A memory stores therein, with respect to a database containing records each having a first data item and a second data item, an index that includes, in association with each candidate value that is used as the first data item, record specification information specifying two or more records with the candidate value and a statistical value obtained from values of the second data item registered in the two or more records. A processor receives a query including a search condition specifying a requested value of the first data item and a command requesting statistical processing of values of the second data item registered in records satisfying the search condition, retrieves the statistical value associated with a candidate value satisfying the search condition from the index, and outputs a processing result based on the retrieved statistical value for the query.

One of information processing systems is a database system that receives an inquiry (query) expressed in query language, such as SQL, and in response to the received query, accesses a database in which data is systematically stored. Such queries include a search query of fetching records satisfying specified conditions from the database. A query may request computation of a statistical value, such as the sum, maximum value, minimum value, or average, with a set function, such as SUM, MAX, MIN, or AVG, from a plurality of records. In addition, the database system may hold an index for locating records on the basis of a value of a data item other than a primary key, so as to achieve a fast search for the records satisfying specified conditions.
By the way, there has been proposed a movement trajectory data search apparatus that searches for movement trajectory data similar to certain movement trajectory data. The proposed movement trajectory data search apparatus computes, with respect to each movement trajectory data stored in a database, the average of a plurality of positional coordinates included in the movement trajectory data, and creates an index with respect to the average. When receiving movement trajectory data, the movement trajectory data search apparatus computes its average, and compares the computed average with the index to find other movement trajectory data similar to the received movement trajectory data.
There has also been proposed a database server that processes a query including a command for a set function, such as a sum function. When receiving such a query, the proposed database server inquires a plurality of data nodes holding a table in a divided manner, for the number of records with a specified value. The database server then performs the set function requested in the query using replies indicating the number of records, received from the data nodes, and generates a processing result for the query.
There has also been proposed an analysis system that accesses a non-relational database in response to a query against a relational database. The proposed analysis system retrieves an object from the non-relational database and predicts a schema for the retrieved object. The analysis system stores the retrieved object in an array index, generates a processing result for the query against the relational database on the basis of the array index, and returns the processing result.
See, for example, the following documents:
Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2004-118290;
Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2012-108635; and
Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2017-157229.
A database system may aggregate a plurality of records satisfying specified search conditions to compute a statistical value, such as the sum, maximum value, minimum value, or average, with respect to values of a specified data item. In the case where the database system performs this search process simply, it would actually and individually access the plurality of records satisfying the search conditions using an index and retrieve the values of the specified data item from the records. However, this case has the following problem: If such a search process is performed each time one statistical value is computed, a higher load would be imposed on the database system and thus a response time would be long.

Information processing apparatus for searching database


The invention relates to a middle hoop system for a vehicle joint. The vehicle joint is arranged between a vehicle front part and a vehicle rear part of an articulated vehicle, such as for example of an articulated bus, and forms a passage (24) between the vehicle front part and the vehicle rear part. The middle hoop system comprises a middle hoop (12) and a cable guide between the vehicle front part and the vehicle rear part. The middle hoop (12) surrounds the passage (24). The cable guide is arranged above the passage (24). According to the invention, for the cable guide, a leaf spring (14) is provided which extends from the vehicle front part to the vehicle rear part. By means of the leaf spring, cables (16) can be guided between the vehicle front part and the vehicle rear part over the entire length of the leaf spring (14). Undefined movements of the cables when the vehicle front part and the vehicle rear part move relative to one another are eliminated.

Middle hoop systems of said type are used for example in articulated buses, in which it is possible for passengers to pass between the vehicle front part and the vehicle rear part while the vehicle is travelling. To protect the passengers from environmental influences, a bellows is typically provided between the vehicle front part and the vehicle rear part, which bellows surrounds the vehicle joint.
In articulated vehicles of said type, there are technical functions which relate both to the vehicle front part and also to the vehicle rear part. For example, if the driver, who is seated in the vehicle front part, actuates the headlamp switch, this should also result in a tail lamp of the vehicle rear part being illuminated. To enable this, an electrical cable runs from the vehicle front part via the intermediate space and up to the vehicle rear part. Further functions require for example hydraulic lines, air hoses and other supply lines between the vehicle front part and the vehicle rear part.
In the meantime, so-called low-floor vehicles have become widely established, in which the floor intended for use by passengers is arranged as low as possible. If the transition between the vehicle front part and the vehicle rear part is to be formed without a step, only a small amount of space for the vehicle joint remains under the passage connecting the vehicle front part and the vehicle rear part. It is known from the prior art for cables guided between the vehicle front part and the vehicle rear part to be arranged not below but rather above the passage (EP 0 897 337). Above the passage, the cables are fastened to the end frame of the vehicle front part, to the end frame of the vehicle rear part and to the middle hoop. In between, the cables have no fixed guide, but are held merely by their inherent stability.

Middle hoop system for an articulated vehicle


A device to apply a rotational force to a spring of a rollup or overhead garage door counterbalancing mechanism. The device has a rotatable driven member mounted in a housing. The housing and the driven member have slots with an open end adapted to receive the shaft of the overhead garage door counterbalancing mechanism. A coupling member is configured to mount to the driven member and connect the driven member to the winding cone of a garage door spring to apply rotational force to the spring. The housing with the driven member may be connected to the body of an existing power tool in place of the original tool head, or, the housing may be permanently combined with a motor and transmission to provide a special purpose tool.

Field of the Invention
Implements or devices for applying rotational force to a spring.
Description of Related Art
Power tools, using air or electric motors, are commonly used to rapidly turn nuts, bolts, and screws. However, these tools as currently marketed are not designed to apply twisting (torsion) forces to the springs of a counterbalancing garage door mechanism.
Most of the foregoing door mechanisms utilize long coil springs that are placed under a rotational or torsion force to apply a lifting force to the door. The springs are concentrically positioned about a rotatable shaft mounted on fixed supports. The shaft carries drums accommodating cables, and these cables are attached to the bottom panel of the door so that when the drums are rotated, a lifting force will be applied to the door. The lifting force is transmitted from the torsion springs to the drums by the shaft. The springs must be anchored on one end, and the free end connected to a winding cone on the shaft, and the winding cone is then rotated to "load" the springs; e.g., place the springs under torsion force. When the torsion force is "loaded," the winding cone is then connected to the shaft by a mechanical means, and the system is ready.
Previously, long steel rods have been used to insert into open bores in the winding cone to rotate the winding cone and "load" the spring. The amount of force that can be applied to the spring is limited by the strength of the person using the rods, since rotating the winding cone in this manner is a manual operation. The procedure requires a considerable amount of time and can be dangerous as the spring becomes loaded with considerable force.
While there have been other devices patented to introduce temporary mechanical power to "load" these door springs, such designs required some setup work over the shaft or at the winding cone for each spring, before they could begin to "load" the spring. Still other devices are for permanently installed mechanisms, increasing both the installation and subsequent repair costs.
The current invention is safer to use than a manual procedure, and eliminates the setup times typical of past devices.
It would be further desirable to to provide a device with relatively few moving parts to wear out, eliminating the increased costs associated with the permanently installed mechanisms.

