Information processing devices each creates a dirty bit indicative of the presence or absence of update per tip in a sharing region, and updates the dirty bit in accordance with an operation on the tip. A synchronize processing section compares dirty bits of corresponding tips in a synchronous process so as to judge whether the tips have been updated in the both parties. When there is an update in the both parties, a priority side is decided in accordance with a predetermined rule, for example, such as the promoting side of the synchronous process before transmitting the entire contents of the tips. Further, the synchronous processing section sends the contents of the tip on the priority side to the information processing device on the non-priority side so as to replace the contents of the tip on the non-priority side, thereby realizing a database managing device capable of carrying out the synchronous process with a small effort and a small amount of communications data without increasing the size of the database even when plural data corresponding to each other are independently updated.

The present invention relates to a database managing system for making the same contents between parties which are ready to communicate, and particularly to a database managing system capable of reducing the amount of data transmitted or processed during a synchronous process.
Conventionally, information processing devices have been in wide use, and it is not rare in recent years for one individual to own a plurality of information processing devices, for example, such as a high-performance information processing device like a desk-top personal computer and a portable information processing device like a portable information terminal. When personal information, for example, such as schedules and address book are to be managed by these plurality of information processing devices, there is a need to maintain the same contents of data in any of databases provided in these information processing devices. Thus, in the case of managing, for example, personal information between a personal computer and a portable information terminal, a master database is managed by the personal computer and the data of the master database are copied to the database (portable database) of the portable information processing device, thus carrying the personal information.
In this manner, when managing the same data between a plurality of database managing devices, when the data are changed in one database managing device, it is required to update the database of all the other database managing devices. Here, if each database managing device is in communications all the time, the change in data is immediately reflected in each one of these devices when the updated database managing device informs the other database managing devices that the data have been changed. However, it is not always the case that each database managing device is in communications all the time with the other devices, for example, as in the case where the database managing device is a portable information terminal. In such a case, a change in data in one device is not reflected in the databases of the other database managing devices at the time when the change is made. Thus, in order to maintain the same database, it is required to carry out a process for making the same contents of database between parties at the time when communications are made between the database managing devices; namely, a synchronous process is required.
In the case of the above example, when data are changed in the portable information terminal, a synchronous process is carried out at the time when the portable information terminal is brought back to home or office, in which the data become the same between the portable database of the portable information terminal and the master database of the computer.
As an example of a conventional synchronous process, upload and download are known. Specifically, when data are changed in the personal computer, the contents of the master database are copied to the portable information terminal (download). On the other hand, when data are changed in the portable information terminal, the contents of the portable database are copied to the personal computer (upload).
Another example is a synchronous process employing a sum of sets. In this synchronous process, the contents of the both databases are compared at the time when communications are made between the two database managing devices, and a sum of sets, which contains all the information added to each database is created as a new database. Thereafter, the database thus created is stored the both database managing devices.
For example, when the both databases initially contain data xe2x80x9cAxe2x80x9d, and data xe2x80x9cBxe2x80x9d is added to one database managing device X, and data xe2x80x9cCxe2x80x9d is added to the other database managing device Y, the database managing device X sends its contents xe2x80x9cA+Bxe2x80x9d to the database managing device Y. The database managing device Y creates a sum of sets xe2x80x9cA+B+Cxe2x80x9d of the data xe2x80x9cA+Bxe2x80x9d received and its contents xe2x80x9cA+Cxe2x80x9d and stores the sum of sets as a database. The database managing device Y then sends the contents of the database xe2x80x9cA+B+Cxe2x80x9d back to the database managing device X. As a result, the contents of the database of the database managing device X are updated to xe2x80x9cA+B+Cxe2x80x9d, which are the same as that of the database managing device Y.
However, the conventional database managing device carrying out the described synchronous process has a problem that the data amount (communications volume) transmitted between the database managing devices in the synchronous process and the data amount computed in each database managing device are extremely large.
Specifically, in download and upload, all the contents of one of the databases are transmitted to the other database managing device regardless of the number of data updated. For example, in the case of a database having the data of 1000 items, the data of all the 1000 items are sent even when only one item is changed. As a result, the communications volume transmitted between the database managing devices is increased. Further, in the database managing device on the receiving side, the contents of the database are replaced with the database on the sending side, and thus a change in data on the receiving side is lost.
Also, in the synchronous process employing a sum of sets, in order to create a sum of sets, a database of one party is sent to the other database, and the sum of sets created is sent back as a new database. Thus, in this synchronous process, all the contents of the database are required to be sent back and forth between the database managing devices, and this further increases the communications volume in the synchronous process.
Further, in the case where the data are deleted only in one of the devices, the data remain in the other device. Thus, the data are included again in a new database and are not deleted. As a result, the memory space required for storing the database is increased, and the communications volume in the synchronous process is further increased.
In order to solve these problems, another example of the synchronous process is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 6693/1997 (Tokukaihei 9-6693), in which update information indicative of a change or no change in data is given to all the data contained in the database. Specifically, each database managing device stores, per each data stored in the database, ID information for identifying the data and update information indicative of no change/correction/addition/deletion, and when the data are changed, the update information corresponding to the data is updated. Also, in the synchronous process, one database managing device informs the other database managing device the ID information and update information of all data. The database managing device on the receiving side searches through its database data corresponding to the data of the sending side based on the ID information received so as to compare the update information of the both sides. When a change is made only on one side, unchanged data are replaced with the data changed. When there is a change on the both sides, the data of one party are added to the database of the other party, and vice versa. With this arrangement, in the case where there is no change of data in any of the database managing devices, sending of such data can be omitted, thus reducing the communications volume in the synchronous process.
Even so, with the above arrangement, when correction of data is made on the both sides, the data corrected in one device are added to the other database, and vice versa, and the number of data contained in the database is increased. As a result, the memory space required for storing the database is increased, resulting in an increase in communications volume. Further, in order to suppress an increase in the number of data, it is required to delete unnecessary data after the synchronous process. However, this operation is troublesome because it is required to extract data to which correction was made in each party and compare the data of the both parties thus extracted, and the data to be deleted need to be specified. Further, this operation is usually made on one database managing device, and for this reason there is a need to reflect deletion of data in the other database managing device, and as a result the communications volume between the database managing devices are further increased.
Furthermore, in the case where whether to carry out the synchronous process is set in the database unit, it is also required to carry out the synchronous process with respect to data which do not require the synchronous process, or create a new database composed only by data which require the synchronous process. Also, in the case where whether to carry out the synchronous process is instructed per data, the process becomes very troublesome.
Furthermore, it is required to transmit ID information and update information with respect to the entire database. Also, when correction is made on the both sides, there is a need to add the data corrected in one device to the other database, and vice versa. Thus, in effect, the communications volume in the synchronous process is not actually reduced.
A first object of the present invention is to provide a database managing device which is capable of carrying out a synchronous process with a small effort and a small amount of communications data without resulting in an increase in size of a database even when plural data corresponding to each other are independently updated.
A second object of the present invention is to provide a database managing device in which a memory space required for storing the presence or absence of data change is small and the amount of data transmitted and processed in the synchronous process can be further reduced.
A third object of the present invention is to provide a database managing device which is capable of carrying out the synchronous process with a small amount of communications data without resulting in an increase in size of a database even when plural data corresponding to each other are independently updated, and which is also capable of operating the synchronous process, and sharing setting and sharing release before and after the synchronous process, respectively, with a small effort.
A database managing device of the present invention is for constituting a database system which includes a plurality of database managing devices and a synchronous process section for making a coincidence of corresponding data between databases respectively stored in the plurality of database managing devices which are ready to communicate, and in order to achieve the first object, the database managing device includes: at least one database; a state information storing section for storing state information indicative of a change in data which occurs in a non-synchronous period between a previous synchronous process and a next synchronous process, the state information storing section storing the state information per data corresponding to data of a database of another party; a collision detecting section for detecting in a synchronous process whether data changed in a pair of the corresponding data are plural based on state information of each data of the pair; and a priority side deciding section for deciding, when data changed are plural, which of the data should be given a priority before transmitting all contents of the plural data changed so that data contents on a non-priority side are replaced with data contents on a priority side by the synchronous process section.
With this arrangement, when a collision of data occurs, data to be given a priority is decided before transmitting the entire contents of the data, and the entire contents of data are transmitted in one direction from a database managing device on a priority side to a database managing device on a non-priority side. Thus, compared with the case where the contents of data are replaced by deciding the priority side after transmitting the entire contents of data, the amount of data transmitted and processed between database managing devices can be reduced. Further, because the priority side is decided at the time of the data collision, the number of data contained in the database of each database managing device does not increase even when the data are updated in a plurality of database managing devices. As a result, the memory space required for storing the database and the amount of data transmitted and processed in the synchronous process can be reduced.
Also, a database managing device in accordance with another preferable embodiment of the present invention is for constituting the database system, and in order to achieve the second object, includes: at least one database; a sub set setting section for setting a sub set in the at least one database, the sub set being set as a sharing region with a database of another party; a state information storing section for storing state information with respect to data which had been contained in the sub set at least at a time when a previous synchronous process was finished, the state information including (a) update information indicative of whether the data had been updated in a non-synchronous period and (b) movement information indicative of whether the data had been moved in and out of the sub set in the non-synchronous period; and a state information update section for monitoring data whose corresponding state information is stored in the state information storing section so as to update respective state information of the data in the non-synchronous period.
Thus, it is possible to identify with certainty data which exist both in the previous synchronous process and the next synchronous process, and whose contents are not changed (updated) between the both processes, even with respect to data which were moved in and out of the sub set. As a result, the amount of data transmitted to the database managing device of another party and the amount of data processed in the synchronous process can be reduced.
Also, a database managing device in accordance with still another preferable embodiment of the present invention is for constituting the database system, and in order to achieve the second object, includes: at least one database; an order storing section for storing an order of data which are contained at least in a sharing region of the database managing device and for setting a same order of data with that of another party in a previous synchronous process; a corresponded order storing section for storing a corresponded order indicative a last position of the order in the previous synchronous process; and an order managing section for managing an order of data so that the corresponded order and an order before the corresponded order of the order stored in the order storing section are maintained in a non-synchronous period, and data newly contained in the sharing region in the non-synchronous period are placed after the corresponded order.
With this arrangement, each database managing device stores the correspondence as an order of data which are stored therein. Thus, compared with the case of storing the correspondence as correspond information indicative of the data of another party, the memory space required for storing the correspondence and the arithmetic volume in the synchronous process can be reduced, and it is also possible to reduce the amount of data transmitted and processed in the synchronous process.
A database managing device in accordance with yet another preferable embodiment of the present invention is for constituting the database system, and in order to achieve the third object of the present invention, includes: a plurality of priority side deciding sections for deciding a priority side when data changed in the corresponding data are plural in a non-synchronous period, and for instructing the synchronous process section to replace data contents on a non-priority side with data contents on a priority side; and a selecting section for selecting one of the plurality of priority side deciding sections to be used, the selecting section making the selection at the time of sharing setting for specifying before the synchronous process the sharing regions, which store corresponding data, between the databases.
With this arrangement, when a collision of data occurs, the contents of data on the non-priority side are replaced with the contents of data on the priority side. Therefore, the number of data in the database and the amount of data transmitted and processed in the synchronous process can be reduced, and it is also possible to reduce the steps of the operation compared with the conventional technique in which individual data are deleted after the synchronous process. Also, because the priority side deciding section is selected at the time of the sharing setting, each database managing device can refuse the use of an undesirable priority side deciding section, thus realizing a safer database system.
A database managing device in accordance with still another preferable embodiment of the present invention is for constituting the database system, and in order to achieve the third object, includes: at least one database; and a priority side deciding section for deciding, when data changed in the corresponding data are plural in a non-synchronous period, a priority side based on a database managing device which instructed a start of the synchronous process or sharing setting, and the priority side deciding section for instructing the synchronous process section to replace data contents on a non-priority side with data contents on a priority side.
With this arrangement, when a collision of data occurs, the contents of data on the non-priority side are replaced with the contents of data on the priority side, thus reducing the number of data in the database and the amount of data transmitted and processed in the synchronous process. Also, because the start of the synchronous process and specifying of sharing setting can be instructed by the same operation as specifying of the priority side, the steps in the operation can be further reduced.
For a fuller understanding of the nature and advantages of the invention, reference should be made to the ensuing detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.


