To detect whether energy accumulated in an inductive load section has been discharged. Provided is a test apparatus that tests a device under test, comprising a power supply section that generates a power supply voltage to be supplied to the device under test; an inductive load section that is provided in a path between the power supply section and the device under test; a housing section that houses a substrate that includes at least the inductive load section; and a lock maintaining section that keeps an opening/closing section, which allows an operator to access the substrate within the housing section, in a locked state when a voltage at a predetermined position on the substrate is greater than a set voltage.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a test apparatus.
2. Related Art
When manufacturing a semiconductor switch, such as an IGBT, that switches current flowing though an inductive load, an avalanche breakdown test is performed. Patent Document 1 describes a test apparatus that performs an avalanche breakdown test.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2007-33042
In this test apparatus, the opening/closing section of the chassis is kept locked, which prevents the user from accessing the substrate during testing, for example. Furthermore, with this test apparatus used for the avalanche breakdown test, since energy is accumulated in the conductive load during testing, the opening/closing section of the chassis is kept locked until the accumulated energy is discharged. Accordingly, with this test apparatus, it is preferable that the locked state can be maintained while easily and accurately detecting whether the energy accumulated in the inductive load has been discharged.


According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a method and technique for reducing branch misprediction impact for nested loop code is disclosed. The method includes: responsive to identifying code having an outer loop and an inner loop, determining a quantity of iterations of the inner loop for an initial number of iterations of the outer loop; determining a number of processor cycles for executing the quantity of iterations of the inner loop for the initial number of iterations of the outer loop; determining whether the number of processor cycles is less than a threshold; and responsive to determining that the number of processor cycles is less than the threshold, fully unrolling the inner loop for the initial number of iterations of the outer loop.

Generating computer code that is efficiently processed (i.e., "optimized") is an important goal in software design and execution. Source code (i.e., that code which is in human readable form) is typically converted into object code, and thereafter an executable application by use of a compiler. One common structure found in source code is a loop. Nested loops, or a loop within a loop, are also common structures. Loops are used to repeat one or more operations or instructions. Loops may be characterized by a loop header, loop body and a branch back to the top of the loop. Compilers generally perform various "optimization" techniques on the looped code to improve processor execution time of the looped instructions, such as loop unrolling, loop fusion, etc.

Reducing branch misprediction impact in nested loop code

International Business Machines Corporation


A method is disclosed for controlling a process in which a component 4 is moved relative to another component 6 such that at least one of the components 4, 6 experiences a reduction in magnitude in at least one dimension. Such processes may include for example friction welding. The method comprises monitoring energy input to the process and adjusting an input parameter for the process based on the monitored energy input. The monitoring of energy input is performed before any reduction in component magnitude has begun to take place.

Inertia welding is a known process for joining two metallic components. During an inertia welding process, a first component is mounted for rotation coaxially with a flywheel which is driven up to a predetermined rotational speed. Rotary drive is then removed from the flywheel and the rotating first component is brought into contact with a static second component. Pressure is applied to force the two components together. Energy stored in the flywheel continues to cause rotation of the first component and the resulting friction between the components generates heat. The heat generated is sufficient both to soften the interface between the components and to assist the applied pressure in achieving a solid phase weld.
During the inertia welding process material is displaced, or upset, resulting in a shortening of the overall length of the two components. The total amount by which the length of the two components is reduced is termed the "upset length". Achieving an upset length within tight tolerances is important in many industries, including the aerospace industry, and it is known to control a friction welding process in an effort to achieve a desired upset length.
Existing methods of upset control compare the real time weld upset curve (graph of upset length against time) with the "ideal" target upset curve. As variations from the ideal curve are detected, either the weld forge pressure, or the rotational speed of the flywheel, is modulated accordingly. Such existing methods are necessarily reactive, only capable of reacting to weld data relatively late in the formation of the weld, once upset has already begun to take place. Considerable variation of upset length can still occur, as illustrated for example in FIG. 1, and there is therefore a need for an improved method of controlling upset.


Memory devices are provided. A memory device includes a voltage generation circuit that includes an offset compensator configured to receive a reference voltage and an offset code and to link the offset code to the reference voltage. The voltage generation circuit includes a comparator configured to compare the reference voltage linked to the offset code with a bit line pre-charge voltage and to output driving control signals. The voltage generation circuit includes a driver configured to output the bit line pre-charge voltage at a target level of the reference voltage in response to the driving control signals. The voltage generation circuit includes a background calibration circuit configured to generate the offset code for performing control so that a target short current flows through an output node of the driver from which the bit line pre-charge voltage is output. Related methods of generating a bit line pre-charge voltage are also provided.

The present disclosure relates to semiconductor devices and, more particularly, to generating a bit line pre-charge voltage. Dynamic random access memory (DRAM) operates in a method of writing data by charges stored in a cell capacitor of a memory cell. Memory cells are connected to a bit line and a complementary bit line. When a read operation or a refresh operation is performed by the DRAM, a bit line sense amplifier senses and amplifies a voltage difference between the bit line and the complementary bit line. In order to sense data output to the bit line, the bit line is previously pre-charged by a bit line pre-charge voltage. In a case in which the bit line pre-charge voltage is unstable, when the data stored in the cell capacitor is sensed, a sensing margin may be reduced. Due to the sensing margin reduced by the unstable bit line pre-charge voltage, a sensing error of the bit line sensing amplifier occurs and the performance of the DRAM may deteriorate.

Memory devices including voltage generation circuit for performing background calibration


Disclosed herein, inter alia, are compositions and methods of use thereof for interrogating a cell.

Single-cell technologies have emerged to enable profiling the composition of the genome, epigenome, transcriptome, or proteome of a single cell. Uncovering the distribution, heterogeneity, spatial gene and protein co-expression patterns within cells and tissues is vital for understanding how cell co-localization influences tissue development and the spread of diseases such as cancer, which could lead to important new discoveries and therapeutics. Quantifying gene and protein expression enables precise identification, monitoring, and possible treatment at the molecular level. Disclosed herein, inter alia, are solutions to these and other problems in the art.

Methods for in situ transcriptomics and proteomics


One embodiment relates to a clocking network interconnecting an array of transceivers. The clocking network includes first and second series of multiplexers, each multiplexer in the first and second series being adjacent to a transceiver. The first series of multiplexers selectively transmits clock signals in a first direction of the array, and the second series of multiplexers selectively transmits clock signals in a second direction of the array. Another embodiment relates to an integrated circuit with a programmable interface. The integrated circuit includes an array of physical media attachment circuits, phase-locked loop circuits, and a clock distribution network. The clock distribution network is arranged to be programmed into multiple segments. Each segment distributes a clock signal to a bounded range of the physical media attachment circuits in the array. Another embodiment relates to a method of distributing clock signals in an integrated circuit. Other embodiments and features are also disclosed.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to integrated circuits. More particularly, the present invention relates to clock networks in integrated circuits.
2. Description of the Background Art
A programmable clock network in an integrated circuit may be configured to link various transceiver channels with different clock sources. As such, the clock network may determine multiple channel/clock configurations for the interface. In addition, the performance of the clock network is a substantial determinant of transceiver performance in terms of jitter, skew, latency, and other measures.
On one hand, a high performing and flexible clock network may increase the usability of the interface and so reduce non-recurring engineering needed to satisfy customer requirements. On the other hand, the implementation of a clock network that is both flexible and high-performance is generally expensive in terms of die area used and power consumed.
It is highly desirable to improve the design of clock networks for integrated circuit interfaces with multiple transceiver channels.

Segmented clock network for transceiver array


Provided is a head-up display device wherein in a state where a light-receiving unit is connected to a control substrate, a lid can be easily mounted to a case. Housed in a case of a head-up display device are a substrate for controlling a projector and a reflection unit for reflecting light projected thereon by the projector. The reflection unit is configured to have a reflecting mirror that is held by a holder, while the substrate is connected, via a connection member, with a light-receiving unit for detecting light from outside. The light-receiving unit is configured to have a light-receiving sensor that is held by a sensor holding part. The sensor holding part for holding the light-receiving sensor is held by the holder.

A device which displays various kinds of information on a windshield or the like of a vehicle, and allows the displayed information to be visually recognized together with the surrounding background, i.e., the so-called head-up display device, is known. A part of the head-up display device includes a light-receiving unit. Illuminance of external light is detected by the light-receiving unit, and the brightness of the image to be displayed is adjusted according to the illuminance of the external light. Visibility can thereby be improved. For example, as a conventional technique related to a head-up display device, a technique disclosed in Patent Literature 1 is known.
A head-up display device disclosed in Patent Literature 1 is structured such that a projector, which projects light for displaying an image, a reflection unit, which reflects the light projected from the projector, and a light-receiving unit, which detects light from the outside, are accommodated in a case and a lid body placed over the case. The light-receiving unit includes a sensor substrate on which a light-receiving sensor is mounted. The sensor substrate is connected to a control board via a connecting member.
Meanwhile, fitting of the lid body to the case is performed in such a state that the control board and the sensor substrate are connected to each other via the connecting member. The control board is accommodated in the case. In contrast, the sensor substrate is mounted on the lid body.
In other words, fitting of the lid body is carried out in such a state that the lid body is connected to the case by the connecting member. Accordingly, a range in which the lid body can be moved is restricted. If the length of the connecting member is increased, the range in which the lid body can be moved is increased. However, the connecting member may be caught between the case and the lid body when the lid body is placed over the case. Meanwhile, if the length of the connecting member is reduced, the range in which the lid body can be moved is further reduced. It is preferable that the lid body be easily fit to the case while the light-receiving unit is being connected to the control board.


