An electronic value exchange system which includes first and second terminals (1d), (1e) which at least execute electronic value exchange with each other, and an authentication device (110), each of the first and second terminals has a value storage unit (13) which stores the electronic value; an exchange contract data storage unit (17) which stores exchange contract data representing contents of the electronic value exchange; an exchange state storage unit (16) which represents a state of the electronic value exchange; a commit order storage unit (14) which stores a commit order which indicates that which of the first terminal and the second terminal is the first to execute; an identification information storage unit (15) which stores identification information assigned to every process of transmission/reception of the exchange contract data; and a first exchange execution unit (12) which executes transmission/reception of the exchange contract data with respect to each of the first and second terminals and stores it into the exchange contract data storage unit (17), wherein the authentication device (110) has a second exchange execution unit (114) which acquires the exchange contract data from either one of the first and second terminals, and operates the value storage unit (13) of such one terminal to execute the electronic value exchange.

In recent years, electronic value (simply referred to as "value", hereinafter) such as electronic money, electronic ticket or the like, has been made available while being stored in mobile phone and other various terminal devices, and has also been utilized while being transferred or exchanged between terminal devices.
Methods of enabling this sort of transfer or exchange of the value between the terminal devices are classified into those making use of server or the like, and those based on direct process between the terminal devices. In this specification, the latter method based on direct process between the terminal devices will be explained.
A system, which transfers the value directly between the terminal devices without being mediated by a server or the like, is composed of a recording medium which stores data (value), and a storage unit which temporarily stores data in the process of transfer, and operates as described below (see Patent Document 1, for example).
First, when communication starts between the terminal devices, each of a data source terminal device and a destination terminal device preliminarily makes a copy of the initial state of its own recording medium into a temporary storage unit, and discards the copy stored in the temporary storage unit if the transfer successfully completes. On the other hand, if communication failure occurs in the process of transfer, the copy stored in the temporary storage unit is written back to the recording medium, to thereby recover the state before the transfer.
In general, in data transfer or exchange between the terminal devices, it is important to avoid any unexpected state such as duplication or loss of data between both terminal devices, even if communication failures should occur. According to the technique described in Patent Document 1, data in the recording medium before being transferred is preliminarily stored in the temporary storage unit, and is written back to the recording medium if communication failure should occur, so as to avoid any unexpected duplication or loss of data.
The method described in Patent Document 1 is, however, not perfect in the following point of view. Assuming now, for example, that a communication failure occurs immediately after issuing an "addition completion notification". According to the method described in Patent Document 1, the device on the sending side judges that some abnormality has occurred after "checking completion of addition over a predetermined duration of time", since the sending device did not receive an "addition completion notification" from the device on the receiving side, and then executes recovery.
However, in the method described in Patent Document 1, the device on the receiving side has already received "an erasure completion notification" from the device on the sending side, before issuing the "addition completion notification", and erroneously assumes that the transfer has successfully completed, in "checking completion of erasure over a predetermined duration of time". As a consequence, the data is duplicated in both of the devices on the sending side and the receiving side.
It is now assumable in the method described in Patent Document 1, that there may be a case where the erasure completion notification and the addition completion notification are issued in reverse order, that is, a case where the erasure completion notification is issued after the addition completion notification was issued. In this case, if some communication failure should occur, for example, immediately after the erasure completion notification was issued, the data is erased in the device on the server side assuming that the transfer was normally completed, but recovery is executed in the device on the client side assuming that some abnormality has occurred. This results in an unfavorable situation such that the data reside neither in the device on the server side nor in the device on the client side, which means erasure of data.
For the purpose of solving such problem, one possible method may be such as temporarily interrupting the process in the state of occurrence of abnormality when some abnormality should occur in either of the devices on the server side or on the client side, and the temporarily interrupted process is restarted after the device is re-connected, rather than immediately recovering the state of value (data) before the process as described in the above.
The method of recovery will be explained referring to FIG. 30. FIG. 30 illustrates a process in which value deletion and value addition are executed respectively by the server side terminal and the client side terminal, and decides value changes and completes the transfer, after receiving a notification from the opposite party (details of value deletion and value addition not illustrated) (steps S201, S202, S211, S212 in FIG. 30).
If, communication failure occurs at e1 or e2, and the terminal could not receive the notification, both terminal devices are re-connected to recover the communication, and the succeeding process is executed (steps S203, S204, S213, S214 in FIG. 30). The value in the terminal device, having been failed in receiving the notification, is locked to remain unavailable, until the communication is recovered and the process is completed.
The method of recovery described in the above is, however, not successfully adoptable in an environment where both terminal devices are not always guaranteed to establish re-connection in case of communication failure. Assuming now an exemplary case where two distant users are going to transfer electronic money using the respective terminal devices through a network, and where communication failure accidentally occurs at e1 in FIG. 30, the client side terminal may remain unconscious of communication failure because the electronic money has successfully been received, and may therefore not establish re-connection with the server side terminal. The electronic money in the server side terminal may therefore be remained locked, and this causes disadvantage to the user of the server side terminal.
Moreover, in this case, even if a trial should be made to forcedly recover the locked value, typically by bringing the server side terminal to a service supplier, so as to recover the state before the transfer by cancelling the value changes, or so as to decide the changes, such method of recovery is not available, since whether the changes have been committed by the client side terminal or not is unknown.
There may be another possible way to re-write the value recorded into the recording medium using a server, rather than using a terminal device alone as described in the above, from the viewpoint of security or the like. An exemplary operation of a system, which takes part in value transfer or exchange between the terminal devices using a server as described in the above, will be explained referring to FIG. 31. In this example, an electronic ticked stored in a terminal 210 is transferred to a terminal 220, and an electronic money stored in a terminal 220 is moved to the terminal 210.
First, communication starts between the terminals 210, 220, and data representing contents of exchange to be started (exchange of the electronic ticket in the terminal 210 and the electronic money in the terminal 220) is exchanged [(a) in FIG. 31], and contents of recording media 211, 221 are locked to be unchangeable by the others except a server 230.
Next, when the terminal 210 establishes connection through a public wireless network 200 to the server 230, and sends the data to the server 230, the server 230 makes authentication between itself and the recording medium 211, and moves the electronic ticket to the server 230 [(b) in FIG. 31]. Also the terminal 220 moves the electronic money to the server 230 [(c) in FIG. 31], similarly to as described in the above.
When both terminals 210, 220 establish connection to the server 230 and finish movement of the data to be exchanged to the server 230, the server 230 sends a message typically by means of E-mail to the individual terminals 210, 220. Upon reception of the message, the terminal 210 establishes connection to the server 230 again, the server 230 makes authentication between itself and the recording medium 211, and then moves the electronic money to the recording medium 211 [(d) in FIG. 31], and unlocks the recording medium 211. Also with respect to the terminal 220, the server 230 moves the electronic ticket to the recording medium 221 similarly to as described in the above [(e) in FIG. 31] and unlocks the recording medium 221. By the process described in the above, the electronic value exchange between the terminals 210, 220 completes.
In the procedure (b) or (c) in FIG. 31, if one of the terminals 210, 220 had established connection with the server 230, but the other terminal did not establish connection with the server 230 thereafter within a predetermined length of time, the server 230 assumes that the exchange was cancelled, then returns the value to the terminal which had established connection earlier, and unlocks the recording medium. The length of time before the cancellation is judged may be given by a predetermined value in some method, or may be decided based on negotiation between the terminals when the first communication is established therebetween in other method.
In the methods described in the above, exchange of the value does not complete until each of both terminals 210, 220 respectively moves the value to the server 230. Therefore, the values may not become inconsistent with each other, even if communication failure should occur in the process of exchange.
The method described in the above, however, suffers from complexity of procedures, since the user who moved the value to the server has to wait until the process in the terminal on the opposite party completes.
Moreover, the above-described method cannot smoothly complete the exchange, unless the users in both parties are cooperative. For an exemplary case where one terminal 210 established connection to the server 230, but the other terminal 220 did not immediately establish connection to the server 230, recording medium 211 of the terminal 210 is locked, and therefore the user cannot use other services.
For another exemplary case where a deadline electronic ticket is exchanged, the user may suffer from disadvantage if the terminal in the opposite party did not establish connection to the server to the very end, and the exchange was cancelled after the expiration date had passed, or immediately before the expiration date.
[Patent Document 1] Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2001-84177 (FIG. 3, FIG. 4)

Electronic value exchange system, terminal device, recovery device and method of exchanging electronic value adoptable thereto


Systems and methods herein describe receiving a target location from a computing device, using a machine learning model: determining a first access point and a second access point associated with the target location, causing presentation of the first access point as a first selectable user interface element and the second access point as a second selectable user interface within a graphical user interface on the computing device, receiving a first selection of the first selectable user interface element from the computing device; and in response to receiving the first selection, and initiating a trip request based on the refined map coordinates of the first access point.

