Provided are a method, system, and article of manufacture wherein configuration information for a first plurality of storage devices is sent to be stored on at least one removable storage media of a removable storage media library. Data corresponding to the first plurality of storage devices is sent to be stored in the removable storage media library. A first plurality of storage devices is replaced by a second plurality of storage devices. The second plurality of storage devices is configured from the configuration information stored in the at least one removable storage media of the removable storage media library, in response to replacing the first plurality of storage devices. The stored data is copied from the removable storage media library to the second plurality of storage devices, in response to configuring the second plurality of storage devices.

1. Field
The disclosure relates to a method, system, and article of manufacture for disk storage management of a tape library with data backup and recovery.
2. Background
Data in storage systems may be stored in physical storage media, such as tapes or disks. Tape based systems may offer significantly larger storage capacity in comparison to disk based systems. However tape based systems have slower access times and data availability. Disk based systems offer faster access times, but have a significantly lesser storage capacity in comparison to tape based systems, and require high power levels to maintain data availability. While certain tape system based systems use disks to simulate tape functions, the operations of such tape based systems may be limited to many of the architectural limitations of tape based systems.

Disk storage management of a tape library with data backup and recovery

International Business Machines Corporation


A method and apparatus for more efficiently fusing the straps of pre-formed terminal post members with plate lugs of a battery plate group utilizing a non-reusable, inexpensive plastic mold insert. The method includes positioning the battery plate group into an open top container with the lugs of the positive plates in one row and the lugs of the negative plates in another row, positioning the plastic insert into the container with the lugs of the plate group extending upwardly through the mold insert, positioning the terminal post members on the plastic mold insert with fingers of the straps thereof disposed between plate lugs of the respective rows, supplying additional unmelted lead into remaining spaces between the plate lugs, and heating, melting, and fusing the plate lugs, strap fingers, and added lead by induction heating to form interconnections between the positive and negative plates in the respective terminals.

Large industrial and motive power lead acid storage batteries typically are manufactured in small lots in a job shop type environment. Various of the manufacturing steps, including the attachment of terminal post straps onto the lugs of battery cell plate groups, are inherently slow, labor intensive, and not easily subject to change-over for different sized batteries.
A common method of attaching terminal post straps onto plate lugs has involved securing a plate group in a comb-like fixture in a burning box, locating a pre-cast terminal post and strap on the plate group, melting the plate lugs and the terminal post strap by means of a manually held gas torch, adding additional lead by melting a lead stick, and simultaneously stirring and mixing the melted lead to break down surface tension between the lead alloys and to free the mixture of entrained impurities. Not only does such manual torch burning fail to lend itself to use in automated battery production lines, the procedure cannot be carried out with consistent quality and can create a hazard to the environment of the worker.
Another method of attaching straps to plate lugs has entailed compressing and positioning the plate group in a basket-like container, inverting the plate group and positioning the lugs thereof in a mold, adding molten lead to cast straps on the lugs, removing the plate group with the cast on straps from the basket, and re-compressing and positioning the plate group into a battery container.
In sealed, valve-regulated lead acid batteries, the plate group includes separators made of relatively fragile glass mat material between the individual plates. Repeated compression and handling of the plate group can damage the separators and adversely effect battery performance and life. Even in unsealed, flooded lead acid storage batteries which do not utilize such glass mat separators, the plates are fragile and a plastic top separator piece must be used to prevent damage to the separators from insertion of a hydrometer for testing the acid during battery usage.
While proposals have been made for the automated casting of straps onto battery plate lugs, these proposals have not lent themselves to the small lot production of different size batteries. Relatively expensive, precision molds are required for the casting operation, and a different mold is required for each different plate group size to be manufactured. The lengthy change-over time also makes conventional automated cast-on-strap methods impractical in small lot battery production.

Method and apparatus for attaching terminal post straps to a battery plate group


A method of manufacturing a film bulk acoustic resonator and the resonator manufactured thereby. The method includes the laminating a sacrificial layer on a semiconductor substrate, removing a predetermined area from the sacrificial layer to realize electric contact between a signal line of the semiconductor substrate and a lower electrode, forming the lower electrode by depositing metal film for lower electrode on the sacrificial layer, by patterning based on a shape of the sacrificial layer, forming a piezoelectric layer by depositing a piezoelectric material on the lower electrode and by patterning based on a shape of the lower electrode, and forming an upper electrode by depositing metal film on the piezoelectric layer and by patterning based on a shape of the piezoelectric layer, wherein at least one of a deposition pressure and a deposition power is controlled to generate upward stress when depositing the metal film for the lower electrode.

1. Field of the Invention
Apparatuses and methods consistent with the present invention relate to a method of manufacturing an acoustic resonator and the resonator manufactured thereby, and in particular, to a method of manufacturing a film bulk acoustic resonator (FBAR) using internal stress of a metallic film and the resonator manufactured thereby.
2. Description of the Related Art
Mobile communication technologies have dramatically developed recently. Mobile communication technologies require various parts of the radio frequency (RF) spectrum that can effectively relay information within a limited frequency band. In particular, a filter among RF parts is one of the core parts used in mobile communication technologies for selecting signals from numerous public waves or filtering the signals to be transmitted as desired by a user, thereby realizing a communication of high quality.
The most commonly used RF filters for mobile communication are a dielectric filter and a surface acoustic wave (SAW) filter. The dielectric filter has advantages of high dielectric constant, low insertion loss, stability at high temperatures and high resistance to vibration and impact. However, the dielectric filter has limitations in minimizing its size and realizing monolithic microwave ICs (MMIC) that are recent trends in technical development.
Meanwhile, the SAW filter has advantages of being smaller than the dielectric filter and realizing easy signal processing as well as being simple in its circuit. The SAW filter can also be manufactured on a large-scale basis. Further, the SAW filter has higher side rejection within the passband than the dielectric filter, thereby realizing an exchange of information of high quality. However, the SAW filtering process includes an exposing process using an ultraviolet layer. Thus, the SAW filter has a limitation to 0.51 μm in its inter-digital transducer (IDT) line width. Accordingly, it is impossible to cover the high radio frequency (higher than 5 GHz) band by using the SAW filter. Moreover, it is fundamentally impossible to construct the SAW filter with an MMIC structure, which is adopted for a semiconductor substrate, and with a single chip.
Suggested to overcome the above limitations and problems was an FBAR filter, which can completely realize the frequency control circuits as an MMIC by being integrated with other active elements on a conventional semiconductor (Si, GaAs) substrate.
The FBAR is a thin film element incurring low manufacturing cost and has a small size with a high quality coefficient. Therefore, the FBAR can be used for mobile communication apparatuses in a broad frequency band (900 MHz˜10 GHz) and military radar, etc. The FBAR can also be miniaturized to one several hundredth of the size of the dielectric filter or an LC filter while having a considerably smaller amount of insertion loss than the SAW filter. Thus, the FBAR is highly stable and applicable to MMICs requiring a high quality coefficient.
The FBAR filter is produced by directly depositing ZnO or AIN, which is a piezodielectric material, using radio frequency (RF) sputtering on Si or GaAs, which is a semiconductor substrate so as to induce resonance due to the piezoelectric characteristic. Such FBAR induces bulk acoustic waves by depositing piezoelectric film between two electrodes so as to generate resonance.
FIGS. 1 to 3 show structures of the conventional FBARs.
FIG. 1 shows a structure of an FBAR of the conventional bulk micro machining type. In the FBAR of the bulk micro machining type, a membrane layer is formed through a cavity 16, which is formed by depositing SiO2 12 on a semiconductor substrate 11 and isotropically etching an opposite surface of the semiconductor substrate 11. A lower part electrode layer 13 is formed on an upper part of the SiO2 12. A piezoelectric layer 14 is formed by depositing a piezoelectric material on the lower electrode layer 13 by means of RF magnetron sputtering. An upper part electrode layer 15 is formed on the piezoelectric layer 14. The drawing reference numeral 17 represents a resonance structure.
Such FBAR of the bulk micro machining type has advantages of reducing loss of dielectric properties from the semiconductor substrate 11 as well as of electric power because of the cavity 16. However, the FBAR of the bulk micro machining type also has drawbacks in that an element occupies a large area due to the orientation of the semiconductor substrate and a yield rate is deteriorated due to breaking caused by low structural stability in the post packaging process. Recently introduced to overcome such problems of the FBAR of the bulk micro machining type and to simplify the process of manufacturing an element are FBARs of an air gap type and of a Bragg reflector type.
FIG. 2 shows a structure of the FBAR of a Bragg reflector type. The Bragg reflector type FBAR is manufactured by laminating an acoustic reflector 28, which comprises predetermined members 22, 23, 24, on a semiconductor substrate, and laminating a resonance structure 29 on the acoustic reflector 28. In the Bragg reflector type FBAR, a material having a great difference in acoustic impedance is deposited on the semiconductor substrate 21 in separation layers so as to induce Bragg reflection and resonance of acoustic energy between the upper and lower electrode layers 25, 27. The drawing reference numeral 26 represents a piezoelectric layer.
Thus, the advantages of the Bragg reflector type FBAR are that it has a firm structure, incurs less manufacturing time and is highly resistant to external impact. However, it also poses problems in that it is difficult to control the thickness between the layers to realize total reflection and manufacturing cost increases to form a reflection layer for the acoustic reflection 28.
FIG. 3 shows a structure of the FBAR of a surface micro machining type. In the surface micro machining type FBAR, a membrane layer 32 is formed with an air gap 36, which is generated in a sacrificial layer on the semiconductor substrate 31 by using micromachining technology. The drawing reference numerals 32, 33, 34, 35 and 36 respectively represent oxidized silicon film, a lower electrode layer, a piezoelectric layer, an upper electrode layer, and a resonance structure.
The surface micro machining type FBAR serves to reduce a long processing time consumed when etching an opposite surface of the substrate to form the membrane layer as shown in FIG. 1 as well as the danger that might be caused by harmful gas. The surface micro machining type FBAR also has merits of losing less dielectric properties of the semiconductor substrate and being small in its area. However, it has drawbacks of a deteriorating low yield rate and easy breakability in the post process because of long exposure of the structure when etching the sacrificial layer as well as being a complicated manufacturing process.

