An embodiment of the present disclosure relates to an unmanned flying robotic object that contains a wheeled mechanism that encircles its spherical exoskeleton. This feature allows the flying spherical vehicle to readily transform into a ground maneuverable vehicle. A robotic motor with differential speed capability is used to operate each wheel to provide effective ground maneuverability. There are examples provided herein of wheel configurations suitable for use with an embodiment. One is the straight- (or parallel) wheel design, and another is tilted-wheel design as are illustrated and discussed hereinafter. One embodiment of an unmanned flying robotic object taught herein is foldable.

In general, unmanned aerial vehicles ("UAVs") come in two forms, fixed wing and rotary wing, each having its own advantages and shortcomings. The former has limitations with take-off and landing, while the latter has limitations in stability, safety and endurance. Conventional fixed-wing designs can fly forward efficiently at high speed, but they cannot take-off and land vertically, and either runways or launch and recovery systems are required. On the other hand, rotor platforms such as helicopters and multi-rotors can take off and land vertically, but they cannot fly forward with high speed relative to fixed wing designs and have limited ground handling. Rotary platforms have the distinct advantage of hovering while staring directly at a target as long as power is available.
Open-tip propeller on both hand-tossed fixed wing UAVs and multi-rotor platforms can present safety hazards to the operator and are likely to get damaged upon contact with an object. These demands have led to the development of several shrouded fan vehicles with robust control systems. Likewise, multi-rotor systems have become extremely capable. Even though these vehicles may be shrouded and equipped with robust flight control system, the vehicles' orientation during take-off and landing relative to the terrain remains critical. In other words, a toppled vehicle has no further operational capability without human intervention. To design a search and rescue orientated UAV to operate in an urban or indoor environment, capabilities such as object detection and avoidance, hover, small landing footprint and self-recovering in an undesirable environment are some of the functionalities needed to be successful.
Among the many possible uses of such vehicle include search and rescue and damage assessment in disaster areas, including indoor proximal reconnaissance, power line and wind turbine inspection, oil and gas exploration, pipeline monitoring and inspection, tethered operation for weather monitoring, "Skycam" over a stadiums for security or observation of the event.
Heretofore, as is well known in the aircraft arts, there has been a need for a system and method of producing a robotic aircraft that does not suffer from the disadvantages of the prior art. Accordingly, it should now be recognized that, there exists now, and has existed for some time, a very real need for a system that would address and solve the above-described problems.
Before proceeding to a description of the present disclosure, however, it should be noted that the description of the disclosure which follows, together with the accompanying drawings, should not be construed as limiting the disclosure to the examples (or embodiments) shown and described. This is so because those skilled in the art to which the disclosure pertains will be able to devise other forms of this disclosure within the ambit of the appended claims.

The Board of Regents for Oklahoma State University


A present invention license reallocation system and method facilitates flexible and effective licensing distribution. The license reallocation system and method enables convenient movement of licensed information between hardware devices while ensuring appropriate compliance with license terms. An expired license indication is generated on license expiration. The expired license indication indicates that prior license keys associated with proprietary information are expired. Upon receipt of a valid expired license indication and expired license keys new license key(s) is issued presumably for a different hardware. A license serial number (LSN) that is both globally unique and mutable is utilized to generate license keys. In one embodiment, the license serial number includes system serial number (SSN) and an extension serial number (ESN). The global uniqueness of the SSN ensures that the tuple (SSN, ESN) is globally unique and the mutable but non-repeating nature of the ESN ensures that the tuple is allowed to change without repeating its value.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of licensing technology. In particular, the present invention relates to a license reallocation system and method.
2. Related Art
Electronic systems and circuits have made a significant contribution towards the advancement of modern society and are utilized in a number of applications to achieve advantageous results. Numerous electronic technologies such as digital computers, calculators, audio devices, video equipment, and telephone systems facilitate increased productivity and cost reduction in analyzing and communicating data, ideas and trends in most areas of business, science, education and entertainment. Systems providing these advantageous results are often realized through the use of proprietary digital information. Distributing the proprietary information while maintaining adequate licensing control is often problematic. For example, it is usually difficult to prevent illicit distribution of licensed digital information while allowing limited legitimate transferal or reallocation of the licensed digital information from one piece of hardware to another piece of hardware.
There are numerous underlying technologies that make physical distribution and copying of digital information easy. For example, software programs, music, pictures, movies and the like can typically be distributed in a variety of mediums such as on a disk (e.g., CD, DVD, etc.) or over a network (e.g., Internet, World Wide Web, etc.). However, the ease of physically distributing and copying the digital information also typically makes control of proprietary interests difficult. Proprietary interests in digital information are usually conveyed through limited licenses. However, once the digital information is transferred it is usually difficult to maintain license limitations and unauthorized distribution (e.g., illicit copies) of the digital information. The remoteness of the distribution from direct control of the original proprietary owners (e.g., distribution to numerous dispersed end users) also makes direct control over unauthorized distribution difficult.
There have been numerous traditional attempts at administering digital information licenses. One conventional approach is to attempt to tie a license key to a particular piece of hardware. While this approach may offer some protection for the original proprietary owner of the digital information, the end user is significantly restricted. For example, the end user typically is not allowed to transfer the same key and associated digital information onto another device. These licenses are often issued against a globally unique hardware identification number (e.g., NIC MAC address, system serial number, etc.) that is constant over the life span of the hardware device.
Limiting a license to a particular piece of hardware can be problematic for end users in a number of situations. For example, advances in hardware technology often offer potential for significant performance increases and if an end user purchases a new or upgraded device the digital information is not transferable to the new device under the terms of the license. Many times the content of the digital information does not change (e.g., songs, pictures, movies, legacy software programs, archived data, etc.) but a much better device for presenting the data (e.g., new computer system, music player, etc.) becomes available but can not be utilized with the digital information since the license key is "tied" to legacy equipment. License keys tied to a particular piece of equipment can also present a number of problems in a dynamic enterprise environment with a significant number of devices. In this case the portability of the digital information even within the enterprise is significantly limited.
One traditional approach to license transfer or re-allocation is a manual approach. For example, an end user asks for a new license key for the new hardware and promises not to use the old license key. However, this approach can have a number of limitations. Manual approaches are usually costly and typically do not scale up well, the greater the scale (e.g., larger distribution base) the more manual support required. In addition, as the licensing information increases and more human intervention is involved the greater the likelihood of mistakes occurring. Manual approaches are based upon trust and are often susceptible to abuse (e.g., license violations, illicit copying, use on an unauthorized device(s), etc.). These limitations often result in manual approaches being restricted to exceptional rather than routine circumstances.
Some conventional approaches involve dongle based licensing. A dongle is a piece of hardware attached to the serial port of a hardware unit. License keys are issued against the unique dongle serial number. Attaching the dongle to different hardware (e.g., through the serial port) carries licenses to the new hardware from the original hardware. However, the dongle based licensing approaches also often have a number of limitations. Dongle based licensing is hardware based and involves maintenance and management of a hardware inventory. Dongle based licensing is typically relatively costly and again requires manufactures to provide human intervention. Susceptible to fraud is also a concern in dongle based licensing systems. For example, unauthorized users can typically intercept or "snoop" the data communication between a hardware unit and dongle unit to illicitly retrieve license information.


Disclosed are arrangements encode protection marks (302) into an unprotected document, where the protection marks are modulated according to a attributes of corresponding areas (902) of the unprotected document associated with the protection marks (302). Unauthorized amendment of the protected document can be detected by demodulating (1107) the modulated protection marks in the protected document, to derive the attribute of the unprotected document. This is compared to the corresponding attribute of the protected document, and this comparison indicates if unauthorized amendment has taken place.

