There is disclosed a method and apparatus for control of a power control loop. The method comprises the steps of: amplifying a non-constant envelope modulation signal to thereby produce an output signal; combining a power level control signal with a signal representing the envelop of modulation; comparing the combined signal to a signal representing the power level of the output signal to thereby produce a comparison signal; and attenuating the amplified signal in dependence on said comparison signal.

Power control loops, such as provided in wireless communication systems, are typically provided to control and maintain output power at a desired level, and to control transient responses when ramping up or down.
In a TDMA signalling format, a framed structure comprises a number of time slots (or channels). A wireless communications system using TDMA, for example a GSM (global system for mobile telecommunications) system, transmits and receives information over each assigned slot or channel. Each channel of a frame is assigned to a different user with transmission (uplink) information on one frequency band and reception (downlink) information on a separate frequency band communicated over each channel.
Each channel is specified to ramp-up to a required power level for burst transmissions and ramp-down to a required power level in a predetermined amount of time, called a burst. Thus a burst has a ramp-up phase or cycle, an operational phase or cycle, and a ramp-down phase or cycle. GSM specifications also require that the power at the start and end of a burst must be at a specified minimum level and that the transition from the minimum power level to the final required power level must be completed in a specified time window. The time frame for ramping up and down is specified in order to reduce the generation of transient side bands and interference on adjacent channels.
The operation of a typical power control loop is divided into an open loop mode and a closed loop mode. The power control loop runs in open loop mode until the output of the power amplifier has reached a predetermined level, referred to as the switching point. At the switching point an error signal is produced using the difference of a supplied reference signal and the output of a detector which samples the signal at the output of the control loop. An integrator is used to produce a control voltage from the error signal, which is used to control a variable attenuator as a means to control power levels when ramping and during transmission bursts.
FIG. 1(a) depicts a graph of the power output of a power amplifier controlled by a conventional power control loop. During ramp-up, section A, the power output rises to the appropriate level. During transmission or operation, section B, the power output is held substantially steady by the power control loop. During ramp-down, section C, the power output falls.
A disadvantage of conventional power control loops is illustrated in FIG. 1(b). FIG. 1(b) depicts a graph of the power output of a power amplifier transmitting a non-constant envelope modulated burst, such as an AM burst. As in FIG. 1(a), during key up, section A, the power output rises to the appropriate level. However, during transmission, section B, the power output fluctuates according to the amplitude of the signal being transmitted. During key down, section C, the power output falls. A conventional power controller would tend to level out the variations in power due to the AM burst. Such a situation is unacceptable for advanced wireless transmissions using AM. A known solution allowing a conventional power control loop to be used with amplitude modulation transmissions is to add a sample and hold circuit to the power control loop. Power levels are sampled during ramping and the level is held steady during an AM burst. However, FIG. 1(b) illustrates a disadvantage of this approach when applied to advanced modulation schemes, known as gain tilt. Gain tilt can occur during a transmission burst. FIG. 1(b) depicts the gain tilt effect, showing the expected gain level at the end of the burst and the actual gain level due to gain tilt at the end of a burst. The sample and hold circuitry of a conventional power controller works on an assumption that gain does not change during a burst and does not attempt to control gain tilt during the burst.
Because of the problems that arise in the power control loop due to non-constant envelop modulation, in prior art techniques it has generally been possible only to operate in open-loop mode during the operational cycle, or to use only a very low control loop-bandwidth during the operational cycle. The latter solution leads to two particular problem. Firstly, the power control loop is unable to correct for gain variations over the burst, Secondly, because of the slow averaging, certain data patterns can cause transients at the end of the burst when restoring loop-bandwidth just prior to ramp-down.
International patent application publication number WO 01/03292 discloses one known technique directed at improving power control in systems utilising non-constant envelope modulation. The power control operation is based on the use of a sample and hold circuit. During ramp-up, a power level detected at the output of the amplifier is compared to a reference signal to give an error signal used for attenuation of the output signal. During the burst phase, the power level detected at the output of the amplifier is compared to the modulated RF signal to be transmitted to give the error signal used for attenuation of the output signal. Thus, in effect, during the burst the control loop operates in an open-loop mode, with respect to the reference signal, using a scaled envelope signal to generate the loop error signal.
One potential problem with the technique disclosed in WO 01/03292 is that there may be a small offset associated with the sample-and-hold circuit. Thus, there may be a small difference in the control signal applied for the attenuation of the output signal during switching. This may be translated into a glitch in the output signal when switching between the ramp-up period and the operational period.
It is an aim of the present invention to provide an improved power control loop which is suitable for use in non-constant envelope modulation environment but which retains all the advantages of a standard power control loop.

Power control for non-constant envelope modulation


A cooling apparatus includes an electric water pump that circulates a coolant, a radiator that radiates heat of the coolant, an electric fan that cools the radiator, a control device, and first flow rate correction means. The control device controls the discharge flow rate of the electric water pump based on a target flow rate set based on an amount of heat generated in an engine, and controls operation of the electric fan based on a coolant temperature. When the coolant temperature is equal to or higher than a fan operation temperature at which the operation of the electric fan is started, the first flow rate correction means increases the discharge flow rate of the electric water pump in accordance with an increase in the coolant temperature.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a cooling apparatus and a cooling method for an internal combustion engine that includes an electric water pump and an electric fan.
2. Description of the Related Art
A radiator, which cools a coolant for an internal combustion engine, is provided with an electric fan that maintains or assists the cooling performance of the radiator. The electric fan is operated when the temperature of the coolant is higher than a predetermined value. The coolant is circulated between the internal combustion engine and the radiator by a water pump. The water pump is generally operated using an engine output. The flow rate of the water pump is changed in synchronization with a change in an engine speed. Therefore, when the engine speed is low, the flow rate is low.
Accordingly, for example, a cooling apparatus described in Japanese Patent No. 2767995 includes a first water pump that is operated using an engine output; and a second water pump that is operated by an electric motor. When the engine speed is low, and the flow rate of the first water pump is insufficient, the second water pump is operated to compensate for the insufficiency.
The electric water pump and the electric fan consume electric power when the electric water pump and the electric fan are operated. Therefore, unless the electric water pump and the electric fan are controlled taking into account the efficiency of cooling the coolant, for example, the electric power consumed in the vehicle may be unnecessarily increased. Such an unnecessary increase in the consumed electric power may lead to, for example, an increase in the operating load of the alternator, which adversely affects the fuel efficiency of the internal combustion engine.

Cooling apparatus and cooling method for internal combustion engine


A method, system and computer-usable medium for a policy validator that automates the validation of existing or proposed policies. A segmented questionnaire wizard is implemented to guide a policy creator through a series of policy-related questions, resulting in the automated generation of a questionnaire used for validating the policy. The resulting validation questionnaire is automatically distributed to predetermined subject matter experts and individuals affected by the policy, whose responses are then analyzed and scored by the policy validator to determine the validity of the policy. If the resulting validation score is within a predetermined, acceptable range, the policy is approved and released for implementation. Otherwise, the process is repeated until an acceptable validation score is achieved.

