The present invention provides an additional-watermark embedding apparatus for embedding predetermined additional data into original data. The additional-watermark embedding apparatus includes an adder for summing the original data and the additional data, a first amplifier for amplifying the original data according to a predetermined non-linear input-output characteristic, a second amplifier for amplifying the summed data supplied from the adder according to a predetermined non-linear input-output characteristic, a subtractor for taking the difference between the amplified data obtained by the second amplifier and the amplified original data obtained by the first amplifier, and an embedder for embedding modified additional data which is obtained by modifying the waveform of the additional data according to the original data and which is supplied from the subtractor into the original data.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an additional-data embedding apparatus and additional-data embedding method for embedding additional data into original-work data, such as image data, using so-called digital watermarking.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the recent popularity of recording media such as CDs (Compact Discs), MDs (Mini Discs), and DVDs (Digital Versatile Disks), and the Internet, there has been a problem in that copyright is violated by illegally copying someone's work or digital data, which is said to be easily duplicated or altered. In order to address the problem, for example, a so-called digital watermark (or digital data embedding or digital data hiding) technique has been proposed, which is a technique to embed additional information including copy control information for digital data, such as "COPY ONCE" or "NEVER COPY", and copyright information indicating the copyright holder into original data including image data for still images or moving pictures, and audio data for sound or music.
In digital watermarking, for example, when additional data is embedded into image data, the additional data is invisible while maintaining the quality of the original image data. When additional data is embedded into audio data, the additional data is inaudible while maintaining the quality of the original audio data.
Additional data embedded as digital watermark information into original data is detected by a recording device when the original data is copied. In digital watermarking, therefore, various information such as data distributing routes, the presence or absence of a license, and copy control information can be detected based on the detected additional data, thereby preventing the original data from being illegally copied.
As requirements for digital watermarking, first, the embedded additional data should be imperceptible (e.g., invisible, inaudible, etc.); and, second, if data having additional data embedded therein is artificially modified by a third party, the embedded additional data should be robust. These requirements are conflicting. In general, such a digital-watermark embedding technique using information processing technology is designed so that additional data is strongly embedded into a perceptible region of the original data and is weakly embedded into an imperceptible region of the original data.
For example, for digitally watermarking a still image, additional data WM having a value of ±1, and luminance for image data I are summed to obtain watermarked image data I′. For digital watermarking, furthermore, as expressed in the following Equation (1), the additional data WM may be multiplied by α·I, which depends upon the pixel value into which the additional data WM is to be embedded, thereby changing the embedding strength of the additional data WM:I′=I+α·I·WM  (1)This uses the property of the human visual system that, in a region having a higher pixel luminance, a change to that pixel is less perceptible on a display device.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,748,763 assigned to Digimarc Corporation discloses a digital watermarking technique which can be implemented by a digital-watermark embedding apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 9. The digital-watermark embedding apparatus 100 includes two modulators 101 and 102, and an embedder 103 having an adder. The digital-watermark embedding apparatus 100 supplies to the first modulator 101 both original image data I and additional data WM to be embedded, where the embedding strength of the additional data WM for each region of the original image data I, called a local parameter, is computed with functions according to the luminance of a region into which the additional data WM is to be embedded. The additional data WM is then modulated by the modulator 101. The digital-watermark embedding apparatus 100 supplies the additional data WM modulated by the modulator 101 to the second modulator 102, where the embedding strength of the additional data WM for the overall original image data I, called a global parameter, is determined. The additional data WM is then modulated by the modulator 102. The digital-watermark embedding apparatus 100 embeds the additional data WM, which is level-controlled by the modulator 102, into the original data using the embedder 103, and outputs the image data I′ having the additional data WM embedded therein.
In the above technique, therefore, depending upon the properties of the image data I, additional data WM is modulated by the modulator 101, and the embedding strength of the additional data WM with respect to the overall image data I is determined by the modulator 102, after which the additional data WM is embedded.
In the above-described technique, if the embedding strength of the additional data WM is changed depending upon the original image data I, calculations such as multiplications and functional equations must be performed, thus increasing the power consumption of a CPU (central processing unit) when the apparatus 100 is implemented by software, or increasing the size and complexity of the circuit if the apparatus 100 is implemented by hardware. In particular, if the embedding strength of the additional data WM is changed depending upon the original image data I, this technique would only need to store, as a reference table, the embedding strength of the additional data WM depending upon the original image data I in a storage unit without using either the global parameter or the local parameter; however, in fact, the calculation is performed using both the global parameter and the local parameter, thus increasing the complexity of the processing.

Additional-data embedding apparatus and additional-data embedding method


An aspect of this specification discloses a method of, based on a control input to a controlled object and on a control output from the controlled object, updating a value of a parameter in an estimator configured to estimate external force that acts on the controlled object. The method includes: determining whether the controlled object is in a particular state in which external force that acts on the controlled object is known; during a period in which it is determined that the controlled object is in the particular state, calculating, as a learning value, the value of the parameter that reduces an error between the known external force and estimated external force, the estimated external force being estimated by the estimator based on the control input and the control output;

A known technique is that a control input relative to an observation value of a control output is calculated by using an inverse model of a controlled object, and a parameter of the inverse model is estimated based on an error between the calculated control input and an observation value of the control input.
When the parameter of the inverse model coincides with a real controlled object, the above-mentioned error corresponds to magnitude of external force that acts on the controlled object. Thus, estimating the parameter with high accuracy serves to improve estimation accuracy of an estimator that estimates external force.

Method of updating value of parameter in estimator, storage medium storing computer program, and control system

Abstract: and updating the value of the parameter in the estimator with the calculated learning value.


A CMOS image sensor may be provided. The CMOS image sensor may include at least one floating diffusion column line, a plurality of pixels, and/or a charge/voltage conversion circuit. The plurality of pixels may be connected to the floating diffusion column line in parallel. The charge/voltage conversion circuit may be connected to one end of the floating diffusion column line, and may detect a potential variation of the floating diffusion column line using a coupling capacitor.

A charge coupled device (CCD) image sensor or a CMOS image sensor (CIS) may be generally used as an image sensor.
A CIS may be classified as an active pixel sensor (APS) or a passive pixel sensor (PPS). APSs may be widely used due to their advantageous characteristics and operating speed. CISs may be used in low-priced digital still cameras. CCDs may be used in video cameras.
Generally, CISs may be manufactured using a CMOS process. Accordingly, CISs may have lower fabrication costs and lower power consumption compared to CCDs. For this reason, CISs may be widely used in battery-operated devices such as mobile phones and other mobile terminals.
CISs may include a photodiode as a photoelectric conversion element. CISs may measure the amount of electric charge integrated in the photodiode using a drive transistor or the like in a pixel to convert the intensity of incident light into electrical signals.
CISs may be classified into three-transistor (3T) type CISs, four-transistor (4T) type CISs, etc. A 3T type CIS may include a photodiode, a reset transistor, a source follower transistor and a select transistor. A 4T type CIS may further include a transfer transistor provided between the photodiode and the reset transistor in addition to the elements of the 3T type CIS.
FIG. 1 is an equivalent circuit diagram of a conventional unit pixel in a 4T type CIS.
Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional unit pixel 10 may include a reset transistor 12, a transfer transistor 14, a drive transistor 16, a select transistor 18, and a floating diffusion FD formed at a connection point between the transfer transistor 14 and the reset transistor 12.
An operation thereof will be briefly described. In the conventional 4T type CIS, the floating diffusion FD may be set to a reset level using the reset transistor 12. Afterward, the 4T type CIS may drive the transfer transistor 14 to transfer photocharges integrated in a photodiode 11 to the floating diffusion FD, and therefore vary a potential thereof. The potential variation may be outputted to a signal line via the drive transistor 16. A noise-removed signal may be outputted by detecting a difference between a reset potential of the floating diffusion FD and a potential of the floating diffusion FD after the charges of the photodiode 11 are transferred thereto.
The conventional 4T type image sensor may perform a photocharge transfer function of providing a transfer path so that a transfer transistor 14 may transfer photocharges to the floating diffusion column lines CL1 to CLm. The time taken to perform this function may be referred to as an effective integration time (EIT). Simultaneously, the conventional 4T type image sensor may also perform a photocharge discharge function of providing a discharge path so that the transfer transistor together with a reset transistor 12 may discharge unnecessary photocharges integrated in the photodiode 11. The time taken to perform this function may be referred to as a non-effective integration time (NIT).
The transfer transistor 14 of the conventional image sensor as illustrated in FIG. 1, may repeatedly extract charges integrated in the photodiode 11. That is, the charges may be transferred through a path along the photodiode 11, the transfer transistor 14, the floating diffusion FD, the reset transistor 12, and the power supply voltage (VDD) terminal in sequence.
When a row select signal is inputted into the select transistor 18, the drive transistor 16 may drive an output terminal (EIT section). When a row select signal is not be inputted into the select transistor 18, the drive transistor 16 may not drive the output terminal (NIT section).
Recently, there has been provided a 5T type APS in which an overflow drain transistor may be further provided to prevent an overflow of photocharges generated at the photodiode.
As the performance of image sensors increases, the number of transistors in a pixel may also increase, and therefore, a fill factor, which is a ratio of a photodiode area to a pixel area, may decrease. As a result, the photosensitivity of the image sensor may deteriorate.