Power tool to spring torsioner converter


Power consumption is reduced for power supplied by a voltage adapter, such as an AC/DC adapter. A power source is connected to a power unit, including the voltage adapter and control circuitry. The voltage adapter supplies power to a load, such as a computer system. A load current supplied by the voltage adapter and an output voltage of the voltage adapter are measured by the control circuitry, and a control device of the control circuitry selectively disconnects the voltage adapter from the power source. The disconnecting is responsive to the control circuitry inferring from the measured current and voltage that the load is turned off, or at least operating in a reduced power consumption mode.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention concerns supplying power to devices which utilize an AC to DC power supply or power adapter.
2. Related Art
On Jul. 31, 2001 the President of the United State issued the executive order, Energy Efficient Standby Power Devices. This executive order required that government agencies purchase equipment whose standby power is less then one Watt when possible. Australia is participating in the International Energy Agency""s one Watt Program. The International Energy Agency has had three international workshops on standby power. Philips has programs, GreenChipTM and STARplugTM, that aim to reduce standby power and increase efficiency in power converters. ON Semiconductor has controllers for designing efficient wall adapters. This shows progress on making new devices with increased efficiency and reduced standby power, but legacy devices will continue to waste power until they have been phased out over a period of many years.
It should therefore be appreciated that the need exists to reduce standby power in existing devices.
The foregoing need is addressed in the present invention. According to a method form of the invention, power consumption is reduced for power supplied by a voltage adapter, such as an AC/DC adapter, an AC/AC adapter, a DC/DC adapter or a DC/AC adapter. (A voltage adapter is also referred to sometimes as a voltage xe2x80x9cconverter.xe2x80x9d) In a first step, a power source is connected to a power unit, including the voltage adapter and control circuitry. The voltage adapter supplies power to a load, such as a computer system. A load current supplied by the voltage adapter and an output voltage of the voltage adapter are measured by the control circuitry, and a control device of the control circuitry selectively disconnects the voltage adapter from the power source. The disconnecting is responsive to the control circuitry inferring from the measured current and voltage that the load is low, i.e., turned off, or at least operating in a reduced power consumption mode. (In this context the term, xe2x80x9cturned offxe2x80x9d is meant to include the load being disconnected from the power unit.)
In another aspect, the control circuitry infers that the load is low by comparing the output voltage and current to respective threshold values.
In a still further aspect, the load is considered to be low if the output voltage is high (also referred to herein as a xe2x80x9cnormalxe2x80x9d output voltage) and the load current is low. This circumstance indicates that the power unit is turned on, but the load is drawing less power than it does in normal operation. For example, the device drawing the load may be in a sleep mode, or it may be turned off. In this circumstance, disconnecting the supply line from the voltage adapter reduces leakage power in the adapter.
In yet another aspect, the disconnecting is responsive to the control circuitry inferring that load is drawing more power than is desirable (referred to herein as an xe2x80x9coverloadxe2x80x9d). This is inferred from a high load current and a low output voltage. For example, a computer system load may have a malfunctioning battery, or there may be a short circuit on the output of the voltage adapter. In this circumstance, disconnecting the supply line protects the adapter from overload.
Objects, advantages, additional aspects and other forms of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the accompanying drawings.

Method and apparatus for reducing power consumption for power supplied by a voltage adapter

International Business Machines Corporation


Collaborative bootstrapping with uncertainty reduction for increased classifier performance. One classifier selects a portion of data that is uncertain with respect to the classifier and a second classifier labels the portion. Uncertainty reduction includes parallel processing where the second classifier also selects an uncertain portion for the first classifier to label. Uncertainty reduction can be incorporated into existing or new co-training or bootstrapping, including bilingual bootstrapping.

The present invention relates to classifier training systems. In particular, the present invention relates to uncertainty reduction in collaborative bootstrapping.
Collaborative bootstrapping systems include both co-training and bilingual bootstrapping. Generally, collaborative bootstrapping is iterative and begins with a small number of labeled data and a large number of unlabeled data. Two classifiers or types of classifiers are trained from the labeled data. The two classifiers label some unlabeled data and then train two new classifiers from all the labeled data. The process then repeats. During the process, the two classifiers collaborate with each other by exchanging labeled data. Generally, in co-training, the two classifiers have different feature structures, and in bilingual bootstrapping, the two classifiers have different class structures.
Under co-training, which was developed by Blum and Mitchell (1998), two classifiers were constructed in parallel and used to identify a topic for a web page. One classifier used text segments from a web page to classify the web page and another classifier used anchor texts linking to the web page to classify the web page. The topics identified or labeled for the web pages by the classifiers were then used to retrain the classifiers. Other types of co-training were developed by Collins and Singer (1999) and Nigram and Ghani (2000). Under bilingual bootstrapping, which was developed by Li and Li (2002), two classifiers were constructed in parallel, exchanged information with one another, and used to disambiguate words that had two possible translations in another language.
In certain situations, the classifiers in conventional collaborative bootstrapping are unable to boost their classification performance while bootstrapping more labeled data. Therefore, a system and/or method to address this problem would enhance the performance or accuracy of classifiers.

