An interface connector is provided for connecting homogenous spacecraft cells. The interface connector includes at least one male valve assembly and at least one female valve assembly. The male valve assembly includes an extendable and retractable piston having a central conduit. The female valve assembly has a central bore closed by a ball valve. Preferably, the male and female valves are positioned so that extension of the piston engages the ball valve so as to create a fluid pathway. Various components in the male and female valve assemblies are electrically conductive to allow the transmission of power and data. Further, the male valve assembly is constructed to function as a propulsion thruster when not mated to a female valve assembly.

The present invention relates generally to spacecraft engineering and design. More particularly, the present invention relates to structural, fluid, and electrical connectors for interconnection of spacecraft modules. Furthermore, the present invention relates to spacecraft docking and separation systems for providing structural, fluid, and electrical connection between components.
There is an enormous benefit to docking or connecting spacecraft and spacecraft components. The many applications include launching a spacecraft for rendezvous in orbit with another spacecraft. Furthermore, the ability to connect or disconnect spacecraft modules has application where a broken module can be jettisoned and replaced. Electronic and structural components are also connected prior to launch to form a spacecraft.
Structural, fluid and electrical connectors are often combined to create an "interface" connection which is employed in a wide variety of applications. Current spacecraft and launch vehicle interfaces employ various electrical connectors and separation systems including pyrotechnically actuated clamp bands, separation nuts, and separation bolts. The interface must be capable of transferring loads between the two structures. The loads may include vibration, acceleration, thermal conduction, and static loads. For example, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2002/0164204 describes a spacecraft interface structure for mechanically connecting various spacecraft components including a spacecraft to a launch vehicle.
Structural, fluid and electrical interface connectors have been developed for in-space docking and separation. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 8,006,937 describes a docking interface in which alignment cups are heated to an austenitic temperature to form a mechanical connection. Power and fluids may be transferred between the two spacecrafts. Fluid, such as a propulsion fluid, is transferred through a central conduit, and data and power can be transferred through the mechanical coupling. Similarly, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2012/0000575 describes a docking interface for refueling satellites in space. The docking assembly includes a connector including male and female components for providing fluid transfer. The connector provides electrical power and data transfer as well.
Past spacecraft have been custom designed and optimized for a particular mission or payload wherein electronic components are mounted inside box-like modules. The spacecraft electronic components provide a single spacecraft function, such as power, thermal, structural, telemetry, tracking, control or processing, or a specific payload function, such as communications or surveillance. The modules are mounted to a spacecraft frame and interconnected with extremely complex wiring harnesses. Unfortunately, the designs cannot be adapted to accomplish different missions as changing any part or sub-system typically has required significant rework of the design.
Modular spacecraft are attempts to transition away from custom designed spacecraft toward multi-use designs and mass production in an effort to reduce the cost of spacecraft development. The modular spacecraft include a bus which provides a general purpose spacecraft platform. Various payloads can be mounted to the spacecraft platform utilizing a standard structural, fuel and electric interface. Again, the interface connector is of paramount importance.
Even more recently, spacecraft have been designed by combing homogeneous cells. Each cell possesses the traditional architecture of a spacecraft including structure, power, fuel, attitude control and determination, satellite processing, etc. Each cell is substantially identical so as to be manufactured inexpensively and quickly. These cells are combined to create larger and larger platforms to support payload functions such as communications and surveillance. Though there is substantial redundancy by each cell incorporating all spacecraft sub-system capabilities, the extra costs are more than made up for by mass production savings and rapid assembly. Of course, the satellite reconfigurable cell concept also requires that cells be interconnected by a structural, fluid and electrical interface.
Unfortunately, previous structural, fluid and electrical interface connectors have suffered from various drawbacks.
Thus, there is a need for an improved structural, fluid and electrical connector.
There is also a need for an improved spacecraft connector which can be docked and separated in space.
Additionally, it would be advantageous to provide a connector that can be utilized as a launch lock for affixing a spacecraft to a launch vehicle.
Also desirable would be a spacecraft connector that can be utilized to connect and function as an interface between homogeneous cells of a spacecraft.
Furthermore, it would be desirable to provide a spacecraft connector which is capable of functioning as a propulsion thruster when not functioning as a spacecraft interface connector.


One exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is directed to a vertical axis washing machine. The washing machine includes a cabinet having a top portion with a lid and side portions extending downwardly from the top portion. A tub is positioned within the cabinet with a basket rotatably supported within the tub. The washing machine also includes a heater and a water level sensor. The water level sensor controls the volume of water that enters the tub and the heater generates steam from such volume of water.

Washing machines typically include a cabinet which receives a stationary tub for containing wash and rinse water. A wash basket is rotatably mounted within the wash tub, and an agitating element is rotatably positioned within the wash basket. A drive assembly and a brake assembly can be positioned with respect to the wash tub and configured to rotate and control the agitation of the wash basket to cleanse the wash load loaded into the wash basket. Upon completion of a wash cycle, a pump assembly can be used to rinse and drain the soiled water to a draining system.
Certain horizontal axis washers are equipped with the capability to produce steam inside the cabinet. However, there are currently no vertical axis machines that satisfactorily provide this capability.
Thus, a need exists for a top load washing machine that provides steam features. Methods related to such a washing machine would be particularly useful.

Vertical axis washing machine having steam features


Embodiments related to integrated circuit (IC) connectors are described. In some embodiments, an IC assembly may include an IC package substrate, an intermediate member, and a male connector. The IC package substrate may have first signal contacts on a top or bottom surface, and the bottom surface may have second signal contacts for coupling with a socket on a circuit board. The intermediate member may have a first end coupled to the first signal contacts and a second end extending beyond the side surface. The male connector may be disposed at the second end of the intermediate member, and may have signal contacts coupled to the signal contacts of the intermediate member. The male connector may be mateable with a female connector when the female connector is brought into engagement in a direction parallel to the axis of the intermediate member. Other embodiments may be disclosed and/or claimed.

Some integrated circuit (IC) assemblies route signals from dies or other components in an IC package through a socket and into a circuit board (e.g., a motherboard), then route these signals out of the circuit board to other devices via an intermediate connector. This arrangement may introduce losses at each interface, and may require extensive retooling and specialized connectors in order to increase the number of signals that can be routed to and from the IC package.


A method and a device are described for injecting a fuel/liquid mixture into the combustion chamber of a burner, with an atomizer nozzle and with at least one liquid delivery region, at least one fuel delivery region separated from the latter and at least one volume region which is provided upstream of the atomizer nozzle orifice and in which the liquid is mixed with the fuel.

