An information recording and reproducing device has a first recording clock generation circuit which generates a clock based on pre-recorded information on a magneto-optical disk, a second recording clock generation circuit and a switching circuit The switching circuit selects a first recording clock when recording information is of discrete information and selects a second recording clock when recording information is of successive information. Moreover, in the present device, a first reading clock is used as well as a second clock as a clock for reading out the reproduced data from the magneto-optical disk, which had been once stored in memory. The second reading clock having a reference frequency is generated by a second clock generation circuit and is used for reading out successive information such as music information. The first reading clock in synchronization with the reproduced signal is generated by a first reading clock generation circuit and is used for reading out discrete information such as computer-use data. In addition, in the case of discrete information, it is possible to start recording/reproducing operation immediately after an optical head reaches a desired position, thereby permitting to shorten an access time.

Conventionally, so-called compact disks (hereinafter referred to as CDs) have been widely used whereon successive information such as music information is recorded as digital signals in the form of optically detectable minute pits. Meanwhile, CD-ROMs (Compact Disc Read Only Memory), whereon discrete information such as computer-use data as well as music information is recorded, have been viewed with interest for its characteristics of large storage capacity and high productivity and already come into use (hereinafter CD-ROMs are included in CDs for convenience). Information on the CDs is reproducible through optical disk reproducing devices for only reproduction (CD players).
FIG. 10 and FIG. 11 are schematic views illustrating a signal format used in the CDs. As shown in FIG. 10, a frame 50a of a recording signal is composed of a frame synchronization signal 50b indicating a head of the frame, a sub-code 50c for additional information data, and a data field 50d having 24-byte main information data and 8-byte error detection and correction parity code added thereto.
In addition, the data field 50d is formed by an error detecting and correcting method including non-complete interleaving called CIRC (Cross Interleaved Reed Solomon Code).
As shown in FIG. 11, ninety-eight of the frame 50a form a sub-coding frame 51a (hereinafter referred to as a sector). Further, ninety-eight of the sub-code 50c in each frame 50a form a sub-coding block 51c. Information such as track numbers (corresponding to music numbers when main information is of music programs), or absolute address information on the disk is indicated by data in the sub-coding block 51c.
Since the length of each sector corresponds to 13.3 ms, seventy five sectors are equivalent to a second. In this case, sector numbers on the disk can be described base on the following data, "minute": "second": "a sector number in one second (taking a value from 00 through 74)". The sector number corresponds to successive time-indicating information and position-indicating information and consecutively increases from an innermost outward of the disk.
FIG. 12 is a typical depiction illustrating an area allocation on the CD. A disk 52 is provided with a main information recording area 52b and a TOC (Table of Contents) area 52a. The main information recording area 52b stores main information such as music information and sector numbers according to the sub-code information.
The TOC area 52a stores additional information of the sub-code relating to respective information recorded in the main information recording area 52b, such as a track number and a recording start sector number of each track. The TOC area 52a also stores other kinds of information such as distinctive information for determining whether recorded information on a track is audio information such as music information or computer-use data.
According to the format, when loading a disk into the CD player, sub-code information in the TOC area 52a is read out, then the number of main information (corresponding to the number of music programs for music information), sector numbers of recording start positions of respective information and a sort of information (whether successive information such as audio information or discrete information such as computer-use data) are recognized. Thereafter, an access operation to a desired track is promptly carried out upon receiving instructions to perform reproducing operation by collating information in the TOC area 52a with the sub-code sector numbers in the main information recording area 52b.
When recording on the CDs, a so-called CLV (Constant Linear Velocity) system is employed for a rotation control. With this system, a recording density becomes constant at any position of the disk. This characteristic is preferable for increasing recording capacity. In a CD player, the CLV control is carried out by controlling a disk rotation such that an interval of the reproduced signal, for example, the frame synchronization signal, which is recorded on the CD at CLV, becomes a reference length.
The following discusses the conventional CD player referring to FIG. 13.
The FIG. 13 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the CD player. A spindle motor 62 for supporting a CD disk 61 is controlled by a CLV control circuit 63 so that the CD disk 61 rotates at a constant linear velocity. Then, an optical head 64 is moved to a desired position on the CD disk 61 by means of a moving function (not shown). When a laser beam is projected on the CD disk 61 through the optical head 64, the resulting reflected light beams are converted into an electronic signal according to the intensities thereof. Further, the electronic signal is amplified by a reproduction amplifier 65. Then, it is sent as a reproduced signal to a first clock generation circuit 66 and a reproduced data processing circuit 67.
The first clock generation circuit 66 is composed of a so-called PLL (Phase Locked Loop) which generates a clock in synchronization with the reproduced signal from the reproduction amplifier 65. Further, the reproduced data processing circuit 67 distinguishes the reproduced signal by using a clock generated by the first clock generation circuit 66 and separates the frame synchronization signal therefrom. The reproduced data processing circuit 67 also demodulates "EFM" (Eight to Fourteen Modulation) modulated reproduced data. Thereafter, the CIRC is decoded by a memory 72 for the purpose of correcting errors in the reproduced signal.
A clock system for processing the reproduced data is discussed in detail hereinbelow. When writing the "EFM" demodulated reproduced data in the memory 72, a clock in synchronization with the reproduced signal is required For this reason, the clock generated by the first clock generation circuit 66 is sent to a write address generation circuit 68. A memory address in synchronization with the clock is continuously output from the write address generation circuit 68. A memory address is sent to the memory 72 via a switch 71, whereby the "EFM" demodulated data is written in the memory 72 in a determined order.
On the other hand, a second clock generation circuit 69 is provided for a read-out operation from the memory 72. The second clock generation circuit 69 generates a clock having a determined reference frequency. In a read address generation circuit 70, a memory address is generated according to the reference clock generated by the second clock generation circuit 69. The memory address is continuously sent to the memory 72 via the switch 71, whereby the data from the memory 72 is read out in a determined order. In the reading data, the main data shown in FIG. 11 is again converted into analog audio information by a D/A converter 73 and then output to a terminal 74.
In addition, the write address generation circuit 68 and the read address generation circuit 70 do not have the same address generation order. These circuits also de-interleave the data into the original order, which had been re-arranged through the interleaving method when recording on the disk.
Further, since an actual storage capacity of the memory 72 is limited, writing and read-out operations of the data in and from the memory 72 may not be performed accurately. In order to counteract this, the CLV control circuit 63 makes a fine adjustment on the spindle motor 62 such that, for example, a frequency of the frame synchronization signal in the reproduced signal becomes always a reference frequency of the second clock generation circuit 69. As a result, a successive reproducing operation can be surely performed.
Another reference clock is used for generating addresses in the read address generation circuit 70 other than the reference clock in synchronization with the reproduced signal. This contributes to absorb the deviation in the reproduced signal of the disk rotation system, thereby permitting to perform a reproducing operation with hi-fi audio without having a time based deviation. This is the advantageous characteristic of the digital audio apparatuses and normally called TBC (Time Base Correcting).
Next, a controlling process of an access operation using the CD player having the described configuration is discussed in reference to a flow chart in FIG. 14.
When instructions for reproduction are given by, for example, a user, the optical head 64 is moved to an reproduction start absolute address position on the disk as instructed (S 31 and S 32). When the optical head 64 has been moved to the address position, a still jump (a backward jump per rotation of the disk) is made so that the optical head 64 is held in a wait-state by keeping the light beam at a radial position of the disk (S 33). Then, the CLV control starts (S 34).
After waiting until the determined linear velocity is obtained (S 35), the optical head is held in another wait-state at the radial position of the disk until obtaining a target reproduction start absolute address (S 36). This normally refers to as a waiting time for a disk rotation. Upon obtaining the target reproduction start absolute address, the still jumping operation is set off (S 37), thereby starting the reproducing operation.
Next, regarding variations in the number of the disk rotations, the disk linear velocity and the reproduced signal synchronization clock thus controlled, an example is given by showing a case of accessing from an outer portion toward an inner portion of the disk referring to FIG. 15.
The disk linear velocity gradually decreases as the optical head 64 moves towards the inner portion of the disk. This is because the number of the disk rotations during the time intervals m2 and m3 are substantially the same as the number of the disk rotations during the time interval ml which ends at t1 at which the instructions for reproduction are given. The time intervals m2 and m3 are for moving the optical head. Here, the reproduced signal synchronization clock gradually decreases in response to the reproduced signal of the disk during the time interval m2 which ends at t2. During the time interval m3, it lies outside the range wherein the PLL is locked and held in a preserve state.