It is often desirable to ensure that a printed document has not been altered or tampered with in some unauthorised manner from the time the document was first printed. For example, a contract that has been agreed upon and signed on some date may subsequently be fraudulently altered. It is desirable to be able to detect such alterations in detail. Similarly, security documents of various sorts including cheques and monetary instruments record values, which are vulnerable to fraudulent alteration. Detection of any fraudulent alteration in such document is also desirable. Further, it is desirable that such detection be performed automatically, and that the detection reveal the nature of any alteration.
In addition to detection of fraudulent alteration or tampering with a document, it is desirable that printed documents offer a visible deterrent to fraudulent alteration.
Various methods of deterring and detecting fraudulent alteration to documents have been proposed and used.
One class of methods that was in use before high quality color scanners and printers became commonly available, was to print important information such as monetary amounts in special fonts or with special shadows that were, at the time, difficult to reproduce. However, with modern printers and scanners, such techniques have become vulnerable to attack.
One known method of detecting alteration of a document uses a two dimensional (2D) barcode printed on one part of a document page to encode (possibly cryptographically) a representation of some other portion of the document, such as a signature area. This 2D barcode can be decoded and a resulting image compared by an operator to the area the barcode is intending to represent to check for similarity. Existing variants of such barcode protection may be divided into two categories.
The first category of 2D-barcode protection involves embedding a portion of a document's semantic information into a 2D barcode. Often, such semantic information may be hashed and encrypted. However, this first category of barcode protection does not allow non-textual documents to be protected. The second category of 2D-barcode protection treats a document as an image and embeds a portion of the image in a barcode. However, embedding a portion of the image in the barcode may cause the barcode to become very large. In this instance, automatic verification at a fine granularity is not possible, as the image embedded in the barcode cannot be automatically lined up with the received document.
A related body of work is detection of tampering in digital images that are not subject to print/scan cycles. In this regard a number of "fragile watermark" methods are known. However, these methods are generally not applicable to tamper detection in printed documents since they cannot withstand the introduction of noise, Rotation, Scaling and Translation (RST), re-sampling, and local distortion that occurs in a print/scan cycle. Some of these fragile watermark methods operate by replacing all or some of the least significant bits of pixels of an image with some form of checksum of remaining bits in each pixel.
A number of "semi-fragile watermark" methods are also known. These include methods that use cross-correlation to detect the presence of a lightly embedded shifted copy of a portion of an image. Another known semi-fragile watermark method embeds watermarks into image blocks, and then compares the detection strength of these watermarks to discern if any blocks have been altered. These semi-fragile watermark methods tend to have less localisation ability as their detection ability improves, and as their localisation ability improves, these methods become more sensitive to noise and other distortions and so cannot be used to detect local changes in printed documents.
Other known methods of detecting alterations in digital images use special materials to make alteration difficult. Such methods include laminates covering the printed surface of a document where damage to the laminate is obvious. However using special materials introduces production complexity, and is not applicable to plain paper applications. These known methods are also not amenable to automatic detection.
An additional failing in many existing methods is weak cryptographic security. In many cases, once the cryptographic algorithm being employed is identified, identification leads directly to a subversion method to attack the identified method.
Another common failing of present methods of detecting alterations to digital images is the distribution of alteration detection information over wide areas of a page, or even areas completely separate to the image area to be authenticated (as in the barcode method above). This introduces problems if there is incidental soiling of the document in areas apart from the image area being authenticated. Many of these methods cannot be used to authenticate the entire area of a document, so documents must be specifically designed to accommodate the methods.
A still further class of methods of detecting alterations to documents uses independent transfer of information about the original unaltered form of a document to verify the document. This could be as simple as a telephone call to a person with independent knowledge, and may extend to keeping a complete copy of the document in a secure location. Such methods have many practical disadvantages since they require handling and storage of such independent information.

Tamper detection of documents using encoded dots


An anode/separator assembly for a capacitor is described. The capacitor includes a pellet of anode active material having opposed first and second major faces extending to a surrounding side wall and a separator enveloping the pellet. The separator is formed of a first sheet of separator material including a first central region contiguous with the first major face wall of the anode pellet and a first perimeter region folded in contact with the surrounding side wall of the anode pellet, and a second sheet of separator material including a second central region contiguous with the second major face wall of the anode pellet and a second perimeter region overlapping a portion of the first perimeter region of the first separator sheet. The first and second sheets of separator material are then sealed to each other at a seam formed at the overlap between them using the anode pellet surrounding sidewall as a backing surface for a heat sealing device.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a capacitor, and more particularly, to a capacitor with a sealed sheet of separator enclosing the capacitor anode.
2. Prior Art
The current trend in medicine is to make cardiac defibrillators, and like implantable devices, as small and lightweight as possible without compromising their power. This, in turn, means that capacitors contained in these devices must be made with minimal size while still meeting the power and energy requirements of the devices. In general, an optimum capacitor design provides as much cathode and anode active materials within the capacitor casing as possible. In order to accomplish this, the volume needed for non-capacitive components, such as separators, insulating rings, connecting and feedthrough wires, and a glass-to-metal seal should be minimized.
In an electrochemical capacitor, a separator is disposed between each opposed anode and cathode surface to prevent an internal electrical short circuit between the opposite polarity active materials. FIGS. 2 to 4 illustrate a prior art capacitor 10 comprising a separator 12 enveloping an anode pellet 14 of a commonly used shape. The separator 12 is preferably formed as a pouch that encloses the anode 14 isolated from the cathode active materials 16 and 18 supported on the interior surfaces of the casing members 20 and 22, respectively. In fabrication, sheets 24 and 26 of separator material are placed in contact with the anode 14 and heat sealed to each other by a hot press 30 (FIG. 3) near the lower perimeter 28 of the anode 14. Excess separator material (not shown) is cut away (if necessary) during or after the heat sealing process, leaving a selvage flap 32 around the anode pellet 14 that consists of a double layer of the fused separator sheets 24, 26.
Casing member 20 is made with the minimum volume required to receive the anode pellet 14 enclosed in the separator 12. The separator selvage flap 32 is folded upwardly when the anode 14 enveloped in the separator 12 is disposed in the casing member 20. The selvage flap 32 is contained in a gap 34 formed between a portion of the separator 12 that is contiguous with the sidewall 33 of anode 14 and the sidewall 36 of casing member 20. This gap 34 is present around the entire anode sidewall 33 and constitutes wasted space within the capacitor 10 that does not contain electrode active material.
Thus, current separator sealing methods result in the relatively thick separator selvage flap 32 that necessitates providing the gap 34 within capacitor 10, thereby lowering capacitor volumetric energy density. What is needed, therefore, is a method of sealing the separator material around a capacitor anode that either provides no selvage flap, or a selvage flap of minimal thickness, thereby reducing or eliminating the associated wasted space in the capacitor.

Flat sealing of anode/separator assembly for use in capacitors


A communications device that includes a requester and a responder may support multiple transaction classes, including an ordered transaction class, while maintaining a bifurcated requester/responder architecture. Before a responder has a non-posted transaction response to transmit on an interconnect, it receives an indication from the requester that there is not a pending posted transaction on the interconnect.

Certain system interconnect communications protocols define various packet types that must be supported by components connected to the interconnect. For example, the protocol may define read requests, read responses, write requests, write acknowledgements, and various control packets. Legacy computer system interconnect such as PCIe provide correct behavior in part by specifying certain fabric ordering rules to guarantee transactions only become visible in the expected order. Some fabric interconnects such as Gen-Z are designed to remove these requirements in order to provide higher performance and reliability.

Device supporting ordered and unordered transaction classes

Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP


An improved fuel line insert includes a cylindrical housing extending between oppositely disposed input and output ports, and constructed to include inner and outer chamber surfaces, such that an internal volume is realized in a form of an internal chamber extending between the input and output ports. At least two permanent magnets oppositely disposed from each other and mounted at each magnet's south pole into the inner chamber surface such that each magnets north poles face each other in the chamber in such an arrangement that fuel may flow between the two. The improvement lies in strength of the material comprising the casing and the magnets which is a result of construction of same with a nickel/low carbon steel alloy.