Transportation services typically suggest pickup and drop-off locations when a user makes a request for the transportation service. However, the suggested pickup and drop-off locations are only based on latitude and longitude coordinates of a target location. Thus, the suggestions do not account for multi-level roads or multi-entry point locations which frequently occur in complex venues such as airports or dense urban areas.


Described embodiments include a process and apparatus that takes into account the operating voltage and temperature (VT) variations of a SERDES receiver implemented in an integrated circuit (IC) or system-on-chip (SoC). An analog equalizer (AEQ) adaptation loop and a decision feedback equalizer (DFE) adaptation loop are disabled after the loops have converged or stabilized the parameters of the AEQ and DFE. While the AFE and DFE adaptation loops are disabled, certain monitor coefficients related to signals corrected by the AFE and DFE are adapted and metrics derived therefrom are generated. The metrics are compared to threshold values to check if they have sufficiently changed over time to warrant re-enabling of the AFE and DFE adaptation loops.

In many data communication applications, serializer and de-serializer (SERDES) devices facilitate the transmission of parallel data between two points across a serial link. Data at one point is converted from parallel data to serial data and transmitted through a communications channel to the second point where it received and converted from serial data to parallel data.
At high data rates frequency-dependent signal loss from the communications channel (the signal path between the two end points of a serial link), as well as signal dispersion and distortion, can occur. Ideally, without noise, jitter, and other loss and dispersion effects, a data eye at the receiver will exhibit a relatively ideal shape. In practice, the shape of the data eye changes with noise, jitter, other loss and dispersion effects, and with temperature and voltage variations. As such, the communications channel, whether wired, optical, or wireless, acts as a filter and might be modeled in the frequency domain with a transfer function. Correction for frequency dependent losses of the communications channel, and other forms of signal degradation, often requires signal equalization of the signal at a receiver.
Equalization through use of one or more equalizers compensates for the signal degradation to improve communication quality. Equalization may also be employed at the transmit side to pre-condition the signal. Equalization, a form of filtering, generally requires some estimate of the transfer function of the channel to set its filter parameters. However, in many cases, the specific frequency-dependent signal degradation characteristics of a communications channel are unknown, and often vary with time. In such cases, an equalizer in the receiver with adaptive setting of parameters providing sufficient adjustable range might be employed to mitigate the signal degradation of the signal transmitted through the communications channel. The receive equalization might be through an analog equalizer (AEQ), a decision-feedback equalizer (DFE), or some combination of both. The shape of the data eye also changes due to equalization applied to input signal of the receiver. In some systems, equalization applied by a transmitter's equalizer further alters the shape of the eye from the ideal. The transfer characteristics of the AEQ and DFE are adaptive to enhance the performance of the SERDES receiver.
The DFE equalization optimizes for intersymbol interference (ISI) and opens up the vertical and horizontal data eye opening. In SERDES communication channels, DFE filtering is employed to cancel post-cursor ISI in the equalized channel's pulse response by subtracting the output of the DFE from an input signal. An adaptation processor implements a process or loop that attempts to minimize an error signal and thereby open further the vertical and horizontal data eye openings by continuously adjusting DFE parameters, here the DFE tap values.
To improve the performance of DFE-based receiver, the AEQ has a variable gain amplifier (VGA) used to control the input signal level, and a continuous-time analog equalizer (CTLE) used to compensate for linear, frequency-based distortions in the input signal to the receiver. The CTLE is generally implemented as an analog-based filter with at least one adjustable coefficient or peaking parameter that can at least partially compensate for linear distortions in the received signal. The above-mentioned adaptation processor also implements a process or loop that attempts to minimize an error signal and thereby open further the vertical and horizontal data eye openings by continuously adjusting various parameters of the AEQ, here the amount of gain provided by the VGA and the value of the CTLE coefficient.
The AEQ and DFE adaptation process might consume significant power even though the gain and coefficient parameters are changing little or not at all. However, to fully suspend the AEQ and DFE adaptation process runs the risk of degrading the performance of the SERDES receiver due to changes in the operating temperature and supply voltages the receiver is subject to that would normally require an update to the AEQ and DFE parameters. Thus, it is desirable to provide a technique for detecting receiver performance degradation due to temperature and operating voltage variations so that that the AEQ and DFE adaptation process may be suspended until needed, thereby reducing the power consumption of the SERDES receiver.

Reduced power SERDES receiver using selective adaptation of equalizer parameters in response to supply voltage and operating temperature variations and technique for measuring same

AVAGO TECHNOLOGIES GENERAL IP (SINGAPORE) PTE. LTD.


A medical heat exchanger includes a thin tube bundle 2 in which a plurality of heat transfer thin tubes 1 for letting heat medium liquid flow therethrough are arranged and stacked, seal members 3a to 3c sealing the thin tube bundle while allowing both ends of the heat transfer thin tubes to be exposed and forming a blood channel 5 which allows blood to flow therethrough so that the blood comes into contact with each outer surface of the heat transfer thin tubes; a housing 4 containing the seal members and the thin tube bundle and provided with an inlet port 8 and an outlet port 9 of the blood positioned respectively at both ends of the blood channel; and a pair of heat transfer thin tube headers 6, 7 forming flow chambers 14a, 14b, 15a, 15b that respectively surround both ends of the thin tube bundle and having an inlet port 6a and an outlet port 7a of the heat medium liquid. The thin tube bundle is divided into a plurality of thin tube bundle units 12a to 12c, and the heat transfer thin tube headers are configured so that the heat medium liquid passes through the plurality of the thin tube bundle units successively. Heat exchange efficiency is enhanced while the flow speed of the heat medium liquid flowing through the heat transfer thin tubes is increased to suppress the increase in volume of the blood channel.

In heart surgery, a cardiopulmonary bypass device is used when causing the heartbeat of a patient to cease and taking the place of the heart to perform the respiration and circulation functions during the cessation of the heartbeat. Further, during the surgery, in order to reduce the amount of oxygen to be consumed by the patient, it is necessary to lower the body temperature of the patient and maintain the lowered temperature. Therefore, the cardiopulmonary bypass device is provided with a heat exchanger for controlling the temperature of blood collected from the patient.
As such a medical heat exchanger, conventionally, a bellows tube type heat exchanger and a multitubular heat exchanger (see, for example, Patent Document 1) are known. Of them, the multitubular heat exchanger has an advantage of a higher heat exchange efficiency compared with that of the bellows tube type heat exchanger, because the multitubular heat exchanger can obtain a larger heat exchange area, assuming that the volume of the multitubular heat exchanger is the same as that of the bellows tube type heat exchanger.
A conventional exemplary multitubular heat exchanger will be described with reference to FIGS. 20A-20C. FIG. 20A is a top view of a multitubular heat exchanger, and FIG. 20B is a side view thereof. FIG. 20C is a perspective view illustrating an inside of a housing of the heat exchanger, which is illustrated partially in a cross-section.
The heat exchanger includes a thin tube bundle 102 composed of a plurality of heat transfer thin tubes 101 allowing cool/warm water that is heat medium liquid to flow, seal members 103a-103c sealing the thin tube bundle 102, and a housing 104 containing these components.
A plurality of the heat transfer thin tubes 101 are arranged in parallel and stacked to form the thin tube bundle 102. As illustrated in FIGS. 20A and 20C, the seal member 103c at the center is provided with a blood channel 105 having a circular cross-section at the center in a longitudinal direction of the thin tube bundle 102. The blood channel 105 functions as a heat exchange channel for distributing blood that is liquid to be subjected to heat exchange so that the blood comes into contact with each outer surface of the heat transfer thin tubes 101. The seal members 103a, 103b at both ends respectively expose both ends of the thin tube bundle 102.
As illustrated in FIG. 20B, the housing 104 has a blood inlet port 106 for introducing blood into the housing 104 and a blood outlet port 107 for discharging the blood out of the housing 104, which are placed at upper and lower ends of the blood channel 105. Further, gaps 108 are provided between the seal members 103a-103c respectively. The housing 104 is provided with leaked liquid discharge holes 109 corresponding to the gaps 108.
In the above-mentioned configuration, blood is allowed to flow in from the blood inlet port 106 and flow out of the blood outlet port 107 after passing through the blood channel 105. Simultaneously, as illustrated in FIGS. 20A and 20B, cool/warm water is allowed to flow in from one exposed end of the thin tube bundle 102 and flow out of the other exposed end thereof. Thus, the heat exchange is performed between the blood and the cool/warm water in the blood channel 105.
The gaps 108 are provided for the purpose of detecting leakage when the blood or cool/warm water leaks due to seal leakage. More specifically, when leakage from the third seal member 103c occurs, the leaked blood appears in the gaps 108 and thus, the leakage can be detected. Further, even when the cool/warm water leaks due to the leakage from the first seal member 103a or the second seal member 103b, the leaked cool/warm water appears in the gaps 108, and thus, the leakage can be detected. The blood or cool/warm water having leaked in the gaps 108 is discharged outside of the heat exchanger from the leaked liquid discharge holes 109.    Patent Document 1: JP 2005-224301 A