A method for sharing internal excess bandwidth between output and input termination modules of a switching network including a switch core fabric (FC) via which a plurality of input termination modules (ITM1 to ITMn) communicate with a plurality of output termination modules (OTM1 to OTMm) through at least a point-to-point transmission channels considered as corresponding each to a virtual ingress-to-egress pipe (VIEP). Sharing of internal excess bandwidth is obtained by successive steps including a minimum bandwidth request calculation step, each request being transmitted to an output termination module for obtaining a minimum bandwidth grant in return. The minimum bandwidth request and grant related to an input termination module linked by an ingress-to-egress pipe to an output termination module are both calculated for a determined number K of relative administrative weights corresponding each to a different quality of service, with a different request and a corresponding grant for every weight.

The present invention relates to a method for sharing internal excess bandwidth between output and input termination modules of a switching network, to a switching network and more specifically a broadband switching network for applying such a method and to a communication network including such a switching network.
It relates more specifically to networks having a multipath self-routing switch fabric and means for distributing bandwidth between connections of different termination modules.
It is assumed that, in such a network, incoming traffic is waiting in the input termination modules to be transferred to the output termination modules via the switch fabric. This switch fabric is preferably made of modular switching elements with each a small internal buffer memory.
The available resources corresponding to the available bandwidth on the links between output termination modules and switch fabric and on the links between switch fabric and input termination modules, are allocated by a connection admission control CAC function for connections to be provided with a guaranteed bandwidth and by an internal distributed rate based flow control IDRFC function for the allocation of the available internal excess bandwidth to other connections. This IDRFC function is based on a distributed arbiter function, which periodically renegotiates the excess bandwidth allocation between output and input terminations modules at the level of which it is located.
Till now such an IDRFC function has no means for taking account of the level of quality of service required for a specific flow to be transmitted by means of a connection which is not under control of the CAC function. Consequently, network operators do not have any means for applying a Quality of Service policy corresponding to their needs to dynamically share the internal excess bandwidth between input and output termination modules of a broadband network controlled as indicated above.

Method for sharing internal excess bandwidth between output and input termination modules of a switching network


A method carried out by a graphics processing apparatus samples a texture value of a first texture layer at an offset to a second texture layer of a surface and adjusts pixel color for a pixel of the second texture layer using the texture value such that an appearance of depth is created between the first texture layer and the second texture layer. The method may adjust the pixel color using the sampled texture value alpha component. Another method includes transforming a surface normal vector to eye space for a surface having at least first and second texture layers mapped thereto, determining an offset between the first texture layer and the second texture layer using the transformed surface normal vector, sampling a texture value of the first texture layer using the offset, and adjusting pixel color for a pixel of the second texture layer using the texture value.