After the optical head has been moved to the target position, the CLV control starts at t3. From t3, both the number of disk rotations and the linear velocity gradually increase. Then, after an elapse of time intervals m4 and m5, the number of the disk rotations and the linear velocity within the determined range are obtained at t5. Meanwhile, the reproduced signal synchronization clock starts increasing from t4 as the reproduced signal increases after an elapse of the time interval m4 as a preserve period. Then, after an elapse of a time interval m6 corresponding to the waiting time for the disk rotation, the reproducing operation starts.
Thus, the discussed CLV system is time consuming in comparison with the CAV (Constant Angular Velocity) system because not only for moving the optical head and the disk rotation, waiting time is required also for the linear velocity control and for another disk rotation before starting the reproducing operation. The CAV system has been generally used when reproducing information from the conventional floppy disks or hard disks, etc., at a constant angular velocity (a constant number of rotation).
When using a re-writable disk such as a magneto-optical disk which has been recently developed, whereon various types of information such as music information, computer-use data, etc., are recorded, the information recording and reproducing device is preferably designed to be compatible with the conventional CD player by employing a common reproducing method.
In this case, especially for an initial disk whereon information has not been recorded, an access operation to sector positions prior to recording nor the CLV control which is required during recording cannot be executed. This is because the initial disk does not have absolute address information defined by the sub-code of the signal format used in the CDs nor the frame synchronization signal used in the CLV control and the like.
To counteract the above-mentioned problems, the following method is proposed as an alternative method for recording absolute addresses without using sub-code information. In this method, guiding grooves on the disk are displaced inward or outward in a radial direction after being "biphase-mark" modulated, or the widths of the guiding grooves on the disk are varied depending on the value of each bit: "0" or "1" (for example, see U.S Pat. No. 4,907,216).
In this case, if a frequency band of a "biphase-mark" modulated absolute addresses and a frequency band of "EFM" modulated recording information are set to differ, the respective reproducing operations can be performed separately. This enables access to an area even whereon no information has been recorded by using the absolute addresses associated with the guiding grooves.
Moreover, by using a reproduction carrier component of the absolute address, more concretely, by comparing the reproduction carrier component with a reference clock generated in the device, an accurate CLV control can be achieved. This is also true during the recording operation. Here, when recording information, the recording signal can be generated by coding/modulating recording information using the reference clock.
Since CDs have large storage capacity, a reproduced data processing device using the CDs described is preferably arranged such that reproducing operation can be performed by promptly accessing to a desired piece of information from the recording medium. Further, another reproduced data processing device using a re-writable disk which is compatible with the CDs, is preferably arranged such that the reproducing operation of various types of information (not restricted to music information) can be performed, especially as an information recording medium for home use by utilizing the disk's advantageous characteristic of being accessible at high speed.
However, when information is recorded using the signal format of the CDs described, an access operation is required prior to the recording operation. The access operation is for controlling the disk rotation to be the determined linear velocity after the optical head has been moved to the desired absolute address position.
In the access operation, the time required for obtaining a constant linear velocity after moving the optical head to the determined address position is generally longer than the time required for moving the optical head to the determined address position. Especially when moving from an innermost portion to a circumferential potion of the disk or vice versa, the ratio of the disk rotation speed is 2:1 or greater where the access time is maximized.
FIG. 16 shows a relationship between various operations for starting up a recording operation and the disk rotation speed in accordance with the information recording and reproducing device employing the re-writable disk. FIG. 17 is a flow chart showing a process up to when the reproducing operation starts.
In FIGS. 16 and 17, when instructions for recording are given by the host device or a user (S 0), the optical head is moved to the target recording start absolute address position as instructed (S 1). Then, it is judged whether or not the optical head has reached the target absolute address position (S 2). Here, the disk rotation speed is kept substantially constant during the time interval m2, i.e., from t1 at which the optical head starts to move until t2 at which the optical head reaches the target absolute address position.
When the optical head has reached the target absolute address position, it is held in a still and wait state by making a still jump (a backward jump by one track which the light beam makes per rotation of the disk) (S 3). In the mean time, the CLV control is enabled (S 4).
Then, it is judged whether or not the determined linear velocity has been obtained (S 5). After an elapse of a time interval m3, if the linear velocity has the predetermined value at t3, it is next to be judged whether or not the optical head has reached the target absolute address position within the track from which the reproducing operation is repeatedly performed by making a still jump (S 6).
After an elapse of a time interval m4, if the optical head has indeed reached the target absolute address, the still jumping operation is set off (S 7), then the recording operation starts (S 8).
As is evident from the above explanation, the discussed CLV system is time consuming in comparison with the so-called CAV (Constant Angular Velocity) system because not only for moving the optical head in a radial direction and the disk rotation, waiting time is required also for the linear velocity control and for another disk rotation.
This may not cause a serious problem when recording successive information having a large memory such as music information. However, as for discrete information such as computer-use data, every time performing a recording operation, additional waiting time is required for a linear velocity control. Thus, this system is not suitable especially when information has small memory and when recording and re-writing operations are performed frequently.
Moreover, even if the driving capability for moving the optical head in a radial direction is improved for the purpose of improving the access velocity, the waiting time required for the linear velocity control and for the disk rotation until reaching the target absolute address position cannot be shortened. Thus, the problem this causes of the long access time still remains unsolved.
On the other hand, when reproducing information using the discussed conventional method, an additional waiting time is required for obtaining a determined linear velocity by controlling the number of disk rotations as well as the waiting time required for a so-called access operation, i.e., for moving the optical head to a desired position on the disk. This causes the problem that the reproducing operation cannot be performed promptly.
The waiting time for controlling the number of the disk rotations is usually longer than the time required for moving the optical head. Especially when moving from an innermost portion to a circumferential portion (or from the circumferential portion to the innermost portion) of the disk, the ratio of the disk rotation speed is 2:1 or greater where the access time is maximized. This problem is not serious when dealing with audio information like music information. However, as for discrete information such as computer-use data, every time performing a reproducing operation, additional waiting time is required for a linear velocity control. This causes the problem that the computer's capability in terms of processing is lowered.
Moreover, even if the driving capability for moving the optical head in a radial direction is improved for the purpose of improving the access velocity, the waiting time for the rotation control and for the disk rotation will override the improved driving capability, thereby failing to obtain an overall improvement in the access velocity.
FIG. 18 is a diagram for discussing another problem which arises when adopting the discussed CD format to the re-writable disk. The figure illustrates a reproducing operation when recorded information is stored in five sectors from (n) to (n+4) with respect to a sector line (see FIG. 18 (a)) on the disk having a unique absolute address value indicated by pre-recorded information such as rotation control information, etc.
Here, a reproduced signal is shown in FIG. 18 (b). Sectors other than the five sectors, i.e., a sector (n-1) and sectors (n+5) through (n+7) represent areas whereon no information has been recorded. The reproduced signal is converted into a digital reproduced signal (see FIG. 18 (c)) by means of, for example, a comparator. However, in the area whereon no information has been recorded, i.e., the sector (n-1) and the sectors (n+5) through (n+7), the reproduced signal (see FIG. 18 (b)) is in the noise level, and corresponding digital reproduced signals (c1) and (c3) become meaningless data having high frequency components.
Thus, as shown in FIG. 18 (d), in the area whereon no information has been recorded, the PLL, for generating a clock in synchronization with the reproduced signal, generates a clock having a high frequency as a result of following the digital reproduced signal (a vertical axis indicates the frequency).
Here, an explanation is given in accordance with the discussed TBC operation. A clock for memory writing (see FIG. 18 (e)) is in synchronization with the reproduced signal. Thus, in areas (e1) and (e3), information is written in a memory using a clock having a high frequency. On the other hand, a clock for memory reading out (see FIG. 18 (f)) is a reference clock having a determined frequency. Thus, there is a difference of the frequences between the clock for memory writing and the clock for memory reading out as is shown in FIG. 18 (g).
For this reason, so called memory over-flowing phenomenon occurs wherein new data is written before reading out pre-recorded data. This depends on the storage capacity of the memory. The detection of the memory over-flow is shown in FIG. 18 (h) (a memory over-flowing state is represented by a high level).
On the other hand, the sectors (n) through (n+4), i.e., the sectors for reproduction, the data stored in these sectors on the disk is reproduced and then written in the memory. Here, a determined time delay arises from de-interleaving and error correcting operations done using the CIRC. Thus, as shown in FIG. 18 (i), the memory read-out operation of the data corresponding to the sectors (n) through (n+4) is lagged and performed respectively in accordance with (d1) through (d5).
Therefore, during the read-out operation of the data (d5), memory over-flow arises at a transfer point from a low level to a high level as shown in FIG. 18 (h). Thus, a part of the data (d5) stored in the memory is destroyed, thereby presenting the problem of triggering errors.