Medical heat exchanger, manufacturing method thereof and artificial lung device


An arm protective garment includes an elongated tubular sleeve made of a flexible fabric and defining an elongated internal cavity extending between opposite ends. The sleeve is open at one end for slipping over a driver's hand and arm and for receiving the driver's arm in the internal cavity of the sleeve. The garment also includes a mitten of flexible fabric disposed on the other end of the sleeve and defining an internal pocket for receiving the driver's hand therein. The mitten has only a thumb opening defined therein for extension of the driver's thumb from the mitten. The garment further includes a flexible strap attached to the one open end of the sleeve for encircling the neck or chest of the driver for releasable reattachment to the one open end of the sleeve to retain the sleeve on the driver's arm.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to specialized limb garments and, more particularly, is concerned with an arm protective garment.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A variety of specialized needs have sparked the development in recent years of specific garments designed for a person's arms and legs individually as well as jointly. For example, a policeman directing night traffic must be visible to motorists. Athletes such as pitchers or quarterbacks must keep their throwing arms in optimum condition for greatest effectiveness in baseball or football games. An athlete's legs also often require specialized clothing to prevent cramps, sprains, etc.
Some representative examples of garments designed to meet such needs are disclosed in U.S. patents to Girest (3,837,007), Vernon et al (4,356,570), Kerwin (4,569,087), and Perry (4,985,934). The Girest garment addresses the policeman's needs for light-reflective clothing with a jacket having sleeves of reflectorized material or with a pair of such auxiliary sleeves attachable to a police jacket.
The garments disclosed in the Vernon et al, Kerwin and Perry designs all address the specific problems of athletes as hereinbefore described. The Vernon et al and Perry garments basically focus on an athlete's arm requirements with their designs of single-arm garments. These garments extend over one shoulder of the athlete for attachment either to the athlete's uniform or to straps encircling the athlete's chest or other shoulder. The Kerwin garment designs include both single limb garments, for arms and legs individually, as well as full jackets and pants. All of the aforementioned garments have thermal features for retaining limb warmth. The latter three designs include both thermal and cooling features for the athlete's limbs as needed.
The ordinary motorist may wish to particularly shield his hand and arm from sunburn while driving along on his or her usual daily route, or on longer vacations drives. Air conditioning is great, but driving on a lovely day with one's arm resting on the ledge of an open car window is found enjoyable by many drivers. The driver's enjoyment, however, can be shattered if the drive results in a severe sunburn to the hand or arm.
The garment designs hereinbefore described disclose some features beneficial to the driver's needs. A single-arm type of garment would be most useful since usually, for drivers, the left hand and arm is the most likely to be sunburned. However, none of the designs described above addresses the problem of sunburn prevention. No protective coverage for the hand is provided by any of the garments. Each of the athlete's garments basically focuses on the athlete's need either to retain or dispel body warmth. Additionally, the single-arm garments disclosed in the Girest policeman's garment and the Vernon et al athletic garment require attachable fastening features on the person's underlying shirt or jacket.
Consequently, a need still exists for a single-arm garment which would shield both a driver's hand and arm from sunburn. The garment should be fabricated of sun-resistant, durable, washable material and of simple design and construction for easy wearability by a driver. The simplicity of design and construction would also ensure inexpensive manufacture of the garment. The garment should be foldable to a compact size for easy storage and transport.


Provided is an apparatus for assessing degradation and estimating strength by using ultrasound, in which the apparatus includes: an ultrasound transmitting unit making an ultrasound signal having a single frequency be incident in an inspected object; an ultrasound receiving unit receiving the ultrasound signal penetrating the inspected object or reflected on the inspected object; a signal processing unit calculating a propagation speed through a time interval of the ultrasound signal received by the ultrasound receiving unit and separates the received ultrasound signal into a fundamental frequency component and a harmonic component to calculate non-linear parameter, and measuring linear and non-linear elastic coefficients by using the propagation speed and the non-linear parameter; and a strength estimating unit obtaining a tensile curve by using the linear and non-linear elastic coefficients and estimating at least one of tensile strength and yield strength by using the tensile curve.

In recent years, a research into an assessment apparatus which calculates an ultrasonic non-linear parameter by using the amplitude of a fundamental frequency and the amplitude of a harmonic frequency of ultrasound penetrating an inspected object by making the ultrasound be incident in the inspected object and assesses a change in physical property of the inspected object by using the calculated ultrasonic non-linear parameter has been in active progress.
However, when the inspected object is heat-treated and the inspected object is thus degraded, precipitates are generated and thereafter, the precipitates are grown and coupled, and dissoluted and the ultrasonic non-linear parameter also increases and decreases according to the nucleation and growth of the precipitates.
Accordingly, it is difficult to measure clearly and accurately a degradation degree of the inspected object by using the assessment apparatus in the related art. That is, when the inspected object is degraded, the ultrasonic non-linear parameter also increases and decreases as the quantity of precipitates increases and decreases and since the assessment apparatuses in the related art can measure the degradation degree of the inspected object based on only the ultrasonic non-linear parameter at a specific time, the degradation degree may be ambiguous and inaccurate.
Meanwhile, a propagation speed of an elastic wave in a solid is determined by physical properties such as an elastic coefficient, a density, and a Poisson's ratio of a propagation medium. Accordingly, the elastic coefficient of the propagation medium is acquired by measuring the propagation speed of the elastic wave to estimate the physical properties of the propagation medium. A method for acquiring the elastic coefficient of the propagation medium includes a linear elastic coefficient measuring method that measures the propagation speed of the ultrasound by using the ultrasound which belongs to the elastic wave to calculate a liner elastic coefficient.
However, there is a disadvantage in that a minute change and degradation of a micro characteristic or an elastic property of the propagation medium cannot be evaluated by the linear elastic coefficient measuring method. As a method for remedying such a disadvantage, a theoretical research into a correlation between the ultrasonic non-linear parameter and the non-linear elastic coefficient is performed.
As a result of the research, a relationship between a 2nd order ultrasonic non-linear parameter and a 2nd order non-linear elastic coefficient is verified. As described above, the correlation between the 2nd order ultrasonic non-linear parameter and the 2nd order non-linear elastic coefficient is researched, but a research into 3rd or high order ultrasonic non-linear parameters and 3rd or high order non-linear elastic coefficients is not made.
As associated prior art, Korean Patent Laid-open Publication No. 10-2012-0031674 (Title of Disclosure: System and Apparatus for Measuring Non-linearity of Ultrasonic Wave, Apr. 4, 2012) is provided.

Apparatus for assessing degradation and estimating strength by using ultrasound and method for assessing degradation and estimating strength using the same

INDUSTRY-UNIVERSITY COOPERATION FOUNDATION OF HANYANG UNIVERSITY


A marital aid kit comprising a plurality of semi-rigid penile extensions of varying sizes, a retainer harness attached to the penile extension to keep said penile extension in place on the male body and a sizing chart to assist the user in selecting the appropriate size penile extension for proper fit. The penile extension is constructed from a molded silicone resin and is hollow. The retainer harness contains adjustable straps to ensure proper and snug fit on the user""s body. The sizing chart utilizes penis length and girth to determine appropriate size.

The invention relates to a marital aid kit containing a penile extension with a retainer harness which can be provided in varying sizes according to the size of the erect penis of the user. Marital devices containing semi-rigid penile extensions are well known in the prior art. Phallic devices, such as dildos, have been used by women for years to produce sexual satisfaction. There have also been marital aid devices to improve sexual performance for males with difficulty in maintaining erections. These devices have been utilized to assist females in the enjoyment of the sexual act. Impotent men have resorted to aphrodisiac drugs, food supplements, and hypodermic injections to improve their sexual performance. The prior art also indicates that there have been penile extensions utilized with retaining harnesses of some type to keep these penile extensions in place over the male penis during the sexual act. These devices have provided penile rigidity necessary for female enjoyment of the sexual act for those men with erection problems. These penile extensions have been produced in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. However, the problem with the penile extensions in the prior art is that they tend to be one size fits all. These devices have failed to take into consideration the various sizes and shapes of the male users. Consequently, proper fit of the penile extension is a significant problem.
Because the existing devices tend to be one size fits all, and proper fit for the male user may be difficult there is a need in the art for a marital aid device to provide appropriate fit for the male user.
The present invention fulfills one or more of these needs by providing a marital aid kit containing a semi-rigid penile extension with a retainer harness and a sizing chart to select the appropriate size penile extension for the proper fit of the user. This marital aid device comprises a plurality of semi-rigid penile extensions of various sizes, a retainer harness attached to the penile extension to keep the penile extension in place over the penis and a sizing chart to assist the user in selecting the appropriate fit for that individual user. The penile extension is constructed from a molded supple material, primarily a silicone resin, and has the shape of a male penis, including a penis head, a penis shaft and testicle pockets. The penile extension further includes a hollow shaft, so that it can fit over the user""s penis. The penile extension also has snaps. The retainer harness includes adjustable straps which are made of an elastic material and includes snaps. The retainer harness in one embodiment is affixed directly to the penile extension by the snaps on the harness being snapped directly to the snaps on the penile extension.
In another embodiment the retainer harness comprises adjustable straps with a penile extension support unit. The adjustable straps are made from an elastic material and include snaps. The penile extension support unit is made from a semi-rigid material and includes a hole in the approximate center to accommodate the penile extension. The penile extension support unit further includes snaps. The adjustable straps are snapped to the penile extension support unit and then the penile extension is placed over the penis. The straps which are around the male body are then tightened to provide a secure fit.
The marital aid kit also comprises a sizing chart which includes a penis length measurement element and a penis girth measurement element. The penis length element is determined by measuring the penis in inches along the top of an erected penis from the abdomen to the tip of the penis. The penis girth is determined by measuring the girth of an erect penis at the penis"" widest point. The sizing chart includes coded penile extension sizes which are selected by utilizing the relationship between the penis length measurement and the penis girth measurement.
These and other aspects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art after reading the following description of the preferred embodiments when considered with the drawings.


