This data protection system encrypts and stores data in a memory card, using a double encryption key scheme for encrypting the data with a data key and further encrypting the data key with a user key. This system provides data to a particular host device from the memory card and limits provision of the data to other host devices. The host device includes DPS program that governs control of writing data to, and reading data from the memory card. The memory card includes a first non-volatile memory and a memory controller that controls the first non-volatile memory. DPSA program is implemented in the memory controller that manages ID information for identifying a user capable of decrypting the encrypted data with the user key.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a data protection system, a data protection method, and a memory card that enable protection of data being encrypted and stored on storage media, while allowing that data to be readily available to particular persons.
2. Description of the Related Art
Storage media such as SD cards are widely used as, e.g., so-called bridge media, for sharing data between multiple computers or the like (see, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-5557). In digital cameras, for example, recording image data on an SD card in a format compliant with the standard for digital still camera allows such image data to be utilized in other digital still cameras or personal computers compliant with the standard (which is known as interoperability).
Such interoperability, however, may have an adverse effect from the viewpoint of privacy protection. That is, due to the interoperability, one cannot restrict access by others to such image data stored in an SD card that he/she does not want others to see. Furthermore, if one lost the SD card on which image data is stored and if the SD card was found by a third party, the one cannot prohibit the third party from viewing the image data. Likewise, if any information is recorded on an SD card, such as business information or confidential documents, it is not possible to share it only among particular persons.
Some methods exist where the entire SD card is locked with a password in an attempt to share data among a number of particular persons, in which case, however, it is not possible to selectively protect only particular data, and password management or the like becomes an issue.
In addition, it is known, as a method of selectively protecting only particular data, to encrypt data files with passwords on a file-by-file basis. However, this method is not adequate to share data among the particular persons as mentioned above because the encryption key for use in encrypting data is protected at terminal side.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a data protection system that allows for protection of personal information and reduction of implementation load on host devices, while ensuring interoperability.

Data protection system, data protection method, and memory card


A method and unit for applying labels to packets of cigarettes, traveling in a given direction along a first path with a given spacing and arranged a given distance apart, provide for feeding a gripping head along a second path, and applying each label to a first face of a respective packet by inserting the gripping head between one packet and the adjacent following packet to roll the gripping head and apply the label along the first face, which is perpendicular to the given direction. (FIG. 1)

The present invention relates to a method of applying labels.
More specifically, the present invention relates to a method of applying labels to packets of cigarettes, to which the following description refers purely by way of example.
Known methods of applying labels to packets of cigarettes comprise feeding the packets of cigarettes in a given direction along a first path; withdrawing the labels by means of a gripping head from the outlet of a store; feeding the gripping head and relative label along a given second path; and applying each label to a respective packet, on a face parallel to the traveling direction of the packet.
When the label is also folded onto further faces of the packet, units implementing the above methods require a movable folding device for each free portion of the label; and the above methods must also ensure each packet and the gripping head by which the label is applied to the packet are fed at the same speed along parallel portions of the respective paths to prevent relative slippage of the packet and label and so ensure precise application of the label.
Controlling the two feed speeds, however, is extremely difficult, particularly when a high degree of precision is required.
The accuracy with which the label is applied is extremely important in the case of revenue stamps applied to hinged-lid packets of cigarettes and having tear lines.
Hinged-lid packets of cigarettes comprise a cup-shaped body and a lid separated from the cup-shaped body by a parting line; and labels with tear lines must be applied extremely accurately so that the tear line corresponds to the parting line. Otherwise, the tear line remains intact, and therefore serves no purpose, when the packet is unsealed.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method of applying labels, designed to eliminate the drawbacks of known methods.
According to the present invention, there is provided a method of applying labels to packets, in particular packets of cigarettes, traveling in a given direction along a first path with a given spacing and arranged a given distance apart; the method comprising feeding a gripping head along a second path, and applying a said label to a first face of said packet; and the method being characterized by inserting said gripping head between one packet and the adjacent following packet to apply said label along said first face; said first face being perpendicular to said given direction.
The present invention also relates to a unit for applying labels.
According to the present invention, there is provided a unit for applying labels to packets, in particular packets of cigarettes, traveling in a given direction along a first path with a given spacing and arranged a given distance apart; the packets having respective first faces perpendicular to said given direction; the unit comprising at least one gripping head movable along a second path to apply a said label to a respective packet; and the unit being characterized by comprising at least one movable arm for inserting said gripping head between one packet and the adjacent following packet to apply said label along said first face.


An apparatus is disclosed comprising a first color glass feeder having a first valve device, and a second color glass feeder having a second valve device, each connected by communications links to a controller. The controller controls the first valve device and second valve device in order to provide molten glass of a first color and a second color, at a first and a second flow rate, respectively. The controller may be a computer. The controller may include an interactive device into which a first and a second flow rate value can be entered for controlling the first and second flow rates, respectively. The first and second color molten glasses may be incompletely mixed in a channel so that discrete portions of the molten glass of the first color and of the second color can be seen. The controller may also control a robotic mixing device.

The term "variegated glass" refers to ornamental glass made by incompletely mixing two or more different colored glass components while they are in the molten state. Typically a primary molten glass may be heated in a furnace and then supplied to a mixing channel. One or more different colored glasses are also heated and supplied to the mixing channel to mix with the primary molten glass. Typically, the combined molten glass is mixed at the end of the mixing channel by a human operator by using a stirring rod. The mixture of molten glass is then fed into a pair of forming rollers to form a variegated glass sheet.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,133,666 to Rhodes, disclosing a method and apparatus for making variegated glass in a continuous sheet, is incorporated herein by reference.
Colored glass tiles made by one technique of the prior art, are made by painting or silk screening an artistic pattern with colored glass enamel (a first layer) on the back of clear glass (a second layer). The colored paint or colored silk screen pattern (the first layer) is then fused with heat on to the clear glass (the second layer). (See for example U.S. Pat. No. 6,607,809 to Baker-Salmon.) In this prior art technique there are only two distinct layers one on top of the other and the color (the first layer) is not distributed through the clear glass (the second layer) but rather lies only on top of or underneath the clear glass.
In another technique of the prior art, the first layer of colored glass enamel may be sandwiched between the second layer of clear glass and a third layer of clear glass. However, as in the first technique, the color (the first layer) is not distributed through the clear glass (second and third layers) but rather lies only on top of or underneath the clear glass.

Method and apparatus for making variegated glass sheets and tiles


A fault notifying system notifies a fault in an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) network to at least one data terminating equipment (DTE). The fault notifying system includes a network interface coupled to the ATM network for outputting an alarm indication signal (AIS) when a fault is generated in the ATM network. An ATM crossconnect part generates an AIS cell having a predetermined signal format in response to the AIS. An adaptation layer processing part forms ATM cells, disassembles ATM cells and outputs a data circuit-terminating equipment not ready (DNR) in response to the AIS cell. A terminal interface coupled to the DTE notifies the fault in the ATM network to the DTE in response to the DNR. The AIS cell has a cell format identical to an ATM cell format but has predetermined information in a specific part of the ATM cell format to distinguish the AIS cell from the ATM cell.

The present invention generally relates to fault notifying systems, and more particularly to a fault notifying system for notifying a fault in an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) communication system.
FIG. 1 shows an example of a conventional synchronous transfer mode (STM) communication system. For example, data terminal equipments (DTEs) 101.sub.1 through 101.sub.3 are coupled to a time division multiplexer (TDM) 102, and DTEs 105.sub.1 through 105.sub.3 are coupled to a TDM 104. The TDMs 102 and 104 are coupled via a STM network 103.
FIG. 2 shows an example of the general construction of the TDM 102 (or 104). The TDM 102 (or 104) includes a terminal interface 201 which is coupled to the DTE 201 (or 105), a multiplex controller 202, and a network interface 203 which is coupled to the STM network 103. In FIG. 2, a white circle indicates a reception and a black circle indicates a transmission.
If a circuit failure is generated, this failure is detected at the network interface 203 by detecting a received error code (REC) from the loss of circuit (line) synchronization, and an alarm indication signal (AIS) is supplied to the multiplex controller 202. This AIS has a signal format in which the bits are all "1" so as to cause synchronization error. The multiplex controller 202 supplies a data circuit-terminating equipment (DCE) not ready (DNR) code to the terminal interface 201 in response to the AIS. For example, the DNR code has a signal format in which a frame bit F is provided at the head and the bits are all "0". The terminal interface 201 notifies the DTE 101 of the detected failure by making RD=1, R=0, and CD, I=OFF. The signals RD and CD are prescribed under the CCITT Recommendation X-Series, and the signals R and I are prescribed under the CCITT Recommendation V-Series.
The detected failure is notified in the above described manner in the case of the STM network. However, in the case of the ATM network, the conventional means used to notify the detected failure cannot be employed, particularly because predetermined ATM cells are used for the communication via the ATM network. Hence, there is a demand to realize a system for efficiently and positively notifying the detected failure in the ATM network.
On the other hand, in the conventional STM communication system, the TDM fixedly assigns a band to each DTE, and the band assignment is inefficient if the DTE is unused, for example. Accordingly, it is desirable to improve the multiplexing efficiency of the TDM if applied to the ATM communication system.

Fault notifying system for asynchronous transfer mode communication system


An electrical writing board includes a bottom color plate, an electrochromic board, a touch panel, and a driving circuit module. The electrochromic board includes a number of electrochromic units and covers the bottom color plate. The touch panel covers the electrochromic board and outputs a touch signal when the touch panel is touched. The driving circuit module is electrically connected between the electrochromic board and the touch panel, and enables a part of the electrochromic units according to the touch signal to display handwriting. The handwriting displaying on the electrochromic board is the same as a touch route sensed by the touch panel.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to writing boards, and particularly to an electrical writing board.
2. Description of the Related Art
Electrical writing boards generally include a writing board, a computer, and a projector. The writing board senses a touch position and transmits the touch position to the computer. The computer generates a handwriting according to the touch positions via writing software, and controls the projector to project an image including the handwriting on the writing board. However, the writing board connects to the computer and the projector, the structure of the electrical writing board is complex, which increases cost.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide an electrical writing board to overcome the limitations described.


A surface acoustic wave touchscreen sealing system and method is provided. The sealing system provides a liquid impermeable seal between the touchscreen surface and touchscreen housing to protect the electronic components of the touchscreen. The sealing system includes an elongated body of resiliently compressible self-supporting foam material that is substantially transmissive to surface acoustic wave energy. The elongated body has one outer surface or face of open cell material for contacting the touchscreen surface and ensuring acoustic decoupling. The elongated body further includes at least one outer skin or membrane surface or face that is a liquid impermeable barrier and extends between the touchscreen and the housing. Compression of the elongated body against the touchscreen surface provides a liquid impermeable seal at the interface of the membrane surface portion of the body and the touchscreen.

Touchscreens have been used for some time for user interfaces to computers and computer-based systems. They offer advantages over other user interface hardware such as keyboards and other remote, non-graphic devices, e.g., the "mouse." The touchscreen eliminates external hardware, is simpler and more intuitive to use, and thus reduces expense, space requirements, maintenance, and the need for user training. The touchscreen permits direct association between the screen display and user input, and as such is more "user friendly" than external keyboards and other remote devices.
A particularly popular application for touchscreens is in point-of-sale (POS) systems in retail stores and restaurants. POS systems incorporate order taking, cash register, inventory control and other functions. The POS display can be readily updated to reflect changes in inventories, menus and prices. The touchscreen is easy to use, permits quick and efficient order taking and cash register functions, and requires little user sophistication or technical knowledge.
Touchscreens have been implemented in several technologies, including those using infrared sensors, capacitive contacts and resistive membrane overlays. A relatively new touchscreen system known in the art employs surface acoustic wave (SAW) technology, which offers several advantages over other technologies. A SAW touchscreen requires only a thin, transparent panel, which may be glass, over the display and is desirable in display applications where brightness, contrast and packaging are critical. SAW touchscreens can also provide a third coordinate, or z-axis, in addition to the conventional x-y coordinates. This input is proportional to touch pressure and provides enhanced software flexibility.
Surface acoustic waves are mechanical waves which propagate in the surface of the medium in which they are generated. SAW touchscreens utilize high-frequency acoustic waves generated by transducers which travel over the surface of the screen at a precise, known speed. These waves are reflected by arrays of reflectors located on the perimeter of the screen to provide a scan of the x and y coordinate axes of the screen. When the screen is touched, the touching device (e.g., a finger or stylus) absorbs a portion of the SAW energy, attenuating the x and y signals. By measuring the time at which the attenuation occurs on each axis and comparing the position of the attenuation relative to the scanning signal envelope, the location of the touch can be calculated.
The touchscreen itself may be a glass plate which is mounted in a housing over the face of a display panel such as a CRT, LCD, gas plasma or other type of display. The touchscreen plate should be evenly supported around its edges. The housing contains the electronic hardware necessary to drive the display and operate the touchscreen. It is desirable to protect the display, internal electronics, transducers and reflective arrays from contamination by moisture and foreign matter. This is particularly true in applications such as restaurants where there is a likelihood that food and beverages may from time to time be spilled on the touchscreen.
A need exists for an effective and useful liquid impermeable seal between the touchscreen and the housing. Soft durometer materials such as caulking, although capable of providing such a seal, absorb significant amounts of SAW energy so as to render the touchscreen inoperable. Such soft durometer materials that can provide a liquid impermeable seal not only impair the propagation of waves across the touchscreen, but also acoustically couple the screen and can cause a false touch to be registered around the entire perimeter of the screen. On the other hand, known sealing materials of a hard durometer do not absorb SAW energy sufficiently to trigger a false touch, but also do not provide a liquid impermeable seal because liquids leak between the seal and the glass by capillary action.

Surface acoustic wave touchscreen sealing system


A high-strength cold rolled steel sheet contains:

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a high-strength cold rolled steel sheet having excellent formability, and a plated steel sheet. More particularly, it relates to a high-strength cold rolled steel sheet that has "excellent formability" in such a sense that it has well-balanced tensile strength and elongation (total elongation) as well as well-balanced tensile strength and stretch-flangeability, and a plated steel sheet manufactured by plating the steel sheet. More specifically, the high-strength cold rolled steel sheet or plated steel sheet of the present invention satisfies that the product of tensile strength [TS (MPa)] and elongation [El (%)] is 20,000 or more and the product of tensile strength [TS (MPa)] and stretch-flangeability [λ(%)] is 40,000 or more.
The steel sheet described above can be utilized in wide fields of industry including automobile, electric apparatuses and machinery. Description that follows will deal with a case of using the steel sheet of the present invention in the manufacture of automobile bodies, as a typical application.
2. Background Art
There are increasing demands for high-strength steel sheets for the purpose of improving the fuel efficiency through mass reduction of the steel sheets used in automobiles and improving the safety in the event of collision. Recently, calls for the reduction of exhaust gas emission based on concerns about the global environment add to the demands.
However, high-strength steel sheets are still required to have excellent formability, so as to be formed in various shapes in accordance to the application. In an application where the steel sheet is pressed into a complicated shape, in particular, there is a strong demand for a high-strength steel sheet that combines satisfactory elongation property and stretch-flangeability.
As a high-strength steel sheet having excellent ductility, a TRIP (transformation induced plasticity) steel sheet has attracted special interest recently. The TRIP steel sheet includes residual austenite structure and, when processed to deform at a temperature higher than the martensitic transformation start point (Ms point), undergoes considerable elongation due to induced transformation of the residual austenite (γR) into martensite by the action of stress. Known examples include TRIP type composite-structure steel (TPF steel) that consists of polygonal ferrite as the matrix phase and residual austenite; TRIP type tempered martensite steel (TAM steel) that consists of tempered martensite as the matrix phase and residual austenite; and TRIP type bainitic ferrite steel (TBF steel) that consists of bainitic ferrite as the matrix phase and residual austenite.
Among these, the TBF steel has long been known (described, for example, in Non-Patent Document 1), and has such advantages as the capability to readily provides high strength due to the hard bainitic ferrite structure, and the capability to show outstanding elongation because fine residual austenite grains can be easily formed in the boundary of lath-shaped bainitic ferrite in the bainitic ferrite structure. The TBF steel also has such an advantage related to manufacturing, that it can be easily manufactured by a single heat treatment process (continuous annealing process or plating process).
In a conventional TBF steel, however, satisfactory characteristics have never been attained in stretch-flangeability. The present inventors have recently disclosed, as high-strength/ultrahigh-strength steel sheets that combines high strength and excellent stretch-flangeability, an Al—Mn-based BF steel sheet manufactured by substituting Si with Al and an Al—Mn—Nb—Mo-based TBF steel sheet (Non-Patent Document 2) manufactured by simultaneously adding Nb and Mo to the steel sheet. However, further improvements in characteristics are required in a TBF steel sheet manufactured by the addition of Si of the prior art.    [Non-Patent Document 1] NISSHIN STEEL TECHNICAL REPORT No. 43, December, 1980, p. 1-10)    [Non-Patent Document 2] Akihiko NAGASAKA and five others, "Formability for Forming of Nb—Mo-added TRIP type Bainitic Ferrite Steel Sheet", CAMP-ISIJ, 2004, Vo. 17, p. 500

High-strength cold rolled steel sheet having excellent formability, and plated steel sheet

Abstract: 0.10 to 0.28% of C,

Abstract: 1.0 to 2.0% of Si,

Abstract: 1.0 to 3.0% of Mn, and

Abstract: 0.03 to 0.10% of Nb in terms of % by mass,

Abstract: Al is controlled to 0.5 or less, P is controlled to 0.15% or less, and S is controlled to 0.02% or less, and residual austenite accounts for 5 to 20%, bainitic ferrite accounts for 50% or more, and polygonal ferrite accounts for 30% or less (containing 0%), of the entire structure, and a mean number of residual austenite blocks is 20 or more as determined when the random area (15 μm×15 μm) is observed by EBSP (electron back scatter diffraction pattern).


The disclosure relates an edge digital gate (“EDG”) configured with entitlement services, universal identity repositories, and connection concentrator functions. The universal identity repositories each include a shared cache that together with other shared caches form a shared data environment (“SDE”). The SDE provides a distributed and shared cache used to chain together EDGs for operation as a blockchain network. The SDE may be check-pointed by stateless Virtual Network Functions (“VNFs”) executing on the EDGs responsive to service demand and access, thus facilitating distributed consensus for validating each transaction. Through SDE the stateless VNFs disperse transaction-status based on a smart contract, which enforce transactions associated with blockchain-based digital services to which access is provided by the EDGs. The activity relating to the transactions may be recorded on a decentralized ledger of a blockchain network, generating an immutable record of activity of the entity and secure storage of service data.

Due to the large geographic coverage areas and the number of end users served by telecommunications ("telecom") networks, technology behind these networks must exhibit carrier grade performance and scalability. The technology must efficiently use network resources and power. An increasing number of services delivered across a telecom network, and by multiple vendors, exacerbates the network scale problem because data travelling across the telecom network requires computational resources and network bandwidth. Currently, there is a focus to place technology at the edge of the telecom network to handle services closer to where they are needed so that data traversal paths are minimized. However, what is needed is to be able to securely store and access data, including entitlement assessment and value transfer relating to services provided to entities over the telecom network. These and other problems exist with conventional services provisioned across a telecom network.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP


A printing media loading apparatus includes a first printing media loading unit detachably disposed in an image forming apparatus; a second printing media loading unit disposed above the first printing media loading unit; a first lever assembly rotatably disposed in the first printing media loading unit; a second lever assembly disposed in the second printing media loading unit to selectively rotate the first lever assembly; and a detecting sensor disposed in the image forming apparatus to detect action of the first lever assembly, wherein, when at least one printing medium is loaded on the second printing media loading unit and there is no printing medium loaded on the first printing media loading unit, the second lever assembly is rotated and the first lever assembly is rotated by rotation of the second lever assembly to activate the detecting sensor.

1. Field of the Invention
The present general inventive concept relates to an image forming apparatus. More particularly, the present general inventive concept relates to a printing media loading apparatus usable with an image forming apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, an image forming apparatus includes a printing media loading apparatus that stores a certain amount of printing media and allows a pickup unit to pick up a printing medium. The printing media loading apparatus may include a main printing media loading means, a printing medium feeding cassette, an auxiliary printing media loading means, and a multi-purpose tray that can load a sheet or less than 50 sheets of printing media.
In order to allow a control portion of the image forming apparatus to know whether at least one printing medium is loaded on the printing medium feeding cassette and the multi-purpose tray, a paper sensor that can detect the presence of printing medium is disposed in each of the printing medium feeding cassette and the multi-purpose tray.
By using the paper sensor, the control portion can detect whether there is a printing medium on the printing medium feeding cassette and the multi-purpose tray, indicate the result to a user, prevent trouble due to malfunction, and perform a certain printing on a printing medium.
However, in a conventional printing media loading apparatus usable with an image forming apparatus, material cost is increased since sensors are disposed in both the printing medium feeding cassette and the multi-purpose tray to detect loading of the printing media. Also, since space is needed for disposing the two sensors, it is difficult to miniaturize the image forming apparatus.

Printing media loading apparatus usable with image forming apparatus


A fuel injection control apparatus, for a variable-fuel engine, includes a plurality of stored maps for determining a basic fuel injection time corresponding to a state of an engine and alcohol concentration in the fuel. The apparatus includes a memory storage region which stores the fuel injection control maps. The apparatus also includes an oxygen sensor disposed in an exhaust pipe for detecting oxygen concentration in an exhaust gas; a basic fuel injection time calculator which determines the basic fuel injection time using the currently selected fuel injection control map; a correction coefficient calculator which determines an air-fuel ratio correction coefficient for correcting the basic fuel injection time; a fuel injection quantity calculator; and a map changeover part which selects the fuel injection control map of the concentration of alcohol close to the concentration of alcohol of the fuel based on the air-fuel ratio correction coefficient.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fuel injection control device used in a variable-fuel engine which can be operated with an essentially pure alcohol fuel, with a fuel produced by mixing gasoline and alcohol in a variable ratio, or with normal gasoline fuel.
2. Description of the Background Art
Recently, there has been developed an FFV (Flexible Fuel Vehicle) which mounts a variable-fuel engine thereon, wherein the variable-fuel engine is operable either with essentially pure alcohol (ethanol) fuel, with a fuel which is produced by mixing gasoline and alcohol in a variable ratio, or with normal gasoline as a fuel.
Due to the difference in a stoichiometric mixture coefficient with respect to oxygen in combustion compared with gasoline, alcohol, along with the increase of the concentration of alcohol in the fuel, requires the supply of a larger quantity of fuel for the same intake quantity and power output.
Accordingly, in such a variable-fuel engine, a control operation is performed, for correcting a basic fuel injection time in response to the concentration of alcohol in the fuel, in order to obtain an optimum air-fuel ratio (for example, see published patent document JP-A-63-5131).
Here, the concentration of alcohol in the fuel is estimated based on an air-fuel ratio correction coefficient which is obtained using a detection value of an oxygen sensor (hereinafter referred to as "O2 sensor") which measures the concentration of oxygen contained in an exhaust gas.
However, in the conventional control method, the basic fuel injection time is, for example, obtained by measuring an engine rotary speed and an intake pressure and, thereafter, by retrieving maps based on the measured values of the engine rotary speed and the intake pressure.
Accordingly, even when the concentration of alcohol in the fuel is changed, the basic fuel injection time is the value which is preliminarily set with respect to the engine rotary speed and the intake pressure and hence, there has been a drawback that an adjustment range of a fuel injection quantity with respect to the concentration of alcohol is narrow.
The present invention has been made under such drawbacks, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a fuel injection control apparatus for a variable-fuel engine, which includes a plurality of maps for determining a basic fuel injection time in response to a state of an engine, and changes over the maps in response to the concentration of alcohol.

Fuel injection control device for a variable-fuel engine and engine incorporating same


Systems, methods and products directed toward creating device preloads via employing base and additional operating system content. One aspect includes communicating an aspect of an information handling device, and assimilating additional operating system content at the information handling device responsive to communication of the aspect of the device, the additional operating system content deriving from a repository separate from the information handling device, wherein a base operating system and additional operating system content combine to form a unitary device operating system. Other embodiments are described herein.

Generally, information handling devices (or embedded devices) such as mobile phones or tablet computers involve the use of firmware-based images. Conventionally, image files corresponding to an intended geographical region (for sale/distribution), or to another identifying aspect of a device, are installed at manufacture. Put another way, in order to support a preload image, manufacturers currently tend to include one image per country on an information handling device. It can thus become very costly and time consuming to create and maintain a large number of unique images, with considerable complexity being imparted to the process overall.
In contexts such as those described above, conventional arrangements can also involve the use of multiple partitions, wherein one partition is accorded for each possible customizing option. This, by extension, can occupy an inordinately a large amount of valuable space on a device.
Generally, it can further be noted that information handling devices have OS images that are monolithic in nature. A process of compiling and building produces an image that contains needed components; however, variations in devices (especially, in their identifying aspects as noted above) normally warrant more patches and updates to be provided that are unique in nature. In other words, to the extent that information handling devices may need to include images or other components that are uniquely tailored to one or more identifying aspects of the device, one or more patches or updates may be needed by way of altering or amending the OS or its functioning in order that such unique variations may adequately be supported. Conventional solutions, accordingly, tend to involve binary patches or partition/image fragmentation in order to permit discrete elements to be updated. This can prove to be an immensely complex and costly task, given the possibly wide range of variability at hand.

Methods for customizing an operating system at an information handling device


A fixing device that allows simple and safe replacement of heating rollers. The fixing device includes a first lamp holder provided in the inner periphery of a retaining member, and an interlock device for locking and unlocking the first lamp holder and the retaining member. When replacing the heat roller, the interlock between the first lamp cartridge and the retaining member is unlocked to take out the retaining member and the heating roller from the opening of the frame of the image forming apparatus, while leaving the lamp cartridge inside the apparatus.

A fixing device with a heating roller and a pressure roller is known as one used in image forming apparatuses such as laser beam printers or copying machines. This type of fixing device nips a sheet of recording medium bearing an unfixed toner image on it between the heating roller and the pressure roller, while it transports the recording medium, to apply heat and pressure to fix the toner image onto the recording medium.
Multiple heater lamps are placed as heat sources in the heating roller. In general, as the printing rate or the ream weight of paper supported by the image forming apparatus goes higher, the heat capacity required to fix the toner image increases. To maintain the temperature of the heating roller at or above a certain level, the fixing temperature goes higher and higher.
When the heating roller having been maintained at a high temperature comes to the end of its service life, it has to be replaced with a new one. In this case, operations of the image forming apparatus are stopped to cool down the heating roller to a temperature suitable for the replacement work. Then, a maintenance technician removes the heating roller from the fixing device and replaces it with a new heating roller. Such replacement and maintenance work include time for cooling down the heating roller, and the work efficiency becomes low. In addition, since the down time of the image forming apparatus increases, the operational efficiency of the image forming apparatus is degraded and the cost burden for the replacement and maintenance work increases.
In recent years and continuing, it is required for image forming apparatuses to have abilities of high-speed printing, high-quality image reproduction and compatibility with various types of recording media. The fixing device is also required to deal with such demands and several types of heating rollers are used depending on the purposes. For example, a PFA coated heating roller (coated with a thin film of tetrafluoroethylene-perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether copolymer resin) is used aiming at promptly supplying heat required for fixing toner images. To achieve a high-image quality, a heating roller coated with silicon rubber is used to prevent the toner image from darkening and blurring during the fixing process. When durability is emphasized, while achieving a certain degree of image quality, a heating roller coated with a PFA tube over the silicon rubber layer is used.
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional fixing device and FIG. 2 is a perspective view of replacement of a heating roller disclosed in, for example, WO 91/09351.
As illustrated in FIG. 1, one end of the heating roller 100 is supported via a bearing flange 101 at a frame 102. The bearing flange 101 has a bearing 103 which is fit, together with a centering member 104, into the opening of the heating roller 100. Although not shown in the figure, the other end of the heating roller 100 is also supported at a bearing flange via a bearing.
The bearing flange 101 is fixed to the frame 102 by means of a wing screw 106. A retaining claw 108 is fixed to the bearing flange 101 by means of a wing screw 107. The retaining claw 108 functions to fix the heating roller 100 when replacing the heating roller 100 with a new one.
A lamp cartridge with multiple heater lamps is placed in the heating roller 100. One end of the lamp cartridge is held at the center of the bearing flange 101 via the retaining member 109. Although not shown in the figure, the other end of the lamp cartridge 105 is also held indirectly at the bearing flange 101 via a retaining member.
A connector 110 provided at the end of the lamp cartridge 105 holds the lamp cartridge 105 at the center of the bearing flange 101, and projects from the bearing flange 101 outward. The bearing flange 101 is furnished with a grip 111 for replacement of the heating roller 100 as a single unit. The grip 111 is positioned over the connector 110 of the lamp cartridge 105 projecting from the bearing flange 101.
When replacing the heating roller 100, prior to the replacement, the connector 110 projecting from the bearing flange 101 of the lamp cartridge 105 is gripped and pulled out along the axis of the heating roller 100. Then, as illustrated in FIG. 2, the wing screw 106 is loosened, and the heating roller 100 is pulled out from the frame 102, together with the bearing flange 101, while the grip 111 is gripped by a hand. To prevent the heating roller 100 from touching the frame 102 when passing through the opening of the frame 102, felt is applied to the periphery of the opening of the frame 102 so as not to scratch the heating roller 100.
The lamp cartridge 105 with multiple heater lamps has to be removed prior to the replacement of the heating roller 100. Since the lamp cartridge 105 is longer than the heating roller 100 and easily broken, it has to be treated carefully during the removal and the insertion.
The heating roller 100 used in this type of fixing device has a cylindrical shape with a diameter of 100 mm and a length of 500 mm, and is considerably heavy by itself.
Under such circumstances, a maintenance technician grips by one hand the grip 111, while supporting the heating roller 100 by the other hand wearing a glove 120, to pull out the heating roller 100, together with the bearing flange 101, from the frame 102 for the replacement of the heating roller 100. During the replacement, the motion may become unstable due to the weight and the heat of the heating roller 100. Accordingly, the heating roller 100 is likely to come in contact with the other parts, such as the frame 102, during the replacement, and be damaged or subjected to scratches on the surface of the roller.
The position of the heating roller 100 is unstable during the replacement. Besides the heating roller 100 is held by a gloved hand without using an aiding device in the prior art method. The maintenance technician may suffer burns if touching the high-temperature heating roller 100, and the glove 120 gets dirty due to the mold lubricant or the grease adhering on the heating roller 100. Thus, the operability is degraded.
In addition, when the maintenance technician pulls out the heating roller 100 together with the bearing flange 10 from the frame 102 by holding the grip 111 by one hand, the opening of the frame 102 and the inside of the retaining member 130 are covered with felt so as to protect the roller surface from being damaged due to undesirable contact with the frame 102. However, since the heating roller 100 contaminated by the mold lubricant or the grease slides over the felt, the felt is stained by grease builtup and insufficient for protecting the surface of the heating roller 100.
Felt has to be attached and removed every time the heating roller 100 is replaced, which makes the replacement work troublesome. Since felt is stained every time the heating roller 100 is replaced, disposal of the old felt and arrangement of new felt are required.
A structure for preventing breakage when pulling out the lamp cartridge 105 is proposed by JP 2002-23535 A. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a heating roller from which a lamp cartridge 127 is to be pulled out.
When pulling out the lamp cartridge 127 from a heating roller 114, an operator is positioned behind the image forming apparatus (on the side of a second lamp holder 129 shown in FIG. 3) to insert a lamp-protection cylinder member 164 through a hole 159a formed in a housing 159. The inner periphery of the end of the cylinder member 164 is fit into a protector holding unit 130 provided to the first lamp holder 128, whereby the cylinder member 164 is held to protect the lamp.
When the cylinder member 164 has been set, the operator moves to the front of the image forming apparatus (on the side of the first lamp holder 128 in FIG. 3) to take off the restriction member 165 from a recess (not shown) to release the restriction on the movement of the lamp cartridge 127 in the axial direction. In this state, the lamp cartridge 127 is pulled out together with the cylinder member 164 from the heating roller 114.
This method can prevent breakage of the lamp cartridge 127 during the insertion and the pullout, and handling ability is improved. However, the lamp cartridge 127 has to be removed prior to replacement of the heating roller 114, and the work efficiency is not satisfactory.
Thus, the fixing device disclosed in WO 91/09351 has defects in that the lamp cartridge has to be removed and refixed before and after the replacement of the heating roller. This work increases the number of steps of the replacement process and makes the replacement work cumbersome.
The method disclosed in JP 2002-23535 A can improve the safety in the insertion and pullout of the lamp cartridge; however, complication of the work sequence has not been solved yet.

Fixing device and image forming apparatus with fixing device


A semiconductor device is provided in which the difference in characteristics between a pair of sense amplifier transistors of a DRAM is suppressed, whereby the sensitivity of a sense amplifier is enhanced. A pair of gate electrodes of a N-type sense amplifier transistor and a pair of gate electrodes of a P-type sense amplifier transistor constituting a CMOS sense amplifier of the DRAM respectively are placed in parallel to each other in one active region in the same direction as that of bit lines. A pair of adjacent N-type sense amplifier transistors and a pair of adjacent P-type sense amplifier transistors are isolated by STI.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device, and in particular, to an EDRAM, in which a DRAM is co-resident with a high-speed CMOS logic circuit.
2. Description of the Related Art
In LSI production, commodity DRAMs placing importance on mass-productivity and cost and logic LSIs placing importance on a high speed and a high function are considered as two pillars, and they have been produced respectively. Due to the advancement of a miniaturization technique and the like, an EDRAM having the faculties of both the DRAM and the logic LSI are put into practical use. In the EDRAM, a band width connecting a DRAM to a logic circuit can be widened, which enables high-speed data processing to be performed. Thus, the EDRAM is considered as a key device in an information society that requires high-speed processing of a large amount of data.
In order for a commodity DRAM to be co-resident with a high-speed logic, a number of novel techniques and improvement of a fabrication process, such as shortened heat treatment time for forming a capacitive film, are required. It also is necessary to improve the layout of a sense amplifier of a DRAM. This problem will be described below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a mask layout of a conventional CMOS sense amplifier transistor of a DRAM.
In FIG. 5, a region I is a N-type sense amplifier transistor pair region formed on a P-type semiconductor substrate, and a region II is a P-type sense amplifier transistor pair region formed on a N-type semiconductor substrate. The sense amplifier transistor has a ring-type gate electrode 504. Drain regions of a pair of upper and lower transistors in the ring-type gate electrodes 504 are connected in a diagonally crossed manner to bit lines 507 made of upper layer metal wiring to form a differential circuit. Furthermore, reference numeral 509 denotes a power source line connected to a source region between a pair of ring-type gate electrodes 504.
In the above-mentioned sense amplifier, three sides of the ring-type gate electrode are used as channels. Therefore, a large gate width can be realized in a small area, and a transistor with high ability can be used. Furthermore, a drain region is limited to a small region surrounded by the ring-type gate electrode 504, so that diffusion capacitance is small and a high-speed operation is made possible.
However, in a layout of a conventional sense amplifier, a parasitic capacitor (gate overlap capacitor) is formed in a portion where one side of the ring-type gate electrode 504 that does not function as a transistor is overlapped with an active region 503, which degrades a high-speed property. In particular, in an advanced miniaturization process (e.g., 0.18 xcexcm rule), a gate oxide film is made thin to about 35 nm, and the gate overlap capacitance thereof is very large, which is a serious problem.
Furthermore, due to a mask alignment shift during formation of an active region and during formation of a gate electrode, the gate overlap capacitance of a pair of upper and lower transistors is changed. Therefore, the ability balance between a pair of transistors is degraded, resulting in a decrease in sensitivity of the sense amplifier.
Furthermore, the ring-type gate electrode has a small depth of focus (DOF) at a corner portion thereof during lithography and a gate length varies greatly. As a result, a difference in characteristics is caused between a pair of transistors. This problem becomes more serious due to the advancement of miniaturization.
Furthermore, in a region in the ring-type gate electrode, during the salicide process for reducing parasitic resistance, the deposited film thickness of metal with a high melting point is made small due to insufficient coverage. As a result, a junction leakage is increased by the defective formation of silicide, causing a problem in a sense operation. Furthermore, there is a problem such as an increase in a stand-by current of a circuit.
Therefore, with the foregoing in mind, it is an object of the present invention to provide a semiconductor device in which the difference in characteristics between a pair of sense amplifier transistors of a DRAM is suppressed, whereby the sensitivity of a sense amplifier is enhanced.
In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a first semiconductor device of the present invention includes a DRAM region and a high-speed CMOS logic region that are co-resident with each other. A pair of gate electrodes of a N-type sense amplifier transistor and a pair of gate electrodes of a P-type sense amplifier transistor constituting a CMOS sense amplifier of the DRAM are disposed respectively in one active region in parallel to each other in the same direction as that of bit lines, and a pair of adjacent N-type sense amplifier transistors and a pair of adjacent P-type sense amplifier transistors are isolated by shallow trench isolation (STI) regions.
According to the above configuration, by placing the gate electrodes of the sense amplifier transistors in a line-and-space shape, the difference in transistor characteristics is suppressed, whereby a sense amplifier with high performance can be formed.
Furthermore, in the first semiconductor device of the present invention, it is preferable that floating electrodes are disposed on the shallow trench isolation regions between the pair of adjacent N-type sense amplifier transistors and between the pair of adjacent P-type sense amplifier transistors so as to be parallel to the pair of gate electrodes of each of the sense amplifier transistors. In this case, it is preferable that the pair of gate electrodes and the floating electrodes are disposed at a substantially equal interval.
According to the above configuration, by placing the gate electrodes of the sense amplifier transistors and the floating electrodes in a line-and-space shape at a substantially equal interval, the difference in transistor characteristics is suppressed, whereby a sense amplifier with high performance can be formed.
In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a second semiconductor device of the present invention includes a DRAM region and a high-speed CMOS logic region that are co-resident with each other, wherein a pair of gate electrodes of a N-type sense amplifier transistor and a pair of gate electrodes of a P-type sense amplifier transistor constituting a CMOS sense amplifier of the DRAM are disposed respectively in one active region in parallel to each other in the same direction as that of bit lines, active regions are connected to each other in a pair of adjacent N-type sense amplifier transistors and a pair of adjacent P-type sense amplifier transistors, and on the active regions, field shield electrodes are disposed between the pair of adjacent N-type sense amplifier transistors and between the pair of adjacent P-type sense amplifier transistors so as to be parallel to the pair of gate electrodes of each of the sense amplifier transistors.
In the second semiconductor device of the present invention, it is preferable that the pair of gate electrodes and the field shield electrodes are disposed at a substantially equal interval.
According to the above configuration, by placing the gate electrodes of the sense amplifier transistors and the field shield electrodes in a line-and-space shape at a substantially equal interval, the difference in transistor characteristics is suppressed, and by using field shield isolation, the area of the transistor active region can be enlarged, and the influence of process stress is suppressed, whereby a sense amplifier with high performance can be formed.
In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a third semiconductor device of the present invention includes a DRAM region and a high-speed CMOS logic region that are co-resident with each other. A pair of gate electrodes of a N-type sense amplifier transistor and a pair of gate electrodes of a P-type sense amplifier transistor constituting a CMOS sense amplifier of the DRAM are disposed respectively in one active region in parallel to each other in the same direction as that of bit lines. Active regions are connected to each other in a pair of adjacent N-type sense amplifier transistors. On the active regions, a field shield electrode is disposed between the pair of adjacent N-type sense amplifier transistors so as to be parallel to the pair of gate electrodes of the N-type sense amplifier transistor, a pair of adjacent P-type sense amplifier transistors are isolated by shallow trench isolation (STI) regions, and a floating electrode is disposed on the shallow trench isolation region between the pair of P-type sense amplifier transistors so as to be parallel to the pair of gate electrodes of the P-type sense amplifier transistor.
In the third semiconductor device of the present invention, it is preferable that the pair of gate electrodes of the N-type sense amplifier transistor and the field shield electrodes, and the pair of gate electrodes of the P-type sense amplifier transistor and the floating electrodes are disposed at a substantially equal interval.
According to the above configuration, by placing the gate electrodes of the N-type sense amplifier transistors and the field shield electrodes in a line-and-space shape at a substantially equal interval, and by placing the gate electrodes of the P-type sense amplifier transistors and the floating electrodes in a line-and-space shape at a substantially equal interval, the difference in transistor characteristics is suppressed. By using field shield isolation in the N-type sense amplifier transistor region, and by using STI isolation in the P-type sense amplifier transistor region, an influence of process stress is suppressed. Thus, a sense amplifier having high performance and excellent in current cut characteristics, can be formed.
Furthermore, in the second or third semiconductor device of the present invention, it is preferable that a negative voltage used for a ground potential or a substrate potential of a DRAM cell is applied to the field shield electrodes on the N-type active regions.

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


A bicycle sprocket includes a sprocket body and a chain engagement structure. The sprocket body has a center rotational axis, a first side surface and a second side surface. The first and second side surfaces face oppositely with respect to an axial direction of the bicycle sprocket. The first side surface is a smaller sprocket facing side of the bicycle sprocket. The chain engagement structure includes a plurality of sprocket teeth extending radially outward from an outer periphery of the sprocket body. The sprocket teeth include at least one shift assist tooth having a recessed portion recessed from the first side surface toward the second side surface. A protuberance is formed in the recessed portion.

Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to a bicycle sprocket. More specifically, the present invention relates to a bicycle sprocket having a protuberance formed in a recessed portion to facilitate engaging a chain with the sprocket.
Background Information
Bicycling is becoming an increasingly more popular form of recreation, as well as a means of transportation. Moreover, bicycling has become a very popular competitive sport for both amateurs and professionals. Whether the bicycle is used for recreation, transportation or competition, the bicycle industry is constantly improving the various components of the bicycle. One area that has been extensively redesigned over the years is the bicycle drive train. Specifically, manufacturers of bicycle components have been continually improving shifting performance of the various shifting components, such as shifters, derailleurs, chain and sprockets.
One particular component of the bicycle drive train that has been extensively redesigned in the past years is the sprocket assembly. Specifically, sprocket assemblies have been designed with improved sprockets to provide smoother shifting.
In view of the above, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that there exists a need for an improved bicycle sprocket that provides smoother shifting. This invention addresses this need in the art as well as other needs, which will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure.


A method and apparatus for printing over a network where a user at a client device is able to print to a network printer via a server device. The server device includes a print driver that initializes an asynchronous communication channel, sends notification message data to a client device over a network via the asynchronous communication channel, receives data from the client device in response to delivery of the notification message data, and requests user input data from the client device for printing.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to avoiding deadlock when printing over a network and, more specifically, a method for checking client connection status over a network.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the growing presence of computer users connected to a network, there has been an increasing need to provide network-printing solutions to these users. Many of the solutions available require a remote server to manage the network-printing functions such as rendering print data and printing itself. Because of this, the need arises for communication means allowing the remote server to communicate with the client device and the client user.
To handle this problem, companies such as Microsoft™ have introduced asynchronous user interfaces into their operating systems. These interfaces allow printer drivers on remote servers to send message boxes to a user's session at a client device over the network. Messages can include notifications and custom message boxes prompting users for information needed at the remote server. Although this provides a solution for communication, problems with this approach arise when the remote server requires input from the client device user for printing.
In these situations, client users may connect to the remote printer through the remote server under different credentials than those used for their current session at the client device. This causes messages sent from the printer driver to the client device to be lost because the print driver sends messages based on the identification information used by the client user to connect to the remote printer. Since the credentials are different from their session on the network, the messages never reach the users at the client computers. The non-delivery of messages halts printing because the server cannot send requests for necessary user information. This results in stoppage of the printer queue sequence and printing at the remote printer all together.


Parallel analog-to-digital converter systems are provided in which converters are temporally interleaved. In particular, converters are partitioned into at least two converter groups which are assigned different respective group converter periods that are multiples of the system periods. With converters in each of the converter groups, respective samples are processed over that group""s respective group converter period and the group converter periods of all converters are temporally shifted to process each of the samples with at least one of the converters. System spurious signals are thus reduced and, in another system embodiment, the reduced spurious lines are converted into the system""s noise level by detecting instances when available converters that belong to different converter groups are available to process an upcoming one of the samples and, in at least a chosen one of the instances, exchanging the available converters between their different converter groups to thereby alter which processes the upcoming sample and which processes a subsequent sample. All converters continue to process respective samples.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to parallel analog-to-digital converter systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
Extremely high conversion rates may be obtained by operating a plurality of analog-to-digital converters in a parallel converter system. For example, analog input signals can be converted to a corresponding digital code at speeds up to a system rate fS by paralleling M converters that each process samples of the analog input signal at a maximum converter rate fS/M. Stated differently, M converters that are each limited to a maximum converter rate fcnvrtr can be combined to realize a system rate of Mfcnvrtr.
However, when parallel converters are operated in a fixed sequence (e.g., A, B, C, A - - - ), it has been found that parameter mismatches between the converters (e.g., gain, offset and timing mismatches) generate conversion errors which exhibit repetitive patterns that generate spurious signals in the spectrum of the output digital code.
It has been found that the spurious signals can be reduced by altering the fixed sequence in which the parallel converters are operated. In a parallel system in which the converters are pipelined converters, for example, the residue of a converter stage of one converter has been directed to a subsequent stage in a randomly-selected one of the other converters. This structure has been found to reduce the spurious signals but is quite complex and does not address parameter mismatch in the system""s samplers.
It has also been found that the spurious signals can be reduced by adding at least one additional converter to a parallel system so that at least one converter is idling at any given moment. A random choice is made between the idling converter and a converter that has just completed its conversion and the chosen converter processes a successive sample. This system does not insure that all converters are constantly processing signals and, accordingly, a converter may remain idle for some time which leads to conversion errors in converters that include switched-capacitor structures.
The present invention is directed to parallel converters and methods that reduce spurious signals in systems that provide samples of an analog input signal in successive system periods.
In a system embodiment of the invention, a plurality of analog-to-digital converters are partitioned into at least two converter groups which are assigned different respective group converter periods that are multiples of the system periods. With converters in each of the converter groups, respective samples are processed over that group""s respective group converter period and the group converter periods of all converters are temporally shifted to process each of the samples with at least one of the converters.
In another embodiment, the reduced spurious lines are converted into the system""s noise level by detecting instances when available converters that belong to different converter groups are available to process an upcoming one of the samples and, in at least a chosen one of the instances, exchanging the available converters between their different converter groups to thereby alter which processes the upcoming sample and which processes a subsequent sample. All converters continue to process respective samples.
The novel features of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention will be best understood from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Temporally-interleaved parallel analog-to-digital converters and methods


Position of a WLAN access point (AP) is determined by reference to user equipment devices (UEs) in communication with the AP and with a radio network interworked with the WLAN. The AP position may be assumed to be the same as position of any UE in communication with the AP. UE positions may be averaged for a plurality of UEs, a plurality of positions of the same UE, or a combination of such UE positions. Round-trip time (RTT) may be measured between a plurality of UEs and the AP, and the AP position may be trilaterated from the RTT measurements and the UE positions. AP position may also be trilaterated from positions of the same UE in combination with RTTs between the AP and the UE, measured at different times. The computations of the AP position may be hosted at the WLAN or the radio network.

1. Field
The present invention relates generally to telecommunications, and, more specifically, to methods and apparatus for determining geographic position of an access point of a wireless local area network (WLAN) interworked with a radio network providing communication services to user equipment devices.
2. Background
A modern communication system is expected to provide reliable data transmission for a variety of applications, including voice and data applications. In a point-to-multipoint communications context, known communication systems are based on frequency division multiple access (FDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), code division multiple access (CDMA), and perhaps other multiple access communication schemes.
A CDMA system may be designed to support one or more CDMA standards, such as (1) the "TIA/EIA-95 Mobile Station-Base Station Compatibility Standard for Dual-Mode Wideband Spread Spectrum Cellular System" (this standard with its enhanced revisions A and B may be referred to as the "IS-95 standard"), (2) the "TIA/EIA-98-C Recommended Minimum Standard for Dual-Mode Wideband Spread Spectrum Cellular Mobile Station," also known as the "IS-98 standard," (3) the standard sponsored by a consortium named "3rd Generation Partnership Project" (3GPP) and embodied in a set of documents including documents known as 3G TS 25.211, 3G TS 25.212, 3G TS 25.213, and 3G TS 25.214 (the "W-CDMA standard"), (4) the standard sponsored by a consortium named "3rd Generation Partnership Project 2" (3GPP2) and embodied in a set of documents including "C.S0002-A Physical Layer Standard for cdma2000 Spread Spectrum Systems," the "C.S0005-A Upper Layer (Layer 3) Signaling Standard for cdma2000 Spread Spectrum Systems," (the "cdma2000 standard" collectively), (5) the 1xEV-DO standard "TIA/EIA/IS-856 cdma2000 High Rate Packet Data Air Interface Specification," and (6) certain other standards. The standards listed above are incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein, including annexes, appendices, and other attachments.
Many user equipment (UE) devices, for example, cellular telephones and personal digital assistants (PDAs), are configured for use with multiple wireless access technologies. For example, a cellular telephone may be capable of connecting to a CDMA Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) network, and to a WLAN, such as a local area network compliant with one or more of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standards. When such a user equipment device is in the service area of an access point of a WLAN, the access point may enable the user equipment device to make wireless connections through the WLAN, reducing the load on the cellular radio network that would otherwise need to carry the traffic of the user equipment device. (An access point is a device that mediates over-the-air interface of the WLAN technology and the wired backhaul or other connectivity of the WLAN to external networks.) Moreover, a connection through a WLAN may provide higher bandwidth and/or better quality of service (QoS) than would be available to the user equipment device directly from the UMTS radio network.
It is desirable and sometimes required for a provider of communication services to know the geographic location of the serviced telephones and other user equipment devices. For example, the geographic location may need to be known in order to identify the location to operators responding to an emergency (e.g., 911 in U.S. and 112 in certain European locales) call; it may also be desired to provide the user with other location-specific services and advertising.
In case of conventional land-line telephones, determining the geographic location generally does not present a problem, because each land line is associated with a physical address at which the service is provided.
In case of conventional cellular telephones connected to a radio network, determining the geographic location of a telephone also generally does not present a problem. For example, the enhanced 911 (e911) feature in the 911 emergency-calling system of North American telephone network (NATN) may activate global positioning system services, or triangulate/trilaterate from base transceiver stations of the radio network, in order to determine the telephone's geographic location, and then transmit the location through the radio network to the telephone service provider and emergency operator.
When connectivity is provided to a user equipment device through a WLAN access point, however, the above-described method may not apply. Even assuming that the user equipment device is in the immediate vicinity of the access point (because of the relatively short WLAN communication range), the location of the access point itself may not be known. Consider, for example, an access point of a WLAN that is configured to provide telephone services through voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). The geographic location of the access point may not be initially known, or the provisioning of the access point may be done incorrectly. Even when the geographic location of the access point is known at some point in time and the access point is correctly provisioned, the access point or the entire WLAN may be subsequently moved and connected to the Internet from a different physical location. In this case, the new location of the access point may not be known to the provider of the telephone services through that access point. The new location may be in the same building as the old location, or it may be thousands of miles away. The telephone service provider may remain unaware of the new location and of the very fact that the access point has been moved. Thus, the emergency operator may not be able to dispatch emergency services, or may dispatch emergency services to the old location instead of the new one.
One solution to this problem might be to instrument WLAN access points with a global positioning system (GPS) receiver to allow the access point to determine its location. Cost of the GPS receiver, however, may make this approach not competitive, particularly in the consumer marketplace, where the WLAN access point is often a single piece of critically price-sensitive hardware.
There is therefore a need in the art for methods and apparatus for determining geographic location of WLAN access points not instrumented with GPS receivers, and determining changes in the geographic location of the WLAN access points.

Apparatus and method for determining WLAN access point position


A signal distribution system for distributing signals, such as for outdoor wireless networks, comprises a number of remote hubs, each of which can direct wireless signals to a number of antennas. The antennas are used to provide wireless service to the service users, such as mobile units, within their geographic coverage area. The remote hubs are connected to main hubs, which are usually located centrally. Each main hub can support a number of remote hubs. The main hubs are connected to a number of base stations (again usually located centrally) in a flexible and re-configurable manner using a switch matrix. Some remote hubs may also include switched matrices for a further level of signal routing.

The present invention relates to a communications system and method and, more particularly, to a signal distribution system and method for switching and connecting cells in a communications network.
The use of a switching matrix for wireless communications systems based on distributed antennas is disclosed by Motley et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 5,682,256. Motley et al. uses a switching matrix to interconnect a number of base stations on the input ports to a number of distributed antennas on the output ports. The switch matrix allows any combination of inputs to be connected to any combination of outputs so that base stations can be connected to antennas in a very flexible manner. This allows wireless services such as cellular radio to be delivered to users with significant cost savings for network operators. The benefits of using a switched distributed antenna system are outlined for example in a paper by Wake and Beacham, "Radio over fiber networks for mobile communications", Proc. SPIE, vol. 5466, 2004.
The links between the switch matrix and the distributed antennas are accomplished in Motley et al. using optical fiber cables using a technique known as radio over fiber. Radio over fiber has many advantages for this type of network with high quality transmission and low signal attenuation as a function of distance being the primary ones. However, there are situations where optical fiber cables are not available at economic cost at places where they are required. An example of this type of situation is a city center where the local telecommunications operator does not provide 'dark' fiber cables, i.e., fiber cables that are not part of a managed service.
Chu et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 5,890,055, discloses the use of wireless repeaters in a distributed antenna system (DAS) with a fixed configuration. This architecture avoids the problems of fiber availability described above. However, the fixed configuration described by Chu limits the operational benefits of a switched approach.


A system may include a memory array for VMM and includes a matrix of devices. The devices may be configured to receive a programming signal to program a weight to store a matrix of weights. The devices may be configured to receive a digital signal representative of a vector of input bits. The devices may generate an analog output signal by individually multiplying input bits by a corresponding weight. The system may include multiple ADCs electrically coupled to a corresponding device. Each ADC may be configured to convert a corresponding analog output signal to a digital signal based on a current level of the corresponding analog output signal. The system may include registers electrically coupled to a corresponding ADC configured to shift and store an output vector of bits of a corresponding digital output signal based on an order of the vector of input bits received by the corresponding device.

Computing devices are important in many industries. Non-volatile memory is an important component of many computing devices. The speed at which data can be written to and read from memory is an important factor in the speed of many computing devices.
The subject matter claimed in the present disclosure is not limited to embodiments that solve any disadvantages or that operate only in environments such as those described above. Rather, this background is only provided to illustrate one example technology area where some embodiments described in the present disclosure may be practiced.

Systems and methods for analog vector by matrix multiplier


A fast division method which uses a smaller quotient digit set of {−1, 1} than {−1, 0, 1} that is used by known algorithms, therefore accelerates the speed of calculation. Partial remainders can be computed with the signals of remainders decided independently and in parallel. By taking the absolute values of the remainders, we can successively subtract the remainders without the need of knowing the signs of remainders, while signs of the remainders can be decided in parallel and independently at the same time. The algorithm adopts non-restoring division operation and CSA type of operation for fast subtraction. The algorithm is also an on-line algorithm that facilitates highly pipelined operation while it is much simpler than the existing on-line algorithms.

The present invention relates to a method for finding a quotient, especially to a method for finding a quotient in a digital system by signed-digit operation.
Inherently, division operation is a sequential operation. The quotient digits are produced only after the sign of the remainder have been detected. As a result, division operation is much slower than multiplication operation. Efforts have been put in speeding up the division operation. It is noted that the SRT algorithm (C. V. Freiman, "Statistical Analysis of Certain Binary division algorithms," Proc. IRE, Vol. 49, January 1961, pp. 91-103; K. Hwang, Computer Arithmetic: Principles, Architectures, and Design, 1979, pp. 222-223) eliminates the restoring operations of the partial remainders. Another algorithm disclosed by K. Hwang in the aforementioned article confines the quotient digits either to be 1 or −1, depending on the signs of remainder. However, the bottleneck of those algorithms lies in sign detection of the remainder. Fast addition algorithms such as CLA (carry-lookahead addition) shorten the operation time, but results in complex hardware structures. The aforementioned articles of C. V. Freiman and K. Hwang are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
Recently, division algorithm based on SD (signed-digit) number representation was proposed which is much faster than the previous algorithm (s. Kuninobu et al., "Design of High Speed MOS Multiplier and Divider Using Redundant Binary Representation," IEEE Proceeding of Symposium on Computer Arithmetic, 1987, pp. 80-86). This algorithm considerably shortens the time for remainder subtraction by using carry-propagation-free SD addition. However, it is much more complex because in each iteration the SD algorithm must check three most significant digit (MSD) bits of the remainder to decide the quotient digit in the set of {−1, 0, 1}, and then perform the SD addition. Moreover, the final SD result must be converted to binary representation. Also note that the signed-digit addition is more complicated than the conventional carry-save adder (CSA).
Another type of algorithms entirely avoids the slow subtract-detect-shift type of operation previously mentioned. They transform the division operation to a series of multiplication operations that converge to the original quotient. Among the examples are the constant convergence (S. Waser and M. J. Flynn, Introduction to Arithmetic for Digital Systems Designers, New York: CBS College Publishing, Chap. 5, 1982) and quadratic convergence (P. Markenstein, "Computation of Elementary Functions on the IBM RISC System/6000 Processor," IBM Journal of Research and Development, Vol. 34, 1990, pp. 111-119; D. A. Patterson and J. L. Hennessy, Computer: A Quantitative Approach, San Mateo, Calif., Morgan Kaufman, 1990) division algorithms which are based on Newton-Raphson algorithm. They are often found in multiplier-based processors. They are still sequential type of operation to certain degree, and obviously require much more shift-and-add operations.
There is an on-line division algorithm that facilitates serial/serial division operation (K. S. Trivedi and M. D. Ercegovac, "On-Line Algorithms for Division and Multiplication," IEEE Trans. on Computers, Vol. C-26, No. 7, July 1977). This algorithm has advantages such as that: (a) it is pipelined at digit level; (b) all operands and results are communicated digit serial, and (c) result digits are on-line obtained after a few initial delay. On the other hand, among some of its disadvantages are: (a) it requires more complex three-input signed-digit addition operation; (b) it needs more complicated quotient decision circuit for range detection of the remainder, and (c) output results have to be converted to binary representations.

Method for finding quotient in a digital system


Ultrasonic transducers for use in time-of-flight flow measurement are made by clamping a conformal material between a face of a piezoelectric element and a housing so as to efficiently acoustically couple the piezoelectric element to a flowing fluid wetting the housing. Both in-line and probe sensing heads are described, where the in-line sensor heads make use of side-looking transducers. Acoustic isolation arrangements are used to ensure that the transducer transmits and receives acoustic energy in a single, well-defined direction. Various pre-loading arrangements, such as metal springs that can be set by driving a wedge between the spring and the housing, are used to controllably force the piezoelectric element toward the housing.

This invention relates to apparatus using ultrasonic energy and particularly to apparatus for determining the rate of flow of a fluid in which the propagation times of ultrasonic signals transmitted through the fluid are detected to determine flow rate. Examples of such sensors are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,178,827, 6,370,963 and 6,422,093, the disclosures of which are included herein by reference.
Ultrasonic transit time flow sensors, also known as xe2x80x9ctime of flight ultrasonic flow sensorsxe2x80x9d, detect the acoustic propagation time difference between ultrasonic signals transmitted upstream and downstream through a flowing fluid and process the time difference information to derive the fluid flow rate. The propagation time difference is very small and must be detected with high resolution and stability for the sensor to be practical. The ultrasonic transducers and their interfaces to the fluid are generally the major sources of detection instability. It is an object of this invention to minimize this problem in a cost effective way.
Prior art ultrasonic transit time flow sensors generally beam acoustic energy through only a small part of an overall flow profile and infer the overall fluid flow from that measurement. Because the fluid flow through the sensor is generally not uniform and because the flow distribution varies with flow rate and conditioning, determining volumetric flow rate is prone to error. At substantial additional cost, some of these sensors use internal reflective surfaces or multiple pairs of transducers to detect the flow rate at several locations in the flow profile. It is a further object of this invention to provide an ultrasonic time of flight flow sensor capable of measuring a flow rate of a large portion of the fluid at low cost.
The invention provides an ultrasonic transducer for a time of flight flow sensor that comprises a housing, a conformal layer, a thickness-mode piezoelectric transducer element and means for clamping the conformal layer between one of the faces of the transducer element and an internal surface portion of the housing. The preferred transducer also comprises an acoustic isolation means for acoustically isolating a second face of the piezoelectric element from the housing; and pre-loading means for biasing the piezoelectric element toward the internal surface portion of the housing so as to clamp the conformal layer therebetween.
Preferred embodiments of the present invention use a piezoelectric transducer element having both of its two electrical contacts on one surface which is brought into mechanical contact with a mating connector to form part of a stack of acoustic components. A quarter wave resonator and a massive acoustic load are preferably attached to the side of the connector opposite to the electrical contacts to complete the stack. The stack is spring-loaded so as to be squeezed against a lateral inside surface of its housing, where a compliant film is located to fill in the low spots, and to generally provide a conformable interface when clamped between the mating piezoelectric element and housing surfaces. A preferred spring is tensioned with a wedge which can be controllably inserted into the housing in order to adjust the spring bias so that the preload pressure is evenly distributed on the element. The entire assembly is then preferably encapsulated. Such an assembly exhibits excellent acoustic stability and uses only low cost components. The preferred combination of spring pre-loading and a compliant coupling film makes the assembly very forgiving of mechanical dimensional changes so that the acoustic coupling between element and housing is stable, thereby reducing transit time detection error.
These transducers are preferably spaced apart along the flow direction on opposite sides of a flow sensor body and communicate directly with each other through the fluid, preferably on a diagonal path. For smaller flow sensors, for example, with a 1xe2x80x3 bore, transducers of the invention may comprise single piezoelectric elements which may be relatively long and thin, for example, 0.6xe2x80x3 long and 0.125xe2x80x3 wide, in order to provide a relatively wide acoustic beam passing through a major fraction of the fluid that flows through the sensor. Such a long and thin element is practical because neither its assembly and mounting procedure, nor its subsequent pressure loading is likely to stress it to fracture. The use of an equivalent element and stack assembly in a conventionally configured sensor of the same size is generally impractical because the elements, being round and relatively large, and mounted at the end of the transducer, would require considerably more material, which would substantially increase the cost of the sensor.
For larger flow sensors, transducers of the invention preferably comprise two or more piezoelectric elements in order to effectively detect the fluid flow rate over most of the flow passage. The preferred piezoelectric elements may be in contact with a single mating connector which can be configured to connect them in parallel or to allow access to them individually. When individual element access is desired, the elements can be selected for operation at different times and their detected transit times weighted for location in the flow passage to enable very high volumetric detection precision to be obtained. Individual element access also enables a variety of element characteristics, such as different operating frequencies, to be accommodated as may be desired.
Although it is believed that the foregoing recital of features and advantages may be of use to one who is skilled in the art and wishes to learn how to practice the invention, it will be recognized that the foregoing is not intended to list all of the features and advantages. Moreover, it may be noted that various embodiments of the invention may provide various combinations of the hereinbefore cited features and advantages of the invention, and that less than all of the recited features and advantages of the invention may be provided by some embodiments.

Ultrasonic transducer and flow sensor configuration


A method for determining symbol boundaries in an ADSL modem, comprising receiving multi-frequency modulated signals in the time domain, wherein the multi-frequency modulated signals include a pilot signal at a pilot frequency. Performing a time-to-frequency transform on the multi-frequency modulated signals to recover the pilot signal. Iteratively computing a phase error for the pilot signal over a number of transform regions. Selecting the transform region with the lowest phase error.

Asynchronous Digital Subscriber Line ("ADSL") is a technology that overcomes some of the limitations of plain old telephone service ("POTS"). A central office can connect to a customer premises via a transmission line, such as a traditional twisted-pair copper line. Once at the customer premises, the transmission line may connect to wiring within the customer premises. The customer wiring may split into more than one branch, and the branches may run to various different locations within the customer premises. ADSL devices, such as phones, computers, and other devices can connect to the customer wiring branches. Through the customer wiring, the ADSL devices can interface with the central office and engage in an ADSL session. In order to communicate with the central office using ADSL, an ADSL device establishes an ADSL session with the central office.
As part of negotiating the ADSL session, the ADSL device and the central office lock to a timing reference, such as a pilot signal generated by the central office or the ADSL device. The ADSL device and the central office communicate with each other by sending data. Bits of data are generally sent as symbols, which can be further grouped into frames. The ADSL device and the central office use the pilot signal in order to accurately determine the alignment of the symbols, thereby each other to accurately send and receive data.
In addition to the ADSL device, other devices may also be located on the customer premises. While the ADSL device and the central office engage in an ADSL session, the other devices may want to use ADSL to exchange data. For example, two other devices on the customer premises may want to use ADSL to exchange data with each other while the ADSL device and the central office continue to engage in their ADSL session.
As the other devices share common data links with the ADSL device, such as wiring within the customer premises, their communication may interfere with the session between the ADSL device and the central office. This is particularly true when the other devices are not aligned with the symbols and frames in the ADSL session, and as these other devices did not engage in the negotiation procedure for the ADSL session, they would generally not be aligned with the symbols and frames for the ADSL session. Thus, their exchange of data would not be aligned with the symbol and frames in the ADSL session, and this can cause interference with the ADSL session.
Therefore, there exists a need for an improved method for aligning symbols in a preexisting ADSL data exchange.

Method for achieving symbol alignment to a pre-existing ADSL data exchange


A wine bottle stopper is provided including a vacuum stopper and a removable decorative cap. The vacuum stopper includes a central conduit extends longitudinally through the vacuum stopper, and a one-way valve is located within the central conduit. The vacuum stopper includes an upper portion which extends exterior to the wine bottle and a bottom shaft sized for insertion into a wine bottle's opening. The vacuum stopper also has a release valve connected to the one-way valve. Meanwhile, the decorative cap has a sidewall and a top wall forming a central cavity sized to engage and cover the vacuum stopper's upper portion. The central cavity's top wall has a center recess sized and positioned to receive the vacuum stopper's release button. Preferably, the decorative cap includes a decorative feature providing a pleasing appearance.

The present invention relates to a wine bottle stopper. More particularly, the present invention relates to a decorative vacuum wine stopper.
Wine is typically bottled in glass bottles having a narrow neck with a central opening. Once filled with wine, a wine bottle is typically sealed with a cork, synthetic cork, or screw top cap. After being bought, the wine bottle is opened by removing the cork or screw top cap. Once opened, air is capable of entering into the bottle which can affect the wine's properties. Typically, exposure of only a few hours is not significant and a small amount of oxygen can actually improve the properties of the wine. However, if the wine is not drunk within a few hours, oxygen from the air can have a harmful effect to the remining wine. This is because the oxygen from the air which has entered the wine bottle will continue to alter the wine's properties over time even if the wine bottle has been sealed relatively rapidly. These harmful effects become more noticeable as time passes and can render the wine undrinkable.
Non-vacuum bottle stoppers have been known for a very long time. Though a bottle stopper may consist of a simple reused cork, very fanciful constructions have also been developed. Fanciful bottle stoppers are particularly desirable when a wine bottle is going to be conspicuously displayed on a countertop or bar after the initial portion of wine has been consumed. Examples of decorative wine bottle stoppers include that described in U.S. Pat. No. D658,985 which illustrates a wine stopper having a tree-shaped appendage, U.S. Pat. No. 3,009,594 which illustrates a decorative balloon construction, U.S. Patent Publication No. 2009/0122524 which includes a lighted snow globe appendage, and U.S. Pat. No. 9,090,381 which also includes an electrically lighted unit. Unfortunately, none of these decorative and fanciful constructions which might be considered pleasing to the eye will extend the life of the wine within the wine bottle.
Various constructions have been introduced to reduce the harmful effects of oxygen upon wine. For example, a wide variety of vacuum stoppers have been developed for sealing a wine bottle which also allows for the evacuation of air from the wine bottle's interior. A typical vacuum stopper includes a lower neck portion and an upper portion. The neck portion is typically cylindrical and sized for insertion into the circular opening of a wine bottle's neck. In addition, the neck portion typically includes ribs for providing a gaseous-type seal between the vacuum stopper's neck portion and the wine bottle's neck. Meanwhile, the vacuum stopper's upper portion typically has a shape which is too large to enter into the wine bottle's circular opening. In addition, the vacuum stopper includes a longitudinally extending conduit which extends entirely through the vacuum stopper's upper portion and lower portion. A one-way valve is located within the conduit which allows air to leave the wine bottle's interior, but not enter into the wine bottle. Once the wine bottle stopper's neck has been positioned within a wine bottle's circular opening, a pump is used to evacuate air from the wine bottle's interior.
Advantageously, vacuum wine stoppers can substantially extend the drinking life of the wine within a wine bottle. Disadvantageously, vacuum wine stoppers are typically ugly utilitarian constructions.
Thus, there exists a need for an improved vacuum wine stopper which has a pleasing appearance.

Vacuum wine bottle stopper and cap, and method of use