CMOS image sensor and operating method thereof


An improved cellular arrangement is created with mobile units that are responsive to control signals that direct the mobile units to modify the rate of packet transmissions in case of channel overload. A mobile unit in such an arrangement encodes either the speech signal, or only a portion thereof that is sufficient to reproduce a lower fidelity speech which is still intelligible--and at a lower rate. In another embodiment, the mobile unit creates a second stream of packets, also at a lower rate. The second stream complements the first stream of packets in its lower rate form, to allow reproducing the speech signal with high fidelity. Operationally, such a mobile unit is responsive to a base station which, under overload conditions, directs the mobile unit to transmit packets at the lower rate (and the lower fidelity). Optionally, the base station can also directs the mobile unit to send the second stream of packets over a different channel.

This invention relates to cellular telephony and, more particularly, to the use of packet techniques in cellular telephony.
The number of people that use cellular telephones is continually increasing. Because the available bandwidth is controlled by governmental regulations, providers of cellular telephony are meeting the increase in users by establishing smaller cell sizes. Smaller cell sizes accommodate larger numbers of mobile units within the same overall bandwidth because smaller cell sizes effectively increase the rate of bandwidth re-use per unit area. However, as cell sizes shrink, mobile units move between cells more frequently. In a circuit switched system, each move requires that one circuit be torn down and another one set up. Consequently, as cell sizes decrease, the work associated with handing off users between cells increases. In addition, when a mobile unit traverses more cells during its connection, it is more likely that the mobile unit will encounter a cell with more units than the bandwidth can support.
Packet switching, as compared to circuit switching, reduces the work required for hand off because addresses embedded within the packets are used to route individual packets rather than setting up and tearing down circuits. Packet switching was used in early military cellular systems. Those networks were designed to be rapidly deployed, were aimed primarily for wireless interconnection between mobile units, and were not connected to a wired backbone network.
Currently, the prevalent commercial cellular system in the United States is a circuit switched arrangement that employs Time Division Multiplexing (TDM). Another system, which is also a circuit switched system, employs Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA). These cellular systems can transmit data in the form of packets, but that does not constitute "packet switching," either in the sense employed in the aforementioned military system or in the sense employed in this disclosure. Specifically, while the data may have a packet format, the switching within the cellular environment is not based on the explicit address information in the packets. For example, in TDM the address is implicit in the frequency and time slot at which the mobile unit operates.
The explicit addressing characteristic of packet switching is more flexible than implicit addressing. With explicit addressing, the capacity on the shared medium can be reassigned as required and the destination can be changed without advance notice. Because of that, it is beneficial to fashion a packet switching approach for cellular communication that interfaces effectively with a wired backbone network.

Overload control in a packet-switching cellular environment


A martensitic stainless steel provided includes C: 0.01-0.1% and Cr: 9-15%, and the retained austenite phase has a thickness not more than 100 nm in such a manner that the X-ray integral intensities of 111γ and 110α satisfy the following formula (a):0.005≦111γ/(111γ+110α)≦0.05  (a)Such a metal structure can be obtained by the following procedure: the steel is heated at a temperature of the Ac3 point or more, and then cooled from 800° C. to 400° C. at a cooling rate of not less than 0.08° C./sec and further cooled down to 150° C. at a cooling rate of not more than 1° C./sec. The martensitic stainless steel according to the present invention has a relatively high carbon content and a greater toughness in spite of a high mechanical strength, and further exhibits an excellent corrosion resistance, so that it is particularly effective as the material for constructing a deep oil well.

In a corrosive environment containing carbon oxide and a very small amount of hydrogen sulfide, a 13% Cr martensitic stainless steel is normally used, because such an environment requires excellent properties regarding the corrosion resistance, the stress corrosion cracking resistance, the weldability, the toughness and the mechanical strength as for a steel material. Specifically, API-13% Cr steel (13% Cr-0.2% C), which is specified according to the standard of the API (American Petroleum Institute), is widely used in such an environment, because it has an excellent corrosion resistance to carbon dioxide. The API-13% Cr steel can be used as a material for a conventional oil country tubular goods which require a mechanical strength of order of yield stress 552-655 MPa (80-95 ksi). However, API-13% Cr steel has a relatively small toughness and therefore cannot be used as a material for a deep oil well steel pipe which requires a much greater mechanical strength of order of yield stress more than 759 MPa (110 ksi).
In recent years, improved type 13% Cr steel, which includes carbon in an extremely reduced amount and which includes Ni instead of carbon, has been developed to improve the corrosion resistance. Since the improved type 13% Cr steel provides an excellent toughness even in an increased mechanical strength and therefore can be used in a much severer corrosive environment, it is increasingly used in an environment requiring a high mechanical strength. However, a decrease in the C content tends to provide the precipitation of δ ferrite, which are harmful for the hot workability, the corrosion resistance, the toughness and the like as for steel. As a result, an appropriate amount of Ni, which is considerably expensive, has to be included in the steel in accordance with the amounts of both Cr and Mo added, thereby causing its price to be considerably increased.
In order to overcome such a problem, several attempts have been made to improve the toughness in the 13% Cr steel having a high mechanical strength. For instance, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 8-120415, an attempt has been made to improve the mechanical strength and the toughness on the basis of API-13% Cr steel, using active N which cannot be immobilized by Al. However, the 13% Cr steel in the prior art has an yield stress of 552-655 MPa (80-95 ksi) and a fracture appearance transition temperature of −20 to −35° C. in the Charpy impact test, as described in the examples of the embodiments, so that the toughness cannot be obtained even in a high mechanical strength of more than 759 MPa (110 ksi).
On the other hand, a number of technologies have been disclosed to use the retained austenite in order to improve the property of 13% Cr steel. In Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 5-112818, a technology is disclosed for thermally refining 13% Cr steel to provide a low mechanical strength and a high toughness through the precipitation of coarse carbide particles in a martensite structure having a high carbon content, wherein the heating in a dual phase region is carried out prior to the annealing to segregate carbon in an austenite phase newly generated in prior austenite grains and then the annealing treatment is carried out.
In Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 8-260038, a technology is disclosed for thermally refining a 13% Cr steel to provide a low mechanical strength and a high toughness by weakening the solution strengthening effect, wherein C and Ni in the austenite are enriched by heating in a dual phase region and thereby reduces the C and Ni contents in the martensite as a parent phase.
However, these technologies are used only to thermally refine the 13% Cr steel so as to securely provide a low mechanical strength and a high toughness, but provide no means for increasing the mechanical strength and the toughness by improving the property of the 13% Cr steel.
Moreover, a technology has been disclosed to obtain a steel having a high mechanical strength and a high toughness by utilizing the retained austenite in the steel. In Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 11-310823, a technology for obtaining a high mechanical strength and a high toughness wherein a 13% Cr steel containing carbon is heated in a dual phase region at Ac1-Ac3 to form reverse transformed austenite in the parent phase of martensite, and a tempering treatment is then performed at a temperature of lower than Ac1. In the specification, however, no reference is made for the technology providing a steel material having such a high mechanical strength as yield stress of greater than 759 MPa (110 ksi), which is required for developing deep oil wells.
In Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2000-226614, furthermore, a technology for providing a high mechanical strength and a high toughness has been disclosed, wherein the heating in a dual phase region is carried out at Ac1-Ac3 in an improved type 13% Cr steel having a low carbon content so as to form austenite in the parent phase of martensite. However, although it is sure that the steel disclosed therein provides a high toughness, a greater content of expensive nickel is used and also the thermal treatment is carried out in a restricted control range in order to precipitate the retained austenite. Accordingly, there exists a problem that the price of the steel is greatly increased, compared with the API-13% Cr steel.
As described in the above-mentioned Japanese Patent Application Laid-opens No. 5-112818 and No. 2000-226614 respectively, it is known that the existence of retained austenite in the steel provides an improvement of the toughness in the 13% Cr steel. On the other hand, it is also known that the existence of retained austenite in the steel reduces the mechanical strength (for instance, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 8-260038). Consequently, it can be assumed that the existence of retained austenite in the steel improves the toughness of the steel, but at the same time reduces the mechanical strength.
Moreover, as described in the above-mentioned Japanese Patent Application Laid-opens No. 11-310823 and No. 2000-226614, the method for producing the steel having a high mechanical strength and a high toughness by utilizing the retained austenite is demonstrated. Nevertheless, the method has not yet disclosed capable of obtaining the steel material, which has such a high toughness and provides such a reduced cost as applicable to the development of oil wells requiring an yield stress of greater than 759 MPa (110 ksi).

Martensitic stainless steel and method for manufacturing same


A method, system and computer program product reducing clock noise generated by clock signals in an integrated circuit (IC) are disclosed. Conventional IC design attempts to ensure coincident clock active edge arrival times for all clocked elements. The coincident active clock edges generate coincident noise currents, which elevates the total noise current. The current invention assigns clock arrival times for clocked elements of an IC based on a desired clock arrival time distribution such that active clock edges are not coincident. As a consequence, the total noise would be spread over a large portion of the clock cycle, thus reducing the noise magnitude substantially.