Uncertainty reduction in collaborative bootstrapping


A portable thermal image emergency exit marking device for use by firefighters and rescue personnel includes a polygonal housing having electrical heating elements on side panels that are shaped to form infrared heat generating words or symbols indicating an escape exit which are clearly visible by a thermal imaging camera, a flashing strobe light, and an audible alarm, to guide firefighters to the exit of a burning smoke-filled building. The configuration of the infrared heating elements avoids confusion and clearly distinguishes the words or symbols from other hot spots, heat emitting objects, and burning objects in the environment of the burning structure. An accessory adjustably supports the marking device at various heights above the floor surface when desired. The housing may have a ring for connecting a rope that can be extended from the housing to an exit of the burning structure and followed to exit the burning structure.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to firefighting equipment and infrared signage devices, and more particularly to a portable emergency exit marking device which includes electrical heating elements in the form of letters forming infrared exit wording that is visible by a thermal imaging camera, an audible alarm, and a blinking light for guiding firefighters to the exit of a burning smoke-filled building.
2. Background Art
Firefighters and other emergency personnel operating inside a smoke-filled or burning building or other structure often become disorientated or lost due to the heat and severely limited visibility in the dense smoke and darkness, and many lives are lost each year because they become trapped by the structure are otherwise unable to escape due to operating on a limited air supply because they are unable to find an exit from the burning structure.
Various attempts at overcoming this problem include positioning a fire fighter at an exit of a burning building with a flashlight, or placing a flashlight or lantern at the exit, with the beam of the lamp pointing in the direction from which the firefighter expects to exit later. However, the intensity of light generated by a flashlights and lanterns typically cannot effectively penetrate heavy smoke or flame. There are also currently available, audible and visual alarms, such as strobe lights and LED's, reflectors, colored objects, and similar safety devices that are used to mark an exit. These types of device are also typically not effective due to the limited visibility inside the burning building is limited because of the heavy smoke or flame.
Merendini et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,825,280 discloses a portable safety light and audible signal apparatus for placement in proximity to a building exit, to guide one or more fire fighters and emergency personnel to the exit during conditions of intense smoke and heat. The portable safety light and audible signal apparatus has a housing for containing, an audible signal generator capable of generating at least three distinctive audible signals, a strobe light mounted upon the top portion of the housing; an inverted U-shaped handle mounted on opposing sides of the strobe light, at least one switch in electrical communication with the strobe light and the audible signal generator, and a portable power supply located within the housing, in electrical communication with the switch.
Popps et al, U.S. Pat. No. 6,864,799 discloses an emergency lighting device for firefighters that marks a viable exit for a building which includes an audible sounder and a number of laser diodes in a housing with lenses that create panes or sheets of light. For example, there may be four laser diodes oriented at various angles. The housing of the device can have prongs that allow the device to pierce drywall so as to mount it near a door or window, as well as an adhesive or cement for mounting the housing on other vertical surfaces. The housing also has a tapered wedge shape and can wedge a door in an open position.
Carolan, U.S. Pat. No. 7,196,614 discloses a guidance device for aiding rescue personnel to quickly locate potential fire victims in a building which includes a body having multiple reflective fields, and a mounting member for securely mounting it to a surface. The body's reflective surfaces may be oriented to reflect approaching light from the top, bottom, left, and right, thereby enhancing its visibility regardless of an approach mode of rescue personnel, and regardless of an orientation in which the guidance device is mounted. The guidance device may include an element such as a metal disc capable of absorbing heat to enhance the guidance device's detection by a thermal imaging camera, or be configured to cause emission of light from responsive to detection of light (e.g. from a firefighter's flashlight). One or more guidance devices may be sold as part of a kit that includes an identification marker mountable adjacent an entry door of a building, and instructions for coordinating mounting positions of the identification marker and the guidance device relative to their respective doors.
Although these prior are exit indicating devices may be effective for their intended purposes, the existing exit indicating devices do not lend themselves to effectively identify the exit in dense smoke and darkness or flame.
More recently, high-tech devices have been developed to improve the safety of fire fighting personnel, such as for example, thermal imaging cameras (TIC's) carried by the firefighters, global positioning units, and head mounted displays in communication with a computer.
Smoke has a large component of micron-sized carbon soot particles in it which absorb visible-light wavelengths. Thermal imaging cameras (TIC's) penetrate heavy smoke and overcome the handicap of darkness to visualize heat sources in situations of limited visibility. Typically, the firefighter relies on thermal patterns visible in the camera display that indicate the presence of a person, a hot spot which may be the source of the fire, or some other thermal characteristic or heat emitting object. Although thermal imaging cameras (TIC's) significantly increase the visibility and display thermal patterns that indicate the presence of a person, hot spots, heat emitting objects, and thermal characteristics of the environment inside the burning structure, they to not identify the exit of the burning structure, nor do they identify conventional exit markers that rely on visible light because the visible wavelengths are outside of the infrared band of the electromagnetic spectrum.
Antonio II, et al, U.S. Pat. No. 7,626,506 discloses a thermal signature device that enables a firefighter to be located with a thermal imaging camera. The device includes an infrared LED which emits light in the infrared wavelength frequency. The infrared LED is situated in a housing that may be temporarily fastened to a firefighter's clothing and manually actuated by the firefighter with a pushbutton to emit infrared signals that may be identified by an infrared camera. The thermal signature device may include a receiver in data communication with the emitting-element such that the emitter may be actuated by a remote transmitter. The housing may include a permanent fastener such as adhesive such that the firefighter may selectively attach the housing to a stationary object, such as a wall, where it may be more visible or to another person in distress. A location determining system utilizing the thermal signature device provides an infrared camera for detecting the emitter-element.
Seibert et al, U.S. Pat. No. 7,659,527 discloses infrared marking device and method for marking an object, such as a door, inside a structure, such as a smoke-filled or burning structure. The infrared marking device comprises a ring-shaped, elasticized outer sleeve having a tubular sidewall and an amount of a self-heating exothermic chemical material confined inside the tubular sidewall of the outer sleeve. The self-heating exothermic chemical material emits infrared radiation when activated. The infrared radiation is visible in a thermal imaging camera. The method comprises activating a self-heating material confined inside a marking device to initiate an exothermic reaction that emits infrared radiation and applying the marking device to an object inside the structure.
These types of devices that utilize infrared LED's and exothermic chemical heaters attached to a firefighter's clothing or to a stationary object, such as a wall, typically only show up in the imaging system as a point or a "hot spot" and are difficult to distinguish from other hot spots, heat emitting objects, and burning objects in the environment of the burning structure.
Various object identifiers have also been developed in the filed of firearms that utilize infrared light for use in producing night vision targets and in targeting and sight calibration for firearms equipped with infrared sighting scopes and thermal imaging cameras.
Scott U.S. Pat. No. 4,524,386 discloses a thermal target display system and method which generates thermal or infrared radiation patterns simulating the thermal "signature" of "real-scene" objects such as vehicles, buildings or personnel which the nightvision or thermal imaging sights were designed to detect, rather than utilizing the real-scene objects themselves as targets. The system utilizes a plurality of individually controlled, active heat-radiating thermal elements disposed in an array to form a thermal screen or target. The thermal elements are disposed upon a substrate of a thermally and electrically insulating material and each element is composed of a layer of film of a conductive resistive coating deposited on substrate between two conducting bus bars across which a differential voltage is impressed to heat the resistive coating. The thermal screen is interfaced with a video system and is energized in response to a video image representing the real-scene object in the infrared spectrum. The gray scale representations of the individual video image pixels are converted into signals which define desired temperature differentials of each of the individual radiating elements of the thermal screen or target, these signals controlling the energization of the thermal elements so that the thermal screen generates a radiation pattern which corresponds to a particular video frame. The thermal radiation pattern, representative of the thermal signature of the real-scene object, can be enhanced and manipulated through conventional video processing techniques.
Boyer, U.S. Pat. No. 7,528,397 discloses a method of creating signage system visible by infrared cameras and infrared weapon sights for calibration of infrared weapon sights. In one embodiment, the signage system comprises a laminar target or sign member formed of a "no power" or "reverse power" material, such as a painted Mylar film, with a front and back surface. The front surface has the characteristic of interfacing properly with any materials adhered to it. The back surface has the characteristic of having low emissivity. A "zeroing target" is printed on the back surface. When viewed through an infrared imaging device, the target will be readily apparent. The laminar member allows any conceivable sign, target, etc. to be created using traditional printing means, such as a silk screening. For additional clarity in the thermal weapons sight, the laminar member can be completely or partially warmed, such that in the area where warmth is applied, the difference in infrared energy emitted from the non-printed front surface relative to the printed surface will increase, and as this difference increases, the clarity in the thermal weapons sight will increase. In a preferred embodiment, the heat is applied to the front surface of the laminar member by a heat generator and a heated surface, which may provide thermal dissipation and/or mechanical stability and may comprise a single object or multiple objects. In a preferred embodiment, a commercially available biodegradable chemical heater is used which begins to warm when exposed to oxygen in the air and requires the target or just the heater to be packaged in an air-tight package to prevent the heater from operating before use. In another embodiment, the heat is applied utilizing an electric heater. Boyer teaches that the heater shape does not have to assume a specific shape because the infrared image is created on the front surface and is a function of the printing, not the geometry of the heater; and that various signs, targets, etc. can be created by altering the shape of the insulator or the cutout portion of the insulator.
Although the prior art devices that utilize infrared light for use in producing night vision targets and in targeting and sight calibration for firearms may be effective for their intended purposes, they would not be suitable for use in a burning structure and would not be effective to indicate or identify an exit of the burning structure.

Portable thermal image emergency exit marking device for firefighters


A system and process for updating files on a wireless mobile device is provided. The wireless mobile device has an RF(radio frequency) card which cooperates with a wireless network to provide wireless communication. In one example, the wireless network maintains a message contact list on a network server. The message contact list contains address information useful for sending textual, video, audio, or image messages through the wireless network. When the wireless mobile device is activated on the network, the message contact list is transmitted to the wireless mobile device. The wireless mobile device is then able to use the message contact list to generate and transmit messages.

1. Field
The present invention relates generally to wireless communication systems, and more specifically to providing updated messaging information to a wireless mobile device.
2. Description of Related Art.
Wireless communication devices are widely used, and have become an essential aspect of modern life. Wireless communication devices such as pagers, mobile phones, text pagers, PDA's (personal data assistants) are used for work, for personal activities, and as a way to keep in contact with family and friends. Often, these devices are used to enable voice communications. Increasingly, however, these devices are used to send brief messages without initiating a voice communication. In this way, information may be shared between users with less interruption and less distraction to others. Further, much communication may be completed in one-way transmissions, so the sending of a message can be very efficient. These messages have typically been limited to text messages, but are becoming more complex, with longer text capabilities, and the ability to support audio, image, graphical, and video messages.
One popular and widely used messaging system is the "Short Message Service", or SMS. SMS is a standard incorporated in many networks, devices, and applications to support sending and receiving messages. The SMS system provides a means by which short messages can be sent from one wireless mobile device to another device. Typically, such messages are textual and limited in length, for example to 160 alphanumeric characters. Such short messages are desirably used for simple communications, such as receiving stock market quotes, abbreviated e-mail, bank account balances, short commercial transactions, traffic conditions, and other such short messages. It will be appreciated that SMS may be provided on various communication platforms. For example, SMS may apply to GSM network systems, CDMA network systems, WCDMA network systems, and other industry standard systems. It will also be appreciated that certain extensions are in use or contemplated for the SMS systems. For example, SMS may extend to allow audio, image, or video data to also be transmitted and received. Also, the length and complexity of messages may be adjusted according to technical capability of mobile devices and network infrastructure.
In order for a computing device to send and receive SMS messages, it must be provided with the capability to operate on a wireless network. Often, a radio frequency (RF) card is inserted into the computing device, and associated operating software used to establish communication between the computing device and the network. For example, RF cards may be constructed to be inserted into PDAs, laptop computers, bar code scanners, or other computing devices. In order to initiate an SMS message, the originating computing device must know the address of the destination device. This address is typically the access number for the destination's RF card, which may be phone number or other network identifier. Since a user typically communicates with a number of other users, the SMS addresses are locally stored in a contact list file. In this way, the computing device is able to readily address and originate messages to known destinations.
However, may computer users have access to multiple computing devices. It is not uncommon for a user to have multiple laptop computers and PDAs, or to use different computing devices at different times. Each of these devices maintains its own SMS contact list, each of which contains only the destination addresses used from that particular device. Accordingly, when using a new computing device or when changing devices, it is often necessary to manually locate destination addresses and to populate the new device's contact list.

System and method for providing SMS contact information to a wireless mobile device


A method for measuring a heat transfer coefficient between a heat transfer element and a fluid comprising a measurement of a calorific value by placing the heat transfer element into the fluid and charing the heat transfer element with electricity. A calorific value of a particular surface of the heat transfer element is the true calorific value of the entire heat transfer element, since the particular surface of the heat transfer element is thermally insulated from a residual surface of the heat transfer element so as to prevent a heat transfer of the residual surface of the heat transfer element.