The invention relates to a method and a device for injecting a fuel/liquid mixture into the combustion chamber of a burner.
In the firing of combustion chambers which are used for energy generation and, particularly in combination with following gas turbine plants, make it possible to convert fossil fuels into electric energy, there is the constant endeavour to optimize the combustion operation in terms of the complete combustion of the fuels used and the reduction of emissions occurring due to combustion.
Thus, for example, incomplete combustion of the fuels introduced into the combustion chamber leads to increased NOx emission values which can be decisively reduced by admixing the fuel with water.
During the operation of gas turbine plants, the burner of which is operated with a fuel/water mixture in order to avoid increased NOx emission values, it becomes apparent that intensive low-frequency vibrations are established within the burner unit, the amplitude of these vibrations rising with an increasing water fraction in the fuel/water mixture. A plurality of discrete resonant vibrations with different frequencies are formed, depending on the size and shape of the burner unit.
Such pronounced vibration phenomena at low frequencies seem, with a great degree of certainty, to be caused by diffraction effects of entropy waves at the turbine inlet which follows the combustion chamber in the direction of flow. Entropy waves occur primarily when the temperature ratio over the entire flame within the combustion chamber is markedly higher than 2. For this reason, vibrations of this kind are often established between the ignition event and the idling mode of the burner, especially since the air flowing into the combustion chamber has a relatively low temperature, as compared with the flame temperature, so that the temperature ratio over the entire flame is very high.
In order to suppress the low-frequency vibrations which are formed, relevant modifications could be made to the combustion chamber and its connection to the turbine inlet orifice, these modifications making it possible to vary, and appropriately modulate, the resonant behaviour of this volume region. For example, it is appropriate, for this purpose, to provide suitable bypass lines in the combustion chamber region or else in the high pressure turbine region, these bypass lines making it possible to achieve controlled vibration damping. However, modifications of this kind would necessitate expensive reconstruction measures on existing gas turbine plants, but such measures are unattractive due to the associated high cost outlay and a long-term operational shutdown of the plant.
The objection which the invention is based is to develop a method and a device for injecting a fuel/liquid mixture into the combustion chamber of a burner with an atomizer nozzle, in such a way that the occurrence of intensive low-frequency vibrations within the combustion chamber can be largely eliminated, without the need for cost-intensive reconstruction measures on existing plant components, in particular in completed gas turbine plants.
The invention is based on the knowledge that the resonant behaviour of low-frequency vibrations caused within the combustion chamber by the formation of entropy waves is determined essentially by a duration  which corresponds to the time interval between the outflow of the fuel/liquid mixture from the atomizer nozzle and the ignition event within the combustion chamber.
Investigations on a burner model setup, which provides, upstream of entry into the combustion chamber, an atomizer nozzle suitable for supplying a fuel/liquid mixture and the resonant behaviour of which was measured with the aid of a loudspeaker system setting the burner in vibration, showed that, depending on the acoustic framework conditions which result, in particular, from the geometry of the burner shape and burner volume, definite resonant frequencies are formed, one of which corresponded approximately to the Helmholtz resonant frequency of the acoustic system. Measurements of the sound energy absorbed by the burner system and provided by the loudspeaker system indicated, in the case of a resonant vibration behaviour, the burner system absorbs the introduced sound energy to the greatest extent, if  assumes very low values, near zero, or values near the reciprocal value of the corresponding resonant frequency. In other words, it is possible, by an appropriate choice of the duration , to excite the modes of the entropy waves particularly sharply. Conversely, this also means that, by a suitable choice of the parameter , a variable was found, by the suitable choice of which operating states of a burner can be set, in which the excitation of entropy waves causing the formation of the low-frequency vibrations can be largely suppressed. The parameter , which indicates the duration between the injection of the fuel/water mixture and the combustion event, thus plays a decisive role in suppressing the low-frequency vibrations.
Further investigations showed that the duration  rises with an increasing liquid fraction which is admixed with the fuel. However, so that, despite the existing dependence on the quantity of the liquid admixed with the fuel, the duration  can be set at suitable values at which the vibrational excitation of the entire burner system can, if possible, be suppressed, it was recognized, according to the invention, that the duration  can be reduced by means of controlled swirling of the liquid, water in the above case, to be admixed with the fuel, so that, by the controlled introduction of vortices into the incoming liquid stream before or during intermixing with the fuel, the duration  can be set essentially as desired and independently of the liquid fraction within the fuel/liquid mixture.
According to the invention, a method for injecting a fuel/liquid mixture into the combustion chamber of a burner, with an atomizer nozzle and with at least one liquid delivery region, at least one fuel delivery region separated from the latter and at least one volume region which is provided upstream of the atomizer nozzle orifice and in which the liquid is mixed with the fuel, is designed in such a way that the liquid undergoes swirling before or during intermixing with the fuel.
Since, as mentioned above, the duration  increases with an increasing liquid fraction in the fuel/liquid mixture, it is possible to compensate the increase of  by the increased formation of vortices in the incoming liquid stream. By the appropriate introduction of vortices into the incoming liquid stream or into the liquid flow to be intermixed with the fuel, the ignition time or the duration  can be set individually in dependence on the liquid fraction to be admixed, so that the formation of entropy waves can, if possible, be prevented.
A device according to the invention for injecting a fuel/liquid mixture into the combustion chamber of a burner, with an atomizer nozzle, for carrying out the abovementioned method according to the invention is designed in that a vortex-generating element is provided in at least one liquid delivery region or the liquid delivery region is arranged in such a way that the liquid flow is swirled before or during intermixing with the fuel.
The degree of swirling can be set by means of appropriate design measures within the liquid delivery region, for example by the inclination of deflecting plates relative to the direction of flow of the liquid or by appropriately made passage orifices between the liquid delivery region and the fuel delivery region.
Atomizer nozzles known per se have a delivery region axially relative to the nozzle outlet orifice for the fuel to be atomized. After the fuel, preferably fuel oil, has passed out through the nozzle orifice, said fuel is atomized into very fine fuel droplets. In the device according to the invention, before the fuel flows out of the nozzle outlet orifice, liquid, preferably water, is admixed with the fuel, said water being intermixed in swirled form with the fuel before the latter flows out of the nozzle outlet orifice.
For this purpose, it is particularly suitable to have passage orifices between the liquid delivery region and the fuel delivery region, the liquid being introduced through said orifices perpendicularly to the flow of the fuel. In this way, the liquid entering the fuel flow assumes an approximately spirally spreading vortex, by means of which the liquid is intermixed with the fuel.
In an alternative nozzle arrangement, a coaxial liquid flow is provided, separated by an intermediate wall, around the fuel flow directed axially relative to the nozzle outlet orifice, said liquid flow being changed by means of vortex-generating elements within the liquid delivery region into a vortex rotating coaxially around the fuel delivery region. Just upstream of the atomizer nozzle outlet orifice, the two flows collide and pass in swirled form to the nozzle outlet orifice.
The vortex intensity within the liquid flow can be appropriately determined, depending on the fraction of liquid to be admixed with the fuel.

Method and device for injecting a fuel/liquid mixture into the combustion chamber of a burner

Abstract: The invention is distinguished in that the liquid experiences the generation of vortices before or during intermixing with the fuel.


A hydrogen-containing water generator includes a cathode portion of cylindrical shape that has a plurality of openings in a side thereof, an anode portion of cylindrical shape that is provided radially outside the cathode portion and has a plurality of openings in a side thereof, an electrolytic vessel that is transparent, has a cylindrical shape, and is internally provided with the cathode portion and the anode portion, a water supply part that supplies water into the cathode portion from one end side of the cathode portion; and a drain part that drains water inside the electrolytic vessel from the other end side of the cathode portion.

There is known a technique of generating hydrogen-containing water that is water containing hydrogen, from raw water such as tap water by using water electrolysis action. For example, Patent Literature 1 describes a hydrogen-containing water generator that uses a cylindrical electrode unit having a plurality of openings in the side thereof to increase the electrolytic surface area, improving efficiency in dissolution of hydrogen in raw water.


In a combustor including a premixing type combustion burner which has an atomizer for ejecting a liquid fuel together with combustion air to atomize the liquid fuel, the atomizer is comprised of an inner shell to an inner peripheral surface of which the liquid fuel is supplied, an outer shell defining a passage for the combustion air running substantially straightly between the outer shell itself and an outer peripheral surface of the inner shell, and a swirling-flow guide plate for swirling the combustion air passed into the inner shell, while directing it in a downstream direction. The combustor further includes a resistor abruptly decreased in sectional area downstream and provided substantially downstream of the center of the swirling flow and in the vicinity of an outlet of the premixing type combustion burner for providing a resistance to a premixture ejected from the premixing type combustion burner.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a combustor in which a liquid fuel is preevaporated, premixed with a combustion air and burned, and to a combustion apparatus comprising the combustor and a combusting process.
2. Description of the Related Art
In order to increase the loading of a gas turbine combustor, there has been a recent tendency to use a preevaporated/premixed type combustion wherein a liquid fuel is vaporized (preevaporated) and premixed with air, and the resulting premixture (premixed gas) is ejected from the same nozzle. The use of such preevaporated/premixed combustion is advantageous in the following two respects. One is that the use of the pre-evaporating and pre-mixing type combustion enables the reaction region for combustion to be reduced in size. In other words, the flame can be shortened to enable a high load combustion. The other advantage is that the amount of NOx discharged can be reduced by employing a dilute fuel mixture in the combustion process.
Another type of combustion different from the premixing type combustion includes a diffusion combustion wherein air and a fuel are ejected from different nozzles. In diffusion combustion, a region in which the ratio of a theoretical air amount to an actual air amount in a fuel-air mixture (which will be referred to as an air ratio) is of about 1:1 is of always present in the course of the premixing of a fuel with air in a combustion chamber, even if combustion is conducted under a dilute-fuel condition. The temperature of a flame is higher in the vicinity of the region with an air ratio of about 1:1 and for this reason, a reduction in the amount of NOx is generally difficult.
On the other hand, in a premixing type combustion of a higher air ratio, i.e., in a premixing type combustion wherein an excess amount of air and a fuel are premixed and the resulting mixture is burned, the fuel-air mixture is burned under such a combustion condition that the fuel is dilute in the entire combustion region and hence, a reduction in the amount of NOx is easy. Such a dilute premixing combustion process is being increasingly used in a combustor for a gas turbine (for example, see Japanese Patent Publication No. 35016/87).
In general, to realize a premixing combustion using a liquid fuel, a premixing type combustion burner is provided which includes an atomizer for atomizing the liquid fuel, and an evaporation chamber in which the atomized liquid fuel is evaporated (see Gas Turbine Academic Society Journal, Vol 16, No. 64, PP 47 to 55).
In such a premixing type combustion burner, there are requirements for the formation of finely-divided atomized particles intended to hasten the evaporation of the fuel, and a formation of a uniform preevaporated-fuel/air premixture resulting from the mixing of the atomized particles with air.
An example of a premixing type burner which is at least capable of the formation of finely-divided atomized particles among the requirements included for a premixing type burner, is shown in FIG. 10 (see Prog. Energy Combust. Sci., No. 6, pp 233 to 261).
This premixing type burner comprises an inner cylinder. A liquid fuel is supplied to an inner peripheral surface of the inner cylinder. A pintle 5 is mounted within the inner cylinder 2. The diameter of the pintle is increased in diameter in a downstream direction. A prefilming surface 3 is formed around an inner periphery of the inner cylinder at its downstream side and gradually increased in diameter in the downstream direction.
Air running straightly through the inner cylinder 2 serves to form the liquid fuel into a film-like configuration to guide it to an atomizing lip 4. The film-like liquid fuel which has reached the atomizing lip 4 is ejected from the atomizing lip 4 toward an outer periphery by the air passed through the inner cylinder 2, and is sheared and finely divided by the air running straightly along the outside of the inner cylinder 2.
The finely dividing capability and the spray dispersing property are dependent upon the shape of the pintle 5. This is because the angle of ejection of the liquid fuel with respect to the air running straightly along the outside of the inner cylinder 2 is determined by the shape of the pintle 5.