A method and a device for measuring the rotational speed of a turbocompressor, in particular a turbocharger of a motor vehicle. A frequency of pressure pulses generated in the medium the blades or by the shaft of the turbocompressor is measured using high-frequency signal portion of a pressure sensor, and the turbocompressor rotational speed is ascertained from the measured pressure pulse frequency. Furthermore, the charge pressure of the turbocompressor can be ascertained from the low-frequency signal of the pressure sensor so that a single sensor is sufficient for both measurements. The pressure sensor can be arranged in the intake system downstream of the compressor, upstream or downstream of an intercooler.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and device for measuring the rotational speed of a turbocompressor, in particular of a turbocharger of a motor vehicle. The invention is also directed to a motor vehicle that has such a device.
2. Description of Prior Art
Nowadays, many motor vehicles are provided with turbochargers that compress the intake air of the internal combustion engine. Such turbochargers run in the normal operating mode of the internal combustion engine without monitoring the rotational speed and/or other specific parameters such as the surge limit, flow separation, and damage to the charger. Owing to this lack of monitoring, malfunctions cannot be detected immediately.
First solutions for remedying this problem exist in that sensors are used that are based on magnetic operational principles (Hall, M R and the like). It is disadvantageous here that both the actual measuring (sensor element) and possible evaluation electronics have to be located in the "hot" region of the turbocharger, with the result that the corresponding components are subjected to high temperatures, which lead to measuring errors and reduce the service life of the components. Furthermore, to a certain extent pre-magnetized components are required, which constitutes a problem both in terms of the expenditure and the service life of the components. In addition, these magnetized parts act negatively as metal particle collectors.
Pressure sensors are used in conjunction with turbochargers to monitor the pressure generated by the turbocharger. For this purpose, piezo-resistive or capacitive sensors are usually used. The sensors are located in the air intake section of the internal combustion engine and measure the pressure of the air compressed by the charger. In order to achieve advantages determined during this pressure measurement in the areas of data processing and signal quality, signal filtering is used. The sensors are cut off, for example, by low pass filtering at approximately 2-10 kHz. Therefore, only signals below this limiting frequency are used for the pressure measurement.

Method and device for measuring the rotational speed of a turbocompressor, and motor vehicle


The described technology is generally directed towards mapping doubly mapped storage clusters to resources of a real storage cluster in a way that provides high performance. In one aspect, the doubly mapped storage clusters are divided into logical columns, with each logical column corresponding to a doubly mapped node, and having a column height corresponding to a number of storage resources (e.g., disks multiplied by disk extents) managed by that doubly mapped node. The columns are logically positioned within a logical profile having dimensions of the real storage cluster. For example, the logical columns can be selected based on column height, and placed in the logical profile based on free disk extents of the nodes, greatest number of free disk extents first. Once logically positioned, the logical columns in the logical rectangle establish the mapping (e.g., embodied in a mapping table) that results in high performance.

Conventional data storage techniques can store data in one or more arrays of data storage devices. As an example, data can be stored in an ECS (formerly known as ELASTIC CLOUD STORAGE) system, hereinafter ECS system, such as is provided by DELL EMC. A mapped Redundant Array of Independent Nodes (RAIN), also referred to a mapped cluster, is a virtualization technology based on a relationship of logically mapped nodes to an underlying real storage device (e.g., disk) pool, comprising a real cluster (RAIN).
Because disks can be excessively large for some types of data storage, a further data storage technique is to provide a doubly mapped RAIN (or a doubly mapped cluster), in which disks are divided into extents. For example, given a cluster of N nodes, in which each node manages M disks and in which each disk is divided into L extents, the N*M*L extents form an extent pool. A doubly mapped RAIN can be built using extents from the extent pool. For example, a doubly mapped cluster may be mapped such that with N′ mapped nodes, each mapped node may manage M′ mapped disks, and each mapped disk may have L′ extents allocated from the extent pool. A mapping table that can be accessed by software/firmware maintains information about the relationship between the mapped nodes and the disks in the disk pool/real cluster.
As with any virtualization technology, the use of doubly mapped clusters penalizes performance. There are many possible ways to map mapped clusters to real resources; and the mapping that is chosen determines the extent to which performance is affected.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Doubly mapped redundant array of independent nodes for data storage with high performance


A packoff is located within a wellhead housing and a casing hanger. The packoff has an internal ratchet ring that engages a threaded profile on the exterior of the casing hanger thereby allowing installation of the packoff to be achieved by simply stabbing the packoff over the protruding neck of the casing hanger. This ratchet ring significantly reduces the rotation required during installation, decreasing potential for damage to seals. The casing hanger has an external lock ring that is inwardly biased. During installation of the packoff, the packoff acts to activate the lock ring to thereby force it outward. The lock ring is forced outward and into a recess formed in the interior of the wellhead housing. The lock ring and the ratchet ring locks the packoff and casing hanger into place with the wellhead housing without the need of external lockdown screws, thereby minimizing leak paths.

Casing hangers are typically used in well operations to support casing string that extends down into the well. The casing is typically nested within the well as a plurality of casing strings, with decreasing diameters, which are introduced into the well and hung from corresponding hangers. The casing hanger may be landed within the wellhead housing, allowing the load to be transferred to the wellhead housing. An internal locking mechanism is used to maintain the casing hanger in place.
A packoff is typically utilized in wellheads to form a seal between the wellhead housing and the casing hanger. The packoff comprises a generally cylindrical body and elastomer seals on both outer and inner surfaces to effect the seal. Once in place, external lockdown screws may be used to lock the packoff in place. Unfortunately, the external lockdown screws penetrate the wellhead housing to lock the packoff in place, creating additional leak paths. In addition, existing internal lockdown arrangements which attempt to replace the external lockdown screws require the seal elements to be rotated during locking of the packoff, increasing the potential for damage to the elastomeric seals. A technique for locking the packoff in place while reducing leak paths is desired.

Packoff with internal lockdown mechanism


A method and apparatus for improving dynamic simple network management protocol GetNext processing is disclosed. The method and apparatus supports dynamic information in SNMP by building the xe2x80x9cGetNextxe2x80x9d list once, then caching that list for a given amount of time.