The present invention relates to improving fuel efficiency, and more particularly relates to improving the efficiency and operating ability of conventional fuel line inserts known to use permanent magnets to impose magnetic energy upon fuel molecules flowing through the insert en route to a combustion chamber prior to combustion therein.
Many and various apparatus, devices, and the like are known which claim to increase the efficiency of fuel consumption (combustion) by processing and/or conditioning a fuel mixture prior to the mixture's combustion. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,129,382 discloses a device for improving fuel efficiency which includes at least one magnet for magnetically "charging" fuel fluids fed through a fluid passageway into a combustion chamber of an apparatus with which the device is used. The '382 device includes a housing containing the at least one permanent magnet positioned adjacent the fluid passageway, where the north pole of the magnet preferably faces the fluid passageway. The '382 patent asserts that the magnetic field created by the at least one permanent magnet is responsible for an improved fuel efficiency, an improved power production a reduction of carbon build-up on engine parts, and a reduction of pollutants normally found in combustion exhaust gases. The fluid passageway is preferably made of non-magnetic material. The magnetic cores are preferable made of nickel, ceramic, high carbon steel, etc.
Examples of other devices which utilize magnetism to improve the fuel-combustion efficiency of combustion engines are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,381,754, 4,461,262, 4,572,145, 4,188,296, 5,129,382, and Chinese Patent No. 94231684.3 to Hou et al., issued Dec. 20, 1996. In particular, U.S. Pat. No. 4,461,262 discloses a fuel treatment device comprising a fuel line and a pair of magnets positioned at an inlet for incoming fuel. Each of the magnets is positioned with its south magnetic pole arranged to face upstream of the fuel line and its north magnetic pole placed closest to a mixing zone. Fuel passes initially through the flux generated by the south pole, and then the flux of the opposed north pole, allegedly improving combustion efficiency.
In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 4,572,145 discloses a magnetic fuel treatment device comprising a magnet embedded in a unshaped body of non-magnetic material adapted to fit over a fuel line. The magnet is positioned so that its north pole is spaced apart from the fuel line and its south pole is adjacent the fuel line. It is the flux imposed by the magnet's south pole which affects the fuel as alleged in the patent document. The magnet is embedded in a unshaped body of a non-magnetic material adapted to fit over the fuel line.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,188,296 discloses a magnetizing apparatus used to apply a magnetic field to fuel to impart a magnetic flux density of at least 10 gauss to the fuel. A plurality of magnets are disposed within a casing and oriented such that magnetic forces are produced and directed to the fuel to be processed. The processing occurs as the fuel flows past the casing, and preferably, is also arranged to impart the device's diametrically opposed field to any steam or air to be mixed with the fuel at combustion
U.S. Pat. No. 5,129,382 discloses a device for use with a fuel combustion apparatus for improving the efficiency of fuel combustion and to reduce polluting emissions. At least one magnet is constructed into a fuel fluid passageway, with its north pole proximate and/or facing the fuel passageway in order that the magnetizing force imposed by the north pole of the magnet negatively charges the fuel for combustion. The fluid passageway and magnet are housed in a casing with a casing cover, and preferably including at least two magnets arranged in the chamber in diametric opposition. The '382 patent calls out a housing comprised of any material, such as plastic or metal, but preferably non-magnetic, and calls for magnets comprising cobalt, nickel, aluminum, copper or iron, or any material with a high retentivity and coercivity such as Alnico material, ceramic, high carbon steel, or other steel alloys or some combination thereof. Fuel molecules tend to move more quickly and more readily disperse within the combustion chamber. The magnetic pairs are preferably formed of materials possessing high retentivity and coercivity.
Chinese Patent No. 94231684.3 to Hou et al (the Hou et al. patent) discloses a fuel efficiency improving device which utilizes the magnetic field generated by pairs of diametrically opposed permanent magnets which comprise the device (the "Hou patented device"), incorporated by reference herein. The Hou Chinese Patent describes the Hou patented device as a magnetic energy-saving purifier element and asserts in the writing that the use of same device will markedly increase the combusting efficiency of gas- and/or oil-burning (powered) machinery, such as trucks, automobiles, etc., that is, internal combustion engines up to twenty percent (20%). The Hou et al. Chinese patent disclosure asserts that fuel processing by the device is the result of a stationary magnetic field imposed at a particular portion of the purifier element (improved fuel-saver device) where all fuel must pass to enter the combusting chamber, which affects the moving fluid/gas at the molecular level (microscopically). In particular, the Hou Chinese patent asserts that the magnetic field generated by the permanent magnet(s) by their physical positioning in the Hou device construct affects the magnetic spin of various parts or sub-parts of the fuel molecules passing through the magnetic field.
One known result or affect of the diametrically opposed fields directed by the physical arrangement of the permanent magnetic pairs constructed into the Hou patented device is their effect on the downsizing of large hydrocarbon molecules present in the liquid fuel mixture to smaller molecules. The size of molecules comprising the fuel mixture affects or limits any geometry in which such molecules can possibly arrange themselves as a fluid mass. Of course, the molecular arrangment directly affects the velocity of the fuel, atomization of the fluid mass at the combustion chamber, fuel molecule ignition and fuel molecule combustion.
The Hou et al. purifier element comprises a cylindrical purifier housing or casing, with fuel input and output ports located at opposite ends of the housing, respectively. The cylindrical housing provides an internal cavity or channel extending between the input and output ports, which acts as a fluid communication path between the input and output ports. The dimensions of the channel are defined by various geometric configurations and arrangment of the magnets which may be fixedly attached to internal channel surfaces. The variable length and diameter of the channel, as well as the flow per unit volume through the channel, effects the time and therefore the strength of the field its influence on the molecular arrangment of the passing fuel molecules. For example, while the Hou et al. outer casing shape is cylindrical, the channel may include four, six, eight, etc., flat planar inner surfaces at 90 degrees, 60 degrees, 45 degrees, etc., respectively, relative each surface's neighboring surfaces.
Embedded in each flat, planar surface is a permanent magnet arranged so that the permanent magnet's north pole extends into the volume of the chamber itself (it is attached at its south pole to the inner surface of the chamber or channel). The magnets are arranged in pairs such that the north pole of each magnet is located directly opposite a north pole of a second magnet. This essentially establishes diametrically opposed forces between each magnetic pair. For that matter, the dimensions further qualify the physical dimensions (e.g., inner volume/unit length) of the fuel flow chamber. Hence, any fuel (any fluid for that matter) passing through the channel to a combustion chamber (or some other type chamber) is subjected to the aggregate magnetic forces generated by the interaction of the north poles of each individual magnet and its effect relative to the fuel flow. Hence, the strength of the force imposed on the passing fuel, which increases with the number of magnetic pairs and the length of time the fuel is under the influence of the aggregate magnetic forces determines the effectiveness of the fuel processing en masse.
Combustion efficiency of hydrocarbon fuels is quantified by comparing amounts of non-combusted hydrocarbons within combustion emissions retained for testing. And the Hou et al. patent asserts that subjecting a fuel flow to the magnetic processing it discloses, within the physical dimensions of the device, realizes a reduction of methane found in the fuel combustion emissions by up to ninety percent (90%) compared with amounts of methane found in emissions tested under similar combusting conditions without magnetic processing. Hou et al. also claims that non-methane hydrocarbons typically found in emissions are also reduced by its magnetic processing by about sixty (60) to ninety percent (90%).
Besides data collected during testing in automobile combustion engines, Hou et al. also provides results of its testing of emission gases generated by gas stoves in which the Hou element was installed. With gas stoves, inserting a Hou et al. patented device in the fuel flow line before the gas burner of a gas stove shows methane emissions reduced by eighty (80) to ninety percent (90%) in the combusted emissions. That is, the Hou et al. purifier element's construction, and, therefore, the arrangement of the magnetic field it generates affects the fuel molecules by rendering same more readily flowable (less viscous), more readily atomized and combusted more readily at the place of combustion. Stated another way, the Hou et al. fuel processing insert renders more available complementary atoms or ions which must interact to burn during the combustion process.
The Hou et al. patent calls out the preferred composition of the casing (housing) and/or magnetic core (magnets) to be highly conductive metals, and most preferably, low carbon steel. In the alternative, such materials from which the casing and/or magnets are made should be heat and/or pressure-resistant, whether metal or non-metal. Where the material comprising the casing and/or magnets is constructed of magnetically responsive material, the field effect is intensified. Because of the correlation between field strength and effectiveness of the device operation, magnetically responsive casing and/or magnetic core materials which may enhance fuel combustion efficiency. And while the Hou et al. patented technology is believed to effectively increase fuel burning efficiency, a natural consequence of same is an increase in combustion energy derived per unit volume of fuel combusted.
Nevertheless, in view of the fact that the hydrocarbon energy store in our planet is finite, further improvements in the technology would be welcomed by fuel consumers and environmentalists alike. That is, a ten or twenty percent increase in the efficiency of a fuel efficiency improvement device renders such device that much more valuable and effective.

Fuel saver device and process for using same


A method and a device for transmitting information related to an estimated trajectory of an autonomous vehicle are provided. The method, performed by a terminal device mounted in an autonomous vehicle, of transmitting information to a server includes: determining a format to transmit the information to the server, based on network information received from the server; estimating a trajectory of the autonomous vehicle; generating estimated trajectory information indicating the estimated trajectory of the autonomous vehicle according to the determined format; and transmitting the generated estimated trajectory information to the server.

An autonomous vehicle moves to a destination while avoiding nearby vehicles or obstacles by analyzing information received from various sensors that are mounted thereon, such as a camera, a radar device, a lidar device, a global positioning system (GPS), etc. However, artificial intelligence (AI) configured to control a vehicle is not as flexible as the human brain that is familiar with driving, and a sensing or a detection range of sensors in the vehicle is limited, so that it is difficult to improve the performance of autonomous driving and various traffic accidents may be caused. Thus, a method, whereby a traffic management server collects an estimated trajectory of each of vehicles and the vehicles share the collected estimated trajectories, is provided, in order to increase a driving efficiency of changing a lane or to avoid accidents by pre-recognizing obstacles in blind spots.

