Process for detecting the phenomenon of fluorescence in a microscope, wherein the sample is irradiated by a modulated and/or pulsed laser light source, and the fluorescence is detected at least in two different phase positions of the detector.

1. Field of the Invention
The process that is presented relates to confocal and 2-photon fluorescence microscopy as described by M. Gxc3x6ppert-Mayer, Ann. Physik 9, 273 (1931) and T. Wilson, Theory and Practice of Scanning Optical Microscopy (Academic Press, 1984). Both methods are assumed to be known.
Both confocal fluorescence microscopy and 2-photon microscopy are modified by the method described below to the extent that an additional contrast parameter is possible: the fluorescence lifetime.
2. Related Art
Temporal resolved fluorescence and/or the use of the lifetime as a contrast parameter in confocal/2-photon microscopy can be carried out by two different methodsxe2x80x94by time domain detection and frequency domain detection.
In the case of time domain detection (described in Published patent application DE 41 04 014 of Wabnitz, entitled xe2x80x9cMethod for Determining the Calcium Concentration in Cellsxe2x80x9d; and in Patent DE 36 14 359 C2 of Grxc3x6bler, entitled xe2x80x9cDevice for the Analysis and Imaging of Real Time Intensity of Fluorescence Radiation resulting from Point-by-Point Excitation of a Preparation by means of Laser Lightxe2x80x9d) a fluorescent sample is excited so as to produce fluorescence by means of a pulsed light source, and the fluorescence emission is detected with time resolution either by means of time correlated single photon counting (TCSPC)(described in Patent WO 98/09154 to Mxc3xcller et al., entitled xe2x80x9cSystem for Differentiating Fluorescing Molecular Groups by means of Time-Resolved Fluorescence Measurementxe2x80x9d; and in Published patent application DE 42 31 477 A1 of Han, entitled xe2x80x9cMethod for Optical Sorting of Plastics by means of Time-Resolved Laser Spectroscopyxe2x80x9d) or by means of time gated detection (described by H. Schneckenburger et al., xe2x80x9cTime-Gated H. Microscopic Imaging and Spectroscopy in Medical Diagnosis and Photobiology,xe2x80x9d Optical Engineering 33 (8) 2600 (1994); R. Cubeddu et al., xe2x80x9cA Real Time System for Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging,xe2x80x9d SPIE 2976 (1997) 98; and K. Dowling et al., xe2x80x9cTwo Dimensional Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging using a 5 kHz/110 ps Gated Image Intensifierxe2x80x9d (www.kentech.co.uk/pdf_files/K_Dowling_et_al.pdf)).
In the case of frequency domain detection, a fluorescent sample or preparation is excited with a light source that is either actively modulated or pulsed (for example, by means of passive mode coupling). Since any arbitrary modulation of the excitation by means of a Fourier analysis breaks down into sinusoidal components, the observation of a sinusoidal excitation is adequate. The frequency domain detection technique is based on the delay of the fluorescence emission by a phase f and a change in the modulation depth M compared with the excitation light as a function of the modulation frequency xcfx89(=2 xcfx80fmod) and the lifetime xcfx84.
xcfx86=a tan(xcfx89xcfx84)xe2x80x83xe2x80x83(1)
                    M        =                  1                                    1              +                                                ω                  2                                                                  τ                  2                                                                                (        2        )
However, the resulting fluorescence signal, oscillated with the modulation frequency, is out of phase and demodulated. For typical fluorescence lifetimes ranging from xcfx84=1 . . . 10 ns, modulation frequencies ranging from fmod=10 . . . 100 MHZ are adequate.
Since it generally does not make any sense to scan the fluorescence signal at such high modulation frequencies, a frequency mixing process is used to detect the signal. For mixing, any detection element with a modulatable amplification is suitable.
In essence two methods are distinguishedxe2x80x94the homodyne and the heterodyne detection techniques.
To understand the principle, one observes generally two xe2x80x9csignalsxe2x80x9d S1, S2, (where, for example S1 is modulated excitation, and S2 is modulated amplification).
S1=A0+A1 cos(xcfx89at+xcex1)
S2=B0+B1 cos(xcfx89bt+xcex2)xe2x80x83xe2x80x83(3)
Multiplication results in:
S1S2=A0B0+A0B1 cos(wbt+b)+B0A1 cos(wat+a)+A1B1{cos((wawb)t+(a+b))+cos((wawb)t+(axe2x88x92b))}xe2x80x83xe2x80x83(4)
If xcfx89a=xcfx89b (homodyne), the second harmonic and a frequency independent component are generated by the mixing process of the xe2x80x9csignalsxe2x80x9d S1 and S2. A low pass filter results in a suppression of the components at xcfx89a and 2xcfx89a. Only the DC background and the phase dependent DC component are detected. The signal, filtered by means of a low pass (LP) filter, can be written as:
xe2x80x83LP(S1S2)=A0B0+A1B1cos(xcex1xe2x88x92xcex2)xe2x80x83xe2x80x83(5)
In the case of homodyne detection this frequency independent (DC) signal can be detected in multiple relative phases. To measure the fluorescence lifetime, at least 3 three different phase positions are necessary. At just two relative phase positions, the phase shift or the demodulation, induced by the fluorescence lifetime, can be used as the contrast parameter (as described by P. C. Schneider et al., xe2x80x9cRapid Acquisition, Analysis and Display of Fluorescence Lifetime Resolved Images for Real time Applications, xe2x80x9d Rev. Sci. Instrum. 68 (11) 4107 (1997) (hereafter, xe2x80x9cSchneider et al.xe2x80x9d)).
If xcfx89b=xcfx89a+Dw (heterodyne), the mixing process generates a high frequency signal at the total frequency and a signal at the cross correlation frequency xcex94xcfx89. Again the high frequency components are suppressed by a low pass filter.
LP(S1S2)=A0B0+A1B1 cos(xcex94xcfx89t+xcex1xe2x88x92xcex2)xe2x80x83xe2x80x83(6)
In the case of heterodyne detection, the differential frequency xcex94xcfx89 is detected. Phase position and modulation depth of the signal at the differential frequency make it possible to determine the lifetime. Typical cross correlation frequencies range a few Hz up to about 100 kHz.
A more comprehensive presentation of the heterodyne method can be found in the publication by E. Gratton et al., xe2x80x9cA Continuously Variable Frequency Cross Correlation Phase Fluorometer with Picosecond Resolution,xe2x80x9d Biophys. J. 44 (1983) 315 (hereinafter, xe2x80x9cGrattonxe2x80x9d), and xe2x80x9cMultifrequency Phase and Modulation Fluorometer, xe2x80x9d Ann. Rev. Biophys. Bioeng. 13 (1984) 105 (hereinafter, xe2x80x9cGratton 2xe2x80x9d).
In both the homodyne and heterodyne detection technique the high frequency change is reflected, so to speak, on the low frequency range.
Owing to the multi-exponential decay behavior of the fluorescence emission, the lifetimes, determined from the modulation depth and the phase shift, vary. Therefore, for precise measurement of the lifetime, the excitation frequency has to be varied as described by Gratton 2.
If, in contrast, the lifetime is supposed to be used, for example, as a contrast parameter in an imaging process, this is generally not necessary. Frequently it suffices, for example, to show the phase shift or the demodulation by means of the lifetime or by means of the lifetime, calculated from the phase shift and demodulation data, at a fixed modulation frequency.