Mobile computing devices such as laptops, mobile phones, and other devices having a display include graphics processing systems that draw various objects via a graphics pipeline. The process of the graphics pipeline that produces the objects for display is known as rendering. For purposes of rending an object, the object is composed of "primitives" which are more simple shapes such as triangles or other suitable polygons. The primitives are generated via groups of pixels where each pixel may include a color, texture, opacity and luminance characteristic. In order to create images that appear three dimensional (3D) on the display, various 3D attributes may be computed by the graphics pipeline such as light absorption, refraction and reflection by the various objects and their respective surfaces.
These characteristics are then applied to pixels corresponding to the regions on an image, composed of one or more objects, so that the image is realistic looking and appears to be a 3D image. In cases where lighting is applied to the pixels of an object, the amount of lighting is determined based on the position of a light source. FIG. 1 provides an example of how lighting may be applied to an object having a surface 103. For a given pixel "P", an angle is determined between the rays emanating from a light source 101 to the pixel P. This ray is represented by the vector "L". The vector "R" represents a ray in the direction of the specular reflection from the surface 103 at pixel P and at an angle of 2θ from the light vector L. That is, the angle of incidence occurs at an angle θ to a vector "n" which is normal to the surface 103 at pixel P. The angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection and therefore R is likewise at an angle θ to the normal vector n. The eye space or camera space may be defined by a line of sight vector "S" which is defined as a ray with respect to a hypothetical eye 105 and by an angle α to the reflected ray vector R. That is, the vector S defines the specular reflection with respect to a viewer's line of sight position. Specular reflection refers to light perfectly reflected, as by a mirror, from the light source 101 to the viewer, i.e. the hypothetical eye 105.
Specular reflection becomes visible when the surface normal vector n is oriented halfway between the light vector L and line of sight vector S. That is, the so-called "half-angle" direction or "half vector" is a surface normal vector bisecting the angle formed by a light vector of incidence and a reflected ray pointing in the line of sight of the viewer. If the hypothetical eye 105 were positioned at the reflected ray R (i.e. if R was at the line of sight) then the viewer would observe the specular reflection of light source 101, because the normal vector bisects the angle 2θ. As the angle α increases, the magnitude of the specular reflection will change or the specular reflection may no longer be visible. For modeling purposes, the remaining reflective portions are defined as reflections from microfacets of the surface 103, where each microfacet has its respective normal vector. These microfacets may refer to the primitives, i.e. the triangles or polygons that make up the object to be rendered. The consideration of distribution of the normal vectors on microfacets is determined by the reflection model utilized such as the Phong reflection model (also known as Phong lighting). That is, FIG. 1 illustrates that for a given surface, the direction of light and the reflection model (or lighting model) applied will determine the visibility and appearance of specular highlights.
Shadowing techniques may also be applied to objects of an image. An example is shown in FIG. 2, where an object 203 intersects a light source 201 to project a shadow 207 onto a background 205. A shadowing technique known as shadow buffering or shadow mapping computes the distance from the light source to the closest object for each light ray, and manages the computed distances using z-buffering techniques, also referred to as depth buffering. When treating an object from the point of view of the light source, the computed depth values are referred to as a shadow buffer or shadow map. In order to render the image, the shadow buffering technique checks for object intersections by computing the distance from the light source at a point of interest and comparing it to the depth values stored in the shadow buffer that are close to the ray emanating from the point of interest to the light source. If the distance from the light source to the point of interest is greater than the shadow buffer depth value then the nearby ray is shadowed, because it is assumed to intersect an object that is closer to the light source than the point of interest.
The shadow buffering technique has the drawback of requiring depth buffering. Although other shadowing techniques exist such as projected textures, stencil shadow volumes, etc., these other shadowing techniques also have drawbacks because they require buffering or require additional textures and the associated graphics processing computations.

System and method for adjusting image pixel color to create a parallax depth effect


A multi-spark type ignition system for an internal combustion engine has a compact energy storage coil. The multi-spark type ignition system includes a energy storage coil, an energy storage capacitor, a first power transistor that switches on or off supply of electric energy from a battery and the electric energy from the energy storage coil to the energy storage capacitor, a second power transistor connected to the energy storage capacitor and to an ignition coil and an external resistor, connected between the energy storage coil and the first power transistor so as to bypass the energy storage capacitor. The second power transistor switches on or off the primary current. The external resistor limits current flowing through the first power transistor, thereby limiting temperature rise of the first power transistor.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ignition system for a vehicle internal combustion engine, and, particularly, a multi-spark type ignition system that repeatedly ignites fuel each time it is supplied to each cylinder of an internal combustion engine.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,892,080 and 5,056,496 disclose multi-spark type ignition systems in which as many ignition coils as cylinders of an internal combustion engine are employed. Such a system also includes an energy storage coil, a energy storage capacitor and switching power transistors for intermittently controlling supply of electric energy. One of the switching transistors switches on or off current flowing through the energy storage coil according to ignition timing signals. Because the energy storage coil supplies energy to all the ignition coils, a considerably large amount of electric current flows through the energy storage coil. Therefore, the resistance of the energy storage coil is required to be very low in order to prevent the temperature of the energy storage coil from excessively rising due to Joule heat.
However, if the power transistor is kept turn on due to some failure, the power transistor may be heated more as the resistance of the energy storage coil becomes smaller because the current flowing through the power transistor can not be suitably limited. Therefore, it was necessary to limit the electric current to prevent temperature rise the power transistor while maintaining the coil stored energy by increasing the number of turns thereof and to increase the size of the energy storage coil in order to increase heat radiation thereof.


In an electric power steering, a control unit includes a first power module configured to supply current to first motor windings, a first control board configured to output a control signal to the first power module, a second power module configured to supply current to second motor windings, a second control board configured to output a control signal to the second power module, and a heat sink. The heat sink includes a column portion having a plurality of mounting portions defined by flat surfaces parallel to the axial direction of the output shaft. The first control board and the second control board are each mounted along a corresponding one of one pair of opposing mounting portions, and the first power module and the second power module are each mounted along a corresponding one of another pair of opposing mounting portions.

In related-art driving devices, a motor and a control unit are arranged coaxially in an axial direction of an output shaft of the motor, and are integrated with each other. Some of the related-art driving devices have such a structure that, for example, a stator and a rotor are incorporated in a motor case, and main components of the control unit provided near the motor are stacked on one another in the axial direction for assembly. There has appeared another related-art device that includes two sets of motor windings in consideration of redundancy, and thus includes two independent, so-called inverter circuits for driving those motor windings, and two independent control boards (see, for example, Patent Literature 1).


An intermetallic composition suitable for use as an environmentally-protective coating on surfaces of components used in hostile thermal environments, including the turbine, combustor and augmentor sections of a gas turbine engine. The coating contains the gamma-prime (Ni3Al) nickel aluminide intermetallic phase and either the beta (NiAl) nickel aluminide intermetallic phase or the gamma solid solution phase. The coating has an average aluminum content of 14 to 30 atomic percent and an average platinum-group metal content of at least 1 to less than 10 atomic percent, the balance of the coating being nickel, one or more of chromium, silicon, tantalum, and cobalt, optionally one or more of hafnium, yttrium, zirconium, lanthanum, and cerium, and incidental impurities.

This invention relates to coatings of the type used to protect components exposed to high temperature environments, such as the hostile thermal environment of a gas turbine engine. More particularly, this invention is directed to coatings containing gamma-prime (γ′) phase nickel aluminide, either the gamma (γ-Ni) phase or beta (β) phase nickel aluminide, and a limited but effective amount of a platinum-group metal.
Certain components of the turbine, combustor and augmentor sections susceptible to damage by oxidation and hot corrosion attack are typically protected by an environmental coating and optionally a thermal barrier coating (TBC), in which case the environmental coating is termed a bond coat that in combination with the TBC forms what may be termed a TBC system. Because the maximum design temperature of a component is generally limited by the maximum allowable temperature of its environmental coating or bond coat (in the event of TBC spallation), any improvement in temperature capability of an environmental coating or bond coat results in a higher maximum operating temperature (and/or increased durability) for the component.
Environmental coatings and TBC bond coats are often formed of an oxidation-resistant aluminum-containing alloy or intermetallic whose aluminum content provides for the slow growth of a strong adherent continuous aluminum oxide layer (alumina scale) at elevated temperatures. This thermally grown oxide (TGO) provides protection from oxidation and hot corrosion, and in the case of a bond coat promotes a chemical bond with the TBC. However, a thermal expansion mismatch exists between metallic bond coats, their alumina scale and the overlying ceramic TBC, and peeling stresses generated by this mismatch gradually increase over time to the point where TBC spallation can occur as a result of cracks that form at the interface between the bond coat and alumina scale or the interface between the alumina scale and TBC. More particularly, coating system performance and life have been determined to be dependent on factors that include stresses arising from the growth of the TGO on the bond coat, stresses due to the thermal expansion mismatch between the ceramic TBC and the metallic bond coat, the fracture resistance of the TGO interface (affected by segregation of impurities, roughness, oxide type and others), and time-dependent and time-independent plastic deformation of the bond coat that leads to rumpling of the bond coat/TGO interface. As such, advancements in TBC coating system have been concerned in part with delaying the first instance of oxide spallation, which in turn is influenced by the above strength-related factors.
Environmental coatings and TBC bond coats in wide use include alloys such as MCrAlX overlay coatings (where M is iron, cobalt and/or nickel, and X is yttrium or another rare earth element), and diffusion coatings that contain aluminum intermetallics, predominantly beta-phase nickel aluminide and platinum aluminides (PtAl). In contrast to the aforementioned MCrAlX overlay coatings, which are metallic solid solutions containing intermetallic phases, the NiAl beta phase is an intermetallic compound present within nickel-aluminum compositions containing about 25 to about 60 atomic percent aluminum. Because TBC life depends not only on the environmental resistance but also the strength of its bond coat, bond coats capable of exhibiting higher strength have been developed, notable examples of which include beta-phase NiAl overlay coatings (as opposed to diffusion coatings) disclosed in commonly-assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,975,852 to Nagaraj et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,153,313 to Rigney et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,255,001 to Darolia, U.S. Pat. No. 6,291,084 to Darolia et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,620,524 to Pfaendtner et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 6,682,827 to Darolia et al. These intermetallic overlay coatings, which preferably contain a reactive element (such as zirconium and/or hafnium) and/or other alloying constituents (such as chromium), have been shown to improve the adhesion and spallation resistance of a ceramic TBC. The presence of reactive elements such as zirconium and hafnium in beta-phase NiAl overlay coatings has been shown to improve environmental resistance as well as strengthen the coating, primarily by solid solution strengthening of the beta-phase NiAl matrix. However, if the solubility limits of the reactive elements are exceeded, precipitates of a Heusler phase (Ni2AlZr (Hf, Ti, Ta)) can form that can drastically lower the oxidation resistance of the coating due to preferential internal oxidation of these precipitates.
The suitability of environmental coatings and TBC bond coats formed of NiAlPt to contain both gamma phase (γ-Ni) and gamma-prime phase (γ′-Ni3Al) is reported in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0229075 to Gleeson et al. The NiAlPt compositions evaluated by Gleeson et al. contained less than about 23 atomic percent (about 9 weight percent or less) aluminum, and between about 10 and 30 atomic percent (about 28 to 63 weight percent) platinum. Additions of reactive elements are also contemplated by Gleeson et al. According to Gleeson et al., the compositions were predominantly made up of the gamma and gamma prime phases, with substantially no beta phase. NiAlPt compositions have been shown to be substantially free of the rumpling phenomenon associated with TBC coating failure on PtAl bond coats, and the high levels of platinum in these coatings can result in excellent oxidation performance. Furthermore, the relatively low aluminum content of these NiAlPt compositions reduces and potentially eliminates the formation of topologically close-packed (TCP) phases, which form a particularly detrimental type of diffusion zone known as a secondary reaction zone (SRZ) observed in newer generation high strength superalloys when protected by high aluminum-activity coatings.
Even with the above advancements, there remains a considerable and continuous effort to further increase the service life of environmental coatings and TBC systems.