Method of manufacturing film bulk acoustic resonator using internal stress of metallic film and resonator manufactured thereby


Provided herein are methods for preparing alkylfurans, such as 2,5-dialkylfurans and 2-alkylfurans. Furfural or 5-alkylfurfural can be reacted with aniline or diaminobenzene, or derivatives thereof, to form the corresponding imine, which can be reduced to form alkylfurans and to regenerate the aniline or diaminobenzene, or derivatives thereof. The alkylfuran may be, for example, 2,5-dimethylfuran or 2-methylfuran.

Alkylfurans can be used for commercial production of fuels and other products. For example, 2,5-dimethylfuran can be used as a starting material to produce para-xylene and terephthalic acid, which may be used in the production of polyester. See e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 8,314,267.
Several methods are currently known in the art to produce alkylfurans. For example, 2,5-dimethylfuran can be synthesized by pyrolyzing acetone at a temperature above 700° C. for less than a second, and then cooling the reaction gases in a liquid medium. See U.S. Pat. No. 2,098,592. 2,5-Dimethylfuran can also be synthesized by heating hex-3-en-5-yn-2-ol to 100° C. in the presence of a mercuric catalyst. See U.S. Pat. No. 2,470,070. Additionally, 2,5-dimethylfuran can be synthesized by dehydrating fructose to 5-(hydroxymethyl)furfural, and then converting the 5-(hydroxymethyl)furfural to 2,5-dimethylfuran using a CuRu/C catalyst and hydrogen. See Y. Román-Leshkov, et al., Nature 2007, 447, 982-985.
There remains, however, a need for new methods to produce alkylfurans, such as 2,5-dimethylfuran.

The Regents Of The University of California


An attribute bounded network of computers is created. Computers in the distributed computer network are identified by specific attributes (e.g., a geographically bounded region) and a server is used to distribute processing assignments (e.g., addresses of electronic documents to be indexed) based upon the identified attributes. A peer-to-peer computer network is also provided based upon geographically bounded regions, the peer-to-peer computer network can be used to share electronic documents. A virtual community can be created within a peer-to-peer computer network by identifying peer computer connections based upon associated attributes (e.g., a geographically bounded region). The attribute bounded network of computers provides indexes having fresher data by allowing spidering of electronic documents more often than can be done by a central server indexing site.

This invention relates generally to computer networks, and more specifically to providing an attribute bounded network of computers.
Two of the major challenges facing the World Wide Web ("Web") are the freshness of data (frequency of update) and depth (quality of coverage) of indexes on data. When a search engine spiders a Web site to update an index, the index is fresh at that time. However, the search engine may not visit that Web site again for several weeks or months, so if the site contains time-sensitive content, such as weekly specials at a grocery store, or events happening around town this weekend, the data may not be indexed until after the data is no longer relevant. Also, search engines' indexing capabilities only manage to reach a percentage of the data on the Web. At best, the majority of Web content is not being indexed.
General purpose search engines present several problems when attempting to relate their indexing activity to any one person's needs. Firstly, the search engines lack depth, as they do not index all the sites that any one user is interested in, but rather follows a structured methodology to choose which pages are indexed. The indexing technique often used is "spidering", whereby a software process follows ("crawls") links in Web pages and indexes the linked Web pages. Google™, a popular search engine, advertises over one billion Web pages indexed, but most of these indexed Web pages are not relevant to any one person. Google™ attempts to provide indexing for Web pages that would interest the Web page viewers as a whole, looking at all the viewers as belonging to a single common set. This can benefit viewers who have very common interests that match closely the needs of the single, global set of index entries, because popular Web sites will get indexed more often, thus providing fresher data. But, viewers have no control of what Google™, or any other search engine, spiders and indexes, therefore most of the index data is not relevant to any one viewer.
Additionally, general purpose search engines offer viewers no control over how often a Web site will be indexed, thus effecting the freshness of the index data. When a viewer finds a particular Web site of interest, they cannot influence the spidering schedule of Google™ to keep the Web page index data fresh. It is up to the viewer to visit the Web page each day in order to insure they are aware of updates. Microsoft has offered support for a limited feature inside of Internet Explorer that allows a viewer to have certain "bookmarks" of Web sites automatically reloaded periodically, or on demand, and report any content changes. This technique only works on Web pages that viewers specifically bookmark and does not address relevant content on Web pages the viewer does not know exist. Any search engine can only spider a limited number of pages every day, and the search engine has no idea which Web pages have changed since the last update, so it must spider all the Web pages to detect new data. This results in some Web (popular) pages being spidered daily, and some (less popular, but very relevant to a particular user) spidered weekly, monthly, or not at all.
The second challenge presented to search engines is that much of the content that is available on the Web is stored in databases and not static pages, so that when the search engines spiders the page, they only collect the static page, and not the much larger set of data stored in the database which can be accessed by the static page. Some people have estimated that the information available in databases and custom served pages, is five hundred times larger than the static size of the Internet (see www.brightplanet.com). Therefore search engines only scratch the surface of the potential content available to the user, and thus depending on the search, may be missing the majority of data available.
In order to solve the problems of freshness of data, and depth of data, inherent in general purpose search engines, companies have attempted to use peer-to-peer ("P2P") and distributed computing technologies. Although these technologies have been successful in other areas, major Web page index companies are not fully utilizing these technologies for indexing and searching the Web. Some companies (e.g., ThinkStream and GoneSilent) have suggested that they will be releasing products using peer-to-peer and distributed computing technologies to perform Web site indexing.
One example technology employs a pre-distributed computing model, in which a central server computer collects a list of all electronic document addresses (URLs) on the Web, and assigns the spidering and indexing of those pages to thousands of client computers connected to the network. With a large enough network of client computers, the entire Web can be effectively spidered daily, or even more frequently. The client computers are each given one or more URLs to spider. As index data is generated, it can then be sent to the central server.
Web page indexing is just one of the areas that suffer from a lack of effective and efficient distributed processing systems. Other systems can benefit from an attribute bounded approach to distributed computing. For example, the Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence ("SETI") project uses spare CPU cycles belonging to Internet volunteers to analyze a block of recorded radio signals for variations that may indicate another source of intelligence within the universe. This is known as the SETI@home project. Once a block of recorded radio signals is processed by a member of the SETI@home network it can be returned to the centralized SETI server. This process, when replicated tens or hundreds of thousands of times, has the capacity to analyze data more closely than is currently possible with existing SETI computers.
Napster is an online file sharing coordination system that allows client computers to search for and transfer files using a peer-to-peer network mechanism over the Internet. Clients of Napster connect to the Napster central server and upload information about files (typically .MP3 music files) located on the client's computer. This information can include the file's name, a description of the file, a location of the file and some information about the transmission speed of the client computer's connection to the network. The uploaded information is indexed in a searchable database on Napster's central server. A client can then access the index and search for a particular file (e.g., song). If a match is found, information on the location of the file and transmission speed of the connection is made available to the client. The client then uses software to initiate a direct transaction with the computer having the file in order to download the file to the requesting computer. This peer-to-peer file transfer with central server coordination does not allow attribute bounded regions as part of the process.
Another peer-to-peer system, Gnutella, provides fully distributed information sharing without the use of a central server. Gnutella client software creates a mini search engine and file sharing system between computers connected on a network. Computers in a Gnutella network are identified by an IP address, each computer has a list of "first degree" IP addresses, these are the computers that the software will contact in order to execute a search. Each of these first degree computers also have a list of IP address that they can contact ("second degree") IP addresses. This process can repeat until all the contacted computers have exhausted their lists, but the system allows a "time to live" setting to limit the degree of contact (e.g., 5 levels). Connecting to subsequent computers in a Gnutella network is based upon accessing computers that others have already accessed. Any search is influenced by the previous activity of computer contacted during the search.

