A combination bed and desk frame includes an extended height headboard and footboard connected at the top of the footboard by two spaced sideboards. Cross members are fastened between the headboard corner posts and footboard corner posts near their bottoms. A lower pair of bed rails are fastened between the cross members for supporting a commercially available household door, forming a desk top. A horizontally disposed shelf is provided at the top of the headboard for supporting a lamp or other articles. A horizontally disposed dressing bench is provided on the footboard. The bed/desk frame can be adapted to accommodate commercially available mattresses and box springs of various widths.

Not applicable.
Not applicable.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to bedroom and household furniture and, more particularly, is concerned with a functional bed frame that may support a large desk beneath its bed portion.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various types of beds or bed frames combined with a table, desk, or other furniture are disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 3,952,342 to James Hart, U.S. Pat. No. 4,253,204 to Makoto Tasaka, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,312,086 to Bianco. However, a need still exists for a simple, easily assembled bed frame that is capable of supporting a large desk surface and a bed in a stacked arrangement. A need also exists for a simple and inexpensive bed frame that provides a shelf at its head and a dressing bench at its foot. Preferably, the bed frame that meets this need will accept mattresses and box springs of varying widths.
The present invention addresses the aforementioned needs. According to one embodiment of the invention, a bed frame comprises a pair of spaced sideboards. The sideboards have first and second opposite ends. A bed rail is attached to one side of each sideboard. A headboard is attached to the first ends of the sideboards. The headboard has a horizontally disposed shelf thereon. A footboard is attached to the second ends of the sideboards. The footboard has a horizontally disposed dressing bench thereon.
According to a second embodiment of the invention, a bed and desk frame comprises a pair of spaced sideboards. The sideboards have first and second opposite ends. A headboard is attached to the first ends of the sideboards. A footboard attached to the second ends of the sideboards. A desk extends between the headboard and the footboard.
According to a third embodiment of the invention, a bunk bed frame comprises a pair of upper sideboards. The upper sideboards have first and second opposite ends. A pair of lower sideboards is spaced from and below the upper sideboards. The lower sideboards have first and second opposite ends. A headboard is attached to the first ends of the sideboards. The headboard has a horizontally disposed shelf thereon. A footboard is attached to the second ends of the sideboards.


A source access network device multicasts copies of a packet to multiple core switches, for switching to a same target access network device. The core switches are selected for the multicast based on a load balancing algorithm managed by a central controller. The target access network device receives at least one of the copies of the packet and generates at least metric indicative of a level of traffic congestion at the core switches and feeds back information regarding the recorded at least one metric to the controller. The controller adjusts the load balancing algorithm based on the fed back information for selection of core switches for a subsequent data flow.

The data center is at the foundation of modern software technology, serving a critical role in expanding capabilities for enterprises. A data center design called the network-based spine-and-leaf architecture was developed to overcome several limitations of older network architectures. This architecture has been proven to deliver high-bandwidth, low-latency, and non-blocking server-to-server connectivity. In this two-tier Clos architecture, every lower-tier switch (leaf layer) is connected to each of the top-tier switches (spine layer) in a full-mesh topology. The leaf layer consists of access switches that connect to devices such as servers. The spine layer is the backbone of the network and is responsible for interconnecting all leaf switches. Every leaf switch connects to every spine switch in the fabric. The path is randomly chosen so that the traffic load is evenly distributed among the top-tier switches. If one of the top tier switches were to fail, it would only slightly degrade performance throughout the data center.
If oversubscription of a link occurs (that is, if more traffic is generated than can be aggregated on the active link at one time), the process for expanding capacity is straightforward. An additional spine switch can be added, and uplinks can be extended to every leaf switch, resulting in the addition of interlayer bandwidth and reduction of the oversubscription. If device port capacity becomes a concern, a new leaf switch can be added by connecting it to every spine switch and adding the network configuration to the switch. The ease of expansion optimizes the IT department's process of scaling the network. If no oversubscription occurs between the lower-tier switches and their uplinks, then a non-blocking architecture can be achieved.
With a spine-and-leaf architecture, no matter which leaf switch a server is connected, its traffic always has to cross the same number of devices to get to another server (unless the other server is located on the same leaf). This approach keeps latency at a predictable level because a payload only has to hop to a spine switch and another leaf switch to reach its destination.

Switching and load balancing techniques in a communication network


A method for making a railcar having a span bolster is disclosed. The method involves fabricating and joining the components of the span bolster in a manner such that a camber is built into span bolster. A camber is cut into longitudinal supports that span the length of the bolster. A jig is used to shape top and bottom plates prior to attaching the plates to the longitudinal supports, thus forming the bolster. Truck assemblies are attached to the bolster and a railcar body mounted to the combined unit.

The present invention relates generally to a method of making a railcar. More specifically, the invention relates to a method of manufacturing a multiple axle railcar having cambered span bolsters.
When a railway transports oversized or heavy cargo, it must account for the loading of each axle supporting the weight of the oversized load. To accommodate the excessive load, railways utilize railcars having additional axles compared to standard-capacity railcars. With the load distributed over a greater number of axles, the weight carried by each individual axle is reduced. However, railcar manufacturers must account for the turning performance of the multiple axle railcar, which can be diminished as the number of axles increases. Typically, multiple axle railcars have groups of truck assemblies connected by a span bolster, with a bolster located at each end of the railcar. The span bolster, in turn, attaches to the rail car at a pivot point near the center of the bolster. In this configuration, a multiple axle railcar is able to perform similarly to a standard railcar with a single pivoting truck at each end of the railcar.
An example of such a railcar is a twelve-axle rail vehicle manufactured by Kasgro Rail Corp. and disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,802,981. The twelve-axle railcar has three sets of trucks, or six axles, at each end of the vehicle. The three trucks at each end of the railcar are mounted to a common carrier that distributes the load, otherwise known as a span bolster. The benefit of twelve-axle railcar, in addition to its load carrying capability, is improved turning performance resulting from the fact that one span bolster can pivot independent of the other.
The increased load carrying capability of the twelve-axle railcar, or any other railcar having additional axles, is the result of evenly distributing the weight of the cargo to maintain reasonable wheel and axle loadings. While twelve-axle railcars improve loading, situations can exist where there is a significant variance between each of the axles. For example, the center truck of a three truck set will often have a higher loading than each of the outboard trucks as it is located below the attachment point to the rail car body. Having equal loading on each axle provides numerous benefits, such as improved safety of operation and reduced maintenance costs. It would therefore be advantageous to develop a method of manufacturing a multiple axle railcar having a span bolster in a manner that minimizes manufacturing variances and promotes consistent loading across each axle.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method of manufacturing a multiple axle railcar having a span bolster


A storage cabinet is provided with a front opening for access to the interior thereof, and a door is coupled to the cabinet for movement between a closed position wherein the door extends vertically across the access opening, and an open storage position wherein the door is disposed generally horizontally and is positioned at least in partial overlapping relationship directly over the cabinet top wall. A pair of support mechanisms couple the door to the cabinet housing adjacent the upper corners thereof. The support mechanism includes an intermediate support member which is hinged on a bracket secured adjacent the front edge of the housing top wall for swinging movement about a horizontal hinge axis which is located adjacent the front edge of the top wall. A gear is rotatably supported on the intermediate support member with its rotational axis being spaced radially from the hinge axis. The gear is maintained in continuous meshing engagement with an elongate gear rack which is fixed to the inner side of the door and extends generally perpendicularly between the upper and lower edges thereof. A guide track is also fixed to the inner surface of the door in generally parallel relationship to the gear rack. The intermediate support has a guide part which is slidably engaged with the guide track, and which couples the door to the intermediate support so as to permit solely relative sliding therebetween and hinging generally about the hinge axis.