Information recording and reproducing device providing faster access time to a recording medium


In operating a resistive memory device including a number of memory cells, a write pulse is applied to each of the plurality of memory cells such that each of the memory cells has a target resistance state between a first reference resistance and a second reference resistance higher than the first reference resistance. The resistance of each of the memory cells is read by applying a verify pulse to each of the plurality of memory cells. A verify write current pulse is applied to each of the memory cells that has resistance higher than the second reference resistance, and a verify write voltage pulse is applied to each of the memory cells that has resistance lower than the first reference resistance.

The inventive concept relates to memory devices, and more particularly, to a resistive memory device and a method of operating the resistive memory device.
Next generation memory devices having nonvolatile characteristics without aid of refresh operations have been continuously developed with the need for high integration density and low power consumption of memory devices. The next generation memory devices need to be designed to have high integration density characteristics of dynamic random access memory (DRAM) devices, nonvolatile characteristics of flash memory devices, and high speed characteristics of static random access memory (SRAM) devices. Phase change random access memory (PRAM or PcRAM) devices, nano floating gate memory (NFGM) devices, polymer random access memory (PoRAM) devices, magnetic random access memory (MRAM) devices, ferroelectric random access memory (FRAM or FeRAM) devices and resistive random access memory (RRAM or ReRAM) devices are attracting much attention as the next generation memory devices that meet the above requirements.

Resistive memory device and method of operating the resistive memory device


The inventor has found that enzymatic treatment of crustaceans with lipolytic enzymes promotes the extraction of coloured pigment. Accordingly, the invention relates to a method for recovering coloured pigment, e.g. astaxanthin, and/or chitin or chitosan and/or lysolecithins from crustaceans. Lipolytic enzyme(s) may e.g. be lipase or phospholipase. The lipolytic enzyme treated crustacean material may be subjected to additional process steps, including treatment with non-lipolytic enzymes such as e.g. protease. The process of the invention provides several suitable products and several uses of such products. Furthermore, the invention also relates to the cosmetic and consumable products (feed and food (including beverages) products and additives produced therefrom.

The usage of carotenoid pigments such as astaxanthin is increasing in the field of food and feed additives as a colorant and/or as an anti-oxidant, in particular for aquacultered fish. Aquatic animals, like terrestrial animals, generally cannot synthesize astaxanthin or other carotenoids but several of these animals, including crustaceans, accumulate astaxanthin present in their diet. Crustaceans have the capability of converting carotenes to astaxanthin. Salmonid fish and red sea bream fish accumulate dietary astaxanthin but these fish cannot convert other carotenes to astaxanthin. Thus, the astaxanthin present in salmonid fish must be derived directly from dietary source.
Currently synthetic astaxanthin is employed as feed additive for coloration of farmed fish for providing its desired characteristic reddish colour. However, consumer concerns have resulted in an increased demand for providing natural astaxanthin to substitute the synthetically produced astaxanthin. This should also be seen in the light of the current general preference for natural products.
The expansion of the crustacean-processing industry has been accompanied by the production of large amounts of crustacean waste containing astaxanthin. Shrimp processing involves the removal of the head and hard carapace, which account for up to about 70% of the whole shrimps. Although pigmentation of fish flesh can be achieved by feeding the fish with crustacean waste, there are several disadvantages to this approach. These include the variable pigment level, the tendency of the raw crustacean waste to deteriorate rapidly, bulkiness and high transportation cost and a high chitin content. Thus, the content of carotenoid pigments in crustacean waste is too low compared to the undesirably high content of chitin and calcium for its use in large amounts in fish feed.
Various chemical methods for extracting pigments, e.g. from crustacean waste and their incorporation into fish feed have been described. Chen et al, Journal of Food Science, vol 47/3, 892–900, 1982 describes extraction of astaxanthin from crustaceans with soy oil alone or in combination with use of proteases. Use of organic solvents for extracting astaxanthin has also been described.
Several references disclose methods involving protease treatment for extraction of astaxanthin from crustaceans, cf. e.g.: Simpson and Haard, Journal of Applied Biochemistry, 7, 212–222, 1985; Chen and Meyers, Journal of Food Science, vol 47, 892–900, 1982. CA1,313,935 also discloses treatment of crustacean waste with protease. In Abstract of Papers, American Chemical Society, vol. 231 p7-IEC, 1997 is disclosed the extraction of carotenoproteins from crustacean wastes by means of trypsin.
JP 60-35057A describes extraction of orange dye from krill with a solvent and subsequently after the extraction adding lipase or an alkali to the extract solution to decompose fatty acid and using a fluid at supercritical state to separate the dye from the extract solution.
JP 62-00179A discloses the extraction and separation of colouring matter from krill, wherein protein is extraction with carbon dioxide in supercritical state from the krill using a protease.
JP 62-190090A discloses the extraction of pigment from vegetable material, such as carrot, pumpkin, by the use of enzymes, such as amylase, protease and cellulase.
In summary, there is a demand for substituting the synthetically produced astaxanthin presently on the market and one object of the present invention is to provide a method for providing natural coloured pigment, such as astaxanthin.

Methods for processing crustacean material


A tray device for mounting in a vehicle. The tray device includes a tray top and a pair of legs pivotally coupled to the lower surface of the tray top. The legs are positioned adjacent one of the end edges of the tray top. A mounting member is coupled to another of the end edges of the tray top. The mounting member has a pair of spaced apart elongate arm portions and a cross portion extending between the arm portions of the mounting member. Each of the arm portions has a hooked upper end which is adapted for insertion into a slot of a door of a vehicle between a window of the door and an inner door panel of the door such that the mounting member is positioned adjacent the inner door panel of the door.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to trays for mounting in a vehicle and more particularly pertains to a new tray device for mounting in a vehicle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of trays for mounting in a vehicle is known in the prior art. More specifically, trays for mounting in a vehicle heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
Known prior art trays for mounting in a vehicle include U.S. Pat. No. 5,427,292; U.S. Pat. No. 5,106,003; U.S. Pat. No. 5,337,677; U.S. Pat. No. 5,413,035; U.S. Pat. No. Des. 344,625; and U.S. Pat. No. Des. 360,183.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a new tray device. The inventive device includes a tray top and a pair of legs pivotally coupled to the lower surface of the tray top. The legs are positioned adjacent one of the end edges of the tray top. A mounting member is coupled to another of the end edges of the tray top. The mounting member has a pair of spaced apart elongate arm portions and a cross portion extending between the arm portions of the mounting member. Each of the arm portions has a hooked upper end which is adapted for insertion into a slot of a door of a vehicle between a window of the door and an inner door panel of the door such that the mounting member is positioned adjacent the inner door panel of the door.
In these respects, the tray device according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of mounting in a vehicle.


The object of the invention is a method for the encryption of information transferred between data transfer devices (MS, SGSN) in a data communication system wherein one or more data frames are created from one or more data packets formed from the information by the application. The data frames comprise at least a header field and a data field. In the method, at least some part of the data packets is ciphered by using a ciphering key (Kc). To the data frames, synchronization data (COUNT) is attached, the value of which is changed at least at the transmission of each data frame.