The present invention generally relates to a method for measuring a heat transfer coefficient which is necessary to measure in order to determine the properties of many kinds of fluid by the so-called electrical heating method. The present invention also relates to a sensor which can measure a heat transfer coefficient by a heat transfer element.
The term "fluid" as used in the present invention includes not only a liquid substance and a gaseous substance but also a semi-solid substance, namely a substance which can flow.
Generally, it is very important for a process controll of a fluid to measure properties of the fluid (for example kinematic viscosity).
In Japanese Patent laid-open application No. 60 (1985)-152,943, there is disclosed a method for measuring properties of a fluid by using a thin metal wire as a heat transfer element by putting the thin metal wire into a fluid as a measuring object, charging the thin metal wire with electricity so as to the heat transfer element and then calculating a heat transfer coefficient on the surface of the thin metal wire.
The abovementioned method is well known as shown in FIG. 6. That is to say, a conduction lead wire 2--2 and a voltage measuring lead wire 3--3 are connected at the two ends of a thin metal wire 1 which is a heat transfer element made of a heating material. An electric current is sent into the thin metal wire 1 through the conduction lead wire 2--2 and the voltage applied to the thin metal wire 1 is measured by a volt meter 4 connected with the voltage measuring lead wire 3--3. According to the relation of the voltage V measured by the volt meter 4 to the electric current I of the thin metal wire 1, a electrical resistance R is calculated and further a calorific value W is calculated by the following formula (1) EQU W=I.sup.2 R (1)
A heat transfer coefficient .alpha. at the boundary surface between the thin metal wire and the fluid is calculated by using the calorific value W and the following formula (2) EQU .alpha.=w'd/4 (.theta..sub.s -.theta..infin.) (2)
d: diameter of thin wire PA0 w': W/v (volume of thin wire) PA0 .theta..sub.s : surface temperature of thin wire PA0 .theta..infin.: temperature of fluid
A kinematic viscosity is calculated by the heat transfer coefficient .alpha. according as the well-known relational expression which, for example, appears in the Japanese reference (Japan Food Industry Academy Review, 1988 vol. 1 .sctn. the introduction.
In the abovementioned method for measuring a heat transfer coefficient of a fluid, the heat being transfered in a non-radial direction from the two ends 5, 5 will be unknown. However, when the heat transfer element is made of a thin wire (a ratio of diameter to length of the thin wire is about <1:1000), the heat loss abovementioned from the two ends 5, 5 becomes extremely small as compared with that lost from the circumferential surface of the thin metal wire 1. Therefore, when disregarding the heat capacity lost from the two ends 5, 5 and regarding the heat capacity W of the whole heat transfer element as a heat capacity escaping to the fluid from the circumferential surface, the measurment error thereof is small.
However, when it is desired to miniaturize the heat transfer element, the heat transfer coefficient between the heat transfer element and a measuring object cannot be exactly judged. That is a new problem to be solved.
That is to say, as shown in FIG. 7, when a metal stick 6, formed by shortening the thin wire, is used as a heat transfer element and the circumferential surface 7 thereof is contacted with a fluid as the measuring object, in the abovementioned method for measuring the heat transfer coefficient, the desired heat capacity is a heat capacity transfered between the heat transfer element and the measuring object, namely, it corresponds to a heat capacity W.sub.1 escaped from the surface 7 of the metal stick to the fluid.
However, in a miniaturized heat transfer element, the heat generated from the heat transfer element 6 also escapes from the two end surfaces 8, 8 of the heat transfer element 6 as shown in the figure. When a heat capacity lost from the two end surfaces 8, 8 is W.sub.2, the whole calorific value of the heat transfer element 5 is the sum of the heat capacity W.sub.2 and the heat capacity W.sub.1 transferring to the fluid. EQU W=W.sub.1 +W.sub.2 ( 3)
In the miniaturized heat transfer element, the ratio of W.sub.1 /W.sub.2 is not essentially infinite, which is different from that of the method for measuring a heat transfer coefficient of a fluid by using the long thin metal wire, and the unmeasured heat capacity W.sub.2 becomes larger in comparison with the heat capacity W.sub.1. The difference thereof cannot be ignored.
Accordingly, in the above case, when regarding the heat capacity W of the whole heat transfer element as the heat transfer element W.sub.1 transferring into the surrounding fluid, the heat transfer coefficient cannot be exactly measured because of the error resulting from the assumption that no heat capacity W.sub.2 is lost from the two end surfaces 8, 8.
These disadvantage occurs similarly, when using a heat absorption material as a heat transfer element.

Method for measuring heat transfer coefficient and sensor including heat transfer element and thermal insulation element


To provide a mobile communications terminal device that can identify an originator in a unit of group or a discriminating ringing by depending on the kind of an incoming identification tone without regard to a display, and acquire information designating the originator in accordance with an external specification.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mobile communications terminal device and a method for identifying an incoming call for use therewith, and more particularly to a method for identifying the information of an originator upon receiving an incoming call in the mobile communication terminal device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, in the mobile communications terminal device, means for identifying the originator's information at the time of call incoming employs a method for displaying a telephone number or a mail address of the originator as the originator's information.
Also, in the mobile communications terminal device, there is another method for displaying the originator's information (which comprises a name of the originator) by registering a name of an originator along with the telephone number and the mail address as a telephone directory in its own terminal device, and retrieving the name or the like from the telephone directory by the telephone number or the mail address of the originator upon receiving an incoming call.
However, in the conventional mobile communications terminal device as described above, the user can not easily identify the originator's information according to a display of incoming call, at the time of carrying a portable terminal of folding structure, or at the time of holding a terminal of non-folding structure in the user's pocket.
Also, the originator's information may be obtained by associating the kinds of incoming identification tone with the originator or the contents of incoming call, but if a great number of originators are present, it is difficult to identify clearly the originator on the basis of the kind of abstract incoming identification tone.

Mobile communications terminal device and method for identifying incoming call for use with the same

Abstract: In a mobile communications terminal device 1, if there is any matched data in a retrieval from a telephone directory, the call is informed with an incoming identification tone specified by the kind of a call incoming and a telephone directory of a memory 17. If a switch is pressed on an operation section 11, a ringing of incoming identification tone from a voice output section 13 is stopped, and the voice information converted from a character string registered in the telephone directory of the memory 17 is output from the voice output section 13.


A bladder system and apparatus for use with a beverage barrel or container, to reduce undesirable head-space in a wooden container of a beverage, especially a fermented beverage, such as wine. The system continuously protects the beverage contained in a wooden barrel from the harmful effects of oxidation at the air-to-fluid interface in the head-space and compensates for ullage, attributable to evaporation, leakage or sampling losses. The system includes an inflation stem connected to a barrel bladder inflatable by filling with an inflation gas. The inflation stem includes a liquid level sensor and inserts into a bung opening. The fluid level is sensed and a gas valve opens to fill the bladder, reducing head-space within the barrel. The system can combine the control of several barrels and optionally with other sensors, to create a barrel monitoring and control network.