Method for transmitting predicted route information via mobile communication network by terminal device mounted on autonomous vehicle


An apparatus for triggering image acquisition in radiography includes an interconnect, a detector to detect radiation and a switch coupled between the interconnect and the detector to charge the interconnect in response to the radiation while the switch is in an open-circuit state. The apparatus also includes control circuitry coupled to the interconnect to detect the charge on the interconnect and to generate a signal indicating presence of the radiation in response to the charge. A method for triggering image acquisition in radiography includes coupling a switch between an interconnect and a detector, then charging an interconnect with that switch in response to radiation incident upon the switch while the switch is in an open-circuit state. Next, the charge on the interconnect is monitored and a signal is generated indicating the presence of the radiation in response to that charge.

Dentists, orthodontists, periodontists, and oral surgeons typically use electromagnetic radiation (e.g., x-rays) to obtain images of a patient's teeth, mouths and gums to aid in diagnosis and treatment. In traditional oral and dental radiography, a photographic film is placed in the patient's mouth, for example behind a patient's tooth, and an x-ray beam is projected through the tooth and onto the film. The film, after being exposed, is developed in a dark room or a closed developer using special chemicals to obtain a photographic image of the tooth.
Recently, the field of filmless dental radiography has emerged. In filmless dental radiography, an x-ray beam is still projected through the patient's tooth, but no photographic film is used. Instead, an electronic sensor is placed in the patient's mouth behind the tooth to be examined. The electronic sensor may include a charge-coupled device (CCD), a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) active pixel sensor (APS) array or any other filmless radiation sensor. The x-rays pass through the tooth and impinge on the electronic sensor, which converts the x-rays into an electrical signal. The electrical signal is then transmitted to a computer to produce an image on an associated output device, such as a monitor or a printer.
Minimizing the patient's exposure to x-rays and obtaining an accurate image are of concern when using a filmless dental radiography system. These systems typically utilize an x-ray source and an intraoral sensor. In these systems, it is often desirable to maximize the sensitivity of the sensor so that a short x-ray pulse can be used to minimize the patient's exposure time. However, the x-ray source and the sensor are often sold as separate components with, typically, no communicative link between them. Thus, the radiography system cannot tell when to begin the image acquisition process (i.e., the sensor cannot tell when x-rays are being emitted from the source).
One approach to this problem has been for the radiography system to acquire a partial frame of an image that is output by the intraoral sensor. The system then digitally analyzes the partial frame and checks the average grey level of the image. If the grey level changes beyond a set threshold the system can assume that x-rays are present and it can begin a full frame capture. The drawback of this approach is that it takes additional time and uses a significant portion of the x-ray pulse (e.g., 10-20%), thereby increasing the time a patient is exposed to radiation. Since a significant portion of the x-ray pulse is used to detect the presence of the radiation, there is less time available to acquire the actual image. Therefore, the patient's radiation dose is often increased.
Another approach to this problem has been to add diodes in the corners of the intraoral sensor to detect the presence of x-rays. However, this approach could prove inadequate because the diodes do not cover the entire field of view, resulting in missed x-ray pulses. The more missed pulses, the higher the patient's dosage of radiation is needed before the x-rays are detected and an image is acquired.

Method and apparatus for triggering image acquisition in radiography


A method of determining a placement of services of a distributed application onto nodes of a distributed resource infrastructure. In an embodiment of the present invention, a placement indicator for a specific service is provided. Communication constraints between node pairs are also provided. The communication constraints ensure that a sum of transport demands between a particular node pair does not exceed a transport capacity between the particular node pair. Constraints can be expressed for preventing unwanted placements. Preferences can be expressed for preferring specified placements. Each term of the sum of transport demands comprises a product of a first placement variable, a second placement variable, and the transport demand between the services associated with the first and second placement variables. The placement indicator, the communication constraints, and an objective comprise an integer program. A local search solution is applied to solve the integer program, which determines the placement of the services onto the nodes.

A distributed application includes a plurality of services. Each of the services performs a task or tasks as part of the distributed application. Often the distributed application is placed on a network of computers. The network of computers forms a distributed resource infrastructure where each of the computers forms a node. Performance of the distributed application depends on optimizing a placement of the services onto the nodes.
A method of the prior art uses parameters for individual nodes to determine a placement of the services onto the nodes. Such parameters include processing and storage capabilities of the nodes. This method, however, does not consider relationships among the nodes or among the services in the determination of the placement of the services onto the nodes.
Another method of the prior art considers topologies between the services and between the nodes. This method, however, requires that the topologies be fixed in certain configurations.
What is needed is an improved technique for determining a placement of services of a distributed application onto nodes of a distributed resource infrastructure, particularly, one that takes into account arbitrary topologies between the nodes and between the services.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Incorporating constraints and preferences for determining placement of distributed application onto distributed resource infrastructure

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


A personal communications device includes a processor, a plurality of subsystems connected to the processor for exchanging signals therewith, at least one of the subsystems being configurable between a flight mode and a non-flight mode, an input device connected to the processor for inputting a flight mode selection thereto, and a flight mode module operable on the processor for causing the processor to monitor for input of a predetermined flight mode selection through the input device and configure the at least one subsystem into flight mode upon the input of the flight mode selection.

The present invention relates to systems for personal electronic devices that are used onboard aircraft during flight.
Under current safety regulations it is not permissible to have a mobile phone turned on during an aircraft flight. Other devices such as laptop computers are permitted to be used only at certain times during the flight.
Devices such as wireless enabled PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants) blur the distinction between mobile phone and computer as in addition to the wireless phone capability they contain computer-related functionality that is useful to a user even when the wireless part of the device must not be used. For this reason some wirless enabled PDA's, and other similar devices, can be switched into a "radio-off mode" which disables the radio functions of the device so it can otherwise be used during a flight. For example, one type of wirless-enabled PDA includes a menu icon that can be used to disable the radio. On such PDA, once the radio is displayed, the word "OFF" is shown next to a signal strength indicator on the display screen.
Many larger computing devices such as laptop computers are now also incorporating radio transmitting devices such as Wireless LANs and other peripherals, based on for example IEEE 802.11 and Bluetooth™.
It is currently necessary for the user of a wireless capable electronic device to be able to configure the wireless capable device for safe operation onboard an aircraft. However laptop computers in particular can be highly complex devices where the level of expertise necessary to safely reconfgure all the peripherals is such that this is beyond the capability of the average user and a major chore even for the expert user. In addition the wireless aspects of the devices and other peripherals may not be the only sources of interference with aircraft systems. The high frequencies of current microprocessor clock speeds are themselves in the radio frequency spectrum and it may be necessary to reduce the clock speeds of some devices to avoid the possibility of interference.
Thus, there is a need for simple and convenient mechanisms for configuring a personal electronic device for use onboard an aircraft and a need for an indicator that can be used by a variety of devices to indicate to users and/or flight crew that the devices are safe to use mid-flight.