The present invention relates to a method for the encryption of information being transferred between data communication devices in a data communication system wherein one or more data frames are formed from one or more data packets formed from the infomation by an application, and these data frames comprise at least a header field and a data field. The invention relates additionally to a data communication system which comprises the means for the encryption of information being transferred between data transfer devices, the means for forming one or more data packets from the information and the means for forming data frames from the data packets.
Data transfer between separate data transfer devices can be achieved in such a way that those data transfer devices between which data at that time is to be transferred, are linked together for the time needed for the data transfer. In such a case, the link is maintained until the user stops the data transfer. In such cases, most part of the linkage time is spent in entering commands provided by the user and only a small part of the time is actual data transfer. This limits, for example, the maximum number of simultaneous users. Another possibility is to exploit a so-called packet switched data transmission. In this case, data is transferred between data transfer devices in a packet mode, in which case the time between the packets is freely available and can be used by other data transfer devices. In this case, the number of simultaneous users can be increased, especially in wireless data transfer networks, such as cellular networks, since in this case the mobile stations which are in the same cellular area can use the same transfer channel. One such a cellular system is the GSM system (Group Special Mobile) for which a packet mode data transfer service GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) has been developed. FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of principal blocks in the operation of the GPRS system. A packet switching controller SGSN (Serving GPRS Support Node) controls the operation of packet switching service on the cellular network side. The packet switching controller SGSN controls the sign-on and sign-off of the mobile station MS, the updating of the location of the mobile station MS and the routing of data packets to their correct destinations. The mobile station MS is connected to the base station subsystem BSS through a radio interface Um (FIG. 1). The base station subsystem is connected to the packet switching controller SGSN through the BSS-SGSN interface Gb. In the base station subsystem BSS, the base station BTS and the base station controller BSC have been connected to each other by a BTS-BSC interface Abis. The location of the packet switching controller SGSN in the mobile station network can vary, for example, according to which technical implementation is being used. Although in FIG. 1, the packet switching controller SGSN has been marked outside the base station subsystem BSS, the packet switching controller SGSN can be placed, for example, as a part of the base station BTS connected to the base station subsystem BSS or as a part of the base station controller BSC.
The GPRS system has been described, for example, in draft proposals GSM 01.60, GSM 02.60, GSM 03.60 and GSM 04.60 which have been dated prior to the application date of the present invention.
The operation of both the mobile station MS and the packet switching controller SGSN can be divided into various layers, each providing a different function, as has been shown in FIG. 2. The International Standardisation Organisation, ISO, has formulated an OSI model (Open Systems Interconnection) for grouping data transfer into different functional layers. In this model, there are seven layers which are not necessarily needed in all data communication systems.
Transferable information, such as control signalling and data transmitted by the user, between a mobile station MS and a packet switching controller SGSN is exchanged preferably in a data frame mode. The data frame of each layer consists of a header field and a data field. FIG. 2 shows also the structure of data frames being used in the GPRS system in different layers.
The information contained in the data field can be, for example, data entered by the user of the mobile station or signalling data. The data field may contain confidential information which has to be secured as reliably as possible before transmitting it to the radio path. In such a case, the encryption has to be executed in such a way that in all simultaneous connections between the packet switching controller SGSN and mobile stations MS connected to it, a separate encryption key is used. Conversely, it is not preferable to cipher the address data of the data frame by the same encryption key used in the ciphering of the data field, since mobile stations MS use a shared radio path resource, i.e. information in many different connections is transferred in the same channel, for example, at different time intervals. In this case, each mobile station should receive all messages transmitted in the channel concerned and decrypt at least the encryption of the address data to identify to which mobile station the message is intended. Also the packet switching controller SGSN does not know which encryption key should be used.
In the following, the operational functions of the layers of the GPRS system have been presented.
The lowest layer is called an MAC layer (Media Access Control) which controls the use of the radio path in the communication between the mobile station MS and the base station subsystem BSS, such as allocating channels for transmitting and receiving packets.
Data transmission between the base station subsystem and the packet controller SGSN in the lowest level is executed at the L2 layer (link layer) in which link layer protocol is used, such as LAPD protocol according to standard Q.921, frame relay protocol or the equivalent. The L2 layer may additionally contain also quality or routing data according to GPRS specifications. Layer L2 has properties of the physical layer and the link layer of the OSI model. The physical transmission line between the base station subsystem BSS and the packet controller SGSN depends, for example, on where the packet controller SGSN has been located in the system.
Above the MAC layer, there is an RLC layer (Radio Link Control) and its function is to divide the data frames formed by the LLC layer into fixed sized packets to be transmitted to the radio path and their transmission and retransmission when necessary. The length of the packets in the GRPS system is the length of one GSM time slot (approximately 0.577 ms).
LLC layer (Logical Link Control) provides a reliable transmission link between the mobile station MS and the packet controller SGSN. The LLC layer, for example, adds to the transmitted message error checking data by means of which it is intended to correct those uncorrectly received messages and when necessary, the message can be retransmitted.
SNDC layer (Sub-Network Dependent Convergence) comprises functions like protocol conversions of transmitted information, compression, segmentation and segmentation of messages coming from the upper layer. Additionally, ciphering and deciphering are accomplished at the SNDC layer. The structure of the SNDC frame has been presented also in FIG. 2. The SNDC frame comprises an SNDC header field (SNDC header) and an SNDC data field (SNDC data). The SNDC header field consists of protocol data (Network Layer Service access point Identity, NLSI) and of SNDC control data, such as determinations of compression, segmentation and ciphering. The SNDC layer functions as a protocol adapter between protocols used at the upper level and the protocol of the LLC layer (link layer).
The transmitted information comes preferably as data packets to the SNDC layer from some application, such as messages according to the GPRS system or packets of the Internet protocol (IP). The application can be, for example, a data application of a mobile station, a telecopy application, a computer program which has a data transmission link to a mobile station, etc.
The MAC layer, RLC layer, LLC layer and the L2 layer contain properties which are described at layer 2 in the OSI model. The above mentioned layers and the layers described in the OSI model are not, however, distinctly coherent.
The SNDC frame is transferred to the LLC layer where an LLC header field is added to the frame. The LLC header field consists of a Temporary Logical Link Identity (TLLI) and an LLC control part. The packet controller GPRS establishes a TLLI identity for each data transmission link between a mobile station MS and a packet controller GPRS. This data is used in data transmission for defining which data transmission link each message belongs to. Simultaneously, the same TLLI identity can only be used in one data transmission link. After the termination of the link, the TLLI identity used in the link can be allocated to a new link to be subsequently formed. The LLC control part defines the frame number and the command type (info, acknowledge, retransmission request etc.) for ensuring an error free data transfer.
Ciphering in the GSM system is executed at the physical layer as a bit per bit ciphering, i.e. bit stream transmitted to the radio path is formed by summing to the transmitted data ciphering bits which are formed by using algorithm A5 known per se, by using a ciphering key Kc. Algorithm A5 ciphers transmitted data and signalling information at the physical layer on the channels dedicated to data transfer (Traffic Channel, TCH or Dedicated Control Channel, DCCH).
Synchronization of transmitted messages is ensured in such a way that algorithm 5 is driven by means of a special synchronization data (COUNT). The synchronization data COUNT is formed on the basis of a TDMA frame number. Then the contents of each 114-bit block formed by algorithm A5 depend only on the frame numbering and the ciphering key Kc.
The setting of the ciphering key Kc is most preferably executed at the stage when the communication traffic of the dedicated channel has not yet been encrypted and the mobile station network being used has identified the mobile station MS. In the identification in the GSM system, an International Mobile Subscriber Identity, IMSI, is used which identifies the mobile station and which has been stored in the mobile station, or a Temporary Mobile Subscriber Identity, TMSI, is used which has been formed on the basis of the subscriber identity. In a mobile station, also a subscriber identification key, Ki, has been stored. The subscriber identification key Ki is also known by the mobile station network.
To ensure that the ciphering key Kc is known only by the mobile station MS and the mobile station network, the transmission of the ciphering key from the base station subsystem BSS to the mobile station MS is indirect. Then, in the base station subsystem BSS, a Random Access Number, RAND, is formed which is transmitted to the mobile station MS. The ciphering key Kc is formed from the random access number RAND and from the subscriber identification key Ki by using algorithm A8, as has been shown in FIG. 3. The calculation and storing of the ciphering key Kc are executed both in the mobile station MS and in the mobile station network.
Data transfer between the mobile station MS and the base station subsystem BSS is nonciphered at the start of the connection. The transition to the ciphered mode proceeds preferably in such a way that the base station subsystem BSS transmits to the mobile station a certain command (unciphered) which in this context is called the "start cipher". After the mobile station MS has received the command "start cipher", it starts the enciphering of the transmitted messages and deciphering of the received messages. Correspondingly, the base station subsystem BSS starts the enciphering of messages transmitted to the mobile station after the base station subsystem has received the ciphered message transmitted by the mobile station and deciphered the ciphering correctly.
In the above described ciphering, the synchronization was based, for example, on the TDMA frame numbering of the physical layer. It is not possible to use it in all applications, particularly when information belonging to different connections is transmitted on the same channel, such as in packet switched data transmission methods.
In the European patent application EP-0 689 316, a method has been presented for the encryption of data transfer wherein, for example, encryption data which comprises an encryption key is attached to the transmitted data frames. A U.S. Pat. No. 5,319,712 comprises a method and equipment for the encryption of data transfer so that a sequence number is attached to the data frames of the link layer and the data frame is ciphered. A disadvantage of these ciphering methods according to the prior art is, for example, that the receiver does not know without deciphering, to whom the received data frame is intended, in which case the unnecessary reception of data frames and deciphering causes a deterioration in the efficiency of the system.