The present invention relates in general to the field of computers and other data processing systems, including hardware, software, and processes. More specifically, the present invention relates to automated validation of policies.
Many of today's business policies are put into effect as the result of internal or external events instead of business, market or economic drivers. Whether their genesis is internal, external, or both, they are often mandated by parties that demand their enforcement, but may not be aware of their potential to contradict or conflict with other compliance mandates. In some cases, existing internal policies not only conflict with or contradict current laws, regulations, or policies, they place the organization at legal or financial risk. In other cases, new policies are put into effect that unwittingly offset, conflict with, or undermine existing policies.
While policies can be collaboratively created or modified, their validation may be limited by a number of factors, including but not limited to, awareness and knowledge of overriding government legislation or industry rules. This situation can become further exacerbated when subject matter experts have either not been identified or consulted to establish the viability or ramifications of their enactment and enforcement. In some situations, the proper knowledge resources exist within the organization, but the policy makers are unaware of their existence. In other situations, best efforts are made to identify and seek advice from the most appropriate and knowledgeable resources, only to inadvertently ask questions that lack relevancy.
As a result, there is an increased likelihood of establishing ineffective, counterproductive, or unenforceable policies, all due to the fact that proposed policies have not been properly validated. Current approaches attempt to address different aspects of these issues, yet the underlying issue of identifying and maximizing the use of the most suitable knowledge resource possible remains unaddressed. In view of the foregoing, there is a need for automatically identifying the most appropriate and knowledgeable subject matter experts within an organization and presenting proposed policies for their review, feedback and validation prior to their approval.

Segmented questionnaire validation of business rules based on scoring

International Business Machines Corporation


A game involves establishing a Wi-Fi connection for retrieving a template used to create a level for the game. A play test is conducted to determine if the created level of the game can be played. The created game level can be shared with other players and/or submitted as a contest for play and competition judging by other players.

Within the last decade, computerized gaming, computer graphics and electronic networking have revolutionized remote networked game play. The Internet, cellular communications networks, and wireless communications networks such as WI-FI have opened exciting new possibilities for networked multiplayer gaming. If one desires the competitiveness of a multiplayer game and it isn't practical or possible to invite friends over, it's now possible to connect to a network and use the network to carry game play signaling between different gaming or other appliances. A child can now operate a handheld gaming platform at a kitchen table or in a fast food restaurant and interact wirelessly in real time with another player across town, across the country or on the other side of the globe. One can play against friends, neighbors, acquaintances or people one hasn't yet met. Contests are also possible.
Further exemplary illustrative non-limiting features and advantages of an exemplary illustrative non-limiting implementation involve providing contest templates through Wi-Fi or other wireless or wired connections wherein users submit their own creations of game contest levels, evaluate each others creations, and see auto-calculated results. This new system can provide the following services:                Updating information by using Newsfeed.        Provide templates specific to certain rules and restrictions available on the server for users to build their user driven contest (UDC) level from.        Maintain server.        Monitor/patrol all activities for security reasons.        Remove any items not suitable to share with public audience.
Users will enjoy this Wi-Fi social event by uploading their own created game contest levels and downloading game contest levels of others and evaluating the results. Evaluation results will be automatically calculated and winners of the contest will be posted on under the "contest" section of the game.
By selecting the Construction Zone Menu of the game, the user is provided with a quick tutorial series on how to build levels by actual hands on experience. Once the tutorial series is completed, users are allowed to create their own levels using downloaded game templates.
A created game level can be saved, play tested, reset to its initial state, or exited without saving. Saved game levels can be shared with other players.
In a Challenge Mode, a user can create a custom level based on a particular theme and/or rules and submit it to an online competition judged by other players. Play levels created by other users can be downloaded by the user and judged once. The judging results for any submitted level can be accessed online.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Systems, methods and techniques for safely and effectively coordinating video game play contests both on and off line


A thin film forming apparatus of the present invention comprises: a reaction chamber for receiving therein a substrate and a thin film forming gas; an ultraviolet laser beam oscillator for generating an ultraviolet laser beam for causing dissociation of the thin film forming gas to thereby form a thin film over the surface of the substrate; and a plasma generator for generating ions for controlling growth of a thin film.

The present invention relates to a thin-film forming apparatus utilizing laser beam and more aparticularly to a thin-film forming apparatus capable of forming thin diamond films, cubic system boron nitride and the like having thermal conductivity, electrical insulation properties and a high degree of purity at a high rate over the surfaces of substrates which are substantially maintained at room temperature as an average temperature while controlling the qualities of thin films being formed
In order to carry out the thin film forming techniques in practice, it has been desired that a thin film forming process be carried out at low temperatures so that the adverse thermal effects on the substrates can be avoided and concurrently that the thin film formation can be carried out at a high growth or deposition rate in order to reduce the thin-film formation costs.
In order to attain the above-mentioned conditions, there has been proposed a novel thin-film forming technique called a laser CVD process in which thin-film-forming gases are optically dissociated by high-energy photons released from a ultraviolet laser beam. According to this process, gases can be dissociated only by the high-energy photons so that the process has a feature that the reaction products can be deposited on the substrate at a high deposition rate at low temperatures. However, it has been difficult to form high-quality thin films in a stable manner, since there is not provided a mechanism for controlling the composition of the reaction products resulting from the reaction between the photons and the thin-film-forming gases or for controlling the process for forming a thin film of a reaction product on a substrate.
FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a conventional laser beam CVD apparatus utilizing a laser beam which is disclosed, for instance, in Applied Physics Letter, Vol 43, No. 5, pp 454-456.
In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 represents an ultraviolet laser beam oscillator; 2, an ultraviolet laser beam; 3, a cylindrical telescope for attaining an energy density of the laser beam required for dissociation of thin-film-forming gases; 4, a window adapted to isolate the thin-film-forming gas atmosphere from the surrounding atmosphere and to introduce the ultraviolet laser beam 2 into a reaction chamber 5; 51, an inlet port for introducing the thin-film-forming gas mixture into the reaction chamber 5; 52, an output port for discharging the thin-film-forming gas mixture to the surrounding atmosphere; 6, a substrate; 7, a suceptor incorporating therein a heater for heating the substrate 6.
The ultraviolet laser beam 2 emitted from the ultraviolet laser oscillator 1 is concentrated by the cylindrical telescope 3 so as to have an energy density sufficient to cause the dissociation of the thin-film-forming gases and then is introduced through the window 4 into the reaction chamber 5 having the thin-film-forming gas atmosphere. The ultraviolet laser beam 2 passes in parallel with the substrate 6 along the path spaced apart therefrom by a few millimeters, thereby causing the dissociation of the thin-film-forming gases. The reaction product is deposited over the surface of the substrate 6 by diffusion.
However, there is a problem in that a thin film formed by the reaction product resulting from the dissociation of the thin-film-forming gases by the high-energy photons includes impurities depending upon the kinds of thin-film-formation gases in that a desired crystal structure may not be obtained as expected. In view of the above, the conventional CVD apparatus shown in FIG. 1 employs a process wherein the surface of the substrate is heated to temperature of hundreds of degrees (.degree. C) by the heater incorporated in the suceptor, thereby controlling the quality of a thin film being deposited on the substrate.
As described above, it has been difficult to obtain thin films having desired properties or quality by the conventional laser beam thin-film forming apparatus, since they have no mechanism for controlling the reaction products. In addition, in order to control the quality of a thin film, only the process of heating the surface of the substrate to hundreds of degrees (.degree. C) has been used in the conventional apparatus In other words, it is impossible to control the quality of the thin films at low temperatures.


The present invention provides novel processes of preparing racemic and optically active cyclopentenones of Formula I:

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to novel processes for preparing cyclopentenones of Formula I,
which are useful for the preparation of the corresponding benzindene Prostaglandins. The invention also relates to novel cyclopentenones prepared from the processes.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Benzindene prostaglandins are known to be useful to treat a variety of conditions. Cyclopentenones of Formula I
wherein P1 is a protecting group for the phenol group, which are also disclosed in the co-pending patent application filed on the even date and entitled "INTERMEDIATES FOR THE SYNTHESIS OF BENZINDENE PROSTAGLANDINS AND PREPARATIONS THEREOF," are key intermediates for the synthesis of benzindene Prostaglandins. Racemic or optically active cyclopentenones of Formula I were not disclosed in the prior art. As shown in the following Scheme 1, Sato disclosed in J. Org. Chem., 59, 21, 6153 (1994) optically active cyclopentenones of Formula B and a process for preparing the same:

However, this preparation process yielded as low as 10%. Moreover, the starting material of Formula A used in this preparation is costly and not easy to obtain as it normally would be obtained from a 11-step synthesis process starting with the expensive D-erythro-Pent-1-ental of Formula C as shown in the following Scheme 2 [J. Org. Chem., 53, 23, 5590 (1994); JP 07252276].