Gamma prime phase-containing nickel aluminide coating


Disclosed herein are a method and circuit for driving touch sensors and a display device using the same. A method of driving touch sensors includes supplying a touch sensor driving signal to the touch sensors or an amplifier and sensing a touch input during a touch input sensing portion and measuring current noise received through the touch sensors without the touch sensor driving signal during a noise measurement portion.

Field
The present disclosure relates to a method and circuit for driving touch sensors, wherein noise received through a finger or a conductor is measured, and a display device using the same.
Discussion of the Related Art
A user interface (UI) enables communication with a person (or user) using various electrical and electronic devices, so a user is able to easily control a device as the user wishes. Examples of the UI include a keypad, a keyboard, an on screen display (SOD), and a remote controller having an infrared communication or radio frequency (RF) communication function. A technology for the UI continues to be developed toward higher user sensitivity and manipulation convenience. The UI is evolving into a touch UI, a voice recognition UI, and a 3D UI.
A touch screen may be implemented using capacitance type touch sensors. In addition, a touch screen may be implemented using a resistive film, with an acoustic surface wave, a pressure type resistive film, and with infrared sensing. The most important factor to determine performance of such a touch screen is a signal to noise ratio (hereinafter referred to as an "SNR"). If noise introduced into a touch screen is reduced, the operation margin of a touch driving circuit can be widened and touch sensing sensitivity can be improved because an SNR value is increased.
In order to improve the SNR, a method of accurately measuring noise introduced into a touch sensor is important. Noise introduced into the touch sensor needs to be continuously measured because the noise varies in real time depending on a surrounding environment. There is known a method for improving the SNR in which the frequency of a touch sensor driving signal is changed to avoid a frequency associated with high noise. An example of such a method includes a method of changing the frequency of a touch sensor depending on the level of noise, which is disclosed in Korean Patent Application Publication No. 10-2012-0057009 (Jun. 5, 2012) of the present applicant.
A method of measuring noise in a touch sensor may include supplying a touch sensor driving signal to the touch sensor, converting output of the touch sensor when the touch sensor driving signal is supplied to the touch sensor into digital data, performing a comparison on data obtained by repeating such a method several times, and measuring noise affecting the touch sensor based on a difference between a minimum value and a maximum value according to a result of the comparison. As noise affecting a touch screen is greater, a difference between a minimum value and a maximum value is increased. However, such a noise measurement method requires a long measurement time and high current consumption because a touch sensor driving signal needs to be repeatedly applied to a touch sensor several times in order to measure noise.

Method and circuit for driving touch sensors to reduce noise measurement time and display device using the same


An LED package is improved in heat radiating performance. The LED package includes a package substrate having heat radiating means; a heat radiating layer arranged on the package substrate with an area at least larger than a mounting area of a light emitting diode chip to provide a horizontal heat radiating path; and an electrically-connecting structure including first and second conductive leads arranged on the heat radiating layer. The light emitting diode chip is mounted on the heat radiating layer or the first conductive lead by a heat conductive adhesive layer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an LED package, more particularly, which can more efficiently radiate heat generated from an LED chip.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a Light Emitting Diode (LED) package is required to have high light efficiency together with excellent heat radiating characteristics. In particular, since a high power LED package used in the lighting industry generates a large amount heat, its heat radiating performance is a critical factor to maintain the reliability of a device.
In view of such heat radiating characteristics, conventional LED packages incorporate a heat sink of high heat conductivity installed in a package substrate. As another approach, it is also considered to make a package substrate itself from a high heat conductivity material. Conventional LED package structures are shown in FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b).
Referring to FIG. 1(a), a conventional LED package 10 includes a package substrate 11 with an LED chip 15 mounted thereon by an adhesive layer 14. The package substrate 11 has a heat sink 11a acting as heat radiating (or conducting) means, extending in a thickness direction from a mounting area where the chip 15 is arranged. An upper substrate 12 arranged on the package substrate 11 has a cavity surrounding the mounting area. First and Second electrodes (not shown) of the LED chip 15 are connected, respectively, to first and second conductive leads 16a and 16b arranged on the package substrate 11.
In the LED package 10 shown in FIG. 1(a), heat generated from the LED chip 15 can be transferred to the heat sink 11a. In this case, as indicated by arrow C, the heat transfer path is limited to a vertical direction along the heat sink formed in the thickness direction.
Referring to FIG. 1(b), a conventional LED package 20 includes a package substrate 21 with an LED chip 25 mounted thereon by an adhesive layer 24. An upper substrate 22 arranged on the package substrate 21 has a cavity surrounding a chip-mounting area. First and second electrodes (not shown) of the LED chip 25 are connected, respectively, to first and second conductive leads 26a and 26b arranged on the package substrate 21.
The package substrate 21 is a semiconductor substrate such as a ceramic substrate or Si substrate which has high heat conductivity. Thus the package substrate 21 itself can act as a heat sink or heat radiating means. However, even though the package substrate itself acts as the heat sink, heat is transferred radially from a contact surface of the LED chip, that is, a heat source. Accordingly, most heat is transferred vertically along a path indicated by arrow C1 but little heat is transferred laterally.
As shown in FIG. 1(a) and 1(b), in a convention LED package, heat generated from an LED chip is transferred substantially vertically through a bonding area of the LED chip with a heat sink or a heat sink substrate. As a result, although the heat sink or heat sink substrate is larger than the area of the LED chip, most heat is transferred along a path formed in a thickness direction of the substrate.
Accordingly, in the convention LED packages, even though a large sized heat sink or a heat sink substrate is used, the area functioning as a heat transfer path is limited and thus excellent heat radiating performance is rarely expectable.