The ageing process for red wine requires slowly evolving oxidation and reduction reactions over an extended period of time. There are many complex chemical reactions that occur in such a process, and it is important for these reactions to occur naturally at the interface of the surface of wine, in direct contact with wood, such as in a properly filled and coopered barrel. Wood is a semi-porous material, and therefore the quantity of wine within the barrel is reduced by the evaporation of constituent water and ethanol, through pores and joints in the wooden barrel. Subsequently, the volume of wine is naturally shrinking over time at a rate of approximately two to four liters per month, depending on several factors including, but not limited to, temperature, humidity, wood porosity, barrel construction, and the surface area of wine exposed to wood. As evaporative losses occur within a wooden barrel, a "head-space" develops within the barrel, above the wine, and leads to an ever-increasing air-fluid interface, where oxidation occurs that is considered undesirable. This undesirable oxidation not only accelerates the premature aging of wine by complex chemical reactions occurring at the air-fluid interface, but the presence of oxygen within the expanding head-space inevitably leads to microbial growth on the surface of the aging wine. This microbial growth contaminates the wine, promoting off-flavors and spoilage. In an appropriately filled barrel, in which the head-space volume is maintained at a minimum, such contamination is curtailed.
Historically, wooden barrels are the containers of choice in the winemaking industry for storing and aging wine for many reasons. Primarily, the wood imparts flavoring to the wine, and this flavoring varies with the type and quality of the wood. The amount of flavoring imparted to the wine is dependent on the size of the barrel and therefore, the ratio of wine to the inside surface area of the barrel. The age of the barrel is also important, along with the length of time the wine is stored within it. Standard wine barrels are coopered from white oak, and generally contain only about sixty gallons, which is very small, considering the large, industrial constrainments and tanks employed for other beverage processing.
The typical flavor imparting life-span of the standard oak barrel employed in winemaking is considered to be approximately three years. However, more that fifty-percent of the oak's available flavoring is extracted into the wine within the first twelve months of use. Additionally, many wineries employ the use of "neutral" oak barrels, which have been used for more than three years to continue storing some wines, and no longer impart any significant flavors to the wine. Barrel selection depends on the wine varietal, the winemaker's choice and the financial resources of the winery, as the average price for each oak barrel typically exceeds several hundred U.S. dollars.
There are several other reasons oak barrels remain in use today, either in new or neutral condition. As discussed above, slow and desirable oxidation and reduction reactions occur over time, as wine evaporates through the natural pores of the wooden barrel staves and oxygen permeates back through the wood. This slow oxidation is not only desirable but is considered mandatory for creating premium wines. Despite the drawback of creating the aforementioned head space, the desirable oxidation occurring at the interface of wood and wine is considered vital to the production of premium wine.
The term "ullage" is used to describe the loss or leakage of wine from its container. The natural evaporation or loss of wine through the barrel is supplemented by leakage and sampling. In an attempt to control ullage, wineries devote large sums of money to create and operate elaborate humidification systems, and for the labor required to consistently "top-up" the barrels, to minimize head-space. Additionally, the "top-up" wine is often inferior quality, newer wine, which detracts from the flavor of the aged wine within the barrel. However, even the most diligent topping-up fails to eliminate ullage, and the undesirable favoring resulting from head-space oxidation. This effect is magnified, especially when pushing for larger numbers of barrels, as necessary for wineries to achieve an advantage in economic scale of production.
Oak barrels posses other characteristics that ensure their ongoing use in modern-era winemaking, including the natural antiseptic qualities of wood, and the near-absence of electrostatic charges of wood particles. In containers made of stainless steel, for instance, there is a natural stratification or "layering" effect that occurs during wine settling, due to the electrostatic characteristics of metal, which typically mandates filtration for clarification. In addition, the charring of the wooden barrel staves, as typically achieved during "fire-bending" in the coopering process, leads to a slow and natural, charcoal adsorption of impurities from the stored wine.
Therefore, smaller oak barrels are the time-tested container of choice for storing and aging premium wines. However, a system is needed to improve the performance of wood barrels, especially in lager scale wine making operations, still employing the smaller oak barrels. There is a need for more consistent and cost-effective techniques for minimizing head-space in aging barrels, and prevent dilution effects attributable to topping-up, and assure better and more consistent quality in the production of wine.
The following is a disclosure of the present invention that will be understood by reference to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
Reference characters included in the above drawings indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views, as discussed herein. The description herein illustrates one preferred embodiment of the invention, in one form, and the description herein is not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention in any manner. It should be understood that the above listed figures are not necessarily to scale and that the embodiments are sometimes illustrated by fragmentary views, graphic symbols, diagrammatic or schematic representations, and phantom lines. Details that are not necessary for an understanding of the present invention by one skilled in the technology of the invention, or render other details difficult to perceive, may have been omitted.

Beverage barrel bladder system and apparatus


To enhance decoding of signals suspected of containing an embedded auxiliary signal, a suspect signal is screened to compute detection values evincing presence and strength of the embedded signal. Screening strategies control detector actions, such as rejecting un-marked signals, improving synchronization of a reader used to extract hidden messages in suspect signals, determining authenticity of signals, and controlling use of the signals.

The invention relates to digital watermarking, and more particularly relates to watermark detection in multimedia content (e.g., still image, video and audio signals).
The reader is presumed to be familiar with digital watermarking technology. See, e.g., co-pending application Ser. No. 09/503,881, filed Feb. 14, 2000, entitled Watermark Reader and Embedder, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference.
One objective of watermark detectors is to reject unmarked signals (e.g., image, audio, video signals) at the earliest possible stage of detection. The detector may conclude that a signal is unmarked based on quantitative evidence of the watermark (or lack thereof) in a signal suspected of having a watermark. The signal might be an unmarked component of a marked signal, or simply an unmarked signal. Also, in some cases, the signal, though previously marked, may appear to be unmarked due to removal or degradation of the watermark. By accurately identifying an unmarked signal at an early stage, the detector can avoid unnecessary processing. Also, the apparent absence of a watermark may trigger some action (or prevent an action) such as providing output indicating that the signal has been tampered with or controlling processing of the signal (e.g., preventing copying, playing or recording in copy protection applications).
A related objective of a watermark detector is measuring the strength of a watermark signal. Based on the watermark strength, the detector can assess whether a suspect signal has a valid watermark, and the extent to which a signal has been transformed. The detector can also determine the likelihood that a suspect signal includes a valid watermark or recoverable watermark message. Such an evaluation helps the detector allocate its processing resources on portions of the suspect signal that are likely to contain a valid watermark or recoverable watermark message.
The cited application describes a variety of techniques for detecting a watermark. Some of these techniques correlate attributes of a watermark signal with a signal suspected of containing a watermark. By measuring the extent of correlation, a watermark detector assesses whether a watermark is present, and in some cases, determines its orientation in the suspect signal. Related techniques detect a watermark signal by at least partially decoding a message from the suspect signal and then comparing attributes of the message with expected attributes to assess the likelihood that a watermark signal is present. These and other techniques may be used to compute a detection value that quantifies the likelihood that the suspect signal has a watermark.
This disclosure describes methods of using detection values ascertained from signals suspected of being watermarked to control the detection process. The detection values may be used to reject unmarked signals. In addition, they may be used to refine the detection process by focusing the detector on signals or portions of signals that are likely to contain a watermark and/or a recoverable watermark message. Each portion of a suspect signal may be defined by an orientation parameter (or set of parameters like rotation, scale, origin, shear, differential scale, etc.). Also, each portion may represent different orientations of the suspect signal, or a component of the signal.
This disclosure also describes a method for using two or more detection metrics to control the detection process. The multiple metrics could be derived from independent measurements in multiple stages or could be different features of the same measurement. Each detection metric evaluates detection values to control detection actions. One type of detection metric is a screen used to evaluate suspect signals or portions of a suspect signal for the presence of a watermark. Each stage evaluates detection values to assess whether a suspect signal, or portion of it, is marked.
This disclosure also describes a method for using absolute and relative detection measures to assess whether a suspect signal is marked. An absolute measure of detection represents quantitative evidence of a watermark signal in a suspect signal, and is usually evaluated independently from other detection values. A relative measure is based on the relative values of two or more detection values, which may be relative or absolute measures. A relative measure may be implemented by computing absolute detection values for different portions of a suspect signal and then computing a relative detection value as a function of the absolute detection values.
Both absolute and relative detection values may be evaluated relative to desired limits or thresholds to determine an appropriate action. One action is to reject the candidate signal associated with the detection value as being unmarked. Another action is to use the detection values to direct further actions of the detector. One advantage of using both absolute and relative detection values is that they usually contain complementary information. This complementary information helps in improving the watermark screening and detection process.
In one implementation, a detector computes detection values for different orientation parameter candidates, sorts the detection values in terms of likelihood of representing a valid watermark, and then takes a ratio of a top detection value relative to one or more lesser detection values. The orientation parameter candidates define an approximate orientation and/or location of a watermark in a suspect signal, and as such are associated with a portion of a suspect signal.
The invention provides a method of analyzing a signal suspected of being embedded with an auxiliary signal. This method computes detection values from a suspect signal. Each detection value corresponds to a measure of an auxiliary signal embedded in the suspect signal. The auxiliary signal being detected comprises a set of attributes embedded at locations within the suspect signal, and each detection value is a measure of the set of attributes. The method computes a relative detection value based on an analysis of two or more of the detection values relative to each other, and controls detector action based on the relative detection value. This detector action may include distinguishing signals that are marked with an auxiliary signal from those that are not. It may also include determining whether the suspect signal is authentic based on the detection values associated with an embedded auxiliary signal.
Another aspect of the invention is a method of detecting an auxiliary signal embedded in a suspect signal. The embedded auxiliary signal has a set of attributes embedded at locations within the suspect signal. The method computes detection values for two or more auxiliary signal candidates in the suspect signal. It evaluates a detection metric based on the detection values, and controls a detector action based on the detection metric. The metric provides a measure of an embedded auxiliary signal that adapts to the suspect signal according to detection values computed from the suspect signal. The detection values are each computed as a measure of the set of attributes of the auxiliary signal.
Another aspect of the invention is a detector for analyzing suspect signals having embedded auxiliary signals. The detector has a first screening stage for classifying a suspect signal based on a first detection metric that measures a set of attributes of an auxiliary embedded signal. It also has at least a second screening stage for classifying the suspect signal based on a second detection metric that measures a set of attributes of an auxiliary embedded signal. The first and second stages form a multistage classifier for determining whether a suspect signal is authentic based on measures derived from an embedded auxiliary signal.