There has been a demand for a process for the preparation of the cyclopentenones of Formula I that involves less steps and is more convenient to operate.

Processes for preparing cyclopentenones and cyclopentenones for the synthesis of benzindene prostaglandins

Abstract: The invention also provides novel cyclopentenones of formula I in racemic or optically active form.


The present invention provides an implantable device for semiautomatic suturing using a surgical thread, the suturing enabling biological and/or artificial tissues to be united, the device comprising: blocking means enabling two strands of the thread of a suture to be connected together in a blocking zone; a bearing element having a bearing surface for bearing against the tissues to be sutured together; and controlled tensioning means for applying controlled tensioning to said thread, and suitable, after the two strands of said thread have been blocked together using said blocking means, for exerting a tension at a first predetermined tension value, with the junction between said bearing element and said blocking zone of the device being provided by said controlled tensioning means.

In minimally invasive surgery, anastomoses are often made using sutures of surgical thread secured by knots. Tying a knot on an organ or a vessel constitutes a difficult step during surgery since:                any slackening of sutures can lead to complications that are severe or even fatal;        tying knots while using a laparoscopic approach is technically difficult; and        the increasing number of knots required increases the duration of surgery in significant manner, and for certain operations, such as those involving vascular clamping where operating time must be kept very short, that can run the risk of leading to operative or postoperative complications.
Proposals have been made to use clip or staple type devices, in particular in U.S. Pat. No. 5,356,459 which seeks to replace suture thread in order to avoid the need to tie knots. Nevertheless, surgeons prefer to use thread when suturing, since they have acquired automatic and habitual skills such that the sutures they make in this way are tried and tested. In addition, the reliability of clip or staple type devices has yet to be validated.

Semi-automatic suture device for using surgical thread

Unversite de la Mediterranee (Aix-Marseille II)

Centre Nationale de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)


A solid-state imaging device includes a pixel that has a photoelectric conversion section which converts incident light into an electric signal; a color filter which is formed corresponding to the pixel; a micro lens which focuses the incident light to the photoelectric conversion section via the color filter; and an in-layer lens which is formed between the color filter and the micro lens and has a refractive index smaller than that of the micro lens.

The present disclosure relates to a solid-state imaging device, a method of manufacturing the solid-state imaging device, and an electronic apparatus.
In the related art, as the solid-state imaging device used in digital cameras and video cameras, there are a CCD type solid-state imaging device and a CMOS type solid-state imaging device. The solid-state imaging device images an imaging target by sensing light focused by a micro lens by a light sensing section through a color filter.
In recent years, for example, along with a reduction in size of an apparatus such as a digital camera, and a mobile phone on which the solid-state imaging device are mounted, there is a demand for a reduction in size and an increase in pixels of the solid-state imaging device. However, there is a problem in that, when reducing the size and increasing the pixels of the solid-state imaging device, the distance between the light sensing section and the micro lens is shortened, incident light to the light sensing section is reduced, and thus, sensitivity of the solid-state imaging device declines.
Thus, there is a method of increasing the incident light to the light sensing section by providing a plurality of lenses to change a focal position of the incident light, thereby improving sensitivity of the solid-state imaging device (for example, see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication Nos. 04-233759 and 2009-224361).

Solid-state imaging device with lens, method of manufacturing solid-state imaging device with lens, and electronic apparatus


Image or graphic elements such as pictures, icons and clip art, are intercepted during transfer from a computer source to a computer destination, such as during a cut-and-paste operation. Embedded text within the intercepted element is optically recognized, and encoded text is extracted. It is determined if the language of the text matches a desired language of the destination. If not, a translation of the optically-recognized text data is performed, and the translated text data is rendered into image data. The image data is then substituted into the intercepted element to overlay or replace the original embedded text, thereby “translating” the image or graphic element to a desired destination language. The modified image or graphic element is then delivered to the destination, such as a document, program, file or data structure.

