthogonal transformations without determining all the eigenvalues efficiently but without the loss accuracy associated with iterative methods like the conventional power method. The algorithm may be most conveniently implemented, for example, in the form of a thirty-two bit digital signal processor at a data receiver.

Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) is a technology that provides high-speed communications using telephone lines. The technique requires the use of a wide band of frequencies to send more information than conventional voice calls require. Wideband modulation schemes need to take into account the broadband characteristics of the medium used to communicate. Twisted pair copper wire subscriber loops used to provide access to the local exchange in telephone circuits exhibit frequency dependent attenuation, with higher frequencies suffering more attenuation than the lower ones. Further, these subscriber loops also exhibit a non-linear phase response with frequency, with the lower frequencies exhibiting more non-linearity. This kind of channel characteristic results in the dispersion of an impulse, sent by the transmitter, at the receiver, thus corrupting the reception. This dispersion, also referred to as inter-symbol interference (ISI), results in data loss and hence, loss of communication reliability.
A channel's limited bandwidth has a dispersive effect on the transmitted pulse. High-frequency loss in the channel tends to reduce the slope of the pulse edges resulting in finite rise times (precursor distortion). At low frequencies, the nonlinear phase characteristics tend to produce a long decay tail (postcursor distortion), resulting in a smeared pulse shape. The "available" bandwidth and the phase characteristics of a channel are solely a function of the medium used. Distortion suffered by a given pulse results in interference to its neighbors in time. A given pulse is distorted by the presence of tails from past pulses and precursors of future pulses. This effect is known as inter-symbol interference (ISI). Thus, at the receiver, detection of symbols is further complicated by the presence of pulse distortion in addition to noise. For a given channel, since the channel attenuation and noise characteristics can be determined a priori, ISI can be eliminated by predicting the channel's future and past influence on any received symbol. The process of eliminating ISI from the received data is referred to as equalization.
Discrete multi-tone modulation (DMT) is an orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) technique. It was introduced by Ebert and Weinstein and later improved by Peled and Ruiz to take advantage of digital signal processors and fast Fourier transform (FFT) processes. DMT is generally used to refer to an FFT-based multi-carrier modulation scheme for high-speed data transmission in a wired environment such as the digital subscriber line (DSL). A host of high-speed transmission standards such as ADSL (Asymmetric DSL), HDSL (High-speed DSL), VDSL (Very high-speed DSL), and so on use DMT as the modulation technique.
Discrete multi-tone modulation is based on modulating bits on a sequence of N baseband tones (also known as sub-channels or bins), generally evenly spaced. Modulation involves mapping the bi bits in the ith bin to a complex number chosen from a corresponding 2bi QAM (quadrature amplitude modulation) constellation. The modulated bins and the corresponding complex conjugate bins are then inverse Fourier transformed (IFFT) to generate 2N real time samples constituting a symbol. Thus for a baseband system of total allowed bandwidth W, the symbol time is 2N/2W=1/fc for the case of Nyquist sampling where fc is the frequency spacing between bins. For example, the ADSL standard uses N=256 bins that span a bandwidth of 1.104 MHz resulting in a frequency spacing of 4.3125 kHz. AT&T Corporation has been developing its version of DMT-based DSL technology called the Tethered Virtual Radio Channel (TVRC).
Referring briefly to FIG. 5, there is shown a block schematic diagram having the general structure of a conventional TCRC modem which may be located either at a telephone central office (CO) or as consumer premises equipment (CPE). A difference between the CO TVRC modem and a CPE TVRC modem is that the CPE modem receives its clock from the CO modem. The specific embodiment of a processor within the receiver makes the modem different from the prior art, and that is disclosed below.
TVRC differentiates itself from ADSL by offering duplex T1-like service for loops up to twelve thousand feet of twenty six gauge (AWG) wire cable pairs and graded service for longer lengths. TVRC, like ADSL, uses DMT as the baseband modulation scheme. The Multiple Turbo Trellis coded modulation (MTTCM) scheme of inner coder 510 developed by AT&T gives a significant signal-to-noise ratio (coding gain) advantage over the Wei coder recommended in the standards for constellation sizes from 4 to 256 with the largest gains for QPSK. Further, unlike ADSL, TVRC is a full-band duplex communication system using the same band for both upstream and downstream communications. It may or may not be symmetric depending on the channel conditions that determine the bit and power allocation profiles for the up and downstream channels. The outer coder 505 is the standards recommended Reed-Solomon coder with the design chosen to maintain error levels at one in 109 bits. The digital broadband Echo Canceller 535 developed for the duplex channel along with the analog hybrid ensures echo-interference-free duplex communications.
Bit distribution in each sub-channel is determined from the channel attenuation and noise characteristics measured during initialization using a known pseudo-random (PN) sequence. The well-known water-pouring algorithm of adding power proportional to the channel terrain has been modified by Sonalkar and Sankaranarayanan as a constrained allocation of bits and hence, power subject to a total power budget of 100 mW and a power spectral mask constraint defined by the Federal Communications Commission for the Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) standards. A computationally fast algorithm using bit removal instead of bit-by-bit allocation has been adopted. Channel attenuation is measured at the receiver as the ratio of the received PN sequence to the known transmitted sequence and the noise profile is measured at the receiver with the transmitter silent. Duplex versions of the above algorithm have also been developed by Sonalkar et al. to solve the problem of joint bit allocations to the upstream and downstream channel. The information on the bit and power profile is communicated back to the transmitter by the receiver during initialization.
The incoming bit stream at the transmitter 500 after scrambling is Reed-Solomon (RS) encoded. The RS encoder 505 used is a (136, 136-R) coder where 136 is an example of the number of output bytes and R is twice the number of symbols that can be corrected. The choice of R determines the effective system bit error rate (BER) for a given inner coder BER. The RS coder 505 in the TVRC transmitter design of FIG. 5 uses a symbol of length 8 bits, i.e., a byte. The 136-byte output of the RS encoder 505 results in an input block of 1088 bits to the Turbo encoder 510. The Turbo encoder 510 uses the bit allocation profile to map bi bits at a time from the incoming bit stream, encode them with the appropriate number of parity bits and map the resultant bits to a complex number from a 256-point constellation. When all B=Σbi, where i=1, 2, . . . , 256, total bits per symbol are read, the bit table is reset to the start to continue encoding the Turbo input block of 1088 bits until no more bits are left to encode. The bins with no bits are not modulated, i.e., zero power is sent on such bins. The result is a continuing vector of complex values which when taken 256 at a time, scaled by the appropriate power values, complex conjugated and inverse fast Fourier transformed (IFFT) at IFFT 520 yields a 512-point vector of time samples.
Prefixing the last 32 time samples of the 512-sample frame to the start of the frame ensures that for a shortened 32-tap channel the data appears periodic to the channel and thus, at the receiver, the frequency bins of the prefix discarded 512-sample FFT will remain orthogonal. If x(n) is an N-sample vector transmitted with a CP-sample cyclic prefix, h(n) is the channel response, and X(n) and H(n) are the discrete Fourier transforms of x(n) and h(n) respectively, then at the receiver, the discrete transform relationship:x(n)*h(n)X(n)·H(n)   (1)holds iff x(n) is either an infinite sequence of samples (infinite block length) or if x(n) is periodic with period N. Constraining the channel to be non-zero for only CP-samples and using a cyclic prefix of length CP for each block N samples result in the data appearing periodic to the channel, thus eliminating receiver inter channel interference (ICI) as shown subsequently herein. Interpolation and parallel-to-serial conversion of the time samples followed by digital to analog conversion completes the processing of data at the transmitter.
At the receiver 550, the digitized data coming through the hybrid 540 and the analog front end is decimated down to baseband. The decimated time samples are buffered 544 (N+CP) at a time and digitally filtered with the time domain equalizer (TEQ) 560 determined during initialization to shorten the channel to 32 or less taps. For a duplex system, echo cancellation via echo canceller 535 is done to eliminate the echo leakage from the transmitter 500. This is followed by the removal of the cyclic prefix of 32 samples. An FFT 575 of the remaining 512 samples results in a vector of 256 complex values and their conjugates in the frequency domain. The complex frequency values are then scaled by an appropriate vector of complex numbers that ensures phase and power equalization of the received signal. This frequency domain equalizer (FEQ) 580 is also determined during initialization and equalizes (cancels) the phase distortion and power attenuation introduced by the channel. The equalized complex numbers are then fed to the Turbo decoder 585. Reed-Solomon decoding and de-scrambling via decoder 590 completes the receiver data processing and the resulting bits are streamed as appropriate for the application.
The two ends of a typical subscriber line connection are the customer premises equipment (CPE) and the local exchange also known as the central office (CO). The CPE and CO are sample and frame synchronized with each other after the CPE synchronizes its clock to the master CO clock during initialization. Downstream is the direction from the CO to the CPE and upstream indicates the reverse direction from the subscriber to the central office. Timing recovery at the CPE is done during the initial handshaking and from then on synchronization is maintained by constantly updating the parameters with the reception of the PN sequence sent as a 69th frame after successive 68 frames of data transmission. If required, the 69th PN frame on time-averaging, also helps adapt and update the channel-dependent parameters like the TEQ 560, the FEQ 580, the echo canceller (EC) 535, and bit and power allocation profiles. One technique for adaptively updating the channel parameters and constantly monitoring the channel is referred to as the Auto-Configuration Protocol and is one algorithm developed by members of AT&T Labs-Research that may be utilized with the present invention. Other techniques for updating channel parameters and monitoring a channel may be likewise utilized with the present invention.
Inter-symbol interference (ISI, distortion in the time-domain) and inter-channel interference (ICI, distortion in the frequency domain, also known as inter-bin interference) cause corruption of data sent over long twisted pair copper wires connecting CPE and CO. A channel's limited bandwidth causes distortion in the transmitted pulse. High-frequency loss reduces the slope of the pulse edges resulting in precursor distortion and low frequencies nonlinear channel phase response results in a long pulse tail causing postcursor distortion. This distortion creates interference in the preceding and following pulses, thus complicating the problem of symbol detection in this challenging subscriber loop environment (mixed gauges, bridge taps, noise ingress in the upstream direction among other known problems).
In DMT-based modulation for a DSL system, a pulse (symbol) is typically 512-samples long preceded by a cyclic prefix (length CP in general) of the last 32 samples of the current frame. The cyclic prefix is used to provide time domain separation of adjacent symbols. Each time domain symbol at the transmitter is the inverse Fourier transform of a band of 256 independent frequencies (bins) modulated using the parameters determined during initialization. At the receiver 550, the received time domain samples are collected a frame at a time. A Fourier transform 575 is then used to recover data in the original 256 frequency bins. If the channel impulse response is longer than 32 taps (the size of the cyclic prefix), ISI between adjacent symbols results in a loss of orthogonality between the channels (bins) in the band of modulation, and the result is ICI. Detection based on an assumption of orthogonal channels within the band no longer holds, and performance (i.e. bit error rate, data throughput) suffers.
Theoretical considerations for shortening impulse response are discussed in Melsa et al., "Impulse Response Shortening for Discrete Multitone Transceivers", published in IEEE Transactions for Communications, Vol. 44, No. 12, December, 1996, incorporated by reference as to its entire contents. While Melsa et al. provide a theoretical framework for our invention, this prior work failed to, for example, appreciate, disclose or suggest the computation of all eigenvalues and the determination of the smallest eigenvalue as taught by our invention, perhaps, because they perceived that the complexity of the computations precluded them from doing so or they never recognized the possibility. Nevertheless, as discussed herein, we have used this optimal strategy and reduced the complexity of the algorithm.
Thus, to maintain reliable communications at a desired error rate and data rate, it is important to minimize the ISI. This process of eliminating or minimizing ISI in time is referred to as time domain equalization and involves reversing the effects of the long dispersive channel. For the case of DMT-based DSL modems, equalization refers to the shortening of the measured channel at the receiver with a filter computed during the initial handshaking between the modem at the Central Office (CO) and the DSL modem at the customer premises. Shortening the channel to the length of the cyclic prefix which separates adjacent symbols eliminates ISI completely for the ideal case of an infinite length TEQ, but reduces it to the minimum possible for a finite filter tap length. An optimal linear solution for computing this finite length TEQ filter involves determining the smallest eigenvalue and eigenvector of a real, symmetric matrix. While theoretically this solution is optimal, the choice of the implementation technique determines the accuracy of the filter designed, and therefore, the overall system reliability.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Efficient reduced complexity windowed optimal time domain equalizer for discrete multitone-based DSL modems