Storage cabinets are conventionally utilized in offices wherein a boxlike cabinet housing is provided with a front opening, and a door is positionable over the opening for closing of the cabinet. The door is conventionally mounted on the cabinet by a support which permits the door to be swung upwardly about its upper edge into an open position, and then moved generally linearly into a storage position wherein the door is disposed substantially directly over the top wall of the cabinet. Such cabinets are often referred to as employing a "flipper" door. In one conventional and frequently utilized construction, the door is coupled to the cabinet by a pair of hinge-type telescopic ball slide mechanisms which mount between the top wall and the door adjacent opposite edges thereof. Such cabinet is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3 771 847. While cabinets of this type operationally perform in a desirable manner, nevertheless the hinge-type telescopic ball slide mechanisms are expensive, and hence make such cabinets more expensive than desired.
Other known cabinets have attempted to utilize a rack-and-pinion mechanism for coupling the door to the cabinet to permit both the desired hinging and translating movement. In these known arrangements, however, the rack is normally fixed to the cabinet, specifically to or adjacent the top wall, so as to extend transversely in the front-to-back direction. The pinions are generally carried on brackets which are mounted on the inner upper corners of the door. The pinions permit the door to pivot into an open position about the pinion axis, and then the pinions can roll along the rack toward the rearward end thereof so as to permit storage of the door. In many of the known cabinets, this arrangement has been designed such that the rack is stored inside the cabinet directly beneath the top wall. In other arrangements, the door has been stored directly over the top wall, but such arrangements have normally required the provision of elongate slots or clearance spaces extending transversely of the top wall so as to permit the pinions to project therethrough for engagement with the racks. This arrangement, one example of which is illustrated by U.S. Pat. No. 4,615,570, is undesirable in view of the necessity of having to provide such slots in the cabinet top wall.
Another problem encountered with prior cabinet designs, particularly those in which the door is intended to be swung upwardly and then moved rearwardly for storage over the top wall, is the difficulty in providing a cabinet wherein the upper edge of the door is generally flush with the upper surface of the top wall when the door is closed, while at the same time permitting movement of the door into a storage position above the top wall. In this arrangement, difficulties have been encountered in providing a hinging and translating mechanism for coupling the door to the cabinet which does not undesirably project upwardly above the upper edge of the door when the latter is in its closed position.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a cabinet of the above type, namely a cabinet having a door which hinges upwardly and then translates rearwardly for storage above the top wall, which cabinet incorporates therein an improved mechanism for permitting both hinging and linearly translating of the door between a closed position and an open storage position wherein the door is disposed above the cabinet top wall.
More specifically, this improved mechanism is believed to provide for efficient and dependable operation of the door without encountering racking of the door during the opening and closing operations, is mechanically reliable and dependable in operation, and can be economically manufactured and installed.
Further, the improved mechanism as incorporated into the cabinet of this invention permits operation in the above manner while permitting the upper edge of the door to be disposed substantially flush with the cabinet top wall when the door is closed, without the mechanism protruding upwardly above the door in an undesirable and unsightly manner.
Other objects and purposes of the invention will be apparent to persons familiar with structures of this general type upon reading the following specification and inspecting the accompanying drawings.


An information insertion/detection system for detecting and inserting DCT coefficients in image signals includes a resolution analyzer for receiving image code data and outputting the image code data and image size information of the image code data, an insertion pattern determining unit for receiving the image code data and the image size information and outputting the image code data and pattern information, an information inserter for receiving the image code data and the pattern information and producing image code data by inserting information of the DCT coefficients into the image code data and a video analyzer for receiving the image code data and producing information of insertion strength of the DCT coefficients. The information is inserted in DCT coefficients so that the information can be detected by referring to an image size of MPEG data inputted to the system when the image data is converted into a reference image size.

The present invention relates to an information insertion/detection system for discrete cosine transform (DCT) coefficients coping with resolution conversion, and in particular, to an information insertion/detection system for discrete cosine transform (DCT) coefficients associated with an image size of video signals.
To compress an image and/or voice, the discrete cosine transform has been recently adopted. In the technique, signals are encoded through an orthogonal transform process as an efficient encoding operation into signals of respective coefficients. Coefficients which resultantly have no correlation therebetween are encoded. In general, for example, Fourier transform, Hadamard transform, or K-L transform is known for the transforming technique. However, thanks to improvement of processing performance of devices due to recent development of the device technique, an efficient discrete cosine transform has been primarily utilized. Also in moving picture expert group (MPEG) 1, MPEG 2, MPEG 4, and MPEG 7 employing a DCT operation for image or video signals and for voice or audio signals, the conversion technique has been employed in a hybrid system in combination with a forecasting device.
In the MPEG image compression/expansion encoding method of the prior art, an original image is subdivided into blocks each of which including data of 8 pixels by 8 pixels. A DCT operation is conducted for the blocks to produce direct-current (dc) signal components and alternating-current (ac) signal components. The dc and ac components are alternately outputted to a quantizing unit in an ascending order of frequency, namely, beginning from a lower-frequency component to high frequency component. The quantizing unit quantizes the received signal components utilizing a predetermined luminance signal quantization table and a predetermined color difference signal quantization table. Signals resultant from the quantization are transmitted therefrom as DCT coefficients. In MPEG1 technique, bit streams of the quantized signals are sent through a sequence layer of a group of picture (GOP) layer, a picture layer, a slice layer, a macro block layer, and a block layer. The DCT coefficients after the DCT operation are fed to the block layer in the form of quantized numeric values. The quantized values are represented according to a run level of a first DCT coefficient thereof, a variable-length code of the level, and a difference between the first DCT coefficient and a DCT coefficient subsequent thereto.
MPEG2, same as in MPEG1, are six layers ranging from the sequence layer to the block layer. MPEG2 uses a bit stream similar to that of MPG1. However, when a sequence extension field appears subsequently a sequence header, the signals are determined as MPEG2 signals. In the block layer, SDC (Subsequent DCT Coefficients) signals are sent in a bit stream including a DCT DC size luminancexe2x80x94DCT DC differential (DDSL-DDD) field, a DCT DC size chrominancexe2x80x94DCT DC differential (DDSC-DDD) field, a first DCT coefficient (FDC) field, a subsequent DCT coefficients (field), and an end of block (EOB) field. The DCT coefficients are quantized as follows. DCT coefficients are scanned in the block layer according to dc components thereof in an alternating manner in the block layer. The DCT coefficients are then quantized using a quantization table to obtain differences therebetween. The differences are transmitted in the form of a quantity of data.
However, in the DCT information insertion step, information is inserted into each MPEG block. Therefore, when a picture or an image is expanded or minimized after the insertion of DCT coefficients, there possibly occurs a case in which the information of DCT coefficients cannot be detected. In the expansion or compression of video signals, when the transmission capacity of a communication line is insufficient, for example, in a case of radio transmission, the picture signals are compressed before transmission depending on cases.
In this situation, the video signals are compressed after insertion of information in DCT coefficients. Consequently, the information of DCT coefficients cannot be easily detected in the information of DCT signals inserted into the video signals sent via radio transmission. Moreover, when the video signals are expanded or compressed through an illegal action, it is impossible to detect information of the DCT coefficients. Consequently, a considerable need exists for an information inserter and an information detector for the DCT coefficients coping with signal expansion and compression.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an information insertion/detection system in which even when a video signal with DCT coefficients inserted therein is expanded and/or compressed, the DCT coefficients can be correctly restored to be inserted in a video signal.
To achieve the object above in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a system in which information is inserted in DCT coefficients so that the information can be detected by referring to an image size of MPEG data inputted to the system when the image data is converted into a reference image size. In the detection of the information in the DCT coefficients, an information detector of the information of DCT coefficients refers to a picture size of MPEG data to be detected and carries out processing equivalent to the method of reference picture size conversion described above. An information inserter and an information detector for the information of CDT coefficients conduct processing according to an equal reference picture size. Therefore, the information of DCT coefficients can be detected regardless of the image size in the insertion of information in the DCT coefficients and independent of conversion of resolution after the insertion.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided an information insertion/detection system for detecting and inserting DCT coefficients in image signals. The system includes a resolution analyzer for receiving image code data and outputting the image code data and information of size of an image of the image code data, an insertion pattern determining unit for receiving the image code data and the image size information and outputting the image code data and pattern information, an information inserter for receiving the image code data and the pattern information and producing image code data by inserting information of the DCT coefficients into the image code data, and a video analyzer for receiving the image code data and producing information of insertion strength of the DCT coefficients.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided an information insertion/detection system for detecting and inserting DCT coefficients in image signals. The system includes a resolution analyzer for receiving image code data of the image signals and outputting the image code data and image size information of the image code data, a block expander for receiving the image code data and the image size information and outputting DCT coefficients of the image code data and the image code data, a DCT coefficient buffer for receiving the DCT coefficients and outputting, when one frame of DCT coefficients is accumulated, an information detection start signal of the DCT coefficients accumulated therein, and a DCT coefficient information detector for detecting information in the DCT coefficients in response to the information detection start signal and outputting a result of the detection.
Conceptually, the system can detect, even after the insertion of information into DCT coefficients, the information inserted into DCT coefficients. In the prior art, when video resolution is converted or changed after the insertion of information into DCT coefficients, it is difficult to detect the inserted information. In contrast therewith, the present invention provides an information insertion/detection system for DCT coefficients coping with picture expansion and minimization only by slightly modifying the information inserter and the information detector for information of DCT coefficients.


There is provided an information processing apparatus including: a display panel for displaying a plurality of objects; an area region detection unit for detecting an operation body positioned on the display panel, and detecting an area region of the display panel corresponding to the operation body; a contacting object detection unit for detecting one or a plurality of objects contacting the area region detected by the area region detection unit; and an object selection unit for setting part of or all of the objects detected by the contacting object detection unit to a selected state.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus and an information processing method.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, a portable information processing apparatus equipped with a touch panel, a touch pad, and the like (hereinafter referred to as touch panel) has been widely used. Such portable information processing apparatus includes portable telephone, PHS (Personal Handy-phone System), portable moving image player, portable music player, PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), and the like. Recently, the touch panel is also being mounted on a television receiver, a portable game machine, and a remote controller. Some information processing apparatuses do not have an operation means other than the touch panel. The user using such information processing apparatus performs substantially all operations using the touch panel.
Therefore, with widespread use of the touch panel, improvement in the operation body system using the touch panel has been desired with extension of the usage mode. The user normally performs a predetermined operation by moving the finger, the stylus, and the like while pressing the surface of the touch panel with the finger, the stylus and the like. When such operation is performed, the touch panel reads the pressed point as a coordinate. The coordinate read from the touch panel is transmitted to a calculation processing means, and a predetermined process is executed. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-213312 discloses configuration of a resistive analog touch panel.