This patent application is a continuation-in-part of the following U.S. patent applications: (a) application Ser. No. 10/455,159, filed on Jun. 5, 2003 now U.S. Pat. No. 7,310,781; (b) application Ser. No. 10/692,173, filed on Oct. 23, 2003; and (c) application Ser. No. 10/755,832, filed on Jan. 12, 2004.
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to methods for transferring information from one computer resource to another computer resource during which the information is translated from an initial natural or native language to a selected destination language. This invention relates especially to the handling of text embedded and encoded in images when transferred between computer programs.
2. Background of the Invention
Modern multi-tasking computers provide a variety of user interfaces for controlling multiple application programs and system functions which operate simultaneously. Some of the most widely used multi-tasking computer systems are personal computers ("PC") running a multi-tasking operating system ("OS") such as International Business Machines' ("IBM") OS/2™ or AIX™, Microsoft Windows™, and Apple Computer's MacOS™. Other operating systems may be used with personal computers as well as larger computers such as enterprise-class computers, such as UNIX, Sun Microsystems' Solaris™, Hewlett Packard's HP-UX™, and the "open sourced" LINUX. Smaller computing platforms such as held-held computers, personal digital assistants ("PDA"), and advanced wireless telephones may run operating systems targeted for such hardware including Palm Computing's PalmOS™ and Microsoft's Windows CE™. Additionally, there are many "proprietary" and less widely-used computing platforms and operating systems which also allow users to control and run multiple programs and system functions simultaneously.
Many of these systems will use tabs, icons, windows, frames, pages and special key combinations to allow a user to switch between user interfaces ("UI") for each program and system function which is being executed, or to start or stop the execution of a program or system function. For example, in a personal computer running MS Windows™, the user may first start a web browser program running using several methods (e.g. double clicking an icon on the desktop, selecting the program from a Start Programs list, operating a "hot key", etc.), and then may start a document editor program using similar methods. Each program establishes a user interface such as its own "window". The user can then control a program by selecting its window using one of several available methods, such as selecting a button or icon on a command bar, activating a "task list" and selecting a program, etc. As a result, a user can start and run many programs simultaneously, periodically switching between their user interfaces to accomplish work or entertainment tasks as needed. Other computing systems provide similar basic user control capabilities, albeit with a variety of user controls to switch between programs and system functions.
Users often wish to copy or transfer information or "content" from one program or system function to another. For example, a user may be preparing an invoice for a client using a word processor program, but may also be simultaneously using a database or spreadsheet program to perform various calculations. Using "copy and paste" functions of the application programs and the operating system, the user may select information from a source program (e.g. the spreadsheet), and "paste" it into the destination program (e.g. the invoice being edited). Such a process is so common place in computer users' daily lives that it is rote, albeit each user may know several sequences of actions for several computers which he or she commonly uses (e.g. one process on his home PC, another on his PDA, and another on his networked terminal at work). These memorized methods may typically include several steps of clicking on icons, dropping down lists, highlighting information, and using navigation controls within program UI's.
For example, turning to FIG. 1, a "windows" style user interface is depicted to illustrate a process of "copying" information from a web browser program to a word processor file via a "clipboard" memory. In this system, each program provides a window (2, 3, 104) which can be closed (9,9′) to end the program, maximized (8,8′) to view the full UI for that program, or minimized (7,7′) to leave the program running but deactivate the UI (e.g. clear the UI window from the screen). In this example, these controls are located in a command bar (4,4′) along the top of the UI window, but many other variations are known in the art.
Each UI window also typically has navigation controls such as left panning (15, 15′), right panning (13, 13′), and horizontal scroll (14, 14′) controls, as well as up panning (10, 10′), down panning (12, 12′), and vertical scroll (11, 11′), for viewing areas of information and content not completely viewable in the UI. Information, icons, text, graphics, etc., are shown or displayed within (16, 18) the UI window according to the scroll and panning control settings. More recently, the term "content" (16, 18) has been used to collectively refer to all types of information which may be displayed or presented in a user interface, including but not limited to text, graphics, still images, animated images, video, audio, and hyperlinks.
Now suppose for the purpose of our example, the user has started a word processing program which provides a first UI window (2), and a web browser which provides a second UI window (3). Also suppose that the user is researching information on the Internet using the web browser while authoring a paper which is being edited simultaneously using the word processor.
In this example, the user has found information (19) at a hypothetical web address (17) that he wants to "quote" in his or her paper. So, the user must first move the cursor (104) in the word processor to select an insertion point for the information, then must switch to the web browser UI, select the text (19) in the source content, operate a "copy" command in the web browser UI which copies (101) the content into a buffer (100) such as a "clipboard", switch back to the word processor UI, and operate a "paste" or "insert" command, which results in the copied content (19) being inserted into the destination document at the point of insertion (103). The user can repeat this process for many different program UI's (106).
In some software and hardware configurations, the copy buffer may be provided within a suite of application programs which are "tightly coupled" or related. Such suites cooperate with each other in ways not possible with software programs provided by differing suppliers. In many cases, however, the operating system provides a buffer function which is generally accessible by all programs, such as the clipboard in the MS Windows™ operating system.
Also, in some situations, the original content with its original format may not be acceptable by the destination program, and as such, a specialized paste or insertion function (105) may be provided by the destination program or operating system which converts the content to a form useful by the destination program. For example, text copied from a web page may include color, size, font, style, and hyperlink reference information embedded in the base Hyper Text Markup Language ("HTML") of the source web page. However, not all word processors are able to interpret all of these special codes and identifiers, so a "paste as plain text" option may be provided by a converter or translator (105) function.
So, to illustrate the complexity and tedious nature of such ordinary operations, we present the steps in full to accomplish this example scenario of simply transferring a block of formatted text from a web page to a word processor program, starting from a point where the user is editing the destination document in the word processor:                (a) navigate to the insertion point in the destination document using the word processor UI window controls (e.g. multiple clicks on scroll, panning or page up/page down keys);        (b) optionally select text or content in the destination document which is to be replaced;        (c) switch to the web browser UI window (e.g. click on an icon in a task bar, activate a task list and pick a running web browser program, etc.);        (d) navigate in the web browser UI window to find the text or content desired to be transferred into the document (e.g. use panning, scrolling, or page up/page down keys);        (e) select the source content or text (e.g. click-and-drag over the content to highlight it)        (f) transfer the content to a copy buffer (e.g. click on "Edit" command, select "copy" option or type Alt-E, Alt-C);        (g) switch back to the word processor UI window (e.g. (e.g. click on a icon in a task bar, activate a task list and pick a running web browser program, etc.); and        (h) operate a "paste" command in the word processor UI window (e.g. click on "Edit" command, select "paste" option or type Alt-E, Alt-P).
Each of these operations may actually require several steps (clicking, scrolling, selecting, typing, etc.), so this minimal process may represent 7 to 25 actual user actions. This process must be repeated for each block of text or content to be transferred from multiple program UI windows (106), and additional steps may be necessary to achieve a "special paste", as described above. Also, if the same text or content is to be inserted into the destination document for file at multiple locations, the last few operations of this process (h) in addition to some navigation actions must by performed by the user.
As a result, consolidating information from multiple sources of information may be extremely tedious, frustrating, and tiresome using the currently available methods and apparatuses provided in such computing systems. Some systems may provide notably more "user friendly" or intuitive methods, while other systems are much more difficult and "clunky" to use.
Turning now to FIG. 2, this type of process is generalized. Starting at a point or time (21) when the user is actively working with the destination program UI, the user must navigate (22) within the present document, file, or other computer resource to a point where the content insertion is to be made, including selecting any content which is to be replaced. Then, the user must switch (23) to the UI of the first source of information, navigate (24) to the first source content to be transferred, select that content, and operate (25) a copy or cut control in the first source UI.
Next, the user must switch (26) back to the destination UI, and operate (27) an insert or paste command in that UI. If (28) the user wants to insert or paste that content into multiple destinations, the user must navigate (29) to each destination and operate (27) the paste or insert command in the destination program UI, until all insertions have been made for that source information.
If (200) the user desires to transfer information from other points in the same source, or from other sources, the user must repeatedly switch (201) to a source UI, navigate to a source content point, select source information, operate (25) a copy or cut operation, switch (26) back to the destination UI, and paste or insert (27) the content, until all information has been transferred.
Implied, but not shown in detail, in this generalization of the process can be multiple user actions for each general step. Optionally, options such as conversion of the content may be necessary, which requires additional user actions (e.g. the "paste as plain text" example).
So, it is possible that in the course of authoring a paper using a word processor and information from several sources the user may have to perform hundreds of tedious actions, commands, selections, navigation operations, etc.
In this paradigm, certain conventions have evolved into place which only moderately simplify or reduce the burden of such operations. For example, performing a "cut" operation usually deletes the selected source content from the source file, and places a copy of it into the transfer buffer, sometimes overwriting the current contents of the transfer buffer. A "copy" operation typically leaves the selected information unchanged in the source and only places a copy of the information in the transfer buffer. Additionally, in the destination UI, a "paste" or "insert" command may copy the contents of transfer buffer to a selected point in the destination document or file, leaving a copy in the transfer buffer for additional pastes or insertions.
In some computer programs, a "paste special", "import from clipboard", or similar command may be available with several conversion options to perform a minimal conversion process on each transfer. However, even though the user may be performing the same "paste special" command over and over, the typical UI does not memorize or "learn" this process, so the user is forced to respond to a number of redundant options and dialogs on each paste operation.
The same user interface conventions are followed by many computer systems not only for content or information within a computer resource such as text and graphics within a file, but also for resources (e.g. files, shortcuts, icons, mappings, etc.) within a computing environment (e.g. file system, directories, folders, etc.). For example, when working with a MS Windows™ operating system and running the Windows Explorer program, a user may select a file, directory or folder to move, execute an "Edit-Cut" command sequence, navigate to another directory or drive, and execute an "Edit-Paste" command to move the selected resource to the new destination. Similarly, by selecting the source resource, executing a copy command, and then executing a paste command to one or more destinations, the original resource is not changed but copies of it are deposited at the destination points. Further, by selecting and copying a source resource, then selecting a destination resource, replacement of the destination resource may be accomplished.
However, as source information may or may not be completely compatible with destination environment, the user, even when using the related invention, may be required to make certain tedious and inconvenient operations to perform the information transfer usefully.
For example, consider a situation where the source information is a graphically rich section of a web page, including text and color photographs. Further assume for the purposes of this example that the color photographs are stored in the source document as Joint Photographic Experts Group ("JPEG") format data objects. If the user attempts to transfer this selected information (e.g. text+photograph) to a destination which does not support JPEG photographs, such as a text-only editor, a problem may arise that cannot be completely handled by the related invention—e.g. what to do with the photograph. In some other cases, destination editor may be able to handle other format images, such as Graphic Interface File ("GIF") images, but not JPEG images.
The user may, after realizing this and with sufficient technical expertise, find a way to export the image and save it to a separate file, use another tool to convert the JPEG image to a GIF image, and then use the related invention to transfer the GIF image to the destination document. This process, however, requires the user to have the expertise necessary to make such an export and conversion, as well as to have the extra tool to perform the conversion. Further, if this is a task to be repeated often, such as cutting and pasting a considerable amount of information in this manner, it becomes tedious, tiresome, and error-prone.
Additionally, in some situations, it is desirable to translate the initial spoken language of the source to another spoken language. For example, if a user is creating a Spanish-language newspaper and desires to quote an source which is provided in English, the present day systems require the user to perform all of the cut-and-paste steps as just described, as well as to some how perform a language translation on the English source text. The translation can be performed manually, or the user may have to retype the English text into a translation program, select an option to translate the text to Spanish, and then retype or cut-and-paste the Spanish text into the desired destination file or document. To achieve a computer-assisted translation such as this, the user may use one of many well-known programs or online services, such as AltaVista's online BabelFish™ phrase translator. However, to use these existing tools, the user must treat the translation program (or web site) as yet another source and/or destination, and must perform many user operations to effect cutting and pasting from source to translator, and from translator to destination. If the user is translating several phrases several sources, and inserting the translated text into a plurality of destination points, this process can be very cumbersome and tedious.
Therefore, there existed a need in the art for a system and method to provide configurable automatic source-to-destination spoken language translation for transferring information from one or more source environments in one or more initial spoken language to one or more destination environments in a selected spoken language.
One of the related patent applications disclosed a solution for automatic translation of text during transfer between computer programs, but this related invention did not address embedded text or encoded text within a graphic file such as an image or icon.
For the purposes of this disclosure, we will define "encoded text" as text which is associated with a graphical object, but which is represented in a non-optical or non-visual form, such as the text which is part of common "vector graphics" images such as Windows Meta Files ("WMF"), PostScript™ data, Hewlett-Packard Graphic Language ("HPGL")™, Adobe Portable Document Format ("PDF")™, as well as various proprietary and other "open" graphics languages and formats. In each of these formats, some text strings are "encoded" by storing the text string along with descriptors regarding the font, size, color, effects (underline, bold, italics, etc.), and location of the text string. This text, with proper knowledge of the encoding format, can be extracted from the graphical object without the need for Optical Character Recognition.
For the purposes of this disclosure, we will define "embedded text" as text which is incorporated into a digital image, and which is not represented by "text data" (e.g. not encoded text), but is represented as digital images of text, such as bitmaps which appear to be text to a user. Embedded text must be found within such a graphical object using human recognition, or through Optical Character Recognition techniques.
It is common vector graphics objects (PDF, WMF, HPGL, PostScript, etc.) to contain both embedded text and encoded text.
Often times, graphics on a web page or any source contains multiple embedded text phrases. By using an existing image editor, such as Adobe PhotoShop™, and a translation tool such as a translation dictionary, a user must perform several user operations to effect editing, cutting and pasting between source to editor, editor to translator, translator back to editor and finally editor to destination. In addition, if the user is translating multiple phrases several image sources, and inserting the translated text into a plurality of destination points, this process becomes very monotonous and tiresome.
For example, as shown in FIG. 8, a graphic file contains apparent text words within the image itself (80). The image file is typically digitized in various formats such as JPG, TIF, PNG, and BMP. These types of graphic files can be obtained from various sources such as web browsers, text editors or image editor programs. In this example image of a city library on a street corner, there are five locations or regions in which embedded text can be found.                (1) on the wall where there is a sign which denotes a "City Library" (81);        (2) on the wall where there is a sign showing a street address of "900 Main St." (82);        (3) on a pole, a street sign which reads "Main St." (83);        (4) on a left door which is marked "out" (84); and        (5) on a right door which is marked "in" (85).
This embedded, text, however, is not actually text data in the sense that it is comprised of regions of pixels which appear to a viewer to be text. Thus, using the presently available technology, an user wishing to transfer this image from an English document to a French document, for example, would have to perform the following general actions, each of which involve multiple steps:                (a) manually examine the image to find all of the embedded text;        (b) for each embedded text word or phrase, perform a natural language translation, such as translating "Main St." to "Rue Main";        (c) open the image file or object in an image editor such as Adobe PhotoShop™;        (d) perform multiple operations to replace or overlay the embedded text areas with the translated text words and phrases;        (e) export or save the modified image to an image file or object; and        (f) insert the modified image file or object into the new document.
These steps require several distinct skill sets, such as being capable of performing language translations and being capable of using an image editor program, and can be quite time consuming.
Similarly, to properly translate the encoded text portions of a graphical object, one would need to use an editor which is capable of editing the graphical object (e.g. a PostScript editor, a PDF editor, etc.), and would need to perform the NLS translation on the encoded text in order to produce a "translated" graphical object. Again, this requires expertise in several domains, including using the editor software as well as being literate in the two languages (e.g. the source NLS and the destination NLS).
Therefore, there is a need in the art for a system and method to provide configurable automatic source-to-destination spoken language translation for transferring information from one or more source environments in one or more initial spoken languages to one or more destination environments in a selected spoken language for embedded text and encoded text within graphic image files, elements and objects.