Method for the encryption of data transfer


An electronic paper file is generated from an enhanced metafile such that data may be converted from multiple applications with different data descriptions to a single electronic paper format having a particular data description. The enhanced metafile includes a series of individual records that provide a sequence of graphic instructions to render properties associated with objects in the document in an output format. The enhanced metafile is parsed into a series of state independent objects to generate an intermediary representation of the document. The objects and corresponding identifying information are temporarily stored in an object storage structure before using the objects to generate the electronic paper file. The object storage structure provides a stateless model of the enhanced metafile such that the objects may be randomly accessed and applied to any output format.

An enhanced metafile is a temporary file created by an operating system before data associated with a graphic is output (e.g., to a printer, display, or file). The enhanced metafile includes a sequential list of records. Each record includes an instruction for drawing the graphic. To recreate the graphic, a graphic engine reads the records in the enhanced metafile one at a time. The graphic engine duplicates the recorded instructions by calling different functions to recreate the graphic. The enhanced metafile is state dependent on the sequence of the records. Each individual instruction in a record is meaningless when taken out of context of the sequence established by the enhanced metafile.

Converting an enhanced metafile into a chronologically independent object property list for conversion into a PDF document


A combined cycle power plant utilizes an absorption heat transformer to improve plant efficiency. A heat recovery steam generator receives exhaust from a gas turbine and generates steam for input to a steam turbine. The heat recovery steam generator includes a low pressure economizer, an intermediate pressure economizer and a high pressure economizer. The absorption heat transformer is in fluid communication with the low pressure economizer. The absorption heat transformer includes a feed water circuit that draws exhaust water from the low pressure economizer for heating by the absorption heat transformer and directs heated water to at least one of the intermediate pressure economizer and the high pressure economizer.

The invention relates to improving plant efficiency in a combined cycle gas turbine power plant and, more particularly, to a combined cycle power plant including an absorption heat transformer.
In a typical combined cycle system, a gas turbine combusts a fuel/air mixture which expands to turn the turbine and drive a generator for the production of electricity. The hot gases of combustion exhaust into a heat recovery steam generator in which water is converted to steam in the manner of a boiler. Steam thus produced drives a steam turbine, typically comprising high, intermediate and low pressure turbines, in which additional work is extracted to drive a further load such as a second generator for producing additional electric power. In some configurations, the gas and steam turbines drive a common generator and, in others, drive different generators.
In a combined cycle gas turbine power plant, the energy is not sufficiently utilized in the low pressure economizer section, where the exhaust section of flue gas has a lower temperature. It would be desirable to use the lower grade energy to increase plant efficiency.
Absorption heat transformers (AHT) are devices which transform a large heat resource, which is available at temperature too low for correct thermal matching within an industrial process, in a smaller amount of heat available at a higher temperature level. They differ from traditional heat pumps in that they use no (or a very limited amount of) electrical power or work. Basically, AHTs work on the principle of an absorption inverse cycle: however the net effect is that of transferring an amount of heat (smaller than the originally available) at a higher temperature level. This allows recovering this heat into industrial processes.

Combined cycle power plant with absorption heat transformer


The technology in one embodiment includes an audio-processing unit, for processing an input audio signal using a pre-established audio feature. The unit includes a processor, an audio-device input in operative communication with the processor, and a system-user interface being in operative communication with the processor. The unit also includes a computer-readable medium being in operative communication with the processor and comprising a tone-manipulation component and computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform various operations. The operations include presenting, using the system-user interface, a graphical-user-interface (GUI) display including an identifier associated with the tone-manipulation component, receiving, from the system-user interface, a user signal indicating a user selection of the tone-manipulation component from the GUI display, receiving the input audio signal from the audio-device input, and manipulating, using the tone-manipulation component, the input audio signal, yielding a manipulated signal.

Conventionally, musicians and supporting sound technicians or engineers need to adjust a multitude of audio-manipulation hardware devices to desired settings in advance of live performances. The hardware is often arranged in one or more racks, or stacks, and, depending on the sophistication of the performance, included tens or even hundreds of knobs, dials, sliders, buttons, switches, and/or other adjustable components. The conventional arrangement is undesirably fixed and inflexible in that it cannot be changed readily to accommodate situational needs.
Different sound settings are needed for different situations. The scenarios include different types of music, different songs within the same genre, the venue, generally, and day-of-performance dynamics of the venue. Further, regarding venues, different venues have different acoustical characteristics. Performance sound is affected in a relatively-small concert hall, for instance, differently than in a domed stadium, and further different than at an outdoor venue.
Regarding dynamics, output sound is affected differently in the same venue based on particular arrangements of the room on the day of the performance, including stage location, curtain placement, sitting versus standing audience, and size and density of the audience. Technicians and/or artists also need to check the many hardware settings before every performance, or between sets or even songs, which is very time and energy consuming. And even when set property, the hardware controls are often subsequently adjusted improperly or unintentionally in stage set-up or during the performance.
As another shortcoming, the large number of settings also increases the likelihood of errors and malfunction.
Artists are also limited traditionally by the particular hardware available to them. A guitarist, for example, having only a first type of pre-amplifier, or any sound hardware device, is of course limited to using that hardware. And even if the guitarist had access to two or more such sound hardware devices, it is cumbersome to move the devices and/or manually change connections at the devices or instruments, especially during the performance.
Present-day digital products focus on editing recorded music for playback, not live performance. Digital audio workstations, for example, allow only sound editing of digitally-recorded music for playback from a conventional compact disc or other music storage medium.

Virtual pre-amplifier and effects system and methods for customizing and using the same in live performances


A radiation detector includes an array of detector pixels each including an array of detector cells. Each detector cell includes a photodiode biased in a breakdown region and digital circuitry coupled with the photodiode and configured to output a first digital value in a quiescent state and a second digital value responsive to photon detection by the photodiode. Digital triggering circuitry is configured to output a trigger signal indicative of a start of an integration time period responsive to a selected number of one or more of the detector cells transitioning from the first digital value to the second digital value. Readout digital circuitry accumulates a count of a number of transitions of detector cells of the array of detector cells from the first digital state to the second digital state over the integration time period.