A method and apparatus for enhancing the probability of a successful emergency call completion and emergency callback on a mobile station in a network, the method comprising the steps of: during an emergency call attempt, monitoring whether the mobile station has received a non-voice service request from the network and, if yes, ignoring the non-voice service request. Further, during a callback period, monitoring whether the mobile station has received a service request from the network and, if yes, ignoring the service request if the service request is a non-voice service request that is anything but a position location service request. Further, during a callback period, monitoring whether a user attempts to initiate a non-voice service request that is anything but a position location service request, and if yes ignoring the non-voice service request.

A regulatory body having a jurisdiction over classes of mobile communication systems imposes the requirement of an emergency service. For instance the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC's) orders docket 94-102 for Wireless E911 service, an exemplary emergency service, both in spirit and by order, intends that wireless subscribers, with a high probability of success, can:                Perform timely call completions for emergency calls;        Initiate emergency calls on any available wireless system;        Receive emergency callback service for a specific time duration, once the emergency call serving network is aware of the subscribers callback number; and        Be provided with clear notification of outgoing emergency calls.
Although regulatory bodies differ in jurisdiction and class of mobile communication systems, all communication systems would benefit from the enhanced probability of successfully completing a call to emergency services.

Method and apparatus for a mobile station to enhance the probability of successful emergency call completion and successful callback from emergency service centre


An apparatus for remotely performing an operation on a roof including a frame assembly configured to be positioned on the roof, a pivot assembly configured to couple to an external anchor point such that the frame assembly is positioned between the pivot assembly and an operating position, and a flexible control line including a first segment having a first end coupled to the frame assembly and extending in substantially a first direction to a second end disposed at the operating position, and a second segment having a first end coupled to the frame assembly and extending in a second direction substantially opposite the first direction through the pivot assembly, which redirects the second segment to the first direction, to a second end at the operating position, wherein pulling the second ends of the first and second segments controls movement of the frame assembly on the roof.

Often it is necessary to perform operations on the roof of a building when weather conditions or a physical state of the roof (e.g., roof height, slope, integrity, laden with snow or ice) make it difficult or unsafe for a person to physically climb onto the roof to perform the desired operations. For example, the removal of debris from the roofs of commercial buildings and homes, in particular the removal of snow, is often necessary. Heavy snow loads can stress the structural integrity of roofs. If the snow load of a heavily-laden roof is not lightened, there is risk of structural failure of the roof, which can lead to both injury and interior building damage. Additionally, when snow is present on a roof, freeze/thaw cycles can lead to the build-up of ice on the roof eves. This ice build-up is commonly referred to as an "ice dam". Ice dams can damage the roof/eves, and lead to water leaking into the building walls and building interior. As such, partial or complete removal of snow from a roof is desirable to minimize the potential for structural collapse of the roof and to prevent the formation of ice dams that can lead to water damage within the building.
Devices for removing snow from rooftops are ubiquitous. Such devices fall into two general categories: roof rakes (also known as roof shovels) and snow cutters. Roof rakes comprise a scraper attached to a long rigid handle, typically several meters in length. The scraper is positioned near the top of the roof and pulled down the roofline by means of the handle, thereby pulling or "raking" the snow off the roof. The scraper is then pushed back up to the top of the roof, repositioned adjacent to the cleared section, and the process repeated until the roof is cleared of snow. Snow cutters comprise a frame having an underside to which a flexible, elongated sheet of low coefficient of friction material is attached. The snow cutter is maneuvered by means of a long rigid handle. The frame is positioned at the eve of the roof, and by means of the handle, is pushed up toward the peak or apex of the roof. The frame "cuts" a section of snow as the low coefficient of friction polymeric sheet rides under the snow, causing the snow to slide down the sheet and off the roof. The frame is then pulled down, repositioned at the eve of the roof adjacent to the cleared section, and the process repeated until the roof is cleared of snow.
Both roof rakes and snow cutters rely on the long rigid handle to position and operate the apparatus. Since the operator requires line-of-sight to remove the snow, the length of the rigid handle can become quite long depending on the length, height and pitch of the roof, wherein the longer the handle length, the more difficult the rake or cutter becomes to maneuver.

Apparatus for remote operation on a rooftop


A method, system and computer readable medium for protecting a communications device connected to a communications system against an unauthorized intrusion, including providing a variable identifier to the communications device and entities authorized access thereto. The variable identifier is provided to a user address book and assigned with a permanent identifier and the permanent identifier, but not the variable identifier, is available to a user. The presence or absence of the correct variable identifier is sensed during an attempt to access the communications device for granting or denying access to the communications device. A new variable identifier is periodically provided to the communications device and to the authorized entities and to the user address book and assigned with the permanent identifier, wherein the permanent identifier, but not the new variable identifier, is available to the user.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to a method of communications and communication network intrusion protection methods and intrusion attempt detection system.
2. Discussion of the Background
Historically, every technology begins its evolution focusing mainly on performance parameters, and only at a certain developmental stage does it address the security aspects of its applications. Computer and communications networks follow this pattern in a classic way. For instance, first priorities in development of the Internet were reliability, survivability, optimization of the use of communications channels, and maximization of their speed and capacity. With a notable exception of some government systems, communications security was not an early high priority, if at all. Indeed, with a relatively low number of users at initial stages of Internet development, as well as with their exclusive nature, problems of potential cyber attacks would have been almost unnatural to address, considering the magnitude of other technical and organizational problems to overcome at that time. Furthermore, one of the ideas of the Internet was "democratization" of communications channels and of access to information, which is almost contradictory to the concept of security. Now we are faced with a situation, which requires adequate levels of security in communications while preserving already achieved "democratization" of communications channels and access to information.
All the initial objectives of the original developers of the Internet were achieved with results spectacular enough to almost certainly surpass their expectations. One of the most remarkable results of the Internet development to date is the mentioned "democratization". However in its unguarded way "democratization" apparently is either premature to a certain percentage of the Internet users, or contrary to human nature, or both. The fact remains that this very percentage of users presents a serious threat to the integrity of national critical infrastructure, to privacy of information, and to further advance of commerce by utilization of the Internet capabilities. At this stage it seems crucial to address security issues but, as usual, it is desirable to be done within already existing structures and technological conventions.
Existing communications protocols, while streamlining communications, still lack underlying entropy sufficient for security purposes. One way to increase entropy, of course, is encryption as illustrated by U.S. Pat. No. 5,742,666 to Finley. Here each node in the Internet encrypts the destination address with a code which only the next node can unscramble.
Encryption alone has not proven to be a viable security solution for many communications applications. Even within its core purpose, encryption still retains certain security problems, including distribution and safeguarding of the keys. Besides, encryption represents a "ballast", substantially reducing information processing speed and transfer time. These factors discourage its use in many borderline cases.
Another way is the use of the passwords. This method has been sufficient against humans, but it is clearly not working against computers. Any security success of the password-based security is temporary at best. Rapid advances in computing power make even the most sophisticated password arrangement a short-term solution.
Recent studies clearly indicate that the firewall technology, as illustrated by U.S. Pat. No. 5,898,830 to Wesinger et al., also does not provide a sufficient long-term solution to the security problem. While useful to some extent, it cannot alone withstand the modern levels of intrusion cyber attacks.
On the top of everything else, none of the existing security methods, including encryption, provides protection against denial of service attacks. Protection against denial of service attacks has become a critical aspect of communication system security. All existing log-on security systems, including those using encryption, are practically defenseless against such attacks. Given a malicious intent of a potential attacker, it is reasonable to assume that, even having failed with an intrusion attempt, the attacker is still capable of doing harm by disabling the system with a denial of service attack. Since existing systems by definition have to deal with every log-on attempt, legitimate or not, it is certain that these systems cannot defend themselves against a denial of service attack.
The deficiencies of existing security methods for protecting communications systems leads to the conclusion that a new generation of cyber protection technology is needed to achieve acceptable levels of security in network communications.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method of communications and communication network intrusion protection methods and intrusion attempt detection system


