Methods and devices are disclosed for performing echo cancellation with a communication device for use by a hearing-impaired user. The communication device comprises communication elements, a memory device storing a plurality of sets of training parameters for an echo canceller, and a processor operably coupled with the communication elements and the memory device. The communication elements are configured to receive audio signals from a far end communication device, and to receive text captions corresponding to the audio signals from a relay service for display by the communication device during a call. Each set of training parameters corresponding to a different audio mode for the communication device. The processor is configured to execute an echo canceller by loading a first set of training parameters when a first audio mode is selected, and a second set of training parameters when a second audio mode is selected.

Hearing-impaired individuals may benefit from communication systems and devices configured to provide assistance in order to communicate with other individuals over a communication network. For example, relay services have been established to provide assistive services (e.g., text captions) to the hearing-impaired user communicating with a communication device (e.g., caption phone, caption enabled device, etc.) that is specifically configured to communicate with the relay service.
In particular, a relay service may be a telecommunication intermediary service, which is intended to permit a deaf or a hearing-impaired person to utilize a normal telephone network. The relay service may include an operator, referred to as a "call assistant," who serves as a human intermediary between the hearing-impaired user and a far-end user. During a captioning communication session, the call assistant may listen to the audio signal of a far-end user and "revoice" the words of the far-end user to a speech recognition computer program tuned to the voice of the call assistant. Text captions (also referred to as "captions") may be generated by the speech recognition computer as a transcription of the audio signal of the far-end user, and then transmitted to the communication device being used by the hearing-impaired user. The communication device may then display the text captions while the hearing-impaired user carries on a normal conversation with the far-end user. The text captions may allow the hearing-impaired user to supplement the voice received from the far-end and confirm his or her understanding of the words spoken by the far-end user.
During a communication session, the microphone of the communication device may experience echo (e.g., line echo, hybrid echo, acoustic echo). If the audio signal captured by the microphone and transmitted to the far-end user includes acoustic energy produced by the speaker, the far-end user may hear an "echo" of his or her own utterances. Conventional acoustic echo cancellation (AEC) techniques are designed to predict and remove the echo from an electrical signal generated by the microphone. In a communication device configured to assist hearing-impaired users, the issue of echo can present unique challenges due to the much louder volume levels for the audio produced by the speaker for the hearing-impaired user.

Device, system, and method for performing echo cancellation in different modes of a communication device


An internal but not integrated security token is provided for a device which includes a first integrated circuitry including a secure processor. The security token is provided by a second integrated circuitry separate from the first circuitry. The second integrated circuitry includes a secure non-volatile storage. The secure processor communicates information to the second circuitry in a secure manner for the secure information to be securely stored in the secure non-volatile storage, and the second integrated circuitry communicates information stored in its secure non-volatile storage to the secure processor in a secure manner. Communications is secured by means of cryptography. The first integrated circuitry and the second integrated circuitry are internal parts of the device. An initialization method for distributing a secure key to be shared between the circuitries and to be used in cryptography is also disclosed.

The use of personal communication devices in various aspects of our daily lives has increased dramatically over recent years. Modem mobile telephones are becoming multipurpose devices capable of various new security applications, such as banking and digital rights management (DRM) clients. With the proliferation of personal communication devices, it has become more and more important to protect the critical data stored within, the device. For example, the use of a PIN has been implemented with personal communication devices to control access to the device. However, it is possible that one may guess the PIN if given an unlimited number of time and attempts to enter a PIN. Thus, in addition to the use of a PIN, it is useful to limit the number of attempts to enter a PIN.
In order to limit the number of attempts to access the device, it is possible to use some type of counter in the personal communication device. The counter is cryptographically bound to state information related to the critical data used by the device and may be used as a theft-protection mechanism. In this context, the state information may mean information indicating the number of successive incorrect PIN access attempts. After a certain number (say three) of incorrect PIN entry attempts, the device locks up until a special PIN unblocking key (i.e., PUK code) is entered.
If the state information storage on the device lacks integrity-protection, it may be possible for an attacker to record the current state information, try three successive PINs (during which the device will update the state information), and overwrite the newly updated state information with the old recorded data. In this way, the attacker would get three more tries to find the correct PIN.
In addition to keeping track of successive incorrect password/PIN access attempts, there are various other uses in the area of DRM, in which the ability to securely store state information in a secure personal device may be needed.
Keeping track of a counter value can be useful also when controlling the consumption of data content is needed. For example, a third party might want to prevent a user of a personal communication device from playing a song more than ten times. The right to play the song ten times is delivered as an electronic voucher that specifies a 10-use restriction by implementing a counter. However, if a user can reset the counter after each use, the song can be played indefinitely without having to pay the owner of the data for each use.
In mobile devices, there are also device dependant security states which should be reliably accessible throughout the life time of the device. For instance, a mobile telephone may have a phone lock feature that effectively should prevent use of stolen phones. When the lock is engaged, an identifier of the present subscriber identity module (SIM) is stored in a rewriteable persistent memory of the phone with a suitable representation (for instance, a one-way hash-code) of a matching passcode. Whenever the SIM is replaced, if the phone protection is enabled, the phone first asks the user for the corresponding passcode and only if successfully entered, the phone stores the ID of the new SIM and allows its use. However, to prevent brute force attack, the phone should also maintain a counter of failed passcodes so that after three failed attempts, the phone becomes more thoroughly locked.
In the area of DRM, where non-volatile maintenance of critical state information has been needed, various methods of cryptography have been used to protect the critical state information, such as critical counter values, etc.
One aspect of cryptography involves the encoding or encrypting of digital data to render it incomprehensible by all but the intended recipients. In other words, when cryptography is employed in the context of DRM, the data is encrypted and a decryption key is delivered to those terminals or users that have paid to consume the data content. To this end, cryptographic systems can be used to preserve the privacy and integrity of the data by preventing the use and alteration of data by unauthorized parties. In addition to encryption, also authentication of the origin of the data is used in order to make sure that e.g., only a party who has the right key can generate the right signature or message authentication code (MAC).
For example, a plaintext message consisting of digitized sounds, letters and/or numbers can be encoded numerically and then encrypted using a complex mathematical algorithm that transforms the encoded message based on a given set of numbers or digits, also known as a cipher key. The cipher key is a sequence of data bits that may either be randomly chosen or have special mathematical properties, depending on the algorithm or cryptosystem used. Sophisticated cryptographic algorithms implemented on computers can transform and manipulate numbers that are hundreds or thousands of bits in length and can resist any known method of unauthorized decryption. There are two basic classes of cryptographic algorithms: symmetric key algorithms and asymmetric key algorithms.
Symmetric key algorithms use an identical cipher key for both encrypting by the sender of the communication and decrypting by the receiver of the communication. Symmetric key cryptosystems are built on the mutual trust of the two parties sharing the cipher key to use the cryptosystem to protect against distrusted third parties. A well-known symmetric key algorithm is the National Data Encryption Standard (DES) algorithm first published by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. See Federal Register, Mar. 17, 1975, Vol. 40, No. 52 and Aug. 1, 1975, Vol. 40, No. 149. The sending cryptographic device uses the DES algorithm to encrypt the message when loaded with the cipher key (a DES cipher key is 56 bits long) for that session of communication (the session key). The recipient cryptographic device uses an inverse of the DES algorithm to decrypt the encrypted message when loaded with the same cipher key as was used for encryption.
Asymmetric key algorithms use different cipher keys for encrypting and decrypting. In a cryptosystem using an asymmetric key algorithm, the user makes the encryption key public and keeps the decryption key private, and it is not feasible to derive the private decryption key from the public encryption key. Thus, anyone who knows the public key of a particular user could encrypt a message to that user, whereas only the user who is the owner of the private key corresponding to that public key could decrypt the message. This public/private key system was first proposed in Diffie and Hellman, "New Directions in Cryptography," IEEE Transactions on Information Theory, November 1976, and in U.S. Pat. No. 4,200,770 (Hellman et al.).
The Cryptographic systems noted above have been used to protect state information in a personal communication device by securely storing the state information in a couple of ways. First, by writing a snapshot to the state information and computing its "checksum," e.g., by using a one-way hash function. The result is stored within a tamper-resistant memory location of the device. Therefore, if someone tries to change the state information, the checksum of the result will not match the checksum value stored within the personal device. Second, by using a monotonic, persistent counter within the device. Every time there is a state change, the state information is stored along with the current counter value encrypted using a device key. Thus, no one can change the encrypted state information without the key.
However, both of these prior-art methods require a small amount of read-write storage within the same tamper-resistant zone which contains the secure processor itself.
In the field of DRM, the involved applications are typically provided by digital integrated circuitry. If a secure processor running such applications has enough updatable space within its tamper-resistant persistent storage, it is rather easy to implement integrity protection for state information. Maheshwari et al. have disclosed such an arrangement in "How to Build a Trusted Database System on Untrusted Storage", OSDI 2000. Unfortunately, the economical reasons are eradicating the non-volatile rewriteable memories on digital integrated circuitries. Having an updatable memory, or read-write storage, integrated within the secure processor's tamper-resistant perimeter is expensive, especially on particularly resource-constrained devices like mobile phones. In other words, the storing of state information and secure processing of applications is not always economical (or not even practical) within the same tamper-resistant zone as the secure processor, for example, within the secure processor's integrated circuitry.
Furthermore, as is known in the art, the digital IC blocks tend to be cost optimised so that some of them even cannot accommodate a rewriteable persistent memory (e.g., flash memory), as inclusion of such would mandate manufacturing 6 silicon layers instead of the common 4 for the area of the IC block. Hence again, simply providing a secure processor with a non-volatile memory seems not economically and technically suitable for all uses.
Accordingly, there is a problem how to implement an integrity-protected secure storage for a secure processor of a generally resource-constrained device.
As a practical solution to this problem, a co-pending patent application of the applicants of the present application, publication number US2003/0079122 A1, presents the idea of using an external tamper-resistant storage device to store important state information. The idea of authenticated (or "trusted") counters is introduced. The patent application US2003/0079122 A1 discloses that an authenticated counter can be implemented in an external tamper-resistant security token, such as a smartcard, which can be used by the secure processor to integrity-protect its state storage. To make this work, the secure processor needs to be able to authenticate the external security token. For this purpose, the patent application US 2003/0079122 A1 discloses using a public key infrastructure (PKI).
However, a public key infrastructure is rather complex to set up because it involves co-ordination and agreements between device manufacturers and manufacturers of external security tokens. It also imposes an amount of processing load onto the external security tokens or memories.