1. Field of the Invention.
This invention relates in general to network management, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for improving dynamic simple network management protocol GetNext processing.
2. Description of Related Art.
Data communication is the foundation upon which the information economy rests. Almost every device we use today is a computer-based system including our phones, cars, personal digital assistants, printers, desktop and portable computers, microwaves, etc. Moreover, the networking of such devices is becoming a reality in the hope that our lives will become more convenient and our leisure time will increase. For example, world-wide networks gather data about such diverse subjects as current events, the stock market, the temperature of our homes, etc. These networks evolved as independent entities without the ability, or, until recently, the need, to interconnect with one another. New technologies, generically named xe2x80x9cinternetworkingxe2x80x9d, have emerged making it possible to interconnect many disparate physical networks and make them function as a coordinated unit. Thus, using internetworking technologies, a host, for example, on one network, may traverse multiple networks and communicate with another host on a different network.
In the early days of networking, as the interconnecting of networks grew, the monitoring and maintenance of these networks became more difficult. It soon became evident that a network management protocol needed to be developed. The first protocol used was the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP). SNMP was commonly considered to be a quickly designed interim solution to internetwork management difficulties while other, larger and better protocols were being designed. Out of these protocol designs of the 1980""s emerged SNMPv2, which incorporated many of the features of the original SNMP (which is still in wide use today) as well as a few added features that addressed the original protocol""s shortcomings. Today, SNMP based network management systems are widely used to locate and correct problems in a network.
SNMP normally operates by having one or more central manager node(s) oversee multiple agent nodes as shown in FIG. 1. As depicted, each agent node 120 supports a local, tree-structured database, called a Managed Information Base 130 (MIB) and software that allows a valid manager node 110, such as a host computer, to access information in MIB 130. Agent node 120, which may reside in any agent device such as routers, database managers, printers, etc., responds to command messages sent by manager node 110.
SNMP describes the packet layout (or protocol data unit) for messages between management agents and managing processes. The first version of SNMP, included only five possible messages. Manager Messages 140 are messages that can be sent by manager node 110 to agent node 120 and include xe2x80x9cGetxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cGetNextxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cSet.xe2x80x9d xe2x80x9cGetxe2x80x9d is a message that is sent to read certain locations in MIB 130. The GetNext-Request message provides an efficient method for the managing process to search tables of values. xe2x80x9cSetxe2x80x9d enables the manager to update variables.
Agent Messages 150 that may be sent by agent node 120 to manager node 110 include: xe2x80x9cGetResponsexe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cTrap.xe2x80x9d xe2x80x9cGetResponsexe2x80x9d is sent in response to a Get, GetNext, or Set command, and returns information to manager 110. The GetRequest message with one or more object instances asks for the values of those object instances. xe2x80x9cTrapxe2x80x9d is sent asynchronously or, in other words, upon the occurrence of a predetermined event. Certain traps are predefined by SNMP. Other Traps are xe2x80x9centerprise specificxe2x80x9d which means they can be defined to carry information specific to a particular algorithm or service.
SNMP management has two other components in addition to the SNMP messages: the Structure of Management Information (SMI) and the MIB. The SMI is a toolkit for creating a management information base, or MIB. The SMI identifies the permissible data types and spells out the rules for naming and identifying MIB components. It defines the structure of the SNMP naming mechanism. The MIB is a layout or schema for information relevant to managing networks and their component devices. SNMP is most often implemented over IP. However, nothing in the standard prevents SNMP messages from being delivered with TCP, HTTP, or non-Internet protocols, such as IPX or AppleTalk""s datagram delivery protocol.
The SMI specifies the allowable data types in the MIB, and it spells out the ways data can be represented. Also, it defines a hierarchical naming structure that ensures unique, unambiguous names for managed objects, which are the components of a MIB. Compared with the objects that general purpose programmers use to build applications, SNMP-managed objects are very simple and stripped-down. MIB objects typically have six or so attributes. For instance, an object usually has a name, such as iflnErrors or tcpAttemptFails; an object identifier in dotted decimal form, such as 22.214.171.124.126.96.36.199.1.14; a syntax field, which selects one of several possible data types such as Integer, IPAddress, or Counter; an access field, which selects among xe2x80x9cnot-accessible,xe2x80x9d xe2x80x9cread-only,xe2x80x9d xe2x80x9cread-write,xe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cwrite-onlyxe2x80x9d; a status field consisting of either xe2x80x9cmandatory,xe2x80x9d xe2x80x9coptional,xe2x80x9d xe2x80x9cdeprecated,xe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cobsoletexe2x80x9d; and a text description of the object.
MIB objects are static; they""re compiled from a text-like description language to a binary form that agents and managing processes can load. MIB-II is the current generic TCP/IP MIB standard, and specific MIBs have been adopted for bridges, printers, and other entities to provide a useful common denominator for management application developers. However, most vendors find it necessary to define their own proprietary objects to take advantage of the capabilities of their own products.
The SMI is two layers of abstraction away from the sort of management data that IT staff and users care about. SMI sets the rules for defining MIB objects, which are one layer of abstraction away from management data. All these abstract rules and reserved words make it possible to have machine-readable specifications that remain comprehensible to humans. The SMI enables a vendor to write an SMI-compliant management object definition, run the text through a standard MIB compiler to create executable code, and install the code in existing agents and in management consoles that could then begin generating reports and charts about such occurrences.
The MIB is a hierarchical name space, with the registration of its nodes administered by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA). FIG. 2 illustrates the hierarchical name space for the Management Information Base (MIB) structure. In FIG. 2, the object ID for every relevant MIB object begins with the ISO 1 object identifier 210, National and International Organizations 3 object identifier 212, the Department of Defense 6 object identifier 214, and the Internet Architecture Board 1 object identifier 216. Thus, according to the hierarchy as illustrated in FIG. 2, the object ID for every relevant MIB object must begin with either 184.108.40.206.2.1 (which represents the mib-2 node 220) or 220.127.116.11.4.1 (the enterprises node 230). The term MIB is also used to refer to specific collections of objects used for particular purposes. Thus, MIB objects under the mib-2 node 220 include the RMON (remote monitoring) MIB objects and other generic MIB objects 250, while those under the enterprises node include all proprietary MIB objects 260. It has been estimated that there are at least 10 times as many proprietary MIB objects as there are generic ones.
Each MIB object has a value associated with it according to the syntax part of its specification-for example, the number of packets that have come in since the last system reset, the number of clock ticks since the last reset, or the administrative state of a router. When a MIB object is instantiated on a device or other entity, the value associated with the object is sometimes called a MIB variable. SNMP agents store MIB variables and send them to SNMP managing processes (or consoles) when they are asked to. The value of a MIB variable is the basic unit of useful management information.
MlBs are often divided into groups of related objects. MIB-2 has 10 groups, including xe2x80x9csystem,xe2x80x9d xe2x80x9cinterfaces,xe2x80x9d xe2x80x9cIP,xe2x80x9d xe2x80x9cTCP,xe2x80x9d xe2x80x9cUDP,xe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cSNMPxe2x80x9d. The RMON MIB for Ethernet segments has nine groups, including xe2x80x9cstatistics,xe2x80x9d xe2x80x9chistory,xe2x80x9d xe2x80x9calarm,xe2x80x9d xe2x80x9cevent,xe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9ccapturexe2x80x9d.
SNMP managed entities-hubs, routers, database managers, printers, etc.xe2x80x94must be outfitted with an agent that implements all the MIB objects relevant to them. The managing process must also be aware in advance of all the MIB objects implemented on entities it is expected to manage. Management consoles, such as HP OpenView, that communicate with many kinds of devices must allocate incremental resources for each different type of entity-it""s no wonder these platforms are resource intensive.
SNMPv2 has been enhanced to include security, improved support for systems and applications management, as well as other extensions. SNMPv2 also enables manager-to-manager communication, and therefore, provides a more distributed management model and makes retrieving tabular data more efficient with a new message type.
For a device that supports SNMP, and supports dynamic information in SNMP, such as a printer supporting a job MIB, the information in the table is very dynamic, as jobs come and go. It is expensive for the SNMP agent in the device to perform conventional GetNext processing on the dynamic information by figuring out which row is xe2x80x9cnextxe2x80x9d after a given row if it is not practical to maintain such information accurately at all times. Thus, the device must look through all possible rows to find the xe2x80x9cnextxe2x80x9d row.
In such a device, the SNMP performance will be poor because the tables are normally accessed by an SNMP client by performing GetNexts through the table, on each column of the table. For a table with n rows and m columns, then, the entire list of possible rows must be gone through (n)xc3x97(m) times, simply to support one client getting all the information once. For example, for 50 rows and 10 columns, all 50 rows would be gone through 50xc3x9710 times, for a total of 50xc3x9750xc3x9710=25,000 accesses of row index information, for one single client to retrieve the table information once! Now imagine 10 clients, each of which is going to access the table every 10 seconds.
It can be seen that there is a need for a method and apparatus for improving dynamic simple network management protocol GetNext processing.
To overcome the limitations in the prior art described above, and to overcome other limitations that will become apparent upon reading and understanding the present specification, the present invention discloses a method and apparatus for improving dynamic simple network management protocol GetNext processing.
The present invention solves the above-described problems by building the xe2x80x9cGetNextxe2x80x9d list once, then caching that list for a given amount of time.
A method in accordance with the principles of the present invention includes building a GetNext list, storing the GetNext list, maintaining the stored GetNext list for a predetermined amount of time and using the stored GetNext list to determine the next row for a subsequent GetNext request from a first client when the time has not expired.
Other embodiments of a method in accordance with the principles of the invention may include alternative or optional additional aspects. One such aspect of the present invention is that the method further includes refreshing the GetNext list when the time has expired.
Another aspect of the present invention is that stored GetNext list is accessed by a second user client.
Another aspect of the present invention is that the storing includes caching the list in dynamic memory.
Another aspect of the present invention is that the stored GetNext list is implemented as an array.
Another aspect of the present invention is that storing the GetNext list includes storing only row index information.
Another aspect of the present invention is that the method further includes denying return of data for rows that are deleted after the GetNext list is stored.
Another aspect of the present invention is that the method further includes returning an OID reporting a current number of rows in the GetNext list, saving the OID and returning the OID on every access thereafter rather than recomputing the number of rows on each access.
Another aspect of the present invention is that the method further includes returning an OID reporting for each row a number of rows prior thereto.
In another embodiment of the invention, a system controller for managing a device is provided. The system controller includes a dynamic management information base defining objects associated with the device for managing the device, a management agent and device controller for managing operation of the device as defined by the objects with the management information base and a management information base manager, interfacing with the dynamic management information base and the management agent and device controller, for building a GetNext list, storing the GetNext list, maintaining the stored GetNext list for a predetermined amount of time and using the stored GetNext list to determine the next row for a subsequent GetNext request from a first client when the time has not expired.
In another embodiment of the invention, a network system is provided. The network system includes a plurality of network nodes and a network device, wherein the network device includes a system controller for managing a device, the system controller further includes a dynamic management information base defining objects associated with the device for managing the device, a management agent and device controller for managing operation of the device as defined by the objects with the management information base and a management information base manager, interfacing with the dynamic management information base and the management agent and device controller, for building a GetNext list, storing the GetNext list, maintaining the stored GetNext list for a predetermined amount of time and using the stored GetNext list to determine the next row for a subsequent GetNext request from a first client when the time has not expired.
In another embodiment of the invention, a printer is provided. The printer includes a channel for receiving a data stream from a physical connection running a transport protocol stack, an interpreter, coupled to the channel, for converting a description of intended print instances in the data stream into images that are to be marked on print media, an input, output and a marker, the input providing the media to a marker for producing marks on the print media according to the images, the marker providing the printed media to the output and a system controller for implementing control functions for processing the images from the interpreter to the marker, the system controller further includes a dynamic management information base defining objects associated with the printer for managing the device, a management agent and printer controller for managing operation of the printer as defined by the objects with the management information base and a management information base manager, interfacing with the dynamic management information base and the management agent and printer controller, for building a GetNext list, storing the GetNext list, maintaining the stored GetNext list for a predetermined amount of time and using the stored GetNext list to determine the next row for a subsequent GetNext request from a first client when the time has not expired.
In another embodiment of the invention, an article of manufacture including a program storage medium readable by a computer, the medium tangibly embodying one or more programs of instructions executable by the computer to perform a method for improving dynamic simple network management protocol GetNext processing is provided, wherein the method includes building a GetNext list, storing the GetNext list, maintaining the stored GetNext list for a predetermined amount of time and using the stored GetNext list to determine the next row for a subsequent GetNext request from a first client when the time has not expired.
These and various other advantages and features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed hereto and form a part hereof. However, for a better understanding of the invention, its advantages, and the objects obtained by its use, reference should be made to the drawings which form a further part hereof, and to accompanying descriptive matter, in which there are illustrated and described specific examples of an apparatus in accordance with the invention.