An improved CRC generation mechanism for generating a CRC value of relevant data in a digital data stream is disclosed wherein relevant data in the data stream is identified and partitioned into a plurality of intervals. A CRC value is determined for each interval by partitioning the interval into a plurality of chunks, loading from persistent storage a table of CRC values for a range of chunks, determining a CRC value for each of the chunks with parallel table lookup operations on the table, and combining the CRC values for the chunks. The CRC values for each of the intervals is combined to generate the CRC for the relevant data. The parallel table look operation is preferably a vector permute instruction that is executed by a SIMD-style vector unit.

1. Technical Field
This invention relates to the field of error detection in digital communication systems and, in particular, to methods for generating and checking a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) in a message transferred over a digital communication system.
2. Related Art
Cyclic redundancy check (CRC) is an important error detection tool used in communication systems and data processing systems. CRC is a kind of checksum that is transmitted with data.
In a communication system wherein data is communicated between a source node and a target node over a communication link, the source node calculates the CRC of data to be transferred over the link using a predetermined polynomial. The source node then transmits the data along with the CRC over the link target node. The target node receives the data, independently generates the CRC of the received data using the predetermined generating polynomial, and compares the independently generated CRC with the CRC received from the source node. If the two CRC values match, no error is assumed to have occurred during the transmission. If the two CRC values do not match, an error is assumed to have occurred during the transmission. In this case, the target node may utilize error correction techniques to correct errors that have occurred during transmission and/or request re-transmission of the data by the source node.
In a data processing systems wherein data is transferred via an I/O bus from a storage device to memory for access by devices of the data processing system, the storage device calculates the CRC of data to be transferred over the I/O bus using a predetermined polynomial. The storage device then transmits the data along with the CRC over the I/O bus to memory. A processing unit independently generates the CRC of the received data using the predetermined generating polynomial, and compares the independently generated CRC with the CRC received from the storage device. If the two CRC values match, no error is assumed to have occurred during the transmission. If the two CRC values do not match, an error is assumed to have occurred during the transmission. In this case, the processing unit may utilize error correction techniques to correct errors that have occurred during transmission and/or request re-transmission of the data by the storage device.
A more detailed description of the use of CRC for error detection may be found in Ritter, T., February 1986, "Great CRC Mystery. Dr. Dobb's Journal of Software Tools", 11(2), pgs 26-34, 76-83, herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.
The basic CRC generation algorithm for a W-bit CRC can be written as the following pseudo-code:
1. CRC=0 (Initialization)
2. Augment message by W zeros
3. pop=top bit of CRC
4. shift CRC left by 1 bit, read in 1 bit from the message
5. If pop=1, CRC=XOR (CRC, polynomial)
6. If more message bits, goto step 3.
This algorithm is very time consuming since it operates on 1 bit at time.
This simple algorithm can be speeded up by grouping the operations on a number of bits. The most convenient grouping is 8 bits (or 1 byte) as shown in R. N. Williams, "A Painless Guide to CRC Error Detection Algorithms", Version 3, Aug. 19, 1993, ftp://ftp.rocksoft.corn/clients/rocksoft/papers/crc-v3.txt, herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. In this example, step 3 is modified to pop the top byte of the CRC and step 4 is modified to shift the CRC by 8 bits and read in 8 bits of the message. In addition step 5 is modified as follows: the top byte of the CRC identified in step 3 and the 8 bits of the message identified in step 4 are combined using an XOR operation, and the result is used an index into a table. The table contains the 256 entries storing the 256 precomputed CRCs for the range of 8 bit values (00-FF). The resultant CRC read from the table is then combined with the CRC shifted by 8 bits in step 4 using an XOR operation to form the new updated CRC value, and the operation continues to step 5.
Note that such table driven algorithms require a large table (i.e., 256 W-bit entries) and utilize a single table look-up per iteration.

Efficient CRC generation utilizing parallel table lookup operations

International Business Machines Corporation


A thermoplastic impregnated fiberglass pipe or tube and the process for making such pipe are disclosed. The pipe or tube is made of thermoplastic impregnated fibrous roving which consists of a plurality of glass filaments, at least a portion of the filaments' surfaces being in contact with the residue produced by evaporating water from an aqueous size composition consisting of an organosilane coupling agent, a polyethylene oxide binder material, and a polypropylene thermoplastic polymer resin, wherein the composition is applied to the glass fiber during the fiber forming process. The pipe forming process includes filament winding the rovings around a spindle and thereafter heating the wound rovings to fuse the thermoplastic polymer resin.

The production and use of thermoplastic and polyester pipes is well-known. However, these pipes often have limited uses and cannot be used in the chemical processing industry where the pipe would be subjected to heat distorting temperatures, exposed to reactive materials, or used in reactive environments.
There has now been invented a tube or pipe made from thermoplastic impregnated fibrous strands which pipe has performance advantages over prior art plastic pipes. The glass or fiber thermoplastic reinforced pipe is especially useful in the chemical processing industry or as electrical conduit. The glass or fiber thermoplastic reinforced pipe has improved strength as a result of the glass fiber reinforcement. In addition, the fiber reinforced thermoplastic pipe is corrosion resistant.

Tube or pipe formed a thermoplastic powder impregnated fiberglass roving


Provided is an optical sheet hardly causing a change in color depending on the observation angle of an image, the optical sheet including a plurality of layers, at least one of the layers being an optical functional sheet layer including prisms arranged in parallel along a surface of the optical sheet such that light is transmittable; and light-absorbing portions arranged in parallel between the prisms in a way to absorb light, at least another one of the layers being a light diffusing material-containing layer with optical diffusing particles dispersed in a base material, and the optical sheet satisfying a relation of NdK <NdR and vdK <vdR, wherein NdK is a refractive index of the base material of the light diffusing material-containing layer, vdK is an Abbe number thereof, NdR is a refractive index of the optical diffusing particles and vdR is an Abbe number thereof.

A display device which emits an image to an observer, such as a liquid crystal display, a plasma display, a rear projection, an organic EL, or an FED, includes an image source and an optical sheet including a layer having various functions for improving the quality of image light from the image source and emitting the light to the observer.
An example of the optical sheet is disclosed in Patent Document 1. The optical sheet described in Patent Document 1 has portions for transmitting image light and a triangular structure disposed therebetween. Then, the sheet reflects image light at an interface between the portions for transmitting image light and the triangular structure to disperse the light. This configuration can allow the image light to be dispersed at a large angle.


A chip package structure including first and second insulating layers, first and second circuit structures, a chip on the first circuit structure, an encapsulant, a conductive through via, and first and second heat dissipation layers is provided. The first circuit structure is disposed at the first surface of the first insulating layer. The bottom electrode of the chip is electrically connected to the first circuit structure. The second circuit structure is disposed on the chip and electrically connected to the top electrode of the chip. The encapsulant encapsulates the first and second circuit structures and the chip. The conductive through via is disposed in the encapsulant and connects the first and second circuit structures. The second insulating layer is disposed on the second circuit structure. The first heat dissipation layer is disposed on the first insulating layer. The second heat dissipation layer is disposed on the second insulating layer.

In the traditional manufacturing process, a driving control system chip and a power module chip in an electric motor are generally manufactured separately, and the foregoing two types of chips are finished on an assembled circuit board. In order to pursue the object of miniaturization, a process technique of combining a driving control system chip and a power module chip into an intelligent power module (IPM) is currently developed to achieve the object of reducing the structure volume and simplifying the process.
Today's semiconductor elements use a variety of package types based on process needs, such as: dual in-line package (DIP), thin small outline package (TSOP), and quad-flat no-leads (QFN), etc. The various packaging forms mostly adopt wire bonding techniques of metal wires to combine the chip with a lead frame, so that the chip may be connected to an external circuit. Then, the structure is encapsulated with an encapsulant. However, the above type of package structure has the issue of poor heat dissipation efficiency, thus limiting the applicable specifications of electric motor products.

Industrial Technology Research Institute


A metallizable, heat-sealable, biaxially oriented multi-layer film for metallizing applications is described which comprises a base layer comprising polypropylene, a first polyolefinic heat-sealable surface layer and a second polyolefinic metallizable surface layer. The second polyolefinic metallizable surface layer comprises a propylene-ethylene copolymer, which has an ethylene content of 1.2 to 2.8% by weight, a distribution factor V.sub.F greater than 10, an enthalpy of fusion .DELTA. H.sub.m greater than 90 J/g and a thermo-oxidation temperature T.sub.ox greater than 240.degree. C.

The invention relates to a metallizable, heat-sealable, biaxially oriented multi-layer film which comprises a base layer comprising polypropylene, a first polyolefinic heat-sealable surface layer and a second polyolefinic metallizable surface layer.
EP-A No. 0,023,389 describes a coextruded multi-layer film for metallizing applications which comprises a core layer essentially of polypropylene, which has outer layers of an ethylene-olefin copolymer on both sides, the ethylene content being 85 to 99.75% by weight and the molecule of the alpha olefin containing 3 to 6 carbon atoms. This film has the disadvantage that its scratch resistance is in need of improvement and its gloss is unsatisfactory.
Moreover, EP-A No. 0,021,672 describes a laminate produced by coextrusion, comprising a polypropylene core layer and an ethylene-propylene copolymer on at least one external side of the core layer. The outer layer contains 2 to 4% by weight of ethylene, outer layers with 2.5 to 3.5% by weight of ethylene being particularly preferred. A good adhesion between the outer layer and an applied metal layer is achieved by omitting lubricants, particularly fatty acid amides, from the film. However, this film is still in need of improvement, particularly with regard to the metal adhesion, its scratch resistance and its optical properties.
DE-A No. 3,701,307 describes heat-sealable multi-layer films for metallizing applications whose metallizable surface layer is of polypropylene. These films have the disadvantage that they cannot readily be surface treated, i.e., that they have a poor long-term metallizability, since their affinity for metals, achieved by surface treatment, significantly and detectably subsides even after a short time.

Biaxially oriented polypropylene film for metallizing applications


Stained areas (2) of fabric are separately treated with a non-aqueous cleaning composition, followed by an aqueous cleaning composition, and by using a hand-held device (1) which is rocked back and forth on said stained areas (2). The fabric (3) is then placed in a bag or other container, together with a sheet substrate releasably containing an aqueous cleaning composition. The bag is tumbled in a hot air clothes dryer to clean and refresh the entire fabric (3).

By classical definition, the term "dry cleaning" has been used to describe processes for cleaning textiles using nonaqueous solvents. Dry cleaning is an old art, with solvent cleaning first being recorded in the United Kingdom in the 1860's. Typically, dry cleaning processes are used with garments such as woolens which are subject to shrinkage in aqueous laundering baths, or which are judged to be too valuable or too delicate to subject to aqueous laundering processes. Various hydrocarbon and halocarbon solvents have traditionally been used in immersion dry cleaning processes, and the need to handle and reclaim such solvents has mainly restricted the practice of conventional dry cleaning to commercial establishments.
While solvent-based dry cleaning processes are quite effective for removing oily soils and stains, they are not optimal for removing particulates such as clay soils, and may require special treatment conditions to remove proteinaceous stains. Ideally, particulates and proteinaceous stains are removed from fabrics using detersive ingredients and operating conditions which are more akin to aqueous laundering processes than to conventional dry cleaning.
In addition to the cleaning function, dry cleaning also provides important "refreshment" benefits. For example, dry cleaning removes undesirable odors and extraneous matter such as hair and lint from garments, which are then generally folded or pressed to remove wrinkles and restore their original shape. Of course, such refreshment benefits are also afforded by aqueous laundering processes.
As can be seen from the foregoing, and aside from the effects on certain fabrics such as woolens, there are no special, inherent advantages for solvent-based immersion dry cleaning over aqueous cleaning processes with respect to fabric cleaning or refreshment. Moreover, on a per-garment basis, commercial dry cleaning is much more expensive than aqueous cleaning processes. Accordingly, it would be of considerable benefit to consumers to provide non-immersion dry cleaning processes which can be used in the home.
One type of home dry cleaning system comprises a carrier sheet containing various cleaning agents, and a plastic bag. The garments to be cleaned are placed in the bag together with the sheet, and then tumbled in a conventional clothes dryer. In a commercial embodiment, multiple single-use flat sheets and a single multi-use plastic bag are provided in a package. Unfortunately, such processes may not satisfactorily remove stains from heavily soiled or "spotted" areas of the fabrics being dry cleaned.
As is well known, heavily stained garments may be "pre-spotted" using so-called "spot removal" compositions prior to cleaning. It has now been discovered that the use of water-based spot removal compositions on stained areas of fabrics can yield sub-optimal cleaning performance on some types of stains and fabrics. Conversely, non-aqueous compositions have now been found to be sub-optimal on other stains and fabrics. Moreover, it has also been noted that pre-spotting methods typically involve the vigorous back-and-forth rubbing of the garment with a cleaning composition and a towel, sponge or other implement. It has now further been determined that such rubbing can cause fabric damage and excessive wear.
By the present invention, a dual process is provided which allows the user to pre-spot fabrics using both a non-aqueous and a water-based cleaning composition. In a preferred mode, the process is conducted without resort to rubbing by the use of a device which loosens and removes stains via controlled mechanical action, thereby avoiding fabric damage. As will be seen hereinafter, the device is designed to gently implement Z-axis mechanics only, with respect to the fabric being treated.


A processing system for force baseline management includes sensor circuitry configured to obtain capacitive sensing signals of a sensing region from sensor electrodes, and processing circuitry coupled to the sensor circuitry and configured to determine, from the capacitive sensing signals, force measurements and touch measurements. The processing circuitry is further configured to modify a force baseline at a decreased rate in response to determining a presence of an input object using the force measurements and an absence of the input object using the touch measurements.