System and method for automatic natural language translation of embedded text regions in images during information transfer


The location of a vehicle having an assigned serial number is determined at a location remote from the vehicle with a system including a central master station and plural local networks, each having a local master station in a bi-directional communication link with the central master station. Each vehicle includes a receiver for Loran-C emissions, a transmitter for modulating a first carrier having a frequency much higher than the Loran-C emissions with pulses having time positions corresponding with and synchronized with Loran-C pulses as the received Loran-C emissions, and a receiver for a second carrier having a frequency much higher than the Loran-C emissions. The first carrier is modulated by vehicle serial number signals. The carriers are transmitted via radio links between the local master station and vehicle. The local master station responds to the first carrier to detect the time difference between pulses modulating the first carrier to determine vehicle position. A data signal transmitted by the local master station to the central master station indicates the vehicle position and serial number. The central master station responds to the data signal to indicate vehicle location and serial number. The central master station transmits an information signal including a vehicle serial number to the local master stations. The central master station derives a voice signal that is converted to an aural signal at the vehicle with the designated serial number. The vehicle includes a receiver for a locally generated vehicle identification signal vehicle condition sensors. Activation of the transmitter on the vehicle is controlled in response to the receiver for the locally generated coded signal and the sensed vehicle conditions, and in response to the serial number signal originating at the central master station.

The need to locate vehicles, such as automobiles and boats, has been recognized for years. Various systems have been developed to monitor vehicle position. Such systems can be used by owners of vehicle fleets, such as for automobile rental and trucks involved in long distance hauling. In addition such systems can be used for detecting the locations of vehicles used by unauthorized users, e.g., stolen vehicles.
Gray et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,651,157 discloses a system wherein the locations of vehicles being protected from theft are responsive to Loran-C emissions. Each vehicle includes a Loran-C receiver and computes the time difference between receipt at the vehicle of the Loran-C pulses. The time difference signals are transmitted from the vehicle to a central station, where computation of vehicle longitude and latitude is performed. Computing the time difference on board the vehicle is quite expensive because of the need for high frequency microprocessors and very stable clock sources. If relatively low frequency microprocessors and conventional clock sources are employed, the required accuracy of the time difference signals derived at each vehicle is not adequate to determine the location of the vehicle with a high degree of accuracy.
It is, accordingly, an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved apparatus for and method of determining the position of a vehicle having a radio receiver for low frequency electromagnetic waves, such as those derived from at least three Loran-C transmitters.
Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved relatively inexpensive system for and method of determining the position and identity of a vehicle being used by an unauthorized user.
Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved system for and method of determining the position of an unauthorized vehicle wherein pulses that are synchronized and correspond with received emissions from Loran-C transmitters modulate a radio wave derived on the vehicle.
Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved system for and method of determining the position of a vehicle in response to a command signal for the vehicle identity initiated at a central master station.