A hydrodynamic nozzle for the cleaning of pipes and channels exhibits a distribution chamber (7), joining to the pressurized water-entrance opening (4), wherein the pressurized water-discharge opening (5a, 5b) join into the distribution chamber (7) through channels (6a and 6b). The distribution chamber (7) exhibits a cone-shaped water subdivider (8), to which a defined radius (r1) follows, wherein the curvature of the radius (r1) is opposite to that of the pressurized water-entrance opening (4). The channels (6a and 6b) are merging tangentially at this radius (r1). Furthermore, the nozzle body (1) can be subdivided into an upper part (2) and a lower part (3), and can exhibit a separate form element (14), which forms the water subdivider (8) and the radius (r1), in the lower part (3). The degree of effectiveness is substantially increased with the nozzle according to the invention and thus the axial pressure of the exiting beam of liquid and the cleaning effect is substantially increased.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a hydrodynamic nozzle for the cleaning of pipes and channels, formed of a nozzle base body having a connector for a water hose as a pressurized water-entrance opening, and having pressurized water-discharge openings on the side of the pressurized water-entrance opening disposed on the same or different part reference circles, wherein the pressurized water-discharge openings are connected through channels to the pressurized water-entrance openings, wherein the pressurized water-discharge openings and the channels are disposed inclined at a defined angle relative to the axis of the nozzle body.
2. Brief Description of the Background of the Invention Including Prior Art
Numerous channel-cleaning nozzles are known, which exhibit a water connector providing a pressurized water-entry connector opening and recoil openings, directed rearwardly and connected to the pressurized water-entry connector. The nozzle is subjected to an advance motion in the pipe or channel based on the recoil force of the water. Such a nozzle body made of full solid material is taught in the German petit patent document DE G 92 14 268.8. The connection between the water connector and the water discharge ports (recoil openings) is performed in this case through a first borehole, running from the water connector at an inclined angle toward the outside into the nozzle body, and a second borehole, leading from the water discharge port at an inclined angle toward the inside, wherein the second borehole reaches up to the first borehole and is connected with the first borehole. The apex regions of the boreholes are rounded in this construction in order to avoid turbulences. The water connector exhibits a conical borehole base, wherein the cone is open in the direction of the hose connector. The first boreholes are entered into the borehole base. The decisive disadvantage of this construction comprises that the water impacts onto the base of the borehole of the water connector, whereby turbulences and thus power losses and a decrease in efficiency occurs. Furthermore, it is disadvantageous that the two connection boreholes meet at an acute angle.
An already somewhat improved nozzle with respect to flow technology is taught in the printed patent document WO 85/05295. Here, the connection channels between the pressurized water-entrance opening and the recoil opening exhibit a relatively large radius. In FIG. 2 of the printed patent document WO 85/05295 such a nozzle is shown which exhibits in the center in the region of the hose connector a conical-shaped water subdivider, where the radius joins at the conical-shaped water subdivider. The hollow space in the nozzle expands at a relatively sharp edge from the hose connector such that a ring-shaped impact face is formed in the direction of the recoil openings. The discharge openings lead from the impact face in the hollow space outwardly over a discharge beam angle or range of deflection. Nozzles are inserted into the discharge openings, wherein the nozzles exhibit a conical expansion of the inner diameter in a direction toward the hollow space. Based on the impact of the liquid stream onto the impact face, there is generated an unsteady cross-section decrease according to the hydrodynamics, which decreases the degree of efficiency already to about 70%. The pressure resistance and the form drag of the impact plate are present in addition, which impedances result in a further substantial decrease of the degree of effectiveness, wherein the largest drag coefficient of a circular plate is to be employed in the present case.
Based on this unfavorable flow-technical construction, the axial pressure of the exiting water beam is weakened and thus the cleaning effect is decreased.

Hydrodynamic nozzle for cleaning pipes and channels


Systems and methods for preparing reports and for displaying information concerning transactions between service providers and service customers including preprocessing of records relating to transaction details in order to create indices enabling rapid sorting of the records.

Telecommunications costs have become a major for many large businesses and other organizations. Today's competitive business climate requires immediate communications between components of an organization and between the organization and its suppliers and customers. This need alone has produced over the last twenty years a dramatic increase in the use of traditional telecommunications services such as ordinary switched telephone service, leased-line telephone service and telex, typically provided by wireline common carriers. In addition, many non-traditional modes of electronic communications, such as facsimile and a variety of computer networking schemes use, as a transmission medium, either traditional or new telecommunications services offered by wireline carriers.
Organizations are under great pressure to reduce telecommunications costs while continuing to make available to their personnel and correspondents telecommunications services of acceptable quality and quantity. In order to minimize costs, attention is increasingly focused on analysis and processing of call-detail records to discover waste, unauthorized use, and savings opportunities which may arise from more efficient selection of carrier facilities.
For example, lengthy calls from a particular station may indicate inappropriate or inefficient use of the telephone by authorized personnel. A large number of calls to a particular geographical region may indicate that leased lines or tie-lines are economically justified. Since many telecommunications services are priced on a distance- and time-of-day-sensitive basis, and since several telecommunications carriers provide differing calling and volume discount plans, customers may avail themselves of additional savings opportunities by appropriately routing traffic over the lowest cost facilities and by contracting for special discounts based on usage information obtained from such analyses. A further requirement for call-detail record processing is to permit large organizations to pass along telecommunications charges to the originating department or other internal unit.
Such analysis and processing is hampered, because even large-volume telecommunications customers typically now receive a paper bill itemizing long-distance calls and other telecommunications charges by originating station. This paper bill is often the exclusive means by which the customer may obtain detailed information concerning telephone calls and other transactions from which charges arise. Further analysis is usually not provided by the carrier.
In order to process and analyze call-detail information on their own, customers have adopted a variety of techniques, but each of these has significant disadvantages. The information on a bill may be analyzed using non-automated methods, but these methods are not feasible for large customers, and even for the smallest customers are extremely expensive and error-prone. Since automated processing is preferred, some customers manually key-punch or machine-scan the paper bill into a computer system. While this approach somewhat reduces the cost of the analysis, the data entry steps remain expensive and error-prone.
Other customers may receive from the carrier a machine-readable tape containing call-detail records, but to the inventors' knowledge these tapes either carry unrated call information (i.e. the records do not include the cost of the call) or lack certain rating details without which it is impossible to exactly reconcile information on the tape with the paper bill. In addition, the type of tape media used, and the manner in which the information is organized on such tapes, require that an expensive mainframe-class computer be used to analyze the data.
Apparatus has also been developed which may be continuously connected to each outgoing station, telephone line or similar facility used by the customer and which records certain details concerning every outgoing transaction or call made over that facility. The records thereby produced may then be processed by a computer to apply an appropriate rating algorithm and arrive at an approximate cost for each transaction. However, since the customer's recording equipment is not identical to the equipment used by the carrier to acquire call-detail records, some discrepancies are virtually sure to occur, and these discrepancies will be propagated to the final results of the analysis. In addition, since the carrier's calling plans and tariffs may change frequently, a great deal of effort is required on the part of the customer to maintain up-to-date and otherwise accurate rating algorithms for processing the records.
Accordingly, the need exists for a system which provides to large-volume telecommunications customers the ability to conveniently and affordably analyze and manipulate call-detail and other telecommunications transaction information by computer with reasonable processing speed, while providing results which exactly correspond with the information printed on the customer's paper bill. Although there are programs and software utilities which generally sort and index information for increased speed of display and manipulation by a small computer, those existing products are not specifically adapted for efficient processing of telecommunications Call Detail records and Predefined Call Summary Records.


A computer-implemented method and apparatus for processing on-line donations associated with media content is disclosed. An example embodiment includes elements to integrate a payment button with an associated item of media content on a web page; link the payment button with an account on a payment site; receive a donation from a donor via the payment button; and credit the donation to the account linked to the payment button.

1. Technical Field
This application relates to a method and system to process data. Particularly, this application relates to the processing of on-line donations associated with media content.
2. Related Art
Streaming media, such as videos, audio content, and other forms of content, documents, or software (media content) have long been available on-line via download to networked users. Typically, the consumers of this content either received the content for free or the consumers were prompted to pay (and sometimes register with) a provider of the content prior to the downloading and viewing/use of the content. This conventional streaming content download payment model was flawed, because consumers had to pay for an item of content before knowing whether the content was worth the payment price. Providers were unwilling to make the content available prior to payment, because consumers might be inclined to view/use the content and then refuse payment after viewing/using the content. Some providers make available free trailers, previews, or limited use versions of some content. But these limited use versions do not always provide an accurate assessment of the value of the complete content item. As such, a significant portion of the available networked content is not viewed or used by potential consumers; because content providers are unwilling to do so without assurance of payment.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,909,794 describes a donation transaction apparatus and method for facilitating donations to charitable organizations. The apparatus is configured to receive coins or, in some embodiments, cash or funds transfer authorization or credit charges, and preferably dispenses a donation receipt to the user which the user may use to prepare or document income tax returns. Preferably, the user is able to select among a plurality of charitable organizations to receive the donation.
Thus, a computer-implemented method and apparatus for processing on-line donations associated with media content is needed.

