A method of enabling sharing of a transmission medium by a first node of a wireless communications network and at least one further node of the network, comprising at the first node, acquiring occupancy of a channel of the transmission medium for a chosen Channel Occupancy Time which is less than or equal to a Maximum Channel Occupancy Time, generating first medium information comprising first node identification data, generating second medium sharing information comprising first node channel occupancy expiration time data, transmitting the first medium sharing information, transmitting the second medium sharing information, at the further node, receiving the first medium sharing information, using the information to identify the first node and using the identification of the first node to determine when sharing of the channel with the first node is allowed, receiving the second medium sharing information, using the information to determine the expiration time of the occupancy of the channel by the first node and using the expiration time to determine when transmission on the channel by the further node is possible.

Wireless communication systems, such as the third-generation (3G) of mobile telephone standards and technology are well known. Such 3G standards and technology have been developed by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). The 3rd generation of wireless communications has generally been developed to support macro-cell mobile phone communications. Communication systems and networks have developed towards a broadband and mobile system.
In cellular wireless communication systems User Equipment (UE) is connected by a wireless link to a Radio Access Network (RAN). The RAN comprises a set of base stations which provide wireless links to the UEs located in cells covered by the base station and an interface to a Core Network (CN) which provides overall network control. As will be appreciated the RAN and CN each conduct respective functions in relation to the overall network. For convenience the term cellular network will be used to refer to the combined RAN & CN, and it will be understood that the term is used to refer to the respective system for performing the disclosed function.
The 3rd Generation Partnership Project has developed the so-called Long Term Evolution (LTE) system, namely, an Evolved Universal Mobile Telecommunication System Territorial Radio Access Network, (E-UTRAN), for a mobile access network where one or more macro-cells are supported by a base station known as an evolved NodeB (eNodeB or eNB). More recently, LTE is evolving further towards the so-called 5G or NR (new radio) systems where one or more cells are supported by a base station known as a Next Generation Node B (gNB). NR is proposed to utilise an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexed (OFDM) physical transmission format.
The NR protocols are intended to offer options for operating in unlicensed radio bands, to be known as New Radio-Unlicensed (NR-U). When operating in an unlicensed radio band the nodes of the network, the gNB and UE, must compete for physical medium/resource access. For example, Wi-Fi, NR-U and LAA may utilise the same physical resources.
In order to share a transmission medium a Listen Before Talk (LBT) protocol is proposed in which a network node, such as a base station, e.g. a gNB, or a UE, monitors the available medium and only commences a transmission if there is no conflict with another node already utilising the medium. Once an LBT process is successful (the resources are "won"), the gNB or UE node gains access to the medium for up to the Maximum Channel Occupancy Time (MCOT) allowed by the standard used, provided there is no interruption of transmissions for more than a pre-defined interval (for example 16 μs).
In the LBT process, the nodes are required to apply a clear channel assessment (CCA) check prior to transmission. CCA involves at least energy detection (ED) over a time duration with a certain threshold (ED threshold) to determine if a channel of a transmission medium is occupied or is clear. If the channel is occupied, random back-off within a Contention Window Size (CWS) is applied, so that there is a minimum time duration where the channel is clear before the transmitter of the node can transmit. Thus there is typically only one node that is transmitting data in a given area around the node on a given channel. This prevents interference between nodes and ensures fairness of medium utilization.
After the transmitter of the node has gained access to the channel, the node is only allowed by regulation to transmit for up to a limited duration, the MCOT, and may choose to use a COT which is equal to or only part of the duration of the MCOT for one or more transmissions. To provide differentiation to channel access priorities based on the type of traffic served (e.g. VoIP, video, best effort, or background), four LBT priority classes are defined with different CWS and MCOT.
In LAA, LBT is adopted as the fundamental coexistence mechanism.
In Wifi® and WiMax®, a mechanism called Network Allocation Vector (NAV) exists, where a "duration" field is sent in the MAC header at the beginning of the transmitted frame. This duration indicates the duration of the ongoing transmission or of the Transmission Opportunity (TxOP) i.e. reserved transmission time. Nodes which are sensing the medium can read this field. However, the NAV mechanism is intended to reduce the need for a node to listen to the medium, hence reducing power consumption in Wifi®/Wimax®, it is not intended for the purpose of configuring medium sharing. As the NAV information is carried in the preamble or MAC header, it is only transmitted once at the beginning of the frame.
In 3GPP, the transmission of a Channel Usage Indicator (CUI) includes the NAV information and proposes an additional field for UL/DL information. The focus is the protection of receivers of nodes from interference and the CUI is only performed as a one-time preamble kind of transmission.
The above transmission medium sharing approaches seem to make sense for individual devices or small groups which may be operating without any coordination. On the other hand, wireless communications networks are strongly coordinated networks, they have well-defined rules of simultaneous operation and techniques have been adopted to make the simultaneous operation feasible. With this in mind, the classic unlicensed operation approach to transmission medium sharing is quite inefficient for wireless networks, as the usage of the spectrum is very limited.
A possible solution is to involve a centralization of the network e.g. one node controlling and scheduling all sharing nodes or to let the node inform the other nodes of it's COT through dedicated channels (e.g. X2 for sharing between gNBs). But these solutions imply complex and very time sensitive cooperation and in particular delays due to go and back requests/reply mechanisms. Any delay strongly reduces the sharing efficiency as the max MCOT is only 8-10 ms long.

Transmission medium sharing in a wireless communications network


A printed circuit board or other substrate mounts electrical components substantially coplanar with the median plane or thickness of the board or substrate. The board furnishes an opening having bonding pads plated through the opening and fixed on the opposite sidewalls of the opening. The electrical component becomes placed in the the opening with solder paste between the bonding pads and end terminals of the electrical component. Reflow soldering techniques melt the solder paste into solder filets that solidify to fasten the electrical component within the opening in coplanar with the median plane or thickness of the board.

This invention relates generally to mounting electrical components on printed circuit boards and particularly relates to mounting the electrical components substantially coplanar with the median plane or thickness of the board using solder reflow techniques. This obtains a higher density of electrical components and circuit board than mounting the components on the surfaces of the circuit board.
Printed circuit card assemblies long have mounted components on one side or the other of the printed circuit board. Early, the components terminated in leads that passed through plated holes in the circuit board and that were crimped to fasten the components to the board. The board and components then passed through a solder bath or solder wave to finish the desired soldered electrical connections. Recently integrated circuit packages with gull wing leads or J-leads and lead-less but capped resistors, capacitors and inductors became mounted to circuit boards with surface mount technology. A solder paste is printed on the bonding pads formed on the circuit board. Mechanical pickers place the electrical components on the pads with the paste providing some adhesion of the components to the pads. The board and carried components then pass through a solder reflow oven or the like to melt the solder paste, with the surface tension of the molten solder holding the components in place on the pads. Afterwards, the solder solidifies mechanically to fastens the components to the board and electrically to connect the components in the circuits carried on the board.
Surface mount technology attains a greater component density than the earlier technology; it mounts more components on a certain area of printed circuit board through eliminating many plated through holes and eliminating or reducing the size and configuration of component leads. Surface mount technology achieves even greater density of components on the board by mounting such as decoupling capacitors under integrated circuit packages or carriers of such as dynamic random access memories (DRAMs). Further, components can be surface mounted on both sides of the printed circuit board.

Mounting of high density components on substrate


A turbine shroud sealing apparatus for a gas turbine engine includes: (a) an arcuate shroud segment comprising a low-ductility material and having a cross-sectional shape defined by opposed forward and aft walls, and opposed inner and outer walls, the walls extending between opposed first and second end faces of the segment; and (b) a first seal assembly received in at least one slot formed in the first end face, the first seal assembly comprising one or more spline seals which protrude from the first end face and which are arranged to define a continuous sealing surface around the perimeter of the first end face.