A sensor circuit for telephone line includes a detection coil (52) inserted in a telephone line (22). The coil generates a magnetic flux according to a line current which flows in the telephone line. A magnetic sensor (54) such as a Hall element generates a voltage signal in response to the magnetic flux. An output of the magnetic sensor is applied to a comparing circuit (58) and a tone deriving circuit (60) via an amplifier (56). The comparing circuit includes two comparators one of which compares the voltage signal from the magnetic sensor with a first reference voltage (V1) and the other of which compares the output signal with a second reference voltage (V2), so that a line current supervisory signal is outputted from the comparing circuit. The tone deriving circuit includes a band-pass filter and derives a tone signal from the voltage signal of the magnetic sensor. The line current supervisory signal and the tone signal are applied from terminals (46, 48, 62) to a signal processing circuit (36) by which a facsimile or a telephone set is selectively enabled.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sensor circuit for a telephone line. More specifically, the present invention relates to a sensor circuit for a telephone line which is provided in a network control unit (NCU).
2. Description of the Prior Art
A circuit diagram of a conventional example of an NCU is shown in FIG. 5. The NCU 10 includes terminals 12 and 14 respectively connected to an intra-office switch (not shown). Relay switches 16 and 18 have movable contacts 16a and 18a and individual contacts 16b and 16c and 18b and 18c, respectively. The movable contact 16a is connected to the terminal 12 via a telephone line 20, and the movable contact 18a is connected to the terminal 14 via a telephone line 22 in which a line current supervisor circuit 24 is inserted. The individual contacts 16b and 18b are connected to both ends of a primary winding 26a of a line transformer 26, respectively. The line transformer 26 includes a secondary winding 26b.
In addition, the individual contacts 16c and 18c are connected to a tone detection circuit 28 which is composed of a capacitor 30 and a line transformer 32. The line transformer 32 includes a primary winding 32a and a secondary winding 32b coupled to the primary winding 32a.
The secondary winding 26b of the 26 is connected to a two-line/four-line (2W/4W) conversion circuit 34 which converts two lines of the telephone line into four lines which are connected to a signal processing circuit 36 incorporated in another electronic device, for example, a facsimile machine. The secondary winding 32b of the line transformer 32 is also connected to the signal processing circuit 36 in the facsimile machine.
The signal processing circuit 36 determines whether an electrical signal flowing in the telephone lines 20 and 22 is a signal for a telephone (not shown) connected to terminals 38 and 40 or a signal for the facsimile machine. When it is determined that the electrical signal is for the telephone, the signal processing circuit 36 controls the relay switches 16 and 18 so as to connect the movable contacts 16a and 18a to the individual contacts 16c and 18c, respectively and, when it is determined that the electrical signal is for the facsimile machine, the movable contacts 16a and 18a are connected to the individual contacts 16b and 18b, respectively by the signal processing circuit 36.
The line current supervisor circuit 24 is inserted in the telephone line 22, as described above. The line current supervisor circuit 24 includes a pair of photocouplers 42 and 44. Photocoupler 42 is composed of a light emitting element 42a which emits a light signal when the line current flows in the direction of arrow A and a light receiving element 42b which receives the light signal emitted by the light emitting element 42a. Photocoupler 44 is composed of a light emitting element 44a which emits a light signal when the line current flows in the direction of arrow B and a light receiving element 44b which receives the light signal emitted from the light emitting element 44a. Signals from the light receiving elements 42b and 44b are output at terminals 46 and 48, respectively, and the terminals 46 and 48 are connected to a detection circuit (not shown) for detecting an on state or an off state of a hook switch (not shown) of the telephone and the signal processing circuit 36.
Then, if the hook switch is turned off by releasing a hand of the telephone set, the line current flows in the direction of arrow A, and therefore, the light emitting element 42a emits a light signal which is then received by the light receiving element 42b. Therefore, an output signal is applied to the signal processing circuit 36 via the terminal 46. On the other hand, if the line current flows in the direction of arrow B, the light emitting element 44a emits a light signal which is then received by the light receiving element 44b. Therefore, an output signal is applied to the signal processing circuit 36 via the terminal 48.
As described above, the conventional example of the NCU shown in FIG. 5 includes the line current supervisor circuit 24 and a separate tone detection circuit 28. The tone detection circuit 28 includes the line transformer 32 which is large and expensive. The line current supervisor circuit 24 is constructed by the photocouplers 42 and 44, as described above. Therefore, if the line current supervisor circuit 24 and the tone detection circuit 16 are individually mounted on a circuit board, a substantially large space is required for mounting these circuits, and therefore, the NCU itself becomes large and the cost thereof also becomes high.


A stage apparatus includes a base, a stage that can move on a surface of the base, a first imparting unit arranged inside the base, which has a mass body and an actuator that is fixed to the base and moves the mass body in a direction vertical to the surface, the first imparting unit being configured to apply a force to the base by moving the mass body, and a controlling unit that controls the movement of the mass body in the vertical direction in the first imparting unit in accordance with movement of the stage, so that a force, which is generated in the base by the movement of the stage in a rotational direction around an axis parallel to the surface, is reduced.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a stage apparatus that is suitable for performing precision positioning. More specifically, the present invention relates to a stage apparatus that is used for a semiconductor exposure apparatus and, on which a wafer, or the like, is mounted. More specifically, the present invention relates to an exposure apparatus that uses such a stage apparatus, and relates to a device manufacturing method for manufacturing a device, such as a semiconductor device, by using such an exposure apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
For an exposure apparatus used for manufacturing a device, such as a semiconductor device, a step-and-repeat type exposure apparatus (also referred to as a stepper), or a step-and-scan type exposure apparatus (also referred to as a scanner), is typically used. A step-and-repeat type exposure apparatus moves a substrate (such as wafer and a glass substrate) in stepped movements, so that an original plate (such as a reticle and a mask) pattern can be projected through a projection optical system, and sequentially exposed onto a plurality of exposure areas on the substrate. A step-and-scan type exposure apparatus repeats exposure and transfer on a plurality of exposure areas on a substrate by repeating a step movement and a scanning exposure. In a step-and-scan type exposure apparatus, in particular, exposure light used is limited to a portion relatively near the optical axis of the projection optical system because of a slit. Thus, it is possible to expose a minute pattern precisely and with a wide angle of field.
FIG. 1 is an illustration that shows a schematic structure of a typical exposure apparatus. A base 105 is supported on anti-vibration units 106 on a floor F, and a wafer stage 104, which is movable in two-dimensional directions (directions X and Y), is supported on the base 105. A projection optical system 103 is supported above the wafer stage 104 and a reticle stage 102 is supported further above, with a main body supporting component (not shown). The reticle stage 102 supports a reticle R, and a lighting system 101 for supplying an exposure light is positioned above the reticle stage 102.
In the structure explained above, the wafer stage 104, which has a wafer W, which has been supplied with a wafer transfer system (not shown), mounted on it, is moved on the base 105 in the directions X and Y by an XY driving mechanism (not shown). In an exposure operation, the wafer stage 104 is moved by the XY driving mechanism so that the wafer W is positioned at a target position (exposure location) with respect to the reticle R. After completion of positioning, an image of the reticle R is printed on the wafer W. When printing is complete, the wafer stage 104 is driven so that the next exposure location of the wafer W can be exposed. An exposure apparatus in FIG. 1 prints reticle images on the single wafer W in its entirety, by repeating the above-mentioned steps.
In an exposure apparatus mentioned above, it is necessary to shorten the time required for moving and the time required for exposing the wafer stage 104, to improve productivity. In order to shorten the time required for moving the wafer stage 104, the acceleration and deceleration during movement must be increased. Meanwhile, the diameter of the wafer W needs to be increased to improve productivity of the post process steps, which is causing a growing increase in the mass of a wafer chuck and of the wafer stage 104.
In such an exposure apparatus, when a stage is driven, a reaction force of an inertia force is generated as the stage accelerates and decelerates, and if the reaction force is transferred to the base 105, the base 105 can vibrate. Such vibrations may prevent high-speed and precise positioning, since they may excite natural oscillation of the mechanism of the exposure apparatus and cause high-frequency oscillation. For this reason, several proposals have been made so that issues related to such a reaction force can be solved. For example, an apparatus described in Japanese Laid-Open Publication No. H5-77126A prevents a reaction force from causing vibration of a stage base by having a stator of a linear motor for driving the stage supported on the floor independently of the stage base. In an apparatus described in Japanese Laid-Open Publication No. H5-121294A, vibrations of the apparatus caused by a reaction force are reduced by providing a machine frame that supports a wafer stage and a projection lens with a compensating force that is equivalent to the reaction force generated when the stage is driven, using the force of the actuator generated in the horizontal direction.
However, in both of the above-mentioned conventional methods, although vibrations of the stage apparatus itself can be reduced, the reaction force generated when the stage is driven is transferred directly to the floor or transferred to the floor through a component that can be practically regarded as being integrated with the floor. This can vibrate the floor, which can vibrate and give adverse impacts on devices installed near the exposure apparatus. Generally, floors on which an exposure apparatus is installed have a natural frequency in the approximate range of 20 to 40 Hz. If an operation of the exposure apparatus excites vibrations in the natural frequency of the floor, there will be a significant adverse impact on the devices nearby.
In these days, acceleration of the stage has been increasing as the throughput speed improves, and, furthermore, mass of the stage has been increasing as reticles and substrates become larger. In response to this, the driving force, which is calculated by multiplying "mass of the moving unit" by "acceleration," has become significantly large with its reaction force, also to become enormous. As the reaction force increases, the issue of vibrations that the reaction force apply to the installation floor must be addressed.
In addition, increases in the size of the apparatus are notable, and the issue of increases in the area required for installation, within a manufacturing plant in which numerous manufacturing devices are installed, has started to manifest. Furthermore, if vibrations transferred to the floor from an apparatus, as mentioned above, are large, it is necessary to assure a larger distance between devices to prevent effects of vibrations from being transferred to other devices. Upsizing of the apparatus and security of a distance between devices cause a significant increase in the area practically occupied by each of the devices.
Although the anti-vibration units 106 are typically provided between the floor F and the base 105, it is impossible to avoid transfer to the floor of the reaction force, which is generated when the stage 104 is driven, with a conventional device for receiving reaction forces. For example, the moments around the X axis and the Y axis generated when the wafer stage 104 moves within the XY plane are transferred to the floor F.
As shown in FIG. 2, a structure that reduces transfer of vibrations to a floor F by combining anti-vibration units 106 and a post 221 has been proposed. In FIG. 2, transfer of the vibrations of a base 105 to the floor F is reduced by providing the anti-vibration units 106 between the base 105 and the floor F, and fixing the floor F and the base 105 through the post 221. However, even with such a structure, it is impossible to avoid transfer to the floor F of the reaction force that is generated when the stage is driven.
As shown in FIG. 2, when a wafer stage 104 with a mass of m moves at an acceleration of a, an internal force m·a in a plane and a moment force M=L·m·a acts on the floor face. The value L represents the distance between the position of the center of gravity of the movable stage and the floor face. In general, since the floor face has a high stiffness against the internal force in a plane, but has a low stiffness against the moment force, the above-mentioned moment force: M=L·m·a causes the floor to vibrate. The vibrations of the floor have adverse effects on the apparatus itself and the surrounding devices.
For a driving device in which the center of gravity of the base that supports the stage does not match the center of gravity of the stage, the applicant of the present invention considers it effective to provide a driving device with a reaction force counter that reduces the force transferred outside. However, even in an apparatus to which the reaction force counter is provided, unless the center of gravity of the stage and that of the base match each other on the YZ plane or on the ZX plane, moments are generated around the X axis or around the Y axis, and they are transferred to the floor.
For a driving device in which the center of gravity of the base that supports the stage does not match the center of gravity of the stage, a device described in Japanese Laid-Open Publication No. H11-190786A uses a rotating body as a method for reducing or canceling out the moments generated when the stage moves.
The use of a rotating body, however, requires an installation area equivalent to the diameter of the rotating body, both in the direction Y and in the direction Z, of the YZ plane for when the moment is generated around the X axis. For this reason, when a rotating body is installed to a space limited in either of the directions, there is a limit to the diameter of the rotating body. In this case, required moments must be generated with a rotating body with a small diameter. In order to generate a large moment with a rotating body with a small diameter, the rotating speed becomes significantly high, since a small moment of inertia requires a large angular acceleration. In general, motor speed is limited, and if a large current is used to achieve high-speed revolution with a motor with a small volume, heat generation becomes large as well. Furthermore, there is also an issue of high frequency oscillation during high-speed revolution if the center of gravity of the rotating body does not completely match the rotating axis.