Input devices, including proximity sensor devices (e.g., touchpads or touch sensor devices), are widely used in a variety of electronic systems. A proximity sensor device may include a sensing region, often demarked by a surface, in which the proximity sensor device determines the presence, location and/or motion of one or more input objects. Proximity sensor devices may be used to provide interfaces for the electronic system. For example, proximity sensor devices may be used as input devices for larger computing systems (such as opaque touchpads integrated in, or peripheral to, notebook or desktop computers) or in smaller computing systems (such as touch screens integrated in cellular phones).


A switched-capacitor programmable gain amplifier (PGA) has improved circuit performance that avoids impracticably small capacitors, while providing low total harmonic distortion (THD) and reasonable gain linearity. The sampling capacitor (CS) in the PGA is designed with a C-2C capacitor array. Gain settings from the C-2C capacitor array arranged for selection with constant VGS switches. The gain of the resulting PGA corresponds to the ratio of the effective capacitance of the C-2C array and the effective capacitance value of the feedback capacitor (CF). The resulting performance of the PGA has reduced charge injection and clock feed-through errors, and thus reduced THD.

A programmable gain amplifier (PGA) is employed in many signal processing applications where adjustable signal gain is required. Example applications include audio signal processing, video signal processing, image processing, and control systems, to name a few. In one example, an adjustable volume level can be provided in an audio system by gain scaling signals in the pre-amplifier with a PGA. In another example, an image sensor is arranged to work with a PGA such that the PGA provides gain scaling of the signals from the sensor such as in a CDS (Correlated Double Sampling) circuit arrangement.
The described analog signal processing applications may utilize a PGA that is capable of amplifying a wide range of analog input signals. The PGA may also require fine control over the gain that is applied to the analog input signal. As target resolutions and operating speeds increase various non-ideal effects in the circuits may result in undesirable performance. The present disclosure contemplates a variety of non-ideal effects in switched capacitor PGA circuits.

Circuit topology for reduced harmonic distortion in a switched-capacitor programmable gain amplifier


A storage area network (SAN) management application generates device allocation reports displaying foundation variables, device specific parameters, and computed, derived fields for different types of storage arrays, without burdening the allocation report with extraneous parameters through the use of a layout indicative of the information included on the report, providing a streamlined and seamless allocation report. The SAN management application defines a layout indicative of the foundation variables, device attributes, and derived fields requested in an allocation report. The user selected layout indicates the requested allocation parameters for a report, indicative of the foundation variable, device attributes, and derived fields, and also indicates the device usage metrics for computing the derived fields from the foundation variables and device attributes. In this manner, a SAN operator requests an allocation report indicative of only the information sought, and need not correlate multiple reports or manually synthesize report output for determining derived fields.

Conventional managed information environments, such as a Storage Area Network (SAN), typically employ an interconnection of storage arrays operable for storing large quantities of data, in which the storage arrays are responsive to a management application such as an SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) based application. The SAN includes a plurality of host computers coupled to users for storage and retrieval of the data in the storage array devices. The SAN, therefore, supports an enterprise such as a corporation or business entity with conventional information storage and retrieval services via the SAN. The SAN management application allows administration activities, such as monitoring and maintenance of the storage arrays, for ensuring maximum throughput and efficiency of the data to and from users via the SAN.
A conventional SAN, therefore, employs a plurality of hosts, each connected to one or more storage arrays. The storage arrays each include a plurality of individual storage units, also known as disk drives or spindles, operating as an integrated storage medium. In a configured SAN, each of the storage arrays may have different numbers, types, and arrangements of the storage units, and are often from multiple vendors. Further, the storage within a storage array may be partitioned or designated according to data redundancy or protection schemes, such as shadowing, journaling, and RAID arrangements, and may also be partitioned for usage by certain subsets of users. Accordingly, tracking consumption of available storage and identifying areas of excessive or sparse consumption becomes a formidable task.

System and methods for reporting device allocation


A technique for estimating current consumption of an electronic device such that current consumed during reception of bursts is utilized in calculating the remaining battery power. By determining the time duration of each reception burst and the charge consumed during each burst, the total charge consumed by the reception bursts is calculated. The total charge calculated is used to determine the remaining battery power.

The present invention relates to electronic devices, and more particularly, to an improved procedure for estimating the current consumption of a battery used in conjunction with the electronic device.
Most portable electronic devices today utilize a rechargeable battery as a power source. As such, the display of the electronic device provides the user with a visual display of the residual power level of the rechargeable battery in order to avoid unexpected loss of power during use of the electronic device. By alerting the user of the residual power level, the user can initiate recharging of the device, terminate a call on a mobile station, or save data on a laptop computer prior to power loss.
The electronic devices, such as mobile stations, PDAs, or laptops, generally calculate a residual power level at a variety of time intervals. At power-up, most electronic devices calculate the residual power left in the battery. Then, at predetermined time intervals, or in response to certain actions, the electronic device recalculates the residual power level.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,434,508, the residual battery power is calculated for a laptop computer having a normal operation mode and a suspended operation mode. The laptop computer includes a battery pack that comprises a calculator unit. The calculator unit determines an electric current flowing through a current detecting resistor. Following the determination of the electric current, current consumption data is read from a mode table. The mode table lists the possible modes and the current consumed for each particular mode. The residual battery power is then calculated by the calculator unit based on the information provided by the mode table.
In an alternative approach, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,784,295, the residual battery power is calculated for a mobile station capable of using a backlight. The mobile station consumes more battery power by operating with the backlight on, as opposed to with the backlight off. The residual power level is calculated by first determining the battery voltage when the backlight is on. Then the battery voltage is determined when the backlight is off. The residual power level is calculated by utilizing the difference of the determined battery voltages.
Algorithms for calculating the residual battery power take into account the operational mode of the electronic device, i.e. whether the device is in normal or idle mode for a mobile station, as well as whether the device is transmitting information. However, there is a need for even more accurate residual battery power estimation.
The present invention provides more accurate estimates of residual battery power by including power used during reception when calculating the residual power level. The method and apparatus of the present invention estimate the remaining battery power and estimate the charge consumed when receiving incoming bursts. The charge consumed when receiving incoming bursts is calculated by determining the time duration of the received burst and reading a value stored in memory related to the charge consumed by receiving the burst. Alternatively, each received burst may be counted by a counter. The estimated charge consumed when receiving bursts is calculated based on the values of the counters, or the calculated time duration, and the value stored in memory related to the charge consumed. The remaining battery power is determined by subtracting the estimated charge consumed from the previous remaining battery power estimate. If the electronic device has transmitted data, then the charge consumed by the transmissions is also subtracted from the previous remaining battery power estimate.

Estimation of current consumption due to radio activities in GPRS


The present disclosure relates to a method performed in a base station in a radio communication system. The method comprises including an access control parameter in an access control message to be transmitted over a radio interface, the access control parameter being configured for allowing a radio device which receives it as part of an access procedure for accessing the radio communication system to determine whether access to said system is permitted. The method also comprises sending the access control message on a channel which a radio device that intends to connect to the base station has to receive as part of its access procedure. The access control message is sent or indicated on a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH). The disclosure also relates to a method performed in a radio device, as well as to a base station and a radio device.