The following relates to the radiation detection arts. It particularly relates to high-speed radiation detectors for positron emission tomography (PET), especially time-of-flight (TOF) PET, and will be described with particular reference thereto. However, the following relates more generally to radiation detectors for single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), computed tomography (CT), and so forth, as well as to high-speed radiation detectors for other applications such as astronomy.
In conventional PET, a radiopharmaceutical is administered to a human patient or other imaging subject. The radiopharmaceutical produces radiation decay events that emit positrons, which travel a very short distance before rapidly interacting with an electron of the surrounding imaging subject in an electron-positron annihilation event to produce two oppositely directed gamma rays. The gamma rays are detected by radiation detectors surrounding the imaging subject as two substantially simultaneous radiation detection events that define a line of response (LOR) therebetween. Typically, the radiation detectors include scintillators that produce a burst or scintillation of light responsive to each gamma ray detection, and an array of photomultiplier tubes (PMT's) optically coupled with the scintillators that convert the light bursts into corresponding electrical signals. In some PET scanners, the PMT's are replaced by photodiodes that produce analog electrical currents proportional to the intensity of the light bursts.
Although the gamma rays are detected "substantially simultaneously", if one of the two involved radiation detectors is closer to the electron-positron annihilation event than the other radiation detector, then there will be a small time difference between the two radiation detection events. Since gamma rays travel at the speed of light, this time difference between detections is typically around a few nanoseconds or less. In TOF-PET, the radiation detectors operate at sufficiently high speed to enable measurement of this small time-of-flight difference, which is then used to localize the electron-positron annihilation event along the LOR.
Accordingly, for TOF-PET the radiation detectors should have sub-nanosecond temporal resolution. PMTs are generally fast enough to perform TOF-PET imaging; however, PMTs are bulky, require high voltage biasing, and are not well-suited for small pixel sizes desirable for high resolution. Conventional photodiodes are fast enough for TOF-PET, but lack internal amplification, leading to poor signal-to-noise ratios. To get sufficient signal with a conventional photodiode, a charge-sensitive amplifier is typically employed to integrate the signal, which limits the bandwidth. Avalanche photodiodes can also be used; however, avalanche photodiodes typically suffer from high noise levels and high temperature and bias sensitivity in the gain.
To address these difficulties, silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) detectors have been proposed, for example in: E. A. Georgievskya et al., "The solid state silicon photomultiplier for a wide range of applications", 17th Int'l Conf. on Photoelectronics and Night Vision Devices, Proceedings of SPIE vol. 5126 (2003); Golovin et al., "Novel type of avalanche photodetector with Geiger mode operation", Nuclear Instruments & Methods in Physical Research A, volume 518, pages 560-64 (2004). These SiPM detectors use a pixelated array of small avalanche photodiodes biased in the breakdown region and interconnected in parallel. The output is the analog sum of the currents of parallel-interconnected avalanche photodiodes operating in limited Geiger-mode. Each detected photon in the SiPM detector adds on the order of 106 electrons to the output current of the SiPM. The Geiger discharge responsive to photon detection is fast, providing sharp rising edges of the signal that facilitate precise time measurements. Energy- and temporal-resolution scales with 1/sqrt(N) where N is the number of firing cells.
The SiPM device has certain disadvantages. The analog current produced by a photon detection is affected by bias voltage, operating temperature, and critical circuit parameters such as the quenching resistance value. These factors can change the analog current produced by each photon detection, thus limiting the energy resolution of the SiPM. The analog configuration also has the disadvantages of producing high dark counts and allowing faulty avalanche photodiodes to substantially limit detector device manufacturing yield.
The following contemplates improved apparatuses and methods that overcome the aforementioned limitations and others.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Digital silicon photomultiplier for TOF-PET


A system and method for providing a healthcare bill settlement system whereby a given healthcare service consumer's EOB data relating to a given healthcare service item is obtained and is translated into a description of the services in language, and/or a format, that a typical healthcare service consumer can understand. The healthcare service consumer's EOB data is also used to present the healthcare service consumer with a payment calculation display and an explanation of how the healthcare service consumer's portion of the claim amount was calculated. The healthcare services consumer is then provided communication access to the healthcare services provider to propose a settlement payment prior to the healthcare services consumer receiving an invoice from the healthcare services provider. The healthcare services provider is then provided the capability to accept or reject the proposed settlement payment.

The costs associated with generating invoices and collecting payments for healthcare related services and products are among the highest of any industry. As an example, on average, the cost of invoicing and processing healthcare payments is typically 15% or more of the dollar amount spent on the healthcare services themselves. In contrast, the cost of invoicing and processing of payments in the retail industry is typically 2% or less.
The vast majority of these invoicing and processing costs in the healthcare industry are concentrated in the 250 billion dollars that healthcare service consumers pay healthcare service providers directly each year, i.e., the out-of-pocket costs the healthcare service consumers must pay beyond the portion that the healthcare insurance providers pay. However, despite the high cost of invoicing and processing healthcare payments, many healthcare service providers actually collect less than 50% of the payments invoiced to healthcare consumers for amounts not covered by healthcare insurance providers. As a result, the healthcare service providers not only incur the onerous invoicing and processing costs, but then, for their efforts, they still have one of the lowest actual collection rates of any industry.
The present situation is difficult enough for many healthcare service providers, however, the current annual out-of-pocket cost to healthcare service consumers of 250 billion dollars in the United States is expected to rise to 420 billion dollars within seven years. This is due, in part, to our aging population and, in part, to many healthcare service consumers being forced to accept healthcare insurance plans with higher co-payments, higher deductibles, and lower coverage ceilings/caps. As a result, many healthcare service providers fear the situation will become untenable as they spend more and more money, time, and resources processing and trying to collect healthcare service payments from healthcare service consumers, with fewer and fewer of those payments actually being collected.
In addition, for many healthcare service consumers understanding the processes, procedures, codes, calculations, and vocabulary associated with healthcare service claims is often difficult and confusing. As a result, in many instances, when the healthcare service consumer receives a bill from a healthcare service provider or an Explanation Of Benefits (EOB) from a healthcare insurance provider, the healthcare service consumer often has no idea how the amount billed was generated and/or determined, how their share of the cost was generated and/or determined, and/or how to proceed if they disagree with either of these amounts. To a large degree this is because the healthcare service bills and/or EOBs are often written in medical terms not discernible by the average healthcare service consumer and/or use codes that are typically completely unfamiliar to the average healthcare service consumer.
In addition, using current healthcare payment systems, any one of the three main parties involved in the payment process, i.e., the healthcare service consumer, the healthcare service provider, and the healthcare insurance provider, often have little or no visibility into the actions and/or data being used and/or generated by the other two parties and there is often no efficient mechanism in place to facilitate communication. This is particularly true for the average healthcare service consumer.
Further complicating the situation is the rather lengthy, and often seemingly redundant, chain of events associated with the processing of a healthcare claim, i.e., payment for a healthcare product and/or service made using, and/or through, a healthcare insurance provider. For instance, in a typical example, a healthcare service consumer covered by a healthcare insurance plan receives a product and/or service from a healthcare service provider on a Date-Of-Service (DOS). Under the terms of their healthcare insurance plan, the healthcare service consumer is often required to make a co-payment, often at the time the healthcare service consumer receives the product and/or service from the healthcare service provider. Typically, a receipt, or other document, is then generated for the co-payment and is typically provided to the healthcare service consumer.
After the healthcare service consumer receives the product and/or service from the healthcare service provider, the healthcare service provider then typically submits an original healthcare service provider claim for payment from the healthcare service consumer's healthcare insurance provider for the product and/or service provided. The healthcare insurance provider then typically reviews the submitted original healthcare service provider claim and, if the healthcare insurance provider has no issues with the submitted original healthcare service provider claim, the healthcare insurance provider pays the healthcare service provider according to the terms and conditions of the healthcare service consumer's healthcare insurance plan. In some cases, the payment made by the healthcare insurance provider according to the terms and conditions of the healthcare service consumer's healthcare insurance plan results in an actual payment made to the healthcare service provider by the healthcare insurance provider that is less than the full amount requested by the healthcare service provider in the original healthcare service provider claim. Herein, the actual payment made by the healthcare insurance provider is referred to as an adjusted healthcare claim payment, which represents payment of the submitted original healthcare service provider claim.
When the adjusted healthcare claim payment is received, the healthcare service provider may accept the adjusted healthcare claim payment, dispute the adjusted healthcare claim payment in whole, or in part, and/or invoice the healthcare service consumer for any difference between the original healthcare service provider claim amount and the adjusted healthcare claim payment, typically minus any co-payment amount already paid by the healthcare service consumer as discussed above.
To further complicate the situation, in conjunction with the adjusted healthcare claim payment, an explanation of benefits (EOB) statement is typically sent to the healthcare service consumer by the healthcare insurance provider. The EOB statement typically includes the notation "THIS IS NOT A BILL," prominently printed on each page of the EOB statement. The EOB statement typically does not inform the healthcare service consumer whether an issue exists regarding any difference between the original healthcare service provider claim amount and adjusted healthcare claim payment. As such, the healthcare service consumer may be given the false impression that the healthcare service provider has been paid in full for services rendered, and/or that no issues exist with respect to payment for the healthcare product and/or service. However, in the weeks, and even months, following receipt of the EOB statement, the healthcare service consumer may then receive a bill from the healthcare service provider for some, or all, of the remaining balance of the original healthcare service provider claim, which, herein, is referred to as a balance due by a healthcare service consumer.
Using current systems, a healthcare service consumer may wish to obtain more information, investigate, and/or resolve one or more disputes/inconsistencies between: the healthcare service consumer and the healthcare service provider: the healthcare service consumer and the healthcare insurance provider; and/or the healthcare service provider and the healthcare insurance provider. However, using current systems, any attempt to investigate and/or resolve one or more of these disputes/inconsistencies are typically complicated by the length of time that typically elapses between: the healthcare service consumer receiving the healthcare product and/or service; the payment of any required co-payment by the healthcare service consumer; the submission of original healthcare service provider claim to the healthcare insurance provider; the review of the original healthcare service provider claim by the healthcare insurance provider; the adjusted healthcare claim payment made by the healthcare insurance provider to the healthcare service provider; the issuance and/or receipt of the EOB; the healthcare service provider submitting an invoice to the healthcare service consumer; and any payments made by the healthcare service consumer to the healthcare service provider in response to an invoice. The situation is further complicated by apparent duplication of paperwork, often inconsistency of data, and lack of knowledge and/or accountability on the part of one or more of the involved parties as to where in the process an error has occurred, and which of the parties created the error.
Currently, the burden of resolving any of these disputes/inconsistencies is largely left to the healthcare service consumer, who, currently, is the last party in the payment chain. The situation is, of course, particularly problematic when the healthcare service consumer is presented with a bill that is either not expected at all, or that is for an unexpected amount. In these instances, not only does the healthcare service consumer often fail to understand how the bill was generated, and/or why the bill is not for the amount expected, but, in many cases, the healthcare consumer has no idea what party to contact to discuss and/or challenge the bill, much less what department associated with a given party is needed.
For instance, when a bill is not understood and/or a perceived error is discovered, in many cases the healthcare service consumer does not know whether to contact the healthcare insurance provider, his or her healthcare service plan administrator, the healthcare service provider, the healthcare service consumer's employer, or even a collection agency that has contacted the healthcare consumer. For this reason alone, many healthcare service providers, healthcare insurance providers, employers, and/or healthcare service plan administrators lose precious time dealing with phone calls and letters from healthcare service consumers that have been incorrectly directed to their offices. This wasted time is in addition to the time wasted by the healthcare service consumers themselves attempting to determine who to contact, waiting on hold, navigating seemingly endless voicemail menus and automated responses, and then, often as not, being yet again redirected to a different contact to start the process over again.
In addition, even if the healthcare service consumer is able to contact a given party that may, or may not, be the right contact, they still often do not understand the information they have been provided from their bills and/or EOBs and often are unable to identify and/or provide the contacted party with the information regarding the bill that both they and the party will need to proceed. Indeed, the situation can be so confusing for some healthcare service consumers they do not even know how to describe their issues in a way that can allow any party to determine whether they are the proper contact or not.
As a result of the situation described above, not only are many healthcare service consumers currently forced to use their precious "free time" trying to deal with healthcare service disputes, and often only getting more frustration for their efforts, but, as noted, many healthcare service providers, healthcare insurance providers, employers, and/or plan administrators lose precious employee time dealing with phone calls and letters from healthcare service consumers who have incorrectly called their offices. In addition, as noted above, many healthcare service consumers are so confused and/or frustrated by the process, they simply refuse to pay the amount invoiced by the healthcare service provider. Consequently, the current situation is far from ideal for virtually all parties involved in the healthcare industry, and often results in frustrated and angry healthcare service consumers and healthcare service providers.