The present invention relates to an expandable external penile support device (EEPSD) for use on a penis during sexual intercourse. The EEPSD includes a first support ring proximate a base of the penis, a latch pivotably coupled to the support ring, and a support member extending from the latch and defining a second support ring engageable with a distal end of the penis. The EEPSD expands and contracts to accommodate changes in penis size, usually due to the gain and loss of an erection.

Erectile dysfunction, sometimes called "impotence," is the repeated inability to get or keep an erection firm enough for sexual intercourse. "Impotence" may also be used to describe other problems that interfere with sexual intercourse and reproduction, such as lack of sexual desire and problems with ejaculation or orgasm. Erectile dysfunction, or ED, can be a total inability to achieve erection, an inconsistent ability to do so, or a tendency to sustain only brief erections. These variations make defining ED and estimating its incidence difficult. Estimates range from 15 million to 30 million men in the US and over 150 million men worldwide, depending on the definition used. The treatments for impotence include medications, vacuum devices, injectable drugs and implant surgeries. Perhaps the most publicized advance was the introduction of the oral drug sildenafil citrate (Viagra) in March 1998. Viagra fails to work for three out of 10 men, according to one published source or can not be used by 50% of men with erectile dysfunctions due to side effects according to other medical sources. In older men, ED usually has a physical cause, such as disease, injury, or side effects of drugs. Any disorder that causes injury to the nerves or impairs blood flow in the penis has the potential to cause ED. The frequency of impotence in men increases with age, about 5 percent of 40-year-old men and between 15 and 25 percent of 65-year-old men experience ED. Medications can produce many undesirable side effects including death. Vacuum devices are clumsy and inconvenient; surgeries are painful, ineffective, expensive and even dangerous.
Current external penile support devices do not find broad applications in treatment of impotence due to great discomfort for the users and difficulties to adjust for the variety of men's genitalia. Another problem with existing external penile support devices is that they include a number of parts which often become disassembled during use, possibly resulting in injury to both the user and the user's partner. Additionally, current penile supports are bulky, have large cross-sections and do not accommodate changes in penis size during erection. Current devices are often ineffective in retaining their contoured shape and expensive to manufacture due to their relatively complex designs.

Expandable external penile support device (EEPSD) with attachments and method of manufacturing


An information processing device calculates a mean and a variance of a response variable for each range determined based on a partition candidate being information on partitioning a domain of an explanatory variable into a plurality of ranges based on observed data and the mean and the variance are dependent on the explanatory variable, selects a specific partition candidate among a plurality of the partition candidates using an information criterion calculated based on the observed data and the calculated mean and variance of the response variable, and calculates a smooth function representing the variance of the response variable in the domain of the explanatory variable and a smooth function representing the mean of the response variable in the domain of the explanatory variable based on the mean and the variance calculated for each range determined based on the specific partition candidate.

There is a method of analyzing a degree (dependence) of how a random variable y depends on another random variable x by using a regression model in an case that the random variable y is assumed to depend on the random variable x. This method is called regression analysis. In regression analysis, the random variable y is called a response variable or a dependent variable. The random variable x is called an explanatory variable or an independent variable.
An example of regression analysis is described in a non-patent literature 1. The regression analysis in the non-patent literature 1 is executed under a condition where a variance of a response variable y is assumed to be constant not depending on a value of an explanatory variable x. In other words, the regression analysis in the non-patent literature 1 is executed under a condition where a variance of a response variable is assumed to be homogeneity in a domain of an explanatory variable.
Further, in a case that both of a mean and a variance of a random variable y are assumed to depend on an observed time t of observing a response variable y, there is a method of analyzing the dependence (degree of how the random variable y depends on another random variable x) by using a general state space model. The general state spatial model is a model which expresses dependence of both the mean and the variance of the response variable y by utilizing time-series data where both of the mean and the variance of the response variable y depend on the observed time t. An example of this analysis is described in a non-patent literature 2.

Information processing device, method of processing information and storage medium


In one aspect, a headset may include at least one processor, a display accessible to the at least one processor, and storage accessible to the at least one processor. The storage may include instructions executable by the at least one processor to identify user input regarding a particular object and, based on the user input, present an icon on the display. The icon may indicate whether the particular object is a real-world object or virtual object. Subsequent to presentation of the icon, the instructions may then be executable to execute a command related to selection of the particular object.

As recognized herein, electronic cut, copy, and paste commands are particularly difficult to perform using augmented reality (AR) headsets and other types of AR devices. As also recognized herein, this is at least in part due to the fact that both virtual objects and real-world objects might be visible to the user and might partially overlap each other from the user's perspective. This in turn can make accurately selecting the intended object frustrating and difficult, often times leading to unintentional selections. There are currently no adequate solutions to the foregoing computer-related, technological problem.

Graphical indications and selectors for whether object being selected via AR device is real or virtual


A video server receives an uploaded video and determines whether the video contains third-party content and which portions of the uploaded video match third-party content. The video server determines whether to degrade the matching portions and/or how (e.g., extent, type) to do so. The video server separates the matching portion from original portions in the uploaded video and generates a degraded version of the matching content by applying an effect such as compression, edge distortion, temporal distortion, noise addition, color distortion, or audio distortion. The video server combines the degraded portions with the original portions to output a degraded version of the uploaded video. The video server stores and/or distributes the degraded version of the uploaded video. The video server may offer the uploading user licensing terms with the content owner that the user may accept to reverse the degradation.

1. Field
The disclosure generally relates to the field of video processing, and in particular to the field of selectively processing videos containing third-party content.
2. Description of the Related Art
A video server allows users to upload videos, which other users may watch using client devices to access the videos hosted on the video server. However, some users may upload content that contains content created by others, and to which the uploading user does not have content rights. When an uploading user combines this third-party content with original content into a single video, the presence of the original content in the combined video complicates the determination of whether the uploaded video contains third-party content.

Selective degradation of videos containing third-party content


A technique (300) and apparatus for sharing frequency spectrum amongst cognitive radios is provided. By maintaining an unoccupied spectral quantum between each CR device, the channel technique ensures that a device just beginning transmissions in the CR frequency band will have spectrum from which to start growing. The growth can continue up to the maximum the spectrum can support, when the bandwidth of each device has been reduced to one spectral quantum, and there are no available spectral quanta left.

Cognitive radios (CR) utilize a variety of co-existence techniques in order to attempt to operate successfully along with existing wireless communication systems, architectures and other CR devices. The CR concept is generally intended to enable frequency band sharing and reuse with incumbent users and/or other CR devices. The manner by which CR performance can be increased or extended, via the use of advanced cognitive techniques, is of current interest in the communications arena.
The ability to share spectrum efficiently amongst existing CR devices presents challenges to designers of communication systems. Most spectral allocation techniques utilize a centralized control; however, a centralized control has the disadvantage of presenting a single point of failure. Even in a spectrum cleared of other users (i.e. cleared of incumbent users), achieving fair channel access among cooperating, yet independent, CR devices can be problematic. The ability for a new CR device to join a CR system and access the spectrum without having to undergo major changes to global infrastructure or coordinating access points of local area networks is not trivial.
Accordingly, it would be beneficial to have a CR device and CR system capable of efficient spectrum sharing.

Distributed spectrum allocation scheme for cognitive radio


The present disclosure provides various embodiments of an aircraft retrieval system including winch-equipped retrieval assembly that is removably attachable to a rotorcraft to facilitate retrieval of a fixed-wing aircraft from wing-borne flight.

