In an embodiment, a system includes a resource. The system also includes a first processor having a load/store functional unit. The load/store functional unit is to attempt to access the resource based on access requests. The first processor includes a congestion detection logic to detect congestion of access of the resource based on a consecutive number of negative acknowledgements received in response to the access requests prior to receipt of a positive acknowledgment in response to one of the access requests within a first time period.

Multiprocessor computer systems have long been valued for the high performance they offer by utilizing multiple processors that are not individually capable of the same high level of performance as the multiprocessor system. In such multiprocessor systems, tasks are divided among more than one processor, such that each processor does a part of the computation of the system. Therefore, more than one task can be carried out at a time with each task or thread running on a separate processor, or a single task can be broken up into pieces that can be assigned to each processor. Multiprocessor systems incorporate many methods of dividing tasks among their processors, but all benefit from the ability to do computations on more than one processor simultaneously.
Traditionally, multiprocessor systems were large mainframe or supercomputers with several processors mounted in the same physical unit. Modern multiprocessor systems include arrays of interconnected computers or workstations that divide large tasks among themselves in much the same way as the processors of traditional mainframe systems, and achieve similarly impressive results. Many multiprocessor computer systems have a combination of theses attributes, such as a group of multiprocessor systems that are interconnected.
With multiple processors and multiple computational processes within a multiprocessor system, a mechanism is needed for allowing processors to share access to data and share the results of their computations. Centralized memory systems use a single central bank of memory that all processors can access, such that all processors can access the central memory at roughly the same speed. Still other systems have distributed or independent memory for individual processors or groups of processors and provide faster access to memory that is local to each processor or group of processors, but access to data from other processors takes somewhat longer than in shared memory systems.
The memory, whether centralized or distributed, can further be shared or multiple address type memory. Shared address memory systems allow multiple processors to access the same memory, whether distributed or centralized, to communicate with other processors via data stored in the shared memory. Multiple address memory incorporates separate memory for each processor or group of processors, and does not allow access to this local memory to other processors. Such multiple address or local memory systems must rely on messages to share data between processors. Cache memory can be utilized in any of these memory configurations to attempt to provide faster access to data each processor is likely to need and to reduce requests for the same commonly used data from multiple processors on the system bus.
Cache in a multiple address system simply caches data from the local memory, but cache in a shared address system typically caches memory from any of the shared memory locations, whether local or remote from the processor requesting the data. The cache associated with each processor or group of processors in a distributed shared memory system likely maintains copies of data from memory local to a number of other processor nodes. Information about each block of memory is kept in a directory, which keeps track of data such as which caches have copies of the block, whether the cache is dirty, and other related data. The directory is used to maintain cache coherency, or to ensure that the system can determine whether the data in each cache is valid. The directory is also used to keep track of which caches hold data that is to be written, and facilitates granting exclusive write access to one processor or I/O device. After write access has been granted and a memory location is updated, the cached copies are marked as dirty.
As described, multiple processors may attempt to access the same data from a same memory. Therefore, such systems use a request/acknowledgment protocol. In particular, if a processor is to access data from a shared memory, the processor submits an access request. If the data is accessible, the memory controller responds with an acknowledgment (ACK) along with the data. Conversely, if the data is not accessible, the memory controller responds with a negative acknowledgement (NACK). However, such a protocol may introduce congestion into the system.
To illustrate, multiple processors may attempt to access a same cache line in a cache memory. Therefore, the access request by one processor is granted, while the access requests by the other processors are denied. Typically, these other processors continue to request access to such data until the access is granted. Accordingly, system resources become congested with the multiple retry requests for access to data, which includes multiple access requests and NACKS in response to such requests.

Detection and control of resource congestion by a number of processors


A gas detector especially adapted for use with gas chromatographs contains two capillary tubing electrodes through which a gas flows. The inner ends of the electrodes are coaxial and are separated by a gap. The outer end of one of the electrodes forms a gas inlet. The gas detector also contains a coaxial dielectric tube spaced apart from and surrounding the electrodes axially, a means for applying a sufficient voltage across the gap between the electrodes to create a discharge within the gas, and a means for measuring a change in properties of the gas as it passes through the gap between the electrodes.

Gas chromatography is an analytical technique which entails the separation and often identification of individual compounds, or groups of compounds, within a mixture. A gas chromatograph takes a small sample of liquid or gas (typically about 0.1 cubic centimeter), and identifies the amounts of various compounds within the sample, often in the form of a chromatograph. A chromatograph is a line chart with the horizontal axis identifying different compounds and the vertical axis giving the concentration. The total amount of a compound in a given sample is usually related to the area under the peak associated with that particular compound. No other analytical technique is as powerful and as generally applicable as is gas chromatography. It is widely used in most sectors of chemistry, biology, forensics, environmental studies, and many areas of research.
A gas chromatograph is typically composed of three major subsystems: an injection chamber, a column separator, and a gas detector. Each of these subsystems usually has an independent means of temperature control. In order to analyze a sample, it is first injected into the injection chamber where a continual flow or pressure of a carrier gas (hydrogen, helium, nitrogen, air, etc.) is maintained. The injection chamber is usually maintained at a temperature such that various compounds within the sample are vaporized and enter the separation column.
The separation column is a long glass or metal tube which is coated on its interior surface by an inert compound designed to impede the flow of different compounds by different amounts. The separation column is typically about 1 to 30 meters long and has an inner diameter of about 50 microns (μm) to 1 millimeter (mm). Even smaller columns have been fabricated in silicon substrates. The coating is referred to as the packing material and is one of the most important considerations when picking the desired column to analyze a particular sample. The carrier gas carries the evaporated compounds through the column. Different molecules diffuse through the column at different rates even though their stochastic differences may be small. Detailed analysis of compounds often involves the use of several columns with different packing materials.
Many different detection techniques are applied at the exit of the column to help create the desired chromatograph. Most importantly, the detector must be able to distinguish relative changes with respect to time of any physical property of the gas exiting the column. It is not necessarily important for the detector to identify the compounds exiting the column, but instead to be very sensitive to changes in composition of the exiting gas. Each detection system ideally leads to a chromatograph that may have particular advantages over other detectors for specific compounds. Some of the many types of detectors that are common include flame ionization detectors (FID), flame photometry detectors (FPD), nitrogen phosphorous detectors (NPD), electron capture detectors (ECD), thermal conductivity detectors (TCD), atomic emission detectors (AED), photoionization detectors (PID), electrical conductivity detectors (ELCD), mass spectrometer detectors (MS), discharge ionization detectors (DID), and chemiluminescence detectors.
Some detectors observe properties that can be measured without altering or destroying the gas being detected, such as thermal conductivity detectors. Most detectors, however, require external energy to excite or ionize the gas species, such as all flame-based detectors, ionization detectors and mass spectrometer detectors. These detection techniques often alter the compounds.
Each type of detector has its own advantages and disadvantages. They compete with each other primarily in their sensitivity to given classes of compounds, but also in dynamic range, linearity, universality, portability, and cost. Often compromises among these categories have to be made for specific applications.
A means of converting the observation into an electrical signal is a property of all detectors. Voltage or current is ultimately measured as a function of time and the result displayed on a printout or computer monitor. These results are based on the initial time where the sample was injected into the gas chromatograph. The time between injection and each peak is specific to a particular compound or group of compounds. The instrument is calibrated by injecting a single known compound and measuring the time between the injection and the corresponding peak on the chromatograph. This is repeated for all compounds of interest generating a table of delay times, often referred to as the retention time. The retention time for any compound will ideally be the same even if the compound is contained in a mixture of other compounds. However, these times vary for different columns. Injector chamber and column heating cycles also change the retention times.
Existing gas detectors suffer from several disadvantages. In particular, they are relatively large and consume large amounts of power. Accordingly, there is a demand for a gas detector that is smaller and uses less power.


A system of mitigating code weaknesses in a target code by adding micro functionality fixes. The system includes a mitigation module installed a memory chip of a device and a server for identifying a plurality of code weaknesses in a target code installed in a memory chip of a device and sending configuration instructions to the mitigation module, the configuration instructions comprising: a plurality of micro functionality fixes, and a plurality of code weakness locations each associated with one of the plurality of code weaknesses and one of the plurality of micro functionality fixes. The execution of the mitigation module by at least one processor of the device induces an installment of the plurality of micro functionality fixes in the plurality of code weakness locations.

At least some embodiments of systems, methods, apparatus, and/or code instructions described herein, relate to code weakness mitigation and, more specifically, but not exclusively, to mitigation of firmware and/or software weaknesses and software vulnerabilities.
A weakness may be a vulnerability, which is a mistake in software code that provides an attacker with direct access to a system or network. It could allow an attacker to pose as a super-user or system administrator with full access privileges.
A weakness may be an exposure, which is a mistake is code that gives an attacker indirect access to a system or network. It could allow an attacker to gather customer information that could be sold.
Systems and methods are being developed for mitigation of firmware and/or software based on detection of known vulnerabilities and/or weaknesses.

Method for runtime mitigation of software and firmware code weaknesses


A ridge waveguide distributed feedback semiconductor laser diode having a depressed-index cladding layer formed on a graded lower cladding layer.