In a typical integrated circuit (IC), clock signals drive large loads, and typically need to have very tight tolerance, which results in large drive strengths of the buffers in, e.g., the clock paths. As application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) design evolved, IC designers worked to ensure that clock signals for numerous latches of an IC arrive substantially at the same time. In the succeeding generations of ASIC designs, tools to balance clock path delays and circuits such as Clock Generation Phase-Locked-Loops have been developed to ensure high performance logic operation. However, as the number of sequential elements within today's ASICs increases, the instantaneous noise current associated with the simultaneous propagation of clock signals (clocks) through balanced clock trees to thousands of latches has also increased, compromising data integrity and limiting functional performance of ASICs.
Efforts have been made to solve the above noise problem. Recently, Haar et al. (U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/904,397) provide a method for converting a latch driven by a globally propagated clock to a latch with a phase-shifted, locally-generated clock such that the peak noise event caused by clock propagation may be reduced. However, because Haar et al. operate on an ASIC developed with known placement and timing tools and can only reduce noise at latch points with positive slacks, the amount of noise reduction may be limited.
As such, there is a need in the art to further reduce clock noise within an IC, which is not limited by the timing slacks of clocked elements. The present state of the art technology does not provide a satisfactory solution to this need.

Assigning clock arrival time for noise reduction

International Business Machines Corporation


A method and the corresponding messaging system of selecting a transmitter for directed message delivery set is a messaging system including a plurality of transmitters arranged and constructed to operate in a simulcast or non-simulcast mode, the method including directing a first and a second transmitter to transmit in the simulcast mode, respectively, a first signal including a reference parameter and a first identification signal and a second signal including the reference parameter and a second identification signal, the first identification signal and the second identification signal distinguished from the reference parameter by, respectively, a first and a second predetermined amount, and receiving an acknowledgment signal that includes a indication of the first identification signal relative to the second identification signal or both relative to a threshold as determined at a messaging unit location, the indication corresponding to a preferred transmitter, selected from the first and the second transmitter, for a directed message delivery to the messaging unit.

Messaging Systems are known. Such systems routinely use a simulcast transmission mode for message delivery. This simulcast mode denotes a situation where all transmitters within a geographic area are active at the same time on the same radio frequency. To facilitate, indeed enable, successful communications in a simulcast mode, extreme care must be taken to insure that modulation on radio signals that originate from different transmitters and arrive at a location where the signal strength of each signal is equal are phase coherent or in phase. Equal is taken to mean within or approximating the capture ratio of a typical messaging unit or within about 6 dB for many messaging receivers when using frequency modulation.
Simulcast operation has proven to be very effective at reaching messaging receivers that are located at some unknown location within a large geographic area. However messaging systems that rely entirely on simulcast operation may be unduly capacity limited since the radio frequency used by the system can not be used at the same time for any purpose other than delivery or transmission of a single message anywhere in the system. Practitioners have realized that knowledge of a messaging unit location would allow a portion of the system, such as one transmitter, to transmit the message to the intended messaging unit. Concurrently other portions of the system, such as other transmitters may be used for other noninterfering duties, such as delivery of other messages to other messaging units, thus better utilizing system capacity.
In recognition of this some systems use digital identification (ID) signals that are unique to each transmitter providing coverage within a region. These digital identification signals or digital color codes are simulcast from each transmitter and a messaging unit with an address matching a simulcast transmitted message reports back to the system the digital ID it has received. The system thereafter attempts further or additional contemporaneous message delivery to this unit utilizing only the transmitter with that digital ID. This latter mode of operation is often designated directed or directed delivery or non-simulcast operation. While the use of digital color codes can provide a significant degree of directed message delivery and thus significant reuse of the system frequency by other transmitters within the system, certain drawbacks or limitations remain.
For example, if two signals are received each having approximately equal magnitude, the digital color codes will interfere with each other and neither may be accurately recovered. In this instance the messaging unit may not be able to determine which transmitter(s) are providing coverage. In any event, when a single digital ID is recovered it will represent the transmitter providing the best or strongest signal at the location of the messaging unit. Weaker signals with their respective digital IDs will be lost even when the weaker signal nevertheless has a completely adequate signal level. In this instance a potential opportunity or contemporaneous directed message delivery to two messaging units may be lost with a resultant reduction in system utilization. Clearly a need exists for methods and apparatus for selecting a suitable transmitter for directed message delivery in present day messaging systems.

Apparatus and method for selecting a transmitter for directed message delivery


A circuit structure for calculating a fuzzy inference for a fuzzy logic controller is disclosed in which a memory unit is divided into a first memory for storing a plurality of membership functions whose number corresponds to the number of fuzzy levels for respective input variables and into a second memory for storing a plurality of encoded fuzzy control linguistic rules. Then, the fuzzy levels in the form of grades are integrally accessed for the respective input variables into a plurality of registers together with the encoded fuzzy control linguistic rules so that the registers prepare the synthesized data of the fuzzy levels and membership functions in the one of the linguistic rule.

(1) Field of the invention
The present invention relates to a circuit structure of a fuzzy logic controller (FLC) or a fuzzy control processor and particularly to a structure of a memory circuit of the fuzzy logic controller and its data processing technique.
(2) Description of the background art
A previously proposed fuzzy logic controller (FLC) is exemplified by a recorded paper called--M. Togai and H. Watanabe, Proceeding 2nd Conference on AI Application IEEE, 192/197 1985.
The disclosed fuzzy logic controller (FLC) includes first MIN logic elements each of which inputs one of input membership functions A.sub.1 .about.A.sub.N and observed quantity A', first MAX logic elements which calculate matchings .alpha..sub.1 .about..alpha..sub.N, second MIN logic elements each of which inputs one of output membership functions B.sub.1 .about.B.sub.N and one of the matchings .alpha..sub.1 .about..alpha..sub.N, a second MAX logic element which generalizes each conclusion derived by the second MIN logic element, and a defuzzifier which makes a decision of a specific operating variable V*.
A theoretical explanation of fuzzy inference used in the previously proposed fuzzy logic controller will be made as follows:
As shown in FIG. 1, suppose the following fuzzy logic linguistic rule. EQU IF u=A.sub.i THEN v=B.sub.i ( 1).
In the rule of (1), A.sub.i and B.sub.i denote fuzzy quantities and may be words such as large , medium , or small or alternatively be approximate numerical values such as approximately five. In the fuzzy inference, these fuzzy words and fuzzy numerical values are accordingly made to correspond to their membership functions as shown in a bottom part of FIG. 1. In a table of FIG. 1, each lateral axis denotes an input ranges of u or v (in terms of angles, for example, 0.degree..about.180.degree.) and each longitudinal axis denotes a magnitude (grade) by which the value of u or v belongs to a set of A.sub.i. Then, the grade 1 is an input that any person can perceive large or small . As appreciated from FIG. 1, an intermediate grade is provided.
When the input is given in the form of the membership function as u=A', the fuzzy logic controller described above calculates as follows: A'.andgate.A.sub.i (provided that .andgate. denotes a minimum value logic), and thereafter derives .orgate. (A'.andgate.A.sub.i)=.alpha..sub.i. .orgate. denotes a maximum value logic. .alpha..sub.i denotes a degree of matching for the i number of rule and indicates how degrees the corresponding rule has an effect. For example, if .alpha..sub.i =0.5, the degree of matching to which a conclusion of the rule is matched is half, i.e., it is not known well. Next, .alpha..sub.i .andgate.B.sub.i, i.e., a head portion of a conclusion portion of an area of B.sub.i is cut out. Since the rule is not applied only to .alpha..sub.i, the conclusion portion is clamped by .alpha..sub.i. As described above, since the conclusions of the respective rules are derived in the form of the output membership functions, the conclusions are generalized by calculating .orgate. (.alpha..sub.i .andgate.B.sub.i). Since a logic of OR serves to connect between the rules, the logic of OR in the fuzzy inference is calculated, i.e., .orgate. (maximum value logic) is carried out. Thus, the conclusion of B' is derived in the form of the output membership function. However, this indicates the degrees of the respective output values. Therefore, if, e.g., a weight center of the output membership function of B' is derived to output a final operating variable V*. In this way, in the fuzzy logic control the operating variable V* can be derived by generally inferring the fuzzy control result on the basis of a plurality of control linguistic rules according to the input A'.
The above-described fuzzy inference operation is described similarly in an English literature titled "A VLSI Fuzzy Logic Controller with Reconfigurable, Cascadable Architecture" by Hiroyuki Watanabe, Wayne D. Dettloff, and Kathy E Yount in IEEE Journal On Solid-State Circuits, Vol. 25, No. 2, on April, 1990.
In details, the fuzzy logic operators .orgate., .andgate. are provided in the form of hardware in the MIN logic elements and the MAX logic elements. Each membership function is stored in a memory circuit of the fuzzy logic controller and is read out at an appropriate timing to be transmitted to the respective logic elements. In the example described above, the membership functions are serially accessed. Although a memory capacity may be minimized, a speed of executing the fuzzy inferences becomes remarkably reduced as the number of rules are increased.
An English literature of IEEE CICC, 12.4.1-12.4.5, 1989 by W. D. Dettloff, K. E. Yount, and H. Watanabe exemplifies specific structures of fuzzy logic, defuzzifier, and MIN logic calculation unit.
The above-identified English literature titled "A VLSI Fuzzy Logic Controller with Reconfigurable, Cascadable Architecture" by Hiroyuki Watanabe, Wayne D. Dettloff, and Kathy E Yount in IEEE Journal On Solid-State Circuits, Vol. 25, No. 2, on April, 1990 also exemplifies the same specific structures described above.
In the specific structures disclosed in the latter literature, the membership functions are parallel accessed until 102 rule and high speed inference can be executed. However, the memory capacity becomes large such that about 70% of a chip area is occupied.
Problems raised in the previously proposed fuzzy logic controllers will be explained below.
First, it is necessary to provide a considerably large capacity of memory circuit in order to memorize the plurality of membership functions (in arbitrary forms).
For example, suppose that the number of input variables x.sub.i are three, the number of output variables y.sub.i are two, and the number of fuzzy logic linguistic rules are 20 and these variables and functions are stored in a single of the memory circuit. In this case, 100 numbers of membership functions are needed. If the single membership function is represented by 2.sup.8 .times.8 bits, the memory capacity required is totally calculated as 2.sup.8 .times.8.times.100. That is to say, 200 K bit RAM (Random Access Memory) is required.
In the case of the specific structure of rule logic disclosed in the above-identified English literature, about 0.48 million number of transistors (about 70%) from among about 0.69 million number of transistors on the single IC chip are provided as a memory unit. On the other hand, if the memory unit is provided as an external side of the IC chip, an overhead in access occurs and the fuzzy inference speed becomes remarkably slow.
In addition, if a resolution per single membership function is reduced, a quantization error may become remarkable depending on the contents of control although the memory capacity becomes decreased.
Next, if the fuzzy inference calculation portion (Rule logic) is configured in the parallel processing type, the circuit shown in the above-identified English literature needs to be arranged in parallel and the circuit scale becomes large. The rule logic described above is in a unit of four bits. If a larger resolution is required, the circuit scale becomes large so that the large scale rule logic cannot be put into practice in the viewpoint of consumed power and yield.
As described above, it is essential to eliminate the various problems in order to integrate the fuzzy logic controller into the practical IC chip. In the type of bit-serial processing of the rule logic shown in the above-identified English literature, the fuzzy inference speed becomes slow as the number of rules is increased. Consequently, an advantage of manufacturing an exclusive use chip (self-contained chip) becomes reduced.

Circuit structure of fuzzy control processor


An electronic device, a server and a method for rendering timed text within an omnidirectional video are disclosed. The method includes receiving a signaling message including a flag indicating whether a position of the timed text within the omnidirectional video is dependent on a viewport of the omnidirectional video. The method also includes determining whether the position of the timed text within the omnidirectional video is dependent on the viewport based on the flag. The method further includes rendering the timed text within the omnidirectional video based on the determination.

Two-dimensional videos often include timed text. Timed text is commonly called subtitles, closed captions, or open captions. Timed text is often utilized for the hearing impaired as well as a video or show where the dialog is not in the native language of the viewer. Timed text is a presentation of text that is synchronized to display simultaneously with the audio of the video.
Timed text places text in videos without actually embedding the text itself within the video. This allows the timed text to be turned on and off, as well as offers the ability to display different languages while the same underlying video presentation is played.
Virtual reality experiences are becoming prominent. For example, 360° video is emerging as a new way of experiencing immersive video due to the ready availability of powerful handheld devices such as smartphones. 360° video enables immersive "real life," "being there" experience for consumers by capturing the 360° view of the world. Users can interactively change their viewpoint and dynamically view any part of the captured scene they desire. Display and navigation sensors track head movement in real-time to determine the region of the 360° video that the user wants to view.

Method and apparatus for rendering timed text and graphics in virtual reality video


The present subject matter discloses a system and a method for managing a connection between a client and an application within a server in a network. In one implementation, the method includes receiving a connection request from the client. The method further includes associating with a worker thread, a unique identifier (UID) that uniquely identifies the received connection request. Further, the method involves, communicating a message that includes client data associated with the connection request to the application by the worker thread. The method also includes obtaining, by a reverse worker thread, a reply message associated with the UID from the application. The reverse worker thread is configured to communicate the reply message to the client.

Computer applications are designed to allow users to perform certain tasks efficiently and more easily. Various types of computer applications are known today. These include, for example, enterprise applications, accounting applications, trading applications, office suites, media applications, graphic simulation applications and so on. These applications are generally packaged within a computer or implemented over a computing-based network and can be deployed over one or more servers. Furthermore, such applications are also intended for providing service to a large number of clients, who may be accessing the applications over the network, simultaneously. For instance, in a banking environment, millions of users may intend to operate at a particular instance of time. Further, a particular banking service may be availed by many users at the same instance of time. In such circumstances, it is important to manage the connections between the client and the applications on the server.
Conventional systems establish and manage connections between the clients and the applications through a connection manager. A connection manager enables access to the applications based on the request received from one or more clients. Depending on the number of client requests received, the connection manager establishes multiple connections, thereby enabling multiple users to access a specific application. Typically, such connection managers may be specific to a particular application, i.e., capable of handling requests for specific applications.

Connection management in a computer networking environment


The present invention relates to a smartphone-based hearing aid which does not employ a separate power supply or digital signal processing device and instead has an analogue interface unit, configured with a single integrated circuit chip, connected between a plurality of microphones and a smartphone, thereby realizing a compact size, reducing the cost and enhancing the audio performance. Instead of employing a digital signal processing chip which is essentially used in the existing hearing aids or personal sound amplifiers, the smartphone-based hearing aid according to the present invention utilizes components such as a smartphone-embedded application processor (AP), RAM, digital-analogue converter, speaker and display and is therefore affordable. In particular, if a CPU and a GPU which are embedded in the application processor of the smartphone are utilized, digital signal processing necessary for the operation of the hearing aid can be performed within a short time of milliseconds (ms) just by using software.

In general, a recently well-used digital hearing aid is configured with two microphones, one signal processing chip in which an analog amplifier, an analog-digital converter, and a digital signal processor (DSP) are embedded in a single chip, a battery, and a speaker.
A hearing aid user commonly prefers that other people are rarely aware that the hearing aid user uses the hearing aid. Accordingly, recently, the hearing aid is located deep in the ear of a user, and the size of the hearing aid also tends to be gradually reduced. A battery is embedded in the hearing aid. As the size of the hearing aid is reduced, the size and capacity of the battery embedded in the hearing aid are reduced, and thus power consumption of the signal processing chip of the hearing aid needs to be reduced. Accordingly, as the size of the hearing aid is reduced, it is gradually difficult to execute high performance signal processing in the hearing aid.
Furthermore, recently, an average unit cost of one hearing aid exceeds US $2,300. If the hearing aids are used for both ears, the price becomes doubled. Accordingly, many people do not use the hearing aid although they become old and cannot hear very well because the hearing aid price is high as described above. From the year 2014, many personal sound amplification products (PSAPs) have been released, which have relatively simple hearing aid functions and have prices about a tenth of the existing hearing aid, but are not actively sold due to U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations that the PSAPs must be sold to only people who have normal hearing.
In the United States, as baby boomer generations enter sixties, demands for relatively cheap hearing aids are greatly increased. Accordingly, in order for users to purchase better performance hearing aids cheaply and easily, on October in 2015, President's council of advisors on science and technology (PCAST) recommended that hearing assistant product groups capable of being easily purchased online or at common stores should be produced in addition to the current expensive hearing aids that may be purchased through audiologists only and that the FDA regulations that the PSAPs must be sold to only people having normal hearing should be withdrawn. Accordingly, Starkey, that is, a hearing aid company of U.S.A., started PSAP business, and an interest in the PSAPs significantly increases. The PSAP and the hearing aid use almost the same technology. Accordingly, in the present invention, the hearing aid and the PSAP are collectively called a hearing aid.
A smartphone includes an audio codec (coder decoder) chip equipped with all microphone, speaker, and audio input and output signal processing functions, and an application processor (hereinafter referred to as an "AP") chip in which a central processing unit (CPU) and a graphic processing unit (GPU) are embedded. Accordingly, the smartphone have all the elements necessary for a hearing aid operation embedded therein. Accordingly, when the AP performs digital signal processing necessary for a hearing aid operation, the smartphone may be used as a hearing aid replacement. Particularly, in the AP, the CPU is responsible for an algorithm for relatively complicated determinations, and the GPU is relatively simple, but is responsible for parallel processing having many repetitive calculations, thereby being capable of greatly improving calculation speed.
That is, the time taken for digital signal processing necessary for a hearing aid operation according to the present invention can be significantly reduced using the GPU as the co-processor of the CPU. The digital signal processing necessary for the hearing aid operation includes beam forming, filter bank separation, wide dynamic range compression, and frequency equalization.
In the smartphone, however, quality of an output sound signal is limited although high performance signal processing, such as beamforming, is applied because the number of embedded microphones is commonly limited to 2 or 3. Furthermore, it is difficult to directly use the smartphone as a hearing aid replacement due to a disadvantage in that latency until a sound signal received by the microphone reaches the speaker embedded in the smartphone through the smartphone is long.
If latency until a sound signal received by the microphone reaches the speaker through the smartphone is long, quality of a sound signal is poor due to an interference phenomenon attributable to a latency difference between a sound signal directly transferred to a user's ear without the intervention of the smartphone and a sound signal transferred to the ear through the smartphone. Furthermore, the user feels inconvenient because the sound transferred to the ear through the smartphone is not temporally identical with a change in the shape of a counterpart's lip. In recent digital hearing aids, latency from timing in which a sound signal is received by a microphone attached to the hearing aid to timing in which the sound signal is output to the speaker of the hearing aid via a hearing aid circuit is maintained to a maximum of 10 ms or less. In this case, ms is a unit indicative of millisecond, and corresponds to 1/1000 seconds.
In recent Android smartphones, latency is 200 ms or more. The reason for this is as follows. In the smartphone, in order to prevent an operation of the AP from being hindered while audio data is input or output, audio data is collected for each given unit, and the AP or the audio codec processes the audio data at once. The audio data processing unit of the smartphone is the number of samples of an audio signal processed by the AP or audio codec of the smartphone at once, and is very various, such as 64, 128, 256, 512, 1024, 240, 480, 960, and 1920. The sampling rate of an audio signal used in the smartphone is 44.1 kS/sec or 48.0 kS/sec. If the sampling rate is 48.0 kS/sec and the audio data processing unit is 240 samples, the smartphone collects audio data for 5 ms, and the AP processes the audio data by transmitting the audio data to the audio codec embedded in the smartphone at once every 5 ms.
As a value of the audio data processing unit increases, latency from timing in which an audio signal is received by the microphone to timing in which the audio signal is output to the speaker is increased. The reason for this is caused by a wait time in an input and output data buffer. If the sampling rate is 48.0 kS/sec and the audio data processing unit is 240 samples, the wait time in the input and output data buffer is a maximum of 10 ms. The wait time is calculated as follows. A wait time of a maximum of 5 ms is taken until the input data buffer of the audio codec is full of 240 samples after an audio signal is input to the microphone, amplified by the audio codec chip, and converted into a digital signal. Furthermore, a wait time of a maximum of 5 ms is further necessary to transmit and store data, corresponding to the 240 samples, in the output data buffer of the audio codec at once in order to output the audio signal to the speaker after the audio signal is processed by the smartphone and stored in the random access memory (RAM) of the smartphone.
Accordingly, if the sampling rate is 48 kS/sec and the audio data processing unit is 240 samples, maximum latency until an audio signal is output from the microphone to the speaker through the smartphone is 10 ms or more in which the time taken for the signal processing is added to the sum of 10 ms, that is, the input and output data buffer wait time. If the sampling rate is 48 kS/sec and the audio data processing unit is 1920 sample, the input and output data buffer wait time is 80 ms. If the time taken to process a signal and move data in the smartphone is added to the wait time of the input and output data buffer, latency until a sound signal input to the microphone of an Android smartphone is output to the speaker through the smartphone is commonly 200 ms or more. In such a case, the same sound is heard twice because a sound signal heard through the smartphone and a sound signal directly transferred to an ear are recognized as different sound signals, thereby causing inconvenience.


A light emitting device includes a first electrode layer, a second conductive semiconductor layer on the first electrode layer, an active layer on the second conductive semiconductor layer, and a first conductive semiconductor layer on the active layer. An AlyGa1-yN layer (where, 0 y≦1) is provided over the first conductive semiconductor layer, and an InxGa1-xN pattern (where, 0 x≦1) is provided over the AlyGa1-yN layer. A gallium nitride semiconductor layer is provided over the InxGa1-xN pattern; and a pad electrode is provided on the gallium nitride semiconductor layer.

1. Field
The embodiment relates to a light emitting device, a method of manufacturing the same, a light emitting device package, and a lighting system.
2. Background
A light emitting device (LED) includes a p-n junction diode having a characteristic of converting electric energy into light energy. The p-n junction diode can be formed by combining group III-V elements of the periodic table. The light emitting device can represent various colors by adjusting the compositional ratio of compound semiconductors.
When forward voltage is applied to the LED, electrons of an n layer are bonded with holes of a p layer, so that energy corresponding to an energy gap between a conduction band and a valance band may be generated. This energy is mainly realized as heat or light, and the LED emits the energy as the light.
For example, a nitride semiconductor represents superior thermal stability and wide band gap energy so that the nitride semiconductor has been spotlighted in the field of optical devices and high-power electronic devices. In particular, blue, green, and UV light emitting devices employing the nitride semiconductor have already been developed and extensively used.
According to the relate art, the surface texturing is used based on etching in order to improve light extraction efficiency. However, the reliability of a device and light emitting efficiency are lowered due to the damage to a GaN epitaxial layer caused by the etching.
Further, the surface texturing based on the etching degrades the reproduction.

Light emitting device and lighting system


A system for broadcasting and receiving broadcasted information. A first fax or modem is connected through a transmitter interface to a radio transmitter. A second fax or modem is connected through a receiver interface to a radio receiver. Information to be broadcast is encoded by the first fax or modem, transmitted through the transmitter interface and broadcasted. One or more receivers capture the broadcasted information and transmit the captured information through their respective receiver interfaces to their respective second fax machines where the information is decoded and recorded.

Information transmission by telecopier or by telefax or fax machine has developed to a great extent and has acquired considerable importance. However, such transmission, as far as the art is concerned, is confined to bilateral communication between a sending fax machine and a receiving fax machine and does not permit concurrent transmission to a large or to an unlimited number of addresses. On the other hand, transmission broadcasts by radio can be received by anyone having a radio receiver, but whoever is interested in a given item of information must be listening to his radio receiver at the moment that the information is being transmitted. The same thing is true if the information is transmitted by television: it can only be received by a person who is watching his own television receiver at the moment that the information is being transmitted. It should be understood that whenever the reference is being made to a radio, transmission by television is also included, and in that case the audio circuits of the television receiver will play the part which the radio receiver plays in the following description of the invention. Furthermore, there is a way in which a radio or television broadcasting station may selectively transmit different items of information to different addresses, and remunerated for this service.
It is a purpose of the invention to provide a method and apparatus which will permit a radio or television broadcasting station to broadcast selected items of information, according to predetermined subjects, to subscribers who have contracted to receive information relating to a given subject, and to record the transmitted information in printed form, without the need or the presence of any listener or viewer or operator.
It is another purpose of the invention to achieve the aforementioned purpose by using standard transmitting, receiving and fax apparatus, or modem, with the addition of suitable components, as will be hereinafter explained.
Basically, fax and modem communications are similar. Fax apparatus is more popular because it is more convenient to operate and it sends graphic information. However, this invention can be carried out basically by the same means by means of fax or modem apparatus. Therefore it should be understood that, whenever the word "fax" is used hereinafter in this specification and claims, it means "fax or modem".
It is a further purpose of the invention to provide a method and apparatus whereby a broadcaster may enter into contractual agreements for the transmission to specific subscribers of information relating to pre-selected subjects and be remunerated for this service, or, alternatively, be remunerated through the supply of apparatus for the reception of the broadcasted information.
Other purposes and advantages of the invention will be understood as the description proceeds.

Method and apparatus for broadcasting and receiving broadcasted information


The purpose is to provide a mature protein having an antagonistic activity against bone morphogenetic proteins. The mature protein having an antagonistic activity against bone morphogenetic proteins is obtained by converting at least one residue among methionine residues or tryptophane residues existing in the amino acid sequence of mature human MP52 (SEQ ID No 1) to a hydrophilic residue by chemical modification, or replacing said residues with a hydrophilic amino acid residue or a polar amino acid residue. The chemical modification for said methionine residue is performed by an oxidization reaction or an alkylation reaction. The chemical modification for said tryptophane residue is performed by an allylsulphenylation reaction. Or a mature protein having an antagonistic activity against bone morphogenetic proteins is obtained by converting at least one residue of tryptophane residues existing in the amino acid sequences of mature human BMP-2 (SEQ ID No 2), mature human BMP-4 (SEQ ID No 3), and mature human BMP-7 (SEQ ID No 4) to a hydrophilic residue by chemical modification, or replacing said residues with a hydrophilic amino acid residue or a polar amino acid residue.

(1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a mature bone morphogenetic protein of which some hydrophobic amino acid residues are exchanged to a hydrophilic or a polar amino acid residue by chemical modification or genetic engineering technology. The mature proteins of this invention show an antagonistic activity against bone morphogenetic proteins, and are useful for medicinal agents to suppress symptoms of ectopic osteogenesis and ectopic calcification or metabolic bone diseases with calcification such as neurotic osteosis, ectopic ossification caused by stress of operation, traumatic myositis ossificans, ossification by defect of oxygen supply, osteogenic tumor, ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament, and arterial sclerosis.
(2) Description of the Related Art
A bone morphogenetic protein (hereinafter called BMP) is a protein having a bone morphogenetic activity in decalcified bone tissue. Although the isolation of BMP had been worked on energetically since the 1970s, it was quite difficult to isolate as a single protein. Gene cloning of BMP as expected was performed by Wozney in 1989 by molecular biological technology, using the amino acid sequences derived from unknown peptides which were separated by treating the fraction having bone morphogenetic activities with an enzyme. The gene was immediately introduced to the animal cultured cells, and the activity of the protein expressed was measured in vivo, and BMP activity in the protein was practically proved (Wang, E. A. et al., (1990) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, vol. 87, p. 2220–2224). Continuing cloning a protein with bone morphogenetic activities utilizing homology, several numbers of the proteins with bone morphogenetic activities in a similar structure have been isolated so far. Those proteins all belong to TGF (transforming growth factor)-β superfamily and are proved to have the activity to cause ectopic ossification in vivo, basically. Ossification caused by BMP is said to be internal cartilaginous and it seems to reproduce the formation of long bone at an embryonal stage. Therefore, BMP itself can be used as a medicinal agent for the treatment to compensate the bone deficit.
On the other hand, since BMP genes were disclosed and the specific antibodies against BMPs were prepared, BMPs were also expressed at the site of ectopic calcification, which have not had any medical treatment so far, and there seem some possibilities of the relationship between BMPs and those diseases. For example, it becomes recently evident that BMP exists or is included in diseases such as neurotic osteosis, ectopic ossification caused by stress of operation, traumatic myositis ossificans, ossification by defect of oxygen supply, osteogenic tumor, specified as refractory diseases such as ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) (Spine, 17-3S, S33, 1992) and calcification part of arterial sclerosis (J. Clin. Invest., vol. 91, p. 1800, 1993). In addition, the major symptoms of pseudomalignant heterotopic ossification (PHO), pseudomalignant osseous tumor and myosistis ossificans circumscripta are ache and the appearance of the hard tissue mass in the muscle. Though the causes of these diseases are still unknown in detail, BMP seems to have a relationship with the appearance of hard tissue in the muscle of the patients. It is considered that BMP exists in the tissue in which BMP does not exist naturally, acts on autocrine, and forms bone like hard tissue. There is no effective treatment for OPLL by now. When the compressive neural symptom is critical, an excision is operated. However the prognosis is not so good. There is no treatment for calcification of artery, neither.
It seems that suppression of BMP existence may be one of the major treatments for these diseases. Another treatment, such as administration of BMP antagonists, also seems effective. BMP receptors, neutralized antibodies against BMP and the BMP peptides corresponding to the binding site, a BMP with chemically modified specific amino acid residue are thought to have BMP antagonist-like activity.
Many studies have been so far carried out concerning a relationship between the structure and the activity of BMPs and it is speculated that some sites of mature BMPs relate to the receptor binding. It is known that a peptide synthesized based on these studies works as an antagonist against BMPs (JP patent application, Hei 7 ('95)-200175).

Bone morphogenetic protein antagonist based on the mature protein

Biopharm Gesellschaft zur biotechnologischen Entwicklung von Pharmaka mbH


A receptacle for a fermented milk product starter culture is disclosed. The receptacle allows a single batch of starter culture to be transferred from one quantity of fermented milk to a fresh quantity of milk for formation of additional fermented milk product. Methods for the production of fermented milk product are also disclosed.

Fermented milk products have been known for centuries. Such products include sour cream, buttermilk, kefir, koumis and various cheeses.
Yoghurt is a fermented milk product which has been known for over a thousand years. The product is believed to have originated in Asia where Turkish nomads were producing material referred to as "yoghurt" by the 8th century AD.
While the nutritive value of yoghurt is primarily determined by the milk from which it is made, yoghurt has the advantage that it is more easily digested than milk. Furthermore, yoghurt has therapeutic value and is used in treatment of intestinal disorders, liver and bile disorders and in the topical treatment of skin and oral disorders.
Yoghurt is therefore a product with considerable market appeal and processes are available for large scale production. However, there is also interest in home production of yoghurt, particularly when a product not available commercially is desired.
In home production, the usual process followed is to precook milk, cool to an incubation temperature, and add a yoghurt culture. Generally, a fresh yoghurt culture is used with each batch of milk.
Yoghurt cultures are known which comprise micro-organisms aggregated with an inert material. Such cultures can be used to prepare yoghurt from a first batch of milk then transferred to a second batch of milk for conversion to yoghurt followed by a further transfer and so on.
A portion of yoghurt produced from a first batch of milk can also be used as a starter culture for a second batch of milk. Further transfers can be made but eventually portions will become ineffectual as starter cultures.
Home production of yoghurt may be facilitated by using a process which includes the step of transferring an aggregated starter culture or portion of yoghurt to additional batches of milk. However, devices or systems for facilitating such transfers are not known.

Starter culture receptacle and methods using the same


The invention includes devices and methods for forming random arrays of magnetic particles, arrays formed using these devices and methods, and to methods of using the arrays. The invention provides an assembly (chip) with magnetic domains that produce localized magnetic fields capable of immobilizing magnetic particles such as commercially available magnetic beads. Probe or sensor molecules can be coupled to the beads, which are then dispersed on the assembly, forming a random order array. The arrays can be used for analyzing samples, targets, and/or the interaction between samples and targets. The invention finds particular use in processes such as high-throughput genotyping and other nucleic acid hybridization-based assays.

Progress in biology and in chemistry is leading to an ever-increasing demand for high-throughput, cost-effective analysis of complex mixtures. This demand has in turn stimulated the development of compact, high-density array devices. These devices are used to perform a wide variety of assays in a number of different contexts. Such assays typically involve classes of molecules including nucleic acids, proteins, antibodies, small organic molecules, etc. Applications include genotyping, immunodiagnostics, and screening of drug candidates. For example, the complete DNA sequence of a number of organisms including humans has been determined or will be determined in the near future. The next step is to quantify and understand the DNA sequence variation within particular individuals, thereby enabling identification and possibly treatment of genetic diseases, personalized selection of medications based on an individual's genetic makeup (pharmacogenomics), and a deeper understanding of the genetic basis for phenotypic variability. Arrays will play a key role in developing the massively parallel technologies needed to realize these possibilities.
Although diverse in terms of the specific molecules and assays involved, a common conceptual scheme underlies most array technologies. In general, a probe or sensor molecule is attached in some fashion to a substrate. The probe is contacted with a sample (typically, though not necessarily, a complex mixture) and an interaction takes place between the probe or sensor and a component of the sample (a target), which is then detected. In many array-based assays the target is bound (either covalently or noncovalently) to the probe, and binding is detected via a range of different approaches, thereby revealing the presence, identity, or other features of the target.
In most array technologies, the identity of a probe is positionally encoded, i.e., the probe is attached either directly or indirectly to a typically planar surface, and the position of the probe on the surface serves to encode the identity of the probe. For example, oligonucleotide arrays are used to understand the DNA sequence variation between individuals, e.g., by performing single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping. DNA obtained from an individual can be labeled (possibly after or during an amplification step) and then contacted with an array consisting of thousands of oligonucleotides attached to a substrate. Each of the oligonucleotides has a known sequence and is present at a known location on the substrate. The location of the hybridized nucleic acid molecule can be determined, e.g., by observing a fluorescent signal coming from the label. This location can be used to determine the sequence of the oligonucleotide bound to the DNA, which in turn reveals the sequence of the DNA. Similar approaches are widely used for determining MRNA expression patterns, and applications involving detection of proteins are contemplated. The current and potential future impact of DNA biochips is reviewed in Brown, P. and Botstein, D., "Exploring the new world of the genome with DNA microarrays", Nat. Genet., 21 (1 Suppl):33-37, 2000 and in Lockhart, D. and Winzeler, E., "Genomics, gene expression and DNA arrays", Nature, 405(6788):827-826, 2000.
Arrays such as substrate-bound oligonucleotide arrays have been fabricated using ink-jet printing and high-speed robotics, which individually deposit the oligonucleotides on a substrate as spots. The oligonucleotides are then permanently bound to the substrate. Oligonucleotide arrays have also been fabricated using photolithography and light-directed combinatorial chemical synthesis. Other array manufacturing techniques include screen printing and photodeposition. These techniques typically require multiple fabrication steps, are labor-intensive and time-consuming, and are subject to variability. In addition, the identity of each probe on the array must generally be "pre-registered" by its position on the array. Such arrays are not easily adaptable or reusable as the probes are permanently bound to the substrate. In addition, these arrays suffer from a significant lack of flexibility since a new fabrication protocol is needed to change any of the probe sequences or to add new probes to the array.
Thus while array designs and manufacturing techniques such as those described above have already proven to be highly effective tools for genetic analysis and diagnostic applications, there is considerable room for improvement. The present invention addresses some of the limitations of currently existing array technologies.

Devices and methods to form a randomly ordered array of magnetic beads and uses thereof

Board of Trustees of Leland Stanford Junior University


Method for the preparation of electrodeposited or galvanically deposited bumps for the bonding of integrated circuits, characterized by two subsequent metal depositions, deposited without an external current source (chemical metal deposition) on a metallization 1, the first deposition being thicker than the second and the second deposition being more even or more regular throughout a large area than the first one.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a process for the preparation of bumps on integrated circuits (ICs). The object is to avoid an (expensive) sputtering process required for the preparation of prior art bumps.
2. Prior Art
The flip-chip--or Tape Automated Bonding (TAB)--technology is a bonding process interconnecting the chip via "bumps" with a printed or prepared circuit structure on (semiconductor-) substrates. These processes allow high connection rates on a very small surface, lower inductivities as compared with wire bondings and an improved transfer of heat or thermal conveyance. At present, solder bumps or gold bumps are commonly used in said flip-chip and TAB technology. These processes require entire wafers as well as the use of thin-film-technologies (sputtering, photoresist-structuring) in combination with galvanic metal deposition processes.
Wafers comprising aluminum bond pads and a passivation layer are used for the galvanic shaping or molding of bumps in photosensitive resist. The passivation layer covers the entire wafer--thus sufficiently protecting the active elements--only the aluminum bond pads are left open and are overlapped on the edges by the passivation. The bumps may not be deposited directly on said aluminum pads, because metallic interconnections are formed at the surfaces adjoining the aluminum. Therefore, an adhesion and diffusion barrier layer (e. g. TiW) is prepared by sputtering after a preceding sputtering and etching process. A second thin gold or copper layer is sputtered, to form a basis for the gold or solder bumps to be deposited by galvanization. Said layer system is also called "under-bump-metallization". A galvanic mask consisting of photosensitive resist is required for the preparation of the bumps. In order to obtain a high contact density, the horizontal growth may be limited by using a thick photosensitive resist. The galvanic shaping of the bumps is effected in a respective metal bath.

Method for galvanic forming of bonding pads


A comb-type actuator for movable microelectromechanical structures includes first and second asymmetric sets of interdigitated fingers. Asymmetry is obtained by fabricating on set of fingers to have a greater height than the other set, or by providing electrically insulating segments in one set. Application of a voltage across the sets produces an asymmetric field between them and produces relative motion.

The present invention relates, in general, to microelectromechanical structures (MEMS), such as torsional cantilevers, to actuators for MEMS devices, and to methods for fabricating such structures. More particularly, the invention relates to high aspect ratio, single crystal silicon MEMS devices, such as a torsional cantilever having a cantilever moment arm mounted on a torsional support beam, to actuators incorporating multiple interleaved comb drive fingers which are energizable to actuate the cantilever, to a novel actuator structure, and to a process for fabricating such structures which is compatible with processes for making conventional silicon integrated circuits.
Since their development in the early 1980s, scanning probe microscopes have become important tools for surface analysis and surface modification. The unique applications of scanning probe microscopes include imaging and manipulating single atoms, measuring forces on the atomic scale, and performing nm-scale lithography. At the center of the family of scanning probe microscopes are the scanning tunnelling microscope (STM) and the atomic force microscope (AFM). These macroscopic scanned probe instruments, for the most part, use large piezoelectric actuators to position a sensing tip or a probe in three dimensions (xyz) and thus to provide relative motion between the tip and a sample surface. However, the size of these microscopic instruments limits their performance, for the mass of the tip-actuator structure produces low resonant frequencies and low scanning rates. More importantly, these large instruments cannot be easily integrated into arrays for high speed scanning and atom manipulation, for information storage, or for high throughput, nm-scale lithography systems.
A cantilever of some sort is often used in macroscopic force microscopy to monitor the variations in forces which represent the interaction between a tip and a sample. In such cases, the cantilever is usually a silicon nitride "V" cantilever which, for example, may be 0.6 to 2 micrometers thick, may be 100 to 200 micrometers long, and which may have a spring constant of between about 0.03 and 3 N/m for contact mode imaging. See, for example, T. R. Albrecht et al., J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A8, 3386 (1990). For non-contact mode imaging, the cantilever may be silicon with a spring constant of about 1 to 100 N/m, as described by Wolter et al., J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B9, 1353 (1991). In order to obtain a high degree of sensitivity, a low spring constant k and a high Q is needed for such cantilevers, and attempts have been made to accomplish this through the use of thin films. However, it is necessary to make the cantilever very thin in order to achieve a low spring constant with a thin film; for example, magnetic resonance force detection has been performed using a cantilever (without an integrated tip) that was only 900 .ANG. thick, and which had a spring constant of 10.sup.-3 N/m. However, the fabrication and use of such thin cantilevers poses many problems, including the problem of tip integration, problems with internal stress, and problems in making electrical connections and in amplifying the resulting signals.
For many years, torsion has been used as a technique for highly sensitive measurements of force interactions; for example, measurement of Coulomb's torsional balance for electrostatic forces and Cavendish's balance for gravitation. Furthermore, torsional resonators have been used as high-Q resonators to study a variety of physical properties, such as dissipation and visoelasticity. Such devices have been widely used because cantilevers, resonators, or balances can be made symmetric with respect to their center of mass, with the result that lateral vibrations of the support do not couple to the torsional mode of the sensor device. In the case where the measuring device includes a spring, lateral modes of the spring can be made much stiffer than the torsional mode without affecting the torsional behavior, thus making torsional measurements desirable.
Torsional cantilevers are known to provide a viable option in scanning force microscopy. However, such cantilevers have, in the past, been assembled by hand, using cleaved pieces of silicon, carbon fibers or tungsten wire, and epoxy. Such devices did not incorporate integrated tips and, although microfabricated cantilevers have been demonstrated, such devices exhibited a lateral stiffness which was as soft as, or softer than that of a V-shaped cantilever. The lack of sufficient lateral stiffness can result in unwanted "stick-slip" behavior as the cantilever is scanned across samples.

Drive electrodes for microfabricated torsional cantilevers


A combination fireworks device including at least one fire transmission unit including a plurality of single tubes placed in successive arrangement, wherein each of the plurality of single tubes includes a fire hole located on the tube side wall, and a single, continuous fuse connecting the plurality of single tubes to each other in series, wherein a portion of the fuse extends into the fire hole of each of the plurality of single tubes and the portion of the fuse includes a length of the fuse folded back onto itself in each fire hole.

Chinese National Standard GB10631-2004 entitled "Fireworks and Firecracker—Safety and Quality", GB 19593-2004 entitled "Fireworks and Firecracker—Combination Fireworks" and other normative references govern the requirements for combination fireworks, which are a combination of a plurality of single tube fireworks devices. Usually, the structure is formed of a plurality of rows of paper tubes, such as rectangles, cylinders, diamond shapes and fan-shaped bodies. The paper tube chamber is stuffed with propellant powder and effects, which are ignited through the fuses. The fuse structure of prior art combination fireworks are typically made as follows. Two holes are drilled in each tube wall, one is the fire entry hole into which fire enters and the other is the fire hole or fire transmission hole out of which fire exits. The fuses are divided into several short parts. The tubes are connected together by inserting the respective ends of a fuse part into the fire hole of one tube and the fire entry hole of an adjacent tube.
For example, the prior art 25-shot products comprise 5 tube rows X 5 single tubes per tube row as shown FIG. 1. The transfer order is in accordance with the fire lines 26 marked with arrows. The first tube row comprises the head-end of the paper tube series, starting with tube 11, followed in sequence by adjacent tubes 12, 13, 14 and 15. The long ignition fuse 20 is inserted into the fire entry hole (not shown) of tube 11. Tube 12 is adjacent to tube 11. The fire hole of tube 11 and fire entry hole of tube 12 are connected by inserting therein the two ends of short fuse 21. Tube 13 is adjacent to tube 12. In a similar manner, the fire hole of tube 12 and fire entry hole of tube 13 are connected by inserting therein into the two ends of short fuse 22. Tube 14 is adjacent to tube 13. The fire hole of tube 13 and fire entry hole of tube 14 are connected by inserting therein into the two ends of short fuse 23. Tube 15 is adjacent to tube 14. The fire hole of tube 14 and fire entry hole of tube 15 are connected by inserting therein into the two ends of short fuse 24.
Tube 16, which is located adjacent tube 15 is the first tube of the next row. To join the next adjacent row, the fire hole of tube 15 and fire entry hole of tube 16 are connected by inserting therein the two ends of short fuse 25, forming an inter-row fire transmission, and so on. A second long fuse (not shown) is inserted into the fire hole of tube 30, which is located at the end of the last row. The second long fuse is used as a spare ignition fuse.
In the illustrated prior art fuse structure, the fire-order is as follows: 1) ignition of fuse 20; 2) the propellant powder in tube 11 ignites short fuse 21 out of fire hole of tube 11 and into fire entry hole of tube 12; 3) the propellant powder in tube 12 ignites short fuse 22 out of fire hole of tube 12 and into fire entry hole of tube 13, and so on until the series ends.
In case there is a fault in firing, the spare ignition fuse can be ignited for a second ignition at tube 30, which is in a reverse fire transmission order. In this situation, the fire holes have the function of fire entry holes and vice versa.
There are several drawbacks to the prior art fuse structure. First, there is a lack of reliability in fire transmission and ignition. The potential of eliminating fire transmission failures is very low as the plurality of short fuses are connected but not as a singular fuse, particularly in each paper tube chamber where failures too frequently occur. Misfiring occurs once a fault has taken place at any fire transmission point, which not only leads to a firing failure affecting the fireworks display, but also may cause accidents during post-failure inspection. Second, to form a prior art fuse structure, it is necessary to cut a long fuse into multiple small parts. As the long fuse is covered by a cladding made of gunpowder, the cutting undermines the fuses lumen gunpowder distribution, and impacts the fire transmission performance. In addition, gunpowder contact is inevitable during the manual or mechanical cutting process, which is dangerous. Third, the procedure for processing traditional fuse structures is complicated and inefficient. Besides fuse cutting, punching or drilling (twice) in each tube and insertion of the short fuses are also required, and have to be done manually. During the fuse insertion process, soft and short fuses are inserted into the small holes of two adjacent tubes, which are difficult to be conducted reliably and efficiently by mechanical processes.
To overcome the problems of the prior art, an improved fuse structure for combination fireworks is needed.

Continuous fuse structure for combination fireworks


Exhaust components of a coating apparatus can be cleaned to remove coating material therein and/or can be periodically treated so as to prevent the buildup of coating material with exhaust components. Moreover, coating materials and cleaning liquids can be separated from the exhaust stream and collected to a drain. An exhaust manifold includes an integral rinsing mechanism and a fluid separator. Rinsing can be controlled automatically or manually.

The present invention has been developed for its particular applicability to the processing of semiconductor wafers. Semiconductor wafers must be processed in an extremely clean environment and process liquids and coatings must be very accurately applied.
Processing fluids and coatings include, for example, liquid resist materials which are subsequently patterned to create electrical circuit features, and other coatings such as anti-reflective coatings. Resist materials typically include organic solvents while other coatings may be soluble organically or in water. One common water soluble top anti-reflective coating is known as Aquatar.TM. which is available from AZ Photoresist Products, a division of Hoechst Celanese Corporation of Somerville, N.J.
Semiconductor wafers are typically coated within a coating apparatus known as a spinner or spin-coater. A spin-coat process is performed within a process chamber, wherein a rotatable chuck is driven with a semiconductor wafer supported thereon while process fluid is deposited onto the surface of the wafer. The process chamber is also exhausted, preferably by a negative pressure system, through an exhaust system. During the spin-coat process, process fluid is ejected from the wafer surface onto a cup assembly, typically provided within the process chamber, and airborne process fluid and particles are exhausted through the exhaust system. This process fluid may subsequently deposit and dry on the surfaces of the cup assembly and the exhaust system. This dried process fluid can provide potential contaminants within the coating process.
It is desirable to maintain the spin-coat process chamber as clean as possible. In this regard, developments have been made for periodically cleaning the internal surfaces of the process chamber. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,312,487 to Akimoto et al, several methods and devices are disclosed for applying cleaning or rinsing fluid to the internal surfaces of the container making up the process chamber. The purpose is to reduce the potential of contaminants being introduced from the process chamber onto a subsequently coated wafer. The coating materials as well as the washing liquids are exhausted through a conventional exhaust system and/or its drain.
Other cleaning systems have also been developed for use within a process chamber for the purpose of cleaning the back side of a semiconductor wafer after it is coated. Specifically, cleaning fluid is directed against the wafer back side with a controlled airflow over the wafer and into the exhaust system for cleaning the wafer back side and exhausting the removed particles and cleaning liquid. An example of this type of apparatus is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,529,626 to Stewart.
In these prior art systems, however, the coating fluids and cleaning liquids entrained within the airflow are carried into the exhaust system. An exhaust system will typically include exhaust manifolds and exhaust control mechanisms for controlling airflow. As the process fluid becomes airborne and is carried into the exhaust system, an incremental buildup of the process fluid on the exhaust system parts occurs. This incremental buildup can affect exhaust control performance by disturbing the requisite airflow normally controlled by a control valve and can eventually result in a restricting of the airflow passage altogether.
Exhaust systems also typically include a butterfly type valve as an airflow control valve for setting the requisite airflow desired for a particular coating application. Flat screens are also typically provided within the exhaust system for catching larger particles within the exhaust system, such as broken wafer pieces in the event of a wafer mishap in the spinner, to prevent damage to the exhaust system. These butterfly type valves and screens are also subject to the incremental buildup of process material carried within the exhaust.
Thus, exhaust systems typically require periodic disassembly and cleaning. However, periodic disassembly and cleaning is disadvantageous not only due to the downtime of the coating apparatus, but also in that disassembly compromises the system integrity by introducing the potential for particles to be introduced into the system.
Cleaning processes, such as described in the aforementioned U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,312,487 and 5,529,626, are beneficial to the exhaust system in the sense that cleaning or rinsing fluids are also carried into the exhaust system on a periodic basis. However, the airborne fluids within the exhaust during such cleaning processes also include the airborne coating materials. Thus, any benefit is relatively minimal. Another way to clean the exhaust system is to simply periodically dump solvents or cleaning fluids within the cup of the spinner assembly so that the fluid flows through the exhaust system for cleaning it. Such a procedure can be performed on a periodic basis also to prevent buildup of coating materials within the exhaust system. However, such a procedure still requires maintenance time and for an operator to manually dump the cleaning fluids within the apparatus. Moreover, a relatively large amount of cleaning fluid is required in order to ensure that all contaminated surfaces of the exhaust system are adequately cleaned. Then, all the cleaning fluid must be handled throughout the exhaust system.
Alternatively, obstructions to the flow of the exhaust air including airborne coating material can be eliminated. Items such as butterfly type control valves and screens can obstruct the airflow, particularly after a buildup of coating material thereon. These items may simply be removed from the exhaust stream. However, the clear disadvantage is the loss of control of the airflow and/or the safeguard features provided thereby. Moreover, at some point, the piping may still require cleaning.

Exhaust rinse manifold for use with a coating apparatus


A fuel supply system for an internal combustion engine has a fuel pump capable of pumping fuel from a fuel tank to the internal combustion engine, a motor driving the fuel pump, a pressure sensor configured to detect pressure of the fuel pumped from the fuel pump, and a control unit configured to output control signals to the motor. The control unit is configured to perform feedback control of duty ratio of the control signals for the motor, and to control the duty lower limit guard value in order to limit an amount of decreases of the duty lower limit guard value in the step-like manner when a duty lower limit guard value decreases.

This disclosure relates to a fuel supply system for an internal combustion engine (engine). The fuel supply system has a fuel pump for pumping fuel from a fuel tank to the engine, a motor for operating the fuel pump, and a control unit for performing feedback control of the duty ratio (also referred to as "duty cycle") of electric pressure (also referred to as "voltage") applied to the motor such that a fuel pressure comes close to a target fuel pressure.
For example, in a recent vehicle, fuel is pumped from a fuel pump into a fuel pipe and then is injected from injectors into an engine in order to supply the fuel to the engine. Further, feedback control of pressure of the fuel discharged from the fuel pump is performed such that fuel pressure in the fuel pipe increases or decreases depending on, e.g., an operating condition of the engine in order to further improve fuel efficiency, etc. However, in the state that the feedback control of the fuel pressure is performed, overshoot and undershoot of the fuel pressure are likely to occur, so that it is necessary to prevent such overshoot and undershoot.
In the fuel supply system for the engine according to Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2007-285272, during a fuel cut condition, the overshoot of the fuel pressure in the fuel pipe is prevented by performing feedback control of a fuel pump, in which it is integrated with using an integration correction factor smaller than one is used in a condition without fuel cut. Further, during a return process from the fuel cut condition, the undershoot of the fuel pressure in the fuel pipe is prevented by temporarily increasing electric pressure applied to the fuel pump depending on the fuel pressure in the fuel pipe during the return process. In the invention disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2007-285272, prevention of the overshoot is effectively performed only in the condition that the operating condition of the engine is fuel cut, and prevention of the undershoot is effectively performed only in the condition that the operating condition of the engine is in the return process from the fuel cut condition. Accordingly, there has been a need for improved fuel supply systems.


Devices and compositions are provided for cleaning optical surfaces with carbon black. Carbon black may be impregnated on a soft pad, such as chamois leather, to provide a lens cleaning device. The soft pad may be supported on a handle. The soft pad may be mounted on the handle by a resilient member that is capable of adapting with the soft pad to conform the cleaning surface to concave or convex optical surfaces. A retractable brush may be mounted at the opposite end of the handle from the soft pad.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to lens cleaning devices, particularly those having concave pads thereon, lens cleaning compositions, in particular compositions including carbon black, and methods for cleaning lenses using such devices and compositions.
2. Description of Related Art
Articles and instruments such as cameras, lens, binoculars, telescopes, view finders, magnifiers, theodolites and other devices having optical surfaces performed best when the optical surfaces are kept clean. On the one hand, the cleaning must be sufficient to remove fingerprints, dust, oily deposits and greasy or rain water residues. On the other hand, the cleaning must not damage relatively delicate plastic or optically coated surfaces.
Commonly a brush or blower, or a combination of both, is used to clean camera lenses and the like. However, these devices are really only effective in removing dust, sand and other loose particles. Fingerprints and other more permanent residues are usually removed using a soft cloth, chamois or tissue paper with or without a cleaning fluid.
Various articles have been developed to hold and support such means for wiping lenses. Examples are found in U.S. Pat. No. 2,055,314 to Seburger, 2,458,015 to McDonald, 2,880,441 to Rushing Jr., 4,480,252 to Eggett and 4,546,517 to Caniglia.
Such prior art devices and methods have certain limitations and disadvantages. For example, blowers or brushes merely remove dust or loose particles. Wiping devices and materials do not quickly or effectively remove greasy residues when used dry and may spread oily spots over the cleaned surfaces, causing flare and diffusion of the image. The use of a solvent is helpful, but this means that the user must carry around a bottle of solvent which has to be opened, applied, and wiped dry with a tissue or other wiper which is relatively inconvenient. In addition, disposable tissues contribute to litter when they are tossed away by careless users. Thus the prior art creates the need for a more effective and convenient lens cleaner and lens cleaning method.

Optical surfaces cleaning devices, compositions and methods


A system, method, and computer program product are provided for synchronizing a local database with a remote database. Additionally, a system, method, and computer program product are provided for performing a service operation on a database, the database located on a database system.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to databases and, more particularly, to synchronizing a remote database with a local database.
2. Description of the Background Art
Mobile devices are in common usage, many featuring powerful processors, larger and more colorful displays, and wireless networking capabilities. Despite these advances in mobile technology, mobile devices typically have greater limitations on memory capacity and networkability than workstation computers. Given the versatility of mobile devices, it is helpful to implement a means by which these mobile devices can interact with data sets larger than any it could manage on its own, and doing so in the context of potentially intermittent, unreliable, or unavailable networking capabilities.
Interaction using data sets exchanged between mobile devices and central servers often occurs in the context of exchanges of information stored in databases. Mobile devices often retain a copy of some or all of the data found in the central database in a local database for local access. However, inefficiencies abound given the limitations of mobile devices. Additionally, mobile devices may run a variety of operating systems, software suites, and programming frameworks.
Accordingly, what is desired is a means of efficiently synchronizing a local database on a mobile device with a central database.

Programming system for occasionally-connected mobile business applications