Method for detecting fluorescence phenomena in microscope


Lightweight self-healing composites comprise region-specific microstructures that dampen ballistic energy wherein the region-specific microstructures include at least one semi-crystalline thermoplastic and at least one nanoparticle nucleating agent. The distinctive region-specific microstructures allow the composites to dissipate high frequency and high amplitude shock wave into heat and reassemble itself into its original microstructure through reversible compression and decompression cycles. The region-specific microstructures comprise soft regions, comprised of highly polymeric entangled chains and hard regions, comprised of lamellae or spherullites anchored onto nanoparticle nucleating agents. The soft regions can trap the incoming energy shock wave while the hard regions provide the anchor sites, to allow the entangled chains to remain in place upon encountering ballistic impact. The anti-ballistic composites can be made in a monolithic form and do not significantly degrade under repeated fire.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention generally relates to lightweight self-healing composites comprised of region-specific microstructures and methods for their manufacture and, in particular, to lightweight self-healing composites which used in anti-ballistic applications.
2. Background of the Invention
The drive towards designing the "high-tech" solider and combat vehicle is fueling development of new material technologies that rival the revolution in materials seen during World War II, when the modern plastics industry was created. The primary function of anti-ballistic armor is to impede projectile penetration and to quickly diffuse the impact energy. To date anti-ballistic materials are primarily made from steel, high strength woven fibers including Spectra®, Kevlar®, Innegra-S® and Dyneema®, and ceramics of differing compositions.
In most cases, except for anti-ballistic steel, these commercially available products are woven, or in the case of Dyneema®, non-woven, in various configurations. Fibers are usually combined with other substrates, different in composition, to produce the final anti-ballistic material. The final products produced are composites of layers of anti-ballistic fabrics and substrates. These substrates include ceramic, steel, fiberglass, and in some cases thermoplastic materials as well as fiber cement board. Fabrics alone are not used as armor in high impact ballistic scenarios. Anti-ballistic steel is heavy and difficult to form, although it can be monolithic in form, not requiring secondary substrate layers. Some forms fuse two different types of steel of differing hardness as taught in U.S. Pat. No. 7,520,205, in any case they add to the armor's weight.
Ceramics are brittle in general and tend to degrade with multiple ballistic impacts requiring substrates to add to their integrity. Some are incased in thermoplastics or thermoset polymers to keep fragments of ceramic materials contained. Typical examples are described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,216,579, U.S. Pat. No. 6,389,594, and U.S. Pat. No. 7,603,939.
All current anti-ballistic materials are expensive and in most cases heavy. It is believed what is needed is a monolithic composite material that is easily formed, does not degrade under repeated fire, and is inexpensive to produce.


An apparatus for balancing consumption of random data, comprising an entropy manager operable to: responsive to receipt of a request for random data, monitor one or more events associated with a plurality of entities and access one or more rules; determine whether a higher level of entropy associated with the random data is required by analyzing the one or more events in accordance with the one or more rules; responsive to a determination that a higher level of entropy is not required, set an entropy state associated with the entropy to a lower level of entropy and obtain random data from an entropy source having a lower level of entropy; and responsive to a determination that a higher level of entropy is required, switch an entropy state associated with the entropy to a higher level of entropy and obtain random data from an entropy source having a higher level of entropy.

Random numbers are often used in generating appropriate security parameters in a computer system. In some computer systems, entropy is added to a system that generates random numbers in order to generate differing sequences of random numbers. Entropy is a measure of the uncertainty associated with a random number. Further, entropy is a useful measurement for data used in seeding a random number generator, wherein typically, a high level of entropy leads to a stronger random number generator.
Often, data with a high level of entropy is a scarce resource. For example in some systems, high entropy data requires time to gather; e.g., by monitoring a network or disk. This means that if there is a demand for high entropy data there can sometimes be a delay whilst data is gathered to meet the demand.
Generally speaking, server virtualization describes a software abstraction that separates a physical resource and its use from the underlying physical machine. Most physical resources, such as processors, storage devices, and network adaptors, can be abstracted and provisioned as virtualized entities.
Virtual machines (VMs) play a central role in server virtualization. A VM is a virtualization of a physical machine and its hardware components. A VM typically includes a virtual processor, a virtual system memory, and various virtual devices. A single physical machine can host multiple VMs. Guest operating systems can be executed on VMs and function as though executing on actual hardware of a physical machine.
A hypervisor or virtual machine manager provides an interface between VMs and the underlying hardware of a physical machine. By multiplexing all accesses to the underlying hardware among various VMs, a hypervisor guarantees various VMs the usage of the actual hardware, such as processors, system memory, etc., of the physical machine.
FIG. 1 depicts a block diagram of a prior art system (100) comprising a server computer (105) having a number of VMs (110, 120 and 130) each associated with a secure function; e.g., a virtual Trusted Platform Module (VTPM) (115, 125 and 135) as specified by the Trusted Computing Group (TCG) wherein trust within a system or trust between a system and another entity is based on a VTPM. The server (105) supports a hypervisor (140), wherein a virtual machine and its associated VTPM is powered-on by the hypervisor (140). The server (105) also comprises an entropy pool (145) comprising the data used in seeding a random number generator associated with each VTPM. The random generator is used for e.g., RSA key generation and nonces for communications. The hypervisor provides an interface between VMs (110, 120 and 130) and the underlying hardware of a physical machine (150), which includes processors (155) and system memory (160).
When a VM is required to start, the hypervisor (140) begins boot of the VM (e.g., a first VM (110)) and its associated VTPM (e.g., a first VTPM (115)). The first VTPM (115) begins its initialization and performs self-test routines (e.g., self-tests of its algorithms, such as, ensuring that it can generate an RSA key) as part of the initialization, reporting the results of its self-tests to its associated first VM (110) at the request of the first VM (110).
With reference to FIG. 2, as part of the first VTPM's (115) self-test, the first VTPM (115) invokes TPM emulation software (200) to self-test. TPM emulation software (200) of the first VTPM (115) executes routines associated with cryptographic support software (205) in order to complete its self-test. Before the cryptographic support software (205) can begin execution, the cryptographic support software (205) must also initialize. As part of the initialization, data from the entropy pool (145) is required to be loaded such that the routines associated with cryptographic support software (205) can be executed. VTPMs require a good quality seed to ensure that the random numbers generated are of high-quality to prevent certain types of attack.
The cryptographic support software (205) makes a request for the data by contacting the hypervisor (140). In response to receiving the request, the hypervisor (140) checks the entropy pool (145) to determine whether the entropy pool (145) contains enough data having a high level of entropy. If the entropy pool (145) does not contain enough data having a high level of entropy, a delay occurs whilst data is gathered to replenish the entropy pool (145). If the entropy pool (145) does contain enough data, the hypervisor (140) returns data to the cryptographic support software (205) such that the data can be used as a seed for a random generator, and the resulting random number can be used for the routines associated with cryptographic support software (205). The cryptographic support software (205) can complete its self-test and control is returned to the TPM emulation software (200) which continues processing—during this processing, the TPM emulation software (200) can make further calls to the cryptographic support software (205) in order to test further cryptographic functions, that is, the TPM emulation software (200) can continue to determine whether it can service (when requested) the first VM (110). Once such processing is complete, the TPM emulation software (200) is operable to record self-test data in an internal status area which can be retrieved when the first VM (110) makes contact. When the components of the first VTPM (115) have finished their self tests, the first VTPM (115) awaits contact from the first VM (110).
It should be understood that if several VMs power-on at once (and thus, if several associated VTPMs also boot at once), each VTPM will need to consume data from the entropy pool. This may starve the entropy pool, resulting in one or more of the VTPMs stalling, waiting for the data to be replenished—this in turn halts the boot of a stalled VTPM's associated VM. As it may take several seconds or even several minutes to replenish the entropy pool, this delay may be unacceptable to enterprises.

International Business Machines Corporation


Olefinic feedstocks may be oligomerized to form desired oligomers containing a preferred configuration which, in the instant case, is a linear product, by utilizing certain catalytic compositions of matter. The particular catalyst composite which will form a higher percentage of linear products comprises a porous support having composited thereon a catalytically effective amount of an iron group metal and a metal of Group IVA of the Periodic Table along with an alkyl aluminum halide and mercaptan. In addition, if so desired, the catalyst composite will also contain in combination therewith an aluminum alkoxy compound and an aluminum halide.