Implementation of an integrity-protected secure storage


Techniques are disclosed relating to performing marine surveys with non-uniform spacing of survey elements in a cross-line direction. This may include, for example, performing a survey pass in a multi-pass survey by towing a plurality of sources and sensors in a towing pattern with non-uniform spacing between adjacent ones of the sources. In some embodiments, the non-uniform spacing between adjacent ones of the sources is determined based on a common mid-point (CMP) spacing parameter for the survey pass in the cross-line direction. The spacing parameter may relate, for example, to difference in average CMP spacing for different parts of the survey spread, variance in CMP spacing, and/or width of the survey spread for which a threshold CMP spacing distance is satisfied. In various embodiments, the disclosed techniques may improve survey resolution and/or accuracy and may require a smaller number of survey passes and/or a reduced amount of survey equipment relative to traditional techniques.

Geophysical surveys are often used for oil and gas exploration in geophysical formations, which may be located below marine environments. Various types of signal sources and geophysical sensors may be used in different types of geophysical surveys. Seismic geophysical surveys, for example, are based on the use of acoustic waves. Electromagnetic geophysical surveys, as another example, are based on the use of electromagnetic waves. In some surveys, a survey vessel may tow one or more sources (e.g., air guns, marine vibrators, electromagnetic sources, etc.) and one or more streamers along which a number of sensors (e.g., hydrophones and/or geophones and/or electromagnetic sensors) are located.
During the course of a geophysical survey, the various sensors may collect data indicative of geological structures, which may be analyzed, e.g., to determine the possible locations of hydrocarbon deposits. In 4D surveying techniques, surveys may be performed at a given location at different times, e.g., to determine changes to hydrocarbon deposits. Traditionally, marine surveys have been performed with nominally uniform spacing between survey elements (e.g., between sources or between streamers). Generally, achieving desired coverage (e.g., in order to generate images of subsea formations at a desired image resolution) while performing as few survey passes as possible may be desirable, to reduce survey time and costs.
This specification includes references to various embodiments, to indicate that the present disclosure is not intended to refer to one particular implementation, but rather a range of embodiments that fall within the spirit of the present disclosure, including the appended claims. Particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner consistent with this disclosure.
Within this disclosure, different entities (which may variously be referred to as "units," "circuits," other components, etc.) may be described or claimed as "configured" to perform one or more tasks or operations. This formulation—[entity] configured to [perform one or more tasks]— is used herein to refer to structure (i.e., something physical, such as an electronic circuit). More specifically, this formulation is used to indicate that this structure is arranged to perform the one or more tasks during operation. A structure can be said to be "configured to" perform some task even if the structure is not currently being operated. An "apparatus configured to steer a streamer" is intended to cover, for example, a module that performs this function during operation, even if the corresponding device is not currently being used (e.g., when its battery is not connected). Thus, an entity described or recited as "configured to" perform some task refers to something physical, such as a device, circuit, memory storing program instructions executable to implement the task, etc. This phrase is not used herein to refer to something intangible.
The term "configured to" is not intended to mean "configurable to." An unprogrammed mobile computing device, for example, would not be considered to be "configured to" perform some specific function, although it may be "configurable to" perform that function. After appropriate programming, the mobile computing device may then be configured to perform that function.
Reciting in the appended claims that a structure is "configured to" perform one or more tasks is expressly intended not to invoke 35 U.S.C. § 112(f) for that claim element. Accordingly, none of the claims in this application as filed are intended to be interpreted as having means-plus-function elements. Should Applicant wish to invoke Section 112(f) during prosecution, it will recite claim elements using the "means for" [performing a function] construct.
As used herein, the term "based on" is used to describe one or more factors that affect a determination. This term does not foreclose the possibility that additional factors may affect the determination. That is, a determination may be solely based on specified factors or based on the specified factors as well as other, unspecified factors. Consider the phrase "determine A based on B." This phrase specifies that B is a factor used to determine A or that affects the determination of A. This phrase does not foreclose that the determination of A may also be based on some other factor, such as C. This phrase is also intended to cover an embodiment in which A is determined based solely on B. As used herein, the phrase "based on" is synonymous with the phrase "based at least in part on."

Non-uniform towing patterns in marine geophysical surveys


A user may utilize a communication device, e.g., a wireless phone, mobile device or personal digital assistant (PDA), to contact an information/call center where an operator provides personalized information and communications services to the user in accordance with the invention. Such services include, e.g., providing listing information, contacts information, appointments information, etc. To provide effective connectivity, for example, when a user locates a phone number in his/her private directory using a web browser, the user may utilize a direct connect feature of the invention to initiate a phone call to the desired number over the Internet. In addition, the invention allows for delivery of the appointments information to the user not only via voice connection, but also SMS, email, facsimile, PDA, etc. It also allows for rendering a calendaring service in combination with such services as a TeleConcierge® service which helps the user to plan a future event, e.g., making a restaurant reservation. An appointment record concerning the future event is automatically incorporated into the user's calendar once it is successfully planned. To personalize the services, at least one profile associated with the user is used which specifies the subscribed services and the preferred ways of receiving them. For example, the profile may specify use of a special skilled operator, methods of delivery of information to the user, etc.