Flight mode system for personal electronic device


A process of forming ultra thin wafers having an edge support ring is disclosed. The process provides an edge support ring having an angled inner wall compatible with spin etch processes.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to semiconductor device fabrication and more particularly to a process of forming ultra thin wafers having an edge support ring.
2. Description of Related Art
Vertical power devices including power MOSFETs and insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs) are being fabricated on ultra thin wafers on the order of less than 4 mils. The fabrication of these power devices on ultra thin wafers provides for devices with reduced electrical and thermal resistances. The use of ultra thin wafers further ensures that the power devices meet stringent total package thickness requirements. Furthermore, ultra thin wafers—including ultra thin float zone wafers—are replacing expensive wafers with an epitaxially formed silicon layer for device junctions and buffer zones.
For ultra thin wafers with thickness smaller than 4 mils, wafer bowing and warping, and/or breakage and fracture occur frequently during handling processes. The prior art generally provides for two wafer thinning and handling approaches. In a first approach, a temporary support substrate such as a handle wafer, a glass substrate, a thick tape, a polymer substrate, and a polymer based composite substrate is applied. Disadvantageously, this first approach requires complex operations when applying and removing the temporary support structure. Some removal processes may involve risk of wafer breakage and fracture. Additionally, adhesives and other polymeric materials used to secure the wafer to the temporary support structure may outgas in the vacuum chamber during metallization and adversely affect the quality of the ohmic contact.
In a second approach, a support ring is formed at a wafer edge to facilitate handling and processing of the ultra thin wafer. This second approach advantageously eliminates the introduction of extraneous materials such as adhesives into the processing of the ultra thin wafer. As disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,162,702 entitled "Self-supported Ultra Thin Silicon Wafer Process", and illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, a silicon wafer 2 has an ultra thin central portion 4 that is supported by a circumferential rim 3 of thicker silicon. Removing a volume of silicon from the silicon wafer 2 by a controlled mechanical or physical means such as grinding, milling, drilling or laser forms the ultra thin central portion 4. Alternatively, a mask may be formed on the rim of the silicon wafer 2 and the silicon wafer 2 may be etched to form the ultra thin central portion 4.
With reference to FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, a grinding wheel 30 having teeth 32 is shown for use in grinding a backside 34 of a wafer 31 and forming a thick edge support ring 36 therearound. The grinding wheel 30 has an axis of rotation "G" while the wafer 34 has an axis of rotation "W". Grinding of the wafer backside 34 yields an ultra thin central portion 38 having a thickness less than 4 mils surrounded by the edge support ring 36. The edge support ring is roughly the same thickness as the original wafer. The edge support ring is at least 2 mm wide. The wider the ring, the stronger it is, but also the less space is available to form dies. The edge support ring 36 facilitates the handling of the wafer 31.
Following the back grinding process, it is conventional to spin etch the ultra thin central portion 38 of the wafer 31 before the back metallization process. The spin etch process includes a chemical etch of silicon and oxides followed by cleaning with de-ionized water. The spin etch process increases the mechanical strength of the ultra thin central portion 38 and ensures good ohmic contact between the metal subsequently deposited and the highly doped silicon substrate of the wafer 31. Following the spin etch process, no drying process is necessary before loading the wafer 31 into the vacuum chamber for back metallization.
It has been discovered that the structure of the edge support ring 36 disadvantageously interferes with the spin etch process. As seen in FIG. 6 and indicated by the arrows, rotation of the wafer 31 about the axis of rotation "W" causes the chemical etch and de-ionized water to flow outwardly and encounter a wall 60 of the edge support ring 36 formed at a right angle or nearly a right angle to the plane of the ultra thin central portion 38. The wall 60 prevents the entirety of the chemical etch and de-ionized water from being spun from the wafer 31 during the spin etch process. As such, additional cleaning and/or drying steps are required before the back metallization process can be effectively performed. Alternatively, the wafer 31 may be baked at a high temperature to remove the residual chemical etch and de-ionized water. In either case unacceptable complexity or delays in the fabrication process may be introduced by the structure of the edge support ring 36 of the prior art that additionally may adversely affect the quality of the back metal contact.
There remains a need in the art for a process of forming ultra thin wafers having an edge support ring that overcomes the limitations of the prior art. There is also a need in the art for a process of forming ultra thin wafers having an edge support ring that provides for an edge support ring compatible for use with conventional spin etch processes before back metal deposition. There is a further need for an edge support ring having an angled inner wall.

Process of forming ultra thin wafers having an edge support ring

Alpha and Omega Semiconductor Incorporated


A method, apparatus, and computer-readable medium for editing an electronic document containing markup language tags are provided. According to the method, a computer application program for editing an electronic document operates in one of two editing modes. In a first editing mode, any markup language tags contained within the document are displayed. In a second editing mode, the markup language tags are not displayed. However, when operating in the second editing mode, a determination is made as to whether any of the markup language tags are empty. For each of the tags that are empty, a placeholder is displayed. The placeholder may comprise the name of the tag or a user-defined text string. The placeholder may be selected and utilized to insert data into the tag, delete the tag, or move the tag without viewing the tag itself.

With the advent and explosion of the Internet, a number of technologies that facilitate the interchange of data have become widely utilized. One of these technologies, extensible markup language ("XML"), has become a foundational building block which makes possible a wide variety of different types of document processing and exchange. For instance, XML can be used to encapsulate any kind of structured information in order to pass the information between computing systems that would otherwise be unable to communicate.
In order to facilitate the creation and editing of documents containing XML, and other markup languages, software tools have been created or adapted to provide XML editing features. In particular, some word processing applications ("word processors") have been adapted to allow an XML schema to be attached to a word processing document. Once the XML schema has been attached, XML tags may be added to the data contained in the word processing document. Although features for adding and editing XML to word processing documents have been added to some word processors, the user experience for utilizing these features and editing a document containing XML could be improved.
One reason previous interfaces for editing documents containing XML have been less than satisfactory stems from the fact that many users are not familiar with XML and, in fact, have no desire or need to understand XML. For instance, a word processing document form may be created for use within a corporation that employees are required to complete. The data contained on the form may include, for instance, an employee's home address and telephone number. The address and telephone number may be tagged with XML that identifies the data as such. If the tags are displayed to an employee that is not familiar with XML, the employee may be confused and have difficulty completing the form. However, if the tags are not displayed to the employee when completing the form, the employee may type the information outside of the tags, thereby rendering the XML meaningless.
It is with respect to these considerations and others that the various embodiments of the present invention have been made.

User interface for editing documents containing markup language


A light source drive circuit is disclosed which uses a low withstanding voltage transistor is discussed. The light source drive circuit can enhance price competitiveness. Also, the light source drive circuit can allow a current flowing through an LED portion to be eliminated when a PWM signal is not applied. Therefore, the light source drive circuit can enhance a contrast ratio.

1. Field of the Disclosure
The present application relates to a light source drive circuit.
2. Description of the Related Art
Nowadays, a variety of display devices for displaying information are being developed. The display devices include cathode ray tubes, liquid crystal display (LCD) devices, plasma display panel devices, organic light emitting display (OLED) device, electroluminescent display devices and so on.
Among these display devices, the liquid crystal display devices can be made lighter and thinner than the cathode ray tubes. Also, the LCD devices have a feature of lower power consumption than the CRTs. Such LCD devices are not self-illuminating display devices, unlike the OLED devices and so on. As such, the LCD devices need a backlight unit used as a rear light source.
Actually, LEDs (Light Emission Diodes), at least one CCFL (Cold Cathode Fluorescence Lamp) or others are being used as the light source. The LEDs have superior response properties. Also, the LEDs can be manufactured in a variety of shape. As such, the LEDs are mainly being used as the light source of the back light unit.
A light source drive circuit for driving the LEDs is configured with several components including a transistor. Also, a high voltage can be applied to the transistor of the light source drive circuit. As such, a high voltage as high withstanding voltage transistor can be used as the transistor of the light source drive circuit. Due to this, price competitiveness of the light source drive circuit can deteriorate.


A moisture-reduced, formulated food product which has a soft, resilient texture and which simulates the appearance of cooked meat. The food product has a fried body which is formed of layers of a thermally gelled matrix containing protein and starch. The formulated food product is particularly suitable for use as a pet food. The formulated food product may be fed to pets as a meal or as a treat. Alternatively, the formulated food product may be combined with dried pellets to provide a nutritionally balanced meal.

Most pet foods are either in the form of dried pellets or in the form of canned gelled products. The dried pellets are usually produced by combining various protein and starch sources, extruding the mixture, and drying the extrudate in an oven. The extrudate may be coated with various flavor substances to improve palatability. The end result is a hard, dry pellet. The pellets may be fed to the animals in this form or may be mixed with other foods such as canned gelled products.
The dried pellets are commonly used by pet owners since they form a convenient, easy-to-use food. Further the dried pellets are relatively inexpensive and have a long shelf life. However, while the palatability of dried pellets is often good, it is often less than that of canned gelled products. Also, all the dried pellets have the same texture which may lead to taste fatigue, or at least a perceived fatigue, on the part of the pet. Consequently, to further improve palatability and avoid fatigue, pet owners often mix canned gelled products into the dried pellets.
However, it would be advantageous to provide a pet food product which, being moisture-reduced, is convenient and easy-to-use but which has an appearance and texture more similar to cooked meat than dried pellets.