Information processing apparatus and information processing method


A packet generator for generating packets from an input signal configured to: generate at least one first signal, dependent on the input signal, the first signal comprising a first relative time value; generate at least one second signal, dependent on the input signal and associated with the at least one first signal; and generate at least one indicator associated with each of the at least one second signal, each indicator dependent on the first relative time value.

Audio signals, like speech or music, are encoded for example for enabling an efficient transmission or storage of the audio signals.
Audio encoders and decoders are used to represent audio based signals, such as music and background noise. These types of coders typically do not utilise a speech model for the coding process, rather they use processes for representing all types of audio signals, including speech.
Speech encoders and decoders (codecs) are usually optimised for speech signals, and can operate at either a fixed or variable bit rate.
An audio codec can also be configured to operate with varying bit rates. At lower bit rates, such an audio codec may work with speech signals at a coding rate equivalent to a pure speech codec. At higher bit rates, the audio codec may code any signal including music, background noise and speech, with higher quality and performance.
In some audio codecs the input signal is divided into a limited number of bands. Each of the band signals may be quantized. From the theory of psychoacoustics it is known that the highest frequencies in the spectrum are perceptually less important than the low frequencies. This in some audio codecs is reflected by a bit allocation where fewer bits are allocated to high frequency signals than low frequency signals.
One emerging trend in the field of media coding are so-called layered codecs, for example ITU-T Embedded Variable Bit-Rate (EV-VBR) speech/audio codec and ITU-T Scalable Video Codec (SVC). The scalable media data consists of a core layer, which is always needed to enable reconstruction in the receiving end, and one or several enhancement layers that can be used to provide added value to the reconstructed media (e.g. improved media quality or increased robustness against transmission errors, etc).
The scalability of these codecs may be used in a transmission level e.g. for controlling the network capacity or shaping a multicast media stream to facilitate operation with participants behind access links of different bandwidth. In an application level the scalability may be used for controlling such variables as computational complexity, encoding delay, or desired quality level. Note that whilst in some scenarios the scalability can be applied at the transmitting end point, there are also operating scenarios where it is more suitable that an intermediate network element is able to perform the scaling.
For example this scalable layer operation to audio encoding may be employed in telephony. For example in packet switched network transmission protocols typically employed for Voice over IP (VoIP) the audio signal is layer encoded using packets transmitted according to the Real-time Transport Protocol (RTP) encapsulated in the User Datagram Protocol (UDP), further encapsulated in Internet Protocol (IP).
In such media transport arrangements scalable codecs can be handled in one of two ways. In the first arrangement the enhancement layers may be transmitted in the same packets, i.e. in the same RTP session as the core layer data.
The approach of carrying all of the layers (of a media frame) in a single packet provides low overhead and easy cross-layer synchronization as the receiver decoder knows that all information for a certain media frame is carried in the same packet, which implicitly also provides cross-layer media synchronization. However, the drawback of this approach is that any intermediate network element carrying out a scaling operation needs to be aware of the details of the packet and media content structure, and then carry out a filtering operation by reading, parsing, and then modifying the packet contents.
The second approach is that the enhancement layers (or the subsets of enhancement layers) may be transmitted in separate packet stream(s) as the core layer data. This second approach requires also a signalling mechanism that can be used to synchronize the separate packet data streams carrying layers of the same media source.
However the second approach, employing separate data streams for (subsets of) layers, provides easier scaling opportunities because the scaling operations can be realized by discarding packets of some data streams and therefore not requiring the packet to be modified.
This approach therefore does not require in-depth knowledge about the packet structure but the scaling operations can be performed based on information about the relationship between the data streams.
Multiple data streams using multiple RTP sessions is the traditional way to transmit layered media data within a RTP framework (the approach is often referred to as scalable multicast).
Synchronization of multiple data streams is obviously a problem when the receiver is reconstructing a media frame using layers distributed across multiple RTP sessions.
The timeline of a media stream received in RTP packets can be reconstructed using Time Stamp (TS) information included in the RTP header. The RTP TS provides information on the temporal difference compared to other RTP packets transmitted in the same RTP session, which enables putting each received media frame in its correct place in the timeline.
However, the initial value of the RTP TS of an RTP session is a random value. Thus the RTP TS does NOT indicate an absolute time (i.e. "wallclock time") but only a relative time or timing reference within the RTP session. Note that this "randomness" may be considered to be an unknown offset from an absolute time. The unknown offset may and is likely to be different in each RTP session.
Thus two or more RTP sessions cannot be synchronized based on their RTP TS values only and is valid for separate RTP sessions used to carry (subsets of) layers of layered encoding.
The prior-art mechanism for synchronizing multiple RTP sessions is to use the control protocol associated with the transport protocol to send additional information. Thus in the prior art Real-Time Control Protocol (RTCP) reports may be transmitted within each session. The transmitter of these RTCP reports includes both a timing reference (NTP) and a sending instant in the RTP TS domain in the RTCP Sender Reports (SR) transmitted according to a specified pattern. Furthermore, an RTCP packet also includes an identifier (SSRC) that is used to map an RTCP packet to the correct stream of RTP packets.
The receiver on receiving the control protocol packets may use these control protocol packets within the timing reference and the RTP time stamps to compute the RTP TS offset from the timing reference (NTP) for each of the RTP sessions it receives. These offsets values may then be used to match the timing of the media data received in separate RTP sessions. Therefore, for example, the receiver may combine layers of a media frame received in multiple RTP sessions.
However a problem associated with such a system is that it requires a RTCP SRs for each of the RTP sessions to be received before any full reconstruction of a media frame can be carried out. In case of layered media in practice this means that only the core layer of any layered encoding scheme is available until the synchronization information is available, i.e. until the first RTCP packets (on each of the sessions) are received.
A less complex approach, not relying on the control protocol associated with the transport protocol, has been to pre-synchronize the RTP TS across RTP sessions in the transmitting end-point. In other words the "random" initial value of the RTP TS is set to be the same value for each RTP session.
Whilst this may provide simple cross-session synchronization mechanism without need to transmit additional data, it is not in line with the RTP specification, and existing RTP implementations may therefore not support it.
Furthermore such an approach would provide synchronization at the RTP (header) level, but only for the subset of RTP payloads which were pre-synchronized. Such payload type-dependent processing at RTP level may be considered a non-desirable feature in a system handling multiple payload types.
A further prior-art solution has been to attach additional information for each transmitted data unit (e.g. a layer of a media frame in a layered encoding transport) indicating its temporal location in the presentation timeline. Such additional information may be for example a cross-layer sequence number or an additional timestamp information value that can be used at the receiver/intermediate network element to reconstruct the presentation order of media frames and layers within the frames.
This additional information adds additional overhead for each packet and although it may be possible to use information with data fields smaller than a RTP Sequence Number (SN) and RTP TS (16 bits and 32 bits, respectively), any information added to each packet would still introduce additional overhead for each transmitted layer. For example in the case of smallish pieces of speech/audio data (in order of 10-20 bytes) even one additional byte of overhead per layer may have a significant effect on the overall system performance.

Synchronization of multiple real-time transport protocol sessions


An aftertreatment system (100) includes a decomposition chamber (108), a reductant pump (120), a first dosing module (110), a second dosing module (112), and a controller (133). The first dosing module (110) is coupled to the decomposition chamber (108) and configured to receive reductant from the reductant pump (120). The second dosing module (112) is coupled to the decomposition chamber (108) and configured to receive reductant from the reductant pump (120) independent of the first dosing module (110). The controller (133) is communicatively coupled to the first dosing module (110) and the second dosing module (112). The controller (133) is configured to independently control a first volumetric flow rate of reductant provided from the first dosing module (110) into the decomposition chamber (108) and a second volumetric flow rate of reductant provided from the second dosing module (112) into the decomposition chamber (108).

For internal combustion engines, such as diesel engines, nitrogen oxide (NOx) compounds may be emitted in the engine exhaust. To reduce NOx emissions, a reductant may be dosed into the exhaust by a dosing system. The dosing system includes an injector through which the reductant is dosed into the exhaust.
In order to facilitate mixing of reductant injected into exhaust gas using the injector, many dosing control systems include an application-specific separate mixer, which is more expensive and complicated than a simple more scalable mixer. The mixer may be selected specifically for a particular dosing control system and is designed to break down the reductant via structural flow altering features (e.g., vanes, etc.). As the exhaust gas flows over these structural flow altering features, swirl may be impacted on the exhaust gas to facilitate mixing. If the mixer does not effectively break down the reductant, deposits can form or undesirable byproducts may be emitted, thereby causing such dosing control systems to be undesirable.