Embodiments of the invention include a method for forming a FinFET device and the resulting structure. A semiconductor device including a substrate, a silicon-germanium fin formed on the substrate, a dummy gate formed on the fin, and a first set of spacers formed on the exposed sidewalls of the dummy gate is provided. Xenon is implanted into the exposed portions of the fin. A second set of spacers are formed on the exposed sidewalls of the first set of spacer. A dopant is implanted into the exposed portions of the fin. The semiconductor device is thermally annealed, such that the dopants diffuse into the adjacent portions of the fin. The dummy gate is replaced with a gate structure.

The present invention relates generally to the field of transistors, and more particularly to controlling the junction of FinFET devices.
With the down scaling of integrated circuits and higher requirements for the number of transistors present in integrated circuits, transistors need to have higher drive currents with progressively smaller dimensions. In its basic form, a FinFET device includes a source, a drain and one or more fin-shaped channels between the source and the drain. A gate electrode over the fin(s) regulates electron flow between the source and the drain. In general, FinFET designs facilitate manufacturing smaller and smaller transistors, however controlling the fabrication steps required to create sufficiently small transistors is often problematic.

Silicon-germanium FinFET device with controlled junction


The present specification relates to a compound and an organic electronic device including the same.

Representative examples of an organic electronic device include an organic light emitting device. In general, an organic light emitting phenomenon refers to a phenomenon in which electric energy is converted into light energy by using an organic material. An organic light emitting device using the organic light emitting phenomenon usually has a structure including a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and an organic material layer interposed therebetween. Here, the organic material layer may have a multi-layered structure composed of different materials in order to improve the efficiency and stability of an organic light emitting device in many cases, and for example, may be composed of a hole injection layer, a hole transporting layer, a light emitting layer, an electron transporting layer, an electron injection layer, and the like. In the structure of the organic light emitting device, if a voltage is applied between two electrodes, holes are injected from a positive electrode into the organic material layer and electrons are injected from a negative electrode into the organic material layer, and when the injected holes and electrons meet each other, an exciton is formed, and light is emitted when the exciton falls down again to a ground state.
Such an organic light emitting device has been known to have characteristics such as self-emission, high brightness, high efficiency, a low driving voltage, a wide viewing angle, high contrast, and a quick responsiveness.
In an organic light emitting device, materials used as an organic material layer may be classified into a light emitting material and a charge transporting material, for example, a hole injection material, a hole transporting material, an electron transporting material, an electron injection material, and the like depending on the function. Further, the light emitting materials may be divided into blue, green, and red light emitting materials depending on the light emitting color, and into yellow and orange light emitting materials required for implementing a much better natural color. Meanwhile, when only one material is used as the light emitting material, there occur problems in that a maximum light emitting wavelength moves to a long wavelength due to an interaction between molecules, color purity deteriorates, or the efficiency of the device is reduced due to a light emission diminution effect, and accordingly, a host/dopant-based material may be used as the light emitting material in order to increase color purity and increase light emitting efficiency through an energy transfer.
In order for an organic light emitting device to sufficiently exhibit the above-described excellent characteristics, materials which form an organic material layer in the device, for example, a hole injection material, a hole transporting material, a light emitting material, an electron transporting material, an electron injection material, and the like first need to be supported by stable and efficient materials, but stable and efficient materials for an organic material layer for an organic light emitting device have not been sufficiently developed up to now. Therefore, there is a continuous need for developing a new material, and the need for developing such materials also applies to the above-described other organic electronic devices.

Compound and organic electronic device comprising same


An adjustable lamp includes a lamp and a scattering shade which is slidable on the lamp. The scattering shade has a front end coupled with a reflective blade which is bent at a selected angle to reflect light. By sliding the scattering shade on a light penetrative shade, the position of the reflective blade can be changed to alter the reflective direction of the light.

There are a wide variety of handheld lamps on the market. For instance R.O.C. patent Nos. M299254 entitled "Flashlight", M297430 entitled "Flashlight" and M290205 entitled "Multifunctional structure for flashlights to provide versatile light" generally have a barrel case to house a power supply and a switch circuit, and at least one lamp bulb at a front end to form a portable flashlight to facilitate carrying. The flashlights thus formed have the light converging at the front side. They mostly focus on improvements of the style, function and light intensity, but do not provide a structure to alter light projection. Hence they mostly have the light focusing in one direction. Camping lamp is another type of portable lighting feature to provide light projection for a greater area during camping outdoors. Its light projects outwards transversely to illuminate the surrounding environment of the lamp. It projects light in directions different from the conventional flashlights. To go outdoors for travel or doing recreational activities has to carry two sets of lamps. They occupy a lot of space and incur great inconvenience. The present invention aims to provide an improved handheld lamp that can alter light projecting direction to meet requirements of different environments.


There has been a demand to accelerate image data conversion through the use of the error diffusion method. To convert image data, it is determined whether a specified block process condition is satisfied on the basis of a gradation value for each pixel in a target block. When the block process condition is true, a process is performed to diffuse a gradation error for the entire target block and convert image data for pixels in the target block at a time. Even when the block process condition is false, it is determined whether to form a dot in the target block. When it is determined that no dot should be formed, a process is performed to diffuse a gradation error for the entire target block to the unconverted pixels in another block and convert image data for pixels in the target block.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image data processing apparatus, an image data processing method, and an image data processing program.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventionally, an image print process inputs image data generated from an image represented in multiple gradations of dot matrix pixels. The error diffusion method is used to diffuse a gradation error of each pixel to an unconverted pixel and convert the image into image data represented by presence or absence of dot formation corresponding to each pixel. The error diffusion method ensures good image quality because of no errors, but requires processing time for calculating and distributing errors. To solve this, a blocking process is performed on the basis of a block comprising 2×2 pixels. The blocking process diffuses a gradation error for the entire target block to unconverted pixels in another block and converts image data corresponding to pixels in the target block at a time. The blocking process can speed up conversion of image data. Compared to the pixel-based conversion, however, the blocking process decreases the image resolution and degrades the image quality.
There is an area that provides high image brightness and is capable of maintaining high image quality after a block-based conversion process. Such area is defined as satisfying a given block process condition. It is determined whether or not to satisfy the block process condition based on gradation values and the like for all pixels in the target block. When it is determined that the block process condition is true, a process is performed to convert image data for pixels in the target block at a time. When it is determined that the block process condition is false, a process is performed to unconditionally convert image data for respective pixels in the target block. As a result, a dot is formed in units of blocks only in such an image data area that provides a very small density for forming dots, hardly presents degradation of the resolution, and is capable of maintaining the high image quality. The high quality is maintained by speeding up the conversion of image data to a certain extent.
There has been a demand for the above-mentioned prior art to further speed up the conversion of image data.
According to the prior art, different dot patterns are formed depending on whether an area is subject to the block-based process or the pixel-based process. An unintended design may result.
Further, according to the prior art, high resolution printing requires the block-based image data conversion in units of 2×2 pixels. This is seemingly a smaller processing unit than that for low resolution printing. The processing speed is not fully accelerated.
Since the prior art unconditionally determines block process conditions, it has been impossible to print images by increasing the processing speed even if the image printing does not require high quality. As a result, it has been felt to spend more time than needed until an image printout is produced. Accordingly, there has been a demand for accelerating the image data conversion and fast creating an image printout.