The oligomerization of olefins is known in the art, such oligomerization processes being effected by treating olefinic hydrocarbons with certain catalysts to obtain various oligomers which will find a useful function in the chemical art. One type of catalyst which may be employed for this particular type of reaction comprises a supported metal compound. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,562,351 discloses a method for dimerizing olefins utilizing a supported catalyst which has been prepared by impregnating a suitable support with a salt solution of a Group VIII metal followed by a heat treatment in an inert atmosphere at a temperature less than that which is required to form a metal oxide but which will form a complex on the surface of the solid support. Following this, the catalyst is activated by treatment with an organometallic compound. U.S. Pat. No. 3,483,269 describes a catalyst useful for oligomerizing lower olefins which comprises a .zeta.-allyl nickel halide supported on an acidic inorganic oxide support. If so desired, the support may have been optionally treated with an alkyl aluminum compound. U.S. Pat. No. 3,592,869 also describes a catalyst which is useful for the oligomerization of olefins. A divalent nickel compound and an alkyl aluminum compound are contacted with an olefinic compound. The resulting mixture is then used to impregnate an inorganic refractory oxide support. Another patent, namely U.S. Pat. No. 3,644,564, describes a catalyst for the oligomerization of ethylene which comprises an organo aluminum-free reaction product of a nickel compound which is an atom of nickel in complex with an olefinically unsaturated compound and fluorine-containing ligand. The catalysts are typically formed in situ. U.S. Pat. No. 3,679,772 describes a process for reacting monoolefins with diolefins, the catalyst for such a reaction comprising a complex of (1) nickel, (2) a group VA electron donor ligand such as an organophosphine, (3) a nonprotonic Lewis acid and (4) a reducing agent which itself may be a Lewis acid, all of which are composited on an acidic silica-based support.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,697,617 describes an oligomerization process involving the use of a catalyst comprising a complex of nickel with a chloro-containing electron donor ligand such as chlorodiphenylphosphine combined with a nonprotonic Lewis acid which is capable of forming a coordination bond with nickel and a reducing agent capable of reducing nickel acetylacetonate to an oxidation state less than 2. This complex may be composited on a solid support comprising an acidic silica-based material such as silica-alumina. The Lewis acid and the reducing agent may comprise the same compound as, for example, ethyl aluminum sesquichloride. U.S. Pat. No. 3,663,451 describes a catalyst which is obtained by reacting a transition metal halide such as nickel halide with a carrier to give a carrier-metal bond. This product is then reacted with a ligand such as a phosphine or ketone and finally activated by treatment with an aluminum alkyl or chloro alkyl.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,755,490 describes the polymerization of an olefin utilizing a catalyst comprising nickel, a Group VA electron donor ligand, a Lewis acid, and a reducing agent on a solid acidic silica-based support. U.S. Pat. No. 3,954,668 is drawn to an oligomerization catalyst comprising a nickel compound, a chloro-containing electron donor ligand, or a phosphorus compound, a nonprotonic Lewis acid reducing agent which is capable of reducing nickel acetylacetonate to an oxidation state of less than 2 and which is also capable of forming a coordination bond with a nickel. U.S. Pat. No. 3,170,904 speaks to a catalyst which is useful for polymerization comprising a large surface area metal of Groups VIIA or VIII of the Periodic Table, boron trifluoride etherate, an organometallic compounds of Groups I, II, III or IV or a halo derivative of an organometallic compound of Groups II, III or IV or a hydride of a metal of Groups I, II or III. The large surface area metal which comprises one component of this catalyst is in metallic form as, for example, Raney nickel. If so desired, the catalyst may be composited on a diatomaceous earth carrier. In like manner, U.S. Pat. No. 3,170,906 discloses a catalyst which comprises (A) a carrier-supported nickel or cobalt oxide which has been prepared by impregnating the carrier with the hydroxide, organic acid salt, inorganic acid salt, followed by oxidation in the presence of oxygen or a combination of nitrogen and oxygen; (B) a boron, titanium, zirconium, or vanadium halide; and (C) an alkyl metal or alkyl metal halide. In addition to these patents, British Patent 1,390,530 describes an oligomerization catalyst which has been prepared by thermally pretreating a metal oxide carrier material followed by reacting with a halogen-containing organo-aluminum compound and thereafter in a step-wise fashion, impregnating this product with a divalent nickel or cobalt complex at temperatures ranging from -50.degree. to 150.degree. C.
Several other patents which describe oligomerization or polymerization catalysts which are unsupported in nature or processes include Japanese Patent 5024282 which is drawn to a catalyst containing a Group VIII metal and tin chloride or zinc chloride as well as Japanese Patent 4722206 which describes an unsupported catalyst prepared by mixing a nickel compound, an aluminum organic compound and a tin tetrahalide. U.S. Pat. No. 3,155,642 describes an unsupported catalyst prepared from an alkyl tin compound and aluminum chloride in addition to a nickel or cobalt compound for the polymerization of a dienic compound. U.S. Pat. No. 3,155,642 also describes an unsupported catalyst comprising a nickel carboxylate, a halide of a metal of Group IV or V and an organoaluminum compound containing at least one alkoxy radical, said catalyst being used for the polymerization of cis-1,4-polybutadiene. Likewise, U.S. Pat. No. 3,457,321 describes an unsupported catalyst prepared from a complex organic compound of a metal of Group VIII, a reducing agent and a tin tetraalkyl compound. Furthermore, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,483,268 and 3,505,425 are also drawn to unsupported catalysts, the former showing a catalyst comprising nickel acetyl acetonate, an organonickel compound, and an activating agent of an aluminum alkyl alkoxide or aluminum trialkyl while the latter is drawn to a process for preparing this catalyst. British Patent 1,123,474 likewise teaches a process for preparing linear dimers using a catalyst comprising a complex organic compound of a metal of a Group VIII and a tin tetraalkyl compound.
In addition to the patents previously discussed another U.S. Pat., namely U.S. Pat. No. 4,757,042, relates to a catalyst for the oligomerization of olefins. The catalyst which is discussed in this patent comprises a complex of nickel or palladium, certain fluoro-organo sulfur ligands and an organo-metallic reducing agent. The fluoro-organo sulfur compounds or ligands comprises either fluoro-organo thiol or fluoro-organo sulfides, these compounds containing from 1 to about 20 fluoro substituents on the organo portion of the ligand. The catalyst is prepared by contacting the fluoro-organo thiol or fluoro-organo sulfide complexing agent with nickel or palladium or a salt thereof in an organic medium. Following this, the fluorothiol nickel or fluorothiol palladium complex is then admixed with a reducing agent to form the desired catalyst.
As will hereinafter be shown in greater detail the oligomerization of olefins to provide products which possess a minimal branching of the resultant chain may be accomplished by treating the olefinic hydrocarbons in the presence of the catalyst of the present invention, said catalyst maintaining its activity and stability, along with an increased amount of linear products at the expense of dior other polysubstituents on the chain, for a relatively lengthy period of time even in the presence of certain impurities or poisons in the feedstock.

Process for the oligomerization of olefins and a catalyst thereof


A load-absorbing device initiates load forces such as cable forces or tensioning forces of sheet-shaped structures into supporting structures (10). At least one bearing element (24, 80) is anchored on supporting structure (10). A tie rod (40) of a load-absorbing part (36, 40) is connected to the bearing element. A connection device (50) for tension members (16; 98) cooperates with the tie bar (40). The connection device (50) has at least one connection wing (66) projecting laterally from the longitudinal axis (A) and forming at least one connection point (69a) offset with respect to the longitudinal axis (A).

Modern architecture has increasingly incorporated concepts of load-bearing structures, where planar elements, such as tent-like or umbrella-like coverings that form, as a textile building material, part of a load-bearing structure. Such structures are anchored or erected on support systems, for example, steel supports. To form the respective elements form space-creating structures of a desired architectural design, the respective suitable introduction of load forces, in particular, the tensioning or bearing cable forces, is a crucial factor. To avoid distortions of the desired architectural design, the surface elements are conventionally braced on a plurality of connecting points. A corresponding plurality of tensioning members, such as tensioning cables must be attached to a corresponding number of load-absorbing devices. This arrangement leads to considerable installation effort, especially since pertinent bearing elements may not be comfortably accessible on the support system of the supporting structure, such as, for example, supports, with varying inclination.

Load-absorbent device for introducing load forces such as cable forces or tensioning forces of sheet-like structures


The present disclosure discloses an encapsulation system and an encapsulation method, the encapsulation system including a thickness detection unit, an output control unit and an energy output unit, the thickness detection unit being connected with the output control unit, and the output control unit being connected with the energy output unit. The thickness detection unit is configured to detect a thickness of an encapsulant at a to-be-heated location in a component to be encapsulated and generate corresponding thickness information. The output control unit is configured to generate corresponding output control information depending on the thickness information. The energy output unit is configured to output, depending on the output control information, to the encapsulant at the to-be-heated location energy for heating the encapsulant.