Method and system for providing a healthcare bill settlement system


Disclosed is a battery balancing apparatus and method. The battery balancing apparatus includes a plurality of balancing circuits, each balancing circuit is connected in parallel to a respective battery cell among a plurality of battery cells and the plurality of balancing circuits are connected in series to each other, in one-to-one relationship; and a control unit operably coupled to each balancing circuit. The control unit selects at least one of the plurality of battery cells as a balancing target, based on a SOC of each battery cell, and outputs an enable signal and a balancing message to each balancing circuit connected to each battery cell selected as the balancing target. Each balancing circuit transmits a first wireless signal and a second wireless signal corresponding to the balancing message by using electric energy stored in each battery cell, when the enable signal is received by each balancing circuit.

Recently, there is dramatically growing demand for portable electronic products such as laptop computers, video cameras and mobile phones, and with the intense development of electric vehicles, accumulators for energy storage, robots and satellites, many studies are being made on high performance batteries that can be recharged repeatedly.
Currently, commercially available batteries include nickel-cadmium batteries, nickel-hydrogen batteries, nickel-zinc batteries, lithium batteries and the like, and among them, lithium batteries have little or no memory effect, and thus they are gaining more attention than nickel-based batteries for their advantages of free charging and discharging, a very low self-discharge rate and high energy density.
Meanwhile, if a battery pack including a plurality of battery cells connected in series is repeatedly charged and discharged, due to the differences in the environments of the battery pack or electrochemical characteristics between the plurality of battery cells, the plurality of battery cells may have different SOCs. Without battery balancing to equalize the SOCs of the plurality of battery cells, the life of each battery cell is shortened, and the performance of the battery pack is deteriorated.
At present, a passive balancing method for equalizing the SOCs of a plurality of battery cells is widely used. The passive balancing method generally lowers the SOC by connecting a balancing resistor in parallel to a battery cell having a relatively high SOC.
However, if the passive balancing method is used, considerable heat is generated from the balancing resistor during balancing, which may deteriorate the performance of neighboring circuit elements.

Battery balancing apparatus and battery balancing method


Disclosed concepts include a method, program product and apparatus for generating assist features for a pattern to be formed on the surface of a substrate by generating an image field map corresponding to the pattern. Characteristics are extracted from the image field map, and assist features are generated for the pattern in accordance with the characteristics extracted in step. The assist features may be oriented relative to a dominant axis of a contour of the image field map. Also, the assist features may be polygon-shaped and sized to surround the contour or relative to the inside of the contour. Moreover, the assist features may be placed in accordance with extrema identified from the image field map. Utilizing the image field map, a conventional and complex two-dimensional rules-based approach for generating assist feature can be obviated.