Digital watermark screening and detection strategies


Provided is a method of preparing a porous metal material. The method includes: obtaining a composite of a DNA hydrogel and a metal precursor by mixing the DNA hydrogel and the metal precursor; and reducing the composite of the DNA hydrogel and the metal precursor.

1. Field
The present disclosure relates to a method of preparing a porous metal material, and more particularly, to a method of readily preparing various porous metal materials.
2. Description of the Related Art
Porous metal materials are often used as chemical or electrochemical catalysts or supercapacitors, or as electrode materials in batteries due to their large surface areas in addition to their original reactivity, and porous metal materials are being proposed to be used as new optical materials in the future. Metals generally work as catalysts in a chemical reaction, such as hydrogenation, or electrochemically oxidize polyalcohol and generate ethanol, and thus, metals may be used as catalysts of a fuel cell or as a material to be used in an energy storage device of a supercapacitor.
In the related art, pores are formed by inserting gas bubbles into a liquidified metal or a sintering method is used by heating powder-type metal particles to prepare a metal material having mesopores. However, in this case, reducing the size of pores is difficult, and preparing a porous material including two or more metals having different melting points is also difficult.

Method of preparing porous metal material


A vehicle braking control system includes a vehicle brake associated with a wheel on the vehicle. A pedal activated by an operator of the vehicle controls application of the brake. An electronic control unit determines a grade mode of the vehicle and controls application of the brake independent of the operator activating the pedal while in an automatic braking mode. The electronic control unit sends a control signal to apply the brake in a manner to reduce brake fade while controlling a speed of the vehicle when the electronic control unit is in the automatic braking mode and the vehicle is in a downhill grade mode.

The present invention relates to an automatic braking system. It finds particular application in conjunction with controlling how an automatic cruise control system applies service brakes during downhill conditions and will be described with particular reference thereto. It will be appreciated, however, that the invention is also amenable to other applications.
For example, an automatic cruise control (ACC) system, in addition to conventional engine based speed control, typically allows for automated application of the vehicle service brakes to maintain either a constant speed or following distance. When a vehicle is traveling downhill and/or following another vehicle (e.g., a forward vehicle), the ACC system may actively decelerate the vehicle by de-throttling the engine, applying the engine retarder (engine brake), and/or applying the vehicle brakes to maintain the vehicle following distance (to the forward vehicle) and speed. If the forward vehicle accelerates away from the ACC vehicle, the system will attempt to accelerate and maintain a set distance behind the forward vehicle until the set speed is achieved. Prolonged application of the service brake by, for example, the ACC system during a downhill following mode may overwork the service brakes and lead to brake fade. Brake fade is caused by a buildup of heat in the braking surfaces, which may lead to reduced friction against the braking surfaces. In order to avoid brake fade, some ACC systems are designed to disengage when the service brakes become close to a brake fade condition.
The present invention provides a new and improved apparatus and method which addresses the above-referenced problems.

System and method for reducing brake fade


A method and reagents are provided for determining whether a human cell is a hemopoietic cell and whether a human tissue cell is in a neoplastic state. Human cells which express only leukocyte-plastin (1-plastin) are hemopoietic cells and human cells which express both 1-plastin and tissue-plastin (t-plastin) are neoplastic. The method can be performed using isoform-specific plastin nucleotide probes or isoform-specific antiplastin antibodies.

The importance of oncogenes in the development of human cancer has been amply demonstrated in recent years by the ability of these genes to cause tumorigenic conversion of rodent cells. There can be no doubt that other human genes exist which are not classified as oncogenes per se but which play important roles in the development and progression of cancer. One category of these genes encodes abundant structural proteins such as the actins and tropomyosins. The involvement of these abundant proteins in the neoplastic transformation process is suggested by the well documented observations that isoforms within these structural protein families are consistently modulated in transformation of avian, rodent and human cells. This second category of cancer-related genes is set apart from the so-called "oncogenes" because modulation of these genes in a transformation-sensitive manner is likely to result from regulatory processes activating transcription or translation rather than by direct activation through mutational processes.
An abundant phosphorylated polypeptide, plastin is frequently expressed in human cancer cells of solid tissue but is not expressed in normal human fibroblasts. The same protein was one of the most abundant constitutively expressed proteins of human white blood cells. Thus, plastin may be associated with transformation of non-hemopoietic cells. Despite the reproducible identification of plastin and studies of its expression and polymorphic character, nothing was known of its molecular identity.

California Institute for Medical Research


A fuel system includes a low-pressure fuel delivery unit and a high-pressure fuel delivery unit which has a low-pressure region and a high-pressure region such that the low-pressure region supplies fuel to the high-pressure region which supplies the fuel to a plurality of high-pressure fuel injectors. A low-pressure fuel rail supplies fuel to low-pressure fuel injectors. A low-pressure fuel injector line is connected at a first end directly to the high-pressure fuel delivery unit and receives fuel from the low-pressure region and is connected at a second end directly to the low-pressure fuel rail, thereby providing fluid communication from the low-pressure region to the low-pressure fuel rail. A device is located between the low-pressure region and the low-pressure fuel rail and reduces fuel pressure pulsations.

Fuel systems for modern internal combustion engines typically employ either 1) port fuel injection (PFI) where fuel is injected into an air intake manifold or other combustion air passage of the internal combustion engine at relatively low pressure (typically below about 500 kPa) and subsequently passed to the combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine or 2) gasoline direct injection (GDi) where fuel is injected directly into the combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine at relatively high pressure (typically above about 14 MPa). However, some fuel systems have been developed which employ both PFI and GDi in order to take advantage of operating modes where PFI provides operational benefits and in order to take advantage of operating modes where GDi provides operational benefits. Consequently, only the PFI may be utilized under some operating conditions while only GDi may be utilized under other operating conditions. One example of a fuel system which employs both PFI and GDi is described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,263,973 to Akita et al.; however, a disadvantage of the system of Akita et al. is that when only the PFI system is used, the high-pressure fuel pump used to pressurize the fuel in the GDi system continues to be cycled by a camshaft of the internal combustion engine. This cycling, along with the close proximity of the high-pressure fuel pump to the internal combustion engine, causes fuel in the high-pressure fuel pump to elevate in temperature and potentially create vapor in the GDi system which is undesirable for the high-pressure fuel pump and which may hinder fueling when the GDi system is used.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,973,556 to Hoefner et al. describes another fuel system which employs both PFI and GDi. Hoefner et al. provides an arrangement where fuel that is used in both the PFI system and GDi system is first supplied to a drive section of the high-pressure fuel pump. Consequently, when only the PFI system is used, fuel flows through the drive section of the high-pressure fuel pump, thereby providing lubrication and cooling to the high-pressure fuel pump. However, the PFI system of Hoefner et al. may be susceptible to pressure pulsations.
What is needed is a fuel system which minimizes or eliminates one or more of the shortcomings as set forth above and provides an alternative to the fuel systems as set forth above.

Fuel system for an internal combustion engine


An IC card internally stores two different PINs. Collation of these PINs sets the IC card having an internal data memory in different characterizing statuses. When coincidence occurs at the first PIN collation, data input to the data memory of the card is permitted. When coincidence occurs at the second PIN collation, data transfer is permitted. Accordingly, when important data is stored in the IC card and a plurality of persons handle the IC card, the data stored in the IC card can be prevented from being altered unauthorized.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an IC card system for performing the collation of a personal identification number (PIN) through a plurality of steps in data processing using an IC card.
2. Description of the Related Art
Today, it is the so-called cash-less age, and it is possible to purchase commodities without paying cash, but using cards issued by credit card companies, etc.
Conventionally-available cards include plastic cards, embossed cards and magnetic stripe cards, which are structurally easy to forge and hence raise the problem of unauthorized use.
As a solution to such a problem, it has been proposed to use information-carrying cards, so-called IC cards, which store information such as personal identification numbers.
In such IC cards, a personal identification number (PIN) is used as a key to access internal data, and an externally input PIN is collated with a PIN prestored in the cards and access to the internal data is permitted when they coincide with each other.
Generally, however, only one PIN is used to permit such data access, so that in the case where important data written in an IC card needs to be checked by a plurality of persons, the individual checkers should read out the internal data with the same PIN for the checking operation. This does not make it possible to perform the checking operation in the correct sequence unless the order of the persons to check the data is determined in advance and the flow of the card is monitored according to the order. As a solution to this problem, the internal data of the IC card may be printed out and the print-out may be circulated for the checking operation. With this method, however, the internal data of the IC card is relatively easy to alter.
This is the bottleneck in realizing a firm banking or home banking system, which has recently been proposed as one application of IC cards and executes various types of data processing for, for example, bank transactions, using IC cards. This is because it is difficult to provide a system for performing the responsible checking operation in the individual checking stages, permitting easy alteration of the data and thus significantly deteriorating the reliability and the security of IC cards.

IC card system for preventing unauthorized data alteration


This invention concerns a computer communication method using asynchronous messages in a distributed software architecture, for example of type AAA-MOM (Agent Anytime Anywhere - Messages Oriented Middleware), including a disconnectable platform such as a smartcard. This communication is carried out between firstly a card agent (CA), stored in a removable platform (31, 32), connectable to a terminal (21, 22), and secondly at least one standard software agent (AS). This standard agent can be stored in this computer network (1), in another renmovable platform. A message sent by the card agent (CA) to a standard agent (AS) or sent by a standard agent AS) to the card agent (CA), is stored in the network by at least one intermediate agent (CEPA,CAPA) managing the communications of this card agent (CA) with network (1).