Aftertreatment system with multiple dosing modules


The present invention provides a method of detecting a peroxide-based explosive in a sample suspected of consisting of or comprising such explosive, which method comprises dissolving said sample in a suitable organic solvent, contacting the solution with an aqueous solution of a strong acid capable of decomposing said explosive to release hydrogen peroxide, and contacting the resulting mixture with a peroxidase enzyme. The invention also provides a kit for use in the method of the invention.

This invention concerns a method of detecting peroxide-based explosives and a kit for use in this method.
Improvised explosive devices based on peroxide containing materials have increasingly been used in recent years by various terrorist organizations, especially in Israel, as well as in the UK and the USA. The main reason is that such peroxide-based explosives can be easily xe2x80x9chome-madexe2x80x9d using inexpensive, readily available starting materials which can be purchased in most hardware and paint stores, even in bulk quantities. One class of such peroxide-based explosives can be easily produced by reacting various carbonyl compounds (e.g. ketones, aldehydes and their derivatives) with hydrogen peroxide under acid catalysis. For example, when a mixture of acetone, hydrogen peroxide and small amounts of a mineral acid, e.g. sulfuric acid, is left for several hours at room temperature, white crystals of triacetone triperoxide (hereinafter xe2x80x9cTATPxe2x80x9d) and diacetone diperoxide (hereinafer xe2x80x9cDADPxe2x80x9d) are formed by the following reaction:
These crystals are collected and can be stashed with water or with 10% sodium carbonate solution. TATP and DADP are powerful initiators by themselves and can be used as the main filler in home-made detonators. They are quite unstable explosives and may explode under rough handling, scratching with metals or by sparks and open flame, even when they contain up to 25% water or even when immersed in water. The explosive intensity of TATP is approximately ⅝ that of TNT. This material is quite volatile, unless used shortly after its manufacture, should be stored in a cool, dark dry place. It has been reported that at room temperature TATP loses ⅔ of its weight within 14 days and at 50xc2x0 C. it evaporates completely within 40 days.
Another commonly used peroxide based explosive is hexamethylenetriperoxidediamine (hereinafter xe2x80x9cHMTDxe2x80x9d). It can be conveniently prepared by treating hexamethylenetetramine with hydrogen peroxide in the presence of a weak acid, such as citric acid, in order to neutralize the liberated ammonia. The reaction can be represented as follows:
HMTD is almost insoluble in water and in common organic solvents at room temperature. It is too active and too unstable to be of commercial use as an explosive.
Although many peroxide containing materials of the above-described type are known for more than 70 years, no satisfactory method for their detection has been suggested to date. The detection of peroxide-based explosives is particularly difficult because all these materials do not contain nitro groups or any other nitrogen oxide functional groups. Since most of the currently available explosive detectors are based on the detection of nitro groups, they cannot be employed for detection of peroxide-based materials. Consequently, and in view of the increased use of such peroxide-based explosives by terrorists, especially in the Middle East as well as in other parts of the world, there exists an urgent need for highly sensitive method, and devices for the early detection of peroxide-based explosives and improvised explosive devices employing them.
It is thus the object of the present invention to provide a reliable method for the fast and easy detection of peroxide-based explosives.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a portable kit for the simple yet reliable and selective detection and identification of peroxide based explosives.
The above object was achieved by the present invention which provides a method of detecting a peroxide-based explosive in a sample suspected of consisting of or comprising such explosive, which method comprises dissolving said sample in a suitable organic solvent, contacting the solution with an aqueous solution of a strong acid capable of decomposing said explosive to release hydrogen peroxide, and contacting the resulting mixture with a peroxidase enzyme, a buffer to adjust the pH to such permitting action of the peroxidase enzyme and a substrate capable of being oxidized by the oxidant under the catalysis of the peroxidase enzyme to produce a pronounced change in a measurable physical parameter of the substrate.
The invention also provides, in a second aspect thereof, a kit for use in a method of the invention, comprising packaged organic solvent, packaged aqueous solution of a strong acid, packaged buffer, packaged peroxidase enzyme and packaged substrate.

Method and kit for the detection of explosives


The change in the sample size and a change in background intensity due to the coexisting element are measured in real time to thereby automatically change a measurement time, the detection lower limit is kept constant, so that a fluorescent X-ray apparatus is provided that is capable of measuring every time in the same detection lower limit even in a case where there have existed a change in size of a sample, a change in sensitivity due to a difference in main ingredient, and a change of a magnitude in background due to an influence of a coexisting element.

The present invention relates to an X-ray fluorescent analysis apparatus in which a sample is irradiated with X-rays, which excites fluorescent X-rays out from the sample, and the energy and intensity of the fluorescent X-rays are then measured to determine the element composition of the sample.
The conventional X-ray fluorescent analysis apparatuses operate for a fixed measurement time when analyzing resins composed of C, O, H and the like to determine the existence and concentration of heavy metals, such as Cd and Pd, contained in the resins by very small amounts in the resins (for example, JP-A-2004-150990).
A X-ray fluorescent analysis apparatus is used to analyze resins composed of C, O, H and the like to determine the existence and the concentration of heavy metals, such as Cd and Pd, contained in the resins by very small amounts. In analyzing such resins, however, the lower limit of detection level of the apparatus changes, depending on the sizes of the samples. The lower detection limit also changes due to changes in the detection sensitivity, which changes depending on the kinds of the main components of the samples, or due to changes in the magnitude of background energy caused by the existence of other elements coexisting in the samples. In order to confirm the existence of very small amounts of metals contained in the samples, it is important to maintain the lower detection limit at a constant level for each analysis.
It is an object of the present invention to solve the above problems and provide a system which maintains the lower detection limit at a constant level for every analysis, irrespective of sample sizes, the kinds of main components of samples which affect the detection sensitivity, or the kinds of coexisting elements which affect the magnitude of the background energy.


An amplitude of a braking portion of a waveform of a driving voltage signal for a linear resonant actuator can be determined. A measure of a characteristic of the linear resonant actuator can be obtained. The characteristic can be different from a quality factor of the linear resonant actuator. The quality factor can be determined based on the measure of the characteristic. The amplitude of the braking portion of the waveform of the driving voltage signal can be determined based on the quality factor. Data for a driving voltage signal circuitry can be set, based on the amplitude, to cause the driving voltage circuitry to produce the driving voltage signal. The driving voltage signal can have (e.g., define) the waveform in which the braking portion has the amplitude.

In addition to visual and aural modes of communicating information, an electronic device can also be configured to communicate information in a haptic (or tactile) manner: causing a user to receive the information through a sense of touch. Haptic technology, included in an electronic device, can be used to communicate information for a variety of reasons. Such reasons can include providing a feedback signal to a user in response to a receipt of an input signal caused by the user. Such a feedback signal can provide the user with confirmation that the input signal was received. Such a feedback signal often can be in a form of a vibration (or a pattern of vibrations) of a housing of the electronic device. Various haptic technologies can be used to produce such vibrations. Such haptic technologies can include, for example, piezoelectric actuators, eccentric rotating mass actuators, and linear resonant actuators.

Determining an amplitude of a braking portion of a waveform of a driving voltage signal for a linear resonant actuator


A device for providing an interface for managing contact scenarios for one or more respondents may provide a first interface for inputting contact information of one or more respondents to be contacted, provide a second interface for inputting a scenario of the contact, and provide a third interface for displaying on a screen a contact simulation according to the scenario.

Consumers who purchase various products such as electronic products, financial products, and travel products or service vouchers call a contact center (or consultation center) of the manufacturer or retailer to make inquiries about a product or service, or a defect or breakdown in the product or service.
Most companies operate such a consultation center by themselves to respond to or handle consumer complaints or inquiries.
However, from the standpoint of companies, providing services through the operation of such a consultation center is inevitably burdensome in terms of cost in that it requires hiring a large number of workers.
In addition, in the case of a small-sized company, it is difficult to hire an appropriate number of counseling personnel because the amount of counseling varies according to time or season. When a counselor is hired based on the peak counseling season, there is a problem in that the cost of counseling personnel is unnecessarily high during the off-peak counseling season, and when a counselor is hired based on the off-peak counseling season, there is a problem in that counseling cannot be handled properly during the peak counseling season.