Typically, semiconductor laser diodes (Fabry-Perot laser diodes) are stable at a particular wavelength over a very narrow range of temperatures, i.e., approximately a few degrees. The reason for this instability is that adjacent longitudinal modes all have approximately the same net threshold gain (lasers operate at the wavelength with the smallest net threshold gain) In order to circumvent this problem, laser diodes have been developed which favor longitudinal modes of specific wavelengths. These types of laser diodes are generically called, frequency-stabilized laser (FSL) diodes. The two main types of FSL diodes are distributed-feedback (DFB) laser diodes (K. Aiki et al.,`GaAs-AlGaAs distributed-feedback diode lasers with separate optical and carrier confinement,` Appl. Phys. Lett., vol. 27, pp. 145-146, 1975) and distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) laser diodes (H. Namazaki, M. K. Shams, and S. Wang, `Large-optical-cavity GaAs- (GaAl)As injection laser with low-loss distributed Bragg reflectors,` Appl. Phys. Lett., vol. 31, pp. 122-124, 1977). The basic operating principle of these laser diodes is that for a very narrow range of wavelengths (called DFB modes) adjacent to the Bragg wavelength, .lambda..sub.B optical feedback is provided not only by the end-facet mirrors (as for the Fabry-Perot modes), but also by a periodic variation of the index of refraction along the longitudinal length of the laser. Accordingly, wavelengths near .lambda..sub.B have smaller losses than the out-of-phase Fabry-Perot modes, resulting in DFB laser diodes exhibiting a wavelength stability on the order of 50.degree. C. Frequency-stabilized laser diodes are particularly useful for applications such as fiber-optic communications, where wavelength stability reduces unwanted chirping effects and enables the lasers to operate at higher bit rates, and optical recording, where wavelength stability reduces the effect of optical feedback from the recording media.
For systems applications, the laser diode's output is typically coupled either to optical fibers or recording media. In order to maximize the coupling, it is desirable that the beam be circular. The shape of the output beam can be described in terms of the far-field beam divergence ratio .rho.=.theta..sub.t /.theta..sub.l, where .theta..sub.t and .theta..sub.l are the far-field divergences in the planes perpendicular and parallel to the laser junction, respectively. Typical DFB laser diodes have beam divergence ratios on the order of 4.0. Recently, there has been some activity devoted to designing non-frequency stabilized laser diodes with more circular output beams. Both Yuri et al. (M. Yuri, A. Noma, I. Ohta, and M. Kazumura, `Reduction of beam divergence angles perpendicular to the junction planes by modulating the refractive index profile in AlGaAs laser diodes`, presented at the Fall 1991 meeting of the Japanese Society of Applied Physics) and Cockerill et al. (T. Cockerill, J. Honig, T. DeTemple, and J. Coleman, `Depressed index cladding graded barrier separate confinement single quantum well heterostructure laser,`Appl. Phys. Lett., vol. 59,2694, 1991) have introduced depressed-index cladding layers into their Fabry-Perot laser diodes to significantly lower .theta..sub.t and therefore, .rho.. A schematic of an AlGaAs-based laser diode containing these layers in shown in FIG. 1. In the figure is indicated the Al content of the various layers, where 10 refers to the n.sup.+ -GaAs substrate. On the surface of 10 is formed the lower cladding layer 12. Upon 12 is deposited the lower depressed-index cladding layer 14. The index of refraction of this layer is smaller than that of the surrounding layers since the index of refraction of AlGaAs materials is smallest for pure AlAs. On the surface of 14 is formed the lower spacer layer 16, followed by the active layer 18 and the upper spacer layer 20. Upon 20 is formed the upper depressed-index cladding layer 22 followed by the upper cladding layer 24. Lastly, upon the surface of 24 is formed the capping layer 26. Since light avoids low-index regions, the physical effect of the inclusion of the depressed-index cladding layers is to push the transverse-confined waveguide mode both toward the middle and ends of the structure. With greater light intensity present in the upper and lower cladding layers, .theta..sub.t decreases as desired. .GAMMA. remains approximately stationary since light is also pushed towards the middle (active layer) of the structure. More specifically, Cockerill et al. determined that for a broad-area graded-index separate confinement heterostructure device, .theta..sub.t was 27.degree. and 59.degree. for structures with and without the inclusion of the depressed-index cladding layers, respectively.
From the above discussion, it is highly desirable to combine frequency stabilization and small transverse beam divergence. Based on manufacturability considerations, it is also desirable to use a ridge waveguide design for obtaining lateral confinement. However, there are problems inherent in combining DFB frequency stabilization with conventional depressed-index cladding structures. In order to obtain the desired redistribution of the modal-field, the depressed-index cladding layers are typically placed adjacent to the active layer. As a result the modal field surrounding the active layer is significantly reduced compared to its value in the absence of depressed-index layers. Consequently, the interaction of the field with both the DFB grating and the rib is weakened, resulting in smaller coupling coefficients and poor lateral confinement. Also, in general, structures employing depressed-index cladding layers can develop instabilities in the modal-field as a function of rib-etch depth.

Ridge waveguide distributed-feedback laser diode with a depressed-index cladding layer


A water-resistant cap by which, in use, can be secured in a stretched manner tightly around a user's head with maximal comfort during swimming and bathing, including (1) a dome-shaped main body enclosure with a crown providing ample housing to fit hair of any size, (2) the crown projecting downward to a perimeter edge extending about an aperture—with a front-edge section, right-edge section, left-edge section, and a rear-edge section—forming a comfortable, water-tight seal during swimming or bathing; and (3) an element projecting from an outer-surface of the dome-shaped main body enclosure in a seamless fashion; and a method of economically manufacturing such cap with a seamless element.

A number of shower and swim caps have been provided in the prior art, nevertheless, they differ from the present invention in that they do not teach a functional cap for wearing by a swimmer or bather, respectively, wherein the seamless element are rubber-like appendages or protrusions in a number of colors and style and a method of making the swim cap with this seamless element.
One such decorative cap does exist in the background art (Owen et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,247,521), in which the composite cap invention permits a girl to wear a waterproof protective cap directly over her hair for keeping it dry while or showering, and permits her at the very same time to wear an attractive feminine headdress which give her the stylish appearance she likes on the beach or even in the water. However, Owen is distinguished from the present invention in that the decorative outer cap is made of frail fabric and stylized to appear as an ornate headdress. Moreover, Owen does not teach a cap with a seamless element, nor a method of manufacturing a cap with such an element. Accordingly, a need remains for a functional water cap with a superior watertight seal, comfortable to wear, and not to mention stylized and fashionable. The following embodiments of the present invention address this void by offering a swim and bath cap with a waterproof, rubber-like element that is seamlessly coextensive with the main cap portion.
Another decorative cap in the background art is by Bernhart Denmark (U.S. Pat. No. 3,163,866), which teaches a cap with a decorative element, such as flowers, made of polyethylene, fastened by a snap mechanism. This is distinguished from the present invention in that the main cap and decorative element are not one seamless, coextensive piece, and they require a snap mechanism to fasten the two separate pieces of the cap assembly.
Johnson, et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 6,966,068), describes and claims a swim cap, having a unitary construction and ear cover portions. The novelty rests in the stiffness gradient of the elastomeric material, ranging from maximum stiffness at the crown section, gradually decreasing in stiffness moving toward either side of the open edge. Johnson does not disclose, nor claim, a swim and bath cap, with an unitary construction of elastomeric main body cap with a seamless decorative element.
Vall (US 20090139004) and Smith (US 20080134405), respectively, teach a wig swim cap and a wig and bathing cap, which consists of a combination of wig and cap portion. These references differ from the present invention, in that they consist of a cap and wig portion that are two discontinuous pieces, wherein the wig element consists of wig material mimicking actual hair, and no rubberized silicone with functional characteristics. These references represent wigs that have certain, limited waterproof functionality, in contrast to the present invention, which represents a protective, functional water cap, featuring a seamless element that is coextensive with the main cap portion. One of many embodiments may include a seamless element, which mimics hair of varying styles and color, but is consistent in material with the main cap portion and is seamlessly extending from the main cap portion.
Additionally, the Smith wig and bathing cap has the added feature of having an outer cap layer and an inner cap layer, whereby the wig element with limited functionality is bonded with the outer surface, thereby distinguishing itself from the present invention. The present invention does not require bonding or heat seaming between various elements since it incorporates a mold injection process resulting in one coextensive, seamless piece between the main cap portion and protruding element.
In view of the foregoing void, a need has arisen for swim and bath caps to satisfy these needs. In particular, a need exists for swim and bath caps that are watertight, yet comfortable and stylish. The water-repellant headwear is used for a wide-range of reasons. It is not desirable or healthy to wash hair everyday or every time you shower or bathe; it is desirable to preserve a style after a salon visit or for special occasions; it is not comfortable or healthy to go to bed, outside in cool weather or just walk around with wet hair; it is desirable to protect hair while in a pool, at a spa or engaging in an activity that might affect or alter your hair. However, one of the most unattractive functional pieces of headgear we wear is a bathing or shower cap. The present invention solves this problem with a comfortable, watertight cap, which is seamlessly fabricated with a stylish decorative element.

Bath and swim cap with a seamless element


A method, user equipment, and system are provided which can open an ad-hoc Push-To-Talk (PTT) over Cellular (PoC) session for a call target group whose group identifier is managed in a remote network domain when the ad-hoc PoC session is opened. A PoC client requesting session initiation sends, to a first PoC server of a home network, a session INVITE message containing information of at least one group identifier. The first PoC server checks the group identifier information and sends a group list information request message to a second PoC server hosting a group identifier when identifier information of a network group other than the home network is included. The second PoC server acquires list information about a group in the request message and sends the information to the first PoC server.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a method, user equipment, and system for opening an ad-hoc Push-To-Talk (PTT) over Cellular (PoC) session in a PoC system, and more particularly to a method, user equipment, and system that can open an ad-hoc PoC session for a call target group whose group Identifier (ID) is managed in a remote network domain when the ad-hoc PoC session is opened.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the significant development of mobile communication and extension of communication networks, various extended services and applications using mobile phones are being provided. Due to user demands, services beyond the basic call service such as positioning, multimedia and Push-To-Talk (PTT) services, are being provided. Specifically, the PTT service supports various additional functions such as instant messenger and state display, as well as a group call and a voice call that are possible in a conventional radio system or a Trunked Radio System (TRS).
A concept of this PTT service is being actively discussed to standardize a PTT over Cellular (PoC) service using a mobile communication network. One characteristic that distinguishes the PoC service from the conventional mobile communication service is that users can perform communication while moving between multiple sessions as needed. The requirement that users should be able to perform communication while moving between multiple sessions is prescribed in the standard of the Open Mobile Alliance (OMA) serving as an organization for developing a standard for a mobile communication service.
This OMA PoC technology exploits a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP)/SIP extension protocol corresponding to a typical application layer protocol for controlling Internet Protocol (IP) multimedia telephony in order to deliver session participation information of a group call and exploits an Extensible Markup Language (XML) Configuration Access Protocol (XCAP) for managing group information.
A PoC spec currently being standardized by the OMA includes a PoC service that supports a multiparty conference function of a half-duplex communication scheme and supports various types according to purpose of a group. That is, PoC conferences are classified into ad-hoc, prearranged and chat PoC groups according to characteristics of a participating group.
An ad-hoc group call and a prearranged group call open a dial-out session by a client sending a session open request to a server acting as a focus (hereinafter conference server) and the conference server sends a session request to respective clients belonging to a group.
A chat group call has characteristics of a session open and join procedure in which clients have dial-in access to a conference server of a chat group when they recognize in advance associated session identification information or group session information provided through group advertising.
To open a PoC multimedia session, a PoC call requester at a transmitting side makes a request for processing a call by sending a multimedia INVITE message using the SIP. At this time, the multimedia INVITE message can include various formats of audio, video, text, and so on according to media types. A receiving side performs various answer procedures according to presence of a prearranged session and answer mode setting.
To process a PoC call, a PoC Client A at the transmitting side sends an SIP INVITE message containing SIP address information of a target receiver to an associated SIP/IP core network A. The SIP INVITE message contains elements of PoC address information of the client sending a call request, required media parameters, and characteristic value information indicating the PoC service. The SIP INVITE message is delivered to a Participating PoC server (or Participating PoC Function (PF) entity) through an associated IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) server (of a Proxy-Call Session Control Function (P-CSCF) and Serving-Call Session Control Function (S-CSCF)) using a path query in a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server or Domain Name Server (DNS). When a multimedia session is requested, the required media parameters include a plurality of characteristic values indicative of parameters such as an audio and video encoding method, rate and payload type.
When a basic call request is made, the PF entity connected to a PoC user can be implemented which is separated from the controlling PoC server (or Controlling PoC Function (CF) entity) for managing a talk burst of an opened session. The SIP INVITE message sent to the PF entity is transferred to the CF entity through the associated SIP/IP core network.
A PoC session control network with the CF receives a response message from a network at the receiving side after transferring an SIP INVITE message to the network at the receiving side. The SIP response message from the network at the receiving side can be a provisional response message of 1XX, a successful response message of 2XX, or an error response message of 4XX˜6XX according to setting of the PF and the PoC client at the receiving side. In the case of the automatic answer mode, an SIP 183 "session progress" signal can be received, through which a connection between the PoC server and client can be established in the IMS network of a call requester. A call acknowledgment signal of the PoC client at the receiving side is returned as an SIP 183 "session progress" signal or an SIP 200 "OK" response, and is transferred to the PoC client A through the PoC server of the CF and PF.
After receiving the SIP 200 "OK" response or the SIP 183 "session progress" signal from the PoC server at the receiving side, the CF entity determines that a PoC call has been connected and sends a floor granted signal for assigning the floor for a talk burst to the PoC client A. The response of the SIP 200 "OK" or 183 "session progress" signal can be classified as a "confirmed" or "unconfirmed" response. The CF entity requires a buffering function when the "unconfirmed" response is received.
The PoC client A at the transmitting side receives a talk burst transmission granted signal, for example, a floor granted signal for transferring call connection sound, through a Real Time Control Protocol (RTCP) after receiving the response signal to the SIP INVITE message. The floor granted signal is generated from the CF entity having the right to arbitrate a talk burst and is sent to the PoC client through the PF entity for managing an associated PoC client. Since the floor granted signal uses a bearer path without the SIP, it can be sent without passing through the SIP/IP core network such as the IMS. When identifying the call connection sound, the PoC user sends a media stream (or a typical voice stream) using a Real-time Transport Protocol (RTP).
As defined in the PoC 1.0 standard document, an ad-hoc PoC group session can be opened according to edition of the PoC client at the transmitting side. At this time, target PoC address information mapped to an ad-hoc group is constructed with a single SIP or TEL Uniform Resource Identifier (URI). According to function for opening a flexible ad-hoc group session newly defined in the PoC 2.0 standard, a call target group can have a group URI rather than a single URI.
For this, the PoC client at the transmitting side can open the flexible ad-hoc group session by including a group type indicator for the group URI in a message to be sent to open the ad-hoc PoC group session and performing a session procedure. In this case, when a call target group URI is managed in a domain equal to that of a PoC server operating as the CF entity in an ad-hoc session, an ad-hoc group session management server can open the ad-hoc group session by receiving information of clients mapped to an associated group identifier from a PoC XML Document Management Server (XDMS).
However, when the call target group URI is not managed in a domain (hereinafter a home network domain) equal to that of the PoC server operating as the CF entity in the ad-hoc session, the ad-hoc group session management server cannot receive client information mapped to an associated group from a PoC XDMS within a different domain. That is, the ad-hoc group session management server should send a session invitation to associated clients by directly collecting a list of clients belonging to a remote network other than the home network. Conventionally, a method for efficiently opening a flexible ad-hoc group session is not provided for when a call target group identifier used to open an ad-hoc session is not managed in a PoC server within a home network domain or a connected PoC XDMS.

Method, user equipment, and system for opening an ad-hoc PoC session in a PoC system


Electrochemical fuel cell stacks comprising a plurality of membrane electrode assemblies stacked in an alternating manner, such that the polarity of adjacent membrane electrode assemblies are opposite, are disclosed. The fuel cell stacks comprise a plurality of membrane electrode assemblies, each membrane electrode assembly comprising an anode fluid distribution layer, a cathode fluid distribution layer, a polymer electrolyte membrane interposed between the anode and cathode fluid distribution layers, an anode electrocatalyst layer interposed between the polymer electrolyte membrane and the anode fluid distribution layer, and a cathode electrocatalyst interposed between the polymer electrolyte membrane and the cathode fluid distribution layer, wherein the plurality of membrane electrode assemblies are stacked in an alternating manner such that the polarity of adjacent membrane electrode assemblies are opposite, and wherein the plurality of membrane electrode assemblies are externally jumpered. Methods for shutting down the fuel cell stacks are also disclosed.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to electrochemical fuel cell stacks. More specifically, the present invention relates to electrochemical fuel cell stacks comprising a plurality of membrane electrode assemblies stacked in an alternating manner such that the polarity of adjacent membrane electrode assemblies are opposite.
2. Description of the Related Art
Fuel cell systems are currently being developed for use as power supplies in a wide variety of applications, such as automobiles and stationary power plants. Such systems offer the promise of economically delivering power while providing environmental and other benefits.
Fuel cells convert reactants, namely, fuel and oxidant, to generate electric power and reaction products. Fuel cells generally employ an electrolyte disposed between two electrodes, namely a cathode and an anode. A catalyst typically induces the desired electrochemical reactions at the electrodes. Fuel cell types include, for example, alkaline fuel cells and solid polymer electrolyte (SPE) fuel cells, which comprise a solid polymer electrolyte and operate at relatively low temperatures.
SPE fuel cells employ a membrane electrode assembly (MEA), which comprises the solid polymer electrolyte or ion-exchange membrane disposed between the two electrodes. Each electrode contains a catalyst layer, comprising an appropriate catalyst for facilitating the desired electrochemical reaction of the fuel and oxidant, located adjacent to the solid polymer electrolyte membrane. The catalyst is typically a precious metal composition (e.g., platinum metal black or an alloy thereof) and may be provided on a suitable support (e.g., fine platinum particles supported on a carbon black support). The catalyst layers may contain an ionomer similar to that used for the solid polymer electrolyte membrane (e.g., Nafion®). The electrodes may also contain a porous, electrically conductive substrate that may be employed for purposes of mechanical support, electrical conduction, and/or reactant distribution, thus serving as a fluid diffusion or distribution layer.
In electrochemical fuel cells, the MEA is typically interposed between two substantially fluid impermeable separator plates (anode and cathode plates). The plates typically act as current collectors and provide support to the MEA. In addition, the plates may have reactant channels formed therein and act as flow field plates providing access of the fuel and oxidant to the porous anode and cathode substrates, respectively, and providing for the removal of product water formed during operation of the cells. Typically, a plurality of inlet ports, supply manifolds, exhaust manifolds and outlet ports direct the fuel and oxidant to, and the exhaust products from, the reactant channels in these flow field plates. The supply and exhaust manifolds may be internal manifolds, which extend through aligned openings formed in the flow field plates and MEAs, or may comprise external or edge manifolds, attached to the edges of the flow field plates.
A broad range of reactants can be used in SPE fuel cells. For example, the fuel stream may be substantially pure hydrogen gas, a gaseous hydrogen-containing reformate stream, or methanol in a direct methanol fuel cell. The oxidant may be, for example, substantially pure oxygen or a dilute oxygen stream such as air.
During normal operation of a SPE fuel cell, fuel is electrochemically oxidized at the anode catalyst, typically resulting in the generation of protons, electrons, and possibly other species depending on the fuel employed. The protons are conducted from the reaction sites at which they are generated, through the electrolyte, to electrochemically react with the oxidant at the cathode catalyst. The electrons travel through an external circuit providing useable power and then react with the protons and oxidant at the cathode catalyst to generate water reaction product.
In operation, the output voltage of an individual fuel cell under load is generally below one volt. Therefore, in order to provide greater output voltage, multiple cells are usually stacked together (anode to cathode) and are connected in series to create a higher voltage fuel cell stack. End plate assemblies are placed at each end of the stack to hold the stack together and to compress the stack components together, thereby sealing and providing adequate electrical contact between various stack components. Fuel cell stacks can be further connected in series and/or parallel combinations to form larger arrays for delivering higher voltages and/or currents.
Although there have been advances in the field, there remains a need for improved fuel cell stack designs which are both economical and simple to manufacture. The present invention addresses these needs and provides further related advantages.

Fuel cell stacks of alternating polarity membrane electrode assemblies


A content receiving apparatus has: a communicating unit connecting to a server; a reception buffer receiving and storing transmitted content data; a content reproducing unit reproducing the read-out content data; a controller controlling the communicating unit and the reception buffer; and an operating unit supplying an operation signal to the control unit. The data reception and the data output to the reproducing unit from the buffer are stopped by a reproduction temporary stop instruction. The data reception is restarted by a reproduction temporary stop cancellation instruction. The received content data is written into the buffer. The reception of a disconnection signal from the server is discriminated after the restart of the data reception. If the signal is not received, a predetermined amount of received data is written into the buffer, the reading is started, the data is outputted to the reproducing unit, and the reproduction is restarted.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a content receiving apparatus and a content receiving method which can receive content such as music content or the like transmitted from a server to a client and reproduce the distributed music content in the client.
2. Description of the Related Arts
A content distributing system in which a client requests content in a server through a network, the server transmits the content to the client, and the client reproduces the content has been known. For example, a system in which a home LAN (Local Area Network) is set and music content received from the server is reproduced by speakers in a room away from the server can be constructed. Also in such a content distributing system, in a manner similar to a reproducing player of a media, it is desirable to have a pause function for temporarily stopping the reproduction by the reproduction temporarily stopping (hereinafter, referred to as "pause") operation and starting the reproduction from a point of time of the temporary stop by the cancellation of the pause. For example, such a technique that an image without a disturbance is provided at the time of the pause cancellation in a motion image distributing system has been disclosed in JP-A-2004-274619 (Patent Document 1).
A network protocol called TCP (Transmission Control Protocol)/IP (Internet Protocol) is used to distribute the content, for example, music content to the client through the network. In such a system, the pause is performed as will be explained hereinbelow.
When the client instructs the pause, he stops the reception of data and continues the connection to the server. The stop of the data reception corresponds to a process for setting a window size to 0. The server receives the window size set in ACK (Acknowledgement) from the client. Since it is difficult for the server to transmit the data exceeding the window size, if the window size is set to 0, the server also stops the transmission of the data. In this state, data in a reception buffer is held and zero data is continuously transmitted to a D/A converter.
Subsequently, when the pause is cancelled by the user's operation in the client, the window size is set to a predetermined size from 0 and the data reception is restarted. The received data is sent to the D/A converter and the reproduction of the music content is restarted.

Content receiving apparatus and content receiving method


A prostaglandin having formula (I), (II), or (III): ##STR1## a process of production thereof, and inhibitors of cell migration caused by chemokines containing (I) or (II) as an active ingredient.

Prostaglandin derivatives have various biological activities such as inhibition of platelet aggregation, a vasodilating activity lowering the blood pressure, suppression of the secretion of gastric acids, smooth muscle constriction, cytoprotection, and digresis and are useful for the treatment or prevention of cardiac infarction, angia, arteriosclerosis, hypertension, duodenal ulcers, oxytocia, abortion, etc.
Among these prostaglandin derivatives, as .DELTA..sup.8 type prostaglandin derivatives, there have been known the prostaglandin E.sub.1 affines of enol butyric acid esters of prostaglandin E.sub.1 (see Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 5-213862).
On the other hand, it has been disclosed that 7-thiaprostaglandin E.sub.1 derivatives have a platelet aggregation inhibitory activity, hypotensive activity, and vasodilating activity and thereby an anti-thrombosis, anti-anginia, anti-cardiac infarction, anti-arteriosclerosis, and malignant tumor metathesis preventing activity and have an anti-tumor activity (see Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 53-68753, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 58-110562, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 59-29661, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 60-185761, and Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 61-204163). Further, these 7-thiaprostaglandin E.sub.1 derivatives are known to have effectiveness in the neuropathy in diabetes (see Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 64-52721). Further, it has been reported that 7-thiaprostaglandin E.sub.1 derivatives have an activity suppressing thickening of the veins and an activity inhibiting migration of smooth muscle cells (see WO95/00150) and an activity inhibiting migration of THP-1 cells (see Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 7-188025).
Corresponding enol ester derivatives (.DELTA..sup.8 type prostaglandin derivatives) are known for the 7-thiaprostaglandin E.sub.1 derivatives as well. These have been reported as having an activity suppressing thickening of veins and an activity inhibiting migration of THP-1 cells (see WO/19340).
The enol ester derivatives of these (7-thia)prostaglandin E.sub.1 derivatives have enol ester portions which easily hydrolyzed in the body due to the action of esterase and other enzymes and are believed to change to (7-this)prostaglandin E.sub.1 derivatives (9-oxo type). Therefore, these enol ester derivatives may be considered prodrugs of (7-thia)prostaglandin E.sub.1 derivatives.
The .DELTA..sup.8 type prostaglandins of the present invention differ from these enol ester derivatives in that they are compounds in which substituents not easily decomposed by the action of enzymes etc. are introduced at the 9-position. The inventors studied various compounds which were chemically stable in this way and further exhibited bioactivity in the .DELTA..sup.8 state and, as a result, found that these compounds have an inhibitory activity on cell migration caused by chemokines and thereby reached the present invention.
On the other hand, it has been reported that .DELTA..sup.8 type prostaglandin derivatives have a luteal recessive activity and an abortive activity (see DE3125271 or Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 58-4763). The .DELTA..sup.8 -type prostaglandin derivatives shown here, however, are just derivatives where the 9-position substituent is hydrogen and the 7-position is methylene. It was not known at all that the compounds of the present invention have an inhibitory activity on the cell migration caused by chemokines.

Prostaglandins and processes for production thereof


Methods and systems for scaling down a Web page image enables the image to be displayed on a standard television without horizontal scrolling of the image. A Web page image that initially has a horizontal dimension larger than the horizontal dimension of a television display is received from a web server and subsequently scaled down by a scaling factor that is based only upon the amount of scaling that is necessary to fit the image within the horizontal dimension of the television display. This scaling factor is used to scale the image horizontally and vertically, thus preserving the aspect ratio of the image. When a hyperlink from the scaled down Web page image is selected, coordinates to the hyperlink are scaled up based on the same scaling factor so that they will correspond with the server-side image map of the Web page image.