As a new type of display device, an organic light-emitting display device (OLED) boasts an excellent color saturation and a wide visual angle. However, since organic light-emitting materials in the OLED are sensitive to various ambient factors (such as moisture and oxygen), it is necessary to isolate the organic light-emitting materials gas-tightly from the ambient environment, and the organic light-emitting materials are generally isolated gas-tightly from the ambient environment by encapsulation.
In the prior art, the encapsulation of an organic light-emitting material is carried out as follows: firstly, forming one or more layers of the organic light-emitting material on a first substrate (comprising thin film transistors and electrodes) while forming a closed path on a second substrate with frit in the form of a paste (the area enclosed by the closed path is sufficient to accommodate the organic light-emitting material formed on the first substrate); then heating the second substrate with frit provided thereon in an oven to sinter it (also called "pre-sintering") such that the frit is integrated with the second substrate; further then cell-aligning the first substrate with the second substrate to form a glass component, where the frit is located between the two substrates and the organic light-emitting material is located within the area enclosed by the closed path formed by the frit; finally, heating the frit in the glass component to make it soft and then cool it, thereby achieving sealing of the organic light-emitting material by using the first substrate, the second substrate and the frit.
At present, requirements for water-proof and oxygen-proof parameters of an organic light-emitting display device include: the permeability to oxygen is required to be smaller than 10-3 cc/m2/day, and the permeability to water is required to be smaller than 10-6 g/m2/day. However, a product manufactured according to a current encapsulation process can hardly satisfy the above parameter requirements. The reason lies in that, in the current encapsulation procedure, after process parameters of the encapsulation process have been set, the encapsulation will be carried out in light of the preset process parameters of the encapsulation procedure despite the actual state of the frit. In practical production, since the frit has different thicknesses at different parts of the substrate (the thickness of the frit in a marginal area is greater than that in a central area), if it is processed in light of the preset process parameters of the encapsulation procedure, part of the frit will not sufficiently melt, which may give rise to bubbles in the frit when the frit is softened and thereby influence the sealing of the product. Moreover, there may be a certain deviation of location of the frit when it is coated, and since the related process parameters have been preset during the heating and melting process, it will be inevitable that the frit in the deviation location cannot be heated and melted, resulting in degraded sealing of the product.

Encapsulation system and method having variable output for heating encapsulant


A light source apparatus including a light source section including one or more solid light sources capable of emitting light of a predetermined wavelength band as incident light; a light outputting section including a light emitting body to be excited by incident light from the light source section and to emit visible light having a wavelength band longer than a wavelength of the incident light, the light outputting section being capable of emitting synthetic light containing light having the predetermined wavelength band and visible light from the light emitting body; and a housing holding the light source section and the light outputting section, the housing including an inlet and an outlet formed not to face a light path of the incident light from the light source section to the light outputting section.

In recent years, more and more products employ solid state light sources such as LEDs (Light Emitting Diode) and LDs (Laser Diode) instead of existing mercury lamps, xenon lamps, or the like, as light sources used for presentation or digital cinema projectors. A long-life fixed light source such as an LED does not need conventional replacement of lamps and lights up immediately at power-on, which are advantageous.
One type of such a projector employs a solid state light source as an excitation light source. A phosphor or the like is irradiated with light from a solid state light source as excitation light, and the phosphor or the like is used to display an image. For example, blue light, and red light and green light generated excited by the blue light as excitation light are used to display a color image.
For example, according to a light source apparatus of Patent Document 1, a phosphor wheel is irradiated with blue laser light as excitation light. The phosphor wheel includes a base and a phosphor layer formed thereon. The phosphor layer is irradiated with the excitation light, and yellow fluorescence is thus generated. The blue light and the yellow light emitted from the phosphor layer are synthesized, and white light is thus emitted (Patent Document 1, paragraphs [0028], [0029], etc.).
According to the disclosure of Patent Document 1, the phosphor wheel generates heat when it is irradiated with laser light. For example, if the phosphor wheel is irradiated with a larger amount of light to increase output of the light source apparatus, then the phosphor wheel generates a larger amount of heat. According to Patent Document 1, a predetermined position of the phosphor wheel is irradiated with excitation light while rotating the phosphor wheel to cool down the phosphor wheel. Further, by using a crystalline member such as crystal and sapphire having a higher thermal conductivity as the base of the phosphor wheel, cooling performance is increased (Patent Document 1, paragraphs [0005], [0006], etc.).
Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2012-173593

Light source apparatus and image display apparatus


The programming of a read-only memory formed of MOS transistors is set by a mask for forming an insulating layer prior to the forming of contacts of active regions of the transistors. The programming of the read-only memory cannot be determined by visible inspection of the memory.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to integrated circuits and, more specifically, to the non-volatile storage in an integrated circuit of a coding set on manufacturing of this circuit.
An example of application of the present invention relates to non-volatile read-only memories (ROM). Another example relates to logic interconnects within an integrated circuit.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
In many cases, there is a need to definitively code, on manufacturing of the integrated circuit, digital words in a memory or logic states conditioning the circuit operation. For this purpose, a ROM-type memory in which the coding is performed by interconnecting the drain and source of transistors forming the memory cells is generally used, so that the state read from the cell depends on the presence of this connection. The first metallization level of the structure is generally used to perform this programming.
A disadvantage of such a programming is that it is visible by analysis of the mask for forming the interconnection level, for example, by restoring of this mask from a circuit (reverse engineering).


For determining operational status of components of a wireless signal transmission environment, a signal is received from a client power receiver (CPR), and at least one waveform characteristic value of the signal is calculated. Based on the determined waveform characteristic value(s), a current transceiver system operational status is computed for the CPR at a current location. The determined current transceiver system operational status is compared with a prior-stored last known good transceiver system operational status for the CPR at the current location, and it is determined if, as a result of the comparing, the current transceiver system operational status matches the prior-stored last known good transceiver system operational status for the CPR at the current location. Determining a presence or an absence of the match facilitates identifying one of a presence and an absence of: functional problem(s) in: at least one of the transceiver system and the CPR.

Wireless communication and power transmission systems require functionality of both transmitters and receivers for continuous operation. Effective signal transmitting (Tx) and receiving (Rx) between such components may be limited to some degree by changes in a wireless environment that are caused by functional issues of associated transmitters, receivers, and other devices implementing signal Tx, Rx, and processing. A wireless environment may also include a variety of movable objects which block or diminish line-of-sight (LOS) signal paths between transmitters and receivers. Such dynamic changes in the environment are determinable by the wireless communication and power transmission system based on, for example, waveform characteristics of received signals. Waveform characteristics may also be altered due to functional issues occurring in signal Tx, Rx, and processing components. To restore full and continuous functionality in wireless communication and power transmission systems in as short of a time as possible, system identification of changes in waveforms, interruptions in signal Tx and Rx, and distinguishing between component functional issues and changes in non-functional aspects of the environment is required.
Accordingly, a need exists for technology that overcomes the problem demonstrated above, as well as one that provides additional benefits. The examples provided herein of some prior or related systems and their associated limitations are intended to be illustrative and not exclusive. Other limitations of existing or prior systems will become apparent to those of skill in the art upon reading the following Detailed Description.

Systems and methods for determining operational status of functional components of a wireless signal transmission environment


A first computer of a distributed computing system, which is an object-oriented enterprise based application server, receives a request for a transaction. The first computer generates a unique identifier for the transaction and associates an indicator with the transaction. The indicator indicates whether coordination of transaction processing can be performed by a second computer, of the distributed computing system, that is any application server apart from an object-oriented enterprise based application server. The first computer sends the unique identifier and the indicator to the second computer which enables the second computer to participate as the coordinator for the processing of that transaction if coordination of transaction processing is permitted to be performed by the second computer.

This disclosure relates generally to the field of transaction processing, and more specifically to the coordination of transaction processing in a hybrid Enterprise Information System (EIS) environment.
As application servers continue to develop, there is an increasing need to integrate Java® EE (Enterprise Edition) based applications and servers with non-Java® based applications and servers. In such situations, customers who are considering modernization or extension of traditional non-Java based applications often utilize the option of re-hosting the non-Java based application within a Java EE based application server using a Java Virtual Machine (JVM) environment. This propels the adaptation of new technologies for these non-Java applications by leveraging the features provided by the modern Java EE application server environment.
For customers who are considering modernization or extension of their systems and traditional non-Java based applications, an option of re-hosting them within Java EE application servers, based upon a JVM environment, is often available. However, such an approach becomes more complex and increasingly difficult in a cloud computing environment. Cloud computing architectures involving heterogeneous middleware environments such as a Java EE application server and traditional non-Java based application servers will have requirements for global transaction support, security, and other enterprise features across the Java and non-Java application environments. Because of the distributed nature of a global transaction, and the number of participants being involved, coordination in a global transaction can lead to significant complexities in a cloud computing environment. In addition, latency can be greatly impacted due to the many steps involved in coordination of different Enterprise Information Systems and database resources.


A film forming apparatus according to an embodiment includes: a film forming chamber configured to house therein a substrate to perform film forming processing; a gas supplier located in an upper part of the film forming chamber and configured to supply a process gas onto the substrate; and a heater configured to heat the substrate, wherein the film forming chamber has a temperature-increase suppression region being a lower part of the gas supplier and suppressing a temperature increase of the gas supplied to an upper part of the heater.