In a typical cellular radio system, wireless terminals (also known as radio devices, mobile stations and/or user equipments (UEs)) communicate via a radio access network (RAN) to one or more core networks (CN). The wireless terminals can be mobile stations or user equipments (UE) such as mobile telephones (cellular telephones) and laptops with wireless capability (e.g., mobile termination), and thus can be, for example, portable, pocket, hand-held, computer-included, or car-mounted mobile devices which communicate voice and/or data via radio access network.
The radio access network (RAN) covers a geographical area which is divided into cell areas, with each cell area being served by a base station, e.g., a radio base station (RBS), which in some networks is also called Node B (NB) or evolved Node B (eNode B or eNB). A cell is a geographical area where radio coverage is provided by the radio base station equipment at a base station site. Each cell is identified by an identity within the local radio area, which is broadcast in the cell. The base stations communicate over the air interface operating on radio frequencies with the user equipments (UE) within range of the base stations.
In some versions (particularly earlier versions) of the radio access network, several base stations are typically connected (e.g., by landlines or microwave) to a radio network controller (RNC). The radio network controller, also sometimes termed a base station controller (BSC), supervises and coordinates various activities of the plural base stations connected thereto.
The radio network controllers are typically connected to one or more core networks.
The Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) is a third generation mobile communication system, which evolved from the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), and is intended to provide improved mobile communication services based on Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) access technology. Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN) is essentially a radio access network using wideband code division multiple access for user equipments (UEs). The Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) has undertaken to evolve further the UTRAN and GSM based radio access network technologies.
Long Term Evolution (LTE) is a variant of a 3GPP radio access technology wherein the radio base station nodes are connected directly to a core network rather than to radio network controller (RNC) nodes. In general, in LTE the functions of a radio network controller (RNC) node are performed by the radio base station nodes. As such, the radio access network (RAN) of an LTE system has an essentially flat architecture comprising radio base station nodes without reporting to radio network controller (RNC) nodes.
The following description, for purposes of explanation, refers to LTE, WCDMA, UTRAN or evolved UTRAN (E-UTRAN or eUTRAN). This does however not limit the applicability to other technologies.
Access Control
UTRAN and LTE offer so called access control mechanisms by which the network can prevent UEs from accessing the network. Obviously, this is desirable when the network experiences an unsustainable high load. This may be the case if, due to access burst, there are no further radio or processing resources in the eNB/NB available to fulfill the service requirements of all UEs that desire to transmit data. In such situations it is preferable to prevent additional (IDLE) UEs from accessing the network and thereby to offer sufficient quality of experience to already connected UEs.
This is known as access barring. Similarly, the NW may decide to reject or release already connected (RRC CONNECTED) UEs from the NW. This is known as RRC CONNECTION REJECT or RRC CONNECTION RELEASE.
Standardized access barring schemes allow to block certain UEs while still permitting others to access the network. In particular the specifications allow distinguishing mobile terminating calls, mobile originating calls, emergency calls, mobile originating signaling, mobile originating CS fall-back, special access classes (Access Classes 11-15), and extended access barring (for lower priority traffic). Furthermore, there exist means to prevent UEs from performing access for multimedia telephony (MMTEL) MMTEL-Voice or MMTEL-Video. In LTE and UMTS the access barring schemes are currently only applicable for UEs in IDLE mode. That means, a UE that is already in RRC CONNECTED may access the network even if the current cell indicates that access is barred. It has recently been proposed in 3GPP to extend access barring so that it is also applicable to UEs in RRC CONNECTED. Such investigations are on-going.
QoS in LTE and UMTS
LTE and UMTS make use of so called quality of service (QoS) Classes (QCI) that were introduced to achieve an abstraction between services and their quality of service requirements on one side and the RAN and its scheduling QoS logic on other side.
The core network (CN) decides how many different levels of quality of service need to be distinguished in the RAN (and potentially in the transport and core network) and sets up a corresponding number of radio bearers for each UE. The core network also defines so-called packet filters which allow the non-access-stratum (NAS) layer in the UE and the core network (in a gateway of the CN) to decide which packet to map onto which bearer. This filtering is primarily done based on source and destination IP address and port number. It is therefore flexible so that the network can easily map different kinds of applications to different bearers.
With this approach, the access stratum (in the RAN) only distinguishes bearers while it does not need to be service aware. All data mapped (by packet filters in the UE) onto one bearer is expected to get the same QoS treatment by the RAN and the UE. The packet treatment is determined by the core network which sets the QoS class indicator (QCI) for each established bearer.
In the RAN, evolved packet system (EPS) bearers are mapped to data radio bearers (DRBs) having logical channel identity (LCI). Scheduling and prioritization of data packets in the RAN is done based on logical channels in radio resource control (RRC) Connected mode.
Random Access
In modern cellular radio systems, the radio network has a strict control on the behavior of the UE. Uplink (UL) transmission parameters like frequency, timing, and power are regulated via downlink (DL) control signaling from the base station to the UE.
At power-on or after a long standby time, the UE is not synchronized in the uplink. The UE can derive an uplink frequency and power estimate from the downlink control signals. However, a timing estimate is difficult to make since the round-trip propagation delay between the base station, e.g. eNodeB radio base station in LTE, and the UE is unknown. So even if UE uplink timing is synchronized to the downlink, it may arrive too late at the eNodeB receiver because of the propagation delays. Therefore, before commencing traffic, the UE has to carry out a Random Access (RA) procedure to the network. After the RA, the eNodeB can estimate the timing misalignment of the UE uplink and send a correction message. During the RA, uplink parameters like timing and power are not very accurate. This poses extra challenges to the dimensioning of a RA procedure.
Usually, a Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH) is provided for the UE to request access to the network. An RA preamble is used which is based on a specific sequence with good auto-correlation. Because multiple UEs can request access at the same time, collisions may occur between requesting UEs. A contention resolution scheme then has to be implemented to separate the UE transmissions. To distinguish between different UEs performing RA, typically many different preambles exist. A UE performing RA randomly picks a preamble out of a pool of preambles and transmits it. The preamble represents a random UE identity (ID) which can be used by the eNodeB when granting the UE access to the network. The eNodeB receiver can resolve RA attempts performed with different preambles and send a response message to each UE using the corresponding random UE IDs. In case that multiple UEs simultaneously use the same preamble, a collision occurs and most likely the RA attempts are not successful since the eNodeB cannot distinguish between the two UEs with the same random UE ID.
To minimize the probability of collision, the set of available sequences, i.e. preambles, should be large. In LTE, the number of provided sequences per cell and RA opportunity is 64. Preambles assigned to adjacent cells are typically different to insure that a RA in one cell does not trigger any RA events in a neighboring cell.
LTE defines different RA configurations that differ in the amount of offered RA opportunities. A RA opportunity is approximately 1 MHz wide and either 1, 2, or 3 milliseconds (ms) long within which the UE can transmit the RA preamble. In the configuration with the lowest number of opportunities, one opportunity is offered every second radio frame, i.e. every 20 ms. On the other extreme the configuration with the highest density of RA opportunities offers one RA opportunity every subframe, i.e. every ms.
The eNodeB receiver listens at all RA opportunities to detect preambles. In case a preamble is successfully detected, a RA response that includes the number of the detected preamble is sent in a special message on the DL. A UE that has recently performed a RA attempt is listening on the DL within a certain time window after the preamble has been sent, to receive a RA response. In case of a successful reception of the RA response, the UE continues with the RA procedure steps for contention resolution. In case no RA response is received within the specified window, a new attempt is made. Also, if the contention resolution does not indicate that the UE won the contention, a new attempt is made. The power of this new attempt preamble transmission is increased by a configured step size relative to the previous attempt. Depending on the back-off parameter in the UE, the UE may immediately re-try or wait for a random time depending on the configured back-off time prior a new attempt.
In addition to a contention-based RA procedure, LTE supports a contention-free variety of the RA procedure in which the eNodeB directs the UE to use a specific preamble not simultaneously used by any other UE in the same cell and the steps of contention resolution are not needed.
If the number of unsuccessful RA attempts exceeds a configured threshold, lower layers in the UE terminal indicate to higher layers that there is a random access problem. In LTE, the Medium Access Control (MAC) layer indicates a random access problem to a Radio Resource Control (RRC) and continue random access attempts, i.e. the random access procedure is not stopped. Depending on higher layer state and conditions, higher layers declare a radio link failure or let the random access procedure continue until one or more higher layer procedure timers expire/time-out or a stopping condition is met.
System Information
In mobile cellular networks, system information is broadcasted in each cell and contains various information needed for the user equipment to both access the cell and properly operate within the cell. In LTE, system information is structured into one Master Information Block (MIB) and a number of (currently 16) System Information Blocks (SIBs), referred to as SIB1 through SIB16. The MIB is transmitted in subframe #0 of the LTE radio frame. In contrast to the MIB, SIBs are schedulable in both time and frequency (SIB2 through SIB16), or in frequency only (SIB1). FIG. 1 illustrates the timing of transmissions of MIB and SIB1. In LTE, SIB1 is transmitted in subframe #5 of even radio frames.
The timing of other SIBs (SIB2 through SIB16) is provided with the scheduling list field provided in SIB1. Hence, to acquire SIBs other than SIB1, the UE needs to first acquire SIB1.
System Information comprise access control information, e.g., cell barring parameters in SIB1, access class barring parameters in SIB2 and extended access barring parameters in SIB14.
System information (SI) can be updated at regular points in time by the network, wherein a concept of a modification period is used. The network may only update SI at modification period boundaries. The length of the modification period is communicated to the UE, so it knows when the boundaries occur. When the network decides to update SI, it sends a paging message containing the systemInfoModification field. At the next modification period boundary, the updated SI is broadcasted, and the UEs may acquire the updated SI. There is also a field in SIB1 called systemInfoValueTag which is incremented each time the SI is updated, with some exceptions. This means that a UE can compare its previously acquired systemInfoValueTag with the one currently broadcasted to establish whether its SI is valid or not. In order for a UE to know whether its SI is valid or not, there are two legacy methods: the UE reads the paging messages, or the UE checks the systemInfoValueTag.
One exception to the system information update procedure is update of extended access barring parameters. Extended access barring parameters in SIB14 can be changed at any time and UEs can be informed about a change by means of a paging message including eab-ParamModification. An extended access barring capable UE is not expected to periodically check schedulingInfoList contained in SIB1.

Providing access control parameters to a user equipment


Aspects of the present disclosure relate to a warming system. The warming system includes a light device having a light source configured to be positioned proximate to a patient support having a patient support surface. The light source can also be configured to generate infrared radiation. The warming system can also include a flexible sheet having a first side configured to reflect at least some of the generated infrared radiation from the light device toward a portion of the patient support surface.

Warming a person during surgery affords clinical benefits, such as prevention or treatment of hypothermia, encouragement of immune system function, promotion of wound healing, reduction of infection rates, and mitigation of discomfort.
Patient warming devices such as conductive and convective warming devices can be useful in preventing anesthesia-related hypothermia in mammalian patients. While radiative patient warming devices have been particularly useful in warming infant patients, the principles have not been applied to adult patients during surgical procedures.


Assigning carriers to radio ports communicably coupled to a corresponding plurality of antennae of a radio head, wherein the radio head is split into at least first and second split portions, determining a difference between a first power level available to the first carrier via the first set of radio ports and a second power level available to the second carrier via the second set of radio ports, and changing a split of the radio head such that the difference between the first and second power levels is minimized.

As wireless networks evolve and grow, there are ongoing challenges in providing high-quality service to increasing numbers of wireless devices in various coverage areas of a wireless network. One approach to improving service quality and coverage is to provide a plurality of carriers on a radio-air interface deployed by a base station or access node. The plurality of carriers utilize different frequency bands or sub-bands. Further, one or more antennae of the access node may be configured to deploy the different carriers in various configurations that enable wireless devices and access nodes to communicate using a combination of carriers. For example, data transmitted across two or more "component carriers" may be aggregated using carrier aggregation. Further, different carriers may be targeted towards different parts of a geographical coverage area of the wireless network or towards pairs of wireless devices using techniques such as, for example, multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) or beamforming. The one or more antennae of an access node may be controlled by a radio head, with each antenna being communicatively coupled to a radio port on the radio head. To increase the number of carriers deployed by an access node, the radio head may be split or divided into at least two portions. This allows additional carriers to utilize the power of the radio head and antenna ports thereof without reducing the bandwidth. Further, as smaller or low-powered access nodes (i.e. small cells) are deployed in increasing numbers throughout heterogenous wireless networks, additional carriers of different frequencies may need to be provided by low-power radio heads.
Overview
Exemplary embodiments described herein include systems, methods, and processing nodes for assigning carriers to radio ports of a radio head. An exemplary method described herein for assigning carriers to radio ports comprises assigning a first carrier deployed by an access node to a first set of radio ports communicably coupled to a corresponding first plurality of antennae of the access node via a radio head, wherein the first set of radio ports comprises a first split portion of the radio head, assigning a second carrier deployed by the access node to a second set of radio ports communicably coupled to a corresponding second plurality of antennae of the access node via the radio head, wherein the second set of radio ports comprises a second split portion of the radio head, determining a difference between a first power level available to the first carrier via the first set of radio ports and a second power level available to the second carrier via the second set of radio ports, and changing a split of the radio head such that the difference between the first and second power levels is minimized.
An exemplary system described herein for assigning carriers to radio ports in a wireless network includes an access node configured to deploy a plurality of carriers, a radio head coupled to the access node, the radio head comprising a plurality of radio ports coupled to a corresponding plurality of antennae of the access node, and a processor coupled to the access node. The processor may be configured to perform operations comprising assigning a first carrier deployed by the access node to a first set of radio ports of the radio head, assigning a second carrier deployed by the access node to a second set of radio ports of the radio head, determining that a first power level available to the first carrier via the first set of radio ports is lower than a threshold, and changing a split of the radio head such that the first power level meets the threshold. Changing the split of the radio head comprises increasing a number of radio ports in the first set of radio ports.
An exemplary processing node described herein for assigning carriers to radio ports in a wireless network is configured to perform operations comprising assigning a first carrier deployed by an access node to a first set of radio ports communicably coupled to a corresponding first plurality of antennae of the access node via a radio head, wherein the first set of radio ports comprises a first split portion of the radio head, assigning a second carrier deployed by the access node to a second set of radio ports communicably coupled to a corresponding second plurality of antennae of the access node via the radio head, wherein the second set of radio ports comprises a second split portion of the radio head, determining a difference between a first power level available to the first carrier via the first set of radio ports and a second power level available to the second carrier via the second set of radio ports, and changing a split of the radio head such that the difference between the first and second power levels is minimized.

Assigning carriers to radio ports of a split radio head


The present invention relates to a process for the electrolytic transformation of at least one furan-base starting compound (A) in an electrolysis circuit. This process may be carried out in an electrolysis cell and include the electrolytically oxidizing the furan-based starting compound (A) to produce at least one alkoxylated furan compound (B) which has a Cxe2x80x94C double bond in the five-membered heterocyclic ring, and hydrogen followed by hydrogenating the Cxe2x80x94C double bond using hydrogen obtained at a cathode in the oxidizing step, hydrogen fed to the electrolysis circuit from outside or by electrocatalytic hydrogenation.

The present invention relates to a process for the electrolytic transformation of furan or one or more furan derivatives.
An objective of preparative organic electrochemistry is to utilize the processes occurring at the two electrodes in an electrochemical process in parallel. Processes in which the two electrode processes which occur in an undivided cell can be utilized for the reaction of chemical compounds are of particular interest.
An example of such a process is the oxidative dimerization of 2,6-dimethylphenol, which is coupled with the dimerization of maleic esters (M. M. Baizer, in: H. Lund, M. M. Baizer (Eds), Organic Electrochemistry, Marcel Dekker, New York, 1991, pages 1442 ff.).
A further example is the coupled synthesis of phthalide and t-butylbenzaldehyde (DE 196 18 854).
However, it is also possible to utilize the cathode process and the anode process to produce a single product or to decompose a starting material. Examples of such electrochemical processes are the production of butyric acid (Y. Chen, T. Chou, J. Chin. Inst. Chem. Eng. 27 (1996) pages 337-345), the anodic dissolution of iron, which is coupled with the cathodic formation of ferrocene (T. Iwasaki et al., J. Org. Chem. 47 (1982) pages 3799 ff.) or the decomposition of phenol (A. P. Tomilov et al., Elektrokhimiya 10 (1982) page 239).
An example of a process in which a furan derivative is reacted in an undivided electrolysis cell and the two electrode processes are utilized is the oxidation of furancarboxylic acid with subsequent ring opening to form 1-carboxymethyl-4,4-dimethoxypropene which is hydrogenated in a further step to give the saturated propane derivative (T. Iwasaki et al., J. Org. Chem. 47 (1982) pages 3799 ff.). However, this is not a catalytic hydrogenation, but a direct electroreduction. In this case, however, it is not the furan which is reacted but the xcex1,xcex2-unsaturated ester, i.e. a class of substances whose electrochemical reduction is known. Furthermore, the ring opening and the subsequent hydrogenation do not occur directly on the anodically generated product but on a fragment which has undergone further oxidation and has one less carbon atom.
An electrochemical oxidation of furan or a furan derivative with retention of the heterocyclic ring structure and subsequent hydrogenation involving hydrogenation of a double bond which is present in the ring structure after oxidation is, however, not known in processes in which both electrode processes are utilized.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an electrochemical process which preferably proceeds in an undivided electrolysis cell and in which furan or a substituted furan is oxidized in one electrode process with retention of the heterocyclic ring structure and this oxidation product is hydrogenated by means of hydrogen which is formed as product in the other electrode process or is transferred as hydrogen equivalent to the furan derivative in the sense of an electrocatalysis.
We have found that this object is achieved by a process for the electrolytic transformation of at least one furan derivative (A) in an electrolysis circuit which comprises both the steps (i) and (ii):
(i) electrolytic oxidation of furan or a substituted furan or a mixture of two or more thereof to give
(a) at least one furan derivative (B) which has a Cxe2x80x94C double bond in the five-membered heterocyclic ring, and
(b) hydrogen;
(ii) hydrogenation of this Cxe2x80x94C double bond using the hydrogen obtained in parallel at the cathode in step (i) or hydrogen fed to the electrolysis circuit from outside or electrocatalytic hydrogenation,
wherein the process is carried out in an electrolysis cell in which at least one hydrogenation catalyst is present.
The process preferably occurs in an undivided electrolysis cell.
Apart from furan, the following compounds may be mentioned as examples of preferred substituted furans: fural(furan-2-aldehyde), alkyl-substituted furans, furans substituted by xe2x80x94CHO, xe2x80x94COOH, xe2x80x94COOR, where R is an alkyl, benzyl or aryl group, in particular a C1-C4-alkyl group, xe2x80x94CH(OR1)(OR2), where R1 and R2 may be identical or different and are each an alkyl, benzyl or aryl group, in particular a C1∴C4-alkyl group, and xe2x80x94CN groups in the 2, 3, 4 or 5 position.
In the reaction according to the present invention of organic compounds, it is possible to use solvents and electrolyte salts as are described in H. Lund, M. M. Baizer, (Eds) xe2x80x9cOrganic Electrochemistryxe2x80x9d, 3rd Edition, Marcel Dekker, New York 1991.
The oxidation is, according to the present invention, preferably carried out in the presence of methanol or in the presence of ethanol or a mixture thereof, but preferably in the presence of methanol. The substrates can simultaneously act as reactant and solvent.
Solvents which can be used in the reaction include not only furan and substituted furan and the compound used for the oxidation but also all suitable alcohols in general.
Electrolyte salts which can be used in the process of the present invention include NaBr and also, for example, alkali metal and/or alkaline earth metal halides, with bromides, chlorides and iodides being possible as halides. Ammonium halides can likewise be used.
Pressures and temperatures can assume values as are customarily employed in catalytic hydrogenations.
In a preferred embodiment of the process of the present invention, the reaction temperature T is  less than 50xc2x0 C., preferably  less than 25xc2x0 C., the pressure p is  less than 3 bar and the pH is in the neutral region.
In a preferred embodiment of the process of the present invention, intermediates are fed in in addition to the starting materials which are introduced into the undivided electrolysis cell. The term intermediate refers to a product which is obtained as furan derivative (B) in step (i) of the above-described process by electrolytic oxidation of furan or a substituted furan or a mixture of two or more thereof and is therefore present in the electrolysis circuit. The concentration of the additional intermediates is set by means of customary electrochemical and electro-catalytic parameters, for example current density, type of catalyst and amount of catalyst or the intermediate is added to the circuit
As regards the specific choice of the electrode material, there is no restriction in the process of the present invention as long as the electrodes are suitable for the above-described process.
Preference is given to using graphite anodes in the undivided cell.
As far as the geometry of the electrodes in the undivided electrolysis cell is concerned, there are essentially no restrictions in the process of the present invention. Preferred geometries are, for example, flat parallel electrode arrangements and annular or cylindrical electrode arrangements.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, at least one electrode is in contact with at least one hydrogenation catalyst. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the at least one hydrogenation catalyst is part of a gas diffusion electrode. In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, at least one electrode is a graphite electrode which is coated with noble metal and is in the form of a plate, mesh or felt. In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the hydrogenation catalyst in the form of a suspension in the electrolyte is continually brought into contact with at least one electrode. Here, the hydrogenation catalyst, i.e. the catalytically active material, is pumped around in the cell or washed onto an appropriately structured cathode or anode. Such a wash-coated electrode is described, for example, in DE 196 20 861.
If a gas diffusion electrode is used for at least one of the electrodes, the material from which the gas diffusion electrode is made can in principle have been processed so that the gas diffusion electrode can be used as electrode without support material. In a preferred embodiment, an alternative is provided by at least one of the electrodes used being a composite which comprises at least one conventional electrode material and at least one material for a gas diffusion electrode.
It is conceivable for this further electrode material to comprise one electric conductor or a plurality of electric conductors.
It is in principle conceivable for the composite comprising the conventional electrode material and the material of the gas diffusion electrode to be used as one electrode in the process of the present invention together with one or more suitable counterelectrodes.
These one or more suitable counterelectrodes are subject to no restrictions in respect of their geometry and their chemical composition, as long as the process of the present invention can be carried out using them.
In a preferred embodiment of the process of the present invention, the further electrode material which forms a composite with the gas diffusion electrode material is also used as counterelectrode to the gas diffusion electrode. This is achieved by a bipolar electrode arrangement.
In a preferred embodiment of the process of the present invention, graphite and/or carbon fiber paper are/is used as base material for the gas diffusion electrode. The catalyst composition is applied thereto.
As support material on which the gas diffusion electrode material is supported, preference is given, in the process of the present invention, to further electrode materials comprising carbon.
In the process of the present invention, a Cxe2x80x94C double bond is, as described above, hydrogenated electrocatalytically using the hydrogen obtained in step (i) or using the corresponding hydrogen equivalents in the sense of an electrolysis. In this hydrogenation, the compound to be hydrogenated is preferably brought into contact with one or more hydrogenation catalysts.
As regards the choice of hydrogenation-active catalysts, there are in principle no restrictions for the purposes of the process of the present invention. All catalysts known from the prior art can be used. Mention may be made, inter alia, of the metals of transition groups I, II and VIII of the Periodic Table, in particular Co, Ni, Fe, Ru, Rh, Re, Pd, Pt, Os, Ir, Ag, Cu, Zn and Cd.
For example, it is possible to use the metals in finely divided form. Examples are Raney Ni, Raney Co, Raney Ag and Raney Fe, each of which may further comprise other elements such as Mo, Cr, Au, Mn, Hg, Sn or S, Se, Te, Ge, Ga, P, Pb, As, Bi or Sb.
It is naturally also possible for the hydrogenation-active materials described to comprise a mixture of two or more of the hydrogenation metals mentioned, which may, if desired, be combined with, for example, one or more of the abovementioned elements.
Of course, it is also conceivable for the hydrogenation-active material to be applied to an inert support. As such support systems, it is possible to use, for example, activated carbon, graphite, carbon black, silicon carbide, aluminum oxide, silicon dioxide, titanium dioxide, zirconium dioxide, magnesium oxide, zinc oxide or mixtures of two or more thereof, e.g. as a suspension or as finely divided granulated material.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the hydrogenation-active material is applied to the base material of the gas diffusion electrode.
Accordingly, the present invention also provides a process as described above in which the base material of the gas diffusion electrode is laden with a hydrogenation-active material.
As hydrogenation-active material with which the gas diffusion electrode system is laden, it is possible to use all hydrogenation catalysts as described above. Of course, it is also possible to use a mixture of two or more of these hydrogenation catalysts as hydrogenation-active material.
It is naturally also conceivable in the process of the present invention for the gas diffusion electrode material to be laden with hydrogenation-active material and for use to be made of additional hydrogenation-active material which is identical to or different from that with which the gas diffusion electrode material is laden.
The process of the present invention, as described above, in principle allows, in particular, a choice between using the electrocatalytically active electrode, i.e. the electrode which is in contact with a hydrogenation catalyst, as cathode or as anode or as cathode and anode.
The present invention therefore also provides a process as described above in which the electrocatalytically active electrode, for example a gas diffusion electrode, is used as cathode and/or as anode.
Furthermore, the present invention provides a process as described above in which the furan derivative (B) produced is reacted to form at least one ring-opened butane derivative. The ring-opened butane derivative is preferably 1,1,4,4-tetrarnethoxybutane or a substituted 1,1,4,4-tetramethoxybutane.

Method for the electrolytic conversion of furan or furan derivatives


An automated banking machine (10) with customizable transaction receipts is provided. The automated banking machine may include a computer (30), at least one printer device (24, 44, 46), at least one input device (14, 16, 32) and at least one transaction function device (20, 22, 26, 36). The machine may be in communication with a further computer (37) which includes a data store (38) with document templates (42) stored therein. Each of the document templates may be associated with template attributes (48). A document template from the data store may be selected responsive to at least one characteristic of: a printer device of the machine, a consumer using the machine, and/or a transaction function being performed at the machine. The machine may generate and print one or more documents using one or more printer devices of the machine responsive to the document template and the transaction function.