In this information age, people need to be well informed and organized to effectively carry out day-to-day activities, especially when they are traveling and away from their "home" site where they normally conduct their business. As a result, use of mobile devices which facilitate mobile communications such as personal digital assistants (PDAs), and wireless phones and devices is ubiquitous. For example, PDAs of the PALM type allow users to store and organize their appointments, to-do lists and contacts information. Some PDAs also allow the users to access the Internet to upload and download information, and communicate with other people and information sources via email.
Similarly, wireless phones conveniently allow users while traveling to call and communicate with other people. In case the users cannot remember the telephone number of a contact or it is not handy, or the users want to obtain directions and other information concerning, e.g., restaurants, theaters, etc., they can call operators for assistance. To that end, an expansive network of communication call centers has been established which provides users with nationwide assistance. However, for those users who would normally be able to call upon personal aides at their offices, the operators may not be as efficient or personal in providing information assistance and services as their personal aides. For example, by using conventional personal information management (PIM) software, a user's personal aide may maintain for the user a directory containing his/her contacts information. Based on some description of the contact provided by the user, especially when the contact is frequently referred to at work, the personal aide oftentimes manages to locate the requested information concerning the contact in the user directory. Thus, requests such as "I need to reach Bob . . . I forget his last name;" "Connect me to Bob at ABC Corporation . . . I need his direct line;" and "I want to talk to the sales manager at ABC Corporation . . . What is his name?" would be sufficient for the personal aide to locate the contact information. On the other hand, an operator typically needs to know at least the complete name of the desired contact and sometimes his/her geographic location before the operator can search a public directory for the contact information. In addition, when the user requests the contact's telephone number, an operator normally provides the desired number verbally while the user may prefer to receive it via email or other electronic automated means for storage and later reference. In that case, most likely either the operator cannot meet such a user preference or its accommodation would incur a significant delay. For example, in accommodating the user preference, the operator needs to, among others, learn the user's email address for the first time. On the other hand, knowing his/her preference and email address, the user's personal aide would automatically send the requested telephone number to him/her via email without delay.
Existing PIM software and devices are often used to store private directory information and personal data, e.g., appointments, to-do lists, etc., but are often not convenient or safe tools for providing directory information to telephone users. Corporate employees in many cases must manually synchronize their personal and their corporate directories, and such private directories are often out of date or otherwise inaccurate, consuming what might otherwise be more productive time.
Accordingly, there is a need for efficient and personalized information assistance for telephone and mobile device users comparable to that which is offered by the users' personal aides or which the users would experience in the home site.

Technique for providing personalized information and communications services


A virtual tape device includes a storage unit, a cache determining unit, a selector, and a cache controller. The storage unit records logical volume information associated with an identifier of a logical volume, an updated time of the logical volume, information indicating whether the logical volume is allocated to a cache, an identifier of a physical volume storing data of the logical volume, and information indicating whether the physical volume are mounted in a physical tape drive. The cache determining unit determines, based on the logical volume information, whether the logical volume exists on the cache, when a request to store the logical volume on the cache is received and the cache does not have an available capacity. The selector selects the logical volume based on the determined result as an off-cache target logical volume. The selected logical volume is off-cached by the cache controller.

A virtual tape system includes a tape library and a virtual tape device. The tape library includes a physical volume (hereinafter referred to as PV) such as a magnetic tape for storing data. The virtual tape device includes a tape volume cache (TVC) and is arranged between a host and the tape library. The TVC is achieved by redundant arrays of inexpensive disks (RAID).
The virtual tape device stores data read from the PV included in the tape library on the TVC as a logical volume (hereinafter referred to as LV). In this manner, the virtual tape system stores the data of the LV on the TVC and reduces operations to be executed for a process of mounting the PV by the tape library and a process of un-mounting the PV by the tape library so as to reduce a time for access to data.
When the virtual tape device receives access to the LV from the host and the LV does not exist on the TVC, the virtual tape device executes a recall process of storing the LV offloaded from the TVC on the TVC. In this case, when the disk cache is full of data, the virtual tape device ensures a region in which a target LV is newly loaded on the disk cache.
For example, the virtual tape device sequentially offloads LVs from the TVC in order from an LV accessed at the earliest time among LVs stored on the TVC, and thereby generates an available region in the disk cache. Then, the virtual tape device allocates the generated available region to an LV that will be newly stored on the TVC.
The aforementioned conventional technique, however, has a problem that a time for the recall process may be long.
When an LV is to be recalled and a PV that stores the LV to be recalled is not mounted in a physical tape drive included in the tape library, the virtual tape device mounts, in the physical tape drive, the PV storing the LV to be recalled.
In order to mount the PV in the physical tape drive, the following process is executed by an operation of a robot in the tape library. First, the robot rewinds a currently mounted PV and unmounts the PV. Subsequently, the robot extracts the PV storing the LV to be recalled from a storage slot and mounts the extracted PV in any of physical tape drives. Then, the robot moves a tape head to a position at which the LV to be recalled has been written.
When a plurality of LVs to be recalled exist and are stored in different PVs, respectively, the robot operation that is the same as the aforementioned process is repeated in the tape library.
Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2011-123834 is an example of related art.

Virtual tape device and control method of virtual tape device


The present invention provides an operations, administration and maintenance (OAM) security authentication method and OAM packet transmitting/receiving devices. An OAM packet is authenticated by utilizing a random number and an authentication code. A threshold for the number of failed authentication is determined. If the number of failed authentication is greater than the threshold, the random number will be updated. According to the present invention, OAM packets constructed by malicious users or tampered with may be detected to increase security of OAM packets and avoid a denial-of-service (DOS) attack.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to computer networks, and more particularly, to an OAM security authentication method and OAM transmitting/receiving devices.
2. The Prior Arts
According to the actual needs of network operators, network management is divided into three categories: operations, administration and maintenance (OAM). OAM involves analyzing, predicting, administering and managing any system or network. The OAM features may include link monitoring, fault detection, and so on.
Moreover, Ethernet OAM technology includes a two-level technology: link-level Ethernet OAM technology and network-level Ethernet OAM technology. With regard to the link-level Ethernet OAM technology, this technology is generally used in an Ethernet physical link among provider edge devices, customer edge devices and customers (also called "last mile") to monitor the link state between the customer network and the operator network. The typical protocol is an EFM OAM protocol. In other words, customers may monitor the link state between two devices through point-to-point devices using Ethernet features. Regarding the network-level Ethernet OAM technology, the network-level Ethernet OAM technology is generally applied to the network access convergence layer. Such an Ethernet OAM technology covers link monitoring, remote fault detection and so no. The typical protocol of this technology is a connectivity fault detection (CFD) protocol.
Therefore, for the sake of meeting the requirement of avoiding the CFD protocol to be attacked through the Internet, it is necessary to provide a method for authenticating a received CFD packet.

Celestica Technology Consultancy (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.


Disposably attached to the ear piece of a hearing aid, which includes any sound transmission device, is a user-disposable sleeve comprising soft polymeric retarded recovery foam that can be compressed to be freely insertable into a person's ear and allowed to recover to become wedged in the canal. Preferably, the sleeve is disposably attached to the ear piece by mating of screw threads on the sleeve and the ear piece. The ear piece may be a separate component from the hearing aid. The component is made either of rigid or flexible plastic and has connecting portions of various lengths depending on the depth of insertion of the sleeve into the canal. The sleeve may be of various lengths depending on the depth of insertion into the ear canal desired. The sleeve/ear piece assembly may also have a layer of sound transmitting scrim over its central opening to minimize penetration of the connecting portion past the end of the sleeve.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the ear piece of a hearing aid, namely the portion which is inserted into or otherwise covers the external ear canal The ear piece may be the hearing aid itself or a component thereof, for example, a canal hearing aid or an in-the-ear hearing aid; or an attachment, such as the end of a flexible sound tube of a behind-the-ear hearing aid or other sound transmission device. The ear piece often is molded to fit an individual's ear canal and sometimes has a compressible, resilient sleeve for enhanced comfort. Such a sleeve is often employed to permit one or a few ear pieces to fit nearly everyone, as do ear pieces of the invention.
2. Description of the Related Art
The problem of providing a hearing aid with an ear piece that can be continuously worn with comfort has long been a subject of research See, for example, U.S Pat. No. 1,753,817 (Aber). There, an impression of an individual's ear canal was used to mold an ear piece (there called an "audiphone cap"). Such a procedure is still in widespread use, even though time-consuming and expensive and requiring two visits to fit a person with a hearing aid. Moreover, the resulting ear piece is rigid, uncomfortable to wear, and prone to falling out of the ear canal.
U.K. Patent Application No. 2,091,063 (Blackstone) discloses the use of a layer of cushioning material, preferably one providing a high coefficient of friction, to seal a small gap between the external surface of a molded ear piece (called a "plastics molded component") and the internal surface of the ear canal, and to eliminate any whistling sound or echo effect. The molded ear piece approximates the shape of the external ear canal. Only a thin layer of the cushioning material is employed with the result that it does not provide a truly comfortable fit.
FIGS. 14-18 of U.S. Pat. No. 4,375,016 (Harada) show a layer of cushioning material in the form of a sleeve which fits over the distal end of the ear piece and is said to provide excellent fit without the necessity of using a custom molded construction. That sleeve is "formed from a compressible foam with characteristics as shown in U.S. Pat. No. Re. 29,487". The foam "can be compressed to a diameter less than that of the auditory canal. As the foam slowly attempts to return to its original configuration, it seals the auditory canal in a comfortable fashion as shown in FIGS. 17 and 18" (Col. 4, lines 41-56). However, the Harada patent does not indicate how the sleeve is prevented from remaining in the ear canal if the ear piece is either accidentally dislodged from the ear canal or simply pulled out. Rather than dealing with such matters, the Harada patent concentrates on the venting of excess sound pressure from the ear canal to the atmosphere.
The reissue patent (Gardner, Jr.) cited in the Harada patent does not concern hearing aids but describes an "earplug . . . composed of a resilient, plasticized polymeric foam containing a sufficiently high concentration of organic plasticizer to provide the foam with a rate of recovery from 60 percent compression to 40 percent compression in from 1 to 60 seconds and an equilibrium pressure at 40 percent compression thereof from 0.2 to 1.3 p.s.i." (claim 1). Cylindrical plugs of this material can be coaxially bored and employed as a covering over a tubular tip portion of a lightweight headphone set. However, like the Harada patent, Gardner does not indicate how the plug is prevented from remaining in the ear canal if the tubular tip portion is accidentally dislodged or simply pulled out
Despite the approaches discussed above, none have been truly effective, particularly from the standpoint of providing an ear piece which is comfortable, retained during use, and readily removable when desired. Moreover, none have addressed a continuing problem in the hearing aid art, namely clogging of the sound tube by ear wax. Approximately half of professional repairs of hearing aids are either to remove ear wax or to repair damage caused by a user who tried to clean out the wax. That problem has been addressed in U.K. Patent Application GB No. 2,155,276A (Brander et al.); West German Offenlegungsschrift No. 2,818,273 (Sommer); and EPO Patent Application No. 85103722.6 (Laid open No. 0,159,571) (Moser et al.).