An epitaxial growth technique that enables to form a film by vapor-depositing a single crystal thin film on a substrate is conventionally used at a manufacturing step of a semiconductor element that requires a crystal film with a relatively large thickness, as a power device such as an IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor).
In a film forming apparatus used for the epitaxial growth technique, a substrate is placed inside a film forming chamber that is kept at a normal pressure or a reduced pressure and a source gas and a doping gas are supplied into the film forming chamber while the substrate is rotated and heated. Accordingly, a pyrolytic reaction and a hydrogen reduction reaction of the source gas occur on the surface of the substrate and an epitaxial film is formed on the substrate.
The source gas and the doping gas are introduced from a gas supplier that is provided in an upper part of the film forming apparatus. However, if the source gas or the doping gas stays near a supply port of the gas supplier and is heated, a source or a dopant adheres to the surface of the gas supplier. If the source or the dopant having adhered to the gas supplier becomes particles and falls on the substrate, a defect may occur. Furthermore, the dopant having adhered to the gas supplier gasifies in the film forming chamber even when the gases in the film forming chamber are discharged or the film forming chamber is purged. In this case, discharge of the gases or purge of the film forming chamber takes a long time.


A jolt control system is disclosed wherein an output torque alteration control is effected when an automatic transmission undergoes a gear shift operation and the output torque alteration control is suspended upon detecting a predetermined change in throttle opening degree of a throttle valve of an engine.

The present invention relates to a jolt control for a drive system including a prime mover with an accelerator pedal, and an automatic transmission.
An automatic transmission is shiftable between two gear positions by hydraulically activating friction elements selectively. The quality of a shift operation in the automatic transmission may be evaluated by inspecting a waveform of the transmission output torque. FIG. 12 shows in the fully drawn curve a a waveform of the transmission output torque which induces a substantial shift shock during a gear shift operation with the throttle valve kept at a constant throttle opening degree.
It is proposed in Japanese Patent Application Kikai No. 58-77138 to reduce shift shock during a gear shift operation by reducing the output torque of the prime mover during a gear shift operation. This proposal is intended to reduce the peak of the transmission output torque during the gear shift operation for shock reduction by reducing the output torque of the prime mover. In FIG. 12, a dotted lines curve b shows a waveform of the transmission output torque during the gear shift operation where the proposal above is applied.
When the accelerator pedal is released to decrease the throttle opening degree TH, as shown in FIG. 11, in the course of the torque-down operation for shock reduction, however, a torque drop c occurs due to an additional prime mover torque reduction, inducing an additional shock owing to a difference between the bottom of this torque drop c and the transmission output torque obtained after the gear shift operation.
An object of the present invention is to improve a jolt control system of the above kind such that the occurrence of an additional shock of the above kind is suppressed.


Optical touch switches are implemented based on the use of light total internal reflection and light scattering concepts. The optical touch switch basically consists of a light source, a light guide, a photodetector, and an electronic controller. The fingertip touching on the touching surface of the optical touch switch leads to the change in electrical current produced by the photodetector. As a result, the electronic control box senses this change of electrical current and allows the electrical load to stay at the desired state. Key advantages include ease of implementation, prevention of the light beam incident directly on the user""s eyes, and ability to accept both strong and weak mechanical forces from users.

Today, user interaction between machines and people is generally implemented by the use of conventional mechanical switches. Although the mechanical switch offers low cost, robustness, and reliability, it is not suitable, due to its mechanical moving parts that must move several millimeters, for some disabled people who cannot exert enough force to press on the switch. Another problem for the commonly used mechanical switch is that the user cannot see it at night and therefore an additional small light source is inserted in or placed along the side of some mechanical switches. The force problem in the mechanical switch can now be alleviated by using a touch switch based on surface acoustic wave technology [E. Dieulesaint, D. Royer, O. Legras, and A. Chaabi, xe2x80x9cAcoustic plate mode touch screen,xe2x80x9d Electronics Letters, Vol. 27, pp. 49-51, January 1991]. Another approach is to use a piezoelectric-based touch switch that gives a small output voltage for activating the desired electrical load when there is a mechanical force on the active area of the switch. However, a commercial piezoelectric-based touch switch requires a strong force of 3-5 Newtons and a specially designed electrical circuit to prevent a high output saturation voltage [Catalog RS Components, RS International Division, P. O. Box 99, Corby, Northants NN17 PRS, England, September 94-February ""95]. The need of using a weaker activating force can be accomplished by using capacitive-based touch switch technology [N. Platt, W. Schilling, B. Goetz, and U. Kreiter, xe2x80x9cTouch switch with flexible intermediate conductive spacer as sensor button,xe2x80x9d U.S. Pat. No. 5,917,165, Jun. 29, 1999]. Similar to the piezoelectric-based technology, this capacitive-based touch switch needs an additional electrical circuit to prevent the unwanted output voltage disturbance due to the electrostatic inductance change when the finger is approaching or touching the active area of the touch switch. Another type of touch switch is based on the use of resistive membranes that still need a typical contact movement of membrane in submillimeters in order to provide a reliable switching action and sufficient insulation between contacts [E. So, H. Zhang, and Y. -S. Guan, xe2x80x9cSensing contact with analog resistive technology,xe2x80x9d IEEE Conference on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics, Vol. 2, pp. 806-811, Japan, October 1999]. This level of mechanical movement in resistive touch switch technique also introduces a degree of wear-and-tear that limits the life of the touch switch. Furthermore, these touch switch technologies also require an additional light source embedded in the touch switch module in order to be able to use in the dark area. Hence, it would be highly desirable to have a touch switch structure where the contact switching concept is inherently based on the use of light beam.
Previously, two types of optical touch switch were proposed by means of light reflection [K. Friedrich, G. Straimer, and B. Godesberg, xe2x80x9cReflection type contactless touch switch having housing with light entrance and exit apertures opposite and facing,xe2x80x9d U.S. Pat. No. 3,621,268, Nov. 16, 1971] and light blocking methods [C. R. Fisber, xe2x80x9cOptical keyboard,xe2x80x9d U.S. Pat. No. 43,873,607, Jun. 7, 1983]. Nonetheless, the disadvantage of these previous optical touch switch structures is that more than one spatially fixed photodetectors are utilized to detect the optical beam reflected and scattered from the user""s finger. In addition, they are inappropriate for use in real life as the free-space propagating light beam emanating from the touching surface of the switch can easily hit the user""s eyes. Hence, to achieve a user-friendly optical touch switch, the present invention uses concepts of light total internal reflection (TIR) and light scattering to implement an optical touch switch. The key main idea comes from the fact that the evanescent optical field at the TIR surface can be coupled out when a component, whose refractive index is close to the index of refraction of the TIR material, is placed on the TIR surface. The scattered light is generated at this TIR surface as well. The TIR- and light scattering-based optical touch switch concepts offer several additional key advantages including ease of implementation, prevention of the light beam incident directly on the user""s eyes, and ability to accept both strong and weak mechanical activating forces. Note that since the discovery of TIR of light in 1800""s by John Tyndall [B. E. A. Saleh and M. C. Teich, Fundamentals of Photonics, John Wiley and Sons, 1991], the TIR principle has been employed in several applications including a fiber-optic communication system, an optical switch [S. K. Sheem, xe2x80x9cTotal internal reflection integrated-optics switch: a theoretical evaluation,xe2x80x9d Applied Optics, Vol. 17, No. 22, pp. 3679-3687, November 1979; R. I. MacDonald, xe2x80x9cDeflection optical matrix switch,xe2x80x9d U.S. Pat. No. 6,005,993, Dec. 21, 1999], an optical beam deflector [M. B. Chang, xe2x80x9cTotal internal reflection deflector,xe2x80x9d Applied Optics, Vol. 21, No. 21, pp. 3879-3883, November 1992], a fiber-optic hydrophone [W. B. Spillman Jr. and D. H. McMahon, xe2x80x9cFrustrated-total-internal-reflection multimode fiber-optic hydrophone,xe2x80x9d Applied Optics, Vol. 19, No. 1, pp. 113-117, January 1980], an interferometer [S. Sainov, V. Sainov, and G. Stoilov, xe2x80x9cInterferometer based on total internal reflection,xe2x80x9d Applied Optics, Vol. 34, No. 16, pp. 2848-2852, June 1995; W. Zhou and L. Cai, xe2x80x9cInterferometer for small-angle measurement based on total internal reflection,xe2x80x9d Applied Optics, Vol. 37, No. 25, pp. 5957-5963, September 1998], a fiber-optic sensor [K. Rahnavardy, V. Arya, A. Wang, and J. M. Weiss, xe2x80x9cInvestigation and application of the frustrated-total-internal-reflection phenomenon in optical fibers,xe2x80x9d Applied Optics, Vol. 36, No. 10, pp. 2183-2187, April 1997], the measurement of refractive index [H. Li and S. Xie, xe2x80x9cMeasurement method of the refractive index of biotissue by total internal reflection,xe2x80x9d Applied Optics, Vol. 35, No. 10, pp. 1793-1795, April 1996; M. -H. Chiu, J. -Y. Lee, and D. -C. Su, xe2x80x9cRefractive-index measurement based on the effects of total internal reflection and the uses of heterodyne interferometry,xe2x80x9d Applied Optics, Vol. 36, No. 13, pp. 2936-2939, May 1997], spectroscopy [J. S. Loring and D. P. Land, xe2x80x9cTheoretical determination of parameters for optimum surface specificity in overlayer attenuated-total-reflection infrared spectroscopy,xe2x80x9d Applied Optics, Vol. 37, No. 16, pp. 3515-3526, June 1998], a fingerprint input device [J. N. Monroe, xe2x80x9cFingerprint observation and recording apparatus,xe2x80x9d U.S. Pat. No. 3,527,535, Sep. 8, 1970], and microscopy [P. S. Carney and J. C. Schotland, xe2x80x9cThree-dimensional total internal reflection microscopy,xe2x80x9d Optics Letters, Vol. 26, No. 14, pp. 1072-1074, July 2001].
The present invention is directed to an optical touch switch being operated by contact that incorporates a light source for illuminating the optical touch switch module and giving the optical beam to sense the mechanical activating force applied on the touching surface of the optical touch switch; a light guide having at least one surface that the total internal reflection or light scattering can be generated; at least one photodetector for detecting light due to total internal reflection or light scattering phenomenon; imaging system for controlling the size of the optical beam and direction of light propagation; spatial filters for controlling the size of the optical beam and propagation direction of light as well as for suppressing the unwanted optical noise; and an electronic control box for sensing the change of electrical current produced by the photodetector and for controlling the electrical load connected at the output of the electronic control box.
In one embodiment of the optical touch switch, the light guide is a triangle prism. In another embodiment, the light guide is a Rhomboid prism. In another embodiment, the light guide is a Dove prism. In a further embodiment, the light guide is a penta prism or polyangle prism. In an even further embodiment, the light guide is a slab rectangular light guide made from plastic, glass, or polymer. In another embodiment, the light guide is an optical fiber made from glass, plastic, or polymer. Variations to the structure of the light guide include the light guide having at least one touching surface; the total internal reflection point along the touching surface of the light guide having at least one point; the position of light scattering along the touching surface of the light guide claim having at least one point; and the surface of the touching surface of the light guide being divided into a light diffusing area, a light blocking area, and a sensing area.
Optical touch switches are implemented based on the use of light total internal reflection and light scattering concepts. The optical touch switch basically consists of a light source, a light guide, a photodetector, and an electronic controller. The fingertip touching on the touching surface of the optical touch switch leads to the change in electrical current produced by the photodetector. As a result, the electronic control box senses this change of electrical current and allows the electrical load to stay at the desired state. Key advantages include ease of implementation, prevention of the light beam incident directly on the user""s eyes, and ability to accept both strong and weak mechanical forces from users.