Method for providing an attribute bounded network of computers


A non-electromagnetic interference generating cooling fan includes a case, an impeller pivotally fitted within the case and formed with a cylindrical recess, a magnetic conductive sleeve fixedly arranged within the cylindrical recess thereby enclosing a bottom and vertical surface of the cylindrical recess, an annular ring-like rotor made of permanent magnet fixedly fitted within the sleeve, a stator fitted within the rotor, and a multi-layer printed circuit board fixedly mounted on a top of the stator and within the case, whereby the rotor and stator are enclosed within a magnetic conductive device so as to prevent the magnetic lines of force from getting out of the fan thereby keeping a computer from electromagnetic interference.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention is related to a cooling fan and in particular to one which will not generate electromagnetic interference.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It has been found that the conventional cooling fan for computers is simply a small D.C. brushless motor provided with blades for making a current of air. Basically, such a D.C. brushless motor can achieve the purpose of cooling the components inside a computer, but as the motor includes a rotor made of permanent magnet and a stator made of a ferrite core with copper wire windings, the motor will generate electromagnetic interference thereby influencing the normal operation of the microprocessor and causing read/write errors of hard and floppy disk drives, CD rom, or the like.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a non-electromagnetic interference generating cooling fan which can obviate and mitigate the above-mentioned drawbacks.

Non-electromagnetic interference generating cooling fan

7F., No. 152-1, Sec. 7, Chung-Shan N. Road


A center console includes a storage bin and a pair of hook members coupled to respective opposing walls of the bin for supporting hanging files in a substantially upright manner within the bin.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to center consoles for automotive vehicles. More particularly, the invention relates to a center console having a bin adapted for storing hanging files.
2. Description of the Related Art
Automotive vehicles include center consoles disposed between the front driver and passenger seats. Center consoles typically include pockets, holders and slots for storing various items, such as cups, pens, coins, etc. Center consoles also include bins for storing larger items, such as compact disc jewel boxes, road maps, and sunglasses. The bins are covered by hinged lids that serve as armrests for the front occupants. Conventional bin designs are, however, usually box-shaped and lack dividers or other similar features for organizing the bin's contents. Therefore, it remains desirable to provide an improved center console design with a bin adapted for organizing the items contained therein.

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.


A mechanism for preventing tipping of a lifting device having a main frame supported by a plurality of ground engaging support elements and a lifting element raisable and lowerable with respect to the main frame, the mechanism comprising a subframe mounted on the main frame and extending thereunder and intermediately disposed between all of the support members, and a parallel linkage mechanism for raising and lowering the subframe with respect to the ground in response to the lowering and raising of the lifting element respectively.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of lifting devices. More particularly, this invention relates to a mechanism for preventing a lifting device from tipping over when a pothole, bump, curb or other support threatening and tip generating hazard is encountered. This invention is extremely useful on a mobile scissor lift which tends to develop an increased potential tipping moment as the lift is raised.
2. Problems in the Art
Various lifting devices have been developed to raise material and/or workers to elevated locations. However, many of these devices are subject to a potential problem which is as old as the ladder itself--they can tip over under certain conditions. Generally, the higher the lifting device reaches, the greater the moment arm and therefore the greater the chances of the machine overturning.
Many modern lifting devices are mobile and some are even self-propelled. While these features enhance the flexibility and usefulness of the lifting devices, the resulting acceleration and deceleration add to the tipping problem. Furthermore, environmental factors including wind and road conditions often contribute to the possibility of tipping. One or more wheels of a mobile lifting device may hit a pothole or run into (or fall off of) a curb, leading to an increased tipping moment. In devices like scissor-style personnel lifts (some of which are also known as MEWP's, mobile elevating work platforms) where the operator is suspended high in the air, tipping can be a serious concern.
Some conventional lifting devices have additional supports, braces, or stabilizing legs which extend diagonally outward from the main frame to contact the ground. However, such braces increase the area consumed by the machine during its operation and decrease machine mobility because the braces generally must be retracted before moving the machine. Furthermore, the feet on the stabilizing legs present a relatively small surface area to the ground for stabilization.

Pothole protection mechanism for a lifting device


A target device stores secure information and one or more security tools configured to protect against unauthorized access of the secure information. A first database stores profiles for each of a set of predefined attack groups. Each profile includes a set of attack techniques used by the corresponding attack group and, for each attack technique, a corresponding set of mitigations. A second database stores control policies. Each control policy is associated with a set of security tools that protect against unauthorized access of the secure information stored by the target device. A controls monitor determines an attack controls superset based on the profiles and control policies. A controls health dashboard receives a user query and provides a representation of a portion of the attack controls superset that is associated with the received query.

Information intended to be kept secure may be stored electronically. However, computer systems and associated electronically stored information may be susceptible to a range of attacks intended to compromise the secure information. For example, a database of secure information may be susceptible to an attack aiming to access and store a copy of the secure information.

Reliability of information security controls for attack readiness


A network device receives probe packets communicated by a user equipment device. The network device communicates response packets back to the user equipment device, including timestamps, and/or other information. The user equipment device may be configured to test the performance of different portions of a wireless network (i.e., determine an available bandwidth measurement throughput (ABMT) of the wireless network) by accessing different network devices (or information associated with different network devices).

The latest generations of mobile telecommunications systems, such as, but not limited to LTE, HSPA, and other mobile telecommunication systems, require new ways of testing and measuring the available bandwidth of such systems. Traditional methods of testing such systems utilized FTP file transfer protocols to download and upload files. However, in LTE and HSPA, the radio interface is a shared resource between all users in a cell. An FTP file transfer to one user in the cell (e.g., the testing equipment) significantly affects other users in the cell. Another challenge occurs when benchmarking different operators (i.e., carriers) that share the same radio access network.
Also, in LTE, with a category 3 user equipment or "UE" and a 20 MHz system bandwidth, transfer rates of 100 Mbit/sec can be reached. Even filling such bandwidth with data can be a challenge. Every part of the system from the server to the FTP client must be tuned to manage such transfer rates. Especially, a UE based application used for testing the performance can be expected to have problems generating all the data needed to fill the bit-pipe.
All in all, this sets the requirement on a new method for testing the available bandwidth. Algorithms exist for testing IP backbone networks such as pathChip, TOPP, SLoPS, etc., but these algorithms are designed for routers and bit-pipes that have a rather constant performance over time.
However, these algorithms do not accommodate a radio link with Rayleigh fading conditions varying, for example, on a millisecond basis, in combination with different MIMO configurations and a scheduler with very flexible and powerful mechanisms for maximum utilization of the radio path (both uplink and downlink).
Some conventional techniques employ "packet trains" to significantly lower an overall load of the bit-pipe, while still being capable of measuring the available bandwidth. According to these techniques, data packages are sent so that the bottleneck (i.e., maximum bandwidth or data transfer rate) of the bit-pipe between the server and the client is reached, keeping that load for a short time, neither overloading nor under-loading it, sampling the available bandwidth and then releasing the load until the next measurement is made (for example, one per second or other measurement rate), ultimately resulting in a reliable measurement of the available bandwidth.
However, these conventional systems still fail to accurately test and/or measure network performance in all environments and/or conditions.

Systems and methods for measuring available bandwidth in mobile telecommunications networks


An apparatus and a method for providing a conference call service in a portable terminal are provided. The apparatus includes a communication unit for sending and receiving an IDentifier (ID) of a participant to take part in a conference call, schedule information of the participant, and conference call reservation information by communicating with a conference server, a display unit for outputting the ID, the schedule information, and the conference call reservation information, an input unit for generating input data for selecting the ID, and response data of a conference call connection request, a reservation information generator for identifying a participant to take part in the conference call by detecting the input data for the ID, sending participant information to the conference server, and generating the conference call reservation information including an available conference call schedule by receiving the participant schedule information from the conference server.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mobile communication system for providing a conference call service. More particularly, the present invention relates to managing conference calls in mobile devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, portable terminals are being used by people of all ages as an effective necessity in modern life, and service providers and device manufacturers are competitively developing products (or services) to distinguish themselves from others.
For example, portable terminals are now provided as multimedia devices and thus provide diverse services such as a phonebook, games, a short message, Electronic (E)-mail, morning calls, a Motion Picture Expert Group (MPEG) Audio Layer-3 (MP3) player, a schedule management function, a digital camera, a multimedia message, and a wireless Internet service.
Similarly, a conference call service is available to allow members of a company or general citizens to exchange or discuss their opinion using the portable terminals. Such a service enables attendees (participants) of the conference to have a meeting using telephony or video, without having to meet in person.
To lead the conference call, a user of the portable terminal schedules the conference call by directly contacting the participants and registers the conference call schedule to a conference server. Accordingly, the conference server sends a service path and code to the corresponding participants using e-mail addresses of the participants. The participants of the conference call need to try to connect the conference call on the corresponding date in person.
Such a method directly checks the schedule by contacting the participants and then reserves the conference call schedule. Accordingly, the user who prepares the conference call needs to invest a great deal of time and effort, which negatively impacts the usefulness of the conference call.
To address these issues, an apparatus and a method for simplifying the conference call process in the portable terminal is needed.
The above information is presented as background information only to assist with an understanding of the present disclosure. No determination has been made, and no assertion is made, as to whether any of the above might be applicable as prior art with regard to the present invention.