Lithographic apparatus can be used, for example, in the manufacture of integrated circuits (ICs). In such a case, the mask may contain a circuit pattern corresponding to an individual layer of the IC, and this pattern can be imaged onto a target portion (e.g., comprising one or more dies) on a substrate (silicon wafer) that has been coated with a layer of radiation-sensitive material (resist). In general, a single wafer will contain a whole network of adjacent target portions that are successively irradiated via the projection system, one at a time. In one type of lithographic projection apparatus, each target portion is irradiated by exposing the entire mask pattern onto the target portion in one go; such an apparatus is commonly referred to as a wafer stepper. In an alternative apparatus, commonly referred to as a step-and-scan apparatus, each target portion is irradiated by progressively scanning the mask pattern under the projection beam in a given reference direction (the "scanning" direction) while synchronously scanning the substrate table parallel or anti-parallel to this direction. Since, in general, the projection system will have a magnification factor M (generally <1), the speed V at which the substrate table is scanned will be a factor M times that at which the mask table is scanned. More information with regard to lithographic devices as described herein can be gleaned, for example, from U.S. Pat. No. 6,046,792, incorporated herein by reference.
In a manufacturing process using a lithographic projection apparatus, a mask pattern is imaged onto a substrate that is at least partially covered by a layer of radiation-sensitive material (resist). Prior to this imaging step, the substrate may undergo various procedures, such as priming, resist coating and a soft bake. After exposure, the substrate may be subjected to other procedures, such as a post-exposure bake (PEB), development, a hard bake and measurement/inspection of the imaged features. This array of procedures is used as a basis to pattern an individual layer of a device, e.g., an IC. Such a patterned layer may then undergo various processes such as etching, ion-implantation (doping), metallization, oxidation, chemo-mechanical polishing, etc., all intended to finish off an individual layer. If several layers are required, then the whole procedure, or a variant thereof, will have to be repeated for each new layer. Eventually, an array of devices will be present on the substrate (wafer). These devices are then separated from one another by a technique such as dicing or sawing, whence the individual devices can be mounted on a carrier, connected to pins, etc.
For the sake of simplicity, the projection system may hereinafter be referred to as the "lens;" however, this term should be broadly interpreted as encompassing various types of projection systems, including refractive optics, reflective optics, and catadioptric systems, for example. The radiation system may also include components operating according to any of these design types for directing, shaping or controlling the projection beam of radiation, and such components may also be referred to below, collectively or singularly, as a "lens." Further, the lithographic apparatus may be of a type having two or more substrate tables (and/or two or more mask tables). In such "multiple stage" devices the additional tables may be used in parallel, or preparatory steps may be carried out on one or more tables while one or more other tables are being used for exposures. Twin stage lithographic apparatus are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,969,441, incorporated herein by reference.
The photolithographic masks referred to above comprise geometric patterns corresponding to the circuit components to be integrated onto a silicon wafer. The patterns used to create such masks are generated utilizing CAD (computer-aided design) programs, this process often being referred to as EDA (electronic design automation). Most CAD programs follow a set of predetermined design rules in order to create functional masks. These rules are set by processing and design limitations. For example, design rules define the space tolerance between circuit devices (such as gates, capacitors, etc.) or interconnect lines, so as to ensure that the circuit devices or lines do not interact with one another in an undesirable way. The design rule limitations are typically referred to as "critical dimensions" (CD). A critical dimension of a circuit can be defined as the smallest width of a line or hole or the smallest space between two lines or two holes. Thus, the CD determines the overall size and density of the designed circuit.
"Assist features" in masks may be used to improve the image projected onto the resist and ultimately the developed device. Assist features are features that are not intended to appear in the pattern developed in the resist but are provided in the mask to take advantage of diffraction effects so that the developed image more closely resembles the desired circuit pattern. Assist features are generally "sub-resolution" or "deep sub-resolution," meaning that they are smaller in at least one dimension than the smallest feature in the mask that will actually be resolved on the wafer. Assist features may have dimensions defined as fractions of the critical dimension. In other words, because the mask pattern is generally projected with a magnification of less than 1, e.g., ¼ or ⅕, the assist feature on the mask may have a physical dimension larger than the smallest feature on the wafer.
At least two types of assist features may be used. Scattering bars are lines with a sub-resolution width placed on one or both sides of an isolated feature to mimic proximity effects that occur in densely packed regions of a pattern. Serifs are additional areas of various shapes placed at the corners and ends of features, or the corners of rectangular features, to make the end of the line, or the corner, more nearly square or round, as desired (note that in this context assist features commonly referred to as "hammerheads" are regarded as being a form of serif). Further information on the use of scattering bars and serifs can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,242,770 and 5,707,765, for example, which are incorporated herein by reference.
Of course, one of the goals in integrated circuit fabrication is to faithfully reproduce the original circuit design on the wafer (via the mask), which is improved with the use of assist features. Placement of these assist features generally follows a pre-defined set of rules. Following this method, designers determine how to bias a line, for example, and placement of assist features is determined in accordance with a set of predetermined rules. When creating the set of rules, test masks are exposed to different illumination settings and NA settings, which are repeated. Based on the set of test masks, a set of rules is created for assist feature placement.
However, these rules are generated based on a one-dimensional analysis or a one-and-a-half-dimensional analysis. Rules generated utilizing a one-dimensional analysis are based on an analysis of parallel lines. Rules generated utilizing a one-and-a-half-dimensional analysis take into consideration spacing between two parallel lines, line width and lines in the vicinity of the parallel lines. The one-and-half-dimensional approach is often useful for non-uniform pitch between parallel lines. Obviously, the more factors considered, the more complex the rules become.
The rules-based approach does not adapt itself well to complicated designs where a two-dimensional analysis is preferred. A two-dimensional analysis is based on all of the factors considered in the one-dimensional analysis and the one-and-a-half dimensional analysis, but is further based on a full analysis of the surroundings, i.e., an analysis of the full design layout or any portion thereof. As a result, rules based on a two-dimensional analysis are very difficult to formulate and express, and generally lead to very complicated multi-dimensional matrices. Often designers prefer to use a one-dimensional or one-and-a-half dimensional approach.
There has yet to be created a method for generating assist features by taking into account a full analysis of the surroundings that is less complex and simple to administer, as opposed to a rule-based two-dimensional analysis.

Method, program product and apparatus for generating assist features utilizing an image field map


A gripper (2) for removing a molded workpiece (9) from the opened mold (1, 3) of a molding machine is coupled through a step-up drive transmission with the ejector (13, 15, 17) associated with the mold in such a manner that the ejector causes it to execute a movement away from the ejector in the same direction of motion as the ejector. The drive transmission can in particular have co-operating limit stops (45, 43) on the ejector and on the gripper, and one of these limit stops is mounted on a drive step-up lever (37). In another embodiment, the step-up drive transmission is designed as a hydraulic transmission.

The invention relates to a demolding apparatus for a molding machine. Such demolding apparatuses are used in particular in the case of injection-molding machines for the production of plastic moldings, but can also be used in molding machines of other types, such as for example diecasting machines, molding presses and the like.
With such a demolding apparatus, the demolding operation proceeds as follows: firstly, the mold is opened by moving the mold halves apart. Then the gripper is made to run into the opened mold. Subsequently, the ejector carries out its ejecting stroke, so that the molding is partially moved out of the mold cavity by means of one or more ejector pins and brought into the gripping region of the gripping member, so that it can be grasped by the gripping member. Then the moving away movement is carried out by the gripper or the gripping member--in relation to the gripper--parallel to the direction of ejection, in order to release then completely from the mold cavity the molding held by the gripping member and also lift it off the ejector pins. This moving away movement of the gripper can also begin already before the ejector has reached the end point of its ejecting stroke. After carrying out the moving away movement, the running out movement of the gripper transversely to the direction of ejection can then be performed, by which the molding held by the gripping member is moved out of the mold into a position where the molding can be removed for further treatment or further transport. The various movement operations of the mold, of the gripper and of the ejector must be carefully coordinated with one another and carried out partly with time overlap, in order on the one hand to avoid time loss and achieve a high cycle rate of the machine, but on the other hand to eliminate with certainty the risk of mutual hindrance of these movements and of damage to the moving parts, even in the case of drive malfunctions.
In the case of the hitherto customary demolding apparatuses of this type, a separate drive is required for carrying out the moving away movement of the gripper or of the gripping member parallel to the direction of ejection, said drive being provided in addition to the drives for opening and closing the mold, for actuating the ejector and for the running in and out of the gripper. This drive for the moving away movement constitutes an additional constructional expenditure, which makes the overall apparatus more expensive and also more susceptible to malfunctions. The components of this drive to be fitted on the gripper or gripping member increase the mass to be moved each time the gripper is run in and out. The main problem is, however, to control the drive for the moving away movement in optimum time coordination with the movements of the ejector drive and the other drives in such a way that least possible time losses occur and highest possible cycle rates of the molding machine are possible.
In the case of drives to be activated separately, unavoidable time losses occur owing to the response times and switching times of the associated switches, signal generators and the like and to the required acceleration times.
The object of the invention is to design an apparatus of the said type in such a way that it is simplified in terms of construction and control and permits an optimum and loss-free coordination of the moving away movement of the gripping member with the ejecting movement of the ejector.
The way in which the object is achieved according to the invention is by providing a demolding apparatus for removing a molding from a molding machine. The demolding apparatus comprises a gripper for entering the molding machine when the molding machine is in a open position, an ejector for injecting the molding in a direction of injection, an ejector drive acting on the ejector for carrying out an ejecting stroke, and means for moving the gripper, or the gripping member which forms part of the gripper, together with the molding, in a direction parallel to the direction of ejection and away from the ejector. The ejector drive is coupled, at least during the final part of the ejecting stroke, to one of the gripper and the gripping member by means of a drive transmission. The drive transmission has a step-up ratio greater than one.
The invention dispenses with the need for a separate drive for the moving away movement of the gripping member, and this moving away movement is controlled by direct drive transmission from the ejector drive. A considerable constructional simplification is attained as a result. Time losses due to response times and switching times cannot occur.
Embodiments of the invention are explained with reference to the drawings in which: