A method for communication among mobile units and vehicular communication apparatus make it possible to automatically establish connection with a party who can provide required information on the basis of an environment or condition change of a driver or a vehicle or in response to a driver's request so as to permit communication with the party. An inter-vehicle communication apparatus of a vehicle acquires information from other mobile units through physical networks while it is moving or stopped, and registers, in a member table, mobile units satisfying predetermined conditions on the basis of the acquired information as the members of different virtual logic networks according to the conditions. In such a state, the inter-vehicle communication apparatus selects one virtual logic network from among a plurality of virtual logic networks on the basis of an environment or condition change of a driver or a vehicle or in response to a driver's request so as to permit communication with the party. The selected virtual logic network is set as an active network to establish connection with a predetermined mobile unit in the active network thereby to request or provide required information from or to the mobile unit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for communication among mobile units and a vehicular communication apparatus and, more particularly, to a method for communication among mobile units and a vehicular communication apparatus that make it possible to automatically connect to a party who is capable of providing necessary information on the basis of an environment or condition change of a driver or a vehicle or in response to a driver's request so as to effect communication with the party.
2. Description of the Related Art
With increasingly advanced communication technology, communication between mobile units, such as between automobiles (hereinafter referred to as "inter-vehicle communication"), has become possible. Conventional inter-vehicle communication, however, has been such that a driver specifies a party to be connected and establishes connection with the party through a network to effect communication.
Hence, the conventional inter-vehicle communication does not permit automatic connection and communication with an optimum party on the basis of an environment or condition change of a driver or a vehicle or in response to a driver's request.
For instance, the compartment of a vehicle is usually a closed space, and vehicles or pedestrians around the vehicle can hardly know a condition in the compartment. However, there are some cases where anomalies or accidents occur in the compartment, such as a driver suddenly developing a physical disorder, although they cannot be visually recognized from outside. In such a case, it would be convenient if an anomaly or accident in the compartment can be automatically detected and reported to a nearby vehicle or pedestrian. This has not been possible in the conventional inter-vehicle communication.
In addition to the serious cases mentioned above, there are minor cases where, for example, a driver may want to ask another driver to yield a right of way or to ask a pedestrian nearby a direction to go to a predetermined destination when the driver is inching along in a traffic jam, or may want to say thank you to a driver who kindly yields the way. This has not been possible.
Furthermore, it would be convenient if the position and speed of a vehicle traveling ahead in the same lane or direction can be acquired when neighboring vehicles are slowing down, so that a traffic jam occurring ahead may be known in order to accomplish early rerouting. This, however, has not been possible in the conventional inter-vehicle communication.
In the case of a communication-navigation system adapted to effect navigation by receiving geographical information from an external center providing the geographical information, geographical information can be shared as long as navigation devices are made by the same manufacturer. It would be convenient if a driver who wishes to acquire geographical information but cannot access the center due to a busy line could communicate with a driver of a vehicle equipped with a navigating device made by the same manufacturer so as to acquire geographical information from the vehicle. This has not been possible in the conventional inter-vehicle communication, either.
Furthermore, there are cases where a driver wishes to say thank you to a predetermined neighboring driver, as necessary, when the neighboring driver lets the driver in the lane, to give a notice when entering an arterial highway or an express highway, or to ask a neighboring driver's intention when making a right or left turn at an intersection. This feature is not available with the conventional inter-vehicle communication technology.
The above merely indicates some exemplary occasions where the communication feature, which is not available with the conventional communication technology, would conveniently permit communication with a particular driver.

Method for communication among mobile units and vehicular communication apparatus


A camera having a learning function which automatically sets data for current photographing in accordance with a tendency of data set in the past (learned data) and takes a photograph in accordance with the data thus set. The camera comprises a light measuring section for measuring a brightness of an object for the photographing, a calculating section for calculating an exposure control value in accordance with the brightness of the object for the photographing, a first setting section for manually setting first data with which the exposure control value is to be corrected, a first correcting section for correcting the exposure control value in accordance with the first data, a second setting section for setting second data in accordance with first data set in the past by the first setting section, a second correcting section for correcting the exposure control value in accordance with the second data, and an exposure controlling section for executing exposure control in accordance with the exposure control value corrected by the first correcting section or the second correcting section.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a camera having a function of setting data in accordance with a tendency of data set in the past.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Cameras having an automatic exposure controlling function are already on the market. Such automatic exposure controlling function measures light of a field to be photographed by various methods and determines a suitable exposure value in accordance with a predetermined algorithm from such measured light value. However, a photographer may sometimes want to have a little under or over exposure with respect to an exposure value determined by the camera. In order to cope with such circumstance, conventional cameras often have a function of exposure correction for correcting, by manual operation, an exposure value determined by the camera.
However, it is cumbersome to perform such exposure correcting operation each time photographing is to be performed. Therefore, it often occurs that a photographer forgets or fails to perform an exposure correcting operation or an exposure correcting operation is omitted taking a shutter chance preferentially. In such case, a photograph taken likely provides a finish feeling different from that intended by the photographer.
Further, it is also cumbersome to change various data for the photographing each time a photograph is be taken whether or not it is performed for exposure correction.


A light-emitting assembly includes a first substrate, a first electrode layer, a light-emitting layer, a second electrode layer, a second substrate, a first conductive member and a second conductive member. The first electrode layer, the light-emitting layer and the second electrode layer are sequentially disposed on the first substrate. An area of the second electrode layer is entirely located within an area of the light emitting layer. The second electrode layer is located between the second substrate and the light-emitting layer. The first and second conductive members are disposed between the first and second substrates. The first electrode layer is electrically connected to a first circuit on the second substrate through the first conductive member. The second electrode layer is electrically connected to a second circuit on the second substrate through the second conductive member. The second conductive member is located within the area of the second electrode layer.

Organic light-emitting diode (OLED) has some features that cannot be achieved by conventional light sources. For example, the OLED has advantages of high quantum efficiency, large area, power-saving, light in weight, slim in volume and flexible property, etc. However, an organic light-emitting layer in an OLED assembly is liable to be deteriorated due to invasion of moisture and oxygen, which may reduce a service life of the OLED assembly. Therefore, package of the organic light-emitting layer is a very important link in manufacturing of the OLED assembly.

Industrial Technology Research Institute


A scaleable PBX (Private Branch exchange) is provided for use in a powerful, facilities-based, broadband communications system that guarantees voice, data and video communication reliability and security to users for an multimedia system including integrated telephone, television and data network. The scaleable PBX includes one or more broadband gateways. Each broadband gateway may be provided on a slot card (i.e., broadband gateway card) compatible with servers and personal computers (PC). One or more slot cards may be include in a server to provide PBX feature/function capability to a broadband communication system. The server based broadband gateway PBX is scaleable for any size company or facility using, for example, one or more network servers. Alternatively, the broadband gateway card may be installed in a PC and provide a low cost small business or home PBX system.

A cross-reference of related applications are provided at the end of the Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments section of the present application.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to communication between users in diverse communication systems, and more particularly, to providing scaleable PBX (Private Branch exchange) for a broadband communication system including an Internet Protocol Telephony Network and public switched telephone network.
2. Background of the Invention
Present day telephony voice networks, have a network built around circuit switches, end offices, a toll network, tandem switches, and twisted wires. These voice networks are referred to as a public switched telephone network (PSTN) or plain old telephone service (POTS). Due to bandwidth limitations of plain old telephone service (POTS), there is an inherent inability to efficiently integrate multiple types of media such as telephony, data communication for personal computers (PC), and television (TV) broadcasts. Accordingly, a new broadband architecture is required. This new architecture gives rise to a new array of user devices and services.
Aspects of the invention include to providing broadband access capabilities or enhanced services for use in conjunction with a packetized network such as an Internet Protocol (IP) based system infrastructure.
Other aspects of the invention include providing one or more of the following either individually, or in any combination or sub-combination:
a new broadband architecture;
broadband network capabilities, including local access;
enhanced services for use in conjunction with a packetized network such as an Internet Protocol (IP) based system infrastructure. The new broadband architecture may include a scaleable PBX (Private Branch eXchange) using a versatile broadband gateway card (BGC).
The present invention provides for a scaleable PBX for use in a powerful, facilities-based, broadband communications system that guarantees voice, data and video communication reliability and security to users for an multimedia system including integrated telephone, television and data network. The scaleable PBX includes one or more broadband gateways. Each broadband gateway may be provided on a slot card (i.e., broadband gateway card) compatible with servers and personal computers (PC). One or more slot cards may be included in a server to provide PBX feature/function capability to a broadband communication system. The server based broadband gateway PBX is scaleable for any size company or facility using, for example, one or more network servers. Alternatively, the broadband gateway card may be installed in a PC and provide a low cost small business or home PBX system.

Scaleable network server for low cost PBX


The pack according to the invention, comprising a wrapper and a group of cigarette packsxe2x80x94cigarette multipackxe2x80x94the wrapper being produced by being folded from an, in particular, single-piece blank, is configured in the manner of a hinge-lid pack. This gives an immediate indication of the contents of the pack to the person looking at it.

The invention relates to a pack having a group of cigarette packsxe2x80x94cigarette multipackxe2x80x94and a wrapper therefor, the latter being produced by being folded from an, in particular, single-piece blank.
For transportation purposes and, as appropriate, also for subsequent sales purposes, cigarette packs are combined to form so-called cigarette multipacks and, in the process, are provided with an accommodating wrapper (said wrapper accommodating the entire group). Various possible options are known for the configuration of the wrapper. It is not usually possible to see the contents, namely the cigarette packs. In addition, it is difficult to draw conclusions as to the contents from the outer configuration.
The object of the present invention is to provide a pack of which the configuration makes it possible to draw conclusions as to the contents. In addition, the intention is for it to be possible for the pack to be produced as efficiently as possible in high-speed packaging machines.
The pack according to the invention is characterized in that the wrapper is configured in the manner of a wrapper for a hinge-lid pack. The cigarette packs provided as the contents are preferably so-called hinge-lid packs with a box part, having a large upright front wall, a hinge lid, and a collar or analogously configured so-called soft carton packs. According to the invention, the wrapper of the cigarette multipack is likewise configured in the manner of a hinge-lid pack, in particular in the manner of the abovedescribed upright hinge-lid cigarette pack. The pack has the outward appearance of a larger version of the small packs provided as the contents. This gives a clear indication of the contents at first glance.
In contrast to the hinge-lid cigarette packs which are common throughout the worldxe2x80x94the wrapper is constructed in accordance with the so-called transverse-folding principle. In this case, a large front wall (even in the non-folded state) is connected to a large rear wall via an upright narrow first side wall. The front wall is also preferably connected to a second narrow side wall.
The rear wall and one of the side walls are connected to one another via an additional connecting strip. It is possible for the latter to adjoin the second side wall or the rear wall and to be adhesively bonded to the respectively other wall. In respect of the pack being produced in as an efficient a manner as possible, it is advantageous for the connecting strip to be arranged on the rear wall. During production of the pack, a group of cigarette packs is positioned on the first side wall and pushed into a pocket of a folding subassembly with the wrapper, which folds in the form of a U in the process. The pocket walls of the folding subassembly are dimensioned such that it is possible for the second side wall and the connecting strip to project out of the pocket and to be folded one upon the other by corresponding folding elements.
The wrapper or the blank provided therefor is of single-piece design. This means that the lid and collar form part of the blank. In this case, the walls which are provided for forming the lid adjoin at the top of the walls which are provided for forming the box part. Moreover, the parts which are provided for the collar are arranged above the lid walls. In this case, connections are provided between the collar and lid walls, in particular in the region of upright longitudinal folding lines, by correspondingly provided material webs between collar and lid walls. During production of the pack, the collar is folded downward through 180xc2x0 and comes to rest, in part, on walls of the box part and, in part, on walls of the lid. Adhesive bonding, naturally, is only provided in the region of the box part. The material webs provided between the collar and lid tear open when the pack is opened for the first time.
In the region of a lid front wall, a lid inner tab is folded inward. The latter is punched out in the region of the transition between the lid front wall and front wall of the box part. This correspondingly produces, on the finished pack, a cutout, between the lid front wall and box part, which is equal to the size of the lid inner tab and is concealed on the inside by the collar front wall. The latter may be provided here with an inscription.
Hinge-lid cigarette packs, meanwhile, are available in three different versions, namely, with relatively sharp 90xc2x0-edges in the region of the upright longitudinal folding lines, as so-called round-edged packs and as so-called octagonal packs. The pack according to the invention may also be designed in the manner of these three versions. It is preferable for the type of cigarette packs which are provided as the contents to correspond precisely to the type of cigarette multipack.
Further features of the invention can be gathered from the claims. These also include packaging for accommodating a group of cigarette packs and a blank for forming a cigarette multipack.
The invention also relates to a pack having a wrapper and a group of cigarette packsxe2x80x94cigarette multipackxe2x80x94the wrapper being produced by being folded from an, in particular, single-piece blank and having a base wall, narrow upright side walls, a top wall, and a large-surface-area (wide) front wall and rear wall. This specific pack is characterized in that, in the region of the transitions between the front wall and end walls and/or rear wall and end walls, rounded regionsxe2x80x94round edgesxe2x80x94or folds which are adjacent to one another with a small spacing therebetween for forming an octagonal pack are provided instead of xe2x80x9csharpxe2x80x9d 90xc2x0 folds.
Here too, an essential aspect of the invention is that the outer form of the pack gives an indication of the contents. The contents thus comprise known round-edged packs for cigarettes, in particular with a hinged lid in each case. The grouping of the cigarette packs corresponds to that of a conventional cigarette multipack, namely two rows with five packs each, the cigarette packs within a row butting against one another by way of their narrow sides, and the packs of adjacent rows butting against one another by way of large-surface-area walls (front wall or rear wall). Correspondingly, the group of cigarette packs have upright round edges. These come to rest on the inside of the round edges of the pack according to the invention. Unnecessary cavities are thus avoided. It is also the case that the pack overall is relatively stable since it is precisely in the region of the round edges that the round edges of the cigarette packs abut on the inside and give additional support.
Special features are provided in respect of the configuration of tabs for forming the upright narrow end walls, in particular in respect of the tabs which are connected to the base wall (base tabs).
Naturally, the packaging and the blank are also claimed addition to the pack.
In the same way as the pack according to the invention mentioned in the introductionxe2x80x94the wrapper consists of foldable material, in particular of thin cardboard, strong paper or the like.

Package in the style of a carton of cigarettes


Provided is an organic light emitting display device including: a display unit having a first display region and a second display region, and comprising a plurality of pixels; and a controller configured to calculate an OPR (On Pixel Ratio) of the plurality of pixels from video data input from an outside, and to generate corrected video data for decreasing driving current of the plurality of pixels based on the OPR, the OPR including a first OPR that corresponds to the first display region and a second OPR that corresponds to the second display region.

1. Field
Aspects of example embodiments of the present invention relate to an organic light emitting display device and a method for driving the same, and more particularly to a flexible organic light emitting display device and a method for driving the same.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Display devices are used as displays of portable information terminals, such as a personal computer, a portable phone, and a PDA, or monitors of various kinds of information appliances. Recently, various kinds of light emitting display devices, which are light-weight and small-sized in comparison to a cathode ray tube (CRT), have been developed, and in particular, organic light emitting display devices having the features of high light emitting efficiency, high luminance, prominent viewing angle, and quick response speeds are in the spotlight.
As the organic light emitting display device displays a high-luminance image, the driving voltage thereof may be increased, and this may cause power consumption to be increased. To supplement this, an automatic current limit (ACL) technology, which adjusts power consumption through changing of brightness according to the amount of information displayed on the organic light emitting display device, has been developed. That is, the automatic current limit (ACL) technology can reduce the power consumption through correction to decrease the luminance if video data has high luminance.

Organic light emitting display device and method for driving the same


This disclosure generally relates to a vehicle blind spot detection system, method, and module for adjusting parameters of a vehicle blind spot detection algorithm based on a trailer being attached to the back of the vehicle. More specifically, based on a determination that a trailer is attached to the vehicle and the reception of trailer information corresponding to the attached trailer, an adjust to the parameters of a blind spot detection area is disclosed for ensuring the continued operation of the blind spot detection feature will take into account the attached trailer.

A vehicle may include a blind spot detection system comprised of two or more blind spot detection sensors for detecting whether objects are present within a blind spot area relative to the vehicle (e.g., a vehicle's left side and/or right side blind spot area). When one or more of the blind spot detection sensors positively detect an object within the blind spot area, a signal may be generated intended to warn a driver about the object within the blind spot area. In order to effectively operate such a blind spot detection system, the vehicle should have an accurate understanding of its own physical dimensions as well as the dimensions of its surrounding blind spot areas in order to effectively identify objects that may stray into the vehicle's blind spot areas.
However, when vehicles are modified to include available attachments, the blind zone of the overall vehicle system that includes the new attachment changes from the blind zone dimensions of the vehicle alone.

Vehicle blind spot system operation with trailer tow


A computer-implemented method is described to monitor and control enterprise information stored on a cloud computing service (CCS). The method includes using a cross-application monitor to detect a cloud computing service (CCS) application programming interface (API) in use and a function or an activity being performed via the CCS API. The method also includes determining the function or the activity being performed via the CCS API by parsing a data stream based on the CCS API and identifying content being transmitted to the CCS. The method further includes applying a content inspection rule to find strings and interrelated strings in the content that are subject to content control and triggering a security action responsive to finding the strings and interrelated strings subject to content control in the parsed stream.

The subject matter discussed in this section should not be assumed to be prior art merely as a result of its mention in this section. Similarly, a problem mentioned in this section or associated with the subject matter provided as background should not be assumed to have been previously recognized in the prior art. The subject matter in this section merely represents different approaches, which in and of themselves can also correspond to implementations of the claimed technology.
Data is often the lifeblood of any business and it is critical that it is effectively managed, protected, and meets compliance needs. Protecting data in the past was focused primarily on on-premise scenarios, but now with the increased adoption of cloud services, companies of all sizes are now relying on the cloud to create, edit, and store data. This presents new challenges. Despite its benefits, the cloud also makes it easy for people to lose sensitive corporate data. For one thing, people can access cloud services from multiple devices more easily. Another is that the cloud services make it easy to share data, including with people outside of an organization. For these reasons, it is easy for data to get out of an organization's control.
Also, as the number of cloud services increases exponentially, there are hundreds of ways data can leak. Employees might be attach a wrong file while sending emails, hit the send button too early, not be careful when rushing to a deadline, or share data and collaborate with people outside of their organization. The native cloud storage sync clients also pose a significant risk to organizations. A continuous sync takes place between the end point and the cloud service without employees realizing they are leaking confidential company information. In the case of disgruntled workers, the cloud services are making it super easy for them to steal intellectual property.
Accordingly, it is imperative to facilitate the use of cloud services so people can continue to be productive and use the best tools for the job without compromising sensitive information such as intellectual property, non-public financials, strategic plans, customer lists, personally identifiable information belonging to customers or employees, and the like.

Systems and methods of monitoring and controlling enterprise information stored on a cloud computing service (CCS)


A method for forming an alignment feature for back side wafer processing in a wafer fabrication process involves forming a trench into but not entirely through a wafer from a top side of the wafer; forming a contrasting material on surfaces of the trench; and grinding a bottom side of the wafer to expose the trench using the handling wafer to handle the wafer during such grinding, wherein the contrasting material lining the exposed trench provides an alignment reference for precise alignment of the wafer for back side processing the wafer.

For fabrication of wafer devices (e.g., MEMS devices or CMOS devices), it is often necessary or desirable to process both sides of a wafer, with features on one side of the wafer aligned with corresponding features on the other side of the wafer. One way to accomplish such alignment involves the use of an alignment tool using a 1× photo mask with infrared (IR) capabilities. The alignment accuracy of such a tool is generally between around Sum (micrometers or microns). If more precise alignment is desired, a stepper tool with IR capability may be used. Conventional steppers do not have IR capability, so the use of a stepper tool with IR capabilities generally would add cost and complexity to the fabrication process.

Apparatus and method for forming alignment features for back side processing of a wafer


A serum/clot separation surface determination apparatus includes a test tube formed of a non-magnetic material containing a blood sample which is separated into a serum and a clot by a silicon separating medium, a detection coil fitted on an outer surface of the test tube, a measurement signal supply unit which supplies a measurement signal having a given frequency to the detection coil, a drive control unit which variably controls a relative position between the detection coil and the test tube in a longitudinal direction of the test tube by moving at least one of the detection coil and the test tube, a signal level detector which detects a level of the measurement signal that varies with the relative position, and a determination unit which determines a position of a sample separation surface obtained by the silicon separating medium, based on the level of the detected measurement signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a serum/clot separation surface determination apparatus for automatically determining a position of the separation surface (serum-side or clot-side separation surface) of a blood sample that is contained in a test tube and separated into a serum and clot up and down by a silicon-separating medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
In order to accurately separate blood into a serum and a clot using a centrifuge or the like, a separating medium such as a silicon-separating medium is put into a test tube. Using such a test tube including a separating medium, a blood sample containing a serum and a clot that are separated up and down by a silicon separating medium is obtained in the test tube after centrifugal separation.
When the blood sample so obtained undergoes the following processing, it is required that a separation surface of the blood sample, especially a position of the serum-side separation surface be accurately determined. Conventionally, the determination has been performed chiefly by a visual check and using an optical sensor.
In the visual check, it takes time to confirm the position of a separating medium and the separation surface is likely to be determined inaccurately; therefore, there were many cases where an operator could not correctly know an amount of serum included in a test tube. There was a problem that the post-processing was very complicated and a lot of time and trouble was required. On the other hand, the optical sensor complicates the structure of the apparatus since a light-shield means needs to be provided to prevent extraneous light from entering.
An object of the present invention is to provide a serum/clot separation surface determination apparatus having the following advantages.
(a) The serum-side or clot-side separation surface can be determined speedily and accurately and the post-processing can be very simplified.
(b) The apparatus is simple in structure and easy to manufacture.
In order to attain the above object, the serum/clot separation surface determination apparatus according to the present invention has the following characteristic structures. The other characteristic structures will be clarified in the Detailed Description of the Invention.
A serum/clot separation surface determination apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention comprises a test tube containing a blood sample which is separated into a serum and a clot by a silicon separating medium, a test tube holder which holds the test tube, a detection coil fitted on an outer surface of the test tube held by the test tube holder, a measurement signal supply unit which supplies a measurement signal having a given frequency to the detection coil, position control means which variably controls a relative position between the detection coil and the test tube in a longitudinal direction of the test tube by moving at least one of the detection coil and the test tube, signal level detection means which detects a level of the measurement signal that varies with the relative position controlled by the position means, and determination means which determines a position of a sample separation surface obtained by the silicon separating medium, based on the level of the measurement signal detected by the signal level detection means.
The above serum/clot separation surface determination apparatus has the following advantages. The relative permeability of the silicon-separating medium that separates the blood sample into the serum and clot clearly differs from that of the serum or clot. As the drive control unit varies a relative position between the detection coil and test tube, the level of a measurement signal having a given frequency supplied to the detection coil suddenly changes in a position of the silicon separating medium. The signal level detection means automatically detects a point at which the level of the measurement signal increases or decreases suddenly. It is thus possible to accurately determine a position of the sample separation surface.
Consequently, a position of the separation surface between the serum and clot can be determined speedily and accurately, and the subsequent process can be very simplified.
Since the detection coil is used as a sensor, a light-shield means for preventing extraneous light from entering as noise components need not be provided, as compared with an apparatus using an optical sensor or the like. Therefore, the apparatus of the present invention is simple in structure and easy to manufacture.

Serum/clot separation surface determination apparatus


An apparatus images a surface. An imager stage has a planar surface for supporting a sample. A fiber optic bundle has a first end of parallel first fiber ends that are arranged to define an input aperture for viewing the sample on the imager stage. A distal bundle end is arranged to define an output aperture disposed away from the imager stage. A scanning radiation source scans a radiation beam along a path that is perpendicular to the sample on the imager stage. The input aperture of the fiber optic bundle receives a light signal that is produced by the radiation source scan of the imager stage sample. The light signal is transmitted to the bundle output aperture. A photodetector detects the light signal at the distal bundle end, and a processor processes the detected light.

The present exemplary embodiments relate to the imaging arts, and find particular application in conjunction with low and high-density cell detection, locating, and identifying in blood smears, biological assays, and the like across distinct imaging systems, and will be described with particular reference thereto. However, it is to be appreciated the exemplary embodiments will also find application in imaging, locating and identifying other types of low or high-density features on various substantially planar surfaces and samples, such as imaging semiconductor wafers, imaging particulate contaminants in fluids or thin solid films, and so forth, with such imaging finding specific uses in the printing arts, electronic arts, medical arts, and other scientific and engineering areas.
In rare cell studies, a particular problem arises due to the typically low concentration of the rare cells in the blood or other body fluid. In a typical rare cell study, blood is processed to remove cells that that are not needed. Then a fluorescent material is applied that attaches to antibodies, which in turn selectively attach to a cell surface or cellular protein of the rare cells. The cellular proteins may be membrane proteins or proteins within a cell, such as cytoplasm proteins. The antibodies may also attach to other types of molecules of the rare cell, as well as to DNA.
The fluorescent material may be a fluorescent marker dye or any other suitable material which will identify the cells of interest. A smear treated in this manner, which may include the blood and/or components of the blood, is prepared and optically analyzed to identify rare cells of the targeted type. For statistical accuracy it is important to obtain as large a number of cells as required for a particular process, in some studies at least ten rare cells should be identified, requiring a sampling of at least ten million cells, for a one in one-million rare cell concentration. Such a blood smear typically occupies an area of about 100 cm2. It is to be understood, however, that this is simply one example and other numbers of cells may be required for statistical accuracy for a particular test or study. Other cell identifiers which are being used and investigated are quantum dots and nano-particle probes. Also, while a rare cell is mentioned as a one-in-one-million cell concentration, this is not intended to be limiting and is only given as an example of the rarity of the cells being sought. The concepts discussed herein are to be understood to be useful in higher or lower levels of cell concentration.
In this regard, the ability to scan large numbers of cells at a high rate is considered a key aspect which increases the throughput of testing processes. Therefore, it is considered valuable to provide a system which improves the speed, reliability and processing costs which may be achieved by cell detection systems and/or processes.
Several-aspects may be considered as useful in increasing the throughput and reliability of scans at high rates of speed. For example, it would be useful to have a scanning system which permits high-speed scans in an accurate reliable manner, and a manner for increasing the accuracy with which cell detection occurs which includes decreasing a number of false or ghost images which may exist. While at the same time, maintaining or increasing the amount of data collected during a scan.

Method of scanning and light collection for a rare cell detector


Electro-optically inspecting a longitudinally moving rod of material (12). Guiding rod (12) along its longitudinal axis by rod guiding unit (14), along optical path (20) within transparent passageway (22). Optical path (20) and transparent passageway (22) coaxially extend along longitudinal axis of rod (12) and pass through an electro-optical transmission module (24). Focused beam (28) from illumination unit (26) is transmitted through first side (30) of transparent passageway (22) and incident upon rod (12) within transparent passageway (22). Illuminating volumetric segment (34) of rod (12) by incident beam (32), such that incident beam (32) is affected by and transmitted through volumetric segment (34) and transmitted through second side (36) of transparent passageway (22), for forming rod material transmitted beam (38). Detecting transmitted beam (38) by detection unit (40), for forming rod material volumetric segment transmitted beam useable for determining internal properties and characteristics of rod of material (12).

The present invention relates to using electro-optics for inspecting and determining internal properties and characteristics of a longitudinally moving rod of material, and more particularly, to a method and device for electro-optically inspecting and determining internal properties and characteristics, such as density, structure, defects, and impurities, and variabilities thereof, of a longitudinally moving rod of material. The rod of material is continuously or intermittently moving along its longitudinal axis while at least one focused beam of electromagnetic radiation is incident upon, measurably affected by, and transmitted through, volumetric segments of the longitudinally moving rod of material, along with detecting the transmitted electromagnetic radiation beam, during the electro-optical inspection process of measuring and analyzing the internal properties and characteristics of the longitudinally moving rod of material. The present invention is generally applicable for inspecting and determining internal properties and characteristics of a variety of different types of a rod of material, as long as the rod of material exhibits the behavior that an incident focused beam of electromagnetic radiation, while not altering the rod of material, is affected by and transmittable through volumetric segments of the rod of material. For example, but not limited to, a cigarette rod consisting of processed tobacco inside a rolled and sealed tube of cigarette wrapping paper.
The present invention is particularly applicable to that stage of an overall commercial manufacturing sequence involving continuously transporting or conveying a rod of material between manufacturing processes. There exist overall commercial manufacturing sequences including a stage whereby raw or initially processed material exiting an upstream manufacturing process is formed into a short discrete or long continuous rod of material, which is either wrapped inside a wrapping material or is left unwrapped, and continuously transported or conveyed prior to entering further downstream processes, including for example, a rod cutting process, eventually leading to production of bulk quantities of individually wrapped or unwrapped consumer product. For example, in the case of manufacturing cigarettes, as part of an overall commercial manufacturing sequence, bulk quantities of cut and processed tobacco leaves, along with any number of cigarette tobacco additives or ingredients, exiting an upstream manufacturing process are rolled, wrapped, and sealed, inside cigarette wrapping paper, and continuously transported or conveyed as long, narrow, continuous tobacco filled cylinders or rods prior to entering further downstream processes, including for example, a cigarette rod cutting process, eventually leading to production of bulk quantities of individually cut, wrapped, and non-filtered or filtered, cigarettes in a box.
During such a manufacturing sequence, internal properties and characteristics, such as density, structure, defects, impurities, and variabilities thereof, of the continuously moving rod of material exiting an upstream manufacturing process, may feature values outside of acceptable ranges and/or may undesirably change prior to entering a downstream manufacturing process. At this stage of such a manufacturing sequence, it is critically important that these internal properties and characteristics of the continuously moving rod of material be determined and monitored, such as by employing quality control and quality assurance procedures, and subsequently controlled, such as by employing process control and process feedback procedures, prior to the continuously moving rod of material entering further downstream processes or storage, in order to assure proper characteristics and performance of the finished end products.
In particular, if one or more of the above indicated internal properties and characteristics of a given portion or section of the continuously moving rod of material is outside of established quality control or quality assurance values, use of such portion or section of the rod of material is expected to lead to downstream intermediate products, or stored rod of material, similarly failing their established quality control values, potentially causing undesirable rejection of material, manufacturing down time and added cost to the overall manufacturing sequence. For example, in the case of manufacturing cigarettes, if one or more of the above indicated internal properties and characteristics of a given portion or section of the rod shaped wrapped cigarette tobacco are outside of established quality control values, at least that portion or section of the tobacco filled rod needs to be removed prior to entering further downstream processes or storage, otherwise, 'below quality' cigarettes may end up in the consumer marketplace, clearly undesirable to a cigarette manufacturer, as well as undesirable to consumers of cigarettes.
Herein, internal properties and characteristics, such as density, structure, defects, and impurities, and variabilities thereof, of a longitudinally moving rod of material refer to the global, bulk, or macroscopic, internal properties and characteristics, such as density, structure, defects, and impurities, and variabilities thereof, of a specified volumetric segment or number of volumetric segments of the material, including bulk or macroscopic volume occupied by air and moisture throughout the material, making up or forming the longitudinally moving rod of material. These internal properties and characteristics of the longitudinally moving rod are to be clearly distinguished from the local, molecular, or microscopic, properties and characteristics, such as molecular density, molecular structure, microscopic defects, and microscopic impurities, and variabilities thereof, of only the material, excluding bulk or macroscopic volume occupied by air and moisture, making up or forming the longitudinally moving rod of material.
For example, internal properties and characteristics, such as density, structure, defects, and impurities, and variabilities thereof, of a longitudinally moving cigarette rod consisting of processed tobacco inside a rolled and sealed tube of cigarette wrapping paper, refer to the global, bulk, or macroscopic, density, structure, defects, and impurities, and variabilities thereof, of a specified volumetric segment or number of volumetric segments of the processed tobacco, including bulk or macroscopic volume occupied by air and moisture throughout the processed tobacco, inside the rolled and sealed tube of cigarette wrapping paper. These internal properties and characteristics of the longitudinally moving cigarette rod are to be clearly distinguished from the molecular density, molecular structure, microscopic defects, and microscopic impurities, and variabilities thereof, of only the processed tobacco molecules, excluding bulk or macroscopic volume occupied by air and moisture, making up or forming the longitudinally moving cigarette rod.
There is an extensive amount of prior art teachings of methods, devices, and systems, for electro-optically inspecting and determining 'external' (and not 'internal') properties and characteristics, such as uniformity, structure, color, print, closures, openings, defects (for example, holes, defective and/or missing components), and impurities, and variabilities thereof, of or on the 'outer or exposed surfaces' (and not of or in a specified 'volumetric segment' or number of 'volumetric segments') of a plurality of continuously or intermittently moving rods of material, where the rods of material are continuously or intermittently moving sideways along or rolling around their 'radial' axes (and not moving along their 'longitudinal' axes) during the actual electro-optical inspection process, as part of a commercial production or manufacturing sequence.
The majority of such prior art is especially with regard to electro-optically inspecting and determining properties and characteristics, such as uniformity, structure, color, print, closures, openings, defects (for example, holes, defective and/or missing components, such as a defective or missing filter), and impurities, of the outer or exposed surface, for example, of the wrapping paper, of the open end, and/or of the filter end, (and not of a specified volumetric segment or number of volumetric segments) of continuously or intermittently moving individually cut and complete cigarettes in their final form prior to packaging, moving sideways along or rolling around their radial axes. Such prior art is based on generating, detecting (collecting and measuring), and analyzing, light 'reflected by' (and not transmitted through) the outer or exposed surfaces of the continuously or intermittently moving rods of material. Such prior art may be divided into two main categories, according to the type of optics, electronics, and/or electro-optics, employed during the electro-optical inspection.
In the first main category, electro-optical inspecting is performed by generating, detecting (collecting and measuring), and analyzing, light reflected by the outer or exposed surface of at least a part of each rod of material, in the form of light beams or rays and intensities thereof. Selected examples of this main category of prior art, especially as applied to electro-optically inspecting the outer or exposed surface of at least a part of individual completed cigarettes, are the disclosures of U.S. Pat. No. 3,980,567 to Benini; U.S. Pat. No. 4,090,794 to Benini; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,639,592 to Heitmann.
In the second main category, electro-optical inspecting is performed by generating, detecting (collecting and measuring), and analyzing, light reflected by the outer or exposed surface of at least a part of each rod of material, in the form of photographic or video camera images. Selected examples of this main category of prior art, especially as applied to electro-optically inspecting the outer or exposed surface of at least a part of individual completed cigarettes, are the disclosures of U.S. Pat. No. 5,013,905 to Neri; U.S. Pat. No. 5,228,462 to Osmalov et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,432,600 to Grollimund et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,448,365 to Grollimund et al.
The present invention is directed to commercial applications requiring real time, non-invasive, high speed, high sensitivity, low noise, high accuracy, high precision, temperature compensative, and low vibration, measuring and analyzing internal properties and characteristics, such as density, structure, defects, and impurities, and variabilities thereof, of a specified volumetric segment or number of volumetric segments, of a rod of material, such as a cigarette rod, continuously or intermittently moving along its longitudinal axis, as the rod of material is transported or conveyed during a commercial manufacturing sequence, particularly a manufacturing sequence including quality control and/or quality assurance processes.
Accordingly, each of the above cited prior art, and similar prior art, feature at least two significant and fundamental differences, and associated limitations thereof, with regard to the intended scope and applications of the present invention.
The first significant and fundamental difference is that such prior art teaches about electro-optically inspecting and determining only 'external' properties and characteristics, such as uniformity, structure, color, print, closure, defects, and impurities, and variabilities thereof, of the outer or exposed surfaces of a plurality of continuously or intermittently moving rods of material. Accordingly, such prior art teachings are solely based on generating, detecting (collecting and measuring), and analyzing, light 'reflected by', and not 'transmitted through', the outer or exposed surfaces of the continuously or intermittently moving rods of material. Such prior art teachings are not obviously extendable and/or applicable for generating, detecting (collecting and measuring), and analyzing, light transmitted through the outer or exposed surfaces of the moving rods of material, and therefore, are not obviously extendable and/or applicable for electro-optically measuring and analyzing 'internal' properties and characteristics, such as density, structure, defects, and impurities, and variabilities thereof, of a specified volumetric segment or number of volumetric segments of the material making up or forming a longitudinally moving rod of material, according to the intended scope and applications of the present invention.
The second significant and fundamental difference is that such prior art teaches about electro-optically inspecting and determining the external properties and characteristics of the outer or exposed surfaces of continuously or intermittently moving rods of material, where the rods of material are specifically restricted to moving sideways along or rolling around their 'radial' axes, and not moving along their 'longitudinal' axes, during the actual electro-optical inspection, as the rods of material are transported or conveyed during a manufacturing process. Therein is no teaching about performing the electro-optical inspection while the rods of material are moving along their longitudinal axes, during the real time electro-optical inspection, as the rods of material are transported or conveyed during a manufacturing sequence. There are commercial manufacturing sequences which either require, or where it would be highly desirable and advantageous, having a rod of material moving along its longitudinal axis, as the rod of material is transported or conveyed during the manufacturing sequence.
There are prior art teachings about electro-optically inspecting a longitudinally moving rod of material, as the rod of material is transported or conveyed during a commercial manufacturing sequence. Such prior art, particularly applicable to the cigarette manufacturing industry, selections of which are briefly described herein below, is also fundamentally different from, and features significant limitations with respect to, the intended scope and applications of the present invention.
In the disclosures of U.S. Pat. No. 6,213,128 B1, and U.S. Patent Application No. 2001/0001390 A1, both to Smith et al., there are described a method and apparatus for making and electro-optically inspecting a multi-component cigarette. As for the above previously cited prior art, the electro-optical inspection is based on generating, detecting (collecting and measuring), and analyzing, light 'reflected by', and not 'transmitted through', the outer or exposed surfaces of a variety of cigarette components, such as cigarette tobacco rods, filters, tubes, and chambers, in the form of camera images, as these cigarette components are longitudinally resting or positioned on open cigarette wrapping paper which is continuously moving along its longitudinal axis and transported or conveyed during the manufacturing sequence.
In the disclosures of U.S. Pat. No. 3,854,587; its reissue, Re. 29,839; and its improvement, U.S. Pat. No. 4,208,578, each to McLoughlin et al., there are described an "(electro-)optical inspection apparatus for monitoring a continuously (longitudinally) moving rod (in particular, a cigarette rod), comprising a circular head through which the rod passes (along its longitudinal axis), a first set of fiber optic conductors which transmits light from a source to the head to illuminate the rod, and a second set of fiber optic conductors which pick up light reflected from (and not transmitted through) the rod passing through the head and transmits the reflected light to a number of photoelectric elements. The second set of conductors are divided into angularly spaced groups around the head and adjacent groups lead to separate photoelectric elements". Outputs of the photoelectric elements are processed and analyzed by logic circuitry for determining the presence of a fault in the inspected rod, and if found, causes a fault signal to actuate a rejection mechanism when the part of the rod at which the fault has been sensed reaches a rejection point.
In the disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 4,377,743 to Bolt et al., there is described a device and corresponding method for electro-optically inspecting a longitudinally moving rod (in particular, a cigarette rod), wherein the device comprises "a plurality of focused light emitter-detector units spaced circumferentially around a rod being inspected, each unit being arranged to propagate focused light onto a defined surface region of the rod and to receive the light reflected from (and not transmitted by) that surface region and further arranged to generate an electrical signal related to the intensity of the received light. Two, or more, axially displaced arrays of units are each arranged to inspect areas of the rod which are staggered in relation to the areas inspected by the other array or arrays".
In the Bolt et al. invention, "the measuring head of the apparatus comprises a plurality of infra-red sensor units, which each contain a light emitting diode and a phototransistor, positioned behind respective lenses. The lens for the light emitting diode focuses light onto a specific area of the cigarette rod and the lens for the phototransistor collects the light reflected from that area, i.e., "focuses" the reflected light onto the phototransistor". Outputs of the phototransistors are processed and analyzed for determining the presence of a fault in the inspected cigarette rod, and if found, causes a fault signal to actuate a cigarette ejection mechanism. The invention includes "means (a transparent tube) for guiding the continuous cigarette rod (along its longitudinal axis) along a predetermined path extending through an (electro-optical) inspection station".
In the disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 4,645,921 to Heitmann et al., there is described an "Apparatus for optically scanning a (longitudinally) moving cigarette rod (a plurality of discrete, coaxial complete cigarettes, long continuous cigarette rods, filter rod sections, and the like) for the presence of defects in its external surface (and not internal volume) which has two annularly arranged groups of diodes which emit green light in the wavelength range of between 0.49 and 0.58.mu. and direct such light from the opposite sides of a plane that is normal to the (longitudinally) moving rod so that the incident light is reflected (and not transmitted) by successive annular portions of the external surface of the rod into the aforementioned plane. The reflected light is focused by systems of lenses upon discrete photosensitive transducers through discrete slit diaphragms on the transducers themselves or on a thin metallic ring which is adjustably mounted on the support for the diodes and the systems of lenses". The disclosed invention is "especially for scanning the circumferentially complete annular external surfaces of a series of coaxial cigarettes".
Although the prior art disclosures of Smith et al., McLoughlin et al., Bolt et al., and Heitmann et al., teach about electro-optically inspecting a longitudinally moving rod of material, such prior art teachings are solely based on generating, detecting (collecting and measuring), and analyzing, light 'reflected by' the outer or exposed surfaces of the moving rods of material, and are not obviously extendable and/or applicable for generating, detecting (collecting and measuring), and analyzing, light 'transmitted through' the outer or exposed surfaces of the moving rods of material. Accordingly, such prior art teachings are not obviously extendable and/or applicable for electro-optically measuring and analyzing 'internal' properties and characteristics, such as density, structure, defects, and impurities, and variabilities thereof, of a specified volumetric segment or number of volumetric segments of the material making up or forming a longitudinally moving rod of material, according to the intended scope and applications of the present invention.
In addition to the above described fundamental difference, a significant limitation existing in the prior art of electro-optically inspecting a longitudinally moving rod of material, regards the undesirable affect that temperature changes may have on accuracy and precision of the results obtained from the electro-optical inspection process. While electro-optically inspecting a longitudinally moving rod of material, temperature changes typically occur in critical regions of operation of the electro-optical inspection apparatus. Such critical regions of operation are particularly in the immediate vicinity of the electro-optically inspected section of the moving rod of material. Magnitudes of such temperature changes may be sufficiently large so as to significantly increase noise and error levels during the illumination and detection processes, which may translate to meaningful decreases in accuracy and precision of the results obtained from the electro-optical inspection process.
The prior art disclosures of Smith et al., McLoughlin et al., Bolt et al., and Heitmann et al., include no explicit or suggestive teaching of a procedure or of equipment for monitoring, and/or compensating for, temperature changes, in the critical region of operation of the electro-optical inspection apparatus.
Another significant limitation existing in the prior art of electro-optically inspecting a longitudinally moving rod of material, regards the undesirable affect that radially directed vibrating of the longitudinally moving rod of material, in general, and of the electro-optically inspected section of the longitudinally moving rod of material, in particular, during the electro-optical inspection process, may have on accuracy and precision of the results obtained from the electro-optical inspection process. While electro-optically inspecting a longitudinally moving rod of material, the longitudinally moving rod of material, in general, and the electro-optically inspected section of the longitudinally moving rod of material, in particular, typically vibrates, particularly, in the radial direction. Magnitudes of such radially directed vibrating may be sufficiently large so as to significantly increase noise and error levels during the illumination and detection processes, which may translate to meaningful decreases in accuracy and precision of the results obtained from the electro-optical inspection process.
The prior art disclosures of Smith et al., McLoughlin et al., Bolt et al., and Heitmann et al., include no explicit or suggestive teaching of a procedure or of equipment for preventing, eliminating, or reducing, radially directed vibrating of the longitudinally moving rod of material, in general, and of the electro-optically inspected section of the longitudinally moving rod of material, in particular, during the electro-optical inspection process.
In general, procedures and equipment for monitoring temperature and/or compensating operation of a process for temperature changes, as well as procedures and/or equipment for preventing, eliminating, or reducing, radially directed vibrating of a longitudinally moving object during operation of a process, are known and widely applicable, including on a commercial or manufacturing scale, and are well taught about. A possible reason for absence of such teachings specifically in the prior art of electro-optically inspecting a longitudinally moving rod of material, for example, as taught about in the disclosures of Smith et al., McLoughlin et al., Bolt et al., and Heitmann et al., is that the disclosed electro-optical inspection methods and apparatuses, solely based on generating, detecting (collecting and measuring), and analyzing, light reflected by the outer or exposed surfaces of the longitudinally moving rods of material, are insufficiently sensitive to be significantly affected by the above described types of local temperature changes and/or radially directed vibrating. This, therefore, precludes a need for monitoring temperature and/or compensating for such local temperature changes, or, for preventing, eliminating, or reducing, such radially directed vibrating, of the longitudinally moving rod of material during the electro-optical inspection process.
Moreover, due to physical and/or electromechanical limitations, especially regarding design, construction, and operation, of the illumination and detection units in the electro-optical inspection apparatuses taught about in McLoughlin et al., Bolt et al., and Heitmann et al., involving a plurality of miniaturized electro-optical components (in particular, light generating, conducting, emitting, and receiving, types of devices, mechanisms, components, and elements, such as LEDs, lenses, phototransistors, photosensitive transducers, fiber optic conductors or guides, and photoelectric elements) tightly configured and oriented within limited spaces, inclusion of a temperature monitoring and/or compensation procedure and equipment, and/or inclusion of a vibrating prevention, reduction, and/or compensation, procedure and equipment, operative during the electro-optical inspection process, is not readily accomplishable.
Accordingly, each of the above cited prior art, and similar prior art, feature several significant and fundamental limitations, and associated limitations thereof, with regard to the intended scope and applications of the present invention for electro-optically inspecting and determining internal properties and characteristics of a longitudinally moving rod of material.
To one of ordinary skill in the art, there is thus a need for, and it would be highly advantageous to have a method and device for electro-optically inspecting and determining internal properties and characteristics, such as density, structure, defects, and impurities, and variabilities thereof, of a longitudinally moving rod of material. Moreover, there is a need for such an invention wherein the rod of material is continuously or intermittently moving along its longitudinal axis during the electro-optical inspection process of measuring and analyzing the internal properties and characteristics of a specified volumetric segment or number of volumetric segments of the longitudinally moving rod of material.
There is also a need for such an invention which is directed to commercial applications requiring real time, non-invasive, high speed, high sensitivity, low noise, high accuracy, high precision, temperature compensative, and low vibration, measuring and analyzing of internal properties and characteristics of a longitudinally moving rod of material, as the rod of material is transported or conveyed during a commercial manufacturing sequence, particularly a manufacturing sequence including quality control and/or quality assurance processes. There is also a need for such an invention which is generally applicable for inspecting and determining internal properties and characteristics of a variety of different types of a rod of material, for example, but not limited to, a cigarette rod.

Electro-optically inspecting and determining internal properties and characteristics of a longitudinally moving rod of material


A display format for a distributed system and method using a catalog definition language (CDL) based integrated trace analysis (iTAS) application for decoding telecommunication tracer information originating from any telecommunication network element and utilizing any Industry standard or proprietary telecommunication protocol using a browser-based graphical user interface (GUI). The display format of the browser-based graphical user interface (GUI) includes a common display page having three panes in which to display a tree view of trace events, a view of the decoded trace data, and a view of the original trace. The view within all three panes can be synchronized based on the selection of an event from the tree view pane. Additional panes on the common display page are provided for controlling the display, searching and filtering the contents of the three panes, and displaying the progress of decoding.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a system and method for telecommunication system trace diagnostics and, more particularly, to a system and method that displays telecommunication system tracer information from any number of a plurality of tracer telecommunications protocols in a manner to facilitate telecommunication system diagnostics by a user. Telecommunications systems, as used herein, refers to any computer and/or telephone system, in a stand-alone or networked configuration, that is used to electronically communicate information.
2. Background Description
The swift advance of telecommunications technology over the latter half of the twentieth century promises a future in which a broad suite of services is available to the network user. These services cover a wide spectrum of activities encompassing traditional telephony and computer data transmission as well as the integration of these activities. The future user of telecommunications technology can expect digital telephony, high-speed data transmission, real-time video, high fidelity audio, and the combination of these activities into multimedia products all to be readily available over a network that interconnects users throughout the world.
In the first half of the twentieth century, telephony architecture developed along the lines of a circuit-switched network providing audio communication to potentially every person in the world. Then, Private Branch Exchanges (PBXs) that provide a local telephone network within a building but that also retain access to the larger global network were developed. PBXs represent an example of a network within a network.
With the advent of the personal computer in the 1970s, early computer network architectures were developed that led to the internetworking of computers in a manner analogous to the internetworking of telephones. Motivated by the desire to distribute resources among user""s who may communicate with each other, Local Area Networks (LANs) were developed that allowed a local interconnection of computers. They may be thought of as being analogous to the PBXs. The recognition that users within one LAN may wish to communicate with users in a separate LAN led to the development of Wide Area Networks (WANs), which may be thought of as a network of networks. Such networking of personal computers has led to new user services such as electronic mail and electronic file sharing.
Because modern telecommunications equipment, including everything from routers and switches to telephones and personal computers, comprises a wide range of purposes, the telecommunications and computer industries have formulated the Open Systems Interface (OSI) model to provide a basis for developing and coordinating standards for internetworking systems developed by a variety of vendors/users. This approach models the telecommunications process as a structure of seven layers. These layers address, in turn, the physical connection, the data link, network functions, transport and data flow, session management, presentation, and finally the application, as basic features of an end-to-end communication process. The basis for the workability of a telecommunications network is the set of rules for communicating known as the protocol. Various protocols exist for each layer of the OSI model. These protocols are required to connect different physical devices, for example, telephones and personal computers to multiple pipelines such as copper wire and fiber optics. These pipelines use a variety of switching approaches, for example, circuit switching and packet switching, each of which has different performance criteria in a wide variety of end-user applications, such as low latency for telephone systems and low error rate for data exchange systems.
In addition to the user-based network functions (e.g., transmission of voice or data), each network requires a system for controlling the network in a fashion transparent to the user. When a person picks up the telephone to place a call, for example, a signal is sent to a central office (CO) switch to alert it that a user wishes to make a call. A response is sent back to the user in the form of a dial tone to indicate that the required network resources are available. This communication, which is essentially invisible to the caller, is an example of the kind of control functions that are necessarily implemented in the operation of any network. For the telephone network, the control system is known as Signaling System Number 7 (SS7). As implemented, SS7 comprises a suite of protocols, each of which serves a specific function in controlling the network. For example, the protocol named the Message Transfer Part (MTP) insures that traffic flows through the network by redirecting traffic around failed or overloaded nodes. Another SS7 protocol is the Transaction Capabilities Part (TCAP), which is used in querying any databases that are utilized in controlling the network. Because of its nature as a control system, SS7 is not necessarily limited to use in telephone networks. SS7 and the techniques associated with it are proving useful in more general, computer-based telecommunications networks. Thus, it is clear that network control is an important and potentially complex aspect of telecommunications networking operations.
A critical function in the control of any network, be it a LAN, a PBX, or the Internet, is the management of network resources in order to diagnose and troubleshoot problems, to monitor system performance and to assess traffic patterns and loads. One of the tools commonly available to assist the network engineer in fulfilling a part of this management function is a software application generically known as a tracer. A tracer is a software program that outputs a record of network events (i.e., a trace) in order to aid the engineer in troubleshooting network operations. Due to the variety of technologies that contribute to a modern telecommunications network, a network engineer may be required to utilize a broad array of tracer programs in order to troubleshoot and diagnose problems that can occur in the various aspects of the network. A tracer used to query a telephone network necessarily obtains different information than a tracer used to query a LAN. Moreover, because a given type of network (e.g., LAN) may be manufactured by multiple vendors, each of whom may choose different protocols for use within the network, tracer programs must interact with a wide variety of telecommunications protocols. The network engineer must be conversant with the operation and utilization of many tracer programs interacting with a variety of protocols in order to implement the required network management functions.
Quite often, the output of these various tracer programs is provided in a non-readable binary or hexadecimal format and requires decoding to a human readable format, such as English. Co-pending patent applications Ser. No. 09/540,184 and Ser. No. 09/540,183 describe systems, methods and a catalog definition language (CDL) by which a plurality of tracers can be unified into a common tool-set to provide a coherent and consistent view of the decoding of tracer output from a plurality of tracers. These co-pending patent applications also describe the system and method by which a plurality of telecommunication protocols that are integrated within any tracer can be decoded to provide a contextual view of tracer events to facilitate the diagnostic process. Because of the generality and flexibility of the system and methods of the invention based on CDL, it becomes feasible to unify many tracers within a single tool while simultaneously decoding a plurality of telecommunication protocols. Since the invention can accommodate many tracers and telecommunication protocols, referred to as catalogs, the invention requires a common method of display that can accommodate a diversity of tracers and protocols while at the same time providing a display that can be easily used and understood.
The display is implemented using a graphical user interface, GUI. Graphical user interfaces are not new and they have been used in a multitude of software applications for many years. However, this claimed invention pertains specifically to its use in a format that meets the needs of co-pending patent applications Ser. No. 09/540,184 and Ser. No. 09/540,183.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a method for displaying CDL decoded telecommunication trace results in a consistent display format that is both easy to use and easy to understand.
According to the invention, the method of displaying CDL decoded trace results can be based on a window of three panes in which to display (1) a tree view of trace events, (2) a view of the decoded trace data, and (3) a view of the original trace. For each original trace request partial results are displayed in the tree view and the decoded trace data, with regular updating until complete results are provided. Also the display provides for a plurality of concurrently pending original trace requests. The view within all three panes can be synchronized based on the selection of an event from either the tree view pane or from the original trace. Further, any pane can be collapsed if required.
In this display method, a window is dedicated to each separate display, and all these displays are contained within a trace browser""s main window. The general principle of the design is that the application is essentially contained within a single view, and there is never a need to navigate through multiple views. This avoids the navigational risk of getting lost within a browser-based forward/backward paging structure of the application. The full functionality of the browser""s menus, toolbars and display results remains available to the user in a single view.
The invention provides a method for displaying telecommunication trace diagnostic information in a graphical user interface, the diagnostic information being based on a catalog definition language to effect decoding, comprising a number of steps. One step uses a commercially available Internet browser for connecting to a web site on a web server hosting an integrated trace analysis (iTAS) application, the iTAS application providing trace analysis services having an encoding and decoding sub-system using a catalog definition language (CDL). Another step selects the iTAS application from the web site. A further step requests one or more functions to be performed by the iTAS application service. An additional step, performed for each requested function, displays the result of the iTAS service requested in a browser based graphical user interface. In this method, for each requested function partial results are displayed with regular status updating until the complete results are provided, and the graphical user interface provides for a plurality of concurrently pending functions.

Method and system of displaying telecommunication trace diagnostic information

Siemens Information and Communication Networks, Inc.


Disclosure is directed to managing more than one placeshifting transmission at a target device. The target device may be configured to receive a first video from a first placeshifting source and a second video from a second placeshifting source. The target device may additionally be configured to simultaneously output the first and second video on an output device, using various display screen configurations such as picture-in-picture, split screen, windows, and so. The first and second placeshifting sources may be content receivers having integrated placeshifting functions or may be content receivers provided in association with stand-alone placeshifting devices. A dual-tuner content receiver may also provide both the first and second placeshifting sources to the target device.

Placeshifting technology is generally available today that allows a user to view content on a target device that would otherwise only be available on a receiver. Through placeshifting technology that is integrated into the receiver or is implement in a stand-alone device, a receiver is able shift content across a network to be viewed on a target device that is located remotely from the receiver. The shifted content may include programs or other content that is received at the receiver from a service provider, such as a satellite or cable television provider. The receiver may also shift recorded programs across the network to be viewed at the target device.


Provided is a mask blank, including: a resist layer formed by a chemically amplified resist; a protective layer formed to coat the resist layer; and a buffer layer provided between the resist layer and the protective layer, wherein the protective layer contains an acidic substance, a basic substance, and a salt generated by a reaction between the acidic substance and the basic substance, and the buffer layer has a portion which is a surface layer portion of a pre-coated resist layer before being coated by the protective layer, and in which the pre-coated resist layer and the protective layer 4 are in contact with each other, and this portion is formed by receiving the acidic substance, the basic substance, and the salt moved from the protective layer 4.

Technical Field
The present invention relates to a mask blank, a method of manufacturing a mask blank and a method of manufacturing a transfer mask.
Description of Related Art
The mask blank is used as a base of a transfer mask used in a photolithography method, and the transfer mask is used for a formation of a semiconductor pattern.
As the semiconductor pattern becomes finer, a pattern of the transfer mask used for the formation of the pattern becomes also finer. The transfer mask is manufactured by forming a thin film formed on the mask blank, into a previously set pattern shape.
In the mask blank, it is a resist layer formed on the thin film, that should be pattern-formed first. Therefore, a subject of the present invention is to form a fine pattern with high sensitivity in patterning of the resist layer. As a result, as a resist used when manufacturing the mask blank, a chemically amplified resist with high sensitivity to an exposure light, has been used.
Then, regarding the mask blank and the chemically amplified resist, each document discloses that there are following two points to be improved.
A first point is that when the mask blank is stored or transferred, foreign matters are adhered to an outermost surface of the mask blank.
A second point is that when exposed to an outside air, a contaminant in the outside air is adhered or the chemically amplified resist itself is deteriorated, and the sensitivity cannot be maintained.
In order to improve the above two points, an applicant of the present application discloses a technique of forming a dust-proof protective film made of a water-soluble resin on the chemically amplified resist layer (see patent document 1).

Mask blank, method of manufacturing mask blank and method of manufacturing transfer mask


To draw samples of liquid for later analysis, liquid is periodically pumped from the inlet port in coordination with initiating movement of a web of packaging material, folding the package material and sealing it to form a pouch. The liquid is pumped from the inlet port into the pouch and the pouch is sealed. The pumping means and the equipment for drawing the web are controlled so that the container corresponds in internal volume to the volume of liquid pumped into the container prior to sealing the container and identification is printed onto the web becomes part of the package for the liquid.

This invention relates to sample collectors, such as for example, sample collectors that periodically remove a specimen of waste water or well water and deposit it in a separate container for analysis.
In one class of sample collectors, a series of samples of water are pumped into an inlet and from the inlet to an outlet. At the outlet, the samples are deposited in separate containers for later analysis.
In a prior art type of sample collector of this class, the containers are bottles and the outlet and bottles are moved with respect to each other so that samples are deposited in different bottles for later analysis. The prior art sample collectors have several disadvantages, such as: (1) it is difficult to fill the containers completely; (2) it is difficult to seal the containers thus easily contaminating the liquid with gases in the air or from other sources; (3) it is difficult to adjust the apparatus to handle different size samples; and (4) the apparatus is subject to spillage caused by failure to register the container with the outlet or to match the amount of sample with the size of the container or other bottle.


A mobile button device (10) comprises a call button (12), a local wireless link (20) to a communicator (30), and a cellular connection (22). The mobile button device is programmed to perform an alarm reporting method including: originating an alarm by sending the alarm via the local wireless link to the communicator for alarm reporting by the communicator; after sending the alarm to the communicator, monitoring alarm reporting status via the local wireless link to the communicator; and reporting the alarm via the cellular connection in response to the monitoring determining that the communicator failed to report the alarm. For example, the monitoring may include polling the communicator via the local wireless link and the monitoring determines that the communicator failed to report the alarm if the polling indicates the communicator is unavailable (70) or a timeout condition (72) is reached.

A Personal Emergency Response System (PERS) enables an elderly person or other person at elevated risk of incapacitating medical emergency to summon help. For example, a PERS may be activated by a person experiencing a debilitating fall, a heart attack, an acute asthma attack or other respiratory emergency, or so forth. The PERS typically includes a mobile button device in the form of a necklace-worn pendant, a bracelet, or the like. By pressing the call button of the mobile button device, a speakerphone console in the residence is activated, by which the at-risk person is placed into telephonic contact with a PERS response agent. The agent speaks with the calling person (hereinafter referred to as a PERS "subscriber" as the person subscribes with the PERS service, although any associated costs or fees may be paid by a medical insurance company or other third party), and takes appropriate action such as talking the subscriber through the problem, summoning emergency medical service (EMS), or dispatching a neighbor or other authorized person to check on the subscriber. The PERS architecture typically assumes a homebound subscriber (where "home" may be an individual residence, a group residence, an apartment, an assisted care facility, or so forth). In this architecture, the speakerphone console is connected with a telephone line (i.e. landline) thus providing a secure physical connection to the PERS call center.
A disadvantage of this architecture is that the PERS is only usable when the subscriber is in his or her residence. Another disadvantage is that the telephone line to which the speakerphone console is connected is preferably a dedicated line, which introduces additional installation costs and monthly telephone company fees. If the speakerphone console is instead connected to a telephone line that is also used by the subscriber and others in the residence for telephone calls or the like, then the possibility exists that the telephone line may be busy at the time the subscriber initiates an emergency call.
The following discloses a new and improved systems and methods that address the above referenced issues, and others.


A mounting structure for mounting to a vehicle body having oppositely disposed strut towers includes right and left suspension assemblies, a cradle operatively connected therebetween, a vehicle engine and transmission mounted on the cradle and guide means provided on each of the suspension assemblies. The mounting structure is adapted to being mounted as a unit into the vehicle body with the guide means guiding the suspension assemblies into engagement with the respective oppositely disposed strut towers, and suitable fasteners for securing the suspension assemblies to the strut towers. Each strut tower includes outer and inner interconnected, spaced apart wall members separated by support spacers, with a plurality of aligned openings formed through the outer and inner spaced apart wall members, a pair of guide openings formed in the inner wall member, and an opening formed through the outer and inner wall members' central portion. The suspension system includes a wishbone-shaped upper control arm pivotally connected at its opposite ends to the bushings, an A-shaped lower control arm pivotally connected at its opposite ends to the cradle, and a cast metal bracket operatively connected to the upper control arm, with the guide means formed thereon and the fasteners secured thereto.

Heretofore, vehicle suspension systems have generally either been assembled onto the vehicle in various parts, or individual right and left assemblies have been pre-assembled and then mounted as individual assemblies onto a vehicle body. Examples of such arrangements are Kami et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,583,759, Kakimoto et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,810,002, Murakami U.S. Pat. No. 4,875,703, Smith U.S. Pat. No. 4,813,704, Hewko et al U.S. Pat. No. 5,087,229, Komatsu et al U.S. Pat. No. 5,087,074, Finn U.S. Pat. No. 4,377,298. Of these, the Hewko et al and Finn arrangements are attached both to a strut tower and a frame element. The strut tower of Hewko et al includes three interconnected, spaced apart wall members.
Hayashi et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,750,755 discloses a mounting structure for mounting a suspension on a vehicle body, including a sheet metal bracket having bolts for securing the bracket to the body.

Mounting structure of a front suspension system


Distortion in a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) is eliminated by adding a digital random number to each sample of the digital signal, converting the sum into analog form, and subtracting from this analog sum the analog counterpart of the digital random number. The result is the analog counterpart to the input digital signal. The conversation of the summed digital signal and the random number into analog form can be performed by two conventional DACs. For any digital input sample, the output of each DAC is equally likely to contain any of the possible distortion errors produced by the DAC. (An exception is the most significant output bit of the DAC that processes the summed signal, an exception that may be handled by stripping off the most significant bit and applying it to a one-bit DAC.) The error signal at the output of each of the two DACs is thus a random sequence (i.e. noise) of DAC distortion errors. The time average of this noise signal is a small offset error which, if desired, can be removed by subsequent processing stages.

Digital-to-analog converters (DACs) find application in myriad electronic applications. In some applications, it is important that the conversion from digital to analog be highly accurate. Exemplary are signal analysis instruments that must produce highly accurate analog excitation signals from corresponding digital signal data. In most such applications, conversion errors that are a function of the input digital data (hereafter referred to as distortion) are much more important than errors that are uncorrelated (hereafter referred to as noise). The noise portion of any conversion error can always be reduced by averaging the waveform over time. The distortion portion of the error, however, cannot.
To achieve low distortion D/A conversion, resort must usually be made to precision DACs that have been fabricated with finely matched components. An alternative approach is to quantify the distortion error of a particular converter at all possible input signal conditions and then to implement a correction circuit that compensates for the circuit's known error. Both approaches, however, are expensive and unsuitable for large volume production.
The present invention achieves accuracy comparable to that achieved with the precision approaches, but employs readily available off-the-shelf components.
According to the present invention, the input signal to be applied to a conventional DAC is first processed so that its value is uncorrelated with that of the unprocessed input signal. This processing can be effected by adding a digital random, or pseudorandom number to the input digital signal. The digital random number is then converted into analog form by a first DAC, and the processed sum is converted into analog form by a second DAC. An analog subtraction circuit then subtracts the analog version of the random number from the analog version of the processed sum. The difference is the analog counterpart to the original digital input signal.
For any digital input sample, the output of the first DAC is equally likely to contain any of the possible distortion errors produced by that DAC. The same is true for the output of all except the most significant bit of the second DAC. The most significant bit has some correlation to the input signal. To segregate the effects of this bit, it is desirably stripped off and applied to a third, one-bit DAC. This leaves the outputs of the first and second DACs both uncorrelated with the original digital input signal, meaning their output error signals are random sequences (i.e. noise) composed of DAC distortion errors. The ensemble of this noise signal is a small constant, termed an offset error. If desired, this small offset error can be removed by subsequent processing stages.
The foregoing and additional features and advantages of the present invention will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description thereof, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying Figure.

Random number dither circuit for digital-to-analog output signal linearity


A local wireless signal receiving apparatus using digital RF processing technology including: a receiving digital RF processor receiving an RF signal and detecting an IF signal from the received RF signal; a zero-crossing signal detector detecting a zero-crossing signal from the detected IF signal, and converting the detected zero-crossing signal into a digital signal; and a receiving signal processor converting the digital signal into a local wireless signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a local wireless signal transmitting/receiving technique using digital radio frequency (RF) processing, and more particularly, to a local wireless signal transmitting/receiving apparatus and method using digital RF processing technology, applied to a transmitting/receiving system for local wireless communication to convert a local wireless signal to be transmitted into an RF signal through digital RF processing, transmit the RF signal, detect an intermediate frequency (IF) signal from an external RF signal, convert the detected IF signal into a digital signal, and then convert the digital signal into a processable local wireless signal.
2. Background of the Related Art
Wireless communications capable of replacing wired communications have been developed and local wireless communication such as Bluetooth, Zigbee, ultra wide band (UWB), and infrared data association (IrDA) among the wireless communications is actively developed.
The local wireless communication has low power consumption and makes it possible to implement inexpensive products, distinguished from general wireless communication, and thus the local wireless communication comes into the spotlight as the best solution to various low-speed local communication such as intelligent home network, building and industrial equipment automation, distribution, environment monitoring, human interface, telematics and military administration and ubiquitous networking environments.
Accordingly, devices connected to a local wireless communication system transmit/receive local wireless signals using RF signals, in general. Thus, the devices require transmitting/receiving devices for local wireless signals and AD/DA converters for converting RF signals corresponding to analog signals into digital signals.
However, when AD/DA converters are mounted in an RF signal transmitting/receiving apparatus, the power consumption and volume of the RF signal transmitting/receiving apparatus increase.
Since most small-size devices including cellular phones have been developed to achieve miniaturization and low power consumption design in recent years, a technique of minimizing the number of components of a transmitting/receiving device included in the small-size devices to decrease the volume and power consumption of the transmitting/receiving device is required.

Local wireless signal transmitting/receiving apparatus and method using digital radio frequency processing technology


A sensor assembly for a water softening system and includes a first treatment tank having a first valve assembly, a first flow meter and a sensor probe, a second treatment tank having a second valve assembly and a second flow meter and a brine tank independently connected to each of the first treatment tank and the second treatment tank. A controller is configured for communicating with the sensor probe and the first flow meter in the first treatment tank, and the second flow meter in the second treatment tank.

The present invention relates generally to fluid treatment systems, such as water treatment systems including water softeners, and more particularly to a sensor assembly for a water softener system. It is recognized that many aspects of the present invention can be applied to other types of fluid treatment systems, such as filtering or de-ionizing systems.
Water softeners are well known in the art and typically include a raw water source, a treatment tank containing an ion exchange resin, a brine tank containing a brine solution, and a control valve for directing fluids between the source, the tanks and a drain or other output.
Water softening occurs by running water through the ion exchange resin, which replaces the calcium and magnesium cations in the water with sodium cations. As the ion exchange process continues, the resin eventually loses its capacity to soften water and must be replenished with sodium cations. The process by which the calcium and magnesium ions are removed, the capacity of the ion exchange resin to soften water is restored, and the sodium ions are replenished is known as regeneration.
During regeneration, brine, a concentrated or saturated salt solution, is passed through the ion exchange resin and the cations in the resin are replaced with sodium ions. Regeneration is a multi-step process incorporating a number of cycles, specifically, backwash, brine draw, rinse and refill cycles.
Typically, water softener systems include a treatment tank and a brine tank regulated by a single controller. Accordingly, when more than one treatment tank is desired (i.e., for enabling continuous servicing of the system, or for commercial or large residential applications), supplementary controllers are necessary for each additional treatment tank. Such applications increase manufacture cost of the system and the eventual cost to the user or consumer.

Sensor assembly for controlling water softener tanks