Method and apparatus for processing on-line donations associated with media content


A solid-state imaging device including a color filter having a filter characteristic more approaching to a human visual sensitivity is provided. The color filter including a group of dielectric layers has high-refractive-index-material films and low-refractive-index-material films, the high-refractive-index-material film and the low-refractive-index-material film being n films and (n−1) films, respectively, which are laminated alternately, n being an integer equal to or larger than 4. The color filter includes at least a red-transmission filter, a green-transmission filter, and a blue-transmission filter. The group of dielectric layers is common in the color filter and includes two of the high-refractive-index-material films and one of the low-refractive-index-material films positioned between and in contact with the two of high-refractive-index-material films. In the red-transmission filter, a first one of low-refractive-index-material films and a second one of low-refractive-index-material films, which are not in the group of dielectric layers, have a thickness different from each other.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a solid-state imaging device such as a Charge-Coupled Device (CCD) sensor or a Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) sensor and to a method for processing signals outputted from the solid-state imaging device. The present invention particularly relates to a solid-state imaging device provided with a color filter that even enables imaging of a near-infrared light and to a method for processing signals obtained by photoelectric conversion on a light transmitted through the color filter of the solid-state imaging device.
(2) Description of the Related Arts
Solid-state imaging devices conventionally include laminated color filters for transmitting an RGB three-primary-color light (see, for example, Patent Reference 1: U.S. Pat. No. 3,971,065) and enable representation of almost every color.
The conventional color reproduction techniques in which the RGB primary colors are employed, however, have not been sufficient for representing colors as natural as the human eye senses. Particularly, the cyan includes a portion which cannot be represented.
Accordingly, a color filter characteristic has been proposed, which is based on a concept of the XYZ colorimetric system. For the color filter characteristic, it has been taken into consideration that a human optic nerve which senses red has a negative sensitivity to the cyan. Imaging more approaching to the human eye can be achieved by providing a solid-state imaging device with a color filter having such filter characteristic.
It is not possible, however, to obtain the filter characteristic approaching to the characteristic of X of the XYZ calorimetric system simply by superimposing a red-transmission filter and a blue-transmission filter. This is because, when two filters are superimposed, the filter characteristics of the respective filters are included, so that a light is not transmitted through the superimposed filters.
With such a background, a method has been proposed, which implements the negative sensitivity of a red filter by using an emerald filter that transmits only the cyan light which is the subject of the negative sensitivity and by subtracting, from a red signal component, a signal component obtained in a pixel corresponding to the emerald filter (see, for example, Patent Reference 2: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2003-284084).
Meanwhile, conventional color filters are composed of a pigment or a colorant using organic materials. In the case where these organic materials are used, it is possible to absorb a specific light by utilizing a color separation feature of these organic materials. In this case, the organic materials transmit lights that are not absorbed.
However, a further miniaturized size for a pixel is desired these days as more pixels are included in a light receiving element. This means that the number of electrons to be generated from a received light per pixel of a photodiode has been physically decreased. As described above, when the number of electrons to be generated in a pixel decreases due to the miniaturization, the sensitivity of the photodiode to a light further decreases in the case where the color filter includes the organic materials, since the color filter absorbs a portion of the light.
Accordingly, a reflective color filter has been proposed as a color filter that enables color separation without decreasing light transmission (see, for example, Patent Reference 3: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication NO 2005-101109). More specifically, this reflective color filter uses an inorganic dielectric multilayer filter in which a film with a high refractive index and a film with a low refractive index are alternately laminated and which transmits a light having a particular wavelength under a certain film-thickness condition. Use of such multilayer allows a light forbidden band to be produced, in which a light with a certain wavelength range cannot be transmitted. By superimposing films which are different in structure enables transmitting only a light with a specific wavelength. Use of this phenomenon makes possible the implementation of three-type color filters each of which transmits desired three primary colors.
A luminance signal Y is generally expressed by the following expression: Y=0.11B+0.59G+0.30R. Here, B, C and R represent a blue signal, a green signal and a red signal, respectively. With regard to this, it is known that, in order to obtain a luminance signal with a large value, use of a pixel arrangement called "Bayer arrangement" in which a unit cell includes four pixels of R, G, G, and B enables the most efficient obtainment of the luminance signal (see, for example, Patent Reference 1: U.S. Pat. No. 3,971,065). Further, from the above description, use of an emerald pixel in place of one of the G pixels of the RGGB pixel can be considered.
However, when the emerald pixel is used in place of one of the G pixels of the conventional RGGB pixel, the green signals that dominate in the luminance signal are reduced by half, in other words, from two green signals to one green signal. Accordingly, the luminance signal cannot be obtained efficiently. As stated above, among the human visual sensitivity, particularly the visual sensitivity to red has the negative sensitivity to the light of 500 nm wavelength. There has not been a color filter that has such a filter characteristic as the human visual sensitivity has.

Solid-state imaging device and signal processing method


A case for accommodating a disc cartridge includes a main body or cartridge accommodating part, a cartridge support arranged in the main body and including steps with increasing heights in due order, and partition plates arranged in the main body and corresponding to the steps of the cartridge support. Right and left sides of the disc cartridge inserted in the main body are held between side faces of the cartridge support and between the partition plates.

The present invention relates generally to cases for accommodating disc cartridges, and more particularly, to the cases which enable accommodation of disc cartridges in a standing way and in a file.
FIGS. 10A-11B show two different types of the known cases for accommodating disc cartridges (referred hereafter to as cartridge cases), which enable accommodation of disc cartridges in a standing way and in a file.
With a cartridge case 101 as shown in FIGS. 10A-10B, a bottom 102a of a case main body or cartridge accommodating part 102 is formed flat to allow accommodation of disc cartridges 201 with the heights being equalized. Reference numeral 103 designates a rotary lid.
With a cartridge case 111 as shown in FIGS. 11A-11B, a stepped cartridge support 113 and partition plates 114 are arranged on a bottom 112a of a cartridge accommodating part 112 to allow accommodation of disc cartridges 201 with the heights being varied stepwise. Reference numeral 115 designates an engaged lid.
With the cartridge case 101 as shown in FIGS. 10A-10B, since the heights of the disc cartridges 201 accommodated therein are equalized, the case height can be reduced. However, since the rear disc cartridge 201 is concealed by the front disc cartridge 201, it is only the foremost disc cartridge 201 that can be identified.
On the other hand, with the cartridge case 111 as shown in FIGS. 11A-11B, since the heights of the disc cartridges 201 accommodated therein are varied stepwise, not only the foremost disc cartridge 201 but the rear disc cartridges 201 can be identified. However, each disc cartridge 201 are loosely received between the partition plates 114, so that each disc cartridge 201 is shaken between the partition plates 114 to produce noise by colliding with the partition plate 114, etc. when carrying the cartridge case 111, or it is jumped out when the cartridge case 111 falls down.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide cases for accommodating disc cartridges, which allow sure holding of disc cartridges with easy identification thereof.