Ear piece having disposable, compressible polymeric foam sleeve

Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company


A method for autonomously and dynamically optimizing transmission power of an endpoint in a wireless network includes the step of monitoring a received signal strength, a received signal quality and a transmission error rate of a signal transmitted between an access point in the wireless network and the endpoint at a given transmission power and transmission speed. The method also includes the steps of reducing the transmission power when the received signal strength, the received signal quality and the transmission error rate are at respectively acceptable operating levels and then monitoring the transmission error rate of the signal transmitted at the reduced transmission power level. The method further includes the step of adjusting one of the transmission power or the transmission speed based on whether the transmission error rate of the signal transmitted at the reduced transmission power is still at its respective acceptable operating level.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to wireless networks and more specifically to a systems and methods for autonomously and dynamically optimizing transmission power in a wireless network.
2. Description of the Background Art
In wireless networks, the transmission power level of the endpoint is one of the biggest drains on endpoint battery power. Some current systems attempt to tailor transmission power through a process sometimes referred to as "ranging," whereby an exchange occurs at the beginning of a connection to determine the attenuation between peer devices. The transmission power is then adjusted to overcome the attenuation without using more power than necessary. For example, when peers are detected to be located relatively closer to each other upon connecting, the transmission power level could be set lower than when the peers are located relatively father from each other upon connecting.
A drawback to ranging is that once this process is completed, transmission power is effectively static. Not adjusting transmission power to account for changes in the network environment may lead to various performance deficiencies if the peers are able to move relative to one another. For example, if one peer moves closer to the other, less transmission power is required to maintain signal quality. Not reducing the transmission power level in such a situation wastes endpoint battery power. On the other hand, if the peers move farther apart, more transmission power is required to maintain signal quality. Not increasing the transmission power level in such a situation leads to signal quality degradation.
In addition, in current wireless network systems, each endpoint usually is connected to the wireless network at the maximum available transmission speed without taking into account a user's preference to connect at a lower transmission speed. Thus, the endpoint typically does not connect at a lower endpoint transmission speed even if the user would prefer doing so to conserve endpoint battery power. Not reducing endpoint transmission speed in such situations also wastes endpoint battery power.

Systems and methods for autonomously and dynamically optimizing transmission power in a wireless network


A method of correcting or alleviating presbyopia in humans comprising (a) fitting a first contact lens to a first eye, and (b) fitting a second contact lens to the other eye. Each of the lenses has a first power provided by the shape, curvature and material of the lens to provide a refractive corrected image and a second power provided by diffractive means to provide a second corrected image, the second power being additive to (or subtracted from) the first power. The lenses are fitted so that one has a refractive near image optical power and the other has a refractive distance image optical power, and the diffractive means of the lenses are arranged so that the amount of the light directed into the near image by one lens is substantially greater than that directed into the far image by that lens, and the amount of light directed into the far image by the other lens is substantially greater than that directed into the near image by that other lens. In this way the wearer sees an image of relatively high intensity and retains a large amount of stereoscopic vision.

This invention relates to methods of correcting presbyopic vision, and more particularly to methods of correcting presbyopia by the utilisation of contact lenses.
Presbyopia is a condition of the ageing human eye wherein the eye loses its ability to focus sharply on objects throughout the normal range of vision, i.e. from distant to near objects. This condition is the result of a gradual hardening of the crystalline lens which occurs with age and prevents the ciliary muscle from completely adjusting the curvature of the lens, and thereby altering its focal length, as required for viewing distant or near objects. The condition is progressive, and cannot at present be corrected by any treatment of the eye itself. Accordingly, it is conventional to provide the patient suffering from presbyopia with bifocal corrective lenses, which may be either conventional spectacle lenses or contact lenses. In such lenses, usually one portion of the lens is adapted to provide the proper correction, if necessary, for sharp distant vision, while another portion of the lens is adapted to provide sharp near vision. In spectacles, for example, the person using the corrective lenses directs his vision through the distant vision portion or the near vision portion as necessary.
In the case of conventional spectacle lenses, the near vision zone is a segment generally located in the lower portion of the lens where the wearer may easily direct his/her vision through it for reading. In the case of a contact lens, it is also possible to have a near vision zone located in the lower portion of the lens. These are known as translating bifocal lenses.
In most attempts to provide patients with lenses to compensate for presbyopia, each eye has been provided with a bifocal lens, whether spectacle lens or contact lens, designed so that the eyes are used together, each eye viewing the object through the distant vision or near vision portion as appropriate. Thus each eye sees a focussed image of the object.
An alternative method of treating presbyopia has been used in recent years, wherein a contact lens focussed for near vision has been fitted to one eye and a contact lens focussed for distant vision to the other eye. This is commonly known as monovision.
With this arrangement, one eye presents a clear distant view (but an unclear near view) to the brain while the other presents a clear near view (but an unclear distant view). In many cases, the brain can select the desired image depending upon whether distant vision or near vision is desired, and ignore the unclear image. This arrangement has the advantage that the patient need not shift vision from one optic zone to another, which is especially troublesome in the case of translating bifocal contact lenses. However, it is believed that at most thirty percent of wearers fitted with monovision arrangements can tolerate a presbyopic vision correction of this type. In the remainder of the population, the presence of the blurred image from the eye not focussed on the intended object cannot be ignored and is so distracting that the general effect is unsatisfactory correction of the presbyopic condition.
Another method of overcoming the problems described above is fitting a presbyopic person having binocular vision with concentric bifocal contact lenses wherein one eye is provided with a contact lens having a distant vision central optic zone and a near vision peripheral optic zone, and the other eye is provided with a contact lens having a near vision central optic zone and a distant vision peripheral optic zone. The effect of these lenses is dependent on the size of the central optic zone in relation to the size of the pupil of the eye. Often this is made smaller than half the size of the normal pupil.
Presbyopic patients fitted with a pair of lenses consisting of one of each type find that they can see distant objects with both eyes but usually more clearly in the eye with the near centre lens. Near objects are also seen with both eyes, but usually more clearly in the eye with the distance centre lens. In general, there is binocular correction of both distance and near vision without the annoyance and confusion caused by the image in one eye being completely out of focus (as in monovision). This effect is achieved because each lens provides some correction for both distance and near objects, one eye being biased for distance (the near centre lens) and one eye being biased for near (the distance centre lens). Concentric bifocal lenses provide to each of the eyes two simultaneous images, one formed by the central zone and another by the peripheral zone.
The dominant image is that formed by the zone giving a larger coverage of the pupil area. For example, if the peripheral zone covers a larger area of the pupil than the central zone, the power of the peripheral zone will be dominant in forming the image. However, either the central or the peripheral zone could be constructed to cover a larger area. If the central zone was of larger area, the focus of the central area would be dominant. The eye with the lens which has the larger zone adapted for the visual task at hand is apparently selected by the brain, and the image formed in the other eye by the smaller zone of its contact lens assists in the visual task at hand.
This method effectively superimposes two images by having two focal lengths on the same axis. Each image is surrounded by the out of focus image of the other component. A problem in the wearing of such lenses is the fact that the human pupil size is not constant and varies from person to person. At small pupil sizes very little aperture is available for the distance image light and this image may be lost in the out of focus near image. At large pupil sizes the amount of light entering the eye for the near image light is very low and for reading, the near image will tend to be lost in the out of focus distance image. At less extreme pupil sizes i.e. not too large or too small, the two images will receive equal amounts of light thus making it possible to achieve good vision at both near and distance.
Another form of bifocal contact lens which is not pupil size dependent, and can be considered as a full aperture bifocal is the diffractive bifocal contact lens. In this type of lens, the whole aperture provides rays to both near and distance images. In such a lens, the diffractive power may be additive to (or subtractive from) the basic refractive power of the lens. Thus a lens may have a basic power e.g. for far vision, provided by the shape, curvature and material of the lens, and a different power e.g. a greater power for near vision provided by diffractive means on the lens so as to give a diffractive power which adds to the basic refractive power of the lens. One way of providing diffractive power is by means of a zone plate.
A bifocal lens can also be formed in which the basic refractive power is provided for near vision, and the diffractive means is provided to give negative power to the lens and effectively subsract power from the basic power of the lens to provide for distance vision. A diffractive lens nullifies the effect of pupil size and enables the lens to be designed so that the available light is divided so that about half the light goes into each image. The ratio of intensity between the near and far images may be chosen independently of the add power, pupil size or base power. Diffractive lenses as available in the marketplace are designed so that in terms of the ratio of intensity between the near and far images are substantially 0.5:0.5 in both eyes in contrast to the so-called monovision condition which is essentially 0:1 in one eye, and 1:0 in the other eye. The concentric bifocal contact lens as indicated above provides to each of the eyes two simultaneous images one formed by the central zone and the other by the peripheral zone. The dominant image is that formed by the zone giving a larger coverage of pupil area. Thus the concentric bifocal is pupil size dependent although it does overcome some of the problems associated with monvision contact lenses.

Method and contact lenses for treating presbyopia


A data transmitting/receiving method for charging the reception of pay data in units of a reception or in units of a group to which receivers belong with a high degree of freedom and its receiver. The transmission side allocates the same group identification number (IRD_Gr_ID) to receivers which receive data from the transmission side under a reception contract, have different individual identification numbers (IRD_ID), and belong to the same group, and manages the reception contract by means of the individual identification number (IRD_ID) and the group identification number (IRD_Gr_ID).

In the existing cable TV and satellite broadcasting, a fee-charging broadcasting system is employed.
As for accounting in the fee-charging broadcasting system, there are, for example, "pay-per-channel" in which the viewer pays a fixed charge for a specific channel every month to watch the channel, and "pay-per-view" in which a charge is set for each program and the viewer pays the charges of programs he/she has watched.
These charges are collected as follows. In the accounting system like pay-per-channel, after the viewer has made a contract of viewing a specific channel, a fixed charge for the channel is automatically collected by direct debit from a specified account. On the other hand, in the accounting system like pay-per-view, the transmitting end gets the history of viewing such as the title and time of a program the viewer has watched, and collects a charge according to the history of viewing. In order to get the history of viewing, the following methods have been employed: a method of transmitting the history of viewing and an IRD_ID which is an ID for identifying an IRD (Integrated Receiver Decoder) used for the viewing, from the receiving end to the transmitting end through a bidirectional cable; and a method of recording the history of viewing in an IC card, and periodically transmitting the history of viewing and a Card_ID which is an ID for identifying the IC card, to the transmitting end through a telephone line.
Accordingly, as for the contract system, regardless of the accounting system, i.e., not only in pay-per-view but also in pay-per-channel, a contract is made for each IRD and the charge is accounted and paid for each IRD. However, BS broadcasting employs an accounting system which is a kind of pay-per-channel, and a contract system in which a contract is made not for each IRD but for each family. That is, when the viewer makes a contract of viewing two channels, BS1ch and BS2ch, a charge for one contract is accounted to each family, and the charge for one contract is collected even if the family possesses two or more IRDs.
In recent years, it is not seldom that one family possesses plural TV sets, and it may safely be said that each member of a family owns a TV set. Further, the number of digital broadcasting channels is increasing. Accordingly, the number of families having plural IRDs and making contracts of viewing fee-charged broadcasts also increases. Further, because of versatility of digital broadcasting, it is expected that one company owns a large number of IRDs and utilizes fee-charged broadcasts.
Meanwhile, it is expected that the transmitting end of digital broadcasting will employ the contract system in units of groups like families or companies, as well as the existing accounting system in units of IRDs.
In the accounting system like pay-per-channel, it is possible to collect a fixed charge from each group, like in the existing BS broadcasting. In the accounting system like pay-per-view, however, the history of viewing is transmitted together with the IRD_ID or the Card_ID so that the transmitting end can grasp it in units of IRDs, not in units groups such as families or companies, each having plural IRDs.
Further, considering the versatility of undertaking in digital broadcasting and the great number of channels, it is desired that the viewer can select either the IRD-unit contract or the group-unit contract according to the carrier, channel, program, term, etc. to realize highly-flexible setting of contract systems.
The present invention is made to solve the above-described problems and it is an object of the present invention to provide a data transmission and reception method which realizes highly-flexible accounting on fee-charged data, in accordance with reception of the data in units of receivers or in units of groups each having plural receivers, and a receiver used for this method.

Data transmitting/receiving method and its receiver

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


A method facilitates assembling a combustor for a gas turbine engine, wherein the combustor includes a swirler assembly. The method comprises machining material to form a domeplate, positioning a sealplate including an overhanging portion against the domeplate, securing the sealplate in position relative to the domeplate with a welding process, and welding the swirler assembly to the domeplate.

This invention relates generally to gas turbine engines, more particularly to combustors used with gas turbine engines.
Known turbine engines include a compressor for compressing air which is suitably mixed with a fuel and channeled to a combustor wherein the mixture is ignited within a combustion chamber for generating hot combustion gases. More specifically, at least some known combustors include a dome assembly that channels airflow downstream and circumferentially around each fuel injector. More specifically, at least some known dome assemblies include a swirler assembly that extends upstream from a domeplate, and a baffle that extends downstream from the domeplate and into the combustion chamber.
Within recuperated gas turbine engines, combustor inlet temperatures may be elevated in comparison to other non-recuperated gas turbine engines, and as such, at least some dome assembly components within such engines, may be exposed to higher temperatures than other known gas turbine engine dome assemblies. As such, to facilitate withstanding exposure to the high temperatures generated within the combustion chamber, at least some known baffles are fabricated from a super alloy, such as, but not limited to Rene N5®. Although such materials are resistant to the high temperatures, such materials may be limited in their means of being coupled to the domeplate. Accordingly, known combustors including components fabricated from such super alloys are typically coupled together with an extensive brazing process. Although the brazing process is generally reliable, such processes may also be time-consuming and expensive.

Methods for assembling gas turbine engine combustors


The disclosed system presents to a user a first group of options representing information to include in a label. The system receives a first selection of a portion of the options representing first selected information to include in the label. Upon receiving the first selection of the portion of the options, the system adjusts a second group of options presented to the user based on the first selection. The system receives a second selection of a portion of the second group of options indicating a second selected information to include in the label. The system sends the first selected information and the second selected information to a printer.

Printing a clothing label today is a complicated process involving multiple parties. A fashion house sends a request to a second party to design a clothing label for a particular garment. Upon receiving the clothing label design, the fashion house can repeatedly request additional changes to the design. Once the design is settled, the fashion house sends the label to a third-party to print. The printing of the label takes additional time. The whole process can take multiple weeks, and cost millions of dollars.


A clockless synchronizer (200) is used for sub-rate bit acquisition and synchronization of high speed clockless data streams. Clockless synchronizer (200) comprises burst detector (210), multi-phase signal generator (220), multi-phase signal router (230), multi-phase signal sampler (240), clock generator (250), correlation control circuit (260), and output data selector (270). Clockless synchronizer (200) is fabricated on a single ASIC, and it is free from the xe2x80x98data rate less than the available clockxe2x80x99 limitation.

The present invention relates generally to the transfer of data and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus for transferring data using a clockless interface.
Large data systems require the transmission of large quantities of data at high rates throughout the system. The interfaces supporting these high data rates are typically limited by a data rate that must be lower than the available clock rate unless a power consuming phase lock loop (PLL) interface is employed. Furthermore, clock distribution and clock phase maintenance is a difficult and power consuming task for such a system. A higher performance/lower power solution is highly desirable.
The PLL recovery method requires a phase lock loop in each recovery circuit, and the phase lock loops add to the power requirements of the system. The embedded clock method requires the transmission of the associated clock with the transmitted data and requires controlled skew between the transmitted data and the clock for the entire transmission path. Other methods include oversampling clock recovery techniques. The oversampling clock recovery method requires the availability of clocks that are at a higher frequency than the data they are intended to recover. The oversampling method also requires more power due to the higher speed clocks.
What is needed is a method and apparatus for transferring data that is low power, high-speed, and can operate on self-contained mobile platforms.
Further needed is a method and apparatus for using a clockless interface for transferring data and for synchronizing of the clockless data.

Low power apparatus and algorithm for sub-rate bit acquisition and synchronization of high speed clockless data streams


The present invention pertains to compounds of the following formula: (1) wherein: RALK is primary or secondary aliphatic saturated C2-6alkyl; each of RB2, RB3, RB4, and RB5 is independently —H, —OH, or —OMe; each of R1 and R2 is independently: —H, optionally substituted C1-4alkyl, or optionally substituted C5-20aryl; RA3 is —H, —OH, —OC(═O)RE, —OS(═O)2OH, or —OP(═O)(OH)2; RE is: —H, optionally substituted C1-6alkyl, optionally substituted C3-20heterocyclyl, or optionally substituted C5-20aryl; or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, solvate, amide, ester, ether, chemically protected form, or prodrug thereof. The present invention also pertains to pharmaceutical compositions comprising such compounds, and the use of such compounds and compositions, both in vitro and in vivo, for both diagnosis and treatment of, for example, proliferative conditions, such as cancer, and inflammatory conditions

Many clinically successful anticancer drugs are themselves either natural products or have been developed from naturally occurring lead compounds. Great interest is currently being paid to drugs isolated from natural resources which have already been used as a medicine. The dried whole plant of Scutellaria barbata D. Don (Labiatae) is used in Traditional Chinese Medicine as an anti-inflammatory, an antitumour agent, and a diuretic. The α,β-unsaturated ketone, (E)-1-(4′-hydroxyphenyl)but-1-en-3-one has been isolated from this plant and found to have moderate antitumour activity (IC50 of 60 μM for K562).

Various analogues of this compounds have been examined for antitumour activity, including one class of analogs, chalcones.
Chalcone, also known as chalkone, benzylideneacetophenone, benzalacetophenone, and phenyl styryl ketone, is 1,3-diphenyl-2-propen-1-one, and has the following structure:

A number of substituted chalcones have been prepared, with one or more substituents on the styryl phenyl group (left, A), the acyl phenyl group (right, B), and/or the double bond carbon atoms.
A number of substituted chalcones with apparent biological activity have been reported.
Hall et al., 1981, describe a number of substituted chalcones which were alleged to have anti-inflammatory properties. The recited compounds are shown below (see Example 10, therein) (substituent is H unless otherwise specified): 1 (X=OH, Z=OH, L=OH), 2 (X=OH, Y=OH, Z=OH, L=OMe), 3 (Y=OH, L=NMe2), 4 (Y=OH, L=Cl), 5 (Y=OH, K=OEt, L=OH), 6 (Y=OH, K=C6H5F), 7 (Y=OH, L=OH), 8 (Y=OMe, K=OMe), 9 (Y=OH, J=F), and 10 (Y=OMe, L=OH).

Eda Shoei et al., 1986, describe several substituted chalcones which were reported to have anti-allergic activity. Compounds 1 (X=H, Y=H), 2 (X=H, Y=H), 3 (X=OH, Y=H), 4 (X=OMe, Y=H), 5 (X=OMe, Y=OMe), 6 (X=NO2, Y=H), 7 (X=NH2, Y=H), (see Table 1, therein) are shown below.

Berryman et al., 1995, 1997, describe a number of substituted chalcones which are intermediates used in the preparation of certain furanone and thiofuranone compounds reported to have activity as endothelin I antagonists.
Some of the chalcone intermediates have a 3,4-methylenedioxy group on the A-ring, as shown in the core structure below. See, e.g., in Berryman et al., 1995, Examples 36, 155, 187, 191, 195, 200, 201, 205, 209, 213, 217, 224, 232, 238, 242, 246, 263, 268, 280, 287, 288, 289, 298, 326, 345, 352, 353, 354, 355, 357, 366, 367, 368, 369, 370, 371, 378, 380, 387, 405, and 406; and additionally, in Berryman et al., 1997, Examples 421, 435, and 446. Various B-ring substituents are illustrated, including: 4-hydroxy; 2-methoxy; 3-methoxy; 4-methoxy; 2-allyloxy-4-methoxy; 4-isopropoxy; 2,4-dimethoxy; 3,4-dimethoxy; 3,4-methylenedioxy; 3,4-methylenedioxy-5-methoxy; and 3,4-ethylenedioxy.

Although many of the chalcone intermediates have an A-ring substituent which is 4-methoxy, one (Example 1, page 55, in Berryman et al., 1995) has a 4-(C2-6alkoxy) substituent, specifically, a 4-isopropoxy substituent, as shown below.

Ikeda Shunichi et al., 1996, describe several substituted chalcones reported to be active as antitumour agents. Compounds 1 (X=H) (also referred to herein as DMU-103), 2 (X=Me), and 3 (X=Et) (see Table 1, therein) are shown below.

Ducki et al., 1998, describe several substituted chalcones which were screened for cytotoxic activity against the human K562 human leukemia cell line. Compounds 2a–d (X=H) and 5a–d (X=Me) (see Table 3, therein) are shown below. The X=Me compounds were found to be much more active against K562 cells than the X=H compounds (see Table 3 therein). Compound 2b is also referred to herein as DMU-135.

Kharazmi et al., 1999, describe a large number of substituted chalcones alleged to be suitable for the treatment of, inter alia, inflammatory conditions and neoplasias. See, e.g., Example 1 (pages 71–94) therein; the ring numbering scheme, shown below, is illustrated at page 132 therein. None of the compounds have a 4-(C2-6alkoxy) substituent or a 3,4-methylenedioxy substituent (using their numbering scheme).

Potter et al., 1999, 2001 a, describe several 3,4,5-trimethoxy chalcones which were shown to inhibit preferentially the growth of cells expressing cytochrome P450 enzyme CYP1B1 as compared to cells which do not. Compounds VI (X=OMe, Y=H, Z=H, cis), VII (X=OMe, Y=H, Z=H, trans), VIII (X=OH, Y=H, Z=H), IX (X=OMe, Y=OMe, Z=H), XI (X=OMe, Y=H, Z=Me) are shown below. Compound VII was reported to be 200-fold more cytotoxic to the cell line expressing CYP1B1 than to the parental cell line not expressing this enzyme.

Potter et al., 2001b, describes certain substituted 1-(4-methoxyphenyl)-3-(3,5-dimethoxyphenyl)prop-1-en-3one of the following general formula, which have therapeutic application, and which are potent antiproliferative agents and antiinflammatory agents.

Cushman et al., 1995, describes various stilbene derviatives, which are reported to possess utility as anticancer agents.
There is a great need for additional antiproliferative agents which offer one or more of the following benefits:    (a) improved activity.    (b) improved selectivity (e.g., against tumour cells versus normal cells).    (c) low cytotoxicity as a prodrug, but yields an active drug in vivo;    (d) complement the activity of other treatments (e.g., chemotherapeutic agents);    (e) reduced intensity of undesired side-effects;    (f) fewer undesired side-effects;    (g) simpler methods of administration;    (h) reduction in required dosage amounts;    (i) reduction in required frequency of administration;    (j) increased ease of synthesis, purification, handling, storage, etc.;    (k) reduced cost of synthesis, purification, handling, storage, etc.
Thus, one aim of the present invention is the provision of compounds which are potent antiproliferative agents, e.g., anti-cancer agents, which offer one or more of the above benefits.
The inventors have discovered that certain sub-classes of substituted chalcones, described herein, offer one or more of the above benefits, and additionally are surprisingly and unexpectedly more active than corresponding known analogues.

4-(c2-6alkoxy)-substituted chalcones as therapeutic agents


A nanogap device which may include a first insulation layer having a nanopore formed therein, a first channel layer which may be on the first insulation layer, a first source electrode and a first drain electrode which may be respectively in contact with both ends of the first channel layer, a second insulation layer which may cover the first channel layer, the first source electrode, and the first drain electrode, and a first nanogap electrode which may be on the second insulation layer and may be divided into two parts with a nanogap, which faces the nanopore, interposed between the two parts.

1. Field
Example embodiments relate to a nanogap device, a signal processing method using the nanogap device, and/or a method of manufacturing the nanogap device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various methods have been developed to detect a target biomolecule such as a DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) from a sample. Among them, a method using a nanogap has been identified as a DNA detection system.
At present, a system for measuring a tunneling current or a blockade current when a DNA, a ribonucleic acid (RNA), or the like passes through a nanogap has been implemented variously. Signal detection may be difficult because a molecule may pass through a nanogap quickly and a signal from the nanogap is small. For example, since DNA may move at an ultrahigh speed of 107 base/sec or higher, existing electrical signal detecting methods may have difficulty in distinguishing four different DNA bases having an interval of 0.37 nm.

Nanogap device and method of processing signal from the nanogap device


An illumination system, used for illuminating a target area, includes a plurality of light generating elements and a plurality of light collection units disposed to collect light from respective light generating elements. Imaging lens units are disposed to relay images of respective light collection units to the target area, light from different light generating elements overlapping at the target area. In some embodiments, the illumination system also includes color combining elements to combine light from differently colored light generating elements. The illumination system may be used in a projection system, with the light from the illumination system incident on an image-forming device placed at the target area.

Typical projection systems include a source of light, illumination optics, one or more image-forming devices, projection optics and a projection screen. The illumination optics collect light from one or more light sources and direct that light in a predetermined manner to one or more image-forming devices. The image-forming devices, controlled by an electronically conditioned and processed digital video signal or by other input data, produce images corresponding to the video signal or to that data. Projection optics then magnify the image and project it onto the projection screen. Examples of image-forming devices frequently used in projection systems include digital micro-mirror devices, or digital light processing devices (DLPs), and liquid crystal devices, such as liquid crystal on silicon devices (LCoS) and high temperature polysilicon liquid crystal devices (HTPS-LCD).
White light sources, such as arc lamps, in conjunction with color-maintaining systems, have historically been the most commonly used light sources for projection display systems. Light emitting diodes (LEDs), however, have recently attracted more consideration as an alternative type of light source. Some advantages of LED light sources include longer lifetime, higher efficiency and superior thermal characteristics.
The illumination optics employed in common projection systems often include integrators. Integrators typically serve to homogenize the light supplied to the image-forming device. Presently known integrators include fly-eye integrators and mirror tunnels, for example, rectangular tunnels, solid or hollow, and elongated tunnels composed of solid glass rods that rely on total internal reflection to transfer light.


A method and apparatus for cleaning organic material from a semiconductor substrate suppresses the oxidation of a conductive film or layer on the substrate. A semiconductor substrate is immersed within a bath of water. The conductive layer is contacted to a source of electrons. The electrons form a floating charge protecting the conductive layer from oxidation. Ozone gas is introduced into the water bath. In another aspect, the semiconductor substrate is sprayed with water. Organic contaminants or films are oxidized and removed by the ozone, while the conductive or metal layer is preserved. An anode may be placed adjacent to the surface of the semiconductor substrate to passivate the metal layer via current flow.

The field of the invention is methods and apparatus for cleaning semiconductor substrates.
During the processing of semiconductor substrates into completed electronic devices such as integrated circuits, microprocessors, or memory chips, it is necessary to clean the semiconductor substrates to remove organic material particle or film contaminants on the surface of the semiconductor substrate. Contaminants that are not removed during the cleaning step reduce the overall yield of the manufacturing process thus reducing the number of useable electronic devices, that can be obtained from a given semiconductor substrate. Contamination is increasingly important in current semiconductor processes, where an increasing number of ever smaller components are placed on a given area of the semiconductor substrate.
The removal of organic materials from semiconductor substrates has generally been accomplished through an oxidation process, in which organic contaminants are either converted completely to CO2 and water, or through partial oxidation, which will disrupt the polymer matrix and facilitate the bulk removal of the contaminating film or layer. One technique for removing organic contaminants uses ozone and deionized (DI) water. This technique can be illustrated in the following chemical reaction:
xe2x80x94CH2xe2x80x94(n)+(3n)O3xe2x86x92(n)CO2+(n)H2Oxe2x80x83xe2x80x83(1)
The use of ozone in DI water, as represented by the above-reaction, has been successfully applied to remove many types of organic contamination, including photoresist films. Other methods of removing organic contaminants from semiconductor substrates have included use of sulfuric acid with hydrogen peroxide and/or ozone. However, use of the ozone and DI water reaction provides cost and environmental benefits over the acid-based removal method. Recent advances in ozone and DI water photoresist stripping have improved the strip rate and performance characteristics of the removal method, making the ozone/DI water method highly competitive with acid-based removal methods.
One of the major limitations of any oxidative cleaning process, including the ozone/DI water method, is that it has limited application on metal films or layers, as many metals will be oxidized along with the organic contaminants. Some metals such as aluminum, when oxidized, form a xe2x80x9chardxe2x80x9d oxide. A hard oxide is an inert, continuous oxide film, which prevents further reaction of the metallic film beyond the surface layer. Other metals such as copper, form a non-passivating oxide, such as CuO. CuO is a black material that is loosely bonded to the reactive copper surface. Thus, as CuO forms on the surface of a semiconductor substrate, it spalls off the surface of the substrate, thereby exposing a fresh layer of Cu that is available for further oxidation.
Consequently, methods for cleaning semiconductor substrates having metal layers often require use of organic-based solvents that dissolve the organic contaminants, rather than oxidizing them. However, organic-based solvents are very expensive and increase the cost of the cleaning process. In addition, organic-based solvents generally create health and environmental concerns.
Difficulties in removing organic contaminants are of special concern with semiconductor substrates that have a surface film or layer of copper (Cu). Electroplated Cu is now being used to provide the interconnect layers on semiconductor wafers. Due to the smaller sizes of the electronic devices formed on the semiconductor substrates, it is becoming increasingly important to remove even smaller contaminants, including organic contaminants, from the semiconductor substrate surface. However, ozone/DI water cleaning is not suitable for semiconductor substrates containing a Cu film or other metal layer subject to oxidation during cleaning.
Thus, there is a need for an improved semiconductor substrate cleaning method. There is also a need for method that suppresses or eliminates the oxidation of conductive films on semiconductor substrates.
In a first aspect of the invention, a method is provided for cleaning organic material from a semiconductor substrate, wherein the semiconductor substrate includes an electrically conductive layer or surface. The semiconductor substrate is immersed in water. The conductive layer is supplied with electrons. Ozone gas is introduced into to the water. This passivates the conductive layer and promotes cleaning. Typically, the conductive layer or surface is a metal, such as copper. The conductive surface may be continuous, such as a plated but not etched substrate, or it may be discontinuous, in the form of pads, runs, vias, etc.
In a second aspect of the invention, the method includes the steps of spraying the semiconductor substrate with water, connecting the conductive layer or surface to a source of electrons, and providing ozone gas to the conductive layer.
In another aspect of the invention, an apparatus for suppressing the oxidation of a conductive layer or surface on a semiconductor substrate, includes a fixture for holding the substrate, a bath of fluid (typically water), ozone gas within the fluid bath, and a source of electrons electrically connected to the conductive layer.
In still another aspect of the invention, an apparatus for suppressing the oxidation of a conductive surface on a semiconductor substrate, includes a fixture for holding the substrate, a sprayer for spraying a fluid, such as water, onto the conductive surface, an ozone gas source, and a source of electrons electrically connected to the conductive surface or section of the semiconductor substrate.
In still another aspect of the invention, a method of cleaning organic material from a semiconductor substrate includes the steps of immersing the semiconductor substrate in water, contacting the conductive film to a cathode of a DC electrical power source (such as a DC power supply or a battery), preferably placing an anode of the DC electrical source adjacent to the surface of the semiconductor substrate, and providing ozone gas into the water.
In yet another aspect of the invention a method of cleaning organic material from a semiconductor substrate having any conductive metal surface areas, includes the steps of spraying the metal surfaces with water, connecting the metal surface areas to a cathode of a DC electrical source, optionally placing an anode of the DC electrical source adjacent to the surface of the metal areas, and providing ozone gas around the metal areas.
In another aspect of the invention, an apparatus for suppressing the oxidation of a conductive film on a semiconductor substrate includes a fixture for holding the semiconductor substrate, a water bath, a supply of ozone gas, and a cathode of a DC electrical power source electrically connected to the conductive film. The anode of the DC electrical power source is positioned adjacent to the surface of the semiconductor substrate including the conductive film thereon.
In another aspect of the invention, a device for suppressing the oxidation of a conductive film contained on a semiconductor substrate includes a fixture, for holding the semiconductor substrate, a sprayer for spraying water onto the semiconductor substrate, a supply of ozone gas, a cathode of a DC electrical power source electrically connected to the conductive film of the semiconductor substrate. The anode of the DC electrical source is positioned adjacent to the surface of the semiconductor substrate including the conductive film thereon.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide improved methods and devices for cleaning a semiconductor substrate. It is a further object of the invention to provide methods and apparatus for suppressing oxidation of conductive films on semiconductor substrates. Other objects and advantages will appear below.
The invention resides not only in the combinations described above, but also in subcombinations of them.

Method for cleaning semiconductor substrates


A toolhead intended for a multi-axis machine tool incorporates a tool-holder rotatable about the tool axis and attached to the spindle of a spindlehead, also a stop cage element mounted slidably to the tool-holder, which is furnished with a collar presenting an active surface set transversely to the tool axis and offered to the surface of a workpiece. The stop cage element alternates between a first operating position in which the active surface of the collar is located forward of a countersink portion presented by the tool, considered in relation to the feed direction of the spindlehead as it approaches the surface of the work, and a second operating position in which the countersink portion will be located forward of the active surface, at least in part. The axial position of the stop cage element relative to the tool-holder is monitored continuously by a sensing system.

The present invention relates to a toolhead for multi-axis machine tools.
The invention finds application in systems able to perform drilling, countersinking or other such machining operations automatically and to extremely close tolerances, in situations where the exact height of the machined surface is not known.
In particular, whilst implying no limitation of its general scope, the invention can be associated to advantage with numerically controlled multi-axis machine tools as used especially in the aircraft industry for drilling and countersinking holes in the outer panels of wing structures and fuselage sections, in readiness for the insertion of rivets. In practice, the heads of the inserted rivets must remain perfectly flush with the outer skin of the aircraft in order to ensure they will not generate turbulence, which would occasion a marked increase in aerodynamic resistance.
The prior art embraces devices able to control drilling or countersinking depth, which are set up by performing a mechanical adjustment before each machining job.
Patent IT 1220732, in particular, discloses a depth-controlled drilling and countersinking device able to operate on surfaces positioned at any given height relative to the feed direction of the tool. The device in question comprises a tool-holder with a shank that can be attached to the spindle of a machine tool, also a stop cage mechanism associated with the tool-holder by way of a pair of bearings and presenting a pair of cylinders with piston rods that project from both ends. Each of the rods is connected at one end to a collar, through which the tool is insertable when penetrating the work, and at the opposite end to a mounting plate. The collar is translatable relative to the tool-holder, in a direction parallel to the tool axis. The mounting plate associated with the ends of the rods remote from the tool carries respective micrometer screws that can be locked fast in a selected position by means of stops. Two microswitches are fixed to the spindlehead, their axes coinciding with those of the two micrometer screws. The microswitches are also connected to suitable devices serving to pilot the tool feed movement of the spindle. To control the depth of the countersink, the position of the screws is adjusted in such a way that the distance between the tip of the screw and the corresponding microswitch is equal to the distance between the face of the collar and the tool, plus the depth of the countersink. During operation, the spindle of the machine continues to advance until the screws engage and trip the microswitches. At this point, the devices piloting the movement of the spindle will be caused by the resulting contact to retract the tool. The machining depth is thus mechanically controlled, and the switches serve simply to halt the movement of the spindle once the prescribed depth has been reached.
The applicant finds that prior art devices of the type outlined above could be improved from various standpoints.
More exactly, mechanically controlled devices of familiar type such as the one described above do not allow any automatic adjustment of the depth to which the tool is sunk during the work cycle.
In practice however, an adjustment of this kind becomes necessary given that, whilst the shanks of the rivets utilized are generally identical, the dimensions of the respective heads will often vary. Accordingly, the single tool by which the hole is first drilled and then countersunk must penetrate to different depths according to the size of the rivet head that will ultimately occupy the hole. Furthermore, it may be that the cycle will involve sinking all of the holes initially, with different diameters one from another, and then countersinking each one in turn with a single tool penetrating to different depths as determined by the diameters of the different holes.
To this end, when using devices of the prior art type, the machine must always be stopped so as to allow manual adjustment of the micrometer screws.
The object of the present invention is to resolve the problems encountered with prior art solutions by setting forth a toolhead for multi-axis machine tools that will allow of sinking and countersinking holes automatically to different depths without any mechanical adjustment of the tool being required.
A further object of the invention is to provide a toolhead for multi-axis machine tools designed so as to allow a reduction of the down times between machining cycles, thereby optimizing production.


A remotely controllable, tiltable platform supports a radar transmitter/receiver for rotational movement of the radar relative to a mounting on a vessel, such as a mast of a sailboat or the superstructure of a power boat. A cowling extends upward from the foundation plate and a stationary hinge plate, parallel to the foundation plate, is secured to the top of the cowling. A top antenna mounting plate is hingedly secured to the stationary hinge plate. An actuator is positioned within the cowling to controlled movement of the top antenna mounting plate to maintain the radar level with the horizon. Alternatively, an A-frame structure mounts the leveling system to a mast of a sailboat.

Radar systems are commonly in use on vessels today throughout the world. Such systems are used on all manner of vessels, including powered craft and sailboats, from the largest to the smallest, and in all sorts of waterways. Most radar systems in use today for civilian use have a relatively low power; ocean going vessels of necessity rely on systems having much great power, in order to provide images well beyond the horizon.
The common technique for mounting a radar dish to a vessel is to solidly mount the radar rotating structure within a housing which is firmly affixed to a solid structure of the vessel. In large part, such radar structures are rigidly mounted because the radar systems in use in smaller craft were adapted from radar systems which were developed from large, ocean going vessels. However, a rigid mount on a large vessel works well because the large vessel experiences relatively small degrees of roll, pitch, and yaw. These kinds or motions, however, can play havoc with the image displayed by a radar mounted to a small vessel which routinely changes its aspect in relation to the horizon, such as by pitch, roll, yaw, and natural canting of the vessel due to acceleration and deceleration.
Rigid mounting of a radar on small vessels, whether powered craft or sailboats, has other drawbacks, For example, in order to gain the maximum range for the relatively low power system as previously described, it is desirable to mount the transceiver at the highest point possible on the vessel, and this is most often a mast structure of some kind. For small craft, the top of the mast moves substantially in aspect, orientation, and azimuth as the vessel traverses even relatively calm waters.
A number of structures have been used to try to stabilize the radar transceiver in its movement with the movement of the vessel. Since the radar structure is commonly mounted on a mast, small movement of the vessel in any of the six degrees of movement is amplified at the position of the radar. For example, certain gimbal systems are commonly used to attempt to dampen the rolling of the vessel to help maintain the radar parallel with the surface of the water. Such systems are passive and offer no control by the operator of the vessel. Particularly, such systems offer little in the way of leveling control for one of the common movements of the vessel and that is the rising of the bow and dipping of the stern when the vessel operates at speed, then returns to a more level flight when speed is reduced.
The present invention is directed to solving this need in the art.