1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to the field of user interfaces for accessing remotely stored information over a network. More particularly, the present invention relates to displaying scaled-down images of various Web pages, such as recent Web pages or favorite Web pages, along with the title of each Web page.
2. Background and Relevant Art
The number of homes and businesses using personal computers has increased substantially in recent years, and along with this increase has come an explosion in the use of the Internet, and particularly the World-Wide Web (Web). The Web is a collection of formatted hypertext pages located on numerous computers around the world that are logically connected by the Internet. Although the Web has in the past been a source of primarily scientific information, it is now a valuable resource for information relating to almost any subject, including business, entertainment, travel, and education, to name just a few. Advances in network technology, and especially in software such as "Web browsers" (software applications which provide a user interface to the Web), have made the Web accessible to a large segment of the population.
A problem associated with the prior art is that, in some cases, images that are downloaded via a network connection are not appropriately sized for the display being used. One prior art solution for dealing with Web pages larger than the display is to allow horizontal and vertical scrolling. However, it has been found that horizontal scrolling can be confusing to many people. Therefore, it would be advantageous to provide a solution to displaying oversized image maps that eliminates the need for horizontal scrolling.
In addition, Web browsers in the prior art have various other disadvantages that are overcome by the present invention, as described in the detailed description which follows.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Resizing internet document for display on television screen


A table is allocated indexes corresponding to display positions on a monitor screen, respectively, and data indicating an unexposed part at each of the display positions is stored in each index of the table. Focal position information is acquired from Exif header information on image data of an image, and a location of one of the indexes in the table at which no image data is registered is searched in an ascending order of the indexes. According to the table, the images are arranged so that the focal position of each image differs from the unexposed part at the display position of the image.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image display method for displaying digital image data on a television monitor screen.
2. Description of the Related Art
Following start of digital high-vision broadcasting, television receivers for digital high-vision have spread widely, thus enabling users to enjoy higher-quality and more impressive videos at home than before. Further, electronic still cameras have spread, so that users have increasingly displayed and enjoyed electronic still images and moving images not only on screens of personal computers but also television monitor screens.
To view still images or moving images using a television receiver, a user normally looks at a list of thumbnail images displayed on a television monitor screen, selects one of the thumbnail images, and thereby selects data to be reproduced.
Meanwhile, memories with rapidly increased storage capacities have recently been available. The number of images to be stored is increasing by leaps and bounds, accordingly. A memory card, for example, can store over 500 digital photographs.
It has been difficult for the user to find desired data from among image data in large quantities.
Examples of a technique for efficiently arranging large quantities of data objects on the monitor screen, and for enabling the user himself or herself to easily select one of the objects with user's own eyes include a technique for moving thumbnail images while overlapping them, and for facilitating finding desired data as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 2001-306375. They also include a technique, disclosed in JP-A No. 9-259130, for displaying image data in a three-dimensional space, moving a virtual eye view, and thereby finding desired data.
The conventional techniques have, however, the following disadvantages. Since the thumbnail images are displayed while being overlapped with the other thumbnail images, important parts for discrimination of photographs are often hidden. A photograph A and a photograph B are present, for example, as shown in FIGS. 14A and 14B. In the photograph A, children who are "running in a race" on the left of the image is an important part. In the photograph B, a person on the right of the image is an important part. If these photographs A and B are displayed while being overlapped with the other photographs, the photographs A and B are displayed with their important parts hidden as shown in FIG. 14A.
To prevent them, as proposed in the JP-A Nos. 2001-306375 and 9-259130 stated above, there is no other choice but for the user to carry out operations such as scrawling of the displayed image or moving a position of a virtual eye view so as to be able to view the important part of each photograph, and then to discriminate the photograph.
The present invention has been achieved in light of the conventional disadvantages. It is an object of the present invention to provide an image display method which enables a user to easily find a desired image while large quantities of images are efficiently arranged on a monitor screen.
Further, each of almost all photographed digital images can be divided into a region which a photographer regards as a subject and the other region. The former region will be referred hereafter to as "region of interest" and the latter region will be referred to as "region of no interest".
If an operator of an image display apparatus is to search a desired image from large quantities of digital images, it is considered that the operator determines the desired image based on the region of interest in each of the digital images.
Conventionally, to create a thumbnail image, image data is uniformly reduced without discriminating the region of interest from the region of no interest. Due to this, when a plurality of images are displayed as a list of thumbnail images, the regions of interest in the respective images are displayed in small sizes. As a result, it is disadvantageously difficult to find a desired image based on the regions of interest as criteria of determination while looking down on the large quantities of digital images.
Considering the disadvantage, a method for detecting a face area in an image, enlarging the detected face area, and displaying a thumbnail image in a list is proposed, as disclosed in JP-A No. 2002-358522. According to this method, a system having an improved performance for searching a desired digital image can be realized by detecting the face area as the region of interest, enlarging the detected face area, and displaying the enlarged region.
With this method, since the list of thumbnail images is displayed with the respective regions of interest enlarged, the number of images which can be displayed once on the monitor screen is fixed in advance. Due to this, if the number of images exceeding the fixed number of images which can be displayed once on the monitor screen, such functions as a scrawling function and a function of turning over pages are additionally required, thereby disadvantageously complicating user's operation.
In addition, if both enlarged regions of interest and original images are displayed as thumbnail images, the number of images which can be displayed once on the monitor screen is disadvantageously, further reduced.
If the face area cannot be detected from a target image, no measures can be disadvantageously taken.

Image display method, program, and image display apparatus


Systems and methods are disclosed that optimize the combustion process in various reactors, furnaces, and internal combustion engines. Video cameras are used to evaluate the combustion flame grade. Depending on the desired form, standard or special video devices, or beam scanning devices, are used to image the combustion flame and by-products. The video device generates and outputs image signals during various phases of, and at various locations in, the combustion process. Other forms of sensors monitor and generate data signals defining selected parameters of the combustion process, such as air flow, fuel flow, turbulence, exhaust and inlet valve openings, etc. In a preferred form, a neural networks initially processes the image data and characterizes the combustion flame. A fuzzy logic controller and associated fuzzy logic rule base analyzes the image data from the neural network, along with other sensor information. The fuzzy logic controller determines and generates control signals defining adjustments necessary to optimize the combustion process.

Combustion plants, furnaces and engines of various forms are well known. They are used to heat homes, cook food, power factories, and to propel many different types of vehicles. Combustion systems evolved through the centuries from simple open fires to modern centralized boilers and hot air furnaces. Combustion machines used to power vehicles include steam engines, piston engines, turbines, jet engines and rockets. Large-scale combustion plants generate electrical power to provide power for communities and cities.
The combustion process, itself, is also well known. In general, most combustion systems operate by burning a wide variety of hydrocarbon fuels, including natural gas, oil, coal and refuse. As such, the combustion process is an exothermic, or heat producing, chemical reaction between a fuel and oxygen. A high temperature is used to ignite the reaction, which causes burning of the air and fuel reactants. The burning process converts the hydrocarbon fuel and oxygen to carbon dioxide, water and other combustion byproducts. The combustion process breaks the molecular bond structure of the reactants, and yields combustion products that are at a lower thermodynamic potential energy than the original reactants. The change in potential energy level generates kinetic energy in the form of heat, which is used as a source of power. For additional background information regarding the combustion process, see the following publications, each of which is incorporated herein by reference: Strahle, Warren C., An Introduction to Combustion, Gordon and Breach Science Publishers, S. A., Longhorne, Pennsylvania (1993), ISBN 2-88124-586-2; Strehlow, Roger A., Combustion Fundamentals, McGraw-Hill, New York (1984), ISBN 0-07-062221-3; Barnard, J. A., Flame and Combustion, Chapman and Hall, New York (1985), ISBN 0-412-23030-5.
There has been much innovation in the development of modern combustion plants and engines. However, the proliferation and size of all kinds of combustion plants is a source of increasing environmental concern. For example, environmental problems traced to combustion power plants are now better understood, including specifically relating to effects such as smog, acid rain, global warming and depleting combustible natural resources. As a result, attention has been directed at improving the combustion process with the goals of increasing efficiency and minimizing negative side effects and byproducts. Examples of such attempts are found in the following U.S. Patents: (a) U.S. Pat. No. 5,479,358; (b) U.S. Pat. No. 5,473,162; (c) U.S. Pat. No. 5,471,937; (d) U.S. Pat. No. 5,430,642; (e) U.S. Pat. No. 5,361,628; (f) U.S. Pat. No. 5,311,421; (g) U.S. Pat. No. 5,305,230; (h) U.S. Pat. No. 5,303,684; (i) U.S. Pat. No. 5,285,959; (j) U.S. Pat. No. 5,257,496; (k) U.S. Pat. No. 5,249,954; (l) U.S. Pat. No. 5,247,445; (m) U.S. Pat. No. 5,227,975; (n) U.S. Pat. No. 5,213,077; (o) U.S. Pat. No. 5,205,486; (p) U.S. Pat. No. 5,178,002; (q) U.S. Pat. No. 5,158,024; (r) U.S. Pat. No. 5,146,898; (s) U.S. Pat. No. 5,129,379; (t) U.S. Pat. No. 5,065,728; (u) U.S. Pat. No. 5,050,083; (v) U.S. Pat. No. 4,966,118; (w) U.S. Pat. No. 4,926,826; (x) U.S. Pat. No. 4,889,099; and (y) U.S. Pat. No. 4,881,505. See also the following publications: (a) Progress in Emission Control Technologies, Society of Automotive Engineers (1994), ISBN 1-56091-565-X; (b) Advanced Emission Control Technologies, Society of Automotive Engineers (1993), ISBN 1-56091-436-X; (c) Hanby, V. I., Combustion and Pollution Control in Heating Systems, Springer Verlag, New York (1993), ISBN 3-540-19849-0; (d) Eckbreth, Alan C., Laser Diagnostics for Combustion Temperature and Species, Abacus Press, Cambridge Mass. (1988), ISBN 0-85626-344-3; and (e) Crosley, David R., Laser Probes for Combustion Chemistry, American Chemical Society Symposium Series, American Chemical Society, Washington, D.C. (1980), ISBN 0-8412-0570-1. Each of the above-listed patents and publications is incorporated herein by reference.
While the above-listed patents and publications disclose various attempts to characterize and control the combustion process, none of them take full advantage of modern imaging and control technology. For example, none of the systems combine modern computer imaging techniques with expert systems using fuzzy logic and neural networks to optimize the combustion process through automatic feedback control of the combustion parameters. The need exists for improved systems and methods that automatically optimize the combustion process to increase efficiency and minimize unwanted or harmful by-products. In view of the wide spread use of combustion systems that burn hydrocarbon fuels, even small improvements in the efficiency of the combustion process can result in significant social and environmental benefits.

Automatically optimized combustion control


An electrolytic cell is provided. The cell includes a housing having a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet outlet, an anode and a cathode positioned within the housing and defining a reaction chamber therebetween, and a liquid flow path, from the liquid inlet to the liquid outlet, which passes through the reaction chamber. A transition duct is positioned at the liquid outlet and has a duct inlet, a duct outlet and a transition section along which internal side walls of the transition section converge along the liquid flow path to define a smooth transition from a first cross-sectional area to a second cross-sectional area of the transition duct. The first cross-sectional area is at least two times greater than the second cross sectional area.

The present disclosure relates electrolytic cells, and in particular, to an outlet from the housing containing the cell electrodes.
Electrolytic cells are used in a variety of different applications for changing one or more characteristics of a fluid. For example, electrolytic cells have been used in cleaning/sanitizing applications, medical industries and semiconductor manufacturing processes. Electrolytic cells have also been used in a variety of other applications and have had different configurations. For cleaning/sanitizing applications, electrolytic cells are used to create anolyte liquids, catholyte liquids, and/or combined anolyte and catholyte liquids, for example. Anolyte liquids containing hypochlorous acid (and other forms of free chlorine) have known sanitizing properties, and catholyte liquids have known cleaning properties. Also, electrolytic cells have been used to create liquids with charged nano-sized and micron-sized gas-phase bubbles, which are believed to improve the cleaning efficacy of the liquid by picking up dirt particles and preventing their re-deposition. The present disclosure relates to electrolytic cells used in these and other applications.

Electrolytic cell having a transition duct outlet


A connector is matable with a mating connector. The connector has a contact, a housing, a sliding shell, at least one engagement portion and at least one disengagement portion. The housing holds the contact. The sliding shell covers, at least in part, the contact and the housing. The sliding shell is held on the housing so as to be movable between a mating position and a protective position. The connector is mated with the mating connector when the sliding shell is positioned at the mating position. The sliding shell is laid, at least in part, beyond a front end of the housing when the sliding shell is positioned at the protective position. The at least one engagement portion is configured to engage with the sliding shell located at the protective position so as to prevent the sliding shell from moving toward the mating position. The at least one disengagement portion is configured to disengage the engagement portion from the sliding shell when the at least one disengagement portion is brought into contact with the mating connector upon a mating process between the connector and the mating connector.

The present invention relates to a connector having a mechanism operable to protect a contact in a state where the connector is not mated with a mating connector.
This type of connector is disclosed in JP-A2000-171724. A connector disclosed in JP-A2000-171724 includes a connector body connectable to a mating connector and a protective cover for covering contacts of the connector body when the connector body is not connected to the mating connector.
In the connector disclosed in JP-A2000-171724, the contacts of the connector body are protected by the protective cover separate from the connector body that forms a connection interface for the mating connector. Therefore, the number of parts is increased, and the size of the connector is increased.
Furthermore, in the connector disclosed in JP-A2000-171724, if a force is applied rearward to a front end of the protective cover when the connector body is not connected to the mating connector, the protective cover might move rearward. As a result, the contacts might unintentionally be exposed.

Japan Aviation Electronics Industry, Limited


The present invention provides an expansion-deflection coupling which allows for higher angular deflection, as well as greater axial expansion and compression with increased parallel offset movements. The coupling includes a pair of identical hubs adapted to accommodate conduits within, and a flexible hollow cylinder extending between the hubs. At least one mid-coupling is located within the cylinder, and at least two plastic funneled tubes, each of which extends securely within the cylinder between the mid-coupling and one of the hubs. One of the hubs is secured to a union coupling.

Electrical conduit is typically used to support runs of electrical wires or cables. These conduits in certain instances are required to be grounded and which may be subject to movement relative to each other. Such relative movement requires the use of expansion-deflection type couplings to prevent damage to the conduit or the cables inside. Conduits supporting such electrical wires or cables may be interconnected by electrical fitting joints. Certain of these joints provide for thermal expansion, permitting relative movement between the conduits in response to ambient temperature fluctuations. These joints must not only provide for relative movement between the conduits, but also must maintain ground continuity across the conduits during such movement. Expansion-deflection type couplings are also necessary to provide the flexibility to accommodate such movement. Thus, expansion-deflection type couplings will allow for expansion, contraction and deflection caused by the relative movements as discussed above.
Examples of such expansion-deflection type couplings are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,885,461; 3,783,431 and 4,109,097.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,885,461 shows an expansion and deflection conduit coupling made of two end sleeves yieldingly connected in spaced apart end to end relation by a surrounding flexible elastic sleeve or tube made of plastic. Such a coupling will allow for expansion, contraction and deflection of the conduit without damaging the conduit and providing the necessary electric continuity.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,783,431 shows an electric connector with a tubular contact member having two universal joints mounting on the contact members to permit angular movement of the contact members relative to each other. A longitudinal movement of the contact member is caused by sliding a rod contact within the tubular contact. Furthermore, a tubular sheath of flexible material encircles a portion of the rod contact outside the tubular contact to weaken any ice forming thereabout to maintain the free movement inside the connector.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,109,097 shows an expansion-deflection coupling comprised of two independent hubs adapted to be threaded on the ends of opposed spaced apart conduits, a flexible grounding strap is connected completely within and between the hubs and a flexible watertight jacket is secured to the outer surface of the hub. Such a coupling allows for linear misalignment of the hubs up to ¾ of a inch and/or angular displacement of the hubs relative to each other up to 30° and also allows for expansion or contraction of the coupling up to ¾ of an inch.
The expansion-deflection couplings as discussed above in the prior art use an internal plastic sleeve to maintain constant inner diameter in any position and provide a smooth wire way for protection of wire insulation. Such couplings have very limited flexibility in expansion or contraction, in angular deflection and further in line or misalignment.
It is desirable therefore to provide an expansion-deflection coupling which will have more flexibility in axial expansion, and compression and angular deflection while providing protection to the wires or cables it contains.


Functionality is described for collecting and presenting action information. The action information describes actions that take place on items at specified times. Among other applications, the functionality assists a user in identifying and accessing relevant items. In one illustrative case, the functionality can display action information in a timeline presentation.

File systems typically associate metadata with stored items (such as documents). The metadata may describe the salient characteristics of an item, such as its size, its name, its creation date, and so forth. A search module can later retrieve one or more items based on the stored metadata. For example, a user can retrieve all word processing documents that were stored within the last month by specifying appropriate time span information as a search parameter.
In a similar manner, a social network service may allow users to create profiles. A profile is like metadata in that it describes the characteristics of a person, such as the person's age, gender, occupation, and so forth. A search module can allow a user to retrieve a list of individuals who have certain characteristics by entering appropriate profile information as a search parameter.
While the above approach to storing and retrieving information is widely used, it is sometimes not fully effective. For example, consider the illustrative scenario in which a user is attempting to retrieve a document that was forwarded to her in an Email message. Assume that the user has a vague idea that the document was received in the last year and that it pertains to a vacation offer sent by a travel agency. The user may also have a vague idea that she clicked on a link in the document and stored the document on local drive of her computer. Using conventional techniques, the user may attempt to locate the desired document by identifying documents stored in the last year that have certain telltale keywords in their file names (or bodies). But the user may have a relatively faulty recollection of the content of the desired document itself; as such, using this search technique, it may take the user a significant amount of time to locate the desired item.

Collecting and presenting temporal-based action information


A physical quantity sensor includes a substrate, an oscillating member that is disposed over the substrate, support portions that support the oscillating member and that are disposed along a first axis, and detection electrodes that are disposed on the substrate so as to oppose the oscillating member. The oscillating member has a pair of side faces intersecting a second axis perpendicular to the first axis in a plane, and a protrusion is formed on at least one of the pair of side faces.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a physical quantity sensor and an electronic apparatus.
2. Related Art
Recently, physical quantity sensors such as inertial sensors have been developed which detect a physical quantity, for example, using silicon MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical System) techniques.
For example, JP-A-2008-529001 discloses a seesaw physical quantity sensor that detects acceleration in a Z axis direction using an oscillating motion (seesaw oscillation). The physical quantity sensor disclosed in JP-A-2008-529001 includes a conductive plate and a proof mass having first and second regions which are different in mass from each other. The proof mass oscillates around an oscillation axis, which partitions the first and second regions, depending on the acceleration in the Z axis direction. The physical quantity sensor disclosed in JP-A-2008-529001 detects the acceleration on the basis of a variation in capacitance between the conductive plate and the proof mass, which results from oscillation of the proof mass.
The physical quantity sensor disclosed in JP-A-2008-529001 includes a protective shield used to limit the oscillation of the proof mass and a stopper protruding to the protective shield. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the conductive plate and the proof mass from coming in contact with each other, thereby enhancing reliability.
However, in the physical quantity sensor disclosed in JP-A-2008-529001, the stopper has to be formed by depositing and patterning a predetermined material on the proof mass, thereby causing complication of manufacturing processes thereof.

Physical quantity sensor and electronic apparatus


An intelligent volumetric module for use in metering pressurized syrup to a drink dispenser machine comprises a solenoid driven metering system for controlling liquid flows from a pressurized syrup container and a controller for controlling operation of said solenoid driven metering system according to uniquely addressed instructions received from the drink dispenser's system controller. The controller comprises a self-addressing capability, wherein serial communication to all but one non-addressed volumetric module is disrupted while a first address is assigned to that one module. Communication is the enabled along a serial bus to a next non-addressed module, to which a second address is assigned. The process continues until each volumetric module is assigned a unique address and connected to the serial communication bus.

Volumetric syrup modules are well known for the controlled metering of pressurized drink syrups. These modules are typically located with the pressurized syrups apart from the customer interface unit. Because each module typically contains two solenoid coils capable of drawing in excess of one ampere current, a large inductive load is required in their operation. As a result, heavy gauge wiring is required in the connection of each module to the customer interface unit. Unfortunately, the resulting wire bundle is expensive and requires a great deal of space. Further, due to corrosion and the like, the bundle has been identified as a high failure component for the typical drink dispenser.
As a result of this deficiency, it is an object of the present invention to improve over the prior art by providing a control architecture wherein a minimum number of wires is required to connect the system controller of the drink dispenser with the volumetric modules. Because the syrup environment is typically harsh, however, it is a further object of the present invention to provide such an architecture wherein no external switches are required for communication addressing and the like. Finally, in an effort to minimize maintenance costs, it is an object of the present invention to provide such a system wherein each volumetric module is identical and fully interchangeable.

Intelligent volumetric module for drink dispenser


A composite material including a base material and composite portions is provided. The base material includes carbon fibers and carbon, and the composite portions include a plurality of protruding portions, which include at least silicon carbide, and which are formed as islands distributed in the base material on at least one surface of the composite material.

Development of composite materials light in weight and excellent in wear resistance, oxidation resistance, etc. has been desired from the viewpoints of saving of energy, preservation of the environment, etc. For example, carbon fiber-in-composites (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "C/C composites") have a very high coefficient of friction at high temperatures, and are light in weight and undergo no heat distortion, are widely used as friction materials used in braking devices fitted in large-sized transport machines such as large-sized automobiles and aircraft.
The large-sized transport machines must be sometimes subjected to repeated braking under excess loading for emergent stopping, breaking over a long period of time, and frequent braking, etc. and, hence, in the case of braking devices using C/C composites as friction materials, the friction materials are exposed to high temperatures for a long time in the air. It has been reported that since the friction materials basically comprise, as a main component, carbon fibers which readily burn at high temperatures, the carbon fibers react with oxygen under the above conditions which causes serious wear and also smoking, which sometimes bring about serious accidents. However, materials substitutable for C/C composites have not yet been discovered from the points of frictional force under high temperatures and flexibility required for fitting them in disc brakes.
Under the circumstances, as braking friction materials which can be considerably reduced in wear in the presence of oxygen, even if used as braking friction materials of large-sized transport machines which unavoidably generate high temperature with holding the excellent characteristics of C/C composites (composite carbon fibers), such as excellent impact resistance and light weight and, thus, which are not needed to be frequently exchanged, the inventors have proposed in JP-A-2000-81062 a braking member characterized by comprising a fiber composite material having a yarn aggregate of yarns containing at least bundles of carbon fibers and carbon components other than carbon fibers wherein the yarns are three-dimensionally combined while being oriented in the layer direction and are integrated so as not to separate from each other, and a matrix comprising an Si—SiC material filled between the adjacent yarns in the yarn aggregate.
The braking friction material disclosed in the above patent publication is composed of a composite material comprising ceramics-metal-carbon in which a layer of an Si—SiC material is provided on a base material of a C/C composite. Since the Si—SiC material is formed as a matrix layer of the fiber composite material, the strength of the fibers in the lamination direction increases, and peeling can be inhibited. As a result, durability can be imparted to the braking member. However, for the formation of the matrix comprising the Si—SiC material, it is necessary that the base material which is a C/C composite is impregnated with metallic silicon and then the impregnated product, is fired under desired conditions.
In order to impregnate the C/C composite, which is a laminate having the above construction with metallic silicon, special facilities for carrying out delicate control of temperature, pressure and atmosphere and considerable skill and time are required, and thus further improvement is desired. Moreover, the base material per se has a special structure as mentioned above and hence is not necessarily cheap, and therefore there has been desired development of composite materials having designing performance depending on the use, the manner of use, etc. for completing the articles so as to be able to select such products as being able to exhibit desired performances from the wider groups of products depending on the use, the manner of use, etc., utilizing such base materials as being available more cheaply.

Composite material and production method for composite material


A power supply is provided, which is capable of stabilizing a generated output of the fuel cell using neither a voltage nor a current outputted from the fuel cell as a negative feedback signal. The power supply includes a fuel cell 110, a DC-DC converter 120 that adjusts a voltage outputted from the fuel cell 110 according to a PWM signal and then outputs the voltage to a load device 200, a switching controller 130 that generates the PWM signal and outputs this signal to the DC-DC converter 120, a voltmeter 140 that measures a voltage Vout outputted from the DC-DC converter 120, and a rechargeable battery 150 connected to the load device 200 in parallel. The DC-DC converter 120 calculates a duty ratio of the PWM signal by performing a specific computation using the voltage Vout and a target fuel cell voltage Vt.

Recently, as a power supply for an electronic device, such as a notebook computer and a mobile phone, attention has been focused on a fuel cell capable of supplying power continuously for a long period. Various types of fuel cell have been developed, and as a power supply for a mobile electronic device, such as a notebook computer, that demands a reduction in size, a fuel cell of a type that directly supplies power without reforming fuel by a reformer, for example, known as a direct methanol fuel cell (hereinafter, abbreviated as DMFC) shows great promise.
The DMFC includes a fuel circulation type that collects an unused fuel cell from supplied methanol for reuse, and a fuel non-circulation type that does not reuse unused methanol. The fuel circulation type can readily obtain a stable generated output by stabilizing the operating point. It has, however, a drawback that the need for a collecting mechanism (circulation pump or the like) to collect unused methanol complicates the configuration and the device is increased in size. Meanwhile, the fuel non-circulation type can achieve a size reduction of the device because it does not need the collecting mechanism. However, it is not preferable to release a large volume of methanol, which is poisonous. In addition, in terms of enhancing generation efficiency, it is crucial to use up supplied methanol almost completely, that is, to allow supplied methanol to burn completely.
FIG. 11 is a graph showing the current-to-voltage characteristic, the current-to-power characteristic, and the release ratio characteristic for a quantity of supplied methanol (fuel) in the DMFC. Referring to FIG. 11, the ordinate is used for an output voltage (V), output power (W), and a release ratio (%) of the DMFC, and the abscissa is used for an output current (A) of the DMFC. C11 through C13 are the current-to-voltage characteristic curves when quantities of supplied fuel are 0.1 cc/min, 0.2 cc/min, and 0.3 cc/min, respectively. C21 through C23 are the current-to-power characteristic curves when quantities of supplied fuel are 0.1 cc/min, 0.2 cc/min, and 0.3 cc/min, respectively. C31 shows a relation of an output current and a release ratio when a quantity of supplied fuel is 0.3 cc/min. The release ratio is defined as a ratio of released fuel with respect to supplied fuel expressed in percentage.
As is shown in FIG. 11, it is understood that higher output power can be obtained as a quantity of supplied fuel is increased. Also, as are indicated by C11 through C13, it is understood that an output voltage decreases as an output current increases. Further, as is indicated by C31, it is understood that a release ratio decreases as an output current increases.
In the following, an example will be described using a case where a quantity of supplied fuel is 0.3 cc/min. As is indicated by C13, it is understood that the voltage decreases slowly until the output current reaches A3, whereas the voltage decreases abruptly when the output current exceeds A3. Meanwhile, as is indicated by C31, it is understood that the supplied fuel is used up almost completely by the time the output current reaches A3. It is therefore preferable to set the operating point of the fuel cell to a point at which an output current is larger than A3 in terms of allowing the fuel to burn completely. This, however, increases an output current only slightly, and causes the output voltage to decrease abruptly, which makes it impossible to supply a stable output voltage to the load device.
For the fuel non-circulation type, it is therefore required not only to set the operating point in proximity to the power maximum point P, but also to severely control the operating point not to vary. Patent Document 1 discloses a fuel cell voltage generator comprising a DC-DC converter connected to the output side of the fuel cell, a rechargeable battery connected to the output side of the DC-DC converter, and a switch controller that supplies a PWM signal to the DC-DC converter, in which the switch controller calculates a duty ratio of the PWM signal on the basis of a difference between an output voltage of the fuel cell and the reference value.
Also, Patent Document 2 discloses a power supply comprising a fuel cell, a DC converter, a rechargeable battery, and a micro processor that controls the DC converter, in which the maximum value of a current flowing into the DC converter is varied for the voltage of the fuel cell to fall within a specific range including the maximum power.    Patent Document 1: U.S. Pat. No. 6,590,370 B1    Patent Document 2: U.S. Pat. No. 5,714,874


Disclosed is an apparatus for controlling video devices by transmitting RS-422 command strings to the devices comprising, a controller for preparing each RS-422 command string in advance of an execution time at which the command is to be executed; a buffer for storing each RS-422 command string and a respective associated time of execution; and a buffer scanner operable to compare a current time with the execution times of each buffered command and to transmit to the respective video device any commands stored in the buffer for which the associated execution time is the same as or before the current time.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to controlling video devices.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It has been proposed that multiple video devices--for example, video tape recorders (VTRs), switchers and so on--be controlled by computer. One way in which this can be done is for the computer to issue so-called RS-422 commands to the video devices using the established RS-422 control interfaces and protocols.
However, in a complex system, it may be necessary to issue RS-422 commands simultaneously to several devices. As well as the requirement for issuing the commands simultaneously, a more onerous requirement is that the commands often have to be timed to an accuracy of a fraction of a field or frame period with respect to an external source of video syncs (synchronisation pulses).
Present day computers are often standard PC-compatible general purpose computers, operating under a multitasking operating system such as the Microsoft Windows NT operating system or the so-called QNX operating system. These operating systems allow message-driven multitasking between multiple concurrent processing tasks, which provides efficient use of the computer's processing capacity. However, this does mean that the time at which a particular operation takes place is not generally predictable to the accuracy of a fraction of a video field period required for issuing control RS-422 commands to the controlled video devices.
Thus, there are two apparently conflicting requirements: one is that the control commands have to be issued at very precise times, and the other is that an efficient multitasking arrangement leads to an uncertainty over the exact time at which a processing operation (such as the issue of an RS-422 command) will be performed by the computer.


A memory component comprises a plurality of bit lines, on which memory cells are arranged, and a plurality of sense amplifiers, which are arranged in a row, each sense amplifier being connected to two bit lines. A bit line which is connected to a first sense amplifier in the row is arranged directly adjacent to a bit line which is connected to a second sense amplifier in the same row.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a memory component and, in particular, to a memory component having a novel arrangement of the bit lines, which arrangement reduces the influence of capacitive couplings between adjacent bit lines.
2. Description of the Related Art
In dynamic random access memory (DRAM) components and other memory modules, the memory cells are arranged at crossover points between bit lines and word lines. Activating a word line or applying an appropriate signal to the word line connects each memory cell that is associated with the word line to the bit line on which it is arranged.
Reference is made below, by way of example, to a dynamic memory component. Two bit lines are respectively typically connected to a sense amplifier. The sense amplifier operates in a differential manner and compares the potentials of the two bit lines which are connected to it. Activating a word line connects one of the two bit lines to a memory cell (active bit line). The other bit line which is connected to the same sense amplifier is used as a reference bit line which does not have a memory cell connected to it at present.
Before a word line is activated, all of the bit lines are brought, in a precharge operation, to a center potential Vbleq which is between a high potential Vblh and a low potential Vbll.
After the word line has been activated, connecting the active bit line to that memory cell which is associated with the crossover point between the active bit line and the word line gives rise to a small potential difference caused by the charge stored in the memory cell. This small potential difference is amplified by the sense amplifier. In this case, one of the two bit lines assumes the high potential Vblh and the other assumes the low potential Vbll, depending on the charge or information stored in the memory cell. As a result, the charge stored in the memory cell is simultaneously refreshed.
If the memory cell is disconnected from the active bit line again as a result of the word line being deactivated, the two bit lines are precharged or brought to the center potential Vbleq again. In this case, the two bit lines which are connected to the sense amplifier are shorted together by means of a switch. If the two bit lines have approximately the same electrostatic capacitance, a potential is approximately established in the middle between the high potential Vblh and the low potential Vbll, said potential corresponding to the center potential Vbleq. In order to compensate for small asymmetries, the two bit lines are also connected, simultaneously or subsequently, to a Vbleq system via switches which are provided for this purpose, said system providing the center potential Vbleq.
A frequent defect which, on statistical average, occurs once or a number of times on each chip is a short circuit between a word line and a bit line at the crossover point between them. In the case of DRAMs, this short circuit occurs particularly frequently at the selection transistor of a memory cell. The word line involved is replaced with a redundant word line. Although the bit line involved is likewise replaced with a redundant bit line, the switches for connecting the bit lines to the Vbleq system during precharging are conventionally not driven individually. When precharging the bit lines, a bit line which has been shorted to a word line is therefore also connected to the Vbleq system. Since the word line has a potential that differs from the center potential Vbleq, the Vbleq system is subjected to loading on account of the bit line being shorted to the word line and can no longer provide precisely the center potential Vbleq.
In order to minimize the load on the Vbleq system and the induced discrepancy between the potential of the latter and the center potential Vbleq, the switches for connecting the bit lines to the Vbleq system are designed to have a high impedance. The resultant large time constant for matching the potential of a bit line to the center potential Vbleq provided by means of the Vbleq system does not constitute a disadvantage since the bit lines, as described above, are primarily approximated to the center potential Vbleq by shorting them in pairs, and only small asymmetries need to be compensated for using the high-impedance switches.
However, there are various situations in which, as a result of capacitive coupling between adjacent bit lines, there is a relatively large discrepancy between the potential of a bit line and the center potential Vbleq, which discrepancy needs to be compensated for by the Vbleq system using the high-impedance switch. Adjacent bit lines always influence one another via their capacitive coupling. It is assumed that a first bit line of a first sense amplifier is directly adjacent to a second bit line of a second sense amplifier, and a third bit line of the first sense amplifier is directly adjacent to a fourth bit line of a third sense amplifier. If the second bit line and the fourth bit line have the same potential, their influences on the first and third bit lines do not cancel one another out. After the first and third bit lines have been shorted, the latter therefore have an average potential that differs from the center potential Vbleq. The Vbleq system must compensate for this discrepancy using the high-impedance switches.
The situation described below occurs, in particular, in the case of a memory element whose bit lines are arranged in accordance with the open bit line concept. In accordance with the open bit line concept, the sense amplifiers are arranged in a plurality of parallel rows. The two bit lines which are connected to a sense amplifier extend from the latter in two opposite directions perpendicular to the rows. In the interspace between two rows of sense amplifiers, the bit lines which are connected to sense amplifiers in the two rows intermesh like two combs. To put it another way, the bit lines in an interspace are always alternately connected to a sense amplifier in one row and a sense amplifier in the other row.
Activating a word line between a first row and a second row of sense amplifiers causes all of the bit lines in the interspace between the first and second rows to become active bit lines. All of the bit lines (which are connected to sense amplifiers in the first row) in an interspace between the first row and an adjacent third row and all of the bit lines (which are connected to sense amplifiers in the second row) between the second row and an adjacent fourth row become reference bit lines. The potentials of the bit lines, which are arranged between the reference bit lines, of the sense amplifiers in the third and fourth rows are influenced by capacitive coupling to said reference bit lines. The Vbleq system must compensate for the resultant discrepancies between said potentials and the center potential Vbleq using the high-impedance switches.

Memory component having a novel arrangement of the bit lines


A sterile specimen cup with a self-sealing membrane in the top that allows fluids to be injected into or with drawn from the cup with a syringe. This allows the specimen cup to be fully operated with one hand without removing the cover, thus increasing user safety, and sterility.

At present, to use a specimen cup, the user must use both hands to operate the device. The user must hold the cup in one hand and remove the cover with the other, often while holding a needle and syringe containing an aspirated specimen. The user must then squirt the specimen into the open cup, risking the possibility of splash back or spillage.


An apparatus for damping vibrations of an airbag or of an airbag device (10) having a holder device (20) for securing the airbag or the airbag device (10) to a carrier (30), wherein the holder device (20) is secured to the carrier (30) so as to be displaceable against a spring force, and a damping device (70) is arranged between the holder device (20) and the carrier (30), wherein the holder device (20) is guided in one of the guide bushings (50) secured to the carrier (30), and the guide bushing (50) is supported in a vibration-damped manner on the carrier (30).

DE 39 25 761 A1 shows a vibration suppression apparatus for a steering wheel with an airbag, which has a gas generator and an airbag. The airbag unit or a part thereof is attached to the steering wheel body by an elastic means. In this way, the vibrations of the steering wheel can be suppressed without an additional damping mass. The elastic means can have a collar, which can be secured by a fastening means, for example a screw, to a tubular elastic part fitted over the collar.
DE 196 53 684 A1 relates to an arrangement for securing an airbag unit to a steering wheel, wherein at least one fastening point is provided for floating support of the airbag unit. The floating support is achieved by means of an elastically deformable bushing, which is arranged on a fastening screw and is at least partially in contact with same.
The object of the present invention is to provide an improved apparatus with which a simple relative motion with simultaneously easy adaptability to different uses is made possible.

Device for damping vibrations of an airbag or an airbag apparatus