Stage apparatus, method for controlling the same, exposure apparatus, and method for manufacturing device


Ethernet provider backbone transport (PBT) paths are controlled utilizing Generalized Multi-protocol Label Switching (GMPLS) signaling protocol. A path between edge nodes is identified by a combination of a VID and destination MAC address in a VID/MAC tuple populated in the forwarding tables of intermediary nodes. To establish the PBT path, a path calculation is performed from the originator node to the terminator node through the network. The originating node then sends a GMPLS label object with a suggested VID/MAC to identify the path to the terminator. The intermediary nodes or bridges forward the object to the terminating node. The terminating node then offers a VID/MAC tuple in a GMPLS label object in response. When the intermediary nodes forward the response from the terminating node to the originator, the appropriate forwarding labels are then installed in the forwarding tables of each node utilizing the associated VID/MAC tuples.

Ethernet switches are growing in capability. As a consequence the role of Ethernet is rapidly expanding in networks that were the domain of other technologies such as SONET/SDH TDM and ATM. The question of how Ethernet will evolve and what capabilities it can offer in these areas is still under development.
Ethernet as specified today is a system. How spanning tree, data plane flooding and MAC learning combine to populate forwarding tables and produce resilient any-to-any behavior in a bridged network is well understood. What is less obvious is that the resulting behavior is purely a consequence of this particular combination of functions combined with what the underlying hardware can do, and that by simply disabling some Ethernet functionality, it is possible to employ alternative control planes and obtain different forwarding behaviors.
It is desirable to be able to drive Ethernet towards increasingly deterministic behavior. One behavior of note is that of Provider Backbone Transport (PBT) as disclosed in commonly assigned U.S patent application No. US20050220096 filed Apr. 4, 2004 and hereby incorporated by reference. Using PET, Ethernet switches may perform PBT MAC forwarding on the basis of a statically configured VID/MAC tuple. This means the forwarding hardware performs a full 60 bit lookup (VID(12)+MAC DA (48)) only requiring uniqueness of the full 60 bits for forwarding to resolve correctly.
Generalized Multi-protocol Label Switching (GMPLS) extends MPLS to provide the control plane (signaling and routing) for devices that switch in any of these domains: packet, time, wavelength, and fiber. GMPLS signaling is well suited to setup paths with labels but it does require a minimal IP control plane and IP connectivity so it is suited to certain scenarios where a large number of paths or dynamic path management is required. The common control plane promises to simplify network operation and management by automating end-to-end provisioning of connections, managing network resources, and providing the level of QoS that is expected in the new, sophisticated applications.
As Ethernet expands into provider network these is a need to leverage the benefits of GMPLS deterministic behavior with the flexibility of Ethernet.
Accordingly, systems and methods that enable the configuration of Ethernet switch paths is highly desirable in a GMPLS environment.


Provided are a composition for an organic polymer gate insulating layer and an Organic Thin Film Transistor (OTFT) using the same. The composition includes an insulating organic polymer including at least one selected from the group consisting of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), polyvinylalcohol (PVA), polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), poly(vinyl phenol) (PVPh) and a copolymer thereof, a crosslinking monomer having two or more double bonds, and a photoinitiator. The OTFT includes a gate insulating layer of a semi-interpenetrating polymer network formed of the composition. The composition for a photoreactive organic polymer gate insulating layer has a photochemical characteristic that enables micropatterning, and can be formed into a layer having excellent chemical resistance, thermal resistance, surface characteristics and electrical characteristics.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a composition for an organic polymer gate insulating layer and an Organic Thin Film Transistor (OTFT) using the same, and more particularly, to a composition for a photoreactive organic polymer gate insulating layer that can be micropatterned and an OTFT using the composition.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Due to the abundance of methods for synthesizing their materials, the ease with which they are formed and processed, their flexibility, low production cost, and so on, OTFTs made of organic material are being vigorously researched for use in various new electronic and optical devices.
OTFTs are expected to be frequently used in actuation devices of plastic-based active Organic Light Emitting Devices (OLEDs), smartcards, and plastic chips for inventory tags, and thus are currently being researched in the foremost companies, research institutes, universities, and so on. OTFT performance is evaluated in terms of field effect mobility, an on/off ratio, mobility, a subthreshold slope, and so on. In addition, OTFT performance is influenced by the degree of crystallization of an organic active layer, an electric charge characteristic of an interface between an organic insulating layer and the organic active layer, a thin film characteristic of the organic insulating layer, a carrier injection capability of an interface between source and drain electrodes and the organic active layer, and so on. To improve these characteristics, various methods are being tried out.
As a gate insulating layer of an OTFT, a material having low electrical conductivity and a high breakdown field is required. Currently, silicon oxide layers are used as gate insulating layers of OTFTs. When an inorganic insulating layer is applied to an OTFT, physical/chemical characteristics of a substrate (particularly, plastic substrates) and other layers, i.e., previously-processed layers formed on the substrate in previous processes, are affected by high temperature required to form the inorganic insulating layer, and characteristics of the OTFT may deteriorate. Therefore, research is underway into a new organic gate insulating layer that can be formed through a low-temperature process and thus minimize deterioration of previously-processed layers.
Currently, polyimide (Korean Patent Publication No. 2003-0016981), polyvinylalcohol (PVA) (Korean Patent Publication No. 2002-0084427), poly(vinyl phenol-maleimide) (Korean Patent Publication No. 2004-0028010), photoacryl, etc., are used for organic insulating layers, but do not have as good device characteristics as an inorganic insulating layer. Therefore, in order to implement a highly efficient OTFT, an organic gate insulating layer which can be formed thin through a simplified process without affecting a substrate and previously-processed layers, as well as a material for an organic active layer, must be developed.
While conducting research on an organic polymer gate insulating layer for efficiently implementing OTFTs, the present inventors uncovered the following facts upon which the present invention is based. When a composition obtained by dissolving a polymer having excellent insulation characteristics, such as polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), PVA, polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), poly(vinyl phenol) (PVPh) or a copolymer thereof, a crosslinking monomer having two or more double bonds, a photoinitiator, and a thermoinitiator, in an appropriate solvent, is used as a material for gate insulating layer, it is possible to form a thin film comprising a semi-interpenetrating polymer network that can be micropatterned and improve electrical characteristics. Furthermore, when the thin film is used in an OTFT, it is possible to improve device characteristics.

Composition for organic polymer gate insulating layer and organic thin film transistor using the same

Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute


A system and method for voice recognition interaction is provided. The system can have a processor for receiving a voice signal and determining a command based on the voice signal. The system can also have a confirmation interface operably connected to the processor, where the confirmation interface is capable of receiving a confirmation signal from a user and providing the confirmation signal to the processor. The system can have a user identifying device for determining an identity of the user. The processor can determine a confirmation criteria based at least in part on the identity of the user or a type of the command. The satisfaction of the confirmation criteria can be applied to allow or prevent performance of the command.