Method and apparatus for improving dynamic simple network management protocol GetNext processing

International Business Machines Corporation


In one aspect of the method for displaying an image on a screen of a cockpit of an aircraft, control means:                control a first display on the screen of an image comprising a background; and then        control a second display so that, in at least one zone of the image that is determined independently of the background, the background presents a non-zero second mean luminance that is less than a first mean luminance that it presented during the first display.

It is known to provide multifunction liquid crystal screens in the visual display systems of aircraft cockpits, where such screens are capable of displaying a large amount of information simultaneously. The information may have a variety of presentations:                text and simple crosshairs generated by the display unit;        a bitmap type colored background provided by a system external to the visual display system; and        a complex video image also provided by an external system.
In order to optimize graphics processing and to guarantee correct priority levels for the symbology generated by the visual display system, it is known that the graphics memory that defines the content of the digital image for display on the matrix of the screen may be organized as a plurality of graphics planes, specifically:                a symbology plane;        a matrix or bitmap plane; and        a video plane.
Under such circumstances, it is possible to display on the screen an image that presents a background of strong graphic density having signs associated with some particular symbology superposed thereon. By way of example, the background may be a map, a radar image, information provided by a database relating to terrain, or indeed a satellite image. The function of the background is to improve the aircraft pilot's perception of the surroundings outside the aircraft. Nevertheless, it does not constitute primary means for guaranteeing flight integrity.
The symbology may be associated with information relating to a variety of domains such as the flight plan, radio-navigation, managing on-board systems, sending messages or alarms, or indeed elements concerning monitoring the surrounding air space. Such elements may for example relate to traffic alert and collision avoidance systems (TCAS).
This information is generally more critical than the background image, and in any event of higher priority for flight integrity. That is why the way in which the graphics planes are organized ensures that the symbology is always drawn so as to be visible in front of the background image, i.e. on top of it.
Nevertheless, that does not suffice to ensure that the symbology is clearly legible under all circumstances, in particular if the background is moving or cluttered with numerous graphics elements of different colors.
Unlike raster-scanning cathode ray screens where superposing signs has the result of increasing the light intensity of each pixel, thereby ensuring satisfactory contrast in all circumstances, with matrix type screens such as liquid crystal screens, such superposition involves a priority order. Thus, at each pixel of the image, only the element corresponding to the graphics plane having the highest priority is displayed. In other words, only the color (and consequently the luminance) of the sign having the highest priority is displayed amongst signs that are superposed.
Under such conditions, since liquid crystal screens are nowadays greatly preferred over raster-scanning cathode ray screens, it is important to make priority information clearly visible on the image.
One known solution for improving the legibility of the symbology on the background is haloing. That consists in emphasizing the outline of the priority item (e.g. a character or crosshairs) by a black line that artificially increases the contrast between the item and the background that surrounds it. Nevertheless, that technique is effective above all when the signs are on a colored background that is relatively uniform or when the sign forms solid crosshairs. It is found to be much less effective with characters, or thin traces that are displayed on a background presenting high resolution.

Method of displaying an image on a screen of an aircraft

Abstract: In another aspect, the control means control the display on the screen of an image comprising a background in such a manner, that at least in a zone of the image that is determined independently of the background, the background presents non-zero mean luminance that is less than mean luminance of the remainder of the background.


A high solid polyester polyol/silica nanocomposite resin with low viscosity is synthesized by an in situ polymerization method, namely conducting condensation polymerization of polyol/diacid monomer with a molar ratio of 1.1˜1.5 in the presence of colloidal silica nanoparticles with a diameter of 10˜150 nm. The resulted nanocomposite resins has a solid content of >95%, molecular weight of 1000˜5000 g/mol and hydroxyl value of 80-200 mg KOH/g, and a viscosity in the range of 800-2000 mPa.s. The viscosities are especially lower than those obtained by a blending method. The nanosilica content in the nanocomposite resin is 1˜15% (based on the total solid content of nanocomposite resin). The high solid polyester polyol/silica nanocomposite resin was curable with isocyanate or melamine to prepare high solid transparent nanocomposite coatings with obviously improved abrasion and scratch resistance, hardness, weatherability etc.

High solid polyester polyol resin is an important, environment-friendly resin, and is usually prepared by condensation polymerization of diol and/or polyol with diacid monomers. It has been widely used in high solid automotive coatings, furniture coatings, coiling coatings etc. From the viewpoint of environment protection, lower viscosity of polyester polyol resin is preferred, which means lower VOC in its corresponding coatings. Generally, the viscosity of polyester polyol is reduced by increasing the molar ratio of diol(and/or polyol)/diacid. However, high dosage of polyol monomer in condensation polymerization will produce polyester polyol resin with high hydroxy value and thus more crosslinking agent is needed in curable coating compositions. Meanwhile, a polyester polyol resin with a molecular weight that is too low, will negatively impact the properties of coatings such as impact resistance. Thus, to attain a proper balance between the VOC and the properties of coatings, the reduction of molecular weight of polyester polyol resin is often limited for certain monomer composition. In other words, besides the composition of polyester polyol resin, adjusting the molecular weight of polyester polyol resin is also limited to improve the properties of polyester based coatings.
In recent years, accompanying with development of nanotechnology and nanomaterial, inorganic nanoparticles such as silica, alumina, zirconia and so on were incorporated into the coatings to prepare transparent coatings with improved abrasion and scratch resistance, hardness etc. Among them, nanosilica in both fumed silica and colloidal silica state was most widely employed because of its relatively cheap price and better match of refractive index with most of the resins. To achieve the better dispersion and compatibility of nanosilica with coatings or offer the reactivity with the binder in coatings, surface modification of nanosilica particles was usually adopted. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,853,809, colloidal silica was modified with functional silane coupling agent such as carbamate functional silane coupling agent before introducing into clearcoat. While in U.S. Pat. No. 6,803,408, colloidal silica was firstly dispersed in pre-prepared polysiloxane polyol and then mixed with other component of coatings. Besides surface modification, a special dispersing method, namely jet dispersion method through nozzle at high pressure, was also proposed to successfully incorporate hydrophobic fumed silica into acrylic based polyurethane clearcoat, just as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,020,419. Transparent nanocomposite coatings with improved scratch resistance were all obtained in the above reported patents. But unfortunately, the surface modification of nanosilica will complicate the preparing process of nanocomposite coating and the remained free modifying agents maybe reduce the copolymerization rate (specially for the case that vinyl containing silane coupling agent modified inorganic nanoparticles firstly dispersed in acrylate monomer) and/or deteriorate the properties of the resulted coatings. For jet dispersion method, a specific dispersing apparatus, which is distinctly different from conventional mechanical stirrer or miller used in coating manufacture, has to be set up and thus increase the investment. Thus, development of a simple process for preparation of transparent nanocomposite coating is very necessary.
Colloidal silica particles exist in the form of individual dispersion in the media such as water, alcohol and other organic solvent. Usually, there are large amount of hydroxyl group on its surface. These hydroxyl groups will lead to form strong hydrogen bond interaction between colloidal silica and resins especially those high degree hydroxyl functionalized resins, or between colloidal silica particles themselves. Higher hydrogen bond interaction means higher viscosity of colloidal silica containing resin and coatings. Therefore, colloidal silica particle was ever used to improve the rheological properties of high solid coatings in previous patents such as U.S. Pat. No. 4,526,910. However, the thickening role of colloidal silica is not welcome when colloidal silica is acted as the additive for improving the mechanical properties of high solid coatings because it will strongly decrease the incorporation amount of colloidal silica in coatings. Therefore, shielding the surface hydroxyl group of colloidal silica is needed. Just as described above, surface modified with modifying agent such as functional silane coupling agent was efficient to protect the surface of colloidal silica, but it is complicated.
To simply the process of application of colloidal silica in coatings while maintaining the efficiency of colloidal silica in improving the properties of high solid coatings, a novel process was proposed especially for preparation of high solid polyester polyol/silica nanocomposite resin. The resin is curable with isocyanate or melamine to obtain high solid nanocomposite coatings which can be used as scratch resistant automotive coatings, coil coatings, plastic coatings, metal coatings etc.