Apparatus and method for providing conference call in mobile communication


An apparatus main body having wheels and configured to run on a floor includes an electrolysis device, which electrolyzes a cleaning water to alkaline water and acid water. A pressurizing pump selectively sucks and pressurizes the alkaline water or acid water obtained by electrolysis by the electrolysis device. A spray nozzle mechanism sprays the cleaning water comprising the alkaline water or acid water pressurized by the pressurizing pump on the floor. A suction nozzle is mounted behind the spray nozzle mechanism in the apparatus main body and is opened to the floor. A suction mechanism sucks the cleaning water sprayed on the floor together with a contaminant. A reservoir tank, which is mounted in the apparatus main body, stores the sucked cleaning water together with the contaminant.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a floor cleaning apparatus to clean a floor of a large area, for example, a lobby or passageway of a building or apartment house, or underground passageway.
2. Description of the Related Art
A floor of a large area, for example, a lobby or passageway of a building or apartment house or underground passageway, is generally cleaned by a cleaning service staff in the following procedures. First, a weakly acid, neutral or alkaline cleaner is applied by a mop to the floor to be cleaned. Then, the floor, to which the cleaner has been applied, is cleaned by a rotary polisher. After the cleaning by the polisher, tap water is sprayed on the floor through a hose connected to a tap, thereby washing the dirty water and the cleaner after the cleaning. Then, the water on the floor is vacuumed by a wet vacuum (vacuum suction machine), and thereafter the water remaining on the floor is wiped by a mop. Thus, the cleaning of the floor is completed.
However, in the case where the floor is cleaned by a rotary polisher, the polisher brush and the floor material are inevitably worn. Since the polisher brush is made of synthetic resin fiber, industrial waste, such as fiber cuttings generated by the wear of the fiber, is discharged to sewerage together with the dirty water and the cleaner. In addition, since the flooring is made of vinyl-based material, wear of the flooring generates material cuttings. Thus, each time the floor is cleaned, a great amount of industrial waste is discharged to sewerage together with the dirty water and the cleaner, resulting in environmental pollution.
Under those circumstances, the applicant filed an application for patent of a floor cleaning machine as disclosed in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2004-357793. The floor cleaning machine comprises a cart-type cleaner main body, which can move on the floor, and the main body has a high-pressure steam spray, which sprays high-pressure steam on the floor directly to clean the floor. The water on the floor sprayed from the high-pressure steam spray is collected together with a contaminant. Further, the water and the contaminant are sucked by a suction pump mounted on the floor cleaning machine, and the sucked water is stored in a water reservoir tank mounted on the floor cleaning machine.
In the floor cleaning machine described above, the high-pressure steam (50° C.-80° C.) is introduced in a nozzle box, and directly sprayed on the floor through a number of steam spray nozzles. When the high-pressure steam is directly sprayed on the floor, the contaminant adhering to the floor is removed from the floor and caused to float. In this state, the user moves the floor cleaning machine forward while pushing a handle, so that the contaminant is collected by a water suction device together with the water on the floor, sucked and collected in the water reservoir tank.


There is provided a complex type sigma-delta analog to digital conversion unit that includes: a first subtractor; a first filter; a first analog to digital converter; a first digital to analog converter; a first sign controller; a second subtractor; a second filter; a second analog to digital converter; a second digital to analog converter; and a second sign controller, wherein the first sign controller inverts a positive/negative sign of an output signal of the first filter in response to a control signal and outputs it to the second filter, and the second sign controller inverts a positive/negative sign of an output signal of the second filter in response to the control signal and outputs it to the first filter.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a complex type sigma-delta analog to digital conversion unit and a receiver having the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 7 is a view showing the configuration of a radio receiver having a real type sigma-delta analog to digital conversion unit described in the following Patent Document 1. A mixer 701a mixes an input signal with a 0° phase shift signal to generate an I signal. A mixer 701b mixes an input signal with a 90° phase shift signal to generate a Q signal. The I signal and Q signal are signals that are orthogonal to each other. A real type sigma-delta analog to digital conversion unit 700a, which includes a subtractor 711, a loop filter 712, an analog to digital (A/D) converter 713, and a digital to analog (D/A) converter 714, converts the I signal into a digital format from an analog format. A real type sigma-delta analog to digital conversion unit 700b, which includes a subtractor 711, a loop filter 712, an analog to digital (A/D) converter 713, and a digital to analog (D/A) converter 714 like the analog to digital conversion device 700a, converts the Q signal into a digital format from an analog format.
FIG. 8 is a view showing the configuration of a radio receiver having a complex type sigma-delta analog to digital conversion unit described in the following Patent Document 2. A mixer 801a mixes an input signal with a 0° phase shift signal to generate an I signal. A mixer 801b mixes an input signal with a 90° phase shift signal to generate a Q signal. The I signal and Q signal are signals that are orthogonal to each other. A complex type sigma-delta analog to digital conversion unit 800 includes subtractors 811a and 811b, loop filters 812a and 812b, analog to digital (A/D) converters 813a and 813b, and digital to analog (D/A) converters 814a and 814b. The output signal of the loop filter 812a is outputted to the loop filter 812b with its positive-negative sign maintained and, and the output signal of the loop filter 812b is outputted to the loop filter 812a with its positive-negative sign inverted.
[Patent Document 1] Translated National Publication of Patent Application No. 2003-527795
[Patent Document 2] U.S. Pat. No. 5,764,171
FIG. 9 is a view showing a quantization noise spectrum of the real type sigma-delta analog to digital conversion unit of FIG. 7. When an input signal is converted into a digital format from an analog format, a quantization noise due to the quantization will be generated. The quantization noise spectrum is symmetrical with respect to the axis of which the frequency is 0 Hz. The frequency range RN of the input signal includes positive and negative low-frequency ranges having a predetermined quantization noise or less. The positive frequency range of the input frequency range RN is a positive signal bandwidth CW.
FIG. 10 is a view showing a quantization noise spectrum of the complex type sigma-delta analog to digital conversion unit of FIG. 8. The difference between the real type and complex type sigma-delta analog to digital conversion units is whether the loop filter has a complex pole or not. In the real type of FIG. 9 the quantization noise spectrum becomes symmetrical with respect to the axis of the frequency is 0 Hz, while in the complex type of FIG. 10 the quantization noise spectrum shifted in the positive direction of the frequency axis can be obtained. In realizing a reduction in the quantization noise in the signal bandwidth CW with the same filter order, the same filter cut-off frequency, the same sampling frequency, and the nearly same power consumption, the complex type of FIG. 10 can reduce it much more as compared with the real type of FIG. 9.
However, in the real type of FIG. 9 the quantization noise level in the negative input frequency range is nearly equal as compared with the one in the positive input frequency range, while in the complex type of FIG. 10 the quantization noise level in the negative input frequency range becomes extremely large as compared with the one in the positive input frequency range and thus the input frequency range RN is restricted to a positive range.

Complex type sigma-delta analog to digital conversion unit and receiver


In a method for the transmission of a plurality of data packets from a sender (1) to a receiver (2), the data transmission is performed over a link (5) with a transmission capacity having a limit. A presentation time is defined for a first data packet of said plurality, and the receiver (2) performs a first check whether data packets are correctly received. At least one data packet is selected for retransmission according to the result of the first check. In the method, a delay budget (DB) is determined from the presentation time of the first data packet. Furthermore, a delay requirement is determined for the retransmission of the selected data packet from the limit of the transmission capacity and from the transmission capacity required for the selected data packet. A comparison (30) of the delay requirement and the delay budget (DB) is performed, and the retransmission is executed for the selected data packet according to the result of the comparison (30). Devices and software programs for executing the method are also described.