This invention relates to automated transaction machines. Specifically, this invention relates to an automated transaction machine system and method that is operative to print transaction documents such as transaction receipts responsive to user-defined document templates.
Automated transaction machines such as automated banking machines are well known. A common type of automated banking machine used by consumers is an automated teller machine (xe2x80x9cATMxe2x80x9d). ATMs enable customers to carry out banking transactions. Common banking transactions that may be carried out with ATMs include the dispensing of cash, the receipt of deposits, the transfer of funds between accounts, the payment of bills and account balance inquiries. The type of banking transactions a customer can carry out are determined by capabilities of the particular banking machine and the programming of the institution operating the machine. Other types of automated banking machines may allow customers to charge against accounts, to pay bills, to transfer funds or to cash checks. Other types of automated banking machines may print or dispense items of value such as coupons, tickets, wagering slips, vouchers, checks, food stamps, money orders, scrip or travelers checks. For purposes of this disclosure references to an ATM, an automated banking machine or automated transaction machine shall encompass any device which carries out transactions including transfers of value.
ATMs are generally equipped with one or more printers such as a receipt printer, journal printer, depositor printer, and statement printer. For receipts, software operating in the ATM is operative to cause a receipt printer to output a document that includes information about the transactions performed with the ATM. For example, after a withdrawal of cash many ATMs are operative to print a receipt that shows the amount of cash withdrawn from an account. Such a receipt may further include the date of the transaction, the account number associated with withdrawal of cash, the remaining balance in the account or any other information available to the ATM which may be useful to a consumer. Other types of printers in an ATM may print similar transaction information. For example, a depository printer may be operative to print an account number on a deposit envelope. Journal printers may be operative to print an ongoing log of transactions. Statement printers may be operative to print a listing of transactions conducted on one or more accounts of a user. In addition to printers, an ATM display screen may be operative to output details of the transactions.
Printer devices in ATMs and printer paper for the printer devices are also available in many different sizes and configurations. For example, some receipt printers may only print a maximum of 25 characters on each line while other receipt printers may print 40 characters on each line. Some types of receipt paper stock have pre-printed logos or other information, while other receipt paper stock is blank. Some types of receipt printers are designed to print on individual pre-cut sheets of paper, while other receipt printers are designed to print on a continuous roll of paper. Some printers are capable of printing multiple colors, while other printers are operative to print only in one color such as black. Further, some printers are operative to print image bitmaps, while other printers may only print characters from a fixed character set.
Because an ATM may be configured to use a plurality of different types, sizes and configurations of printers, it may be useful for ATM applications to be operative to print a plurality of differently formatted documents responsive to the type, size and configuration of the printer. For example, it may be useful for ATM applications to include specific software components for each different type of printer that may be installed in the ATM. Such components may be specifically xe2x80x9chard codedxe2x80x9d to cause a printer to print a document which is compatible with the printer. However using such an approach, if it ever becomes desirable to change features that arc printed on the document, the individual software components responsible for printing to each of the different printers must be rewritten. Writing new programs to print new versions of receipts or other documents is time consuming and often can only be done by a user who is both skilled in the art of programming and has a detailed knowledge of the targeted printers and the ATM application.
Consequently, there exists a need for an improved system for printing to different types, sizes and configurations of printer devices in an ATM which enables an operator to customize the formats of the documents more easily. There exists a need for a system of printing to different types, sizes and configurations of printer devices in an ATM which enables an operator to customize the formats of the documents without writing new software components for each different type of printer device. There further exists a need for a system for generating new types of ATM receipts which does not require procedural programming language skills and detailed knowledge of ATM software and hardware systems.
It is an object of an exemplary form of the present invention to provide an automated transaction machine at which a user may conduct transactions.
It is a further object of an exemplary form of the present invention to provide an automated transaction machine that enables customized control over the printing of documents.
It is a further object of an exemplary form of the present invention to provide an automated transaction machine that enables the customization of the formats of documents printed with the machine.
Further objects of exemplary forms of the present invention will be made apparent in the following Best Modes for Carrying Out Invention and the appended claims.
The foregoing objects are accomplished in an exemplary embodiment of the invention by an automated transaction machine that may include output devices such as a display screen, and input devices such as a touch screen and/or a keyboard. The transaction machine may further include devices such as a cash dispenser device, one or more printer devices, a card reader/writer device, a depository device and other transaction function devices that are used by the machine in carrying out transaction functions.
The automated transaction machine may be in operative connection with at least one computer. The computer is in operative connection with the output devices and the input devices, as well as with the cash dispenser device, printer device, card reader device, depository device and other physical transaction function devices in the transaction machine.
The automated transaction machine may be in operative connection with at least one data store. The data store includes data corresponding to a plurality of document templates which are stored therein. The document templates define a format for printing documents with one or more printer devices of the automated transaction machine. In an exemplary embodiment, the document templates include a plurality of tags. The tags may specify the information that is to be printed on the document. The tags may also specify the destination printer or screen device for outputting the document. The tags may further specify features of indicia included in the document such as the formatting of numbers and dates. In an exemplary embodiment of the document template, the tags may correspond to the eXtensible Markup Language (XML). However, in alternative exemplary embodiments the tags may correspond to any structure or syntax which is capable of being parsed by a computer to determine a format for printing or displaying a document.
Each of the document templates stored in the data store may be associated with a plurality of template attributes. The template attributes classify the document templates by their targeted use. For example, template attributes may specify the line width of the printer device which is compatible with the document template. Template attributes may further specify the types of transactions that correspond to the document template. For example, a document template may define the format for a withdrawal receipt. Corresponding template attributes for this described document template may indicate that the document template corresponds to a withdrawal transaction. Template attributes may further specify the types of transaction outcomes that correspond to the document template. For example, a document template may define the format for a receipt which indicates that a transaction is unsuccessful. Corresponding template attributes for this described template may indicate that the document template corresponds to an unsuccessful transaction.
Document templates may also specify the type of consumers that correspond to the document template. For example, a document template may define a marketing message targeted to consumers belonging to a particular financial institution. Corresponding template attributes for this described template may indicate that the document template corresponds to consumers of the financial institution.
In addition, document templates may further include template attributes that indicate an overall type of the document template. Document template types may correspond to which section or portion of a document that the document template pertains. For example, template attributes may indicate that the document template corresponds to a header, trailer, or detail section of a document. An exemplary automated transaction machine may be operative to produce a document responsive to multiple document templates, where each document template is directed to producing a different section of the document.
An exemplary embodiment includes one or more software applications operative in or connected to the computer of the automated transaction machine. The software applications are operative to cause the computer to perform a transaction function with the transaction function device responsive to at least one input received through at least one input device. Such a transaction function may include the printing of a document by more than one type of printer device. For example, at the conclusion of a cash withdrawal an automated transaction machine may print both a transaction receipt with a receipt printer and a journal entry of the transaction with an internal journal printer. In an exemplary embodiment, the document template is operative to specify one or more types of different printer devices and/or a screen device of the machine for outputting documents.
In an exemplary embodiment, the software application may further be operative to select a document template from the data store responsive to characteristics of the transaction function, characteristics of the printer device, and/or any other useful property that corresponds to the template attributes associated with the document templates. Exemplary embodiments of the software application may bee operative to select document templates based on one or more of the template attributes matching a desired set of characteristics or properties.
In an exemplary embodiment, the template attributes may include no attribute for one or more selectable characteristics. For example, a document template may have template attributes that correspond to a specific transaction type, however the document template may not have template attributes which indicate characteristics of printer hardware. In such cases, the software application of the automated transaction machine may be operative to select and use the document template to produce documents for the indicated transaction type by causing operation of any of the printer devices that may be installed in the automated transaction machine.
The software application may be operative to cause the computer to print a document using a printer device responsive to the retrieved document template and the transaction function. In general, the software application may cause a document to be printed that includes transaction indicia that is representative of information about the transaction function. For example, if a transaction receipt is required to be printed, the retrieved document template may specify that an amount of value and/or an account number associated with the transaction is to be printed on the document.
In an exemplary embodiment, the document templates are constructed with a template builder application. The template builder application enables a user to select specific types of information that are to be printed out responsive to the document template. The information is organized using XML tags. The tags may include static text such as labels. The tags may further include tokens which are filled-in through operation of the software application of the computer in or connected to the automated transaction machine when a document is constructed responsive to the document template. Such tokens may correspond to data elements associated with a transaction function, such as an account number or an amount of a balance. Tokens may also reference data elements indicative of internal configuration information associated with the automated transaction machine, such as an address of the building where the automated transaction machine is located.
Tags may also include conditional expressions. For example, when the automated transaction machine constructs a document responsive to a document template, static text and tokens associated with a conditional expression are only printed out when the conditional expression is true. For example, if the conditional expression corresponds to a surcharge being assessed to the transaction, then text associated with the conditional expression will only be printed for transactions that include a surcharge.
In an exemplary embodiment, the template builder is operative to produce a visual representation of a document responsive to the selected tags. The visual representation functions as a print preview and enables the machine operator to verify that the document template will produce the desired format for a document. The exemplary template builder is further operative to produce a list of all conditional tags that are part of the document template. The exemplary template builder is operative to enable the user to individually toggle each of the conditional tags between two states. Information associated with conditional tags toggled to a first state are displayed in the visual representation of the document. Those conditional tags toggled to a second state are not displayed in the visually representation of the document. The toggling of conditional tags between different states enables the operator to quickly show each of the different views of a document which may be produced responsive to the document template.
In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the tags based document template may be converted to a runtime format template that may be more efficiently used to generate a document by the automated transaction machine. For example, such a runtime format may correspond to a metasyntatic notation such as a Backus Naur Form (BNF) format. However, in alternative exemplary embodiments documents may be produced responsive directly to the tag based document template. In an exemplary embodiment, tag based document templates which correspond to different sections (header, trailer, detail) of a document may be combined together when forming the runtime format template.

Automated teller machine printer system and method