Device for providing contact scenario management interface


A method for processing input data for use in a time-deinterleaver of a receiver is provided. Input data is first received, wherein the input data is data inputted to the time-deinterleaver and includes a plurality of symbols and each symbol includes a plurality of samples and each sample includes a signal quality (SQ) data corresponding thereto. A down sampling ratio is then determined according to a channel condition. The input data is down-sampled in the time and/or the frequency domain with the down sampling ratio according to whether a modulation mode is a single carrier mode or a multi-carrier mode and outputting the down-sampled data. Thereafter, the outputted down-sampled data is stored in a data buffer of the time-deinterleaver for further signal processing.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to time-deinterleavers of a receiver and method for processing input signal thereof, and more particularly to time-deinterleavers of a receiver with low cost hardware architecture and method for processing an input signal thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
Digital communications, such as that for digital TV broadcasting systems, commonly rely on interleaving transmitted signals at a transmitter side, and deinterleaving transmitted signals at a receiver side. The process of interleaving is commonly used in digital data transmission technology to protect transmissions from burst errors. Burst errors overwrite a significant amount of bits in a row. If occurring, a typical error correction scheme that anticipates more uniform distribution of burst errors may become overwhelmed. Interleaving is used to help prevent this from happening.
In a communications system, interleavers, often used at the transmitter side, and deinterleavers, often used at the receiver side, together, help to more uniformly spread out local signal variations in channels to improve the overall performance of the communications system. As details of the convolution interleaver and convolutional de-interleaver are well known to those skilled in the pertinent art, further description is omitted here for brevity.
In a digital audio broadcasting (DAB) or a digital terrestrial multimedia broadcasting (DTMB) system, a transmitter interleaves a signal before transmission and a receiver then deinterleaves the interleaved signal received from the transmitter. In the interleaving process, the transmitter sequentially writes transmission data in an interleaver memory, reads the written data in a predetermined sequence, and then transmits the read data. In this interleaving process called the "time interleaving process", the data is delayed for up to n frames (e.g. 16 frames), so that data input to the interleaver would be distributed over n frames when it is output. Therefore, to time-deinterleave the time-interleaved data, the receiver writes n-frame data in a deinterleaver memory (e.g. a Random Access Memory) and then reads the written data according to a deinterleaving rule matched to the interleaving rule used in the transmitter.
For time deinterleaving, the time-deinterleaver needs a memory with a capacity sufficient to store the n data frames. As the technique advances, the depth of the time-interleavers have becomes larger and larger. In a DTMB system, the depth of the time-interleaver is about 300 us (about 510 orthogonal frequency division Multiplexed (OFDM) symbols). The memory size to store the required deinterleaved data is above 1 M bits. If one symbol input to the deinterleaver is data subjected to 6-8-bit, the deinterleaver requires a 6-8 Mbit memory. This means that the deinterleaver must include a 6-8 Mbit memory, thus, increasing the cost of products made therefrom.

Time-deinterleaver and method for input signal processing and computer program products using the same


A variety of sizes of color prints are made electrophotographically utilizing a single large size receiving sheet, for example, a receiving sheet that is 12.times.18 inches. The large size receiving sheet can be secured to a transfer roller to be cycled through the repeated single color transfers. The receiving sheet is large enough to receive one multicolor image of the largest size or an array of smaller sized multicolor images. The receiving sheet with smaller images is cut to size after transfer.

In conventional color electrophotography a series of electrostatic images are created on an image member. The images are toned with different colored toners and then transferred in registration to a receiving surface to create a multicolor toner image. Typically, the receiving surface is a receiving sheet of paper or similar material which has been secured around the periphery of a transfer drum. The transfer drum is rotated in contact or near contact with the image member to repeatedly bring the receiving sheet into transfer relation with the consecutive images to overlay them in registration.
The photofinishing business worldwide thrives on a few commonly desired sizes of prints. In the United States, for example, nearly all prints are either (in inches) 4.times.6, 5.times.7, 8.times.10, or 11.times.17. Nearly all photofinishing operations produce many more of the smallest size (4.times.6) than of all of the larger sizes put together. However, some flexibility is necessary in all machines that are not dedicatd 100% to snapshots.
In silver halide photofinishing, this flexibility is supplied by supplying photographic paper in roll form, exposing and processing whatever pictures and whatever sizes are programmed into the printer and then cutting the prints to size later. It is known to cut the photographic paper both across the direction of movement and with the direction of movement so that some prints can be exposed side-by-side. Although a machine 100% dedicated to snapshots, for example, 4.times.6, may use either 4-inch wide or 6-inch wide rolls, it is more common to mix sizes on the same larger roll and custom cut. For example, 8-inch wide paper can be used for two rows of 4.times.6 images or one row of 8.times.10 images with both sets of images being positioned with their long dimension running with the direction of movement of the paper. All the 4.times.6's can be batched and the cutter set to cut 4.times.6's and then all of the 8.times.10's batched and the cutter repositioned for cutting 8.times.10's. The slitting and cutting art is sophisticated. Virtually any arrangement can be done automatically.
In electrophotography, all commercial color systems require the use of cut sheets. That is, a single cut receiving sheet is positioned around a transfer roller by attaching both its leading edge and its trailing edge to the roller. The roller is rotated through a nip with a toner image carrying image member once for each color image to be transferred.
If cut sheets are attached by both the leading and trailing end to a transfer roller and the apparatus is flexible enough to take sheets of different length, larger sheets will necessarily overlap the trailing end securing means of the shorter sheets. This presents a problem to transfer in these areas that has not been 100% solved for highest quality imaging. That is, vacuum holes under a sheet in a transfer nip in which transfer is done either by electrostatics or by heat affects the transfer enough to be noticeable in the image itself. Gripping fingers create even more noticeable artifacts.
Electronic electrophotographic imaging, for example, imaging by exposing a photoconductive image member with a laser or LED printhead, has added new flexibility to electrophotography and other similar systems. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,706,099 shows an electrophotographic copier in which a photoconductor having a width in excess of 16 inches scans a wide image fully across the photoconductor. When narrower images are desired, image information in memory is rasterized in a manner that causes the images to be scanned in pairs side-by-side across the width of the photoconductor. The images are transferred side-by-side to separate sheets stored on a roll and cut prior to transfer. Because it is a single color machine, the problem of a transfer roller holding sheets of different size is not faced.
This patent illustrates the capability present in the art to store image information in memory, retrieve it and place it at any desired location and orientation (portrait or landscape) desired on an image member such as a photoconductor. See also, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,408,301. In fact, electronic copiers and printers are available which allow the operator to pick the position, orientation and magnification of any stored image and place more than one image on the same final print.


Coextrusion billets of two or more concentric metallic layers are treated by a hot isostatic pressing process and, then, may be succeeded by heating to an elevated temperature followed by quenching in order to form a diffused bondline between the contiguous touching metal layers, which after extruding and reducing into tubing, is relatively free of bondline defects.

In the, conventional process for fabricating seamless tubing with multi-layered metals, coextrusion is generally applied. The extrusion billet is assembled with multiple layers of metallic cylinders one inside the other concentrically. The annular opening at each end of the assembly is sealed by vacuum welding. The billet assembly is preheated to a proper temperature and extruded, forming a metallurgical bond between adjacent layers. The bondline defects are occasionally detected at the as-extruded stage or after the tube is further reduced. The main cause for this problem is due to insufficient time at temperature to effect bonding and diffusion across the bondline during extrusion.
In the conventional process for preparation of two-layered zirconium-zirconium alloy billet, the outer zirconium alloy cylindrical part is first subjected to beta heat treatment by heating at 980 degrees C. to 1200 degrees C. range and water quenching in order to improve corrosion resistance and to achieve fine grain structure for the final tube product. After the billet is assembled with an inner zirconium liner, it is extruded to a tubeshell and further reduced by tube reducers to final size suitable for nuclear fuel cladding applications. A stringent inspection such as ultrasonic technique is used for bondline defects which may be as small as a few thousands of an inch in dimension.
It is, therefore, an objective of the present invention to reduce or eliminate the occurrence of bondline defects in concentric mating surface for tubing with multiple metallic layers.
It is a further objective of the present invention to promote maximum bond strength with diffusion across the interface between the inner and outer metallic layers.

Preparation process for coextrusion billets with multiple metallic cylindrical layers


Aspects and features of this disclosure include a radio frequency identification (RFID) antenna multiplexer. An RFID reader and an RFID system using the RFID antenna multiplexer are also disclosed. The multiplexer includes multiple output ports. Each of at least some of the output ports is connectable to an antenna or another device. In some aspects, a logic circuit in the multiplexer is configured to cause a radio frequency (RF) switch to select an output port from the multiple output ports to connect to the input port based upon a reduction in RF power at the input port. In some aspects, the multiplexer includes an energy harvester connected to the input port to harvest signal energy from the RFID reader and a storage device connected to the energy harvester to store the signal energy and supply power to the multiplexer using the signal energy.

RFID systems include, at least, an RFID reader and an antenna. The antenna is used by the reader to transmit interrogation signals to RFID tags and receive responses from the RFID tags. RFID systems can use multiple antennas connected to a single reader in order to spread the relatively high cost of the RFID reader electronics over a relatively large servicing area. Multiple antennas can be connected to a single RFID reader using an RFID antenna multiplexer (mux). Multiple muxes can be connected to a single RFID reader in various topologies.
In addition to a coaxial cable or other radio frequency (RF) connection between the reader and a mux, a data cable is also connected between the reader and a mux. As an example of a data cable, some systems use an Ethernet cable to pass control information between the reader and any muxes. A power supply cable can also be used. The power supply cable and a data cable can sometimes be combined, or power can be supplied over the RF coaxial cable. Alternatively, for example, in retail environments where AC power is distributed throughout a premises, power can be supplied to a mux locally. Power is needed for the electronics of the muxes and the data cables provide signaling so that the RFID reader can direct switching between or among antennas at appropriate times.