This invention relates generally to gas turbine engines, and more particularly to apparatus and methods for sealing shrouds made of a low-ductility material in the turbine sections of such engines.
A typical gas turbine engine includes a turbomachinery core having a high pressure compressor, a combustor, and a high pressure turbine in serial flow relationship. The core is operable in a known manner to generate a primary gas flow. The high pressure turbine (also referred to as a gas generator turbine) includes one or more rotors which extract energy from the primary gas flow. Each rotor comprises an annular array of blades or buckets carried by a rotating disk. The flowpath through the rotor is defined in part by a shroud, which is a stationary structure which circumscribes the tips of the blades or buckets. These components operate in an extremely high temperature environment, and must be cooled by air flow to ensure adequate service life. Typically, the air used for cooling is extracted (bled) from the compressor. Bleed air usage negatively impacts specific fuel consumption ("SFC") and is should generally be minimized.
It has been proposed to replace metallic shroud structures with materials having better high-temperature capabilities, such as ceramic matrix composites (CMCs). These materials have unique mechanical properties that must be considered during design and application of an article such as a shroud segment. For example, CMC materials have relatively low tensile ductility or low strain to failure when compared with metallic materials. Also, CMCs have a coefficient of thermal expansion ("CTE") in the range of about 1.5-5 microinch/inch/degree F., significantly different from commercial metal alloys used as supports for metallic shrouds. Such metal alloys typically have a CTE in the range of about 7-10 microinch/inch/degree F.
CMC shrouds may be segmented to lower stresses from thermal growth and allow the engine's clearance control system to work effectively. The segment end faces or "slash" faces can have end gaps at operating conditions, with CMC shrouds potentially having larger gaps than comparable metal shrouds. Because of the slash face gaps, seals must be used to limit the leakage flow and protect the back flow margin of the shroud.
One type of segmented CMC shroud incorporates a "box" design eliminating the conventional shroud hangers which are used to mount prior art metallic turbine shrouds. In prior art practice, the shroud hanger is usually used to meter cooling air flow supplied to the shroud by removing a significant portion of the cooling air pressure. Because a box shroud will not have a shroud hanger, the outboard portion of the shroud could interface with very high air pressures.


A beach towel comprises a towel with a hollow, open-ended receptacle integrally attached to one end of the towel. A pillow is removably disposed within the receptacle. A carrying bag has first and second ends, one of which is closed, and one of which is attached to the pillow. The bag defines a hollow enclosure extending from the first end to the second end, with the hollow enclosure removably enclosing the towel, receptacle and pillow when the towel is rolled around the pillow and not in use. A drawstring, attached to either the first or second end, is provided for closing the bag.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to beach towels, and more particularly to beach towels having a built in pillow and a waterproof carrying bag.
2. Description of the Relavant Art
In the past, sunbathers and other people enjoying a beach or poolside have had problems with being comfortable on the ground. Beach towels were used to keep the sand, dirt or other debris away from a person, but a towel alone did not make for a comfortable resting place. In particular, a conventional towel lacks a comfortable place to rest one's head. As a result, people resorted to rolling up a second towel to place under the head. This had the disadvantage of not being a very comfortable pillow, whereas even if a comfortable position was found, that configuration of the towel is easily lost when the person moves. Another solution was to bring an actual pillow and lay it on the towel. However, this was impractical because the pillow would get dirty and wet. In addition, it was inconvenient to search for and carry a separate pillow along with all the other provisions usually brought to a beach or pool.
Therefore, it would be desirable to find a beach towel with a pillow integral therewith which would not get wet or dirty, is easily carried, and which would be removable for simple cleaning of the towel.

Beach towel and pillow removably contained within carrying bag


A method generates a three-dimensional (3D) scene image of a scene using a MIMO array including a set of antenna by first selecting a subsets of the antennas as transmit antennas and receive antennas. Radio frequency (RF) signal are transmitted into the scene using the subset of transmit antennas while the MIMO array is moving at a varying velocity. The RF signal are received at the subset of receive antennas as MIMO data, which is aligned and regularized. Then, a compressive sensing (CS)-based reconstruction procedure is applied to the aligned MIMO data to generate the 3D image of the scene.

A conventional single-channel virtual antenna array system makes use of wideband radio frequency (RF) signals and a large synthetic aperture to generate two-dimensional (2D) range-azimuth images. The 2D azimuth images, without any elevation information, are a projection of the 3D scene onto the 2D range-azimuth plane. Therefore, the 3D structure of the scene, such as a 3D terrain, is not preserved after the projection. In addition, this projection may cause several artifacts, such as layover and shadowing. In layover artifacts, several terrain patches with different elevation angles are mapped into the same range-azimuth cell. In shadowing artifacts, certain areas are not visible by the array imaging system because of occluding structures. These artifacts cannot be resolved by a single baseline observation, even using interferometric array imaging techniques.
In order to perform 3D imaging, multi-baseline observations are necessary in the elevation dimension. The multi-baseline observations can be acquired either by multiple passes of a single-channel platform or a single pass of a multiple-channel platform.
A moving MIMO system, as a multiple-channel platform with 3D imaging capability, has the following advantages. First, the degrees of freedom are greatly increased by the multiple antennas of the MIMO array. Second, the moving MIMO platform can provide much more transmitter-receiver combinations to satisfy cross-track sampling, resulting significantly improved elevation resolution.
However, the moving MIMO array platform also suffers from several tradeoffs. First, the total number of simultaneous transmitting channels are restricted to avoid self interference. For conventional MIMO array, the transmitting elements are typically fixed. Second, the spatial location of the moving MIMO array are subject to motion errors. This can cause ambiguity and defocus when left uncompensated.
As shown in FIG. 1, a conventional MIMO array system 110, which generally moves 120 along an azimuth (y) direction, generates a 3D image of a scene with point scatterers 130 at different elevations. The magnitude of the velocity vector is constant, and the direction is in a straight line. The array includes fixed receivers (x, ♦) and fixed transmitters (x) typically at each end of the array.
FIG. 2 shows a conventional 3D imaging method. Here, the MIMO array is moving at a constant velocity, and the transmitters and receivers are fixed. That is, all transmitters and receivers of the array are the same while transmitting and receiving. The transmitters emit radio frequency (RF) signal onto a scene, which are reflected and received by the receivers. The data 211 corresponding to the received RF signals 210 are used to generate 220 2D images 221 that are aligned 230. Then, 3D image reconstruction is applied to the aligned image to obtain the 3D image 241.

System and method for 3D imaging using a moving multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) linear antenna array

Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc.


A data repository includes information for multiple data systems, which can each control data in this and a number of other domains. A business process can be launched by one of the data systems to update the target data and any related data in the repository or any other related repository. Any request to update data is intercepted and the business process can launch workflows and apply policies as needed to process the request. Workflows can be associated with the fields being updated or process being executed, such that any update to the target data is also accurately reflected in any other related system. Further, launching a workflow allows processes to be run before the data is updated, such that the data can be modified, added to, rejected, or otherwise processed before being added to the appropriate repositories.

The present invention relates generally to the management of data across domains, an in particular to using workflows to manage data across multiple systems and sources.
As an ever increasing number of services is being offered by various network providers, there is a corresponding increase in the number of systems, devices, applications, and components that utilize and store data for customers. Data typically is stored in databases as either structured or unstructured data. Directories (e.g., Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) directories) can be used to store the data, as well as various schemas. For XML data, for example, the data can be stored in XML-aware databases, and repositories such as are found in XDM servers allow storage and exchange of XML data. All these are particular examples of data repositories.
Existing systems do not provide a view or aggregation of data from other domains, where data manipulation can be accomplished, accompanied by, or conditioned by execution of a policy (i.e., any combination of any condition and any action) that may call other systems to perform tasks that may update or result into updates of the data as needed, and that provide a view of the updated results or that may call other systems to perform tasks as a result of the update. Typically, these other systems are the "master controller" or "owner" of the data that is viewed. Data manipulation then is typically done as a request to change data in a system, a security check or identity authentication/validation, and a change of data by the database or repository. Such approaches can lead to problems in that changes made in one system might not align or be consistent with other systems using the same data, or consistent with related data in the same or other systems.
Certain information thus overlaps or is related to other information stored for different services or in different repositories. Unfortunately, it is not practical for most entities to rewrite the schemas or redesign all the systems and services to use a common data model, single repository, single point of access, etc. As such, there typically is no way to treat the various repositories as a single data source that is readily available to applications, users, etc.
A significant problem thus exists in the fact that updating information in one data repository may require corresponding changes or updates in other repositories, with each repository storing information for multiple applications. In order to update data in a repository, the overall system assumes that several applications may have been triggered by the result, or at an intermediate step, and that these applications have executed their own processes may have changed the context or data elsewhere. For example, adding a subscription for a user in a Business Support System (BSS) may also require updating support data and asset data (e.g. in an OSS, Network, or run time environment like SDP), as well as ensuring that some provisioning, activation, fulfillment, and/or billing takes place, etc. If the data is allowed to be updated without following all such flows, data existing elsewhere (e.g. catalog or provisioning flows, new rates, inventories of assets associated to a principal (e.g. subscriber) or support details, etc.) may be dropped (i.e., not appropriately added/updated). Further, other data in the same repository that might need to be modified as a result of the change might not be modified appropriately. For example, an action such as creating a customer record in a customer database for a business such as a telecommunications service provider requires other updates or processes to be run for other systems, such as where a new customer must be added to the billing system in order to ensure that the customer will be billed for the service. The customer information must also be added to a support system so that the customer can receive necessary support, etc. It thus is not enough to simply update the information locally, but all other necessary processes also must be executed in response to the update.
For example, a telecommunications service provider typically maintains a large set of different repositories that each contain certain information about customers of that provider. A number of systems and components may include Business Support Systems (BSS), a Service Delivery Platform (SDP), Operational Support Systems (OSS), and various other applications, third party content, and services. Each of these systems typically includes at least one repository containing a specific type of information, which generally is not substantially related or available to information in the repositories of the other systems.
For example, a BSS repository can store customer information from a service provider (business) point of view, such as customer address information, customer billing information, products purchased by the customer, and campaigns to which a customer has responded. A BSS repository also can include subscription information for a customer, such as information for any voice, wireless, data, or roaming plan, as well as number of minutes purchased per month, the terms of the plan, SLA etc. Such information is treated as product information from a BSS (e.g. CRM) point of view, and the BSS repository also will include information as to whether a particular customer is subscribing to that product. If, for example, a customer subscribing to a new subscription may entitled to a new phone or promotion or phone renewal terms or bundling, etc., that information typically will be maintained in the BSS repository. A BSS (e.g. CRM) repository also typically is used to maintain trouble tickets, such as information regarding problems with service or failure to receive a form, status of the ticket etc.
An OSS repository, on the other hand, can be used for monitoring and administration of the system. An OSS repository can contain subscriber information such as information for the current and active bill for a customer, an inventory of assets, provisioning and activation status (i.e., what is activated, what needs to be activated, etc., such as an order fulfillment status) associated with a customer, types of products or services provided to a customer, etc. A repository at the network level might include current network information for a customer, such as whether the customer is logged onto the network, a location of the customer on the network, whether a customer device is active, presence (one may argue if that is network or service level data, but it does not matter), etc. An application/service level repository (e.g., exposed within a service delivery platform (SDP)) stores subscription information for a customer that is useful in running software services that are exposed to the customer, such as whether a particular customer has requested to receive news updates, and if so, also stores preference information such as which types of news the customer wishes to receive, e.g., international news or news related to a specific topic, as well as a channel in which to receive the news (e.g., SMS or MMS) and format information for the news (e.g., background color and font size). The SDP repository also can include information such as an identity for each customer, customer availability, etc.
As can be seen, there is certain information that overlaps or is related to other information stored for different services or in different repositories. Unfortunately, it is not practical for most entities to rewrite the schemas or redesign all the systems and services to use a common data model, single repository, single point of access, etc. As such, there typically is no way to treat the various repositories as a single data source that is readily available to applications, users, etc.
In the case of a service, when an update is to take place it often is difficult to know where information is located, which information needed to be updated, as well as anything else that may need to be updated in order to maintain consistency of the entire system. This can significantly slow access, use, and changes to data such as subscription data. Many initiatives to offer such capabilities either fail or are extremely difficult to implement and/or integrate within a service provider's domain.
Further, a problem exists in the fact that updating information in one data repository may require corresponding changes or updates in other repositories. If a specific repository includes customer subscription information, there can be multiple applications that write that information in the repository, and update the repository, so that the repository reflects the subscriptions for all services. For a business such as a telecommunications service provider, however, an action such as creating a customer record in a customer database requires other updates or processes to be run for other systems. For example, a new customer must be added to the billing system in order to ensure that the customer will be billed for the service. The customer information must also be added to a support system so that the customer can receive necessary support, etc. It thus is not enough to simply update the information locally, but all other necessary processes also must be executed in response to the update.
Even after a customer record is created in all the appropriate systems, the customer may subscribe to different services or purchase different equipment, which can require updates in any appropriate system. Thus it would be desirable to have a way to ensure that all appropriate processes and updates are launched in response to an update in data of any system or repository across a domain.

Service-oriented architecture (SOA) management of data repository


A method of manufacture of a wire-on-lead package system includes: providing a die attach paddle with paddle extensions distributed along the periphery of the die attach paddle, providing leadfingers surrounding the die attach paddle, attaching a semiconductor die to the die attach paddle wherein the semiconductor die is larger than the die attach paddle, and connecting bond wires between the semiconductor die and the leadfingers and between the semiconductor die and the paddle extensions.

Micro devices and micro-circuits have come into use in a wide variety of consumer, commercial, industrial, and military devices and equipment. Micro-circuits, such as integrated circuits, contain a large number of active circuit elements, such as transistors, and passive elements, such as resistors and capacitors, fabricated on a substrate.
Semiconductor integrated circuits consist of small monolithic dies made of a semiconducting material, such as silicon, having discrete areas into which impurities are diffused to form circuit elements, and having conductive paths between circuit elements on the chip formed by conductive lines formed using diffused impurities or patterned metal layers. In hybrid micro-circuits, circuit elements mounted on a ceramic substrate are usually interconnected by conductive ink paths on the substrate.
Functional portions of integrated circuits are typically in the form of very small, rectangular-shaped semiconductor dies. Electrical connections to integrated circuit dies are often made by wire bonding.
Many conventional semiconductor die (or "chip") packages are of the type where a semiconductor die is molded into a package with a resin, such as an epoxy molding compound. The packages have leadfingers that project from the package body, to provide a path for signal transfer between the die and external devices. Other conventional package configurations have contact terminals or pads formed directly on the surface of the package.
Semiconductor package structures continue to advance toward miniaturization and thinning to increase the density of the components that are packaged therein while decreasing the sizes of the products that are made therefrom. This is in response to continually increasing demands on information and communication apparatus for ever-reduced sizes, thicknesses, and costs, along with ever-increasing performance.
These increasing requirements for miniaturization are particularly noteworthy, for example, in portable information and communication devices such as cellular phones, hands-free cellular phone headsets, personal data assistants ("PDA's"), camcorders, notebook personal computers, and so forth. All of these devices continue to be made smaller and thinner to improve their portability.
Conventional semiconductor packages are fabricated through the following processes: a die-bonding process (mounting the semiconductor die onto the paddle of a leadframe), a wire-bonding process (electrically connecting the semiconductor die on the paddle to inner leadfingers using bond wires), a molding process (encapsulating a predetermined portion of the assembly, containing the die, inner leadfingers and bond wires, with an epoxy resin to form a package body), and a singulation process (completing each assembly as individual, independent packages).
An exemplary semiconductor package, well known in the electronics industry, is the quad flat no-lead package ("QFN"). QFN packages typically comprise a leadframe, such as a conductive sheet stamped and etched, with a semiconductor die having a multitude of bond pads mounted to the top side of the leadframe. Wire bonds electrically connect the bond pads, of the semiconductor die, to a series of conductive leadfingers on the top side of the leadframe. Typically, the semiconductor die and the wire bonds are encapsulated within a molding compound.
In order to reduce manufacturing costs, the electronics industry is increasing the usage of QFN packages. In the manufacturing process, many obstacles must be overcome to deliver extremely small packages with increased number of input/output (I/O) in high volume. One such obstacle is being able to minimize the size of a leadless package in reference to a semiconductor die to be incorporated into the package.
Thus, a need still remains for leadframe package systems that can accommodate the largest possible semiconductor die without impacting the overall reliability of the package. In view of the ever-increasing commercial competitive pressures, it is increasingly critical that answers be found to these problems. In view of the ever-increasing commercial competitive pressures, along with growing consumer expectations and the diminishing opportunities for meaningful product differentiation in the marketplace, it is critical that answers be found for these problems. Additionally, the need to reduce costs, improve efficiencies and performance, and meet competitive pressures adds an even greater urgency to the critical necessity for finding answers to these problems.
Solutions to these problems have been long sought but prior developments have not taught or suggested any solutions and, thus, solutions to these problems have long eluded those skilled in the art.

Wire-on-lead package system having leadfingers positioned between paddle extensions and method of manufacture thereof


A method and system for controlling network traffic with different tags within the same connection by applying policies for each tag are disclosed. A method is disclosed in which incoming traffic is received. A traffic class is assigned to the incoming traffic. A policy is assigned to the incoming traffic based on the assigned traffic class. Outgoing traffic is controlled based on the assigned policy for the incoming traffic.

A communication network includes multiple interconnected devices. Typically, these interconnected devices send messages in data units. For example, a network such as the Internet uses data units called "packets." A number of protocols may be used to control the flow of packets over a network or on the Internet. One protocol that controls the flow of packets over a network or on the Internet is the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP).
TCP/IP is a connection-oriented reliable end-to-end protocol. That is, the TCP/IP protocol is used to establish and maintain reliable connections between applications on a packet-switched computer network and interconnected systems of such networks. For the delivery of information to be reliable, the packets must be sent and received in sequence by the applications using TCP/IP for communication. [RFC 783]
A network application may embed tags in packets. A tag is a bit or a sequence of bits within a packet that indicates certain characteristics of the packet. There are many possible ways to tag a packet. For example, the IP Type-of-Service (TOS) field is commonly used to tag IP packets. This four-bit sequence has the following standardized values [RFC 1389]:
1000 Minimize delay
0100 Maximize throughput
0010 Maximize reliability
0001 Minimize monetary cost
0000 Normal service
In previous implementations of tagging, the packets in a TCP/IP connection, if tagging was used, were commonly tagged with a constant value over the entire connection. Examples of packet tags that are constant include a tag that indicates that this is a high priority connection, or a tag that indicates that this connection should not be distributed among multiple application servers. For example, when TOS is used to tag TCP/IP packets, typically, all of the packets in a TCP connection share the same TOS value. One of the most frequent uses of TOS is as a tag that indicates the priority of the packet.
Tagged packets in TCP/IP convey information about the packet that can be used to determine the significance of the packet. This significance can be enforced by the application of network traffic control policies to that packet. A network traffic control policy, or "policy," controls the handling of the packet and the TCP/IP connection to which it belongs. Examples of policies include priority queueing and TCP rate control; the former is commonly known, and the latter is disclosed in the prior art.
When packet tags do not vary over the course of the connection, any policy that is applied to a connection based on the initial packet tag value functions appropriately over the course of the connection.
A more recent introduction is the implementation of tags that vary from packet to packet over the course of the connection. Examples of packet tags that vary include a single bit that indicates the priority of the packet or multiple bits that indicate the type of information that the packet contains. For example, in Citrix MetaFrame 1.8 with Feature Release 1, or in Citrix MetaFrame XP, each packet is tagged with information that indicates information about the ICA Virtual Channel to which the packet belongs. As there are many virtual channels in use over the course of a Citrix ICA connection, the tags vary significantly over the course of a flow.
When packet tags vary over the course of a connection, a simple interpretation of such tags may not have the desired effect with regards to the traffic connection. That is, a policy applied to a connection based on the initial packet tag value does not function appropriately over the course of the connection, because the tags and the significance of the packets vary. For example, a packet with a tag that indicates that it is urgent may be significantly delayed because the initial packet of the connection indicated that this was an unimportant connection, and the policy that was applied to the connection assigned the connection a low priority.
An additional problem is inherent in applying a policy to each tagged packet within the connection. For example, when configuring a queuing policy that creates a priority queue for each packet tag, each packet is placed in a queue according to its tag, and transmitted in the order of relative importance to the other packets in the connection. However, TCP/IP is a connection-oriented reliable end-to-end protocol, and relies on sequential delivery of packets. Because TCP/IP guarantees in-order delivery to the application, this adds significant latency to the connection. That is, if a high priority packet follows a low priority packet while there is network congestion, the high-priority packet arrives potentially long before the lower-priority preceding packet. Because the high priority packet is received out of sequence, the TCP/IP stack on the receiving side retains the high priority packet, waits to receive the low priority packet, and, if the low priority packet is not received, requests retransmission of the unreceived low priority packet. The recipient then waits again for the low priority packet and may request a retransmission again if the packet is not received. Meanwhile, the high priority packet may time out, and the recipient may need to request the high priority packet again. The result is that the throughput of the connection is severely degraded as the connection is dominated by TCP/IP retransmit timeouts, and bandwidth is wasted as the high priority packets are subsequently resent. Because of this throughput degradation, there is no value to sending the later higher priority packet prior to the preceding lower-priority packet.
Thus, what is needed is a flexible way to control traffic flow such that packets with differing packet tags within the same connection are handled in a varying but controllable manner.

Method and system for controlling network traffic within the same connection with different packet tags by varying the policies applied to a connection


A craft art form product, system and method including patterns, paint, and applicators enables craft paint to form three-dimensional color bead matrix patterns having high degree of visual resolution and color saturation. Precisely located and closely spaced geometric shapes associated with a set of color symbols are used to form matrix designs in patterns. Each symbol represents an artistic expression which is assigned to a particular color. Each color symbol has a color darkness value which may also correspond to the darkness value of the assigned color. The craft paint material has the characteristics of forming a discrete substantially uniform and homogeneous, three-dimensional bead to overlay the color symbol associated with each geometric shape. The craft paint material can form discrete beads placed closely together without running together, yet retain sufficient fluidity to settle into smooth, substantially uniform beads. A fine tip applicator applies the craft paint material to each geometric shape.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the field of providing stylized decorative designs on surfaces, and particularly to the field of craft paints for forming painted designs with hand-applied, color bead matrix patterns of three-dimensional beads of paint closely spaced together to visually merge to form designs of lines or fields of color.

Craft art system for forming three-dimensional bead matrix designs and method therefor


A sheet restrainer is used to restrain movement of continuously traveling glass sheet and includes arms on either side of the glass sheet. A driving device coupled to the arms moves the arms from a retracted position in which the arms are withdrawn from the glass sheet to an engaged position in which the arms are near the glass sheet and in alignment with each other. Rollers are connected to the arms and contact the glass sheet in the engaged position. A damping device applies an adjustable damping force to at least one of the arms dampening movement of the arm in the engaged position thereby restraining movement of the sheet. In a method of operation, the damping devices restrain angular and/or lateral movement of the sheet by transmitting movement of the sheet against the rollers into a resistive damping force of the damping devices.

A fusion process (e.g., downdraw process) forms high quality thin glass sheets that can be used in a variety of devices such as flat panel displays. Glass sheets produced in a fusion process have surfaces with superior flatness and smoothness when compared to glass sheets produced by other methods. The fusion process is described below with respect to FIG. 1 (Prior Art) but for a more detailed description refer to co-assigned U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,338,696 and 3,682,609, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.
FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of an exemplary glass manufacturing system 10 which utilizes the fusion process to make a glass sheet 12. As shown, the exemplary glass manufacturing system includes melting vessel 14, fining vessel 16, mixing vessel 18, delivery vessel 20, fusion draw machine (FDM) 22, and traveling anvil machine (TAM) 24. Typically, components 16, 18 and 20 are made from platinum or platinum-containing metals, but they may also comprise other temperature resistant metals.
Melting vessel 14 is where the glass batch materials are introduced as shown by arrow 26 and melted to form molten glass 28. Melting vessel 14 is connected to fining vessel 16 by melting to fining vessel connecting tube 30. Fining vessel 16 has a high temperature processing area that receives molten glass 28 (not shown at this point) from melting vessel 14 and in which bubbles are removed from molten glass 28. Fining vessel 16 is connected to mixing vessel 18 by a finer to stir chamber connecting tube 32. Mixing vessel 18 is connected to delivery vessel 20 by a stir chamber to bowl connecting tube 34. Delivery vessel 20 delivers molten glass 28 through a downcomer 36 into FDM 22 which includes inlet 38, forming vessel 40 (e.g., isopipe), and pull roll assembly 42.
As shown, molten glass 28 flows from downcomer 36 into inlet 38 which leads to forming vessel 40 which is typically made from a ceramic or a glass-ceramic refractory material. Forming vessel 40 includes opening 44 that receives molten glass 28 which flows into trough 46 and then overflows and runs down two lengthwise sides 48 (only one side shown) before fusing together at what is known as root 50. Root 50 is where the two lengthwise sides 48 come together and where the two overflow walls of molten glass 28 rejoin (e.g., refuse) to form glass sheet 12 that is then drawn downward by pull roll assembly 42. The glass sheet cools as it is drawn, transitioning from a molten state at the root, to a visco-elastic state and finally to an elastic state. Pull roll assembly 42 delivers drawn glass sheet 12 which, at the bottom of the isopipe is substantially flat, but which later in the process may develop a slightly bowed or curved shape across the width and/or length of the glass sheet 12. This bowed shape may remain in glass sheet 12 all the way to TAM 24. Continuous beads are formed along the outer periphery of first and second sides 63, 64 of the glass due to the pull rollers contacting the glass. A quality region of the glass is the major surfaces of the glass between the beads, whereas non-quality regions are the regions from the beads to the outer edges at the first and second sides 63, 64 of the sheet.
TAM 24 comprises a laser-mechanical scoring device (or a mechanical scoring device) 52 and nosing device 54 that are used to score the drawn glass sheet, while the TAM moves vertically at the same rate as the glass sheet, so it can then be separated into distinct pieces of glass sheets 56. TAM 24 is located in the elastic region of the sheet in an area referred to herein as a bottom of the draw 58. TAM 24 operates in cycles, the cycle beginning at the first side 63 of the glass at a location that is above the location where the glass will be bent and separated. An optical head and quenching nozzle assembly mounted to the TAM move along the score line from first side 63 toward second side 64 of the glass, while the glass and the TAM continue to travel vertically downward at the same rate. The TAM then reaches the end of its stroke at second side 64 once the laser scoring and quenching processes are completed. The glass bending is carried out along the score line and the robotic equipment located near but below the score line at this point of downward travel of the sheet, separates an individual glass sheet from the continuous sheet. The TAM moves upward, returning to the beginning of the stroke at first side 63 of the glass.
Nosing, pressing, ironing caused by scoring and separating processes cause motion in the glass sheet which in turn contributes to the creation of stress variation within the glass sheet. Sheet motion at the bottom of the draw is mainly driven by sheet scoring and separation processes. Depending on the bottom of the draw setup, robot tooling can also introduce sheet motion. Post separation sheet dangling can be another source of sheet motion if nosing retraction is not controlled properly. On the other hand, over constraint of the sheet by fixed rollers can cause sheet breakage and sheet crackout during the scoring process. Sheet motion produced by any of the above mechanisms, or any other mechanism, can propagate upward into the visco-elastic region of the glass sheet, and becomes especially troublesome in the region where the sheet transitions from a visco-elastic state to an elastic state. Here, stresses caused by movement of the sheet can be frozen into the sheet, and manifest later as, for example, shape changes when the sheet is separated or otherwise further processed.

Method and device for restraining movement of continuously traveling glass sheet


A spectrometer is disclosed, in which plural entrance slits are mounted, and a reference light passing through one entrance slit and the light to be measured passing through the other entrance slit are simultaneously focused on a photo-sensitive surface of a detector through a diffraction grating and a focusing optical system, to measure the wavelength of the light to be measured precisely by using the reference light as a standard.

The present invention relates to a spectrometer for measuring the wavelength of a radiation emitted from a light source which can produce a line spectrum within a limited wavelength range, and more particularly to a spectrometer suited to measure the wavelength of a radiation which is emitted from an excimer laser, with high resolving power and high precision.
An excimer laser is used as a high brightness light source for generating ultraviolet radiation which is used to form the image of ultra fine patterns on a semiconductor substrate, thereby forming a semiconductor integrated circuit. In general, the image of fine patterns having a minimum dimension less than half a micron is formed on the semiconductor substrate by a stepper including a projection lens with high resolving power. Since for ultraviolet radiations are used as the exposure light of the stepper, the material for forming the projection lens is limited to those capable of transmitting ultraviolet radiations, such as quartz. Accordingly, in order to prevent the chromatic aberration due to the projection lens, it is necessary to make the wavelength of the exposure light coincide with the design conditions of the projection lens, and moreover it is required to make the spectral width of the exposure light very narrow. Hence, it is necessary to precisely control the wavelength of a radiation emitted from an excimer laser which is used as the light source of a stepper, and means for measuring the emission spectrum of the excimer laser very precisely is indispensable for such precise wavelength control.
The wavelength of a radiation emitted from a light source which produces a line spectrum, has hitherto been measured by a spectrometer provided with a diffraction grating. In many cases, the above wavelength has been measured by a Czerny-Turner monochrometer, which is described, for example, on pages 1066 and 1067 of a Japanese textbook entitled "Kogaku Gijutsu Handbook (Optical technology Handbook)" and published in 1980.
FIG. 10 shows the optical system of the Czerny-Turner monochrometer. Referring to FIG. 10, a light beam passing through an entrance slit 1 is converted by a concave mirror 2 into parallel rays, which are reflected and diffracted from a plane diffraction grating 4. A light component which is included in the diffracted light and has a specified wavelength, is reflected from another concave mirror 3 and focused on an exit slit 42 by the concave mirror 3, to pass through the exit slit 42. The wavelength of the light component which passes through the exit slit 42 is dependent upon the groove spacing of the grating 4 and the angle of rotation thereof. When the intensity of light passing through the exit slit 42 is measured while rotating the grating 4, the emission spectrum of a light source is obtained, as shown in FIG. 11.
Now, let us suppose that the groove spacing of the grating 4 is 1/3600 mm, and the focal length of the concave mirrors 2 and 3 is 1 m. In this case, the spectral dispersion on the exit slit is, approximately 4 mm/nm for a wavelength in the vicinity of the wavelength 248.4 nm of the laser beam emitted from a KrF excimer laser. Accordingly, it is basically possible to measure the absolute wavelength and spectral width of the radiation which is used as the exposure light of a stepper, with a precision of the order of 0.001 nm.
In a case where an excimer laser is used as the light source of a stepper, it is required to make constant the frequency of the excimer laser, or to make constant the wavelength of the emitted laser radiation in a predetermined medium, that is, in vacuum. In a case where the wavelength of a laser beam is measured in air by a spectrometer provided with a diffraction grating, however, the refractive index of air varies with temperature and atmospheric pressure, and hence the measured wavelength of the laser beam also varies with temperature and atmospheric pressure. Accordingly, in a case where the wavelength of a laser beam is measured in air, the simultaneous measurement of the wavelength of the laser beam and the wavelength of a reference light beam having a constant frequency, by means of the same spectrometer is required, to calibrate the spectrometer and to correct the influence of variation in refractive index of air on the measured wavelength of the laser radiation.
The wavelength of the radiation emitted from a light source which produces a line spectrum, and the fluctuation of the wavelength with time can be measured by a photoelectric detector with high spatial resolution, for example, a linear image sensor or the like. In this case, when the spectral image that is focused by a concave mirror or the like is enlarged by a lens system and the enlarged spectral image is focused on the photo-sensitive surface of the detector, the wavelength of the radiation can be measured, with very high precision. In a case where the difference in wavelength between the radiation to be measured and the reference light is so small that both spectral images can be simultaneously focused on the photo-sensitive surface of a detector, the reference light can be used as the standard for the wavelength of the radiation to be measured. In general, it is difficult to find reference light whose wavelength is nearly equal to the wavelength of the radiation to be measured. For example, a line spectrum which is emitted from a mercury lamp and has a wavelength of 253.7 nm, is suited to be used as the reference light for a radiation which is emitted from KrF excimer laser with a wavelength of 248.4 nm. However, in the above-mentioned spectrometer having a spectral dispersion of about 4 mm/nm, these spectral lines are focused on the focal plane in a state that the spectral lines are, spaced apart from each other with a distance of about 20 mm. When the focused spectral images are enlarged by a lens system and the enlarged spectral images focused on a detector plane, it is impossible to detect these spectral images simultaneously by the detector with limited sensitive area.
In the above example, it is possible to rotate the diffraction grating so that the radiation to be measured and the reference light are alternately received by the same detector. In this case, however, it is impossible to detect both spectra at the same time. Furthermore, an error in the mechanical rotation of the grating will to reduce the accuracy in measurement of wavelength. That is, the prior art has a drawback that it is impossible to measure the wavelength of a desired one of spectral lines existing within a wide wavelength range, with high resolving power, and accuracy.


A method of determining light effects based on analysis of media content comprises allowing (401) a user to influence a video weight and an audio weight. The video weight represents a weight of video content in the determination of the light effects and the audio weight represents a weight of audio content in the determination. The method further comprises obtaining (405) information relating to the video content and/or information relating to the audio content, determining (407) the light effects to be rendered while the media content is being rendered. The method also comprises storing a light script specifying the light effects and/or controlling (409) one or more light sources to render the light effects. The light effects are determined based on the information relating to the video content in dependence on the video weight and based on the information relating to the audio content in dependence on the audio weight.

A dynamic lighting system, such as Philips Hue Entertainment, can dramatically influence the experience and impressiveness of audio-visual material, especially when the audio-visual material is synced with a light script that constitutes an intelligent interpretation of the source material. However, manual creation of a light script can be a daunting task.
For this reason, methods exist to automatically generate a first light script from the source content. The first light script can then be rendered as-is or undergo further manual editing. Prior to, or during the automatic scripting process, there are certain parameters which may be set or changed by a user. These parameters may be set globally for the whole script generation process.
However, there many different ways in which light settings to be specified in a light script can be determined. For example, WO 2017/162469A1 discloses a controller which determines items of metadata associated with an audio stream, performs an image search (e.g. a Google search) based on the metadata, and uses the resulting images to determine light settings for the lighting devices, e.g. hue/brightness/saturation.
US2010/265414A1 discloses a method for controlling an ambient lighting element including determining ambient lighting data to control an ambient lighting element. The method includes processing combined ambient lighting data, wherein the combined ambient lighting data is based on corresponding video content portions and corresponding audio content portions. The processed combined ambient lighting data may then be used to control an ambient lighting element. Video-based ambient lighting data and audio-based ambient lighting data may be combined to produce the combined ambient lighting data. Combining the video-based and audio-based ambient lighting data may include modulating the video-based ambient lighting data by the audio-based ambient lighting data.
Although known automatic scripting methods reduce the amount of user input, the resulting light scripts often do not fit well with the content for/from which the lights script were generated.

Determinning light effects based on video and audio information in dependence on video and audio weights


A kind of all-solid-state high-power slab laser based on phonon band-edge emission, which is comprised of a pumping source, a focusing system, a resonant cavity and a self-frequency-doubling crystal; the said self-frequency-doubling crystal is a Yb-doped RECOB crystal cut into slab shape along the direction of the crystal's maximum effective nonlinear coefficient of its non-principal plane; by changing the cutting direction of the crystal, the phase matching of different wavelengths is realized, thus realizing laser output at the band of 560-600 nm; the said pumping source is a diode laser matrix with a wavelength of 880 nm-980 nm; the input cavity mirror and the output cavity mirror are coated with films to obtain laser output at the band of 560-600 nm; the two large faces of the said self-frequency-doubling crystal is cooled by heat sink and located between the input cavity mirror and the output cavity mirror.

The phonon band-edge emission is a form of radiation that enables the electrons to interact with phonons during the transition between different energy levels by the coupling effect of electrons and phonons, thus reducing the energy level spacing and increasing the laser radiation wavelength. Through phonon band-edge emission, the radiation of rare earth ytterbium with a wavelength up to 1200 nm can be realized, in combination with the laser self-frequency-doubling effect (i.e. the laser and the frequency doubling are completed in the same crystal, thus obtaining a yellow laser with a wavelength of 560-600 nm.
Chinese Patent Document No. CN105071217A has disclosed a kind of all-solid-state laser using Yb-doped RECOB self-frequency-doubling crystal, which can realize output of yellow light. The laser described in this patent adopts a conventional laser configuration, that is, the excitation light emitted from the excitation source is collimated and focused by the said focusing system, and then injected into the said self-frequency-doubling crystal by the input cavity mirror. This mode has the advantages like good pattern matching and high efficiency, and is suitable for the watt-level low-power laser output [Opt. Lett. 41, 1002 (2016)]. However, it can be known from the basic concept of phonon band edge that the participation of phonons intensifies the thermal effect in the lasing process. In particular, the direction of the temperature gradient in the said laser crystal of the invention is perpendicular to the direction of light propagation. When operating under thermal load conditions, it will produce severe thermal lensing effect and thermal-optical distortion effect, which results in reduced beam quality and even crystal cracking, thus limiting further improvement in laser power.
The slab laser is characterized in that the laser operating substance is slab-shaped and the pump spot is strip-shaped, which can greatly increase the effective pumping volume, without requiring pattern matching in the strip direction. At the same time, the temperature gradient in such laser occurs in the thickness direction of the slab (both sides in the widthwise direction of the slab are thermally insulated). By increasing the heat dissipation area and increasing the laser pumping spot, the thermal lensing effect and thermal-optical distortion effect can be substantially avoided, thus greatly increasing the laser output power. Based on slab design, phonon band-edge emission and self-frequency-doubling effect, high-power yellow laser output may be realized. At present, although slab laser has already been used for high-power laser, it has never been used for laser emitted at the phonon band edge, particularly self-frequency-doubling laser.

All-solid-state high-power slab laser based on phonon band edge emission


A method and mechanism operating within the Application layer of the architectural model for maintaining high availability in a two node computer network. A backup connection is created wherein a second network card is added to each node of a two node network and a crossover cable is coupled between them. Each backup network card is configured with dummy parameters and taken down upon startup. A failover mechanism operating within the Application layer monitors the original, primary network connection. Upon detecting a failure of the primary connection, the failover mechanism halts monitoring of the primary connection, configures the backup network interface with the parameters of the primary network interface, and brings up the backup interface.

A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
1. Field of the Invention
This invention is related to the field of computer networks and, more particularly, to maintaining the high availability of a computer network with a warm standby.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the ever expanding use of computer networks throughout society has come an increasing dependence of users on the availability of that network. If a network goes down, or is otherwise unavailable, costs to an enterprise may be significant. Consequently, a number of techniques have arisen which are designed to ensure that a computer network is sufficiently robust that it may detect and respond to problems without significantly impacting users. Frequently, efforts to ensure a computer network is consistently online for its users may be referred to as maintaining xe2x80x9chigh availabilityxe2x80x9d. A computer network which has in place mechanisms which prevent hardware or software problems from impacting its users may be referred to as a High Availability Network (HAnet). Some of the characteristics which may be considered when defining a HAnet include protection of data (Reliability), continuous access to data (Availability), and techniques for correcting problems which minimally impact users (Serviceability). Collectively these characteristics are frequently referred to as RAS.
In some cases it is desirable to create a computer network which includes a two node Local Area Network (LAN). For example, it may be desirable to have a two node LAN consisting of a database server and its corresponding application server. These servers may be connected to each other using a well known method using crossover cables. A crossover cable is a cable that is used to connect two computers by reversing their respective pin contacts. Using crossover cables may have the advantage of being highly secure, performing well, and eliminating several components typically present in a computer network, such as switches and routers, which could cause a failure. However, while such a configuration may improve reliability and availability in the system, it does not address serviceability and still contains single points of failure. For example, failure of either of the server network interfaces to which the crossover cable is connected will cause the network to be unavailable. Also, failure of the crossover cable itself would result in unavailability of the network.
In some cases, mechanisms may be put in place which detect an error in a network connection and notify the system administrator that a problem exists. The system administrator may then take corrective action, such as switching to a previously installed redundant resource. However, such mechanisms typically take some period of time and necessarily involve interruptions in network operation. In other cases, operating system specific mechanisms may be implemented which may facilitate a failover to a redundant connection. Typically these mechanisms operate at layers below the application layer of the protocol stack. Two widely recognized protocols include TCP/IP and ISO/OSI, each of which include a highest layer referred to as the application layer. Other communication protocols with a layer corresponding to the application layer may utilize a different name. Generally, those layers below the application layer involve software and mechanisms which are not portable across different operating systems. Consequently, these solutions are not portable and generally require a newly created mechanism for each platform on which a failover is desired.
In addition to the problems described above, certain network nodes may be configured such that certain operations are not permitted after startup. For example, firewalls may contain certain restrictions on the activities which may be performed after the firewall has already booted. Because of the security oriented nature of firewalls, certain operations which may be permitted on a non-firewall server may not be permitted on a firewall server. For example, in certain firewall implementations, all interfaces must be defined when the system is started and all interfaces must be kept defined at all times in order to prevent security breaches. In such a system, establishing a new network interface after boot may be seen as a hostile act by a firewall server and may cause the firewall server to shut down. Consequently, if a system administrator is notified of a network connection failure in such a system and attempts to establish a new network connection, the system may shut down all communications.
The problems outlined above are in large part solved by a method and mechanism as described herein. A method and mechanism failover with warm standby is described. The method and mechanism include the addition of a redundant, secondary, network connection which may be utilized in the event of a failure of a primary connection. By utilizing an Application layer mechanism which configures a secondary network connection with dummy parameters, monitors the primary network connection, automatically detects a failure in the primary connection, and switches to the secondary connection in a short period of time, network availability may be maintained. Advantageously, network interruptions may be minimized and servicing of network problems may be automated by a mechanism which is portable across multiple platforms. Further, because the mechanism operates within the application layer of the communication protocol, no modification of existing operating software is necessary.
Broadly speaking, a method for maintaining high availability in a two node computer network is contemplated. The method includes adding an Application layer High Availability Networking (HAnet) mechanism to a node of the network, adding a second network connection, configuring a backup interface with a set of dummy configuration parameters and disabling it, monitoring a first network connection, detecting a failure of the first network connection, and performing a failover from the first network connection to the second network connection. The monitoring, configuring, failure detection, and failover are all performed by the HAnet mechanism.
Also contemplated is a network node which includes a first network interface, a second network interface, and a High Availability Networking (HAnet) mechanism. The included HAnet mechanism operates at the Application layer and is configured to configure a backup interface with dummy parameters and monitor the first network interface. If a failure of the first network interface is detected, the HAnet mechanism is configured to perform a failover from the first network interface to the second network interface.
Further contemplated is a computer network configured to maintain high availability. The network includes a first node coupled to a second node by two connections. The first node includes a High Availability Networking (HAnet) mechanism which operates at the Application layer. The HAnet mechanism is configured to configure a backup interface of the first node with dummy parameters, monitor the first connection and perform a failover from the first connection to the second connection in response to detecting a failure of the first connection.

High availability networking with warm standby interface failover


Systems, methods, and computer program products are provided for instant recovery of a virtual machine (VM) from a compressed image level backup without fully extracting the image level backup file's contents to production storage. The method receives restore parameters and initializes a virtual storage. The method attaches the virtual storage to a hypervisor configured to launch a recovered VM. The method stores virtual disk data changes inflicted by a running operating system (OS), applications, and users in a changes storage. The method provides the ability to migrate the actual VM disk state (taking into account changed disk data blocks accumulated in changes storage) so as to prevent data loss resulting from the VM running during the recovery and accessing virtual storage, to production storage without downtime. In embodiments, the method displays receives restore parameters in an interactive interface and delivers the recovery results via an automated message, such as an email message.

The speed of recovery during disaster has been a concern throughout the era of the personal computer and distributed client-server systems. Backup administrators and restore operators need to ensure they are meeting Recovery Time Objectives (RTOs) and Service Level Agreement levels (SLAB) for all mission-critical applications and servers.
Traditional methods of recovering image level backups include the complete restoration of an image-level backup into a production environment. Traditional recovery techniques also do not allow users to access and use data sets being restored while a restoration is ongoing.
For virtual machines, backups and restorations are typically performed at the image level, so the data size that needs to be restored can be overwhelming. For example, restoring a file server virtual machine (VM) with 1 terabyte (TB) disk can take up to 8 hours on a 1 gigabit (Gb) network.
In order to conserve storage space, backup files themselves are typically highly compressed and/or de-duplicated. For example, some commercially available backup tools, such as VEEAM™ Backup from Veeam Software International Ltd., provide mechanisms for de-duplication and compression of image level backup files. Deduplication may be applied when backing up multiple virtual machines (VMs) that have similar data blocks within them. For example, if VMs were created based on the same template, or if VMs with a large amount of free space on their logical disks are backed up, deduplication of backups of the VMs can reduce storage space required for the backups of those VMs.
Another means for decreasing the backup size is compression. Again, while compression decreases the size of created backup files, it increases the duration for backup creation, verification, restoration, and recovery procedures.
In order to enhance security, backup files are also often encrypted.
Thus, in an initial restoration step, backup files may need to be extracted (i.e., decompressed) and/or decrypted completely before their contents can be read. The extracted VM data are then copied to a target production environment. Using traditional techniques, restoration and recovery process can take hours depending on the size of the VM to be restored, because large amounts of data need to be extracted and moved across from the backup storage to the production storage. The time required to copy the extracted VM image data over to production storage is the primary factor affecting overall duration of the traditional recovery process.
Finally, the VM is registered with a virtual environment and started. If the VM or applications inside it do not start due to an image level backup being unrecoverable, the process of recovery needs to be repeated using different backup files, until a viable, working backup file is found and the restored VM is running as expected—which concludes the traditional recovery process.
In order to verify the functionality of data restored from image level backups, some traditional recovery techniques stage restored data on isolated, test networks and servers. This results in the need for additional time to first stage recovered data objects in a test environment before it is made available in a production environment.
Thus, traditional image-level recovery processes are resource intensive, inefficient, and as a result, may take hours to complete—primarily due to having to copy very large amounts of data from an image level backup file to a production environment. This can prevent users from using production data and applications during the restore process. This can also often jeopardize achieving RTOs and SLAs resulting in extended and costly downtime for production systems.
Therefore, there is a need for an efficient method of quick recovery of VMs from image-level backups to production environment. There is also a need for methods and systems which allow users to access data sets while a restoration is running.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Systems, methods, and computer program products for instant recovery of image level backups


The invention provides methods to detect C. difficile in biological samples using real-time PCR. Primers and probes for the detection of C. difficile are provided by the invention. Articles of manufacture containing such primers and probes for detecting C. difficile are further provided by the invention.

Clostridium difficile is the most common identified cause of antibiotic associated diarrhea, accounting for 15%-25% of cases (Bartlett, 1994, Clin. Infect. Dis., 18 (Suppl 4): S265-272). C. difficile infection (CDI) encompasses a wide range of clinical syndromes from simple diarrhea to pseudomembranous colitis associated with significant morbidity and mortality. There has been a marked increase in the incidence and severity of CDI in recent years, and in 2001, there was a 42% increase in U.S. short-stay hospital discharge diagnoses of CDI. There was a further increase of 25% between 2003 and 2004 and another 10% in 2005. The increase was greatest in patients >64 years of age and occurred in most geographic areas of the country. C. difficile-related mortality rates per million of United States population rose from 5.7 in 1999 to 23.7 in 2004, and there were an estimated 26,642 deaths due to CDI during 1999-2004.
In 2000, a more severe form of CDI was identified in the U.S. and Canada and also in Europe. Many cases of this severe form of CDI have been shown to be caused by an "epidemic" strain of C. difficile, which has been characterized as "BI" by restriction enzyme analysis (REA), "NAP1" (North American Pulsed Field Type 1) by pulsed field gel electrophoresis, and "027" by PCR ribotyping. In addition, it has been characterized as "toxinotype III" (by REA of toxin genes). In prior years, the great majority of "non-epidemic" hospital strains of C. difficile belonged to toxinotype 0. This BI/NAP1/027 "epidemic" strain has been shown to be a hyperproducer of toxins A and B, which may be the primary reason for the increased virulence of the epidemic strain. The tcdC gene, within the pathogenicity locus of the "epidemic" strain, appears to be a negative regulator of toxin A and B production.

Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research


Devices, systems and methods for enabling voice access to a portable electronic device in a closed physical configuration with biometric authentication are disclosed. A device can have multiple physical configurations, including a closed configuration in which a display and/or user interface is not accessible. A biometric sensor disposed on an outer surface of the device in at least the closed configuration can be used to enable access to the device or secure functions of the device, via a voice engine or the like, even though the device is physically closed. In some embodiments, unsecure functions can be accessed via voice engine without use of the biometric sensor when the device is closed.

The present invention generally relates to portable electronic devices, and, more particularly, to portable electronic devices having a physically closed configuration in which a display and/or physical human interface is accessible by a user.
Portable computing devices, such as laptops and/or tablets, can be closed when not in use (a lid-closed state), to turn the devices off or place them in a lower power state (i.e., sleep, standby). When in the lid-closed state, the display and keyboard of the device are not accessible by a user.
To enable access to a laptop in the lid-closed state, some conventional systems are equipped with voice recognition software that is enabled in the lid-closed state. In such conventional systems, even if the system is in a sleep state, "wake on voice" technology, using an audio digital signal processor (DSP), can wake the system with a voice trigger. Voice commands of the user can then be processed by the system for particular applications. For example, while the laptop is in the lid-closed state, the user can wake the laptop with a voice trigger, and then ask it "What's the schedule today?" The laptop can then access calendar entries for the present day and give an audio response.
While such voice access technology can provide a needed and convenient service to a user, current approaches are not without drawbacks.
FIG. 16 is a diagram showing conventional voice recognition operations for laptop computer. FIG. 16 shows a conventional laptop computer 1601 with wake on voice technology. Upon receiving a voice trigger and request 1603, conventional laptop computer 1601 can wake from a sleep state and attempt to execute the request. However, an operating system installed on the conventional laptop computer 1601 can have privacy protections for private data stored on the device. Thus, if a user request requires the use of protected private data, the conventional laptop computer 1601 may prevent the request and notify the user that permissions must first be enabled 1605 in order for the request to be processed.
Referring still to FIG. 16, an operating system of conventional laptop computer 1601 can enable a user to set private data permissions for voice access via a lock screen 1607. However, once such permissions are enabled, private data on the conventional laptop computer 1601 is accessible via a user voice. This lessens the security of the private data and can even result in the inadvertent disclosure of private data by unintended speech or sounds.
As can be seen, there is a need for apparatus and methods to provide means for accessing the functions of a closed device, while at the same time ensuring private data on the device remains secure.

Methods, devices and systems for authenticated access to electronic device in a closed configuration


An optical device module is provided which includes an optical device, an optical fiber an end of which is optically coupled to the optical device, a package containing the optical device and the optical fiber, and an insertion tube fixed air-tightly through the wall of the package, the optical fiber extending through the insertion tube out of the package, wherein the end portion of the optical fiber is offset with respect to the fixed portion, by the insertion tube, of the optical fiber to bend the optical fiber between the end portion and the fixed portion of the optical fiber, then avoiding the displacement of the end of the fiber to be coupled to the optical device due to a change in environment temperatures of the module, and minimize the temperature dependence of device performance. Further, the optical device module may be fabricated such that the end portion of the optical fiber is fixed to a ferrule which is fixed to a ferrule holder which is capable to be deformed plastically, whereby the optical axes of the optical device and the end of the optical fiber can readily be adjusted accurately after assembly.

The present invention relates to an optical device module, for example, for use of optical communication, and particularly to the fixing structure of the optical fiber, which is inserted into a package of the module.
Optical device modules including semiconductor laser devices, Photo-diode devices and optical receiving devices, have widely been used in optical communication systems. A structure of fixing the optical fiber in a package of the optical device module has been known in prior art. Such a structure is disclosed in FIGS. 5 and 6 in U.S. Pat. No. 5,619,609.
FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view of a main part of an optical device module including a package 2 made of metal or ceramic material, an optical device 1, such as a semiconductor laser device, mounted on a stem 8 inside the package 2, and an optical fiber 4 which is arranged in the package and passes through an insertion tube 3 fixed through the wall 21 of the package 2
A ferrule 5 is fixed on the stem 8 to holding an end portion of the optical fiber and the optical fiber extends form the ferrule 5 to an outer side of the package 2 through a through-hole 6 of the insertion tube 3. The ferrule 5 is adjusted to align the optical axis of the optical fiber 4 to the optical axis of the optical device 1, so that the ferrule 5 is fixed via a ferrule holder 7 to the stem 8.
In general, in the module where a semiconductor laser must be aligned precisely to the optical fiber on a single optical axis, when the optical fiber 4 is fixed by soldering directly to any fiber holder, the axis of the optical fiber often displaces over 10 xcexcm from the original optical coupling point of the laser emission device. As a result, the laser output from into optical fiber largely is reduced. The soldering structure of the fiber makes it difficult to readjust correct optical fiber position, therefore, avoiding ferrules from directly being soldered. Also adhesives can not be employed in the package 5, because adhesives generate organic gas has a fear of lowering the life time of semiconductor laser devices. Thus, the optical fiber 4 is laser welded and fixed through the ferrule 5.
The stem 8 is usually installed on a thermoelectric cooling element 9 for controlling the temperature of the optical device 1.
The insertion tube 3 and the optical fiber 4 are metalized by gold plating, etc, and the solder is poured into a soldering gap 10 of the insertion tube 3 so that the package is air-tightly sealed. The optical fiber 4 is fixed between the ferrule 5 and the airtight sealing portion of the insertion tube 3 in such a manner that the optical fiber is linear and substantially parallel with respect to the optical axis.
In FIG. 6 showing the ferrule fixing structure in FIG. 5, the ferrule 5 and the ferrule holder 7 are positioned to optically align the optical fiber 4 to the optical axis of the optical device, and then the ferrule holder 7 is fixed onto the stem 8 with the ferrule 5 fixed on the ferrule holder 7, by laser welding. The conventional ferrule holder 7 has a U-shaped groove portion 12 and flange portion 11 on both sides of the groove machined by a milling cutter from a metal block. As shown in FIG. 6, the flange portion 11 is directly laser-welded onto an upper surface of the stem 8 and the ferrule 5 is fillet welded onto both edges of the U-shaped groove portion 12.
FIG. 7 shows a cross-sectional view of a prior art optical device module having an optical fiber disposed in a bending manner in a package. The optical fiber 4 is supported at its end portion by a first ferrule 5 on a stem 8, and held on a rear side thereof by a second ferrule 13 which is disposed within an insertion tube 3 through a wall of the package 2.
The first ferrule 5 is fixed on a ferrule holder 7 which is fixed on a stem 8 by laser welding. Then the second ferrule 13 is inserted through an insertion tube 3 from the outside thereof and is pushed into tho inside of the package 2. To seal the package air-tightly, the optical fiber 4 is soldered to the second ferrule 13.
In this packaged optical fiber, the optical fiber is bent in the form of arc between the first ferrule 5 and the second ferrule 13. Such a second ferrule 13 is necessary as a member fixing the end of the fiber for bending the optical fiber 4 in the package 2.
The conventional optical device module, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, has drawbacks due to the structure of the optical fiber 4 in the package 2 fixed so as to be linear and substantially parallel to the optical axis. Therefore, changes in environmental temperature cause the package 2 to expand or contract, and male the optical fiber 4 in the package 2 suffer from a tensile or compressive stress, causing the swinging of the end surface of the optical fiber 4 to be coupled to the optical device.
An first problem is that the output transmitting from the optical emission device to the optical fiber fluctuates and that the optical fiber tends to deteriorate the optical performance by vibration. A second problem is that separation of the soldering material from the optical fiber in the insertion tube 3 is caused by the repeated tensile and compressive stress between the ferrule holder 7 and insertion tube 3, leading to insufficient airtight sealing. No easy or secure airtight sealing can be achieved, particularly, by the enlarged length between the insertion tube 3 and the optical fiber 4.
Although the optical device module in prior art, as shown in FIG. 7, can solve the first problem by bending the optical fiber 4 in the packager 2, the optical device module requires a second ferrule 13 as a fixing member, or grip for bending the optical fiber 4. In addition, airtight sealing between the optical fiber 4 and second ferrule 13 is required, as well as sealing between second ferrule 13 and the insertion tube 3 of the package. Such double airtight sealing structure may deteriorates production efficiency with low production yield. As a result, this structure of optical device modules can not solve the above second problem.
An object of the present invention is to provide an optical device module in which an optical fiber can derive optical output stablly from an optical device packaged in the module, even in use under the circumstances of the package extending or contracting due to environmental temperature changes.
Another object is to provide an optical device module having an easy and secure airtight sealing structure which can decrease in the number of the fabricating steps, and increase in productivity of the modules.
According to the present invention, an axis of an optical fiber at the end portion whose end surface is coupled to an optical device is offset with respect to an axis of the optical fiber at a fixing portion where the fiber is fixed through a wall of a package which contains the optical device and the part of the fiber so as to bend the optical fiber in a region of between the end portion of the fiber and the fixing portion within the package.
The offset between of the axis of the optical fiber at the end portion and the axis thereof at the fixing portion allows the optical fiber to naturally bend, and then the bent fiber can absorb the expansion and contraction of the package length due to the temperature change of the environment, resulting in preventing effectively fluctuation output of the optical fiber and deterioration of the optical fiber.
In the present invention, preferably, a ring member having an fiber inserting hole can be inserted co-axially into an insertion tube fixed through the wall to hold the optical fiber, and then the fiber, ring member and insertion tube can be sealed to each other to obtain good airtight seal.
In the present invention, a ferrule for holding the end portion of the optical fiber may be fixed to a ferrule holder capable of being deformed plastically in the package. After fixing the optical fiber, the plastic deformation of the ferrule holder enables the optical axis of the optical fiber to optically align to an emission end of the optical device.
The optical device in the optical device module according to the invention includes a semiconductor optical emission or reception device, such as a semiconductor laser emission device, photo-diode device.


An optically guided power sabre saw is disclosed. The optically guided power sabre saw includes a housing, a base plate attached to and displaced a distance from said housing, a right vertical support and a left vertical support both disposed in the distance and connecting the base plate to the housing, internal drift connecting apparatus disposed internally to the housing and including a saw blade having reciprocating motion so that the penciled or inscribed line followed by the saw blade during the cutting process is automatically corrected, and external drift correcting apparatus disposed externally to the housing and on the base plate so that as the saw blade travels along the penciled or inscribed line, any drift off the penciled or inscribed line would be detected by the right and the left photoresistors and instantly fed to the blade drive motor for the saw blade correction.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sabre saw.
More particularly, the present invention relates to an optically guided power sabre saw.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The electric sabre saw, in popular use today for the sawing of wood pieces, is manually guided over the penciled or inscribed line. This is so, because they depend on the user for visual guidance s that the resultant cut is rarely accurate. Due to this user limitation, the electric sabre saw should be used for rough work only.
Numerous innovations for power sabre saws have been provided in the prior art that are adapted to be used. Even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, they would not be suitable for the purposes of the present invention as heretofore described.


A fog lamp cover mounting structure includes: a cover body that is assembled to a mounting portion at which a fog lamp is mounted on a bumper, that has an opening through which the fog lamp appears, and that has a first engaging portion that engages with the bumper; and a cover ring that is assembled to a peripheral portion of the opening of the cover body, and that has a second engaging portion that engages with the first engaging portion.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a fog lamp cover mounting structure.
2. Description of Related Art
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2006-193008 (JP-A-2006-193008) describes a fog lamp finisher structure that includes a fog lamp finisher body (cover body) having a lamp opening through which a fog lamp appears and attached to a bumper by hooks and a ring member (cover ring) that is arranged at the peripheral portion of the lamp opening. In the fog lamp finisher structure, the fog lamp finisher body and the ring member are coupled to each other by fitting hooks.
However, in the above described related art, these hooks cannot be arranged at positions at which hooks for assembling the cover ring to the cover body interfere with the hooks for assembling the cover body to the bumper.


A determination method for determining at least one region of interest in at least one operational geographical zone. The operational geographical zone determined relative to a sensor to observe and measure the radial speed of an object traveling in a region of interest. The method may include steps simulating the position of the sensor in the region of interest at a determined position and orientation; determining at least one first zone of a region of interest; and determining a second zone of the region of interest, the second zone constituting a coverage zone of the sensor in which an object travelling in the region is observable while accounting for at least the position of the object relative to the sensor. One operational geographic zone is defined by taking account the intersection between the first and second zones.

The present invention relates to a method and to a device for assisting in placing a sensor, e.g. a Doppler radar.
In the present state of the art, a widespread approach for placing a Doppler radar consists in superposing a coverage zone of the radar on a background map showing the surveillance zone.
The positioning is performed by the operator taking account of the characteristics of the site (presence of obstacles, possibilities for installation), of operational needs (coverage of zones that are particularly sensitive), and of characteristics of the radar (variations in detection performance between the core and the ends of the coverage zone of the radar).
The invention seeks a method for facilitating the positioning of a Doppler radar, and more generally of a sensor.

Method and device for determining an operational geographical zone observed by a sensor