Moisture-reduced, formulated food product


A combined profile is created through a first step of deriving a coordinate component of a black on a color space for CMYK dot % for a printer associated with a predetermined representative coordinate in the color space for CMYK dot % for printing, on the representative coordinate, based on a printing profile and a printer profile; a second step of deriving a coordinate component of the black on the color space for CMYK dot % for a printer associated with coordinates other than the representative coordinate, based on the coordinate component of the black associated with the representative coordinate; and a step of deriving coordinate components of cyan, magenta and yellow on the color space for CMYK dot % for a printer, on the coordinates corresponding to the coordinate components derived in the first and second steps, based on the derived coordinate components of the black, the first and second color conversion definitions.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a color conversion definition creating apparatus for creating a color conversion definition defining a coordinate conversion in a mutual relationship between two color spaces.
2. Description of the Related Art
Hitherto, when a color-printing machine is used to perform a color image printing, it is performed prior to the color image printing that a color printer and the like is used to create a proof image which is extremely similar in color to an image to be printed in the color-printing machine. When the color printer and the like is used to create the proof image, there is derived a printing profile (a color conversion definition) describing a relation between image data and colors of actual printed matters, associated with using conditions, such as a type of a printing machine of interest, sorts of ink to be used in the printing machine, and sheet quality of sheets to be subjected to printing, which will be referred to as printing conditions. Further, there is also derived a printer profile (a color conversion definition) describing a relation between image data and colors of images actually printed out, associated with using conditions, such as a type of a printer, using conditions of the printer, which will be referred to as print conditions. The image data for printing is converted into the image data for a printer in accordance with a combined color conversion definition wherein the printing profile is combined with the printer profile, so that a proof image is created in accordance with the image data for a printer thus converted. In this manner, it is possible to create the proof image, which is coincident with the actual printed matter in color to some extent.
By the way, any colors of the color printed matter can be implemented in principle by a combination of three colors of C (cyan), M (magenta), and Y (yellow). However, inks associated with those three colors do not always have ideal spectral characteristics. For this reason, in the usual printing, a color printed matter is created with four colors including K (black). Therefore, in order to create a proof image with greater accuracy, it often happens that CMYK four colors are used also in a printer for crating a proof image.
Thus, in the event that an image of the printed matter and the proof image are created with CMYK four colors, the printing profile and the printer profile define a conversion relation between four-dimensional data of CMYK and three-dimensional data of calorimetric values, such as L*a*b* (hereinafter, it is simply denoted in form of Lab). The combined color conversion definition defines four-dimensional data of CMYK for printing and four-dimensional data of CMYK for a printer.
In the event that the combined color conversion definition is created, four-dimensional data of CMYK for printing and four-dimensional data of CMYK for a printer are associated with one another via three-dimensional data of calorimetric values. Since a degree of freedom in four-dimensional data of CMYK is higher than that of three-dimensional data of calorimetric values, it is impossible to determine uniquely the combined color conversion definition unless some restriction is applied to four-dimensional data of CMYK. In view of the foregoing, according to the prior art, there is proposed such a restriction that a K-component in four-dimensional data of CMYK is saved.
A restriction of saving the K-component is effective in the event that a density of ink of K-color in a printing machine is close to a density of ink of K-color in a printer. However, in the event that those densities are greatly different from each other, a printed matter by a proof image is low in accuracy of reproduction of color, and thus it would cause such a problem that an atmosphere in looking at the proof image is different from an atmosphere of the printed matter. In addition, as color reproduction ability in a printer, although there is left scope to bring a color of the proof image close to a color of the printed matter, it is difficult to make good use of the color reproduction ability.
On the other hand, in the event that good use of the color reproduction ability is regarded as important and the K-component is established without any restriction, it requires a great deal of time and labor to determine a suitable association. This would make it difficult to create the combined color conversion definition.
Here, while the explanation is made referring to a printing machine and a printer by way of example, the above-mentioned problems are raised in general when the combined color conversion definition defining the conversion relation between the four-dimensional data for CMYK is created via the three-dimensional color space.

Color conversion definition creating method, color conversion definition creating apparatus, and color conversion definition creating program storage medium


A method and a device perform time-synchronization with an ad hoc network configured by a plurality of nodes. The method includes: transmitting a time-synchronization request frame including an address of one of the plurality of nodes which belong to the ad hoc network to one of the plurality of nodes having a function of receiving the time-synchronization request frame and transmitting a time-synchronization reply frame including time-synchronization information; receiving the time-synchronization reply frame including the time-synchronization information from one of the plurality of nodes which receive the time-synchronization request frame; and performing time-synchronization with one of the plurality of nodes using the time-synchronization information included in the time-synchronization reply frame.

In an ad hoc network system, ad hoc network communication terminals (node devices, or simply referred to as nodes) are autonomously connected to one another over a network to perform communications. The term "autonomously" means no necessity to have a communication terminal or an infrastructure, to be used by a user, dedicated to set a communication route and manage a communication using a server and a router.
As a routing to of an ad hoc network (ad hoc protocol), a reactive AODV (ad hoc on demand distance vector algorithm) examined by the MANET WG of the IETF, and a proactive OLSR (optimized link state routing) are well known.
Also known is a proactive routing protocol for preparing a route for an autonomous data communication by each node prior to a communication request, learning the optimum route at any time, and changing a route (Patent Document 1). In the above-mentioned ad hoc network, each node periodically communicates a message like a hello message including node information such as route information, communication quality information about a link between nodes, etc. between adjacent nodes to know how each node is connected to other nodes. By communicating the above-mentioned message, the optimum route may be learned at any time to change a route.
In an example of a mesh ad hoc network, a node which is connected to a network server (for example, a gateway (GW)) acquires time information from the network server after it is activated, and broadcasts a time synchronous frame to a plurality of nodes subordinate to the upper node, thereby performing time notification. Upon receipt of the time notification, a node sets it as the system time of the local device, and generates a shared key for encryption/decryption based on the time. Therefore, a node whose system time is not set is unable to generate a shared key for decryption although it receives encrypted data from another node. In the above-mentioned ad hoc network, an encryption key which is generated based on the time information is required in communicating data between nodes. Accordingly, each node communicates data when time-synchronization is performed, thereby creating a network.
In a time-synchronized mesh ad hoc network, the transmission period of a time synchronous frame required to acquire time-synchronization between a new node and a node which belongs to an existing network may be, for example, once a day. In this case, a node which is newly entering the network may enter the network only after receiving a time synchronous frame once a day when surrounding nodes periodically transmit the frame, and has to wait for the reception for a day at a maximum after the activation. The transmission period of a time synchronous frame is generally longer than the transmission period of a message including route information such as a hello message and node information such as the communication quality information about a link between nodes.
[Patent Document 1] International Publication Pamphlet No. WO2011/013165

Method and device for time-synchronization in ad hoc network


An electric heater includes an electric heating coil that extends above the sidewalls of an air flow channel. The coil is formed in sections that extend transversely to the channel and are spaced by the width of a coil section to allow two heaters to be arranged face to face for shipping. This arrangement is very efficient because one of the heaters provides protection to the coil of the other of the heaters to reduce packaging costs.

A heater wherein a housing supports an element for supporting a plurality of insulators for supporting, in turn, a helical heating element is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,617,547 (Howard). In this heater, the central axes of the helical coils extend in the direction of the air flow, which is dictated by the shape of the housing. The housing is generally U-shaped and is secured to another U-shaped element to form a channel for directing the flow of air in the longitudinal direction of the housing.
The heater shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,617,547 is designed to be a self supporting channel, as when two U-shaped channel parts are secured together, or to be a part of another structure, as when one U-shaped section is secured to the other structure.
The structure shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,617,547 employs wire-like elements to support the insulating elements. It has been suggested, however, to use plates to support the insulators. Examples are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,695,801 (Dibble); 1,844,678 (Pickup); and 2,856,500 (Hartman).

Open coil heater for efficient transport


The present invention relates to a method and system for automated correlation of genetic test results. The method includes: receiving a first genetic test result from an individual's genetic history and receiving a second genetic test result for the individual. The method further includes determining based on result criteria if the second genetic test result should be identified as the primary genetic test result for the individual and, if so, identifying said second genetic test result as the primary genetic test result in the individual's genetic history.

Unlike many patient test results in a health care environment, genetic test results generally have life-long value. Current clinical information systems are not able to automatically recognize discrepant or duplicate genetic test results generated at any point in an individual's clinical care. Current clinical heath care information systems also cannot appropriately reconcile discrepant or duplicate genetic test results.
As genetic testing becomes more prevalent, tools and methods to ensure quality and accuracy of genetic test results stored in electronic records will become increasingly necessary. A method and system for automatically correlating and comparing genetic test result values for individuals would be beneficial.

Computerized method and system for automated correlation of genetic test results


The present invention is a method for preparing micron-sized or submicron-sized drug particles comprising contacting a solution comprising a poorly water soluble drug substance and at least one freezable organic solvent with a cold surface so as to freeze the solution; and removing the organic solvent. The resulting particles are also disclosed, as are several embodiments of an apparatus that can be used in performing the method of the present invention.

High bioavailability and short dissolution times are desirable attributes of a pharmaceutical end product. Bioavailability is a term meaning the degree to which a pharmaceutical product, or drug, becomes available to the target tissue after being administered to the body. Poor bioavailability is a significant problem encountered in the development of pharmaceutical compositions, particularly those containing an active ingredient that is poorly soluble in water. For example, upon oral administration poorly water soluble drugs tend to be eliminated from the gastrointestinal tract before being absorbed into the circulation.
It is known that the rate of dissolution of a particulate drug can increase with increasing surface area, i.e., decreasing particle size. Consequently, efforts have been made to control the size and size range of drug particles in pharmaceutical compositions. For example, wet milling techniques have been used, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,145,684. However, such wet milling techniques exhibit problems associated with contamination from the grinding media. Moreover, exposing a drug substance to excessive mechanical shear or exceedingly high temperatures can cause the drug to change or lose activity due to decomposition of the active compound, or due to recrystallization processes, i.e., formation of different crystalline polymorphs or transformation, at least in part, from the crystalline to the amorphous state, as described by Florence et al, Effect of Particle Size Reduction on Digoxin Crystal Properties, Journal of Pharmaceutics and Pharmacology, Vol. 26, No. 6, 479-480 (1974), and R. Suryanarayanan and A. G. Mitchell, Evaluation of Two Concepts of Crystallinity Using Calcium Gluceptate as a Model Compound, International Journal of Pharmaceutics, Vol. 24, 1-17 (1985). In addition, wet milling techniques always result in the presence of a fraction of larger particles, which affects the time for the particles to completely dissolve.
Other efforts to reduce particle sizes include those such as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,309,777 and 5,780,295. The '777 and '295 patents describes processes which include aerosolizing a biological suspension and impinging the aerosol particles onto a cold collecting surface, thereby encompassing each of the particles in a layer of pure water ice. The frozen aerosol particles are then removed from the cold surface and dried. The '777 and '295 patents teach the use of primarily water in the biological suspensions, which is not feasible when using poorly water soluble drug substances. Neither the '777 patent nor the '295 patent addresses the problems encountered when working with poorly water soluble drug substances.
Yet further efforts aimed at modifying particle structures are described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,932,943 and in WO 02/060411, which describe freezing materials by spraying those materials into a cryogenic liquid. However, the technologies described in these references have problems associated with recovering the particles from the cryogenic liquid, handling of the cryogenic liquid, and environmental issues.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,313,032 and 5,727,333 describe processes for drying materials from solution. However, neither of these patents address the need for improving the bioavailability and dissolution rates of poorly water soluble drug substances.
It would be an advantage to provide stable poorly water soluble pharmaceutical compositions in the micron or submicron particle size range which have improved bioavailability but do not have the problems associated with the above identified prior art.

Drug particles from freezing onto a surface

BOARD OF REGENTS, THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SYSTEM


A display device includes light emitting elements that are arranged in a two-dimensional matrix, in which the light emitting elements include a drive circuit which is provided on a substrate, a first insulating layer which covers the drive circuit and the substrate, a light emitting portion in which a first electrode, an organic layer having a light emitting layer, and a second electrode are laminated, and a second insulating layer which covers the first electrode.

The present disclosure relates to a display device and a method of manufacturing the same, a method of repairing a display device, and an electronic apparatus.
Recently, organic electroluminescence display devices (organic EL display devices), which are one type of flat panel display and use an organic electroluminescence (EL) phenomenon to display an image, have attracted attention. Since a light-emitting phenomenon of organic EL elements themselves is used, organic EL display devices have superior characteristics such as a wide viewing angle and low power consumption. Furthermore, organic EL display devices have been put into practice in the video field due to their high response to high-definition and high-speed video signals. In addition, in organic EL display devices, a plastic substrate, in particular, a plastic film substrate may be used as a substrate owing to flexibility which is an intrinsic property of an organic light-emitting material. As a result, organic EL display devices attract attention as a flexible display device.
Among methods of driving an organic EL display device, an active matrix method in which a drive circuit is configured from a thin film transistor (TFT) has superior response and resolution to those of a passive matrix method. Therefore, it is considered that the active matrix method is particularly suitable for the organic EL display devices. An organic EL display device using the active matrix method includes a light emitting portion and a first panel in which light emitting elements, composed of drive circuits for driving the light emitting portion, are arranged in a two-dimensional matrix. The light emitting elements are interposed between the first panel and a second panel, which is a sealing panel. In addition, the light emitting portion has a structure in which a first electrode, an organic layer having a light emitting layer, and a second electrode are laminated.
There are two types of organic EL display devices, a bottom emission type in which light is emitted from the light emitting elements toward the first panel and a top emission type in which light is emitted from the light emitting elements toward the second panel. The top emission type organic EL display device has an advantageous effect of high aperture ratio.
In the top emission type organic EL display device, the second electrode which is located on the second panel side is a so-called common electrode shared by plural light emitting elements, and is formed of a light-transmissive conductive material such as Indium Zinc Oxide (IZO). However, such a light-transmissive conductive material has electrical resistivity which is higher than that of a general metal material or the like by two or three digits. As a result, there is a problem in that a voltage, applied to the second electrode, is not uniform in a plane of the second electrode, the luminance of the light emitting elements varies depending on positions, and display quality deteriorates.
In order to solve such problems, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-318556 discloses a technique in which an auxiliary electrode (auxiliary wiring), connected to the second electrode, is formed on an insulating layer formed on the first electrode. The auxiliary electrode is formed of the same material as that of the first electrode. In the technique disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-318556, when the first electrode and the auxiliary electrode are formed of, for example, aluminum (Al) or an Al alloy, a surface of the auxiliary electrode is likely to be oxidized in the manufacturing process of an organic EL display device. When the auxiliary electrode is oxidized and a part of the second electrode (second electrode extending portion) is formed on the auxiliary electrode, a contact resistance between the auxiliary electrode and the second electrode increases, which leads to a voltage drop. The power consumption of the display device is increased due to the voltage drop.
International Publication No. WO 2007/148540 discloses a technique in which a contact portion is formed on the same layer as that of a drive circuit. The contact portion is formed of a conductive material of which a surface is not easily oxidized and which has a superior ohmic contact with the second electrode. A top portion of the contact portion is in contact with an end of the auxiliary electrode. The second electrode extending portion is formed over a range from the top portion of the contact portion to an upper area of the auxiliary electrode.
When foreign conductive materials are incorporated into the organic layer, there is a concern that the first electrode and the second electrode may be short-circuited due to the foreign materials. Means for solving such a problem is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2011-034849. Specifically, an organic EL display device disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2011-034849 includes: an insulating substrate; a pixel electrode that is arranged above the insulating substrate; a partition wall that is arranged in the vicinity of the image electrode; a division layer that is connected to the partition wall, is arranged above the pixel electrode, and divides a portion of the pixel electrode, exposed from the partition wall, into plural regions; an organic layer that is arranged above the pixel electrode and the division layer; a counter electrode that covers the organic layer and the partition wall; and a groove that is formed on the organic layer and the counter electrode in a loop shape and exposes a part of the division layer.
When foreign materials are incorporated into the organic layer formed above the pixel electrode (first electrode), the division layer is irradiated with laser; and the organic layer and the counter electrode (second electrode), laminated above the division layer and the partition wall, are removed such that a region, into which the foreign materials are incorporated, is surrounded by a removed portion. The removed portion forms the groove. A potential is not supplied to a portion of the counter electrode (second electrode) surrounded by the groove. Therefore, this portion forms a dark spot region and the other portion substantially forms a light emitting region (for example, refer to paragraph [0050] and FIGS. 8 and 9 in the specification of Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2011-034849).

Display device and method of manufacturing the same, method of repairing display device, and electronic apparatus


A system, method and apparatus for managing a patient affected with a disease. In one aspect, the invention is directed to an apparatus for managing a patient, the apparatus comprising a system that provides: A) a means for enrolling a patient into a system including storing general information about the patient into the system's database; B) a means for storing a schedule for the patient; C) a means for reminding the patient to execute the patient care activities; D) a means for retrieving patient information comprising responses to side effects questionnaires and laboratory results; E) a means for storing the patient information into the system; F) a means for analyzing the patient information and generating a recommendation; G) a means for submitting the recommendation to a provider for approval; and H) a means for receiving approval or a modified recommendation and sending the recommendation or modified recommendation to the patient.

Chronic diseases affect around 20% of the U.S. population, which amounts to nearly 90 million U.S. residents. Medical care for persons suffering from chronic diseases accounts for over 70% of total medical care expenditures. One growing chronic disease is Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) with an estimated 4 million cases in the U.S. These numbers are projected to triple in the next 10-20 years with a projected $10.7 billion dollars spent on direct medical expenditures in the United States.
The medical therapies for chronic diseases are cumbersome and typically involve the use of combined pharmacological therapy with associated adverse reactions, frequent dose adjustments and extensive care and monitoring of the patient. In addition to cost of the medications, chronic disease management requires long term, on-going and frequent time commitments primarily of professionally trained staff.
The relatively frequent and serious adverse drug reactions associated with HCV pharmacological therapy makes the management of this disease even more complex and expensive. HCV patients require frequent interventions and a high level of support. Consequently, treatment fails 25-50% of the time. An estimated 30 % of the treatment failure can be ascribed to non-compliance and lack of nursing and medical support. In fact, it has been estimated that the lifetime cost per patient with untreated chronic HCV is around $53,000 for outpatient and hospital care. While a course of potentially curative therapy is approximately $12,000.
Thus, an automated disease management program designed to facilitate chronic medical therapy is of paramount importance today. By decreasing cost and streamlining human resources, such a program eliminates many of the issues described above.