A party-like telephone line with plural numbers having distinguishable ringing signals on a single line is automatically connected to a facsimile or other telephone connected device for receiving incoming messages upon sensing a predetermined ring sequence with an interface, counter, timers, and comparator.

This invention is related to telephone line usage and subscriber cost reductions
At the time of the present invention, fax, telecopier or telefacsimile machines have become popular. Their popularity and sales and competition in their manufacture have reduced retail cost of the machines to about $800.00. Business telephone lines are billed at about $20.00 a month. Over the life of a fax machine, basic telephone line availability charges exceed the cost of the fax machine "Fax", "telefax", "facsimile" and "telecopier" are used interchangeably.
At the time of this invention local telephone companies have begun offering add-on features to existing or new lines which allow the subscriber, in the words of the telephone company, to determine whom a call is from or for before answering the telephone. The service, called IdentaRing by Bell Operating Companies, but may be called other things by other telephone companies, is much like an individual party line service In the present implementation, up to three numbers are assigned to one line. When a caller calls the first number a long ringing signal is made. When a party calls the second number, a short, short ringing signal is made. A call of the third number produces a short, long, short ringing signal. Different patterns may be used with expanded services or in other areas. In fact, the new IdentaRing service operates much as an individual inbound party line. Out calls are all made on a single number. Further information about the service is currently available by calling 1-800-678-RING or asking a local office for an IdentaRing brochure.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,146,754 uses the timing of ringing signals to select different devices or telephones. This requires two separate telephone calls That disclosure would not be operative with the IdentaRing service. The elements are used in a distinct way.
Apparatus for selectively alerting party line subscribers has been described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,723,271, which relies on changing the nature of the ringing signal and identifying the different nature of the signals That patent involves voltage and polarity as opposed to timing, and would require special hardware at the central office.
Local telephone companies in urban areas avoid use of the "party line" concept and have been discontinuing existing party line service. In fact, many historic party line subscribers have individual lines, other parties on the lines having been converted to individual service.
A problem exists for telephone subscribers in how to obtain maximum use of telephone lines and minimize office overhead and communication expenses. This invention proposes one solution to the continuing problems.


A turbine rotor blade with impingement cooling cavities for the airfoil and serpentine flow cooling channels for the platform of the blade. Two impingement cavities provide cooling for the forward section of the airfoil while another two impingement cavities provide cooling for the aft section of the airfoil. Both impingement cavity cooling circuits are connected in series to platform cooling channels that use the same cooling air to cool the platform. The spent cooling air from the platform cooling channels is discharged into a dead rim cavity as purge air for the blade. The blade with the impingement cavities and the platform serpentine flow cooling channels are all formed as a single piece from a metal printing process.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a gas turbine engine, and more specifically to a single piece turbine rotor blade having impingement cooling for the airfoil and convection cooling for the platform.
2. Description of the Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98
In a gas turbine engine, such as a large frame heavy-duty industrial gas turbine (IGT) engine, a hot gas stream generated in a combustor is passed through a turbine to produce mechanical work. The turbine includes one or more rows or stages of stator vanes and rotor blades that react with the hot gas stream in a progressively decreasing temperature. The efficiency of the turbine—and therefore the engine—can be increased by passing a higher temperature gas stream into the turbine. However, the turbine inlet temperature is limited to the material properties of the turbine, especially the first stage vanes and blades, and an amount of cooling capability for these first stage airfoils.
The first stage rotor blade and stator vanes are exposed to the highest gas stream temperatures, with the temperature gradually decreasing as the gas stream passes through the turbine stages. The first and second stage airfoils (blades and vanes) must be cooled by passing cooling air through internal cooling passages and discharging the cooling air through film cooling holes to provide a blanket layer of cooling air to protect the hot metal surface from the hot gas stream.
Turbine blades are cooled using a combination of convection cooling, impingement cooling and film cooling in order to control the blade metal temperature in order to prevent thermal damage such as erosion and to provide for a long blade life. The internal cooling air passages and features are formed using an investment casting process in which a ceramic core is used to form the internal cooling air passages within a metal blade. The ceramic core is placed within a mold and liquid metal is poured over the ceramic core and solidified to form the blade. The ceramic core is then leached away from the solidified blade to leave the internal cooling air passages within the blade. Film cooling holes are then drilled into the blade using a laser or an EDM probe.
Use of the ceramic core in the investment casting process to form a blade has two major limitations. One is that the internal cooling air passages and features cannot be formed in complex shapes because of the way that the ceramic core is formed. The ceramic core is cast within a mold such that the features must be aligned with a pulling direction of the mold pieces. For example, ribs that extend from a pressure side wall to a suction side wall must be parallel to the pulling direction of the mold. Also, the ribs must not be angled or tapered that would prevent the mold piece from being pulled away from the hardened ceramic core. Second, features smaller than around 1.3 mm in diameter cannot be cast successfully because of the weakness of the ceramic material in the ceramic core. The relatively heavy liquid metal that flows around the ceramic core features would break off such small ceramic core pieces such as the pieces that form impingement cooling air holes. Broken pieces within the ceramic core due to the liquid metal flowing would result in defective cast blades.

Turbine blade with impingement cooling cavities and platform cooling channels connected in series


A floating weir basket (40) that eliminates the need for hinged doors on conventional fixed pool skimmers (4).

Conventional pool skimmers are typically fixed housings located adjacent to a pool wall in a pool deck. Pool water is drawn from the pool via a rectangular aperture located in the pool wall. The housing may be accessed from the pool deck through a circular or rectangular lid. When a pool pump is operational water is drawn from the pool through the aperture in the pool wall over a weir. Then, the water is drawn down into a removable skimmer basket (the purpose of which is to entrap leaves and other floating debris) and circulated via pipes to the pool pump through a filter and finally back into the pool through one or more outlets located in the pool wall. A problem with fixed skimmers is that they are only able to trap and remove debris from the surface of the pool water when the debris moves close to the pool skimmers to be sucked into the housing and into the skimmer basket. Therefore, a large portion the pool surface is not cleaned. An additional problem arises when a pool only has one fixed skimmer and an automatic vacuum device is connected to the skimmer. In this situation the automatic vacuum device is attached to and powered by the skimmer, thus the skimmer is not cleaning the surface of the pool water but rather supplying suction to the automatic vacuum device, which only cleans the pool floor.
There are currently mobile floating skimmers available, however these types of skimmers pose many problems. One problem experienced with existing mobile skimmers is that they are unstable and have a tendency to tip over especially when not operating as there is no suction from the pool pump pulling the skimmer downward to act as a ballast, thereby keeping the skimmer in an upright position. An additional problem also occurs when the pump is turned off and/or is not receiving suction from the pool pump. When this occurs debris caught in the skimmer can float up and out of the skimmer back into the pool, thereby defeating the purpose of the skimmer.
An additional problem occurs when the water level in the pool falls below the level of one or more fixed skimmers located in the wall of the pool. When this happens, air enters the pump system of the pool and cause the motor to burn out and fail.
A further problem exists with above ground pools wherein fixed skimmer are attached to the wall of the pool. The walls of above ground pools are subject to failing under the weight of a fixed skimmer, especially with age and under added weight of snow in the winter.
Therefore, a need exists for a multi-functional floating pool skimmer that captures and traps debris even when not operating, remains in an upright position at all times and attaches to an existing fixed skimmer, a vacuum inlet and/or an automatic vacuum line.
In addition, a need exists for a multi-functional pool skimmer that will rise and fall with the level of water in the pool, thereby preventing air from entering the pump system of the pool.
In addition, a need exists for a multi-functional pool skimmer that eliminates the need for fixed skimmers in above ground pools.
The relevant prior art includes the following references:
Pat. No.InventorIssue/Publication Date(U.S. Patent References)4,746,424DrewMay 24, 19885,133,854HorvathJul. 28, 1992D432,206Stoltz et al.Oct. 17, 20006,187,181Stoltz et al.Feb. 13, 20016,224,753MarbachMay 1, 20017,146,658LyallDec. 12, 20068,475,656NeumannJul. 2, 20132013/0206659HernaizAug. 15, 2013(Non-patent Literature)poolskimusa.comstrider-ss.comsubsib.allalla.comassociatedindustries.comsolar-breeze.com

Floating weir basket for use in pool skimmers


A white balance adjusting circuit which detects the ratio of color components in an illumination light around an object, independently from an image sensing system, and controls the gain of each color signal coming from the image sensing system, characterized in that it comprises means for correcting a signal indicative of the ratio of color components according to the color signal, not gain-controlled, coming from the image sensing system.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a white balance adjusting circuit for color video cameras.
2. Description of the Related Art:
White balance adjustment is one of important signal control methods for color television cameras. White balance adjustment means that the gain for each color component of a sensed image signal is adjusted so that the ratio of three primary color components (red, green and blue) in an illumination (that is, ambient light) will be 1:1:1 for a white object. The ratio of three primary color components depends upon the type of illumination. Therefore, if the white balance adjustment is not correct, the real colors of an object cannot be correctly reproduced in the picture of the object, that is, the whole picture is bluish or reddish.
So far, external-metering automatic tracking type white balance adjusting devices have been provided (for example, in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Nos. Sho 54-53924 and Sho 55-158792) to assure an accurate and automatic white balance adjustment. To assure an automatic white balance adjustment, these devices are designed so as to detect the ambient light for an object by means of another optical system than a photographic optical system, and control the gain for each color component of a sensed image signal according to the results of detection. Concretely, each of these devices detects 2 or 3 different color components of the ambient light by means of 2 or 3 colorimetric sensors provided with color filters mounted on their fronts, and controls the gain of a color signal amplifier for the output of an image sensor according to the ratio of the detected values.
However, the conventional devices present a disadvantage in that, if an object or its surroundings have specific colors, the incident light in the colorimetric sensors may be influenced by these colors to deteriorate the colorimetric accuracy. If a red object is photographed, for example, the colorimetric sensors receive a red color signal having a greater amount of red components than that contained in the illumination light. As the result, the white balance adjustment is so deviated as to provide an entirely bluish picture.