Preparation of high solid polyester polyol/silica nanocomposite resin with low viscosity and related nanocomposite coatings


A net knife assembly for a baler is provided. The net knife assembly includes a linkage drive system including a drive linkage coupled to a motor. The net knife assembly includes a knife carrier coupled to the linkage drive system and configured to be positioned in a home position and a cut position. The net knife assembly includes a tensioning member coupled to the linkage drive system. The motor is configured to rotate the drive linkage of the linkage drive system, rotation of the drive linkage rotating the knife carrier between the home position and the cut position. Upon rotation of the knife carrier through a center position relative to the tensioning member, the tensioning member accelerates rotation of the knife carrier into the home position or the cut position.

For many years agricultural balers have been used to consolidate and package crop material so as to facilitate the storage and handling of the crop material for later use. Usually, a mower-conditioner cuts and conditions the crop material for windrow drying in the sun. When the cut crop material is properly dried, a baler, for example a round baler, travels along the windrows to pick up the crop material and form it into cylindrically-shaped round bales.
Pickups of the baler gather the cut and windrowed crop material from the ground and convey the cut crop material into a bale-forming chamber within the baler. A drive mechanism operates to activate the pickups, augers, and a rotor of the feed mechanism. A conventional baling chamber may include of a pair of opposing sidewalls with a series of belts that rotate and compress the crop material into a cylindrical shape.
When the bale has achieved a desired size and density, a wrapping system may wrap the bale to ensure that the bale maintains its shape and density. For example, a net may be used to wrap the bale of crop material. A cutting or severing mechanism may be used to cut the net once the bale has been wrapped. The wrapped bale may be ejected from the baler and onto the ground by, for example, raising a tailgate of the baler. The tailgate is then closed and the cycle repeated as necessary and desired to manage the field of cut crop material.
One of the critical features on a round baler net wrapping system is the knife. In order to produce an ideal round bale package, a uniform cut is desired across the entire width of the net. In addition to improving the appearance of the bale, a clean cut also reduces the risk of loose net ends being caught in moving parts of the baler. A high-speed impact cut in convention balers is generally desired to create a clean cut. For example, if the knife moves into the path of the net too slowly, a long ragged cut is generally produced. As a further example, if the knife contacts the net with too low of a force, the net generally will not cut due to the net being under tensioned.
Conventional balers generally include an electric motor to push the knife through the net. A high-speed impact method of cutting necessitates considerable energy be used to accelerate the knife bar to an acceptable cutting speed with the electric motor, and is also dependent on adequate net tension to achieve a uniform cut. In addition, for safety reasons, the knife should not have any stored energy in its rest position that could be triggered inadvertently. Conventional knife bar designs generally do not have sufficient speed or power to provide the desired clean cut of the net.


A double sided picture or jigsaw type puzzle includes separate puzzles on both of the opposite sides of the puzzle sheet. The first side may include one or more separate individual picture puzzles, while the second side may also comprise one or more puzzles. Disassembly may be required of the assembled puzzle(s) of the first side, in order to assemble the puzzle(s) of the second side from the separate and individual puzzle pieces. Alternatively, the second side puzzle(s) may be assembled by joining the inverted and completed first side puzzle(s), depending upon the printing of the completed puzzle pictures. The individual puzzle pieces provide a myriad of different assemblies, due to the congruent nature of all, or almost all, of the puzzle pieces. The individual pieces are preferably formed of substantially triangular shapes with provision for cooperating interlocking, with right triangular pieces being used to form a completed substantially square or rectangular puzzle, and pieces having a substantially equilateral triangular form being used for the assembly of substantially hexagonal subassemblies, which subassemblies may be assembled to form a larger completed puzzle.

With most persons being provided with ever increasing amounts of leisure time, various games, hobbies and pastimes have become increasingly popular. Many persons prefer an activity somewhat more active and involved than merely passively watching television or the like, however, and enjoy the challenge of solving a puzzle of some difficulty. So called "picture" puzzles in particular have an advantage in that they may be worked by a single person, and do not require a second or additional persons to act as an opponent(s), as do many games and the like.
The relative simplicity of the general concept, while still providing virtually unlimited complexity insofar as the number and combinations possible with the individual puzzle pieces, along with the ability of an individual to work alone, have maintained the popularity of such puzzles over the years. However, such puzzles have traditionally tended to a relatively few configurations over the years, primarily comprising a puzzle face printed upon only a single side of the sheet comprising the puzzle, with a multitude of uniquely shaped and generally interlocking puzzle pieces. The back side of the sheet is generally left blank, and such puzzles are generally of relatively large size in order to achieve the desired degree of difficulty for the assembler thereof.
The need arises for a picture puzzle which includes puzzle faces upon both sides of the puzzle sheet. By forming most or all of the individual puzzle pieces to have congruent shapes, or with only a very few different shapes for the multitude of pieces, a greater degree of difficulty may be achieved with fewer puzzle pieces, thus allowing the puzzle to be assembled in a smaller area. Conversely, greater difficulty may be achieved than with a conventional puzzle having an equal number of pieces and area. The present puzzle also provides for several different puzzles, by using individual quadrants or other partial areas of one side of the entire puzzle to form smaller individual puzzles, and/or using all of the pieces to form one or more puzzles on the opposite side of the sheet. The opposite puzzle(s) may be assembled from the individual puzzle pieces in an order completely different from that used for the assembly of the first side puzzle(s), or may comprise an assembly of the completed first side puzzles.


A hyperextension orthesis having a base plate, an abdominal rod extending downwards therefrom with a symphysis pad, branches extending to both sides with locking elements, and an upwardly extending chest rod on which the sternal pad is movably arranged. The hyperextension orthesis also includes an oblong hole provided in the chest rod, with a screw extending through the hole and connected to the sternal pad such that the chest rod is slidable with respect to the sternal pad. A sleeve is also formed in the chest rod, with the sleeve receiving a tongue extending from a lower portion of the sternal pad.

Technical Field: The invention relates to an improved hyperextension orthesis, especially one in which the distance of the sternal pad from the base plate adapts automatically to different body postures during wearing.
In all known three-point support corsets after Bahler, so-called hyperextension ortheses, the pads are rigidly arranged. The distance of the pads from the base plate is adjusted by shortening the chest and abdominal rods upon adaptation by the orthopedic specialist. In the case of elderly patients there are difficulties, caused by incorrect posture and when sitting, to the extent that the sternal pad is pushed upwards as a result of the altered body posture and presses on the windpipe and leaves behind chafe marks.
The report by the company Otto Bock: "Hyperextensionsorthese in Modulbauweise" [Hyperextension orthesis in modular design] in Medizinisch-Orthopadische Technik, Volume 5, 1987 and Reissue U.S. Pat. No. 31,564 disclose hyperextension ortheses of the generic type which, with the aid of oblong holes, permit a simple adaptation of the position of sternal pad and symphysis pad to the body size of the patient. However, only one single adaptation is possible in this way. The real problem of a dynamic adaptation of the position of the sternal pad to the respective body posture of the patient is consequently not solved.