An aircraft capable of hover and/or of slow flight is typically not well-suited to long-distance, efficient cruising flight. Certain fixed-wing aircraft are capable of long-distance, efficient cruising flight, but typically require long runways for takeoff landing. When there isn't sufficient space for a runway, these fixed-wing aircraft may not be used, or must be alternatively launched. There is a need for aircraft-launch and/or retrieval systems and methods that eliminate the need for a runway to launch and/or retrieve a fixed-wing aircraft.


An endpoint device monitors loading of dynamically loaded libraries (DLLs) by a process, such as during execution of the process on the endpoint device. The endpoint device can generate an endpoint-independent representation of the DLLs upon exiting of the process. The endpoint device may generate a hash, such as a one-way hash, of the endpoint-independent representation. The endpoint device may transmits the process and the hash to a management device to detect in a machine learning manner whether loading of the DLLs during the execution of the process was anomalous.

In the context of a computing device, a process may be considered an instance of a computer program's program code that is being executed. A process can invoke functionality provided by dynamically loaded libraries (DLLs). A DLL is a library of program code that a process loads into memory at process load or run time, in lieu of the library being added to the computer program's own program code during creation of the program's executable file. A DLL may be a shared library that different processes can each separately load into memory at load or run time.
Different operating systems refer to DLLs using different nomenclature. Versions of the Microsoft Windows operating system refer to DLLs as dynamically linked libraries. Versions of the Unix operating system, versions of the Linux operating system, which is a Unix-like operating system, and versions of the MacOS, iOS, and iPadOS operating systems, which are Unix-based operating systems, refer to DLLs as dynamically linked shared object libraries, dynamically linked shared objects, and/or dynamically linked shared libraries. The MacOS, iOS, and iPadOS operating systems also refer to DLLs in the context of frameworks. In Java and .NET frameworks, classes within Java archive (JAR) files and .NET assemblies, respectively, are in effect DLLs.

Machine learning anomaly detection of process-loaded DLLs


A communication system and method are provided for remotely reproducing a touch pattern or gesture as a vibrotactile output. At a touch screen, a first user device receives a touch pattern by a first user, characterizes the touch pattern as a touch pattern data based upon time and intensity of touch at a plurality of array points of the touch screen, and communicates the touch pattern data to a network. A tactile array of micro-vibratory devices is attached to a garment and worn by a second user. The touch pattern data is wirelessly received from the first user device via the network. Vibration of selected micro-vibratory devices of the tactile array is modulated in timing and intensity in response to the touch pattern data to reproduce the touch pattern.

1. Field of the Invention
The field of art disclosed herein pertains to vibratory stimulation devices that are remotely actuated using a device interface for translation of gestures. A user can provide inputs to a touch interface with or without needing to view the interface to achieve the desired response from the remotely controlled vibration array device
2. Description of the Related Art
Remotely controlling a stimulation device can be relegated to sexual toys but may also be helpful in improving perception, function, learning, training in any situation that requires a sensory stimulus.
Vibrating sex toys, also known as "vibrators", are typically equipped with fader-style controls that allow a user to vary the intensity of an electric vibrator motor, thereby altering the sensations produced by the toy. Unfortunately, controls in a vibrator sex toy are not optimal because they are distractions from the very sensations they control and are not controlled remotely. A more natural and ergonomic method of controlling a massaging or vibrator sex toy in a remote fashion is sought.
Sensory feedback is sought in a variety of methods with sensors that allow for identification of everything from grip on a steering wheel to application of force though a tennis racquet for a professional athlete. The ability to remotely deliver signals to the user of the tennis racquet or steering wheel is sought.

Garment with remote controlled vibration array


A wireless local area network (WLAN) transceiving integrated circuit services voice communications in a WLAN with at least one other WLAN device. The WLAN transceiving integrated circuit includes a WLAN interface, an input buffer, a transcoder, and a processor. The WLAN interface wirelessly communicates with the at least one WLAN device to receive packetized audio data from the at least one WLAN device. The input buffer operably couples to the WLAN interface and receives the packetized audio data from the WLAN interface. The transcoder operably couples to the input buffer and receives the packetized audio data from the input buffer. The transcoder converts the packetized audio data to Pulse Code Modulated (PCM) audio data and outputs the PCM audio data to a coupled audio COder/DECoder (CODEC). The processor operably couples to the WLAN interface, the input buffer, and the transcoder. The transcoder outputs the PCM audio data to the audio CODEC such that the PCM audio data is substantially temporally aligned with Radio Frequency (RF) slots of the WLAN interface.

The number and popularity of wireless communications devices in use continues to rise rapidly all over the world. Not only have cellular telephones become very popular, but Wireless Local Area Networking (WLAN) devices have also proliferated. One standard for wireless networking, which has been widely accepted, is the Specification of the Bluetooth System, v. 1.1 ("Bluetooth Specification"). The Bluetooth Specification enables the creation of small personal area networks (PAN's), where the typical operating range of a device is 100 meters or less. In a Bluetooth system, Bluetooth devices sharing a common channel sequence form a piconet. Two or more piconets co-located in the same area, with or without inter-piconet communications, is known as a scatternet.
The Bluetooth Specification supports voice communications between Bluetooth enabled devices. When a pair of Bluetooth devices support voice communication, the voice communications must be wirelessly supported in a continuous fashion so that carried voice signals are of an acceptable quality. Unexpected gaps, e.g., dropped packets, on the wireless link between supported Bluetooth devices causes degradation in the voice communication resulting in popping, static, or other unpleasant audible event. This problem is especially troublesome with Bluetooth devices since, in some operations, the communication link will regularly drop packets that carry the voice signals.
A further shortcoming of such operations relates to the manner in which packetized audio data is transmitted between Bluetooth devices. Consider an operation in which a first Bluetooth device transmits packetized audio data to a second Bluetooth device for presentation to a user. Because the Bluetooth WLAN supports data rates greatly in excess of those required for satisfactory voice service, each transmission from the first Bluetooth device carries a relatively large amount of packetized audio data. The duration of this transmission is typically small compared to the duration over which the second Bluetooth device will present the packetized audio data (carried in the transmission) to the user. Thus, the second Bluetooth device buffers the received packetized audio data and presents the packetized audio data (in a converted form) over an appropriate time period. However, if the packetized audio data stored in the input buffer is fully consumed prior to receipt of another transmission from the first Bluetooth device, it will appear to the second Bluetooth device that packetized audio data is lost (or severely delayed), and the second Bluetooth device will provided degraded audio to the serviced user.
Thus, there is a need for improved operation by WLAN devices servicing voice communications.

Temporal alignment of codec data with wireless local area network RF slots


A fiber optic adapter is disclosed. The fiber optic adapter includes a main body configured to receive a first fiber optic connector through a first end and a second fiber optic connector through a second end for mating with the first fiber optic connector. The adapter includes a ferrule alignment structure located within an axial cavity of the main body, the ferrule alignment structure including a sleeve mount and a ferrule sleeve, the sleeve mount including an axial bore and at least one latching hook extending from a center portion of the sleeve mount toward the first end of the main body and at least one latching hook extending from the center portion toward the second end of the main body, the latching hooks configured to flex for releasably latching the first and second fiber optic connectors to the fiber optic adapter. The sleeve mount and the main body of the fiber optic adapter are unitarily molded as a single piece and the ferrule sleeve is separately placed within the axial bore of the sleeve mount.

Fiber optics have revolutionized communication throughout the world. Fiber optics are generally thin strings of glass designed to carry light which can be grouped together. With the increased use of fiber optics, it has become increasingly important to be able to connect and disconnect fiber optic cables from various sources. Two fiber optic cables can be optically coupled so that they are in communication with one another by using well-known connectors and adapters, thereby putting each fiber optic cable in communication with the other. The connectors are terminated to the end of each cable and then plugged into the adapters. The adapters normally include an opening at each end designed to receive the connectors. An example adapter for holding two SC-type mating connectors is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,317,663. Improvements in the design and manufacture of fiber optic adapters are desirable.

Fiber optic adapter with integrally molded ferrule alignment structure


A knee airbag for a motor vehicle is described. This knee airbag extends in its installed state along a longitudinal direction (X) from a rear end to a front end. The airbag skin (5) of the knee airbag exhibits a front section (20) and a rear section (22) and a connecting line for contouring of the airbag is located on the rear section (22). In order to simplify the assembly of the knee airbag, the connecting line mainly extends transverse to the longitudinal direction (X) and shortens the rear section (22) in longitudinal direction.

Knee airbags are becoming increasingly widespread in the automotive industry and have two basic tasks: on the one hand they should prevent the knee-shin-areas of the vehicle occupant to be protected from coming into direct contact with the lower area of the instrument panel in case of an accident. Furthermore, knee airbags should prevent the pelvic area of the occupants from being displaced forwards; this is particularly important in the case of occupants who are not wearing seat belts.
The knee airbag is arranged in a housing which is located in the lower area of the instrument panel. It is often desired to locate this housing as far as possible in the direction of the footwell, therefore in the front area of the instrument panel which faces away from the occupant, or in the transition area between the instrument panel and the footwell. However, as the instrument panel is domed in a convex fashion, the knee airbag also has to follow this domed shape, thus showing a "banana shaped" cross-section. In principal this can be achieved through the attachment of outer tethers, which is, however, often not desired.
Generic patent application DE 10 2007 005 304 A1 therefore suggests providing a longitudinal fold and several further folds arranged within this longitudinal fold in a rear section of the airbag skin, in other words in the section which is turned towards the instrument panel, whereby the further folds are secured by means of seams. These further folds achieve a shortening of the ridge of the first fold. When the rear section is under tensile stress—which is the case when the airbag is filled—it assumes a concave shape because of the shortening, leading to assumption of the desired "banana shape". A knee airbag manufactured in this way basically functions well. However, a disadvantage is that several folds have to be provided which are positioned relatively precisely in relation to each other, which on the one hand makes it difficult to automate manufacture, and on the other hand generally requires a precise final inspection.


An ignition coil has a high tension winding divided into sections, each of which is wound in one of a plurality of winding compartments formed in an insulating body and which are spaced apart from each other by insulating compartments. The various sections of the high tension winding are connected in series using the wire of which the winding itself. The high tension sub-assembly is encapsulated in an insulating envelope. The high tension or secondary sub-assembly is impregnated with an adhesive varnish before being encapsulated in a plastics material, the encapsulation being carried out by surface moulding.

In ignition coils, it is necessary to guide a high tension winding wire from an upper end former of a compartment which carries one winding section towards an end former defining the next compartment, and to do this in such a way as to guarantee dielectric consistency between the two neighboring sections.
With this in view, it is known to arrange an insulating compartment between the two successive winding compartments, with the insulating compartment guaranteeing high insulation between the winding compartments and at the same time serving as a conduit for the winding wire joining the two winding compartments. For that purpose, the walls bounding the winding compartments are provided with slots. These slots allow the winding wire to pass from one high tension winding section to the next, in such a way that after one winding section has been fully wound, the wire can be taken through a slot in the wall of the winding compartment concerned and into the insulating compartment, and thence, via the base of the latter, into the next winding compartment so that the forming of the next winding section can be commenced.
In order to improve the insulating effect still further, it is arranged that the slots in the walls should be offset from each other by 180 degrees about the axis of the insulating body on which the winding is wound. An ignition coil which employs such high tension windings is described and shown in French published patent application No. FR 2 326 769A.
When the secondary sub-assembly is encapsulated in an insulating material, for example polybutyleneterephthalate (PBT), the incompatibility of this material as regards its adhesion to the material of which the insulating support member is made, and to the enamel on the high tension winding wire, means that the plastics encapsulating material does not perform a mechanical function, namely that of securing the turns of each winding section with respect to each other and securing these sections in their respective compartments. Consequently, the ignition coil may tend to suffer rapid deterioration. However, the use of PBT is still recommended because of its other qualities, such as the ease with which it can be moulded, its fluidity which allows it to penetrate easily into narrow spaces, and so on.
In order to overcome the disadvanteges set out above, one of the solutions currently used in practice involves, before encapsulation, the impregnation of the whole coil assembly by pouring a resin into the interior of the housing. This process is somewhat delicate, since the integrity of the resin, in both mechanical and dielectric terms, depends essentially on the achievement of high precision in its composition, in the temperature at which it is flowed into the housing, and in the time which it is necessary to allow for it to cure. The equipment for performing this operation is consequently expensive, especially since this equipment must be quite large since the curing time of the resin is very long, being of the order of several hours.

Ignition coil having a divided high tension winding, in particular for internal combustion engines


A step-extending device is adapted for use in association with a walker to ascend or descend a stairway. The step-extending device may employ a first base and a second base, each of which is adapted to receive legs of a walker upon respective upper surfaces. The device may be used in connection with a frame that connects the first and second bases to each other. A cross member connects first and second bases. A frame includes one or more upright members with handles adapted for grasping and moving the step-extending device from one stair to another stair during use. The height of each of the first and second support bases is adjusted to approximate the height of stairs upon a stairway, so that stairs of essentially any height may be accommodated.

Walking aids for aged and disabled persons include canes, walkers, and the like. A cane is a device designed to be held in one hand, and it usually includes a support leg extending from the ground to a user's hand. A walker typically provides at least four legs and provides significant support and stability as compared to a cane. A walker usually will stand without external support, and commonly provides at least two hand grasping positions or handles. Persons using walkers may step among or between the four legs of the walker for maximum support during walking. Walkers are shown for example in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,445,313; 4,441,283; 2,708,473; 5,603,517; 6,145,524; 5,787,913; 5,649,558; 5,499,645; and 5,979,146.
Aged or disabled persons frequently must ascend and descend stairs in connection with their daily activities. Many homes and businesses provide stairways as the only means of moving between floors. Stair climbing is a human activity that requires strong legs, flexible joints, and a fair amount of dexterity. Stair climbing is sometimes very difficult for disabled persons. Most canes and walkers perform poorly or not at all on stairways. Walkers cannot function well on stairs because of the large difference in height between adjacent stairs, which is typically about eight inches or more. Attempts to use standard walkers on stairways can sometimes be very dangerous, due to the instability of a walker when it is not placed upon a level footing.
Physical therapists sometimes advise patients to sit down and slide from one stair to another when ascending or descending a stairway. This sliding method is quite cumbersome, particularly when the patient must carry or pull a cane or walker with them. Furthermore, once the patient has reached his or her destination by such a method, he or she then must rise to an erect standing position, which is very difficult for elderly patients and those without full use of both legs.
Several devices have been developed to ease the burden of traversing a stairway. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,957,146 (the "Corey patent") is directed to a device that is designed to span more than one stair at a time. The Corey patent describes a moveable banister that is unilateral (i.e. supports one hand).
Walkers designed for climbing stairs have been disclosed. See for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,145,524; 5,787,913; 5,649,558; and 5,603,517. Several of the devices described in these patents include telescoping legs, in which the two "downhill" legs of a four-legged walker may be temporarily telescoped to a longer position. This adjustment requires a fair amount of manual dexterity to activate a leg lengthening mechanism. Further, it sometimes requires that the disabled person lean against a wall or another person while the walker is being modified to assume a stair climbing telescoped mode of operation.
What is needed in the industry is a convenient and efficient means of assisting a disabled or elderly person in ascending and descending a stairway. A device that is relatively easy to operate and does not require substantial fine motor skills would be desirable. Furthermore, a device that may be used in association with existing walkers would be very helpful. In particular, a device that is capable of temporarily adjusting for and extending stair height so that adjacent stairs on a stairway exhibit the same effective height would be very helpful. Furthermore, a device that can be used with a variety of stair tread heights would be quite versatile and helpful.


The present disclosure includes systems and techniques relating to an integer non-uniform constellation (NUC) high-order M-QAM. In some implementations, a scale factor is identified for a mapping of bit patterns into M constellation points of a NUC M-QAM, wherein M is no less than 1024; each of the M constellation points has respective real and imaginary coordinates; and the respective real and imaginary coordinates having respective decimal parts that are integer multiples of 2−n, with n being a non-negative integer less than 5. A bit pattern is received and mapped to integer real and imaginary coordinates of one of the M constellation points according to a mapping rule of the NUC M-QAM. The integer real and imaginary coordinates of the one of the M constellation points equal the scale factor multiplied with respective real and imaginary coordinates of the one of the M constellation points having respective decimal parts.

The present disclosure describes systems and techniques relating to an integer non-uniform constellation (NUC) for high-order quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM), such as 1024-QAM for use in communication systems.
Quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) is a modulation scheme that maps bits into constellation points (also referred to as grid points or QAM symbols), according to a mapping rule. Each constellation point (e.g., carrying phase and magnitude information) corresponds to a binary bit pattern (e.g., corresponding to an array of bits). For example, an M-QAM mapping rule can be used to map M number of constellation points to M number of bit patterns, wherein each bit pattern includes L=log2(M) number of bits. Common forms of QAM include 16-QAM, 64-QAM, and 256-QAM.
In some implementations, the M number of constellation points can be represented in a constellation diagram that includes a real axis and an imaginary axis. Each constellation point can thus be represented by its respective real coordinate (also referred to as an in-phase (I) component) and imaginary coordinate (also referred to as a quadrature (Q) component). For example, an M-QAM symbol, X, can be represented by its coordinates (Re(X), Im(X)), which is mapped to a particular bit pattern L represented by the series of bits (C0-CL-1), according to a specified M-QAM mapping rule.

Integer non-uniform constellation for high-order QAM


A radio device, which is the source, transmits a route request packet (RREQ) to a radio device. In response to the route request packet (RREQ), the radio device transmits to the radio device a route setup packet (RSET) including a route Radio Device Radio Device Radio Device Radio Device by looking-up topology information (TPIF). In response to the route setup packet (RSET), the radio device produces a route notification packet (RNTF) and transmits the produced route notification packet (RNTF) to radio devices, and. In response to the route notification packet (RNTF), the radio device, which is the destination, produces a route reply packet (RREP) and transmits the produced route reply packet (RREP) to the radio device, which is the source.

Ad hoc networks are constructed autonomously and instantly in response to communications between a plurality of radio devices. In ad hoc networks, when two interacting radio devices are not located in the same communication area, a radio device that is located between the two radio devices functions as a router and relays data packets. In this way, large multi-hop networks are formed.
Dynamic routing protocols that support multi-hop communications are classified into two categories: table-driven protocols and on-demand protocols. Table-driven protocols periodically exchange route control information and preestablish the routing table. Known table-driven protocols include FSR (Fish-eye State Routing), OLSR (Optimized Link State Routing) and TBRPF (Topology Dissemination Based on Reverse-Path Forwarding).
On-demand protocols establish routes to the destination only when data transmission is required. Known on-demand protocols include DSR (Dynamic Source Routing) and AODV (Ad Hoc On-Demand Distance Vector Routing).
In conventional ad hoc networks, when data is transmitted from source to destination, the communication route is determined so that the number of hops from source to destination is as small as possible (Guangyu Pei, et al., "Fisheye state routing: a routing scheme for ad hoc wireless networks," ICC2000. Commun., Volume 1, L.A., June 2000, pp. 70-74.)
However, as the wireless environment is unstable, the route with small hop numbers does not necessarily guarantee the quality. Therefore, it is better to select only stable routes in some way. Known major methods thereof are methods of introducing signal strength thresholds and methods of measuring packet loss rates.
The methods of measuring packet loss rates work effectively when packet loss is happening continuously.
The methods of introducing signal strength thresholds include a known method of extracting stable routes based on the average signal strength.
Non-patent Document 1: Rohit Dube, Cynthia D. Rais, Kuang-Yeh Wang, and Satish K. Tripathi, "Signal Stability-based Adaptive Routing (SSA) for Ad Hoc Mobile Networks," IEEE Personal Communications, February 1997, pp. 36-45.)

Wireless network system carrying out multihop wireless communication between source and destination

National Institute of Information and Communications Technology


Packets and packets fragments possibly received out of sequence are distributed into an expandable set of queues. For each particular packet or fragment, a queue within a set of queues is identified that does not contain a packet or packet fragment that is subsequent to the particular packet or fragment, and the particular packet or fragment is enqueued therein. If there is not such a queue available, a new queue is added to the set of queues. A data structure is typically updated for packet fragments to identify when all fragments have been received and the order of queues containing the packet fragments in order of their position within the reassembled packet. This ordered list of the queues is communicated to a reassembly mechanism to retrieve the packet fragments and to reassemble the packet. Resequencing of packets is similarly performed, and may be part of the reassembly process. The list of queues is not always used by the reassembly/resequencing mechanism as the enqueued fragments/packets typically contain sequence numbers.

The communications industry is rapidly changing to adjust to emerging technologies and ever increasing customer demand. This customer demand for new applications and increased performance of existing applications is driving communications network and system providers to employ networks and systems having greater speed and capacity (e.g., greater bandwidth). In trying to achieve these goals, a common approach taken by many communications providers is to use packet switching technology. Increasingly, public and private communications networks are being built and expanded using various packet technologies, such as Internet Protocol (IP). Note, nothing described or referenced in this document is admitted as prior art to this application unless explicitly so stated.
A network device, such as a switch or router, typically receives, processes, and forwards or discards a packet. Each packet is typically part of a larger set of information being communicated between two entities, and it is desirous and often a requirement that packets of a sequence be delivered in the order specified by that sequence. However, various transmission, packet processing, and packet switching techniques may result in packets arriving out of order at intermediate or final destinations where the packets are needed in their original order. Thus, a packet resequencing technique must be employed, such as storing the packets in random access memory and removing them from the memory in order.
Similarly, a single packet can be split into multiple packet fragments for transmission, processing or other purposes. For example, Multilink Point-to-Point Protocol (MLPPP) and Frame Relay Forum 0.12 (FRF 0.12) break a packet into fragments and transmit these multiple packet fragments over multiple physical links or facilities. These packets fragments are each identified with a packet sequence number to identify the order of the fragments. The receiving device must then reassemble the original packets in order from the received packet fragments as well as detect and recover from any lost packet fragments. One feature that makes this packet reassembly and error detection easier is that packets received over one of the links will, in the most prevalent uses of reassembly, also include a monotonically increasing link sequence number for the corresponding link over which the packet fragment is received or for the set of links over which the packet fragments are received. Although these packet fragments may often be received in order, there are situations for which some of these packet fragments may be received out of order.
Known systems performing packet reassembly use random access memory to reassemble the packets. For example, one technique writes each of the received packet fragments in memory at any location and keeps track of the received fragments and their location in memory in a "scorecard" data structure (e.g., it indicates the memory locations in reassembly order). Based on the scorecard, the packet fragments can be read out of memory in order to reassemble the original packet.
Another known technique allocates a portion of memory large enough to handle a largest size packet, and then stores each packet fragment in this portion of memory at a position relative to the sequence number of the fragment. In this manner, a packet is reassembled in memory, and the contiguous memory locations can be read to generate the reassembled packet.
In another context, merge sorting is a known technique for producing a single sorted list from multiple ordered lists whose values are known a priori. For example, two lists of known elements sorted in ascending order can be combined into a single sorted list by repeatedly taking the smaller value from the front of lists, and appending the smaller value to the end of the combined list. This example can be extended to a set of n known values, which can be sorted by first dividing the set into n lists containing a single value each, then combining pairs of lists to produce n/2 lists with two values each. Pairs of these lists are then merged, producing n/4 lists with four values each. Continuing in this fashion eventually yields a single sorted list containing the original values, but in sorted order. Merge sorting can also be implemented using three-way merging (that is, merging three sorted lists into a single sorted list in one step), rather than by using two-way merging. More generally, d-way merging can be used for any integer d>1. However, merge sorting cannot be used to produce a merged list of items by merging lists where one or more of the lists is not already in sorted order, as the merging technique can only take an item from the front of an input list, and not a next item in order that is not at the front of one of the input lists.

Distributing packets and packets fragments possibly received out of sequence into an expandable set of queues of particular use in packet resequencing and reassembly


A distributed mixer is configured of an artificial transmission line of which an input end is connected to an LO terminal and a terminal end is connected to an IF terminal, an artificial transmission line of which an input end is connected to an RF terminal, FETs that perform frequency synthesis of LO signals and RF signals and that are disposed following the artificial transmission lines and of which gates are connected to the artificial transmission line and sources are grounded, a bias circuit that applies gate bias voltage to a terminal end of the artificial transmission line, a terminating resistor that connects the terminal end of the artificial transmission line and a ground, and a plurality of transmission lines provided between the artificial transmission line and a drain of each FET.

A distributed mixer is a mixer circuit that forms an artificial transmission line using a reactance component that a field-effect transistor (FET) has and a reactance component that a transmission line has, and realizes broadband characteristics by using broad frequency characteristics that the artificial transmission line has (see NPL 1).
It is important in distributed mixers that design of bias circuits be made without losing the broadband nature of the artificial transmission line. In the case of a mixer with a lumped-element design, the radio frequency (RF (Radio Frequency)) terminal, the terminals of local oscillator (LO (Local Oscillator)) terminal, and intermediate frequency (IF (Intermediate Frequency)) terminal are normally designed to a narrow band and accordingly bias can be supplied using a ¼-wavelength stub where impedance is sufficiently height at a desired frequency, for example.
However, artificial transmission lines can only be formed in distributed mixers within a frequency range where impedance of the ¼-wavelength stub appears to be sufficiently greater than characteristic impedance of the artificial transmission line, and as a result, the broadband nature of the distributed mixer is impaired. Idealistically, this problem can be solved by using a choke coil where impedance is sufficiently great within the broadband frequency range of the artificial transmission line. However, creating a coil having a large inductance value in a MMIC (Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuit) is difficult, and is not practical.
Accordingly, in the case of distributed mixers, a bias circuit having high resistance, such as illustrated in FIG. 13, is normally used. The example shown in FIG. 13 is an example of a drain injection distributed mixer where conversion gain is great, and securing isolation between RF frequency and LO frequency is easy (see NPL 2). The drain injection distributed mixer is configured of artificial transmission lines 1 and 2, a plurality of FETs Q1 that are unit mixers arrayed along the artificial transmission lines 1 and 2, a bias circuit 3 that applies drain bias voltage to the input end of the artificial transmission line 1, a bias circuit 4 that applies gate bias voltage to the terminal end of the artificial transmission line 2, a capacitor C1 that connects the input end of the artificial transmission line 1 and an LO terminal 5, a capacitor C2 that connects the input end of the artificial transmission line 2 and an RF terminal 6, a capacitor C3 that connects the terminal end of the artificial transmission line 1 and an IF terminal 7, a terminating resistor R1 that connects the terminal end of the artificial transmission line 2 and a ground, and transmission lines CPW3 provided between the artificial transmission line 1 and the drains of the FETs Q1.
The artificial transmission line 1 is configured of a plurality of transmission lines CPW1 that have been serially connected, and the artificial transmission line 2 is configured of a plurality of transmission lines CPW2 that have been serially connected.
The bias circuit 3 applies drain bias voltage Vdd to the artificial transmission line 1 via a resistor Rdd. The bias circuit 4 applies gate bias voltage Vg to the artificial transmission line 2 via a resistor Rg.
The resistors Rdd and Rg are elements that have no frequency dependency, and if the values of the resistors Rdd and Rg are made to be sufficiently greater than the characteristic impedance of the artificial transmission lines 1 and 2, bias application can be performed without losing the broadband nature of the artificial transmission lines 1 and 2. However, in a case of using high resistance, a bias voltage of a magnitude corresponding to the voltage drop at the resistors Rdd and Rg needs to be externally supplied.
In a case of designing a drain injection distributed mixer, design of a bias circuit using high resistance incurs the difficulty which will be described next regarding the bias circuit 3 to which drain bias voltage Vdd is applied, in particular. The drain bias voltage Vdd needs to be voltage of a magnitude corresponding to the magnitude of voltage drop at the high resistor Rdd, as described above. For example, in a case of setting the drain voltage of the FETs Q1 near knee voltage, drain current approximately equal to the saturation region flows to each of the FETs Q1 making up the unit mixers.
In the case of a drain injection distributed mixer, current that is the drain current flowing to each of the unit mixers multiplied by the number of cascade stages of mixers (multiplied by the number of FETs Q1) flows to the high resistor Rdd that makes up the bias circuit 3, so the voltage drop at the high resistor Rdd is great. For example, in a case of using InP-HEMTs (High Electron Mobility Transistor) having a gate width of 10 μm as the FETs Q1 in a state where gate voltage is −0.2 V, the drain current near the drain voltage 0.2 V that is the knee voltage will be around 4 mA.
Accordingly, in a case where the drain injection distributed mixer is to have a configuration with eight cascade stages, for example, current of 32 mA flows to the high resistor Rdd. The resistance value of the high resistor Rdd needs to be sufficiently greater than the characteristic impedance of the artificial transmission lines 1 and 2 (normally 50Ω, and accordingly if this is set to 500Ω for example, the voltage drop at the high resistor Rdd will be 1.6 V. Accordingly, the drain bias Vdd supplied to the bias circuit 3 needs to be 1.8 V in order to set the drain voltage of the FETs Q1 to near the knee voltage.
In a drain injection distributed mixer, LO signals and RF signals are mixed, or LO signals and IF signals are mixed by turning the FETs Q1 on/off, and changing the drain current. In doing so, at the instant of the FETs Q1 going off and drain current stops flowing, the voltage drop at the high resistor Rdd becomes small, and as a result, the drain bias voltage Vdd=1.8 V is applied as it is to the drains of the FETs Q1. This voltage is a value barely within the drain breakdown voltage of a normal FET. In order to lower the voltage applied to the drains of the FETs Q1 when off, the voltage drop at the high resistor Rdd needs to be reduced. This can be conceivably done by reducing the number of cascade stages of the FETs Q1 and reduce the value of the current flowing to the high resistor Rdd, or making the value of the high resistor Rdd to be smaller.
In a drain injection distributed mixer, conversion gain is proportionate to the number of cascade stages of the FETs Q1, so high conversion gain cannot be secured with the technique of reducing the number of cascade stages of the FETs Q1. Also, with the technique of making the value of the resistor Rdd to be smaller, the smaller the value of the resistor Rdd is the more non-negligible the presence of the bias circuit 3 as viewed from the artificial transmission lines 1 and 2 of the distributed mixer becomes, as described above, so the broadband nature of the distributed mixer is lost.
There has also been a problem that usage efficiency of the power source is extremely poor at the bias circuits 3 and 4 that use the high resistors Rdd and Rg, and electric power consumption at the high resistors Rdd and Rg is great.

NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION


A one-time field programmable (OTP) memory cell with related manufacturing and programming techniques is disclosed. An OTP memory cell in accordance with one embodiment includes at least one resistance change element in series with a steering element. The memory cell is field programmed using a reverse bias operation that can reduce leakage currents through the array as well as decrease voltage levels that driver circuitry must normally produce in program operations. An array of memory cells can be fabricated by switching the memory cells from their initial virgin state to a second resistance state during the manufacturing process. In one embodiment, the factory switching operation can include popping an anti-fuse of each memory cell to set them into the second resistance state. The array of memory cells in the second resistance state are provided to an end-user. Control circuitry is also provided with the memory array that can switch the resistance of selected cells back toward their initial resistance state to program the array in accordance with data received from a user or host device.

1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments in accordance with the present disclosure are directed to integrated circuits containing non-volatile memory cell arrays and particularly those arrays incorporating passive element memory cells.
2. Description of the Related Art
Materials having a detectable level of change in state, such as a resistance or phase change, are used to form various types of non-volatile semiconductor based memory devices. For example, simple anti-fuses are often used for binary data storage in one time field programmable (OTP) memory arrays by assigning a lower resistance initial physical state of a memory cell to a first logical state such as logical '0,' and assigning a higher resistance physical state of the element to a second logical state such as logical '1.' Other logical data assignments to physical states may also be used. Some materials can be reset back to a higher resistance state after being set from an initial state to a lower resistance state. These types of materials can be used to form re-writable memory cells. Multiple levels of detectable resistance in materials can further be used to form multi-state devices which may or may not be re-writable.
Materials having a memory effect such as a detectable level of resistance are often placed in series with a steering element to form a memory device. Diodes or other devices having a non-linear conduction current are typically used as the steering element. In many implementations, a set of word lines and bit lines are arranged in a substantially perpendicular configuration with a memory cell at the intersection of each word line and bit line. Two-terminal memory cells can be constructed at the intersections with one terminal (e.g., terminal portion of the cell or separate layer of the cell) in contact with the conductor forming the respective word line and another terminal in contact with the conductor forming the respective bit line.
In some cases, the bias conditions during read and write operations are an important consideration when implementing non-volatile memory arrays having passive element memory cells comprising switchable resistance materials or phase change materials as the state change element. High bias conditions applied to program these cells can restrict the endurance of the steering element. High leakage currents, program disturbances, read disturbances, etc. can pose difficulties when attempting to produce a memory device comprising one or more arrays of passive element memory cells that can be reliably fabricated, programmed, and read. These factors often limit system performance by reducing the number of cells that can be simultaneously addressed in order to keep leakage currents at acceptable levels, for example. Such limitations on bandwidth may prove unacceptable in certain applications.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

High bandwidth one time field-programmable memory


Methods and systems for sizing fat parcels are provided. In particular, a parcelizer device that includes a container and a displacement insert or filter element is provided. Tissue containing fat parcels is passed through the parcelizer. The parcelizer can include multiple displacement inserts or filter elements. Alternatively or in addition, a plurality of displacement structures that each include one or more displacement inserts or filter elements can be provided. In general, the displacement inserts or filter elements are configured to progressively reduce the size of fat parcels included in tissue.

Fat parcelization is the reduction in size of the fat bolus that is produced during fat harvest with a cannula. Several factors control the fat parcel sizing during the harvest of the fat. The greatest influence on the size of the fat parcel is the hole diameter of the cannula. Other factors include the vacuum power used to suck the fat through the hole, and the length of the surgeon's "stroke" during harvest.
Parcelization is needed when transplanting fat during autologous fat transfer/grafting. Presently, the cannulas that are used to parcelize the harvested fat are typically 3 and 4 mm outside diameter cannulas with various hole patterns. These commonly used cannulas will produce fat parcels that are less than 10 mm in diameter. This is because the fat parcels are very compressible and flexible, and relatively large parcels can squeeze through small channels. However, these relatively large fat parcels can plug reinjection needles and equipment. In addition, 10 mm fat parcels are now thought to be too large to ensure that the fat parcel survives reinjection. In particular, it is believed that parcels of this size are too large for nutrients to pass to the interior of the parcel. Recent studies indicate that fat parcels with a diameter of less than 3 mm (for example, about 1 mm) are preferred. In particular, this size should be favorable for ensuring growth in the new location, while avoiding clogging of the tissue transfer hardware.
The size of the fat parcels can be decreased by decreasing the size of the holes in the harvest cannula. However, this slows the harvest procedure unacceptably. Other techniques reduce the size of fat parcels by pulverizing them. However, this can destroy the fat parcels, with the result that they will not revascularize when placed in their new location.

Tissue parcelization method and apparatus