The present invention provides a display driving circuit and a display device. The display driving circuit comprises a timing controller and a driving chip, and the timing controller comprises a first generation module and a first timing module. The first generation module is connected with the first timing module and the driving chip respectively, and configured to generate a row starting signal for triggering the first timing module to start timing and the driving chip which is idle to turn on. The first timing module is connected with the driving chip, and configured to trigger the driving chip which is idle in a non-effective pixel display duration to turn off, in case a current timing duration equals to an effective pixel display duration. The display driving circuit can prevent an idle driving chip from staying in the on-state and consuming power, so that current requirements for energy saving against a display device can be satisfied, and the quality of display device can be improved.(FIG. 1)

Gate-driver On Array (GOA) is a technology which is currently applied in the field of liquid crystal display. In particular, in GOA, a gate driving chip is installed on an array substrate, so that cost of the gate driving chip is saved and a distance between a display pixel region at the gate side and a frame is reduced. However, GOA is required to be driven by a driving signal which has a voltage variation significantly larger than a general digital voltage range. Thereby, a level shift IC is connected between a timing controller (Tcon) and GOA. A driving signal which is generated by the timing controller for driving GOA is converted into the required GOA signal with a large voltage variation by means of the level shift IC.
However, a display driving circuit in which the above level shift IC is applied is subject to the following problems in practical applications. Since during display of each frame of picture, a number of display pixels set by a system (set pixels or v-total) is larger than the number of pixels which are actually displayed (effective pixel). The set pixels are displayed in a duration of one frame period, and the effective pixels are display in a duration less than one frame period. Therefore, there is an idle time between the end of the display of effective pixels of a frame and the start of a next frame (i.e., the difference between the frame period and the display duration of effective pixels). The idle time is referred to as non-effective pixel display duration (or blanking duration). Since in the blanking duration, the display driving circuit does not need to charge pixel units, but the level shift IC is still in an on-state. Namely, the level shift IC still consumes power, so that the current requirements for energy saving against a display device are not satisfied, and the display device has a poor quality.
Therefore, currently there is an urgent need for a display driver and a display device which has an improved energy-saving performance.

Display driving circuit and display device


In an ion trap device using an RF electric field to trap ions, when the amplitude of the RF voltage for generating the RF electric field is changed from a first value to a second value, it is changed according to the exponential function of time. And the time constant of the exponential function is set equal to or longer than the time constant of the resonant circuit for generating the RF voltage. Owing to this, the time necessary to change the RF voltage is shortened, and an overshoot, undershoot, or ringing of an actual RF voltage on the electrode or electrodes of an ion trap is avoided when the RF voltage setting value is changed, so that the movement of ions in the ion trap is not disturbed and the throughput of the ion trap device is improved.

The present invention relates to an ion trap device which uses a three-dimensional quadrupole electric field to trap ions in. Such an ion trap device can be used in a mass spectrometer or in an ion separator.
In an ion trap device, as mentioned above, ions are trapped in a three-dimensional quadrupole electric field generated basically by combining an RF electric field and a DC electric field. One type of ion trap device is constructed by electrodes whose inner surfaces are shaped hyperboloid-of-revolution so that a rather large ion trapping space is created in the space surrounded by the electrodes. Another type of ion trap device is constructed by cylindrical and disc electrodes (Cylindrical Ion Trap) in which an ion trapping space is created around the center of the space surrounded by the electrodes. In these constructions, the electrodes are composed of a ring electrode, and two end cap electrodes placed at both ends of the ring electrodes, wherein the RF voltage is normally applied to the ring electrode. In either electrode construction, the mass to charge ratio (m/e) of an ion determines whether the ion is trapped in the trapping space in a stable manner, or whether its movement becomes unstable and it collides with the electrodes, or it is ejected from an opening of the electrodes. The theory of an ion trapping method is explained in, for example, R. E. March and R. J. Hughes, xe2x80x9cQuadrupole Storage Mass Spectrometryxe2x80x9d, John Wiley and Sons, 1989, pp. 31-110.
The ion stability condition in which an ion is trapped in a stable manner in the three-dimensional quadrupole electric field is shown by the region of 0 less than xcex2r less than 1 and 0 less than xcex2z less than 1 in FIG. 1. The parameter of the ordinate az and that of abscissa qz are represented by the following equation:                                                                         a                z                            =                              -                                                      8                                        eU                                                                              mr                      0                      2                                                                                Ω                      2                                                                                q                z                            =                                                4                                    e                                                        xe2x80x83                                                      V                                                                      mr                    0                    2                                                                          Ω                    2                                                                                (        1        )
where U is the magnitude of the DC voltage, V is the amplitude of the RF voltage, xcexa9 is the angular frequency of the RF voltage, r0 is the dimension of the ring electrode (precisely, its radius at the center), m is the mass of the ion, and e is the electrical charge of the ion.
In many of the recent mass spectrometers using an ion trap device (ion trap mass spectrometers), ions are trapped in such an operation mode that the DC voltage (U) is not applied but the RF voltage (V) is solely applied. In this case, the above-mentioned parameters are on the qz axis or az=0. As seen from FIG. 1, only ions whose mass to charge ratio (m/e) corresponds to the value of qz less than 0.908 can be trapped in the ion trapping space in a stable manner.
Ions are trapped in the ion trapping space as follows. In one method, an electron beam or the like is injected into the ion trapping space so that ions are created in the ion trapping space. In another method, ions are created outside and introduced in the ion trapping space. In any case, only appropriate ions are trapped there and gathered to the center of the ion trapping space with a cooling gas filled in the ion trapping space.
FIG. 2 illustrates an ion analyzing method using a mass selective instability mode (ibid. p.330). First, ions are introduced and cooled (I). Then the RF voltage V is gradually increased (II). As it increases, ions of smaller mass to charge ratios become unstable, and some of these ions are ejected from an opening formed in an electrode. The ejected ions are detected and the amount (or the strength of the detection signal) is plotted against the RF voltage, which produces a mass spectrum (mass analysis).
FIG. 3 shows an MS/MS analyzing method in which the RF voltage is changed in a rather complicated manner (ibid. p.371). Ions are generated in the stage (I), and unnecessary ions of lower mass to charge ratios are eliminated in the stage (II). At this time, ions to be analyzed (precursor ions) are trapped in the ion trapping space. Then the RF voltage is lowered in the stage (III) to obtain the mass spectrum of fragment ions. At this time, the secular frequency of the precursor ions left in the ion trapping space is calculated. In the following stage (IV), an auxiliary RF voltage having the same frequency as the secular frequency of precursor ions is applied to the end cap electrodes. The auxiliary RF voltage creates a dipole electric field in the ion trapping space so that the precursor ions are excited and fragment ions are generated. As the RF voltage is gradually increased in the stage (V), the mass spectrum of the fragment ions is obtained.
In the above example, the ion trapping electric field is changed to select precursor ions. In another method, a special waveform of auxiliary voltage is applied to the end cap electrodes and the precursor ions are selected at high resolution (for example, in the U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,761,545 and 5,134,826). In such a method, the RF voltage is usually maintained constant with high accuracy. If there is an error in the RF voltage, secular frequency of the ions deviates from the original value and high resolution cannot be achieved. If the movement of the ions is not adequately cooled within a reasonable period of time before they are separated, there arises a discrepancy of the secular frequency of the ions and high resolution cannot be achieved, either.
When the RF voltage is intended to be changed and the setting value of the RF voltage is instantly set at the controller side, the actual voltage applied to the ring electrode cannot follow the quick change and it takes some time until the actual voltage reaches the setting value. Especially when the RF voltage is abruptly set to a lower value, a large undershoot occurs in the actual RF voltage. This disturbs ion""s stability in the ion trapping space and some of the ions are lost, which deteriorates the sensitivity and reproducibility of the analysis.
In actual analyzers, a resonant circuit having a high Q value is formed including the capacitance between the electrodes and an external coil. Using such a resonant circuit, a high RF voltage for trapping ions is generated from a rather low RF driving voltage. When the RF voltage is stable, the loss in the resonant circuit due to its resistance and the power supplied to it from the RF driving circuit are balanced. When the setting value of the output voltage of the RF driving circuit is abruptly changed in this state, the balance is lost, and the actual RF voltage applied to the ring electrode approaches the setting value with the time constant proper to the resonant circuit. The time constant of the resonant circuit is about 100 xcexcsec, and it increases as the Q value is increased.
When the setting value of the RF voltage is changed, the output voltage of the RF driving circuit does not become constant. Thus a feedback control is performed so that the monitored value of the actual RF voltage is equal to the setting value. When, for example, the setting value of the RF voltage is abruptly decreased, the actual voltage on the ring electrode cannot follow the change, and monitored value remains unchanged at first. This renders a large discrepancy between the monitored value and the setting value, which brings the output voltage of the RF driving circuit to zero. Then the RF voltage of the ring electrode decreases with the time constant of the resonant circuit. When the actual RF voltage approaches the setting value, the output voltage of the RF driving circuit begins to increase. The actual RF voltage once passes the setting value to a lower value, and then it bounces back and surpasses the setting value. This causes the output voltage of the RF driving circuit to decrease. Thus an undershoot or ringing occurs in the actual RF voltage, and the movement of the ions in the ion trapping space is disturbed. It takes a long time before the actual RF voltage, as well as the output voltage of the RF driving circuit, becomes stable.
In one method of avoiding such a problem associated with a feedback control, the setting value of the RF voltage is changed not abruptly but on a moderate slope to a target value. If the slope is moderate enough, the output of an error amplifier which compares the monitored value of the actual RF voltage with the setting value does not become too large. This eliminates an undershoot in the actual RF voltage, and prevents disturbing and losing ions in the ion trapping space. When the output voltage of the RF driving circuit is made to zero, the actual RF voltage V(t) of the ring electrode approaches to zero exponentially with the time constant xcfx84 of the resonant circuit, as follows.                               V                                (            t            )                          =                              V                                      (                              t                0                            )                                                      exp                                      (                              -                                                      t                    -                                          t                      0                                                        τ                                            )                                                          (        2        )
According to the above equation (2), the changing rate of the RF voltage changes from xe2x88x92V1/xcfx84 to xe2x88x92V2/xcfx84 while the RF voltage is decreased from V1 to V2. If the RF voltage is to be changed on a constant slope, the slope should be inclined less than the smallest value of their absolute value, i.e., xe2x88x92V2/xcfx84 in order for the error amplifier not to overshoot. If, then, the slope is set at xe2x88x92V2/T (where Txe2x89xa7xcfx84), for example, the time needed for the RF voltage to change from V1 to V2 is                                                                         V                1                            -                              V                2                                                    V              2                                          T                =                              (                                                            V                  1                                                  V                  2                                            -              1                        )                              T                                    (        3        )
This means that the time needed to change the RF voltage increases as the value of V2 decreases. It is also necessary to change the slope of the RF voltage setting according to the target value V2 of the RF voltage. When the RF voltage reaches the target value V2, a cooling time is further needed, which elongates the analyzing time and decreases the throughput of the system.
Thus an object of the present invention is to shorten the time necessary to change the RF voltage, and improve the throughput of the system.
Addressing the above problems, the present invention takes the following measures. In an ion trap device using an RF electric field to trap ions, when the amplitude of the RF voltage for generating the RF electric field is changed from a first value to a second value, it is changed according to the exponential function of time. And the time constant of the exponential function is set equal to or longer than the time constant of the resonant circuit for generating the RF electric field.
Owing to the above measures, the time necessary to change the RF voltage is shortened, and an overshoot, undershoot, or ringing of an actual RF voltage on the electrode or electrodes of an ion trap is avoided when the RF voltage setting value is changed, so that movement of ions in the ion trap is not disturbed and the throughput of the ion trap device is improved.