Voice recognition systems are known and their use is increasing in popularity. Such systems can be incorporated into interactive systems for carrying out selected automated commands. These systems are increasingly being used in environments that are not solely populated by the user, such as in automobiles. Where multiple user environments exist, a concern arises as to the voice recognition and interactive system performing an unwanted command, either through erroneous recognition of the command or performance of a command issued by an unauthorized user. Unwanted performance of commands can be particularly dangerous in environments such as automobiles.
In a Free-to-Talk voice interactive system, the device is always in an active standby state, and there is no requirement to perform a user-initiated action before issuing a voice command. Input voice signals are always considered by the voice interactive system as voice commands and the likelihood of unwanted commands being performed is increased with noisier environments.
Contemporary voice recognition and interactive systems have sought to address these concerns through activation requirements for operation of the system. Two such voice recognition and interactive systems are Push-to-Talk systems and Talk-to-Talk systems. Push-to-Talk voice interactive systems require a user-initiated physical actuation to activate the system each time before a voice command can be evaluated by the device. Talk-to-Talk voice interactive systems require a keyword to be spoken to activate the system each time before a voice command can be evaluated by the device.
However, neither the Push-to-Talk or Talk-to-Talk voice interactive systems provide any safeguard once the system has been activated. Noise or unauthorized commands subsequent to the actuation steps described above can still result in the performance of unwanted commands by the interactive system. Additionally, such systems can be disadvantageous in certain situations because of the physical actuation being required and can be disadvantageous in other situations because of the physical or verbal initiation step being required prior to each activation of the system.
The Push-to-Talk or Talk-to-Talk voice interactive systems require the physical or verbal actuation steps described-above regardless of the particular command that will be issued by the user. Such an inflexible system is not user friendly and creates inefficiencies in the system.
In other contemporary voice interactive systems, the physical actuation step has been completely eliminated and only a single keyword is required to be spoken to enable the device prior to issuing a series of commands to the device. Such contemporary devices use an idle time technique to determine whether another keyword must be spoken to enable the device prior to issuing more commands to the device. However, these systems still suffer from the drawback of being susceptible to performance of unwanted commands once the single keyword has been spoken. Additionally, the use of the single keyword can be problematic where unauthorized users learn of the keyword. For example, in an automobile where passengers are present, a keyword may be repeated by passengers, e.g., a child, resulting in the potential of unwanted performance of automated commands by the interactive system.
A need therefore exists for a system and method for voice interactive systems wherein the above-mentioned disadvantages may be alleviated. A further need exists for such a system that provides sufficient safeguards against unwanted performance of commands while maintaining the efficiency of the system. An additional need exists for such a system that can apply varying levels of safeguards based upon the particular command being issued. An efficient, safe and secure voice interactive system is necessary to encourage adoption of such systems in pervasive environments.

Voice recognition interactive system with a confirmation capability


Embodiments of the present invention address deficiencies of the art in respect to form value processing and provide a method, system and computer program product for smart completion of form values in a form. In a first embodiment of the invention, a data processing system for completing form data can include smart complete logic configured for coupling to a content server in a content distribution platform. The smart complete logic can include program code enabled to dispose a smart complete control element and a save control element in a form where the smart complete control element can include one or more selectable form value sets.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of form-based input and more particularly to the rapid completion of fields in a form.
2. Description of the Related Art
Form based input is the enabling technology which permits the widespread distribution of applications across generic client platforms such as the conventional content browser. In the modern context of Web based forms, a markup language defined interface can form the principal conduit through which end users can interact with backend application logic. Often configured in the form of a Web page, the interface can be provided to the content browser by a content server and can take the form either of a pre-defined static page, or a dynamically generated page. Form input fields can be positioned within the interface through which user input can be accepted and posted to the backend application logic for further processing.
Completing a form can be of no consequence to the end user where only a few fields are to be completed. Even where the form is so complex as to include a multiplicity of fields across multiple pages like a tabbed notebook or wizard style form, completing the form can be of no consequence where the form is only to be completed occasionally. By comparison, where the fields of a form are to be completed repeatedly on many occasions, regardless of the number of fields in the form, the process can become tedious and inefficient.
To account for these inefficiencies, technologies have been developed to persist common field entries for forms. In this regard, Web browsers often include an auto-completion feature in which a user is presented with the set of values previously entered for a given field that has focus, such as last name, first name, and address. Other technologies including the wholesale copying of existing form values into a duplicate set of form values from which modifications can be made to produce a new set of form values. Yet other technologies permit an end user to save the current state of a form so that the end user can complete the form at a later time. None, however, permit the reuse of field values when completing a new instance of a form.

International Business Machines Corporation


An automatic face annotation method is provided. The method includes dividing an input video into different sets of frames, extracting temporal and spatial information by employing camera take and shot boundary detection algorithms on the different sets of frames, and collecting weakly labeled data by crawling weakly labeled face images from social networks. The method also includes applying face detection together with an iterative refinement clustering algorithm to remove noise of the collected weakly labeled data, generating a labeled database containing refined labeled images, finding and labeling exact frames containing one or more face images in the input video matching any of the refined labeled images based on the labeled database, labeling remaining unlabeled face tracks in the input video by a semi-supervised learning algorithm to annotate the face images in the input video, and outputting the input video containing the annotated face images.

With the fast growth of video-capturing devices, dramatic increase of network bandwidth and various forms of video-sharing social network, the number of available video content online and offline rapidly grows in recent years. Following this trend, the need for annotation of this large number of videos becomes high demanding for widely range of applications. Manual annotation for video is very time consuming with high cost of effort. Hence, automatic annotation in video has attracted a lot of attention in recent years. Human face is one of the most important and frequent object in videos. Therefore, automatic annotation on human has potentially large number of applications such as security, rich content generation on movies, medical analysis, video documentation and archiving.
However, face annotation in video often is a problem in computer vision that aims at locating and identifying human faces (i.e., giving the identity) in a video sequence using certain knowledge set with known identities (e.g., labeled images as training data). Face Recognition (FR) is an important component of face annotation. In general, there are two types of face recognition tasks. One type is FR in constrained environment which refers to the faces to be recognized existing in relatively stable and static background, and the other type is FR in unconstrained environment which refers to the faces to be recognized existing in the background which is non-stable with dynamic changes. The FR in unconstrained environment is much more challenging due to the large variation in terms of orientation, luminance, and expression, etc. The Face annotation in video belongs to the unconstrained category due to the nature of the various forms of videos. In order to improve the annotation accuracy, existing methods with various frameworks, features and classifiers typically involve some manual work to produce training data (i.e., labeled face images).
The disclosed methods and systems are directed to solve one or more problems set forth above and other problems.

Automatic face annotation method and system


Polypeptides comprising a first domain, which comprises a binding region of an immunoglobulin heavy chain variable region, and a second domain, which comprises a binding region of an immunoglobulin light chain variable region, the domains being linked but incapable of associating with each other to form an antigen binding site, associate to form antigen binding multimers, such as dimers, which may be multivalent or have multispecificity. The domains may be linked by a short peptide linker or may be joined directly together. Bispecific dimers may have longer linkers. Methods of preparation of the polypeptides and multimers and diverse repertoires thereof, and their display on the surface of bacteriophage for easy selection of binders of interest, are disclosed, along with many utilities.

Natural antibodies are multivalent, for example Ig G antibodies have two binding sites and IgM antibodies have five binding sites for antigen. The multivalency means that the antibodies can take advantage of multiple interactions in binding to solid phase antigen, and therefore increasing the avidity of binding to the antigen. It is possible to make recombinant bivalent IgG and pentameric decavalent IgM antibodies by expression in mammalian cells. To date, of the various possibilities for multivalency bivalent antibodies have been of greatest interest.
Of further interest are antibodies which are able to bind to two or more different epitopes, those which have multispecificity. Bispecific antibodies have many proven and expected utilities, discussed infra.
Structurally, the simplest antibody (IgG) comprises four polypeptide chains, two heavy (H) chains and two light (L) chains inter-connected by disulphide bonds. The light chains exist in two distinct forms called kappa (K) and lambda (λ). Each chain has a constant region (C) and a variable region (V). Each chain is organised into a series of domains. The light chains have two domains, corresponding to the C region and to the V region. The heavy chains have four domains, one corresponding to the V region and three domains (1, 2 and 3) in the C region.
The antibody has two arms (each arm being a Fab region), each of which has a VL and a VH region associated with each other. It is this pair of V regions that differs from one antibody to another (owing to amino acid sequence variations), and which together are responsible for recognising the antigen and providing an antigen binding site. In even more detail, each V region is made up from three complementarity determining regions (CDR) separated by four framework regions (FR). The CDRs are the most variable part of the variable regions, and they perform the critical antigen binding function.
It has been shown that the function of binding antigens can be performed by fragments of a whole antibody. Example binding fragments are (i) the Fab fragment consisting of the VL, VH, CL and CH1 domains; (ii) the Fd fragment consisting of the VH and CH1 domains; (iii) the Fv fragment consisting of the VL and VH domains of a single arm of an antibody, (iv) the dAb fragment which consists of a VH domain; (v) isolated CDR regions; and (vi) F(ab′)2 fragments, a bivalent fragment comprising two Fab fragments linked by a disulphide bridge at the hinge region.
The fragments largely represent portions of complete antibodies. However, the term "fragment" is also applied to synthetic molecules which comprise antibody heavy and light chain variable domains, or binding portions of these domains, associated so as to have specific antigen binding capability. A good example of an antibody fragment which is of this type is the "single chain Fv" (scFv) fragment which consists of an antibody heavy chain variable domain linked to an antibody light chain variable domain by a peptide linker which allows the two domains to associate to form a functional antigen binding site (see, for example U.S. Pat. No. 4,946,778, Ladner et al., (Genex); WO 88/09344, Creative Biomolecules, Inc/Huston et al.). WO 92/01047, Cambridge Antibody Technology et al./McCafferty et al., describes the display of scFv fragments on the surface of soluble recombinant genetic display packages, such as bacteriophage.
Some experimental work has been described wherein the length of the peptide linker of scFv molecules was varied. The range of linker lengths has in general been from 12 to 18 amino acids, with 15 amino acids being the most usual, see e.g. M C Whitlow et al., Protein Engineering 6: 989–995, 1993. In all cases the linker was long enough for the two domains, one VL, the other VH, to associate to form an antigen binding site, this being a characterising feature of scFv's. Condra et al., for example (The Journal of Biological Chemistry, [265] 265:2292–2295, 1990) varied the length of the linker of scFv fragments able to block human rhinovirus attachment to cellular receptors. What the authors describe in this paper as a VL domain includes amino acids from the C domain (as can be seen from reviewing Kabat et al., Sequences of proteins of Immunological Interest, US Government Printing Office), and these therefore molecules have "long" linkers between the variable domains, allowing the VL and VH domains in each molecule to associate to form an antigen binding site.