A memory circuit includes a plurality of memory cells, an input/output area for addressing or writing onto the plurality of memory cells by means of electrical signals, and an optical-electrical converter for converting optical signals into the electrical signals, the plurality of memory cells and the input/output area being integrated on a chip, and the optical-electrical converter being mechanically connected to the chip or being integrated into the chip.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electronic memory circuits and in particular to a memory circuit with an optical input.
2. Description of the Related Art
Electronic memory circuits for storing information and data in a binary form are subject to constant and rapid technological progress. On the one hand, their capacities, i.e. the amount of information that can be stored, are being increased more and more. On the other hand, these memory circuits designed as semiconductor components become increasingly fast, i.e. the time required for a writing operation or a reading operation is becoming increasingly short, and/or the number of the elementary writing operations and/or reading operations per time unit is increasing. Here a limit has been reached which is formed by the physically possible range of electric transmission of addressing signals, control signals and data signals.
With an increasing frequency of the signals transmitted to and from a memory circuit, the problems encountered in electrical connections due to parasitic inductances and capacitances as well as due to a cross-talk between adjacent lines increase, whereby signal qualities deteriorate. In addition, each change in the impedance along a signal path causes disturbances in the form of reflections. Each end of a conductor line, each solder contact, each pin-and-socket connection and each wire bond connection may cause, in this manner, disturbing reflections which cause a significant deterioration of the quality of the signals transmitted. In practice, numerous transitions in the form of solder contacts or pin-and-socket contacts occur between a semiconductor chip, a circuit board, a plug-in module and another semiconductor chip.
A deterioration of a signal quality may be compensated, within certain limits, by expensive circuits at the end of a line degrading the signal quality, i.e. at the input area of a circuit receiving the signals, whereby, however, significant cost due to a consumption of further chip space as well as other disadvantages, such as an increased energy consumption, are created.
Special problems with regard to the signal quality arise in testing semiconductor memory circuits during manufacturing. To recognize faulty memory circuits and to remove them from the manufacturing process as early on as possible, they are temporarily contacted by means of testing needles and checked for their function by means of a testing device immediately after their production, while they are still on the entire semiconductor wafer, i.e. before being diced. However, these testing needles have a finite bandwidth which is not sufficient to test modern memory circuits with the signal frequency and the data throughput to which they will be exposed as a finished memory component, for example in a computer. Therefore such a test of a memory component on a wafer can only have limited validity. As a consequence, faulty memory circuits on a wafer are not recognized as such and discarded from the manufacturing process, but are housed, contacted and retested in further costly process steps. In this manner, considerable manufacturing costs arise for memory components which are not functional and therefore cannot be sold, but must be destroyed. These costs must be apportioned to the fault-free components to be sold, whereby they become considerably more expensive.
In addition, all electrical lines, for example on a mother board, a memory socket, a memory module etc., represent antennas which, on the one hand, send out potential spurious signals for other electrical lines and circuits, and, on the other hand, receive spurious signals of other electrical lines or circuits and supply same to the circuits connected. This problem takes on considerable proportions since there is a tendency, for various reasons, to concentrate an increasing number of lines, which transmit signals clocked at an increasing speed, to a decreasing amount of space.
A further problem is an influence on the signal quality by disturbances of a supply voltage, inevitable in practice, which influence, for example, the signal edges and/or their steepness (ground bounce, Vcc drops, etc.).
A further problem arises in a run length adjustment, which leads to additional parasitic capacitances and inductances in the case of an electrical realization.
Each open electrical contact of a semiconductor circuit further presents the risk of a destruction of the semiconductor circuit by an electrostatic discharge (ESD), whereby a semiconductor circuit may be irreparably damaged with each manipulation, in particular when it is inserted into or removed from a circuit board and/or a socket.
Generally, it can be established that each electrical connection in the form of a conductor line, a solder, plug-in or wire bonding connection causes manufacturing expense and thus raises the price of the respective final product and further represents a potential source of trouble in the production and operation.


The present invention describes surfactants of formula (I),

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to thermally labile surfactants prepared by Diels-Alder (hereinafter "DA") reactions. In particular, the invention relates to the sodium sulfonate thermally cleavable surfactant and processes for their preparation.
2. Description of the Related Art
Over the past decade, the development of cleavable surfactants has been a growing field in surfactant science. As the name implies, cleavable surfactants are molecules that undergo a chemical or physical change of the parent molecular structure resulting in a change and/or loss of surface-active behavior. Hence, the production of commercially available cleavable surfactants may find utility in industrial practices where foaming or persistent surface-active properties must be diminished after their initial use in "green" chemistry where degradability is of primary concern, and in biomedical drug delivery where surfactants could be removed through biological mechanisms.
To overcome these shortcomings, we describe here the synthesis and characterization of two new surfactant compositions which incorporate a thermally cleavable DA adduct as the chemical weak-link within the surfactant molecular structure. In particular, we have utilized the reversible DA reaction between functionalized furans and maleimides as the basis for thermally cleavable materials. We have previously reported the integration of furan-maleimide DA adducts into molecules to produce thermally responsive encapsulating polymers, foams, and adhesives as well as dendrons and dendrimers which reversibly self-assemble (see U.S. patent Ser. Nos. 6,271,335; 6,337,384; and 6,403,753; U.S. Published Application Serial No. 20030116272; and Aubert, J. H., Journal of Adhesion, 2003, v. 79, pp. 609-616; McElhanon, J. R., et al., Journal of Applied Polymer Science, 2002, v. 85, p. 1496; and McElhanon, J. R., et al., Organic Letters, 2001, v. 3(17), p. 2681). Also, similar thermally reversible DA adducts have been reported incorporated into other responsive polymers (see Chen, X., et al., Macromolecules, 2003, v. 36, p 1802-1807; and Chen, X., et al., Science, 2002, v. 295, p 1698-1702).
We have previously reported on (McElhanon, J. R., et al., Langmuir, 2005, v. 21, pp. 3259-3266) the synthesis and characterization of surfactants that possess a furan-maleimide DA thermally activated weak-link. These surfactants possessed either carboxylate or phenolate polar head groups and a 12 carbon linear alkyl chain that served as the hydrophobic tail section. These surfactants all require deprotonation of the head group through addition of an excess of potassium hydroxide to achieve solubility in water. We present here the synthesis and characterization of two sulfonate-based sodium salt DA surfactants that require no deprotonation step or addition of hydroxide and are soluble in water and/or polar organic solvents. The surfactants degrade into hydrophilic and hydrophobic fragments after exposure to elevated temperatures (>50° C.) and lose all surface-active behavior.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method for preparing thermally cleavable surfactants without deprotonation

Abstract: wherein R, RN, and m are defined herein, processes for their preparation, and methods for their decomposition.


A yarn end preparing apparatus is provided for drawing off a yarn end of a textile yarn package and thereafter rewinding the drawn out yarn end onto the yarn package at a preferred location thereon. The yarn preparing apparatus includes a suction housing supported on a pair of vertical guide rods for movement parallel to the axis of a yarn package to be prepared. A pair of linkage members, each comprising a conduit, are pivotably connected to one another with their respective conduits communicated with one another for applying suction through the conduits to the suction housing to thereby effect drawing in of a yarn end through a suction slot of the suction housing. A light beam emitting member is mounted forwardly of the suction slot for emitting a light beam detected by a light beam detecting member mounted on an opposite forward side of the suction slot. During downward movement of the suction housing to dispose the suction slot adjacent the tapered top portion of a yarn package, the light beam is interrupted by the body of yarn on the yarn package as the suction slot reaches an optimal spacing from the yarn package and a control unit stops the movement of the suction housing in response to the interruption of the light beam to automatically position the suction slot at a predetermined optimal spacing from the tapered top portion of a yarn package independent of the relative axial position of the tapered top portion.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for preparing a yarn end of a textile yarn package having means for automatically positioning a suction slot relative to a yarn package and, more particularly, an apparatus having an automatic positioning means which automatically positions a suction slot at a predetermined spacing from the tapered top portion of a yarn package.
The pace of improvements in developing more efficient textile winding machines has produced a corresponding need to improve the efficiency of textile spinning machines which build the yarn packages supplied to the winding machines for winding thereat. In this regard, improvements in textile spinning machines which reduce the need for human operator intervention--in other words, improvements which contribute to the automatic operation of the machine--are especially helpful improvements in increasing the efficiency and cost effectiveness of an integrated textile spinning and winding operation.
One area of an integrated textile spinning and winding operation which has received attention, as reflected by the issuance of several patents, is the yarn end preparation area which relates to the preparation of the yarn ends of textile yarn packages after such packages have been built at a textile spinning machine in preparation for the unwinding of these yarn packages at a textile winding machine. Since the efficiency of the subsequent unwinding operation can be improved by finding and positioning a yarn end of a textile yarn package at a preferred disposition on the yarn package prior to the delivery of the yarn package to a winding station of a textile winding machine for unwinding thereat, numerous devices have been proposed for finding and positioning the yarn ends of textile yarn packages. Moreover, several devices have been proposed for finding and preparing the yarn ends of those yarn packages which have already been subjected to at least an initial yarn end preparation step during which an attempt to locate and/or position a yarn end was unsuccessful. For example, DE-PS 30 45 825 proposes a device operable to continuously circulate textile yarn packages in a closed loop to repetitively bring the yarn packages to several yarn end preparation devices adjacent the closed loop. However, this device does not fully optimize the yarn end preparation step since textile yarn packages may frequently travel several times around the closed loop without successful preparation of a yarn end thereof and these textile yarn packages correspondingly decrease the efficiency of the yarn end preparation process.
DE-PS 32 35 442 also proposes a yarn end preparation device having a circuit through which textile yarn packages are circulated past several yarn end preparation assemblies. The proposed device includes a counter means which counts the number of circuits which a particular textile yarn package has completed and controls a separation assembly which separates those yarn packages which have circulated more than a predetermined number of times around the circuit, such yarn packages being deemed to be unworkable in that no yarn end thereof has been successfully prepared. However, this proposed device still leaves opportunities for optimizing the number of successfully prepared yarn packages per unit time. Accordingly, the need exists for an apparatus for preparing a yarn end of a textile yarn package which is operable to efficiently prepare the yarn ends of those yarn packages which typically are not initially successfully handled by the known prior art yarn end preparation devices.