National Science and Technology Development Agency


A graphical user interface in which object thumbnails are rendered in a three-dimensional environment and which exploits spatial memory. The objects may be moved, continuously, with a two-dimensional input device. Pop-up title bars may be rendered over active objects. Intelligent help may be provided to the user, as visual indicators, based on proximity clustering or based on matching algorithms. The simulated location of the object thumbnails in a direction orthogonal to the surface is based on function, such as a linear, polynomial, or exponential function for example, of one or more object properties, such as number of mouse clicks since selected, age, size, etc.

§1.1 Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns a user interface to objects, such as informational objects for example, which are stored on, or accessed via, a machine such as a computer for example. The present invention exploits the spatial memory of people and maps one or more parameters or properties of an object to a coordinate of a location of an object.
§1.2 Related Art
A brief history of user interfaces is provided below. First, known user interfaces are introduced in §1.2.1. Then, user interfaces which facilitate information access, rather than information processing, are introduced in §1.2.2. Finally, needs of users which have not yet been met by user interfaces are listed in §1.2.3.
§1.2.1 Known User Interfaces
The way in which people interact with computing machines has evolved over the last 50 or so years. Initially, these machines were typically used as information processors, and in particular, for performing mathematical operations on numbers. People interacted with such early computing machines by punching and ordering cards to effect a sequence of commands. In later computing machines, also typically used to perform mathematical operations on numbers, people interacted with such computing machines by setting switches and viewing light emitting diodes to enter commands. With the advent of the desktop personal computer, people-machine interaction evolved from the use a keyboard to enter lines of commands, discussed in §188.8.131.52 below, to the use of a keyboard and mouse to manipulate icon metaphors of the real world, discussed in §126.96.36.199 below.
§22.214.171.124 Command Lines
Early personal computers were also used to perform mathematical operations, from engineering applications to accounting applications (e.g., spreadsheets). In addition, such early personal computers were used to enter, store, and manipulate information, such as with word processing applications for example, and to effectively access stored information, such as with relational database applications for example. People typically interacted with such computers by entering commands, in accordance with fairly rigid syntactical rules, or by entering data via a keyboard and viewing results via a video monitor. Unfortunately, since the syntactical rules for interacting with a personal computer were typically not intuitive, people would have to invest a fairly substantial amount of time to master effective interaction with the computer. Until they mastered the syntactical rules, people would often become frustrated when using computers. Casual users would often conclude that learning to interact with computers would not be worth their time. Thus, computer use was usually limited to professionals (such as accountants, engineers, and scientists for example) who needed the computational power of personal computers, and to hobbyists.
§22.214.171.124 Graphical User Interfaces
The advent of graphical user interfaces (or "GUIs") provided a more intuitive way for people to interact with computers. The casual user no longer needed to learn syntactical rules and enter sequences of commands. As personal computers penetrated business to an ever greater degree, probably due to popular and time saving word processing and spreadsheet applications, operating systems began to employ user interfaces which used an office metaphor which included documents, folders, filing cabinets, trash cans, telephone directories, etc. These so-called desktop GUIs have served their users well over the past decade or so. However, in addition to using computers for data entry, storage, and manipulation, people are using computers for access to information to an ever increasing degree. This recent trend is discussed in §1.2.2 below.
§1.2.2 Migration from Information Processing and Desktop Metaphor to Information Access
In recent decades, and in the past five (5) to ten (10) years in particular, computers have become interconnected by networks by an ever increasing extent; initially, via local area networks (or "LANs"), and more recently via LANs, private wide area networks (or "WANs") and the Internet. The proliferation of networks, in conjunction with the increased availability of inexpensive data storage means, has afforded computer users unprecedented access to a wealth of content. Such content may be presented to a user (or "rendered") in the form of text, images, audio, video, etc.
The Internet is one means of inter-networking local area networks and individual computers. The popularity of the Internet has exploded in recent years. Many feel that this explosive growth was fueled by the ability to link (e.g., via Hyper-text links) resources (e.g., World Wide Web pages) so that users could seamlessly transition from various resources, even when such resources were stored at geographically remote resource servers. More specifically, the Hyper-text markup language (or "HTML") permits documents to include hyper-text links. These hyper-text links, which are typically rendered in a text file as text in a different font or color, include network address information to related resources. More specifically, the hyper-text link has an associated uniform resource locator (or "URL") which is an Internet address at which the linked resource is located. When a user activates a hyper-text link, for example by clicking a mouse when a displayed cursor coincides with the text associated with the hyper-text link, the related resource is accessed, downloaded, and rendered to the user. The related resource may be accessed by the same resource server that provided the previously rendered resource, or may be accessed by a geographically remote resource server. Such transiting from resource to resource, by activating hyper-text links for example, is commonly referred to as "surfing".
Although people continue to use computers to enter information, manipulate information, and store information, in view of the foregoing developments people are using computers to access information to an ever increasing extent. In a departure from the past, the information people want to access is often not created by them (which would typically reside on the person's desktop computer), or even by a company or group to which that person belongs (which would typically reside on a storage server, accessible via a local area network). Rather, given the world wide breadth of the Internet, the information people want to access is usually created by unrelated third parties (or content providers). Unfortunately, GUIs using a desktop metaphor are not particularly well suited for such information access.
New GUIs should therefore help people find information that they want, or that they might want. Unfortunately, the very vastness of available data can overwhelm a user; desired data can become difficult to find and search heuristics employed to locate desired data often return unwanted data (also referred to as "noise").
Various concepts have been employed to help users locate desired data. In the context of the Internet for example, some services have organized content based on a hierarchy of categories. A user may then navigate through a series of hierarchical menus to find content that may be of interest to them. An example of such a service is the YAHOO™ World Wide Web site on the Internet. Unfortunately, content, in the form of Internet "web sites" for example, must be organized by the service and users must navigate through a predetermined hierarchy of menus. If a user mistakenly believes that a category will be of interest or include what they were looking for, but the category turns out to be irrelevant, the user must backtrack through one or more hierarchical levels of categories.
Again in the context of the Internet for example, some services provide "search engines" which search databased content or "web sites" pursuant to a user query. In response to a user's query, a rank ordered list, which includes brief descriptions of the uncovered content, as well as a hypertext links (text, having associated Internet address information, which, when activated, commands a computer to retrieve content from the associated Internet address) to the uncovered content is returned. The rank ordering of the list is typically based on a match between words appearing in the query and words appearing in the content. Unfortunately, however, present limitations of search heuristics often cause irrelevant content (or "noise") to be returned in response to a query. Again, unfortunately, the very wealth of available content impairs the efficacy of these search engines since it is difficult to separate irrelevant content from relevant content.
The foregoing means permit users to find content of interest to them, or to deliver content that may be of interest to a user. Unfortunately, neither of the foregoing means is particularly well suited when the user wants to "go back" to (or "relocate") information (or content), to revisit that information or to revisit a familiar content provider to view new information (or content). More specifically, a person typically does not want to go through steps of navigating through a hierarchy of menus, or entering a search query to get to favored content or favored content providers.
§126.96.36.199 Information Access User Interfaces and their Limitations