Multivalent and multispecific binding proteins, their manufacture and use


A double heterojunction semiconductor laser includes a semiconductor substrate of a first semiconductor material having a first conductivity type; successively disposed on the semiconductor substrate, a first cladding layer of the first conductivity type, an active layer, and a second cladding layer of a second conductivity type, opposite the first conductivity type, the second cladding layer having a central ridge including side surfaces and a top surface; a current blocking layer of the first conductivity type disposed on the second cladding layer and contacting the side surfaces of the ridge; a second conductivity type contact layer of the first semiconductor material disposed on the top surface of the ridge and on the current blocking layer; and first and second electrodes contacting the semiconductor substrate and the contact layer, respectively, wherein at least one of the first and second cladding layers is a superlattice layer including a plurality of alternating layers of different compositions, the superlattice layer lattice matching with the first semiconductor material.

The present invention relates to a double heterojunction semiconductor laser and, more particularly, to a semiconductor laser in which light confinement is improved to reduce divergence of the laser light beam produced by the laser.
FIG. 9A is a partial perspective view of a double heterojunction semiconductor laser according to the prior art. The semiconductor laser includes an n-type GaAs substrate 1 on which are successively disposed an n-type Al.sub.0.5 Ga.sub.0.5 As cladding layer 2, an active layer 3, and a p-type Al.sub.0.5 Ga.sub.0.5 As cladding layer 4. The active layer 3 has a multiple quantum well (MQW) structure, shown in detail in FIG. 9B. The MQW layer 3 includes, alternatingly laminated, InGaAs well layers 6 and Al.sub.0.2 Ga.sub.0.8 As barrier layers 7. The outside layers of the active layer 3 are InGaAs barrier layers. These laminated layers 6 and 7 are, in turn, sandwiched between a pair of AlGaAs guide layers 5.
In the course of manufacturing the semiconductor laser of FIG. 9A, after the growth of the cladding layers and the active layer, preferably by metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD), the cladding layer 4 is masked and etched to form a ridge 8 extending in the resonator length direction of the semiconductor laser and having a top surface with a width of about 2 microns and oblique side surfaces. Subsequently, in another MOCVD step, an n-type Al.sub.0.7 Ga.sub.0.3 As layer 9 is grown on the cladding layer 4 next to and on both sides of the ridge 8, contacting side surfaces of the ridge, as a current blocking layer. A p-type GaAs contact layer 10 is subsequently grown on the top surface of the ridge 8 and on the current blocking layer 9. The laser is completed by forming electrodes 11 and 12 on the contact layer 10 and the substrate 1, respectively. Because of the pn junction formed between the cladding layer 4 and the current blocking layer 9, current flow between the electrodes 11 and 12 is concentrated in the ridge 8. The current concentration ensures laser oscillation of the semiconductor laser at a relatively low voltage by producing a current density that exceeds the threshold current density required for laser oscillation.
The lower half of FIG. 10 is a graph of the refractive index of the semiconductor laser structure of FIG. 9A taken along an imaginary line passing through the center of the laser of FIG. 9A perpendicular to the electrodes 11 and 12. The relative distance along that line is plotted on the abscissa of FIG. 10. As shown in that graph, the refractive index of the cladding layers 2 and 4 is smaller than that of the active layer 3 so that light is generally confined to the active layer 3 by the cladding layers. The cladding layers 2 and 4 separate the active layer 3 from GaAs, i.e., the substrate 1 and the contact layer 10. Although the cladding layers 2 and 4 significantly confine light to the active layer 3, there is still some light leakage to the substrate and the contact layer.
The light generated within the laser propagates through the layers of the laser producing a light distribution along the same direction of the graph of refractive index, as indicated in the upper half of FIG. 10. There, relative light intensity as a function of position is plotted. Although most light is confined to the active layer 3, some light reaches the substrate 1 and the contact layer 10. The relatively small amplitude variations in light intensity shown in the substrate 1 and the contact layer 10 result from light leakage into and resonance in those GaAs elements. The light leakage increases the divergence of the laser beam produced by the laser in the far field pattern in a plane transverse to the plane of the active layer 3 of the semiconductor laser. Therefore, it is desirable to prevent light leakage and/or resonance in the semiconductor laser perpendicular to the layers in order to avoid undue divergence of the light beam produced by the laser.
In order to reduce light leakage into the substrate and contact layers, the thickness of the ridge 8, of the other portions of the cladding layer 4, and of the cladding layer 2 might be increased. Although the increased thicknesses of the layers increase light attenuation, reducing light leakage, several problems result from increasing the thicknesses of the cladding layers. For example, if the height of the Al.sub.0.5 Ga.sub.0.5 As ridge 8 is too large, the crystalline lattice mismatches between the cladding layer 4 and the Al.sub.0.7 Gao.sub.0.3 As current blocking layer 9 and between the current blocking layer and the contact layer 10 adversely affect the crystallinity of those layers. The lattice mismatch can be accommodated if the dimensions of the mismatched layers are limited but not if those dimensions are too long. The same limitation applies to the thickness of the cladding layer 2 which has a different lattice constant from the GaAs substrate 1. Poor crystallinity resulting from lattice constant mismatches that are not accommodated by the semiconductor materials adversely affect the electrical and optical characteristics of the semiconductor laser.

Double heterojunction semiconductor laser having improved light confinement


An indoor unit of an air-conditioning apparatus includes a base forming a rear surface and a part of a top surface of a main body and a design panel removably attached to at least one of a left side and a right side of the base to form a part of the top surface, a part of a lower surface, and a side surface of the main body. The base includes a first corner portion connecting a top surface and a side surface of the base and a lower surface and the side surface of the base and a step portion formed on at least one of the top surface and the lower surface of the base. The design panel includes a second corner portion connecting a top surface and a side surface of the design panel and a lower surface and the side surface of the design panel.

A front panel of an indoor unit of an air-conditioning apparatus may be selected to suit the location at which the indoor unit is installed. As an example of such an indoor unit, an indoor unit of an air-conditioning apparatus has been proposed to which front panels of different designs are attachable without a change in the structure of the main body, to thereby make the indoor unit adaptable to various series designs (see Patent Literature 1, for example).

Indoor unit of air-conditioning apparatus, and air-conditioning apparatus


A process for producing a magnetic head slider with at least one rail having an air bearing surface. The process includes the steps of disposing a non-metallic film on a work surface to be shaped of a magnetic head slider material so as to be in intimate contact with the work surface, patterning the non-metallic film disposed on the work surface into at least one predetermined rail shape, shaping the work surface of the magnetic head slider material utilizing the patterned non-metallic film as a mask, and stripping off the patterned non-metallic film utilized as a mask which remains on the work surface of the slider material so as to provide at least one shaped slider rail of the magnetic head slider.

With the recent increase in the amount of information to be stored in magnetic disk devices, there is a requirement for higher recording density with such devices. In the case of a thin-film magnetic head caused to fly over a magnetic disk surface for recording information on the recording medium and reproducing the recorded information, therefore, the flying height of the head above the disk surface should be reduced in order to increase the recording density. In order to achieve a reduction in the flying height of the magnetic head, it is necessary to enhance the precision and accuracy of shaping in the production of a slider for the head.
Conventionally, the processing of a slider material to produce a slider for a thin-film magnetic head has been carried out by mechanical working or machining. However, in view of the requirement for higher precision as well as complicated shape including a curved surface, etc., the mechanical working or machining processes are limited in accuracy and, therefore, development of a new fabrication process has been desired. Namely, mechanical working or machining can form substantially straight shapes only, and cannot provide a rail shape comprising a curved line or complicated combination of straight lines necessary for obtaining a stable and small flying height of the magnetic head. The recent target value for the head flying height is 0.1 .mu.m or below, the achievement of which requires a negative pressure type slider or rails having portions of curved shape.
Besides, in order to cause a thin-film magnetic head to fly stably with a gap of about 0.1 .mu.m between the head and a magnetic disk surface, accurate finishing of the rail width is required. In the case of a rail width of several hundreds of micrometers, for example, the variation of finished size must be within a few .mu.m. In this point, also, the mechanical working or machining processes have come to be limited in application to the slider shaping.
As a method of forming a rail shape which cannot be obtained by mechanical working or machining, there have been proposed a method of processing a slider material by sandblasting through a mask, and a method of evaporating a surface portion of the slider block by scanning with a laser beam. Although these proposed methods can produce quite complicated rail shapes, the methods are still unsatisfactory as to finishing accuracy of rail width, with variations in the finished size being 10 .mu.m or more. Therefore, these methods have not reached a sufficient technical level for practical use.
In order to overcome the above difficulties and provide a process for forming a freely selected rail shape with high accuracy, studies have been made of the use of an organic polymeric material for a dry-etching mask through utilization of photolithographic techniques commonly used in wafer processes for semiconductor fabrication, as for example described in Vacuum, Vol. 38, No. 11, pp. 1007-1009 (1988). The dry etching process (hereinafter referred to simply as "dry process") using such photo-process has made possible a shaping with higher accuracy, as compared to mechanical working or machining, and without generating strains. However, magnetic-head sliders are formed generally from a difficultly processable material, such as titanium oxide, alumina, etc., and dry etch selectivity for the slider material relative to the mask material is low; accordingly, formation of a deep cut into the slider material requires a greater mask-material thickness. In practical fabrication of a slider, the mask thickness must be not less than several tens of micrometers, taking into account the etch selectivity for the slider material. On the other hand, the requirement for accuracy in finishing the slider rail width is very rigorous as described above. Consequently, the uniformity of film thickness of the mask material is an important factor.
When a thick film of a mask material is formed by, for example, roll coater printing, screen printing or the like, there is a tendency toward cracking of the thick film or toward nonuniformity of film thickness. In addition, air bubbles are liable to be entrained in the film surface, leading to unsatisfactory finishing accuracy. Furthermore, it is advantageous, from the viewpoint of throughput, to carry out the slider shaping for a plurality of wafer blocks, because side faces of the blocks cut from a wafer after the wafer process for fabrication of magnetic heads are to be processed. However, due to the presence of gaps between adjacent ones of a group of wafer blocks being processed simultaneously, such film-forming methods as spin coating are in many cases not applicable.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,226,018 discloses a method for manufacturing a floating type thin film magnetic head wherein a thin metallic film which has been patterned is placed on a magnetic head core block and the core block is ion etched for producing slider rails. However, the dimensional accuracy of such resultant slider rails is insufficient for the shaped slider rails for several reasons including the fact that the metallic thin film cannot be perfectly adhered to the surface of the core block material resulting in dimensional inaccuracies and that the previously patterned metallic film cannot be accurately positioned with respect to the surface of the core block on which it is placed and cannot be used for some desired shapes of rails.

Process for producing magnetic head slider


In a method and apparatus for determining a classification boundary between an object, such as a vehicle, and a background, using an object classifier, a trained classifier is configured to classify and recognize each of a plurality of object images and a plurality of background images. Next, a confidence probability density distribution function is calculated for the vehicle and the background using the determined confidence values for the vehicle images and background images. Once the probability density distribution functions for the vehicle and the background are calculated, the classification boundary between the vehicle and the background is determined using the probability density distribution functions for the vehicle or the background, or both, and a predefined model that is appropriate.

1. Related Applications
The present application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application Number 200610149452.1, filed Nov. 17, 2006, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
2. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an object classifier, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for determining a classification boundary between an object and a background when the object classifier is used to classify and recognize the object.
3. Technical Background
In the pattern recognition of an object image, various classifiers, such as SVM (Support Vector Machines) classifiers, neural network classifiers and so on, are widely employed to classify and recognize objects like vehicles, motorcycles, or pedestrians.
In the prior art, vehicles are often recognized using an SVM classifier when performing pattern recognition of a vehicle in an image. As shown in FIG. 1, classification and recognition of a vehicle using an SVM classifier typically involves two processes: a training process and a recognition process.
During the training process, the SVM classifier is trained by manually selecting images as vehicle training samples (S1) and background training samples (S2), and using the training samples to train the SVM classifier to recognize a vehicle (S3). Once the training process is completed (S4), the recognition process begins.
In the recognition process, first a ROI (Region of Interest) is extracted from the image (S5) using a knowledge-based Method (for example, under-shadow, horizontal edge, vertical edge, symmetry and so on). Next, the extracted ROI is classified and recognized by the trained SVM classifier and a confidence value is obtained for the ROI (S6). Finally, a determination is made (S7) as to whether a vehicle or a background is contained in the image, based on the confidence value for the ROI.
Additionally, when the trained SVM classifier is used to classify and recognize the vehicle and background training samples, a confidence value may be obtained for each of the training samples. The histogram distribution of the confidence values is shown in FIG. 2. Through x2-testing, the confidence values are demonstrated to fit a normal distribution. The confidence values may then be used to obtain confidence probability density distribution curves for the vehicle and background training samples through curve fitting. FIG. 3 illustrates a sample probability density distribution for the vehicle and background training samples. As shown in FIG. 3, the confidence values for the vehicle and the confidence values for the background are completely separated. That is, the confidence values for the vehicle are all greater than zero and the confidence values for the background are all less than zero. In this scenario, because the confidence values for the vehicle and the background are completely separated, a determination may be made as to whether a vehicle or a background is contained in the ROI based on whether the confidence value is greater than zero. When the confidence value is greater than zero, the ROI contains a vehicle. When the confidence value is less than zero, the ROI contains a background.
In order for an SVM classifier to correctly recognize vehicles or backgrounds from an image, it must be calibrated using a sufficient number of training samples to address the potential variations of the vehicle, or the vehicle environment that the SVM classifier may encounter. However, in practical application the sample distribution should be very broad in order for the system to account for the potential variations in the vehicle and the vehicle environment in the recognition process. For example, the vehicles in an image may vary in type and color. The vehicles may also be traveling in different directions or located at various distances and angles with respect to the vehicle on which the classifier is located. Furthermore, the vehicle environment, such as light level, road conditions, weather conditions, and the background may vary dramatically. Because the potential variations are so numerous, a SVM classifier may incorrectly recognize vehicles and backgrounds. In other words, in the prior art it is difficult for a SVM classifier to recognize a vehicle as a background or vice versa because the SVM may not be adequately trained.
When an SVM is not adequately trained as described above, the confidence probability density distribution curves corresponding to the vehicle and the background partially overlap, as shown in FIG. 4.
If the confidence probability density distribution curves overlap and a fixed confidence value is used as the classification boundary in the recognition process (the confidence value is usually zero), some of the requirements necessary to determine whether a vehicle or a background is contained in the image are not met. For example, in some applications the incorrect classification probability of the vehicle and/or the background, and the correct recognition probability of the vehicle and/or the background need to meet a certain target value, e.g. a target value of zero. In these cases, the classifier often fails to meet the determination requirements and is therefore unable to recognize the vehicle or the background correctly. This holds true not only in cases where the SVM classifier is used to classify and recognize vehicles, but also in cases where the SVM classifier is used to classify and recognize objects such as pedestrians.
In fact, if a fixed confidence value is used as the classification boundary and an incorrect recognition occurs during the classification and recognition of an object, it is difficult for any object classifier using the confidence value as the classification basis to make a correct determination as to whether the object or the background is contained in the image.

Method and apparatus for determining a classification boundary for an object classifier


A ratcheting device according to the solution comprises a rotatable cogwheel comprising a plurality of teeth, a spring-loaded primary pawl, a spring-loaded handle pawl, a handle comprising a handle pawl disengagement lever, a handle pawl disengagement plate and a primary pawl disengagement plate. The primary pawl disengagement plate is mechanically coupled to the handle such that the handle may be rotated around the cogwheel to a point that the primary pawl disengagement plate contacts the spring-loaded primary pawl and causes it to disengage from the cogwheel. At the same time that the primary pawl is disengaged from the cogwheel teeth by the primary pawl disengagement plate, the handle pawl is similarly disengaged from the cogwheel teeth via contact with a handle pawl disengagement plate. Advantageously, the ratcheting device may be transitioned between a ratcheting state and a free-to-rotate state with only a single hand of the user and without requiring the handle to travel beyond a 180-degree arc of motion.

Prior art ratchet devices may pose space limitations less than optimal for some car-carrying applications due to the need for a user to access disengagement mechanisms in order to transition the ratchet device between a free-to-rotate state for loosening a strap and a ratcheting state for tightening a strap. Mounting prior art ratchet devices on a car-carrying application in a tight space, or in a visually streamlined location (such as in a recessed space only accessible from an opening in a top deck of the car-carrying application) may not always be ideal.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for a ratchet device that may be transitioned between its free-to-rotate state and its ratcheting state without requiring a user to physically access and actuate any mechanism of the ratchet device other than its handle. Embodiments of the solution provide for a streamlined ratchet device configured to be transitioned between a free-to-rotate state and a ratcheting state with a user's single hand, thereby fulfilling the above need in the art, as well as other needs in the art.