Streaming applications are getting increasingly important, both in fixed networks like the Internet and in the context of 3rd Generation mobile networks like UMTS (Universal Mobile Telephone System). Streaming technology allows a nearly instantaneous access for the users to pre-stored content without the necessity to transfer a complete file before presentation. Streaming applications are widely used for video and audio media.
In a streaming application, a stream of data packets is transmitted from a server being the original sender to a client as final receiver of the data packets. Packets may be lost during the transmission, e.g. due to transmission errors or due to dropping by congestion avoidance methods. Packets may also be delayed, for example due to link characteristics, link congestion and retransmissions of lost packets. Different individual delays for the packets result in a delay jitter within the packet stream. The data rate of a stream can also have variations due to the encoding of the media. For example, one option to transmit a video sequence is the transmission of differences between consecutive images. This leads to a high data rate in case of many differences while the data rate is low if several consecutive images are identical.
Each packet has a presentation time at which it must be available at the client for processing and presentation, e.g. for display in a video or audio sequence. Packets, which are lost or arrive too late, cannot be played out. As a consequence, streaming applications are sensitive both against packet loss and delays. Therefore, streaming clients generally have a buffer, which allows to compensate transmission delay jitter and the delay introduced by the retransmission of lost or erroneous data packets. Both the client memory required for buffering and the link bandwidth are however limited and expensive resources, especially in mobile applications. Therefore, they are often selected close to the minimum requirements for a desired quality of service.
The RTP (Real-Time Transport Protocol) protocol allows an efficient delivery of data packets for real-time media like audio or video files. RTP is transported on UDP (User Datagram Protocol), which does not include a retransmission mechanism for the recovery of lost or corrupted packets. Therefore, a retransmission mechanism on top of RTP is required to compensate packet losses. The RTCP (RTP control protocol) specifies a data packet format that can be used to implement such a retransmission mechanism. The retransmission control method is not specified in RTCP to allow adaptations to individual applications. Different retransmission control methods for the RTP protocol are therefore possible based on the RTCP data packet format.
One example of a retransmission method is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,275,471 When a receiver receives a stream from a sender after an according request, the receiver checks whether there are any lost data packets. If this is the case, the receiver determines a remaining transmission period for the lost data packet, i.e. the latest time at which the packet needs to be available at the receiver for presentation. The remaining transmission period is sent with the negative acknowledgement for the lost data packet to the sender. The sender compares the remaining transmission period with an estimated round-trip time to check whether the requested packet can arrive at the receiver before the required presentation time. If this is the case, the retransmission is performed. Else, the packet is not retransmitted and the receiver constructs the output of the application without the lost packet, e.g. by using error concealment techniques.
Between the server and the client, the data packets are transported by one or several transport networks, typically over a plurality of links with different characteristics. Often, one of said links is a bottleneck for the transmission as it has the lowest data rate and/or a high round trip time, the latter influencing especially the delay of retransmissions. In wireless communication systems, the bottleneck is generally the wireless link to a mobile user equipment, e.g. a mobile phone. European application EP 1 130 839 describes an option to calculate the transmission delay of data packets.
On a link with limited bandwidth, self-congestion may occur. If data packets are retransmitted, the server has to ensure that the total traffic comprising both original packets and retransmitted data packets does not exceed an allowed or guaranteed bitrate. Due to the limitation, original data packets are often delayed when a retransmission is performed, especially if the data rate of the original data packets is close to the link capacity. This delay can disturb the presentation behavior of the data stream by the streaming application, which may be interrupted or may need to apply error correction or concealment.
The data rate may vary considerably for some types of links, e.g. according to the behavior of other users sharing the same resources, while other links provide a constant or nearly constant bandwidth for transmission. For example, UMTS streaming bearers transporting the data packets to mobile clients can be negotiated for specific combinations of guaranteed bitrate, packet loss, and delay for the data packets. Many streaming applications allow an adaptation of the stream to guaranteed parameters, e.g. by selecting the rate of original data below the guaranteed bitrate, allowing a rate of retransmissions according to the difference of selected and guaranteed bitrate. A gateway, e.g. a 3G-GGSN (Gateway GPRS Support Node) in the example of a UMTS system, controls the traffic from the server to the client using a traffic policing function. If the traffic exceeds the guaranteed parameters, packets can be dropped. This can lead to a severe disturbance of the stream presentation, especially if retransmissions increase the bitrate of the stream beyond a guaranteed bitrate.

Method and devices for controlling retransmissions in data streaming


According to the type of each of a plurality of external input interfaces, it is decided whether digital watermark information is to be detected from data entered via the external input interface. Digital watermark information is not detected from data entered via the external input interface and from which it has been decided not to detect any digital watermark information, but the data is recorded. Thus, there can be provided a data recording apparatus which is not applied with a any heavy load owing to the omission of any unnecessary detection of digital watermark information.

Digital data such as audio data recorded in a rapidly accessible storage medium such as a CD (compact disc) can be copied rapidly and easily, and such copied data is almost equivalent in quality to the original data. Thus, it has been strongly demanded to take effective measures against illegal copying in order to protect the copyright of digital data, and various techniques against illegal copying have ever been proposed.
To protect the copyrights of audio content and video content, there have been proposed digital watermarking techniques by which copyright management information used for copying control, playing control, tracing history of copying or the like is embedded into main data such as audio data or video data in a form which will not influence the main data.
As a typical example of such digital watermarking techniques, SDMI (Secure Digital Music Initiative) is well known. For example, in case digital watermark information is embedded in audio data by the SDMI technique and the audio data is reproduced by a player supporting the SDMI technique, the player has to detect the digital watermark information for selection of an audio content (including also recording control and playing control).
For example, a data recording apparatus having an interface complying with the 1394 serial bus standard of the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc.) (will be referred to as "IEEE 1394 interface" hereunder) is constructed as shown in FIG. 1. It should be noted that in this case, the digital watermark information is embedded in audio PCM data.
As shown in FIG. 1, the data recording apparatus is supplied at an input terminal 1 thereof with compressed audio data from a data playing apparatus having the IEEE 1394 interface. In the data playing apparatus, the compressed audio data is subjected to output-limiting as shown in FIG. 2 before outputting to the data recording apparatus. That is, the compressed audio data is outputted from the data playing apparatus via the IEEE 1394 interface to the data recording apparatus. For outputting the compressed audio data, for example SCMS (serial copy management system) information is used to limit the outputting via the IEEE 1394 interface, which will be described in detail below with reference to FIG. 2.
First in step S1, a system controller 10 included in the data recording apparatus communicates with an output destination via an IEEE 1394 interface 2 also included in the data recording apparatus and judges whether the output destination supports the IEEE 1394 interface 2 (will be referred to as "compliant device" hereunder). When the result of judgment is that the output destination is not any compliant device, the system controller 10 goes to step S5 where the compressed audio data will be encrypted for outputting with an encrypt key for decryption of the encrypted data not sent to the output destination. Thus, the noncompliant device is inhibited from decrypting the encrypted data. It should be noted that in step S5, neither the encrypted data nor the encrypt key is passed to the output destination which is not any compliant device, as another way of disabling the device from decrypting the encrypted data.
When it is judged in step S1 that the output destination is a compliant device, the system controller 10 goes to step S2 where it will judge whether the output destination as a compliant device is a recorder or not. When the output destination is no any recorder, the system controller 10 jumps to step S4 where the compressed audio data will be encrypted for outputting and the encrypt key for decryption of the encrypted audio data will also be sent to the output destination.
When it is judged in step S2 that the output destination is a compliant device, the system controller 10 goes to step S3 where it will interpret the SCMS information to judge whether the information means "copy allowed for one generation". When the result of interpretation of the SCMS information is that the recording is inhibited, the system controller 10 goes to step S5 where the compressed audio data will be encrypted for outputting but the encrypt key for decryption of the encrypted data will not be sent to the output destination.
When the result of interpretation of the SCMS information in step S3 is that the recording is allowed, the system controller 10 goes to step S4 where the compressed audio data will be encrypted for outputting and the encrypt key for decryption of the encrypted data will also be sent to the output destination. That is, the compressed audio data will be transferred to the compliant recorder via the IEEE 1394 interface 2.
As above, since the outputting via the IEEE 1394 interface 2 is limited, the data recording apparatus being the data-transfer destination is enabled to decrypt and record the encrypted data only when the SCMS information means that copying is allowed, but the data recording apparatus cannot decrypt the compressed audio data and record the data normally when the SCMS information means that the recording is inhibited.
Data processed and sent as above is supplied to the data recording apparatus in FIG. 1 via the input terminal 1 and to a decryption circuit 3 via the IEEE 1394 interface 2. When the recording is allowed, the encrypt key is also sent along with the encrypted data. The data recording apparatus acquires the encrypt key via the IEEE 1394 interface 2 and causes the decryption circuit 3 to decrypt the encrypted data with the encrypt key.
The compressed audio data decrypted in the decryption circuit 3 is supplied to a decompression circuit 4 in order to detect digital watermark information (indicated with a reference "WM" in the illustration) embedded in audio PCM (pulse code modulated) data, and the compressed data is decompressed or expanded for decoding. The expansion-decoded audio data is supplied to a recording control circuit 5.
Audio PCM data from the decompression circuit 4 is also supplied to a digital watermark information detection circuit 6 which will extract copyright-protective additional data having been embedded in the audio PCM data by the digital watermarking. Similar to the SCMS information, the additional data indicates "one copy allowed", "copy inhibited", "copy-free" or the like, for example.
The system controller 10 includes a microcomputer for example, and interprets digital watermark information from the digital watermark information detection circuit 6. When the digital watermark information means that copy is inhibited, the system controller 10 controls the recording control circuit 5 to inhibit the recording. That is, the system controller 10 inhibits the audio PCM data from being supplied to the circuits downstream of the recording control circuit 5, for example.
When the digital watermark information is interpreted to is "one copy allowed" or "copy-free", the system controller 10 allows the recording by controlling the recording control circuit 5 to supply the audio PCM data to the downstream circuits. The audio data from the recording control circuit 5 is supplied to a digital watermark information rewrite circuit 7. Then, when the digital watermark information is interpreted to be "one copy allowed", the system controller 10 controls the digital watermark information rewrite circuit 7 to rewrite the digital watermark information from "one copy allowed" to "copy inhibited".
The audio PCM data from the digital watermark information rewrite circuit 7 is supplied to a compression circuit 8 where it will be compressed again and supplied to an encryption circuit 9 where it will be encrypted. Further, the encrypted data from the encryption circuit 9 is supplied to a recording modulation circuit 11 where it will be subject to predetermined modulation for modulation (will be referred to as "recording modulation" hereunder). Then, the output from the recording modulation circuit 11 is supplied to a write head 12 which will record the data to a recordable optical disc 13. The optical disc 13 is rotated by a spindle motor 14 driven at a predetermined velocity under the control of a servo circuit 15. It should be noted that the system controller 10 has connected thereto a key-control unit 16 having keys which are operated by the user for entry of a command and data, and an LCD (liquid crystal display) unit 17 as a display element to provide the user with necessary display information.
As above, in the data recording apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1, audio data can securely be transmitted via the IEEE 1394 interface 2 and the recording is controlled according to digital watermark information to positively protect the copyright of the audio data. It should be noted that it has recently been proposed to digital watermark information to limit the data reproduction in the data playing apparatus.
It should be reminded here that it has so far been proposed to embed digital watermark information in main data by spectrum spreading, embed digital watermark information around a high-energy portion of main data, or embed digital watermark information in main data under the effect of masking. In any of these techniques, however, the detection and rewrite of digital watermark information will cause the recorder and player to be heavily loaded, resulting in a degradation in performance of the apparatuses. In recording of a compressed content whose copyright is securely protected as having been described above with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, it is necessary to decrypt encrypted data and decompress or expand compressed data to restore PCM data for subjection to detection of digital watermark information. For recording the data, it is necessary to encrypt and compress the data again, which causes the performance of the apparatuses to be degraded. Also, such extra operations will disadvantageously add to the power consumption. Further, it takes more time in many cases to detect digital watermark information, and the time from a user's operation of a recording or playing start key until an actual start of recording or playing is longer, which will cause the user to feel something strange.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Apparatus for and method of recording/reproducing audio data embedded with additive information


The invention proposes a body showing an antibacterial effect for application as a medical or surgical aid, wherein the body is designed as a flexible synthetic-material hose (8) that is provided with an antibacterially-acting coating, and the hose (8) is provided with a slit (8a) over its entire length.

The invention concerns a body of synthetic material showing an antibacterial effect, for application as a medical or surgical aid.
It is known that antibiotics, in particular gentamicin, are released from synthetic materials based on polymethacrylates and/or polyacrylates in a protracted manner. In this, an initial steep concentration drop, indicating the release from the outermost layers of the synthetic material, is followed by an almost constant release that slowly diminishes over a long period of time. These antibiotic-containing synthetic materials have been employed, for example, as bone cement for the attachment of endoprostheses, for example total-hip endoprostheses, or in the replacement of infected endoprostheses. For the fighting or prevention of infection, here the antibiotics were added before the complete polymerisation of the synthetic material. From DE-PS 23 20 373 is known in addition an antibiotic-containing aid in the form of a sphere, which aid contains a synthetic material, the antibiotic being distributed uniformly in the synthetic material. The spheres have a diameter of 1 to 20 mm and are preferably connected to one another by means of threads or wires. This aid serves, for example, for the filling of osteomyelitic cavities for the creation of an aseptic transplant bed, and so on. Further, from EP 0 236 468 B1 is known a pin for insertion into a borehole located in a bone, which pin consists of a carrier of synthetic material based on polymethacrylate and/or polyacrylate or similar material, and shows the antibiotic, preferably gentamicin, in uniform distribution, wherein the carrier has a cylindrical form and its inner space serves for the taking up of a bone nail or a bone screw of an external fixing device.
In addition, from DE 36 27 487 A1 is known a vessel prosthesis in the form of a hose, wherein the hose consists essentially of synthetic material and its end region to be sewn up or clamped is formed as a storage space for an antibiotic for the lessening of the risk of infection. The hose is sewn up with the blood vessels to be joined in each case and is thereby effective, for example, as a bypass. A similar vessel prosthesis is known from U.S. Pat. No. 3,425,814. There the inner wall of the hose shows an antibiotic.
From EP 0 693 300 A2 is known a catheter with several longitudinal slits arranged next to one another and extending over a short length.
With a stopping up of the distal outlet end of the catheter by means of a stopper or the like, the infusion fluid exits through the longitudinal slits by means of the pressure deformation of the catheter in this region, and by means of the deformation of the distal end of the catheter the stopper is loosened, whereupon the longitudinal slits again close.
In all surgical situations in which the skin is pierced, cut into, or in some other way injured, the risk of microorganisms penetrating the body tissue and causing a local or systemic infection is greatly increased. The wound that exists over a longer period of time, for example in consequence of postoperative vacuum drainage, external fixing nails in orthopedics, and so on, represents a considerable infection risk for the patients.

Body showing antibacterial effect for application as a medical or surgical aid


Levosimendan, or (−)-[[4-(1,4,5,6-tetrahydro-4-methyl-6-oxo-3-pyridazinyl)phenyl]hydrazono]propanedinitrile, which has been previously suggested for the treatment of congestive heart failure, is useful in the treatment of erectile dysfunction.

Levosimendan, which is the (−)-enantiomer of [[4-(1,4,5,6-tetrahydro-4-methyl-6-oxo-3-pyridazinyl)phenyl]hydrazono]propanedinitrile, and the method for its preparation is described in EP 565546 B1. Levosimendan is potent in the treatment of heart failure and has significant calcium dependent binding to troponin. Levosimendan is represented by the formula:

The hemodynamic effects of levosimendan in man are described in Sundberg, S. et al., Am. J. Cardiol., 1995; 75: 1061–1066 and in Lilleberg, J. et al., J. Cardiovasc. Pharmacol., 26(Suppl.1), S63–S69, 1995. Pharmacokinetics of levosimendan in man after i.v. and oral dosing is described in Sandell, E.-P. et al., J. Cardiovasc. Pharmacol., 26(Suppl.1), S57–S62, 1995. The use of levosimendan in the treatment of myocardial ischemia is described in WO 93/21921. The use of levosimendan in the treatment of pulmonary hypertension is described in WO 99/66912. Transdermal delivery of levosimendan is described in WO 98/01111. Transmucosal delivery of levosimendan is described in WO 99/32081. Clinical studies have confirmed the beneficial effects of levosimendan in heart failure patients.
Erectile dysfunction is the inability to obtain and sustain sufficient penile erection and is referred to as impotence. It can result from a variety of underlying causes ranging from purely psychogenic to completely physical dysfunctioning. Both surgical and pharmacological therapies have been used in the treatment of impotence.

Method for treating erectile dysfunction


Two-dimensional discrete wavelet transform analysis and synthesis banks. In various embodiments, a cascade combination of two one-dimensional wavelet transforms is implemented, along with a set of memory buffers between the two stages. The memory buffers store intermediate results between the stages of the two-dimensional discrete wavelet transform, thereby eliminating off-chip memory references.

The present invention generally relates to discrete wavelet transforms (DWT), and more particularly, to field programmable gate array (FPGA) implementations of DWTs.
An example programmable logic device (PLD) is the field programmable gate array (FPGA), first introduced by Xilinx, Inc. in 1985. PLDs such as FPGAs are becoming increasingly popular for use in electronics systems. For example, communications systems employ FPGAs in large measure for their re-programmability. In general, the use of FPGAs continues to grow at a rapid rate because they permit relatively short design cycles, reduce costs through logic consolidation, and offer flexibility in their re-programmability.
Advances in semiconductor process technology are delivering FPGAs having logic densities in the range of a million system gates and having operating speeds in excess of 100 MHz. These powerful devices are capable of and have been used to implement digital signal processing (DSP) algorithms that are inherently parallel and normally require multiple DSP microprocessors in order to meet the high data rates. It is feasible to implement such algorithms on a single FPGA because such devices offer a programmable architecture.
The discrete wavelet transform (DWT) is a useful and efficient signal and image decomposition method with many interesting properties. This transformation, which is similar to the Fourier transform, provides information about the frequency content of signals. However, unlike the Fourier transform, DWT is more natural and fruitful when applied to non-stationary signals, such as speech and images.
The flexibility offered by DWT allows researchers to develop suitable wavelet filters for particular applications. For example, in the compression of fingerprints a particular set of biorthogonal filters, Daubechies biorthogonal spline wavelet filters, has been found to be effective. This flexibility is nonexistent in the discrete-cosine transform for image compression.
The latest standards for image and video compression, JPEG and MPEG, include wavelet transforms as the means for image and video signal decomposition. In addition to efficient image decomposition for compression and coding, wavelet transform is applied to images for filtering and enhancement. The filtering algorithms, generally referred to as denoising, have shown robust and effective performance in the removal of noise from images with minimal side effects (blurring).
In many image processing applications, including compression, denoising, and enhancement, real-time processing of a two-dimensional wavelet transform is required. Flexibility in customizing the wavelet transform with regard to the filters and the structure of the wavelet decomposition tree are also desirable. Most ASIC implementations are developed for specific wavelet filters and/or wavelet decomposition trees, which renders ASIC solutions useless for applications that require different filters and/or different decomposition trees. An apparatus that addresses the aforementioned problems, as well as other related problems, is therefore desirable.
In various embodiments, analysis and synthesis banks of a two-dimensional discrete wavelet transform are implemented using a cascade combination of two one-dimensional wavelet transforms along with a set of memory buffers between the two stages. The memory buffers store intermediate results between the stages of the two-dimensional discrete wavelet transform, thereby eliminating off-chip memory references.
In one embodiment, a two-dimensional discrete wavelet forward transform analysis bank is provided. The analysis bank includes a circuit arranged to perform a first one-dimensional wavelet transform of rows of input data for a selected wavelet type. A plurality of buffers are arranged for storage of output data from the first one-dimensional wavelet transform. A second circuit is arranged to perform a one-dimensional wavelet transform of columns of input data for the selected wavelet type. In another embodiment, the first transform operates on the columns of data and the second transform operates on the rows of data.
In another embodiment, a two-dimensional discrete wavelet inverse transform synthesis bank is provided. The synthesis bank is constructed as the inverse of the analysis bank.

Implementation of a two-dimensional wavelet transform


A network device may be configured to iteratively modify an initial tone map for each communication region of a powerline cycle to minimize the time before application data can be transmitted. A first network device estimates an initial tone map for each communication region based, at least in part, on sounding messages received from a second network device. The first network device determines whether to estimate a modified tone map for the first communication region based on at least one performance measurement associated with a data packet generated using the initial tone map for the first communication region. If so, the second network device retransmits the sounding messages in the first communication region that will be used to modify the initial tone map for the first communication region, and the second network device continues to transmit the data packets using the initial tone maps in the remaining communication regions.

Embodiments of the inventive subject matter generally relate to the field of communication networks and, more particularly, to estimating tone maps in a multiple-input multiple output (MIMO) communication network.
Electric transmission and distribution lines are typically used for providing electric power from generators to buildings, residences, and other components of a city's infrastructure. The electric power may be transmitted over the transmission lines at a high voltage, and may be distributed to buildings and other structures at much lower voltages using electric power lines. Besides providing electric power, electric power lines can also be used to implement powerline communications within buildings and other structures. Powerline communications (e.g., using HomePlug® or IEEE 1901 protocols) can provide another communication medium for interconnecting network devices. A network device may use various techniques to generate and transmit packets in a powerline communication network. For example, the network device may use tone maps to determine how to generate and transmit packets in the powerline communication network.

Estimating tone maps in a communication network


A toner or developer is provided having toner particles which exhibit a higher glass transition temperature on their surface than the interior thereof. In one aspect, the toner particles contain a crystalline polyester resin, an amorphous polyester resin and a coloring material, in which the core of the toner particles exhibit the glass transition temperature g of from 30° C. to 45° C. and the surface of the toner particles exhibits the glass transition temperature of from 50° C. to 70° C.

A toner for use in electrophotography (also known as photocopying) is configured with a binder resin, a coloring material, and a wax, or the like. However, in order to fix the toner onto the paper with low power or energy, it is desired that the glass transition point, also commonly called the glass transition temperature, of the toner is low. Generally, the lower the glass transition point is, the worse the storage preservation quality of the toner, and unification, i.e., fusing, of the toner particles or material occurs during transportation, or in the toner cartridge in transit or during residence in a copying machine main body prior to being used. In order to simultaneously support the fixability of the toner at a low glass transition point, and the storage preservation quality of that low glass transition point toner, crystalline polyester materials have recently been employed as a replacement for, or in addition to, wax in the toner.
However, there is a problem in that when crystalline polyester is used, the low temperature fixability of the toner improves, but the toner glass transition temperature Tg considerably decreases, and thus the preservative quality of the toner is considerably degenerated.

Developer, method of manufacturing the same and toner cartridge


A disc discharging toy includes a body having a hand grip; a plurality of resilient discs; a magazine mounted on the body and containing the plurality of resilient discs in a stacked position; and a single drive roller driven by a motor and imparting a discharge force to each disc when fed into a discharge position wherein the drive roller has an axis of rotation perpendicular to the axis of each resilient disc.

A known motorized disc discharging toy is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,471,967. In this design, a motor-driven roller is rotatably attached to one side of a partition plate such that the drive roller axis of rotation is parallel to the axis of the discs. Further required is a second idler roller on the other side of the partition plate defining a gap with the drive roller through which each disc is discharged.
The requirement that the drive roller be physically mounted to the partition plate renders this design bulky because the plate must have at least one protruding section to accommodate the drive roller and the motor. Furthermore, the second idler roller required in this design adds to the toy's expense. Indeed, in one embodiment, two drive rollers are required, one on each side of the partition plate.


An optical deflector includes a mirror with a reflective layer on its front-side surface, a first support frame adapted to support the mirror, at least one torsion bar coupled between the first support frame and the mirror; and a reinforcement rib provided on a rear-side surface of the mirror. The torsion bar has a pair of protruded portions arranged symmetrically with respect to the torsion bar in the vicinity of a coupling portion between the torsion bar and the mirror. The reinforcement rib has a central portion and a pair of extension portions extended symmetrically from the central portion and coupled to the protruded portions, respectively, of the torsion bar.

Field
The presently disclosed subject matter relates to an optical deflector used in an optical scanner for a projector, a laser headlamp, a bar code reader, a laser printer, a laser head amplifier, a head-up display unit and the like.
Description of the Related Art
Recently, optical deflectors used in optical scanners have been micro electro mechanical system (MEMS) devices manufactured by semiconductor manufacturing technology and micro machine technology.
A first prior art optical deflector is constructed by a mirror supported by torsion bars to a support frame. Also, provided between the support frame and the torsion bars are actuators serving as cantilevers. Thus, the mirror can be rocked around an axis by the actuators.
In the above-described first prior art optical deflector, since the thickness of the mirror is the same as that of the torsion bars, the mirror is very thin. Therefore, the moment of inertia of the mirror is so small that the resonant frequency of the mirror is very large. As a result, the mirror can be driven at a higher speed than a required speed.
In the first prior art optical deflector, however, since the mirror is very thin, the rigidity of the mirror is very small. Therefore, when the rocking angle of the mirror is large, a relatively large stress as a repulsive force would be spread isotropically and broadly into the mirror from the torsion bars (see: FIG. 5A). As a result, the entire mirror would be greatly deformed in a bowl shape, so that the dynamic face-deflection peak-to-valley amount would be very large. Thus, the optical scanning characteristics of reflected light of the mirror would not satisfy the required optical scanning characteristics in optical scanners for high definition projectors. At worst, the mirror entirely would break down. Note that the required dynamic face-deflection peak-to-valley amount is defined by one-tenth of a wavelength (λ=450 nm) of a laser beam irradiated onto the mirror.
A second prior art optical deflector is further constructed by a ring-shaped reinforcement rib provided on a rear surface of the mirror of the first prior art optical deflector. In this case, the size of the ring-shaped reinforcement rib is smaller than that of the mirror. Therefore, the substantial thickness of the mirror is larger than that of the torsion bars (see: FIG. 11 of US2014/0071512A1).
In the above-described second prior art optical deflector, due to the presence of the ring-shaped reinforcement rib, the rigidity of the mirror is larger than that of the mirror of the first prior art optical deflector. Therefore, when the rocking angle of the mirror is large, a relatively large stress as a repulsive force spread from the torsion bars into the mirror would be interrupted by the ring-shaped reinforcement rib (see: FIG. 5B). In other words, no substantial stress occurs in a central portion of the mirror within the ring-shaped reinforcement rib. As a result, the dynamic face-deflection peak-to-valley amount of the mirror is smaller than that of the first prior art optical deflector.
In the above-described second prior art optical deflector, however, the above-mentioned relatively large stress would still broadly spread into portions of the mirror between the torsion bars and the ring-shaped reinforcement rib. Therefore, the portions of the mirror between the torsion bars and the ring-shaped reinforcement rib would be distorted, so that the optical scanning characteristics of reflected light from the mirror would still deteriorate. Additionally, the ring-shaped reinforcement rib would be peeled off.
In a third prior art optical deflector, protruded portions are provided at the mirror of the second prior art optical deflector along a rocking direction in the vicinity of a coupling portion between the mirror and the torsion bars, and extension portions of the reinforcement rib are coupled to the protruded portions of the mirror (see: WO2014/122781A1).
In the above-described third prior art optical deflector, due to the presence of the extension portions of the ring-shaped reinforcement rib, the rigidity of the mirror is larger than that of the mirror of the second prior art optical deflector. Therefore, when the rocking angle of the mirror is large, a relatively large stress as a repulsive force spread from the torsion bars into the mirror would also be interrupted by the extension portions of the ring-shaped reinforcement rib (see: FIG. 5C). In other words, no substantial stress occurs in portions of the mirror beyond the extended ring-shaped reinforcement rib in addition to the central portion of the mirror. As a result, the dynamic face-deflection peak-to-valley amount of the mirror is smaller than that of the second prior art optical deflector.
In the above-described third prior art optical deflector, however, the above-mentioned relatively large stress would still spread into portions of the mirror surrounded by the extension portions of the ring-shaped reinforcement rib. Therefore, the portions of the mirror surrounded by the extension portions of the ring-shaped reinforcement rib would be distorted, so that the optical scanning characteristics of reflected light from the mirror would still deteriorate. Additionally, the ring-shaped reinforcement rib would be peeled off.

Optical deflector including mirror with extended reinforcement rib coupled to protruded portions of torsion bar


The present invention suppresses the return of the barrel section while ensuring waterproofness against the contact portion with the aluminum core wire. A plurality of concave sections is dispersedly provided on the inner surface of the barrel section. A groove section is provided so as to overlap the sealing member. A ridge portion is provided extending in the crossing direction at a position which does not overlap with the sealing member in plan view and is close to the third region on the side opposite to the terminal section. The barrel section is crimped to the end portion by crimping so that the exposed portion of the aluminum core wire is in contact with the ridge portion, and is sealed with the sealing member.

In recent years, covered electric wires having aluminum core wires have been used for wire harnesses in place of covered electric wires having copper core wires. At this time, for example, some crimp terminals such as connector terminals are made of a copper alloy or the like, and the surface thereof is tin-plated or gold-plated. When crimp terminals of this type are crimped to the end portions of the covered electric wires where the aluminum core wires are exposed, contact between dissimilar metals occurs between the aluminum core wires and the crimping barrel section of the crimp terminal. If moisture adheres to such a contact portion, there is a possibility that the aluminum core made of aluminum, which is a base metal, is corroded due to so-called dissimilar metal corrosion.
Therefore, there has been proposed a crimp terminal surrounded by a sealing member around the contact portion between the barrel section and the aluminum core wire (see, for example, Patent Literature 1 and Patent Literature 2). According to such type of crimp terminal, moisture can be prevented from entering the contact portion of dissimilar metals, and generation of dissimilar metal corrosion as described above can be avoided.
FIG. 29 is a view showing an example of a conventional crimp terminal surrounding the contact portion between the barrel section and the aluminum core wire with a sealing member.
The crimp terminal 9 shown in FIG. 29 comprises a barrel section 91 and a terminal section 92, which are made of a metal plate such as a copper alloy by sheet metal working and subjected to tin plating or gold plating on the surface, and are arranged in the axial direction D91. The barrel section 91 is a portion that is wound around and crimped on the end portion W9a of the covered electric wire W9 having the aluminum core wire W91, the aluminum core wire W91 being exposed. The terminal section 92 is a female terminal connected to a pin terminal (not shown) as a connection object.
The barrel section 91 has a structure in which the metal plate is bent so that the cross section that intersects with the axial direction D91 is substantially U-shaped. After the end portion W9a of the covered electric wire W9 is placed on the inner surface 911 of the barrel section 91, the barrel section 91 is wound around the end portion W9a and crimped. A part of the inner surface 911 of the barrel section 91 is a contact portion 911a with the aluminum core wire W91 at the end portion W9a.
In the contact portion 911a, a serration 94 is formed in which a plurality of rows of grooves extending in an crossing direction D92 crossing the axial direction D91 in the plan view with respect to the contact portion 911a are arranged in the axial direction D91. When the barrel section 91 is wound around the end portion W9a and crimped, the edge of each groove forming the serration 94 bites into the aluminum core wire W91, so that satisfactory conduction between the covered electric wire W9 and the crimp terminal 9 can be obtained.
A sealing member 93 is provided so as to surround the contact portion 911a. When the barrel section 91 is wound around the end portion W9a and crimped, the sealing member 93 seals the gaps around the contact portion 911a and prevents moisture from entering.

Crimp terminal with ridge portion and manufacturing method thereof


A bleed valve system includes a bleed valve, a valve regulator, a valve actuator and a reverse flow relief valve. The bleed valve is opened and closed to control a flow of bleed air from an upstream inlet to a downstream outlet. The valve regulator provides a servo pressure used to regulate the position of the bleed valve, and the valve actuator is mechanically connected to open/close the bleed valve based on the servo pressure provided by the valve regulator. The reverse flow relief valve compares a pressure upstream of the bleed valve to a pressure downstream of the bleed valve and in response to the downstream pressure exceeding the upstream pressure creates a fluid communication path between the servo pressure and an ambient pressure to decrease the servo pressure such that the bleed valve is closed.

The present invention is related to valves and in particular to a reverse flow relief valve employed in a bleed air system.
Aircraft systems rely, at least in part, on the pneumatic power provided by bleed air taken from the aircraft engines to do work on the aircraft. Complex systems of valves and ducts communicate and regulate the supply of bleed air from the engine to various components around the aircraft, including the environmental control systems (ECS). Values are used to regulate the supply of bleed air from the engine(s) (i.e., upstream source) to various pneumatic loads (i.e., downstream loads). During normal operation, a valve may be selectively opened/closed to regulate the downstream pressure as desired. However, during some fault conditions the downstream pressure may be greater than the upstream pressure, resulting in a reverse flow of pressurized air into the engine. This reverse flow can be detrimental to engine operation.


Spring support having at least one axially moveable spring plate, an actuator with a rotor producing a rotational movement relative to its stator, which is converted into an axial movement of the spring plate, and a torsional locking element which prevents torsional movement of the spring plate.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a spring support having an axially movable spring plate, an actuator including a rotor and a stator, force-transmitting element which moves axially in response to rotation of the rotor, and a spring plate fixed to the force transmitting element.
2. Description of the Related Art
WO 02/055326 describes a vehicle suspension in which a vibration damper has an axially adjustable spring plate. An electric motor having an external stator and an internal rotor, the rotational movement of which is translated into an axial movement by a movement converting device in the form of a threaded spindle, serves as actuator. The inner side of the rotor and an outer side of a sleeve-shaped extension of the axially moveable spring plate form the threaded spindle.
In order to fulfill the function of a threaded spindle it is necessary that the spring plate be incapable of performing a rotational movement. Two possible ways of achieving this are proposed. On the one hand it is described how the vehicle suspension spring acts to brace the torque in opposition to the drive torque of the electric motor. A circumferential force is thereby introduced into the vehicle suspension spring about its longitudinal axis. It is to be feared that in addition to the forced vibration emanating from the sprung wheel, a second vibration also acts on the vehicle spring, namely that resulting from the torque bracing of the spring plate in opposition to the drive torque of the electric motor.
As an alternative it is stated that the spring plate can also be torsionally locked by bracing against the vehicle body. The dome for attaching the spring strut to the vehicle body is singled out as being a particularly suitable point. On closer examination, however, it will be noted that producing a torsional safeguard, such as a crease in the dome, is very difficult. Furthermore fitting the spring plate into a torsional safeguard of the spring plate is a laborious task, since direct visual sighting of the outside of the spring plate and the inside wall of the dome is obscured by the annular electric motor.

Spring support having a height-adjustable spring plate


A system and method enables controlled distribution of processor IPinformation to users for evaluation, customization and/or production. One aspect of the system and method is a web site that helps coordinate the IP distribution of the processor IP information between a administrator and end-users, and affiliates of the end-users, namely design houses, tool providers and/or foundries. The processor IP information has a configuration specification including a definable portion of the user. By controlling the distribution of the processor IPinformation, while still allowing for convenient access, the system and method enable many users to customize the processor IPinformation for a variety of applications, with license condition being granted to the user to manufacture the customized units.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to systems, methods, computer program product and apparatuses for providing processor intellectual property (IP), as well as obtaining processor IP for designing and manufacturing processor configurable semiconductor products. More specifically, the present invention relates to processor IP core information, such as processor core RTL, and the software for manufacturing the same by enabling for the controlled distribution of IP over computer networks so as to enable the design and manufacture of user-configurable processors.
2. Description of the Related Art
An IP (intellectual property) core is a block of logic or data that is used in making a semiconductor device such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) that is configured to perform a specified task. In modem processor-based design applications, the "reuse" of core design features is becoming more popular in the electronic design automation industry. By having trusted design components, on which to base a device, it is faster and more reliable to design systems using trusted building blocks. Ideally, IP cores are portable in that they may be easily inserted into any particular vendor technology or design methodology.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a conventional interaction between the IP core owner 1, a licensee/user 3, and related entities, all of which are usually required to produce a legally licensed product. As shown in FIG. 2, the IP owner 1 owns the IP in the processor core (see FIG. 1) for example. An end user 3, however, may wish to use that IP core for design and development of its own product. Conventionally, the user 3 negotiates with the IP owner 1 to obtain a license agreement (i.e., a contract, or legal instrument), which is typically customized based on the negotiation between the two parties. Consistent with the contract terms, the licensee/user 3 is usually burdened with a reporting requirement, which requires the licensee/user 3 to report to the IP owner 1 how many parts are made with the IP core, so that the licensee/user 3 can pay the negotiated royalty amount.
However, even after the licensee/user 3 obtains the, usually non-exclusive, rights to the IP core, the end product is far from being completed. The licensee/user 3 still must coordinate with a design house 5, whose job is to assist the licensee/user 3 in actually developing an end product that meets the users'requirements. Thus, another round of negotiation between the user 3 and the design house 5 ensues, where the net result is a contract with the design house 5. Usually, however, issues arise regarding the use of the IP by the design house 5, which may need to be reconciled with terms specified by the IP owner 1. These agreements and negotiations can be significant timing impediments, which can create significant delays for the licensee/user 3 to get a product to market. Furthermore, it is typical that disputes over supporting the design developed by the design house 5 arise, as well as questions about reporting whether the design ultimately is owned by the design house 5, licensee/user 3, or even the IP owner 1. Thus, the negotiation and ultimate resolution between the licensee/user and design house 5, can be extensive, and adversely impact the design time and time to delivery of the product.
However, a risk with this approach is that the foundry 9 may not necessarily honor a third party license between the licensee/user 3 and the IP owner 1. Thus, there is a risk that the foundry 9 may improperly extend its access to the design provided by the licensee/user 3, to provide a knock-off product to a non-licensee 11. Thus, no accounting to the intellectual property owner 1 would be made, and the non-licensee 11 would be unjustly enriched by ignoring the IP of the IP owner 1.

Software IP providing system and method, software IP obtaining method, and IP core designing and manufacturing method