In view of the shift towards using computers to access information, a number of user interfaces have been developed to help people revisit or relocate information or content providers. A sample of these user interfaces, as well as perceived limitations of such user interfaces, is presented below.
§220.127.116.11.1 Bookmarks and Favorites Lists
Some so-called "Internet browser" program services, such as Microsoft's Internet Explorer™ for example, permit people to create lists of favorite Internet locations (as located by a Uniform Resource Locator or "URL") represented by bookmarks. Unfortunately, as the number of bookmarks in a list increases, a person's ability to find a desired bookmark becomes more difficult. Although people can arrange and organize such lists of bookmarks into hierarchies, this requires some effort (mental effort is also referred to as "cognitive load") to organize and maintain the hierarchy. Moreover, the use of hierarchies does not fully exploit the spatial memory (This concept has also been referred to as "where it is what it is".) of people. Finally, other than textual information regarding the information, such as a title of a web page for example, the bookmarks do not provide the user with any other information about the information.
§220.127.116.11.2 Web Book/Web Forager
The article, Card, et al., "The WebBook and Web Forager: An Information Workspace for the World-Wide Web," Proceedings of CHI '96, pp. 111-117 (Apr. 13-18, 1996) (hereafter referred to as "the WebBook article") also recognized the trend towards the use of computers for information access. Focusing on the use of the Internet, the WebBook article noted, among other things, that web pages are often hard to find, users get lost and have difficulty relocating pages, and users have difficulty organizing found pages. The article then discussed a WebBook™ which simulates, in three dimensions, a physical book and includes pages, each of which correspond to a web page. Hypertext links are color coded to indicate whether the referenced web page is within the currently opened book or not. If the web page referenced by the link is in the book, activating the hypertext link will effect an animation of flipping pages to the desired web page. If the web page referenced by the link is not in the book, activating the hypertext link will close the currently opened WebBook and, if the web page is in another WebBook on a simulated bookshelf, will open that WebBook to the selected web page. The user can flip or ruffle through the pages of the WebBook using various input techniques. Portions of interest on a web page may be inspected with panning and zooming operations. The Document Lens feature described in the WebBook article is related to U.S. Pat. No. 5,670,984 to Robertson (incorporated herein by reference).
Although the WebBook uses screen space efficiently and uses a familiar metaphor, it has a number of limitations. First, the book metaphor limits the number of web pages that can be seen at one time—most pages are totally occluded. Second, the book metaphor does not exploit spatial memory. That is, it is believed that user will only remember the ordered pages in a linear (or one-dimensional) manner. Finally, the WebBook does not convey any information about the properties of the information or content.
The WebBook article also discusses a Web Forager which embeds the WebBook and other objects in a hierarchical three-dimensional workspace. The workspace includes four (4) hierarchical levels; namely a focus place, an immediate memory space, a secondary storage area, and a tertiary storage area. In the focus place, objects are rendered in full size and can be acted upon by the user. The immediate memory space uses the metaphor of a desk top. The secondary storage area uses several tiers in Z space, in which objects can be moved. Finally the tertiary storage area uses a bookshelf metaphor. A book selected from the bookshelf will come up to the focus place and an object then in the focus place will be moved into the secondary memory space.
Although the Web Forager exploits, at least to some extent, spatial memory, particularly in the secondary storage area, the interaction between the focus place, immediate memory place, secondary storage area, and tertiary storage area may not be immediately obvious to new users. Further, if more than about 30 objects are placed in the secondary storage place, objects may become occluded. Finally, the use of tiers in the Z dimension of the secondary storage place limits the exploitation of a user's spatial memory.
§220.127.116.11.3 Workscape
Noting the concept of "what it is where it is", the article, Ballay, "Designing Workscape™: An Interdisciplinary Experience", Human Factors in Computing Systems, CHI '94, pp. 10-15 (April 1994) (hereafter referred to as "the Workscape article"), discusses a three-dimensional user interface for managing documents.
As discussed at the web page on the Internet at http://www.maya.com/Portfolio/workscape.html (downloaded Jul. 7, 1998, revised 1998), Workscape permits users to drag documents in the X-Y plane, and also push and pull documents in the Z dimension.
Although Workscape exploits spatial memory, it is apparently not concerned with the problem of object occlusion. Furthermore, it is believed that separate user operations for (i) dragging an object in the X-Y plane, and (ii) pushing and pulling documents in the Z dimension, will be cumbersome for users in practice. Finally, the location of the object does not provide a user with any information about any properties of the object.
§184.108.40.206.4 Mapa
The product MAPA, offered by Dynamic Diagrams of Providence, R.I., uses a three-dimensional display to show the organization of web pages at a web site. As a web page is selected, its children in the web site hierarchy are displayed. The pages are represented by sheets. As a user's cursor hovers over a page, a pop-up title is provided. Although MAPA may be useful for visualizing large amounts of hierarchical data, it lends itself to a predetermined hierarchies (i.e., web pages of a web site). That is, it is believed that the strength of MAPA is presenting information, not building or updating hierarchies of information.
§184.108.40.206.5 MacIntosh and Windows NT® Operating Systems
Some versions of the MacIntosh and Windows NT® Operating Systems permit users to arrange, using a mouse drag operation for example, icons on a two-dimensional surface rendered on the screen of a video monitor. Drag feedback is provided. The user's arrangement of the icons persists. However, the icons represent applications or files or directories—they are not miniature images, or thumbnails, of objects. Further, the location of the icon does not relay any information regarding any of its properties, unless the user intentionally arranges the icons in such a manner.
§188.8.131.52.6 Windows NT® 5.0
A file manager or windows explorer feature of Windows NT® 5.0 may be configured to display document or file thumbnails in a selected directory. Each thumbnail includes a title which persists (i.e., is continuously rendered). A user can rearrange these thumbnails on a display screen, for example, by using a mouse drag operation. However, no drag feedback is provided.
Furthermore, the user arrangement of the thumbnails does not persist. That is, when the selected directory is left and then reentered, the thumbnails are arranged in a default manner, not based on a previously entered user arrangement. Further, the location of the thumbnail does not relay any information regarding any of its properties, unless the user intentionally arranges the thumbnails in such a manner.
§22.214.171.124.7 InfoGrid
The article: R. Rao, S. K. Card, H. D. Jellinek, J. D. Mackinlay, and G. G. Robertson, "The Information Grid: A Framework for Information Retrieval and Retrieval-Centered Applications," UIST '92, pp. 23-32 (Nov. 15-18, 1992) (hereafter referred to as "the InfoGrid article") discusses a user interface for object (e.g., document) retrieval. The InfoGrid display layout includes (i) an area for entering search parameters, (ii) a control panel which includes tool buttons, (iii) a area for rendering thumbnails of objects returned from a search, (iv) an area to hold selected objects, (v) an area for depicting a search path, and (vi) an area for depicting a document and its properties. The InfoGrid does not exploit a user's spatial memory and, in fact, teaches away from using location-centric workspace retrieval. (See page 31 of the InfoGrid article.) Instead, the InfoGrid permits a user to specify an initial query by providing values for various fields in a search parameter area, after which objects may be retrieved using an iterative process. (See page 26 of the InfoGrid article.)
§126.96.36.199.8 Data Mountain
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/152,491 entitled "Methods, Apparatus, and Data Structures for Providing a User Interface, which Exploits Spatial Memory in Three-Dimensions, to Objects" and filed on Sep. 14, 1998 discloses a user interface in which objects, represented by thumbnails, may be positioned on a simulated three-dimensional surface. However, the position of the thumbnails on the three-dimensional surface does not necessarily convey any information about the object—the user is free to position the object in the simulated three-dimensional space. It is to be understood, however, that the user may position object thumbnails in accordance with some purposeful, or unconscious, scheme.
§1.2.3 Unmet Needs
As discussed above, there exists a need for a user interface, and in particular a graphical user interface, to information or content. Such a user interface should exploit spatial memory. For example, the user interface should permit continuous movement in the simulated space. The user interface should also be intuitive to minimize the time needed for a user to become familiar with it. For example, the user interface should not be cumbersome or require too many different types of inputs to manipulate objects. The user interface should convey, at minimal cognitive load to the user, properties or parameters of the information to the user. Finally, the user interface should provide intelligent help to the user.