Hyperextension orthesis with movable front pad


A method of forming a contact is disclosed. The method of the present invention includes the steps of: forming an insulating layer on a silicon compound; forming a contact hole in the insulating layer, the contact hole reaching the silicon compound; forming at least one layer of a refractory material film on an inner wall of the contact hole and on a surface of the insulating layer; forming a silicon containing tungsten layer on the refractory material film by CVD; and growing tungsten on the silicon containing tungsten layer by CVD, to fill the contact hole with the tungsten wherein the silicon containing tungsten layer contains silicon in the range of 0.6 wt. % to 20 wt. %.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of forming a contact. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method of forming a contact which includes a step of filling a contact hole with tungsten (W) by chemical vapor deposition (CVD).
2. Description of the Related Art
When a plurality of contact holes which have various different depths formed in an interlayer insulating film are to be filled with a conductive film, a blanket CVD technique is used. According to a prior art, by using known techniques, an impurity diffused region and the like are formed in a surface portion of a silicon substrate, and then an interlayer insulating film covering the substrate is formed. The interlayer insulating film is, for example, an oxide film (e.g., thickness: 16000 .ANG.) formed by CVD. Thereafter, by using photolithography and etching techniques, predetermined portions of the interlayer insulating film are selectively etched, thereby forming contact holes in the interlayer insulating film.
Next, by a reactive sputtering technique, a titanium layer (thickness: about 500 .ANG.) is formed on a surface of the interlayer insulating film so as to cover the inner walls of the contact holes and the exposed portions of the silicon substrate. For example, the sputtering is conducted under such conditions that the substrate temperature is 200.degree. C. and the applied voltage is about 900 volts (V). Then, without changing the above sputtering conditions, a mixed gas containing nitrogen and argon (the flow ratio (nitroGen/argon)=15/85) is introduced into a chamber, and a portion of the titanium layer having a depth of about 1000 .ANG. from the surface thereof, whereby a titanium nitride layer is formed. As a result, a Ti/TiN film is formed. The Ti/TiN film includes a titanium layer having a thickness of 500 .ANG. and a titanium nitride film having a thickness of 1000 .ANG.. The Ti/TiN film is provided for enhancing the adhesion of a tungsten layer to the interlayer insulating film.
Next, a nucleation step is performed by CVD utilizing silane reduction in which WF.sub.6 and SiH.sub.4 (silane) are used as a reaction gas. The ratio of the flow rates is typically set to be about 1. The substrate temperature is set in the range of 450.degree. C. to 475.degree. C. (the wafer temperature is set in the range of about 415.degree. C. to about 440.degree. C.). As the result of the nucleation step, a first tungsten layer (e.g., thickness: about 300 .ANG.) with high crystallinity is formed. The relatively thin first tungsten layer provides growth nuclei for uniformly growing a second tungsten layer in an early growth stage for growing the second tungsten layer by blanket CVD utilizing hydrogen reduction.
After the nucleation step, by the blanket CVD utilizing hydrogen reduction, the second tungsten layer is grown on the first tungsten layer, whereby the contact holes are completely filled with tungsten. Thereafter, the second tungsten layer is etched back from the top face thereof.
According to the above prior art, the obtained contacts can attain a relatively low contact resistance. However, there arises a problem of an increase in leakage current. This is caused by the reaction of unreacted WF.sub.6 which has passed through the Ti/TiN film with silicon of the substrate during the formation of the second tungsten layer by the blanket CVD utilizing hydrogen reduction. By this reaction, the silicon in the surface portion of the substrate is eroded, so that the pn junction of the impurity diffused region is damaged. Because of the damage of the pn-junction, the leakage current at the contacts increases.


A silanol condensation catalyst including at least the zirconium metal salt expressed by Formula (I) below (wherein n is an integer from 1 to 3; each R1 is a hydrocarbon group having from 1 to 16 carbons; and each R2 is a hydrocarbon group having from 1 to 18 carbons.) A heat-curable silicone resin composition for sealing optical semiconductors includes 100 parts by mass of a polysiloxane containing two or more silanol groups in the molecule; from 0.1 to 2,000 parts by mass of a silane compound containing two or more alkoxy groups that are bonded to a silicon atom in the molecule; and a zirconium metal salt expressed by Formula (I). A sealed optical semiconductor is formed by sealing a LED chip by applying the heat-curable silicone resin composition to the LED chip, heating the LED chip, and curing the heat-curable silicone resin composition.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a silanol condensation catalyst, a heat-curable silicone resin composition for sealing optical semiconductors, and a sealed optical semiconductor using the same.
2. Background Information
Conventionally, epoxy resins have been proposed as resins for use in compositions for sealing optical semiconductors as described, for example, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. H10-228249A. However, there is a problem in that a color of seals formed form compositions including epoxy resin yellow due to heat emitted from white LED elements.
Additionally, organopolysiloxane compositions that cure at room temperature including an organopolysiloxane containing two silanol groups, a silane compound containing two or more hydrolyzable groups in the molecule that are bonded to a silicon atom, and an organic zirconium compound have been proposed as described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2001-200161A and Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. H02-196860A.
Moreover, mixing a condensation catalyst with a diorganopolysiloxane containing two silanol groups and a silane containing three or more alkoxy groups, and then heating the mixture has been proposed as described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2007-224089A and Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-206700A.

Silanol condensation catalyst, heat-curable silicone resin composition for sealing photosemiconductors and sealed photosemiconductor using same


A universal firearm-mounted receiving apparatus adapted to receive an ejected casing from a firearm (FIG. 1). The apparatus has an arm with a mounting piece disposed at one end and a receptacle for shell casings disposed at the other end (opposite to) mounting piece. The arm further contains one or more hinges that allow(s) at least a portion of the arm to move independently of another portion, thereby making the arm and receptacle positionable for a variety of different firearms.

Because it can be very difficult to recover expended shell casings, especially when those are discharged from semi-automatic or automatic firearms or during maneuvers or live fire problems performed in open terrain during training exercises, numerous bags, buckets, and the like have been conceived for providing a catching function. The casings, which typically are made of brass, expended by the weapon are valuable and can be reused. Therefore, recovery is desirable. Even with the exercise of great diligence, however, it can be difficult to recover more than a majority of the expended casings.
Moreover, a problem long associated with hunting and recreational shooting is the amount of empty shells which are expelled from a shotgun or a rifle and which fall on the ground, sometimes in tall grass. These casings need to be retrieved in order to protect the environment and to remove the smell of empty shells from the habitat of a prey. Sometimes, especially while bird hunting, the hunter has to spend hours searching for the empty shells and retrieving them, while at the same time the hunter has to follow his prey and move continuously.
Depending on the type and configuration of a firearm, mounting a receiving apparatus for spent casings can be difficult and/or an apparatus for one weapon may not usable for another. Of course, purchasing a different casing receiving apparatus for each weapon is costly.
Accordingly, improved and universal firearm-mounted receiving apparatus for catching spent casings are described below.

Universal firearm mounted receiving apparatus for casings


A programmable logic integrated circuit device has a plurality of regions of programmable logic disposed on the device in a plurality of intersecting rows and columns of such regions. The regions of logic may include logic subregions that each have a look-up table. Interconnection resources (e.g., inter-region and intra-region interconnection conductors, signal buffers and drivers, programmable connectors, etc.) are provided on the device for making programmable interconnections between the look-up tables. Programmable bidirectional cascade circuitry that is distinct from the interconnections may be used to make connections directly from the output of one look-up table to another without using the interconnection resources. The programmable cascade circuitry may be programmed so that multiple look-up tables are interconnected to form sequential cascade chains or cascade trees.

This application relates to programmable logic array integrated circuit devices (xe2x80x9cprogrammable logic devicesxe2x80x9d), and more particularly, to bidirectional cascade arrangements for interconnecting look-up table logic in programmable logic devices.
Programmable logic devices are integrated circuits that may be programmed by a user to perform various logic functions. Programmable logic devices typically include many regions of programmable logic. Inter-region or global interconnection conductors and circuitry may be used to convey signals between the logic regions. Logic regions may also include more local or dedicated intra-region interconnection resources that are used to convey signals between smaller portions or subregions of the logic regions.
The logic subregions may be based on look-up table logic. For example, the logic subregions may each include a four-input look-up table. An k-input look-up table has 2k individually-programmable and individually-addressable binary cells. A look-up table may therefore be programmed to perform any desired logic function on its inputs.
Although a logic designer might sometimes wish that larger look-up tables were available (e.g., to rapidly perform functions involving 10 logic inputs), providing such large look-up tables just for this possibility is generally not practical. Large look-up tables consume large fractions of the real-estate available on a programmable logic device die, and tend to operate more slowly than smaller look-up tables. Trade-offs between performance and flexibility tend to favor programmable logic devices that have more modestly-sized look-up tables such as four-input look-up tables.
Special connections known as cascade connections may be provided that allow a chain of logic subregions to be concatenated together when needed. With this type of arrangement, a number of the look-up tables in a programmable logic device can be combined when necessary to provide some of the functionality of a much larger look-up table. (See, for example, Cliff et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,258,668 and Ngai et al. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/516,921, filed Mar. 2, 2000, which are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entireties.)
It is an object of the present invention to provide improved cascade connection arrangements for combining the resources of look-up tables in logic subregions when the capabilities of larger look-up tables are needed to implement a particular logic function.
This and other objects of the invention are accomplished in accordance with the principles of the invention by providing a programmable logic device with bidirectional cascade connection circuitry. The cascade circuitry on the device may be used to directly connect the output of one look-up table to the input of an adjacent or nearby look-up table. The cascade circuitry is bidirectional, because it may be used to route cascade signals in either of two opposite directions along a line of logic subregions.
The cascade circuitry may be programmed to form either a chain of look-up tables or a tree of look-up tables depending on the type of logic function that needs to be implemented by the device. The bidirectionality of the cascade connections therefore allows more logic functions to be implemented from a given set of look-up tables than could be implemented if only a unidirectional cascade chain configuration were available. Because tree-type cascade configurations can involve fewer look-up table delays than comparably-sized chains, the performance of a given logic function can sometimes be enhanced by using the bidirectional cascade connections to form a tree from the look-up tables rather than a chain.

Programmable logic devices with bidirect ional cascades


A system and method provide vital shutdown of a remote slave unit linked by a fiber optic connection to a local, checked redundant master unit with two paired computers. Each computer sends a life signal to an associated local vital supervision card (VSC) and copper to fiber converter (C/F converter) for transmission via fiber to a corresponding fiber to copper converter (F/C converter) on the slave unit, then to a corresponding remote VSC. Each local VSC controls power to a corresponding second local VSC-associated C/F converter, and each remote VSC controls power to a corresponding second remote VSC F/C converter. A VSC detecting an incorrect life signal signature removes power to the corresponding controlled converter and, optionally, to a respective local or remote I/O rack, thereby shutting down the slave unit.

In multilayer, vital control systems, including safety critical control systems, each layer of a control system needs to be able to safely shut down itself and the layers controlled by (below) that layer. Thus, when a control layer device is a master unit to a slave unit and detects a fault in the slave unit, the master unit needs to be able to shut down the slave unit in a vital manner. Often, the slave unit in such a system is remotely located relative to the master unit.
In a soft shutdown, a master unit sends a shutdown command over a communication channel to a slave unit or ceases communication over the communication channel, and in response the slave unit shuts down. This approach relies on software so a failure in software execution can result in an inability to send a shutdown command or cease communication. This design relies on a probabilistic approach to the assessment of all software failure modes being adequately addressed.
In a hard shutdown, a master unit cuts off power to its outputs and relies on a direct galvanic connection between the master unit and the slave unit via a copper cable. This approach is feasible only over relatively short distances and can be vulnerable to electromagnetic interference and other environmental factors such as lightning, especially with remote configurations.
Other options include configuring a slave unit as a vital unit itself, but this approach significantly increases system expense and complexity.


A wearable cardioverter defibrillator (WCD) comprises a plurality of electrocardiography (ECG) electrodes, a right-leg drive (RLD) electrode, and a plurality of defibrillator electrodes to contact the patient's skin when the WCD is delivering therapy to the patient, a preamplifier coupled to the ECG electrodes and the RLD electrode to obtain ECG data from the patient as one or more ECG vectors, a high voltage subsystem to provide a defibrillation voltage to the patient through the plurality of defibrillator electrodes, and an impedance measurement circuit to measure an impedance across a first pair of ECG electrodes, wherein the impedance measurement circuit is to apply a balancing impedance across a second pair of ECG electrodes when an impedance of the second pair of ECG electrodes is not being measured.

The present art in electrocardiogram (ECG) preamps typically involves an electronic circuit with a fixed topology. In some cases, a variable number of electrodes can be selected to be monitored or a different reference electrode can be selected, for example the Right Arm (RA) electrode can be the reference rather than the more common Wilson Central Terminal of Right and Left Arms (LA) and Left Leg (LL) using the formula (RA+LA+LL)/3. Some ECG preamps also can support impedance measurement such as for measuring the patient's respiration, typically through a fixed pair of electrodes, for example the RA and LA electrodes. Generally, these changes in topology do not result in significant changes to the capacitive loading on any given ECG electrode and thus do not have a significant effect on the common mode rejection ratio (CMRR) of the preamp.
There are situations, however, where it may be advantageous to be able to switch which pair of electrodes is being used for impedance measurement, for example when using a Wearable Cardioverter Defibrillator (WCD). Such switching can introduce impedance imbalances on the measuring inputs that can have a significant effect on the CMRR performance of the preamp.
It will be appreciated that for simplicity and/or clarity of illustration, elements illustrated in the figures have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements may be exaggerated relative to other elements for clarity. Further, if considered appropriate, reference numerals have been repeated among the figures to indicate corresponding and/or analogous elements.

Wearable cardioverter defibrillator (WCD) with ECG preamp having active input capacitance balancing


Disclosed herein is a semiconductor pressure sensor which can improve a withstand voltage across piezoresistance and interconnection layers and a semiconductor substrate. In this semiconductor pressure sensor, a plurality of dot seeds, which are regions for serving as seed crystals for growing monocrystals, are arranged to enclose the piezoresistance, and the interconnection layer is formed to pass through a clearance between adjacent ones of the dot seeds.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor pressure sensor and a method of fabricating the same, and more particularly, it relates to a semiconductor pressure sensor having an SOI (silicon on insulator) structure which is formed by laterally growing a monocrystal from a seed crystal on an insulating film, and a method of fabricating the same.

Semiconductor pressure sensor and method of fabricating the same


Image data received via a communication line is stored in a data memory. The image data that has been stored in the image memory is not output intact but is subjected to a pixel reducing operation by a CPU. As a result, the image data is compressed in such a manner that an integral number of image pages will fit on one page on the receiving side. The resulting image is developed in a bit-map memory. Upon observing an output of an compressed image, the operator selects the necessary data and designates the required image using a keyboard. The designated image is read out of the data memory, developed intact in the bit-map memory and printed out in the received size.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an image communication method and apparatus in a facsimile machine or the like.
2. Prior Art
An image communication apparatus such as one for facsimile communication employs two methods for outputting received image data. In one method, data received by the image communication apparatus is output immediately upon being received, and all of the image data sent by the transmitting side is output on the receiving side. In the other method, the received image data is temporarily saved in a memory such as a hard disk by a microprocessor the like incorporated within the image communication apparatus on the receiving side. According to this method, the operator verifies the received data on a monitor and selects the desired page to be output.
In many cases, an image communication apparatus of this kind, particularly a facsimile machine, is used by a plurality of individuals (such as the individuals on one floor). In such case, the received image data is recorded on paper or the like and often is distributed to each addressee when reception is completed. With this method of use, the necessary data must be picked up by each individual operator. This is a very inefficient operation and therefore is undesirable, but the method is effective in terms of providing immediate print-out. With the conventional method of immediate print-out, however, a large quantity of recording paper is consumed when many pages are received and recorded on recording paper in a single receiving operation.

Image communication method and apparatus therefor


Techniques for facilitating and performing frequency-offset estimation are disclosed. The disclosed techniques include methods and apparatus for maintaining phase coherence among reference symbols on different transmission-time intervals (TTI) for an accurate estimation of frequency offset. Corresponding techniques utilize channel estimation or measurements of channel-related parameters based on multiple reference symbols belonging to different TTIs. An example method in a radio transceiver for facilitating frequency offset estimation at a remote receiver begins with determining that phase coherence between reference symbol transmissions in a first TTI and a second TTI is required. The radio transceiver selectively maintains phase coherence between reference symbol transmissions in the first and second TTIs, in response to said determining. The radio transceiver then transmits during at least part of a third TTI, following the second TTI, without maintaining phase coherence to the reference symbol transmissions in the first and second TTIs.

In the Long-Term Evolution (LTE) wireless system standardized by the 3rd-Generation Partnership Project, a multi-access technique known as Single Carrier-Frequency Division Multiple Access (SC-FDMA) has been selected for uplink (mobile terminal-to-base station) transmissions. SC-FDCMA combines the desirable characteristics of Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM), which is used on the downlink, with a low Peak-to-Average Power Ratio (PAPR). This allows for the design of more efficient power amplifiers in the mobile terminals.
In an SC-FDMA scheme, as in an OFDM scheme, the used bandwidth is divided into a multitude of orthogonal subcarriers. SC-FDMA can be viewed as a Discrete-Fourier-Transform-coded OFDM, where time-domain data symbols are transformed to the frequency domain by a Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) before going through OFDM modulation. Thus, while in OFDM groups of time-domain bits are mapped directly to one of the several subcarriers in the transmitted signal, in SC-FDMA each group of time-domain bits is spread across (typically) a subset of several subcarriers before the OFDM modulation is performed. This approach produces a single-carrier signal at the output of the SC-FDMA transmitter, rather than the multi-carrier signal of an OFDM transmitter.
Uplink Reference Signals in LTE
The LTE uplink (UL) incorporates two types of reference signals (RSs) for use in coherent data demodulation and channel sounding. These references signals are known as demodulation reference signals (DMRS) and sounding reference signals (SRS). DMRS are intended to be used by the LTE base station (known as an evolved NodeB, or eNB) for channel estimation for coherent demodulation of the uplink physical channels, which include the Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) and Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH). Thus, the DMRS is transmitted across the same bandwidth as the corresponding channel. In the case of PUSCH, two symbols per subframe are used for DMRS transmission, where the other symbols are used for PUSCH data transmission. The number of DMRS symbols for PUCCH per subframe depends on the PUCCH format.
In small-cell scenarios, mobile terminals (known as "user equipment" or "UEs" in 3GPP terminology) are expected to experience a relatively small degree of channel selectivity, in both the frequency and time domains. This suggests the possibility of reducing the transmission of DMRS in the uplink, thus reducing overhead and improving spectral efficiency. One approach to overhead reduction is to drop one DMRS symbol per subframe, i.e., using only one DMRS symbol per subframe. This approach is perceived to be a way to achieve higher spectral efficiency for small cell scenarios with reasonable implementation complexity.
SRS are transmitted on the UL to allow the eNodeB to estimate the uplink channel state. An SRS is not necessarily transmitted together with any physical channel. If transmitted together with, for example PUSCH, the SRS may cover a different, typically larger, frequency span. Two types of SRS transmission are defined for LTE uplink: periodic and aperiodic SRS transmission.
Periodic SRS transmissions from a UE occur at regular time intervals. The SRS transmission resources/parameters are semi-statically configured via Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling. In the specific subframes identified by this configuration, a UE transmits SRS in the last symbol, across the entire frequency band of interest with a single SRS transmission or across part of the band with hopping in the frequency domain.
In contrast, aperiodic SRS are usually "one-shot" transmissions, triggered by signaling sent on the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) as part of the scheduling grant. In the same way as for periodic SRS transmission, aperiodic SRS are transmitted within the last symbol of a subframe across the entire frequency band, or across part of the band with frequency hopping. Furthermore, aperiodic SRS transmissions can be configured for a specific UE for a duration N, such that the UE transmits SRS in each of the N next UE-specific SRS subframes. This is referred as "multi-shot" SRS. SRS transmission in multiple subframes may be useful for supporting frequency hopping. Given that a trigger may result in more than one SRS transmission, transmission in consecutive subframes can be considered.
Frequency Offset in LTE
As discussed above, SC-FDMA is used for the LTE uplink. With this scheme, the used bandwidth is divided into a multitude of orthogonal subcarriers. However, the orthogonality of the subcarriers is sensitive to the effects of frequency offset, which is a mismatch between a receiver's reference frequency and the carrier. Frequency offset at the eNodeB can have several causes, including Doppler shift resulting from the mobile terminal's motion, as well as any inaccuracy of the carrier frequency in the UE.
Typically, the mobile terminal locks its oscillator frequency to the downlink signal, which may be affected by a Doppler shift from the mobile terminal's motion. In the uplink, the signal is again subject to a Doppler shift, resulting in twice the frequency offset, compared to the offset in the downlink direction. Thus, the maximum total frequency offset due to the Doppler shift is approximately
            f      offset        =                  2        ×                  f          d                    =              2                                      v            ×                          f              c                                c                      ,where fc is the carrier frequency.
According to the 3GPP specification 3GPP TS36.101, the standardized accuracy of the carrier frequency for a UE transmission is ±0.1 ppm, which yields an additional fcarrier_accuracy=0.1×10−6×fc of frequency offset. This must be considered in addition to the Doppler-induced frequency offset. Because these offsets are a fraction of the carrier frequency, at large carrier frequencies the absolute frequency offset can be quite large, relative to the subcarrier spacing.
The effect of the frequency offset is that the subcarriers in the received signal at the eNodeB are no longer orthogonal, which results in inter-subcarrier interference. Especially for small-cell scenarios, where the carrier frequency can be up to 3.5 GHz, it is important to accurately estimate the frequency offset at the network, so that compensation can be performed. Also, channel estimation performance may suffer unless a frequency offset is properly compensated, since the channel will change at a more rapid rate over time than without a frequency offset, thus making channel interpolation more difficult.
Accordingly, consistent and reliable techniques for estimating frequency offset in LIE networks are needed. Furthermore, these techniques must remain consistent and reliable even as the LTE specifications evolve to support new modes of operation.

Maintaining phase coherence for frequency offset estimation


Methods and systems for rendering text in a multi-lingual environment are provided. Language context of entered text and user interface settings are used to determine a most appropriate rendering order and alignment for displayed text. If no reading order is specified for a given text selection, the text selection is scanned to determine whether properties of the text identify portions of the text as requiring one of two reading orders (left-to-right or right-to-left). If a reading order can be determined for a given portion of the text selection, that portion will be rendered according to the determined reading order, such that the rendered text selection may have portions rendered according to a first reading order and portions rendered according to a second reading order. If no determination can be made by analysis of the text selection, a reading order is returned for the text selection that is associated with the spoken language utilized by the user interface with which the text selection is rendered. The text selection is aligned to the right or to the left based on user selection if available. In the absence of user alignment selection, the text selection is aligned according to an alignment associated with the spoken language utilized by the user interface with which the text selection is rendered.

With the rapid growth in the use of computers and computer software in recent years, software developers have developed applications that are used by a wide variety of users in business, education and leisure. Software applications are used for creating, displaying and utilizing text and data according to a great number of spoken languages. Some spoken languages such as English are read from left-to-right and are typically displayed or printed in a left alignment. Other languages such as Arabic and Hebrew and a number of Asian languages are read from right-to-left and are typically displayed or printed in a right alignment. Prior software applications may be caused to render text according to a reading order and alignment associated with a given language.
A problem exists, however, when text is rendered in a multi-lingual environment. For example, if a memorandum is prepared using a word processing application containing some sentences or paragraphs in English and some sentences or paragraphs in Arabic, a word processing application likely will align the English language text to the left and the Arabic language text to the right. When the rendered text is displayed or printed, an unsatisfactory user experience results. Likewise, if the word processing application, for example, does not recognize that the text is to be displayed according to two different spoken languages having two different text reading orders, the text reading order for one of the two displayed texts may be displayed incorrectly. For another example, if an electronic mail is sent to a recipient containing text entered by the sender according to multiple languages, for example English and Hebrew, the recipient electronic mail application likely will display the English language portion of the mail according to a left-to-right reading order and left alignment and the Hebrew language portion of the mail according to a right-to-left reading order and right alignment.
It is with respect to these and other considerations that the present invention has been made.

Display of text in a multi-lingual environment


A glove structure that incorporates a palm piece having a portion that rolls over the fingertips and is sewn to the top portion of the back piece thus eliminating the conventional thick seam lines on the fingertips and resulting in a smooth seam of material over the entire fingertip and a substantial increase in finger tactility. The palm material narrows as it rolls over the fingertip and preferably has the shape of an hourglass.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention provides an improved glove construction wherein the palm material has a portion which rolls over the fingertips.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Gloves specifically designed for use in the construction industry have been available in the prior art. For example, Ironclad Performance Wear Corp., Los Angeles, California., sells a variety of gloves having a palm piece attached to a back piece through the use of fourchettes. The glove fingers are attached to the palm and back pieces across the tips of the fingers, down the side of each finger and down through the crotch between each finger. The Ironclad gloves typically have a pattern on the palm piece to protect the user hand from strain, vibration or abrasion.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,490,290 to Gold discloses a glove structure wherein the palm piece is attached to the back piece through the use of connector strips made from stretchable elastic fabric, such as spandex.
The problems with the conventional glove design is that sensitivity is reduced as the typical glove has materials (4) coming together at one point; wearer fingernails tend to hang up on seams reducing the utility and mobility when the gloves are worn; seams in the central wear area cause the glove material wearing out; the presence of multiple materials and seams reduces wear comfort; the plural seams and materials increases the likelihood that the glove will snag on outside items such as nails and screws; and the fingernails are susceptible to damage because of the thin and lighter palm material used in conventional gloves.
Ski gloves have been available which include an inner glove portion and an outer shell glove portion which includes a palm design that wraps up and over the fingertips. This ski glove construction is not a single, fitted glove, is primarily limited to skiing and other winter sport activities and is not designed to be long lived.
The glove construction disclosed in co-pending application Ser. No. 10/215,946, filed on Aug. 10, 2002 and assigned to the assignee of the instant application overcomes the above noted disadvantages by providing a fitted glove structure that incorporates a palm piece having a molded rubber palm pattern, the palm pattern including a portion which rolls over to the back piece in a manner that increases fingertip sensitivity, increases the mobility and efficiency of the wearer, increases glove lifetime, increases wearer comfort and increases fingernail protection. The palm piece and back piece on the second, third and fourth finger are joined by fourchettes and the palm pattern is made of heat pressable rubber. A portion of the molded rubber palm pattern extends over the fingertips (except the thumb) and is sewn to the stretch nylon on the top portion of the back piece.
The glove described in the aforementioned '946 application provides a significant advance in the construction of gloves. Although the inventive concept disclosed therein is directed to fingertip roll over of the molded rubber palm pattern, it has now been recognized that the same glove construction advantage could also be adapted to the palm material itself, without the inclusion of the molded rubber palm pattern.

Glove construction wherein palm material rolls over fingertip