Image data processing apparatus, method, and program that diffuses gradiation error for each pixel in target block


A method and apparatus for controlling a device by a serial link from a dual processor system. The configuration of the circuit is simplified and efficiency is enhanced by using independent internal buses and serial link control hardware for each processor and by selecting the active control hardware through arbitration. An MCU and a DSP can operate asynchronously and use their respective internal bus at the same time.

The number of cellular phone users all over the world is rapidly increasing and various new communication products supporting various new systems and services are being introduced. Currently, third-generation communication products based on CDMA 2000(Code Division Multiplex Access 2000) and W-CDMA(Wide-CDMA) technologies, and new information content and services, are being developed. In Europe, 2.5-generation GSM/GPRS products are well established. Third-generation communication systems need high-speed transmission, multimedia capabilities and compatibility with other communication systems. For example, a radio terminal requires dual mode operability and several communication protocol stacks in software. Before the invention of the stored program computer all software functions were implemented in single-function dedicated hardware. Software defined radio (SDR) technology enables a wireless terminal to support various kinds of wireless systems and services, such as second-and third-generation mobile systems (PDC*1,PHS, W-CDMA*2, GSM*3, etc.) and wireless LANs. By simply changing the software to reconfigure the terminal, users will be able to enjoy various wireless services in a seamless manner.
A communication system employs a digital signal processor (DSP) to reduce the signal processing load on a micro control unit (MCU). The DSP chip must be capable of boot-loading and needs a software program to perform any actual signal processing operation, the software program being downloaded from a memory device (e.g., a mass storage memory device) connected to the MCU and then being stored at an internal program memory thereof.
A semiconductor modem SOC (System On Chip) built into the radio terminal performs baseband signal processing, while the dual processor system (e.g., the MCU and the DSP) controls the operation of the overall system. The MCU handles the flow and control of the overall processing, while the DSP executes a specific signal processing based on the modem system in software or hardware. Thus, the radio terminal has a mass storage memory device and many hardware logics for a specific purpose, and such hardware logics are sometimes called Intellectual Property (IP). The modem SOC should be able to control a mixing signal device and a Radio Frequency (RF) device that are external to the modem SOC and an A/D converter, a D/A converter and a filter etc. that are built-in. Thus, the modem SOC has an interface RF Control circuit (IP) that is matched with an external device to be controlled.
For example, an RF control circuit (IP) is adapted to control an external RF device, the modem SOC reads/writes a control register of the external RF device by using the RF control IP. At this time, the MCU and the DSP should be able to access all the RF control circuit (IP) so as to share the one RF control circuit's function between two processors. Therefore, the respective buses used by the MCU and the DSP are connected to one RF control circuit (IP), and each processor has authority to access the RF control circuit (IP) through arbitration between respective accesses so as to alternately control the external RF device.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an IP sharing device in a conventional system employing asynchronous dual processors.
Referring to FIG. 1, an arbiter 14 outputs a wait signal (WAIT) or a bus-grant signal (WAITNOT, being the logical complement of the WAIT signal) so that either the MCU 10 or the DSP 12 will communicate with the RF control circuit (IP) 26. If the arbiter 14 grants the bus access to the MCU 10, the arbiter 14 outputs a control signal (SELECT) so that the first through third MUXs (20, 22, 24) respectively select the address (Addr), the read/write strobe signal (nRW) and the data (Data) outputted from the MCU 10 through a first internal bus 16. If the arbiter 14 grants the bus access to the DSP 12, the arbiter 14 outputs a control signal (e.g., SELECTNOT, being the logical complement of SELECT) so that the first through third MUXs (20, 22, 24) respectively select the address (Addr), the read/write strobe signal (nRW) and the data (Data) outputted from the DSP 12 through a second internal bus 18.
The MCU 10 handles the flow and control of overall processing and receives the internal bus grant signal (WAITNOT) from the arbiter 14 to activate first internal bus 16 and to send and receive an address (Addr), a read/write strobe signal(nRW) and read/write data signal (Data) so as to communicate with the RF control circuit (IP) 26. The DSP 12 receives an internal bus grant signal from the arbiter 14 to activate a second internal bus (18) and to send and receive an address (Addr), a read/write strobe signal (nRW), and read/write data signal (Data) so as to perform a specific processing task with the shared RF control circuit (IP) 26.
First, second, and third multiplexers (MUX) (20, 22, 24) respectively receive and selectively output the addresses (Addr), the read/write strobe signals (nRW) and the read/write data signal (Data) outputted from either the MCU 10 or the DSP 12 in response to a control signal (SELECT) from the arbiter 14. That is, the first , second, and third multiplexers (MUX) (20, 22, 24) individually output one set of the address (Addr), the read/write strobe signal (nRW) and the data signal (Data) outputted from either the MCU 10 or the DSP 12. The RF control circuit (IP) 26 receives and stores the address (Addr), the read/write strobe signal (nRW) and the data (Data) respectively outputted from the first, second and third MUXs (20, 22, 24), and receives and constantly divides a system clock signal (not shown) to output a serial clock signal (SCLK), serial data (SDATA) and a serial enable signal (SEN) to an external device 28.
The arbiter 14 receives the address (Addr) and the read/write strobe signal (nRW) from either the MCU 10 or the DSP 12, and outputs a bus grant signal (WAITNOT) by a predetermined priority. That is, when the arbiter 14 grants a bus access to the MCU 10 according to the predetermined priority, the arbiter 14 applies a wait signal (WAIT) to the DSP 12. Conversely, when granting the bus access to the DSP 12, the arbiter 14 applies the wait signal (WAIT) to the MCU 10.
When the wait signal (WAIT) is applied to the MCU 10 or to the DSP 12, the MCU 10 or the DSP 12 stops operating and goes into a stand-by state. Also, the MCU 10 or the DSP 12 to which the wait signal (WAIT) is not applied, accesses the internal bus (16 or 18 respectively), and communicates with the RF control circuit (IP) 26, sending and receiving the address (Addr), the read/write strobe signal (nRW), and the read/write data(Data). At this time, the RF control circuit (IP) 26 communicates with the external device 28, transmitting serial data SDATA, a serial enable signal SEN, and a serial clock signal SCLK to the external device 28.
However, in such a conventional asynchronous dual processor system, while any one processor (e.g., either MCU 10 or the DSP 12) accesses the RF control circuit (IP), if the other processor tries to access at the same time, the processor having the access must stop operating. If the serial clock signal SCLK, the serial data SDATA and the serial enable signal SEN (the serial links outputted to the external device 28) have a long operation time, the other processor must stop operating and stand by during the operation time of the one processor, which reduces the efficiency of the system.
Furthermore, the conventional asynchronous dual processor system employs many MUXs to select each one of many addresses (Addr), read/write strobe signals (nRW) and data (Data) through arbitration and then to respectively apply each of those signals to one RF control circuit (IP) 26, thus causing a complicated circuit configuration.

Method and apparatus for controlling an external RF device with a dual processor system


A system and method of locating the display area of a user interactive, computer controlled display including a computing device for generating image data corresponding to a plurality of selected images, a display area for displaying the plurality of selected images, an image capture device for capturing a plurality of images within its capture area each captured image including one of the selected images and a display area locator for locating the display area within the capture area by deriving constructive and destructive feedback data from image data corresponding to the plurality of captured images.

The present invention relates to a computer controllable display system and in particular to the interaction of a user with a computer controlled image display or projected image.
Computer controlled projection systems generally include a computer system for generating image data and a projector for projecting the image data onto a projection screen. Typically, the computer controlled projection system is used to allow a presenter to project presentations that were created with the computer system onto a larger screen so that more than one viewer can easily see the presentation. Often, the presenter interacts with the projected image by pointing to notable areas on the projected image with their finger, laser pointer, or some other pointing.
The problem with this type of system is that if a user wants to cause any change to the projected image they must interact with the computer system using an input device such as a mouse, keyboard or remote device. For instance, a device is often employed by a presenter to remotely control the computer system via infrared signals to display the next slide in a presentation. However, this can be distracting to the viewers of the presentation since the presenter is no longer interacting with them and the projected presentation and, instead, is interacting with the computer system. Often, this interaction can lead to significant interruptions in the presentation.
Hence, a variation of the above system developed to overcome the computer-only interaction problem allows the presenter to directly interact with the projected image. In this system, the computer system generates image data (e.g. presentation slides) to be projected onto a screen (e.g. projection screen) with an image projector device. The system also includes a digital image capture device such as a digital camera for capturing the projected image. The captured projected image data is transmitted back to the computing system and is used to determine the location of the an object in front of the screen such as a pointing device. The computer system may then be controlled dependent on the determined location of the pointing device. For instance, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,138,304 assigned to the assignee of the subject application, a light beam is projected onto the screen and is detected by a camera. To determine the position of the light beam, the captured image data of the projected image and the original image data are compared to determine the pointer position. The computer is then caused to position a cursor in the video image at the pointer position or is caused to modify the projected image data in response to the pointer position.
In order to implement a user interactive, computer controlled display or projection system, an initial calibration step is necessary where the computer system determines the location of the screen or more specifically the area in which the image is displayed within the capture area of the camera. By determining the location of the display area within the capture area, the system can then identify any object that is not part of the displayed image (e.g., objects in front of the displayed image). In one prior art system, the location of the display area within the capture area is determined by using complex, and sometimes fragile, pattern matching algorithms requiring a significant amount of computing time and system memory usage.
The present invention is an efficient, robust, and simple technique for locating an image display area within the capture area of an image capture device in a user interactive, computer controlled display or projection system.
A system for locating an user interactive, computer controlled image display area includes a display area for displaying a plurality of selected digital images, a computing system for providing digital image data for causing the plurality of selected digital images to be displayed, an image capture device having an image capture area for capturing a plurality of images within the capture area each including one of the selected digital images, and a display area locator including a means for deriving constructive or destructive feedback data from digital image data corresponding to the plurality of captured images to determine the location of the display area within the image capture area.
The method for determining the location of the user interactive, computer controlled display area within an image capture area of an image capture device is performed by displaying a plurality of selected images in the display area, capturing a plurality of images within the capture area each including one of the plurality of selected images, and deriving constructive or destructive image feedback data from the image data corresponding to the plurality of captured images in order to locate the display screen in the image capture area of the image capture device.

Method for robust determination of visible points of a controllable display within a camera view

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


The combination of a mold body for molded plastics or the like with a materials alloy core pin which at one and the same time establishes an aperture in the molded material and substantially reduces the mold cooling time by being formed from an alloy which rapidly dissipates heat that includes copper, nickel, silicon and chromium. The percentages of each material in the alloy can vary in a range but there is a preferred percentage to total materials for rapid cooling purposes.

The present invention relates to industrial and commercial molds and more particularly for industrial and commercial molds for plastic products.
The making of molds for use in producing any molded product is a great expense in the cost of production. Once a mold has been filled with the metal rubber or plastic from which the end product is to be made as an example the mold and contents must be allowed to cool sufficiently for the product to be removed before the mold can be reused. It can therefore be seen that a sufficient number of molds must be made so that the pouring of the molds may continue while some are cooling and being emptied. Such is the extreme cost of the molds so that forced cooling heat exchange mechanisms and structures and other ideas have been tried to speed the process and reduce the numerical need for molds.
A molded product often is required to have apertures therethrough or indentations in the surface which apertures or indentations are obtained through the use of core pins.
When the product is sufficiently cooled so as to be able to be withdrawn from the mold the core pin is extracted from the mold and the product then extracted. The core pin is ordinarily made from a different or differing material with relation to the rest of the mold body.


Balancing resource usage for client applications workload and data merge optimization of the backend for both a local merge within one server and a merge across multiple servers is determined based on previous resource usage pattern in a distributed storage system.

The present invention relates to distributed storage systems, and more specifically to planning of data segment merge for distributed storage systems based on historical behavior.
For massive distributed storage solutions, for improving parallel writing performance, multiple segments of a chunk of data are created so that more nodes and disk spindles can be leveraged. But, having too many data segments also has a negative impact on data query performance To overcome this issue, many distributed data storage systems have a compaction mechanism to merge smaller segments into larger ones for improving query performance.
At the front end of the massive distributed storage system, clients create, read, write, and delete data which is stored on storage disks as multiple replicas. Meanwhile, the system picks up one set of data and requires resources from datanodes for data segment optimization (e.g. segment merge in ElasticSearch).
However, system resources are limited, including server CPU, disks, network, and network bandwidth. If there is real-time application input/output (I/O) at the front end, and internal merging takes place at the same time, the bandwidth of specific servers is occupied, and dramatically impacts the real-time application I/O. Without monitoring and recognition of resource usage, the resource workload is not optimally controlled for an external user nor is the resource workload adjusted intelligently in the background of the system.

Planning of data segment merge for distributed storage system


A controllable optical ring resonator, a photonic system and a method of controlling an optical ring resonator employ control electrodes periodically spaced apart along a closed loop optical path of an optical waveguide. The controllable optical ring resonator includes the optical waveguide and a plurality of the periodically spaced control electrodes. The photonic system includes an input optical waveguide segment and the controllable optical ring resonator adjacent and optically coupled to the segment. The method includes providing the plurality of periodically spaced control electrodes, providing an optical signal within the optical path, and addressing one or more of the control electrodes to interact with the optical signal within the optical path.

1. Technical Field
The invention relates to optical waveguides and photonic circuits. In particular, the invention relates to optical waveguide ring resonators used in photonic systems.
2. Description of Related Art
An optical ring resonator generally comprises a segment or segments of optical waveguide arranged as a ring-shaped, closed loop. Such optical ring resonators have a variety of important uses in photonic systems. For example, the optical ring resonator may be part of a photonic filter. In another example, the optical ring resonator may be employed as an element in a photonic frequency multiplexer used to select a particular frequency portion of an input optical signal. The frequency multiplexer may further route the selected frequency portion along an optical path that differs from that of the input optical signal. If the optical ring resonator is rendered controllable, the photonic frequency multiplexer may be employed as an optical switch, for example. In another example, one or more controllable optical ring resonators also may be used adjust a performance of the photonic filter.
An optical ring resonator may be rendered controllable by adding a control electrode to an optical path within the resonator. The control electrode, when activated, acts to change a refractive index of a material of the optical waveguide in a vicinity of the control electrode. The change in refractive index interferes with or disrupts a resonance of the optical ring resonator. In particular, the activation of the control electrode may prevent an optical signal from being coupled into and resonating within the optical ring resonator. Thus, the control electrode essentially allows the optical ring resonator to be turned 'ON' and turned 'OFF' according to an input that controls the control electrode.
To be effective for such ON/OFF control, the control electrode must generally be relatively large. In particular, the control electrode typically encompasses a significant portion or length of the optical path within the optical ring resonator. Unfortunately, such relatively large control electrodes exhibit a relatively large capacitance. The relatively large capacitance of such control electrodes can and does adversely affect a performance of the controllable optical ring resonator. For example, the relatively large capacitance may limit an upper frequency of the controllability of the optical ring resonator. In addition, large control electrodes may interfere with an optical field of the optical signal resulting in an increased optical loss in the optical path. The increased optical loss may be particularly pronounced if the electrodes comprise a metal. Moreover, the large control electrode provides little or no control flexibility.

Controllable optical ring resonator having periodically spaced control electrodes

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.