Methods, apparatus and data structures for providing a user interface to objects, the user interface exploiting spatial memory and visually indicating at least one object parameter


The invention discloses a method and system for displaying electronic information for an Online Dating Service. Information is received through a variety of means including electronic analysis of photographs and communications as well as direct questions posed to an individual. Once the information is received a profile describing the interest, personality traits and what traits the individual looks for in a companion is created. To prevent priming based on physical appearance the word cloud is displayed to other individuals prior to a photograph. The photograph can be revealed to the other individuals if they take affirmative action to view the photograph or after an arbitrary period of time such that the other individuals can be primed based on the information in the word cloud without losing the emotional investment in finding a companion.

The present invention relates to information processing methods and systems. More specifically the invention is related to the field of analyzing and displaying electronic information.
Every day more and more people are turning to social media to find a connection with others based on mutual interest and attraction. When they are looking to meet a life partner or companion often times they will turn to Online Dating Services (ODS). Research has shown that an individual's opinion of another person can be colored by their first interaction on a subconscious level. When a person perceives another to be physically attractive they will be more likely to find their under lying personality more appealing. However, this "priming" affect can wear off quickly and once it does the relationship must be sustained by an underlying commonality of interests. A typical member of an ODS usually follows a similar path. Their first interaction with another member is to view their picture. If they are attracted they are primed to view their profile more favorably and attempt to make direct contact. After direct communication is established the priming affect wears off and it is discovered that the two members have nothing in common, or find nothing appealing about each other and the communication ends. This leads to dissatisfaction with the ODS and leaving the community.
Fortunately priming is a two way street. If the individual is able to get a feel for the other person's personality prior to viewing the picture; they are more disposed to find the person attractive if they like the underlying personality traits. The benefits of this form of priming include the fact that as the physical attraction fades the underlying personalities mesh and can sustain a long term relationship leading to increased satisfaction for the ODS's members.
There are two main strategies for dealing with this priming issue. The first strategy is to remove pictures from the profile. This is ineffective as research shows that while seeing a member's picture can distort it is necessary to create an investment in the initial online stages of the relationship. Since in the online dating context a picture is necessary some ODS have tried requiring the profile be approved of by the individual before a picture is sent. This is ineffective in building the necessary emotional investment by the individual and unnecessary. It has been shown that priming happens very quickly and not much information is needed to prime the individual. It would be advantageous that a method and system be developed wherein basic profile information is presented to the individual regarding others for a brief time prior to them viewing the picture.
The other main strategy is to have the members answer questions and suggest other members to the user based on their answer. This suffers from several drawbacks. First it relies on the members to answer the questions accurately. This is problematic because members may attempt to distort their answers to appear more attractive. Second even if they are not being purposefully dishonest they may not be able to make accurate assessments. For example a person may answer that it is important that a potential partner is into sports when in fact they place little value on it. A method and system that takes into account the expressed desires of the individual as well as analyzing their behavior patterns and implicit desires would increase the accuracy of the information provided and greatly increase the likelihood of meshing personalities.

Method and system for displaying electronic information


Methods and systems for squaring a binary finite field element are described. In some aspects, a data processing apparatus includes registers and processor logic. A first register stores a sequence of binary values that define a binary finite field element input. The processor logic accesses input components from the first register according to intervals in the sequence. Each input component includes a binary value from each interval in the sequence. In some cases, the intervals are periodic and the binary finite field element corresponds to a sum of phase-shifted input components. The processor logic generates output components based on the input components. The processor logic generates a square of the binary finite field element in the second register based on the output components. The number of input components can be selected, for example, to balance costs of additional processing time against benefits associated with reduced processing hardware.

This specification relates to squaring binary finite field elements. Binary finite field arithmetic operations are used in elliptic curve cryptography systems and other applications. For example, a coordinate of an elliptic curve point can be represented as a binary finite field element, and binary finite field arithmetic can be used to perform calculations based on the coordinates. Embedded hardware devices are often used to perform intensive binary finite field operations, such as multiplication, squaring, and inversion. Some embedded hardware devices perform binary squaring in a single cycle.
Like reference numbers and designations in the various drawings indicate like elements.


A gaming system having gaming machines or devices configurable in a ‘z’-shaped geometric arrangement are provided. The gaming system can include a plurality of gaming machines having a respective main display screen and a plurality of secondary display screens. Each of the plurality of gaming machines can be spaced apart from one another in a first direction with the respective main display of each of the plurality of gaming machines being parallel to each other. Each of the plurality of secondary screens can be coupled between the respective main display screen of respective ones of the plurality of gaming machines to fill a gap therebetween and are positioned at an angle with respect to the respective main display screen of the respective ones of the plurality of gaming machines.

Traditional gaming devices are commonly designed and deployed for use in parallel (e.g., side-by-side or back to back) or standalone configurations. Such known configurations poorly utilize space in an area where the gaming devices are located and/or provide for uncomfortable or cramped operating conditions for users and others walking through the area. Conventional gaming devices and configurations also provide limited display presentation capabilities of visual content presented on the devices electronic display screen—often times requiring a person to be directly in front of the gaming machine(s) in order to fully see such visual content. Traditional gaming machines and machine configurations also tend to result in the formation of generic grid-type arrangements across a floor of a gaming venue with such formations being characterized by long linear rows or aisles. Such standard arrangements can create an institutional and uninviting atmosphere to gaming patrons and can further be difficult to traverse and/or locate games of potential interest.
Since gaming machines are usually made available for play on a revenue generating basis for a gaming establishment or operator it is generally desirable to develop and provide features or capabilities which will encourage and promote play. Accordingly, designers of gaming machines continually strive to develop variations and improvements of gaming technology which can provide a more comfortable and engaging atmosphere for players so that players will be motivated to play the games, continue playing the games and/or want to return to play certain games again in the future. In view of the above, there is a continuing, ongoing need for improved systems and methods for providing new and innovative configurations of gaming machines to sustain player interest and create an innovative gaming atmosphere.

Gaming devices configurable in a sawtooth-shaped geometric arrangement


Techniques described herein relate to a method for performing testing operations for information handling systems. The method includes obtaining a test case from an information handling system; in response to obtaining the test case: obtaining log information associated with the test case from the information handling system; performing data preparation to generate processed subsequences using the log information; applying a plurality of prediction models to the processed subsequences and training data to generate anomalous subsequence predictions; generating ensemble anomaly scores and severity indexes associated with the processed subsequences using the anomalous subsequence predictions and the processed subsequences; making a determination that the ensemble anomaly scores and severity indexes associated with the processed subsequences result in detection of an anomalous subsequence; and in response to the determination: determining a next best test case associated with the anomalous subsequence; and initiating performance of the next best test case.

Computing devices may provide services. To provide the services, the computing devices may include hardware components and software components. The correct operation of the hardware components and software components may be imperative to users of the computing devices. The hardware and software components of the computing devices may be tested to ensure the correct operation of the computing devices.

Method and system for performing testing operations for information handling systems