System and method for managing a patient with chronic disease


A radio frequency identification (RFID) security system includes an RFID tag and a portable electronic device. The RFID tag has a user ID code. The portable electronic device has a reader, an identification memory and an identification controller. The reader is used to communicate with the RFID tag and to receive the user ID code. The identification memory is used to store a user password. The identification controller is electrically connected to the reader and the identification memory and is used to compare the user ID code and the user password. When the user ID code is the same as the user password, the identification controller is arranged to transmit an enable signal to grant the access of the portable electronic device.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a radio frequency identification (RFID) system. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus and method for controlling the access of a portable electronic device by an RFID tag.
2. Description of Related Art
All kinds of portable electronic devices, such as notebook computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs) and mobile phones, change with each passing day, developed to be lighter, thinner and smaller, and even having communication functionality or network accessibility. Moreover, the portable electronic devices are gradually expanding to have multiple complex functions and personal information management, such that the data security thereof seems more and more important.
The traditional security system used in portable electronic devices generally controls the access of the portable electronic device by a password, such as a power-on password or a user password, preventing hacking and data corruption. However, this password security system is vulnerable to being broken into by a hacker and is inconvenient for a user, who frequently needs to manually input a password. A relatively new security system uses fingerprint identification to control the user access. However, the identification plate used in a fingerprint security system may become worn from long-term use to affect its identification accuracy. Thus the identification performance of the fingerprint security system is also not an ideal choice for security.

Radio frequency identification security system and method


The embodiment of the present document provides a method, user equipment and base station for determining a timing advance, which can support a larger cell radius without changing the protocol, the required device complexity is low, and with the UE side transmitting msg3 by using different TA adjustments to obtain a correct timing deviation value, the access delay of the PRACH is minimized, and the overhead of the PRACH sub-frame will not be increased, which can prevent the performance of the system from deterioration, and it can be applied to TDD and FDD LTE systems simultaneously.

Random Access is an access process of a User Equipment (UE) before starting communication with a network. In the Long Term Evolution (LTE) system, the random access can be divided into two types: Synchronized Random Access and Non-synchronized Random Access. When the UE and the system achieve uplink synchronization, the random access process of the UE is referred to as synchronized random access; and when the UE and the system have not achieved uplink synchronization or lost uplink synchronization, the random access process of the UE is referred to as non-synchronized random access. Because when making non-synchronized random access, the UE has not obtained accurate uplink synchronization, one main characteristics of the difference between the non-synchronized random access and the synchronized random access is that the clock for the uplink transmission of the UE needs to be estimated and adjusted, to control the synchronization error to be within the length of the Cyclic Prefix (CP).
Under normal circumstances, the UE first performs downlink synchronization through a Synchronization Channel (SCH for short) after being started up to obtain a radio frame number, a location for receiving the sub-frame and a cell ID; and then detects a Broadcast Channel (BCH for short) to obtain the system information, which includes the configuration information of the Random Access Channel (RACH) channel, and finally performs uplink synchronization through the RACH channel to complete the process of accessing the system. This process belongs to non-synchronized random access.
In the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) LTE protocol, a number of preamble sequences of the uplink random access are provided. In the uplink synchronization transmission process, the UE obtains the location of the RACH channel according to the radio frame and the location of the sub-frame determined in the downlink synchronization, and randomly selects one preamble sequence as a preamble for transmission from available preamble sequences; the base station side detects it to determine the timing advance for the uplink synchronization, and transmits it to the UE; the UE adjusts the timing for uplink transmission data according to the timing advance sent by the base station, to implement the time synchronization of the uplink channel.
The uplink random access preamble sequence specified in the LTE protocol is a Zadoff-Chu (ZC) sequence, and the uth root ZC sequence is defined as:
                    x        u                          (        n        )              =          ⅇ                        -          j                                              π                                                                          u                                                                                n                                            (                                  n                  +                  1                                )                                                          N            ZC                                ,      0    ≤    n    ≤                  N        ZC            -      1      wherein, u is an index number of the root ZC sequence, NZC is the length of the ZC sequence and NZC is a prime number, the value thereof specified in the LTE protocol is 839 or 139.
As shown in FIG. 1, the random access sub-frame specified in the LTE protocol is comprised of three parts, which are the CP part, the RACH preamble sequence part and the Guard Interval (GT) part respectively. Wherein, the preamble sequence is derived by selecting different cyclic shifts (Ncs) based on the ZC sequence.
According to different cell coverage, the required CP lengths are different, and the lengths of the GTs and the preambles are also different. The existing LTE system supports five Formats, which are Formats 0-4 respectively, each Format corresponding to different cell coverage. The cell coverage radius is decided by both the cyclic shift of the sequence and the length of the GT.
In accordance with the protocol Format, the maximum cell radiuses supported by Format 0˜Format 4 calculated respectively are shown in Table 1. Wherein, TCP, TSEQ and TGT are the time-domain lengths of the CP part, the preamble sequence part and the GT part respectively; and Ts is a time unit specified by the LTE protocol, Ts=1/(15000×2048) second.
TABLE 1cell coverage radiuses supported by different formatscell radiusFormatTCPTSEQTGTsupportedFormat 0 3168 Ts   24576 Ts 2976 Ts14.5kmFormat 121024 Ts   24576 Ts15840 Ts77kmFormat 2 6240 Ts2 × 24576 Ts 6048 Ts30kmFormat 321024 Ts2 × 24576 Ts21984 Ts100kmFormat 4 448 Ts   4096 Ts 614 Ts3km
It can be seen from the table above, under the existing LTE protocol, the maximum cell radius which can be supported by the Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH) is 100 Km. However, as the LTE system is applied more and more widely, the power and the efficiency of the Radio frequency device increase gradually, and it needs to support a larger cell radius. For such requirement, the LTE protocol can not satisfy that at present.
In order to increase the cell radius, a solution which is available for consideration includes: modifying the Format of the random access sub-frame of the protocol, increasing the time-domain lengths of the CP part, the preamble sequence part and the GT part etc. However, the change of the random access sub-frame will certainly result in the PRACH channel occupying more physical resources, which reduces the performance of the service channel of the system; at the same time, the Time Division Duplexing (TDD) LTE can not support the time-domain length of a larger random access sub-frame under the existing frame format, i.e., such a solution can not be applied in the TDD LTE system.

Method, user equipment and base station for determining timing advance


A blood letting device comprising. a body, PA1 a base, PA1 an aperture in the base, PA1 a sharp with a pointed end, having a rest position and a cocked position, PA1 biasing apparatus adapted to rapidly urge said sharp from said cocked position to said rest position, PA1 locking apparatus adapted to hold said sharp in said cocked position, PA1 wherein the arrangement is such that release of said locking apparatus causes the sharp in moving to said rest position, to prick skin which has been held in the region of said aperture.

There is a need to take blood samples and this is commonly done by pricking a finger with a sharp point but this may involve substantial pain and/or apprehension in a subject whose blood is to be let such that self-administration or administration may be unpleasant.
Further, there is a considerable problem associated with the disposal of the sharp point.


Provided herein are, inter alia, compositions that bind to a PDZ1 domain of MDA-9/Syntenin (syndecan binding protein: SDCBP), thereby inhibiting MDA-9/Syntenin activity, and methods of use of same. The compositions and methods provided herein are useful for treating cancer and preventing cancer metastasis, particularly in cancers that have increased MDA-9/Syntenin expression.

Described herein, inter alia, are small molecule inhibitors for the treatment of cancer, including small molecule inhibitors capable of treating or preventing cancer invasion, attachment and/or metastasis, for example difficult to treat tumors such as glioblastoma.
Cancer (malignant neoplasia) is a disease involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, which may invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the body through the lymphatic system or bloodstream (metastasis). Metastasis is a complex series of steps in which cancer cells leave the primary tumor site, migrate and colonize to distant sites or organs of the body via the bloodstream or the lymphatic system. Cancer is usually treated with one or a combination of chemotherapy, radiation therapy and/or surgery. While treatment methods have advanced significantly, the outcomes for particular cancers are still not optimal, current treatments often have very harsh side effects, and if the cancer is not detected early, the chances of survival are greatly reduced. Invasive, metastatic cancer is particularly difficult to treat.
Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is an especially intractable tumor despite therapeutic advances principally because of its invasive properties. Radiation is a staple in modern therapeutic regimens. However, when glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) cells are irradiated (a common mode of therapy after tumor debulking) the invasive ability of GBM is increased, and cells surviving radiation become even more aggressive and invasive.
There is a need in the art for additional agents to treat cancer. In particular, there is a need for additional agents that prevent cancer invasion, attachment and/or metastasis, and that prevent or attenuate the increase in invasive ability of cancer cells after exposure to irradiation. Described herein are solutions to these and other problems in the art.

Inhibitors of cancer invasion, attachment, and/or metastasis

SANFORD BURNHAM PREBYS MEDICAL DISCOVERY INSTITUTE