1. Field of the Invention
This invention concerns a computer communication method using asynchronous messages in distributed software architecture, for example of type AAA-MOM (Agent Anytime Anywhere—Message Oriented Middleware), including a disconnectable platform such as a smartcard.
2. Description of the Related Art and Summary of the Invention
The applications or information systems which may need to use one or more computer networks of digital data processing stations represent a major part of the current and future computer developments. These systems may play an important role in applications such as the management of data shared by several people or groups of people. In addition, such applications may need to manage data, stored in platforms located in different places and which may vary depending on the times.
The development of such applications using networks is more and more frequently based on software or computer programs using distributed architecture, i.e. where various software components are run on different data processing stations or platforms. These components may also be located on different platforms depending on the times. Such data processing stations are connected by a combination of computer communication networks whose hardware and software architectures may be heterogeneous, each forming a node of a network which may take numerous forms and cover more or less extensive areas, for example from the simple local configuration with a few stations up to a global network such as the Internet.
In the remainder of this description, the term "node" refers to the various stations or hardware platforms of such a network and the term "network" to the set of these nodes and the physical and software architectures providing communication between them.
A distributed architecture application may therefore include a set of agents (reactive software components) operating together and interacting. These agents may exist on one or more different nodes of the network at the same time, or even use different nodes at different times. This type of application offers various advantages, for example not depend on a single node whether regarding its existence or its performance.
To develop and produce this type of distributed application, the communication between the various agents may be managed at each node by a software layer, called middleware, in between the operating system of the platform forming the node and the applications or agents operating on this platform. Amongst the various types of middleware, there is a software infrastructure commonly called MOM (Message Oriented Middleware), which uses asynchronous messages as the basis of all the communication, coordination and synchronisation structures of its various components or agents. These messages are qualified as asynchronous since they can be sent and received regardless of the availability of their respective recipient and sender. Generally, such messages contain, in addition to the information to be transmitted, one or more codes identifying the message sender and recipient, and possibly additional information or markers used and modifiable by the various agents involved in their transmission.
The advantage with this type of communication infrastructure is that it provides, in many high-level programming languages, especially object-oriented languages such as Java®, reliable and user-friendly tools for communication between the agents. Use of the tools supplied in this type of software infrastructure is in fact independent of the actual communication modes implemented in the network.
One of the MOMs is the architecture known as AAA or A3 (Agent Anytime Anywhere), used for example by the NETWALL® software, described in particular in the paper with the following reference:
"An Agent Platform for Reliable Asynchronous Distributed Programming",
L. Bellissard, N. De Palma, A. Freyssinet, M. Herrmann, S. Lacourte, Symposium on Reliable Distributed Systems (SRDS'99) (short paper), Lausanne—Switzerland, 20-22 Oct. 1999
This AAA architecture is based on a MOM type communication software infrastructure, which manages these asynchronous messages and includes for example "Agents" and "Agent Servers". An agent can be defined as a unitary reactive software component, which reacts according to specific events. An agent server includes a software program running on a platform and managing a certain number of agents, which may include an engine that executes the software operations forming the reactions of the agent it manages.
Whenever at least one application executed in this architecture needs to operate for a given period, or even permanently, the AAA architecture itself and a certain number of its AAA agents must operate and be accessible during at least this period, which will be defined by the fact that an agent is "persistent".
Consequently, any failure in part of the network or its nodes could result in the disappearance or unavailability for the rest of the network of an agent on this part of the network, or of messages transiting in this part of the network between several agents, and result in malfunctions in the applications using this architecture.
To ensure that this type of architecture operates correctly, the network and its nodes include various mechanisms and methods, automatic or not, used to restore the integrity of any software element in the AAA architecture which should be damaged or lost.
With the development of embedded computing and the multiplication of portable objects capable of data processing, such as integrated circuit cards or smartcards, such objects are now frequently connected as nodes in a network supporting one or more, simple or distributed, applications.
Typically, this type of object can be repeatedly disconnected from the network at any time, remain disconnected from the network a certain amount of time, then possibly be reconnected at another unpredictable place on the network. With the current technology, such unpredictable absence of certain components of AAA architecture is not managed by the various mechanisms and communication protocols operating such a network.
In order to use the development facilities provided by AAA architecture for distributed applications including the use of such portable objects, especially the transparency of the communication modes with respect to high level languages, it would be useful to have, for the features of this architecture, an implementation suitable for such objects and therefore managing such specificities.
One objective of the invention is to provide a method allowing the transmission of any asynchronous message between an agent stored in a portable and disconnectable object and another agent stored in the network, transparently for the network.
This objective is reached using a computer communication method by asynchronous messages between firstly at least any one software agent, known as the card agent, stored in a portable data processing station, known as removable platform, which can be connected or disconnected by communication means with at least a data processing station, known as terminal, at any time and independently of the operating status of this terminal or the removable platform, and secondly at least any one software agent, known as standard agent, this standard agent being either stored in storage means of a computer network connected to this terminal and including one or more data processing stations storing one or more software agents communicating together via a distributed software infrastructure for computer communication by asynchronous messages, either stored in this removable platform or in another similar platform, characterised in that it comprises a step to store a message sent by the card agent to at least a standard agent or sent by a standard agent to the card agent, in storage means of the network, by at least an intermediate agent managing the communications of this card agent with the network.
According to one characteristic, the method comprises the following steps:                transmission to the network by this card agent of a message or message indicator intended for a standard agent;        transmission of a message or message indicator intended for this standard agent, from this card agent to an agent known as card engine proxy agent, stored in storage means of the network;        storage of said message or message indicator in storage means of the network by the card engine proxy agent;        transmission via the network of said message or message indicator by the card engine proxy agent;
According to one characteristic, the method comprises the following steps:                reception via the network of a message or message indicator intended for this card agent, by an agent known as card engine proxy agent, stored in storage means of the network;        storage in storage means of the network of said message or message indicator by the card engine proxy agent;        transmission of said message or message indicator by the card engine proxy agent to at least one card agent stored in the removable platform;        storage of said message or message indicator in storage means of the removable platform;
According to one characteristic, the messages transmitted between the card agent and the card engine proxy agent, or vice versa, transit via a card engine agent, stored in storage means of the removable platform, designed to manage or control this card agent.
According to one characteristic, the method also comprises the following steps:                storage of said message or message indicator in storage means of the network by a card agent proxy agent, stored in the network and indicating the identity of the recipient card agent;        transmission of a message or message indicator intended for the card agent from the card agent proxy to the card engine proxy agent corresponding to the recipient card agent
According to one characteristic, the message exchanges between the card engine proxy agent and the card engine agent are carried out according to a "first in first out" type scheduling system.
According to one characteristic, the message exchanges between the card engine proxy agent and the card engine agent use at least one transmission method with acknowledgement of receipt so that the sender of a message or message indicator can obtain confirmation, by the recipient of this same message, of its correct reception and so that the messages not received by the recipient can be transmitted again.
According to one characteristic, the card engine agent or the card engine proxy agent sends one or more messages or message indicators to a given recipient agent implementing a method known as acknowledgement of receipt buffer method, comprising the following steps:                storage in an acknowledgement of receipt buffer, by the sender of one or more messages or message indicators to be sent, these messages or indicators being sorted in the order in which they must be sent and associated with "index" identifiers;        transmission, from the sender to the recipient, of at least one message or message indicator together with "marking" data representing the index of this message;
According to one characteristic, said acknowledgement of receipt buffer method also comprises the following steps:                reception by the recipient, of at least one message or message indicator together with "marking" data representing the index of this message;        transmission from the recipient to the sender of "index" data of the last message received by the recipient including or representing the value of the index represented by the marking which accompanied the last message or indicator received from this sender;        reception of this index of the last message received by the sender and comparison of this index with the indices of the messages or indicators stored in its acknowledgement of receipt buffer;        further transmission, by the sender to the recipient, of messages or indicators stored after the message whose index corresponds to the index of the last message received by the recipient in its acknowledgement of receipt buffer,
According to one characteristic, a further transmission, by said acknowledgement of receipt buffer method, of the messages stored by the sender in its acknowledgement of receipt buffer and not yet received by the recipient, is carried out in the order that these messages were stored in this acknowledgement of receipt buffer.
According to one characteristic, said acknowledgement of receipt buffer method also comprises a step in which the recipient stores, as index of the last message received by the network or index of the last message received by the card, data including or representing the index of the location where this message is stored in the sender's acknowledgement of receipt buffer.
According to one characteristic, the acknowledgement of receipt buffer method also comprises at least one step in which the recipient of the message or indicator checks the integrity of the content of this message or indicator, the index of the last message received by the recipient then being determined as being the index represented by the marking accompanying the last message received whose integrity meets specific conditions.
According to one characteristic, the card engine proxy agent sends to the card engine agent one or more messages or indicators received from the network, implementing a method known as buffer flow control method, comprising the following steps:                storage in a flow control buffer located in storage means of the network of one or more messages or indicators received, these messages or indicators being sorted according to their order of reception;        verification of the acknowledgement of receipt buffer operation;        transmission of said messages or indicators, in the order that they were received, according to said acknowledgement of receipt buffer method.
One objective of the invention is to propose a method to update the agents stored in a portable and disconnectable object, regarding the messages exchanged with another agent stored in the network, following a period during which this object is disconnected, to provide continuous operation of the applications using this object.
This objective is reached by a method as described above, characterised in that the communication means of the terminal are managed by at least one terminal communication agent stored in storage means of the terminal or the network, transition of the removable platform status from connected to disconnected triggering the following steps:                detection by the terminal communication agent of disconnection of the removable platform;        transmission of a disconnection notification message from the terminal communication agent to the card engine proxy agent;        storage in the storage means of the network by the card engine proxy agent of the removable platform disconnected status.
According to one characteristic, said buffer flow control method also includes a step in which the card engine proxy agent obtains the connection or accessibility status of the removable platform from the network.
According to one characteristic, communication of the terminal with the removable platform is managed by at least one terminal communication agent stored in storage means of the terminal or the network, transition of this removable platform status from disconnected to connected, combined or not with another event, triggering the following steps:                detection of this connection by the terminal communication agent;        obtention by the terminal communication agent of data representing a code identifying a card agent or a card engine agent, stored in the storage means of the removable platform;        transmission of an insertion notification message, from the terminal communication agent to the card engine proxy agent, including or representing the code of the card engine agent or the card agent.
According to one characteristic, a card engine proxy agent stored in the network and a card engine agent stored in the removable platform exchange one or more messages or message indicators according to said acknowledgement of receipt buffer method, transition of the removable platform status from disconnected to connected, combined or not with another event, triggering an update method including the following steps:                transmission, from the terminal communication agent or the card engine agent to the card engine proxy agent of the index of the last message received by the card stored by this card engine agent;        transmission, from the card engine proxy agent to the card engine agent of messages or indicators stored in its acknowledgement of receipt buffer as being intended for this card engine agent, and not yet received by it.
According to one characteristic, a card engine proxy agent stored in the network and a card engine agent stored in the removable platform exchange one or more messages or message indicators according to said acknowledgement of receipt buffer method, transition of the removable platform status from disconnected to connected, combined or not with another event, triggering an update method including the following steps:                transmission, from the card engine proxy agent to the card engine agent of the transmission index of the last message received by the network stored by this card engine proxy agent;        transmission, from the card engine agent to the card engine proxy agent of messages or indicators stored in its acknowledgement of receipt buffer as being intended for this card engine proxy agent, and not yet received by it.
According to one characteristic, the method comprises:                a serialisation step comprising a conversion of software objects to be sent by agent from a communication terminal to a removable platform or vice versa, this conversion being carried out from the structured form of these software objects in the agent which wants to send them, to the less structured data form in which they can be sent between a communication terminal and the communication means of a removable platform or vice versa.        a deserialisation step performing the reverse conversion once this transmission has been carried out.
According to one characteristic, at least one card engine proxy agent manages the communications with the network of several card engine agents, this card engine proxy agent storing, in the network, data representing an identification code, a platform accessibility or inaccessibility status, an index of the last message received by the network, and the content of the messages sent without acknowledgement of receipt, for each of the card engine agents that it manages.
According to one characteristic, at least one agent communicates via the network using an AAA or compatible software communication infrastructure.
According to one characteristic, at least one of said agents participates in at least one application programmed in language Java®.
One objective of the invention is to provide a system allowing the communication by asynchronous messages between an agent stored in a portable and disconnectable object and another agent stored in the network, transparently for the network.
This objective is reached by a communication system by asynchronous messages between firstly a computer network comprising one or more data processing stations storing one or more software agents communicating together via a distributed software infrastructure for computer communication by asynchronous messages, and secondly at least one portable object comprising at least one processor, storage means and means of communication with at least one terminal connected to the network, characterised in that this portable object comprises at least one software agent, known as card agent, communicating by message or message indicator with at least any one software agent, known as standard agent, this standard agent being either stored in storage means of a computer network or stored in this removable platform or in another similar platform, this computer network, this communication being carried out via at least one intermediate agent stored in the storage means of the network and managing the communications of the card agent with the network.
One objective of the invention is to propose a system to update the agents stored in a portable and disconnectable object, regarding the messages exchanged with another agent stored in the network, following a period during which this object is disconnected, to provide continuous operation of the applications using this object.
According to one characteristic, the system comprises at least one software agent, known as terminal communication agent, stored in the storage means of the terminal or the network, designed to manage the communication between the terminal and the removable platform, this terminal communication agent and to send the connection or disconnection notifications of the removable platform.
According to one characteristic, the removable platform comprises at least one software agent, known as card engine agent, designed to manage or control the operation of at least one card agent, the card engine proxy agent then managing the communications of this card engine agent with the network.
According to one characteristic, the system comprises at least one software agent, known as card agent proxy agent, stored in the storage means of the network, designed to indicate the identity of at least one card agent and receive from the network the messages addressed to it.
According to one characteristic, the network, or the removable platform, or both, comprise a memory structure, known as acknowledgement of receipt buffer, designed to index and store the messages sent from the network to the removable platform or vice versa, and send them again to their recipients when they were not correctly received.
According to one characteristic, the network comprises a memory structure, known as flow control buffer, designed to store the messages received by the card engine proxy agent for a card agent, then to present these messages to the acknowledgement of receipt buffer for transmission to the removable platform when the removable platform is accessible or when the acknowledgement of receipt buffer is not full.
According to one characteristic, the acknowledgement of receipt buffer and the control buffer extract the messages they store in the order that they were stored.
According to one characteristic, the card engine proxy agent and the card engine agent include a serialisation function and a deserialisation function, carrying out in one direction and respectively in the opposite direction, the conversion or translation of at least one message to be transmitted via the terminal between the structure they present when they are received and a structure compatible with the terminal and the communication means of the removable platform.
According to one characteristic, the communication between the terminal and the communication means of the removable platform is carried out by transmission of data in APDU format according to standard ISO 7816.
According to one characteristic, at least two stations forming the network communicate together using a software infrastructure of type AAA-MOM.
According to one characteristic, the system includes at least one of said agents programmed in the language Java®.

Network communication method with a smartcard using asynchronous messages