Methods and apparatus for protecting a physical unclonable function (PUF) generator are disclosed. In one example, a PUF generator is disclosed. The PUF generator includes a PUF cell array, a PUF control circuit and a reset circuit. The PUF cell array comprises a plurality of bit cells. Each of the plurality of bit cells is configurable into at least two different stable states. The PUF control circuit is coupled to the PUF cell array and is configured to access each of the plurality of bit cells to determine one of the at least two different stable states upon a power-up of the plurality of bit cells, and generate a PUF signature based on the determined stable states of the plurality of bit cells. The reset circuit is coupled to the PUF cell array and is configured to set the plurality of bit cells to represent their initialization data based on an indication of a voltage tempering event of a supply voltage of the PUF cell array.

A physically unclonable function (PUF) is a physical structure generally within an integrated circuit that provides a number of corresponding outputs (e.g., responses) in response to inputs (e.g., challenges/requests) to the PUF. Each PUF provides one or more sets of request-response pairs. An identity of the integrated circuit may be established by such request-response pairs provided by the PUF.
When a memory cell, e.g. a static random-access memory (SRAM) cell, is used for storing user data and generating PUF, PUF bits (or at least partial PUF bits) may be obtained by lowering the supply voltage powering the cell. A first approach to prevent the cell retention failure attack is to require a separate SRAM block just for building the PUF, which contradicts the idea of using the existing memory of the device for generating PUF and significantly increases the implementation costs. A second approach is to wait until any value stored in the memory has decayed before reading data, once a power tempering is detected. This requires the device to have some notion of time and significantly increases the boot time, which is problematic in many applications. A third approach is to obfuscate the bits used for security purpose by designing the algorithms processing the PUF response such that the device behavior for different start-up states is indistinguishable by the adversary. However, this needs complex cryptographic primitives such as anonymous authentication schemes that typically exceed the capabilities of resource-constrained devices for which a SRAM based PUF is proposed. As such, existing methods and PUF generators are not entirely satisfactory for preventing a cell retention failure attack.

Method and apparatus for protecting a PUF generator

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.


A compartment with a plurality of side-walls and a floor, which together at least partially define a cargo area. The plurality of side-walls include a first side-wall and a second side-wall, wherein the first side-wall is arranged substantially parallel to the second side-wall. The compartment also includes a multi-section panel configured to cover the cargo area. The panel has a first section with a first piece hinged to the first side-wall and a second piece hinged to the first piece, and a second section with a third piece hinged to the second side-wall and a fourth piece hinged to the third piece. When the first, second, third, and fourth pieces are extended relative to the first and second side walls and arranged substantially parallel to the floor, the cargo area is substantially covered by the panel. A vehicle employing such a compartment is also provided.

Vehicles frequently employ storage or cargo areas for carrying personal belongings of the vehicle's passengers and the vehicle's cargo. It may be desirable to cover such storage areas for security, as well as protection of the contents from inclement weather.
A panel may be employed to cover a defined area, such as the vehicle storage area, and form an enclosed compartment. Such a closure panel may also be attached to the compartment for improved convenience.


An electronically programmable fuse (e-fuse) is disclosed. In one embodiment, the e-fuse includes a cathode surrounded only by silicon dioxide; an anode; and a polysilicon-silicide programmable link coupling the anode and the cathode, wherein the anode and the polysilicon-silicide programmable link are surrounded by a low dielectric constant (low-k) material on a top and a side thereof.

1. Technical Field
The disclosure relates generally to integrated circuit (IC) chip fabrication, and more particularly, to an electronically programmable fuse having an anode and link surrounded by a low dielectric constant material.
2. Background Art
Fuse devices are used in numerous integrated circuit (IC) chip applications. For example, fuse devices may be included in redundancy implementation in memory arrays, field programmable arrays, voltage trimming resistors/capacitors, radio frequency (RF) circuit tuning, electronic chip identification, usage tracking/diagnostic data log, remote disablement for a device/car that is reported stolen, read only memory (ROM), etc. Fuse devices are realized using many different technologies and materials in the IC chip fabrication industry. In U.S. Pat. No. 2005/0285224A1, electromigration or agglomeration of silicide is used for an electronically programmable fuse (efuse). U.S. Pat No. 2006/0108662 A1 discloses a single crystal fuse on a semiconductor on insulator (SOI) substrate in which electromigration is used to program the fuse. As in U.S. Pat. No. 2006/0043595A1, phase change materials such as germanium-antimony-tellerium (GST) (Ge2Sb2Te5 or GeSbSi) can be used in a fuse device as well as in non-volatile memory. Anti-fuse devices using gate dioxide breakdown in a typical gate structure are used as well, e.g., as in U.S. Pat. No. 2006/0102982A1.
One challenge relative to these devices is performing efficient programming. That is, controlling electromigration by application of a voltage to cause activation of the fuses. For example, in the case of the non-volatile memory using phase change materials, a new material and/or processing steps compared to the standard complementary metal dioxide semiconductor (CMOS) processing is required for further development to occur. In the case of anti-fuse device using gate dioxide breakdown in a typical gate structure, a high voltage is typically required. However, the high voltage is problematic to other devices.

Electronically programmable fuse having anode and link surrounded by low dielectric constant material

International Business Machines Corporation