Automatic positioning device for a yarn end finder


An electronic device includes a first substrate having a wiring trace, a second substrate having an external terminal, a first electronic component disposed on a first surface of the first substrate, a second electronic component electrically connected to the first electronic component and disposed on a second surface of the first substrate, a mold layer encapsulating the first electronic component, and a conductive member disposed in the mold layer. The conductive member electrically connects the first substrate to the second substrate. A step is formed at an end of the mold layer, and the conductive member is exposed at the step. A distance between the first substrate and the second substrate is smaller than a distance between the first surface of the first substrate and a surface of the first electronic component that is positioned opposite to the first substrate.

In recent years, fingerprint recognition apparatuses used for performing personal identification have come into wide use for enhancing security. A fingerprint recognition apparatuses is used in various ways, for example, as an electronic key disposed at an entrance of a building, as used with an automatic telling machine (ATM), or as used in a portable electronic appliance, such as a mobile phone or a smartphone.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication (Translation of PCT Application) No. 2017-511162 (hereinafter referred to as "Patent Document 1") discloses an electronic device to be used for a fingerprint recognition apparatus. The electronic device disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a sensor electrode for detecting fingerprints, an integrated circuit electrically connected to the sensor electrode, a first circuit substrate that is positioned above the integrated circuit and on which the sensor electrode is mounted, a second circuit substrate that is positioned below the integrated circuit and electrically connected to the first circuit substrate, a molding layer for protecting the integrated circuit, and a connection portion that electrically connects the first circuit substrate and the second circuit substrate.
In general, size and thickness reduction is highly demanded for portable electronic appliances, which necessitates size and thickness reduction of fingerprint recognition apparatuses to be used for the portable electronic appliances.
The electronic device for the fingerprint recognition apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1, however, is configured such that the second circuit substrate is disposed below the integrated circuit. Reducing the height of the device may face difficulties due to the second circuit substrate interfering with the integrated circuit. In other words, the idiosyncratic feature of the electronic device for the fingerprint recognition apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1 may pose difficulties in reducing the height of the device.

Electronic device with exposed conductive member at step in mold and fingerprint recognition apparatus equipped with the same


A cooler door display rack for a cooler having a transparent door pivotally mounted thereon and storage racks arranged in the cooler in spaced relation from the door to define a cooling air flow zone therebetween. The cooler door display rack forms an open top box having a bottom, front, rear and two sides. The display rack is secured to the inside surface of the cooler door such that the front side is located adjacent the transparent door interior face and such that the display rack extends into the cooling air flow zone when the transparent door is closed. The display rack is adapted to receive advertising or promotional messages viewable by the consuming public through the cooler doors. An electronic message boards may also be secured to the rack for electronic display of messages.

1. Technical Field
This invention relates generally to a method and apparatus for providing additional display and advertising space for products in a retail store. More specifically, the invention provides a novel method and apparatus for providing additional retail display and advertising space by means of a rack which may be secured to the door of a conventional refrigerated storage cooler.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Storage racks on the inside surfaces of a storage compartment door are known. Several prior art devices have been disclosed wherein a rack, bottle holder, or shelves are secured to the inside of a conventional household refrigerator door. Additionally, devices such as that disclosed in Barger, U.S. Pat. No. 906,368 have been designed for display of items such as saws in a cabinet, wherein the item may be secured to the cabinet glass door so as to be visible to one looking into the cabinet. In Crofts, U.S. Pat. No. 769,647, a shop window casing apparatus for displaying products to customers was disclosed wherein the casing was pivoted outward to facilitate selection of a product therefrom.
In still another example of prior art, a refrigerator apparatus was disclosed in Hill, U.S. Pat. No. 6,879,241, which included the capability to mount a single product container onto the glass door. The product itself was not easily accessible to the customer since the container itself was secured to the door. Additionally, the glass door of the refrigerator is mounted at an angle making viewing at a distance difficult. Further, the refrigerator door was not adapted to receive advertising or promotional messages.
None of the prior art devices are adapted to be utilized with conventional upright and walk-in coolers.
Doors in a modern cooler are vertically mounted and pivot outwardly when opened by a customer retrieving a product stored therein. Products are stored in the cooler or storage compartment on vertically spaced, generally horizontal racks. The racks are mounted a distance behind the door thus creating a space which is empty and through which cooling air may circulate.
Thus it can be seen that none of the prior art devices provide the advantages of the present invention, wherein a display rack is secured to the surface of a transparent door of a modern cooler or storage compartment, thereby providing an apparatus capable of receiving and storing products in a space otherwise unused, increasing efficiency of the cooler, and further providing for the display of advertising or promotional messages to consumers.
3. Objects of the Invention
Accordingly, a primary object of the invention is to provide supplemental product storage and advertising space on the interior surface of the transparent door of cooler.
Another object of the present storage and display rack apparatus is to provide additional storage space in existing coolers, thereby more effectively utilizing existing space within such coolers and conserving energy.
It is an additional objective to provide a display and storage rack apparatus which may be secured to the interior surface of a conventional cooler door.
It is an additional objective to provide a storage display rack apparatus which may receive advertising or promotional message placards therein for display to the consuming public at the point of sale.
It is a further objective of the present invention to provide a display rack apparatus which may utilize an electronic message board as the message placard.
It is a further objective of the present invention to provide an apparatus which may be used on the large transparent doors of walk-in storage compartments,
It is a further objective of the invention that it be easily removed from the door, yet be sturdily attached when secured thereto.
It a further objective that the advertising or promotional message be easily changed in the display rack.
It is an additional objective that the display storage rack be of sturdy construction yet be relatively inexpensive and easy to manufacture.


A method is disclosed for adapting a legacy software application developed for an environment comprising a centralized computing resource interconnected to a series of computer terminal devices applications to a network environment wherein the network environment can comprise a system of distributed, interconnected network computing resources, the method comprising the steps of: creating translatable source code and executable code for the initial legacy software application and; utilizing the translatable source code to produce a series of software components, the components being executable by at least one of the computing resources in the network environment, and upon execution, the computing resource is caused to interconnect with the executable code of the legacy software application over the network so as to interact with the legacy software application in the transmission or receipt of information to and from the legacy software application.

Historically, large computer software programs utilizing large databases were traditionally constructed in a mainframe environment.
The mainframe environment was one where a large data processing resource was interconnected to a large number of "dumb terminals". The dumb terminals had minimal computational capabilities and were effectively utilized to display results on a screen and to input data from a keyboard. The terminal was primarily under control of the mainframe computer system which carried out almost all the computational activity.
For many years, large investments were made, and are still made, for developing software programs for such an environment. The desirability for higher and higher productivity levels in such an environment lead to the creation of "Fourth Generation Languages (4GL)" which sought to enhance a programmers productivity by providing for the automated generation of various code components including screen layouts etc. These 4GL programming languages normally utilized a series of templates which were filled in by a user and, after a subsequent "compilation" phase, the templates were transformed into interlinking code by a compiler system. One such 4GL language is the "Logical Information Network Compiler" otherwise known as "LINC" available from Unisys Corporation, which has the ability to create output for a dumb terminal screen and for GUI forms.
Whilst the mainframe environment dominated the computer industry for a number of years, the exponential increases in microprocessor power and memory capacity has lead to a proliferation of "personal computer" type systems having, in recent years, complex graphical user interfaces. Further, during the 1990's there has been an explosion in the interconnection of computers in a somewhat ordered manner in the form of the Internet providing distributed processing facilities, email, file transfer and in particular, worldwide web facilities. The rise of the Internet could be said to be primarily due to the high synergistic effects resulting from the somewhat seamless interconnection together of a large number of computer systems for the exchange of information. The rise of the Internet has been somewhat spectacular and has led to an acceleration in new software deployment and functionality. As a result, most organisations are keen to utilize the potential of the Internet to the maximum extent possible including adapting their systems to utilization over the worldwide web or to utilize the technology of the worldwide web such as browsers in a more severe manner on a closed loop basis such as via an intranet.
There is therefore a significant incentive to rapidly adapt the substantial investment previously made in mainframe type computer software applications to an Internet environment so as to leverage the potential of the Internet in organisational activities. It is also obviously desirable to facilitate the adaptation of mainframe type applications to the internet as quickly and inexpensively as possible.

Automated web interface generation for software coded applications


System and method for external bus device support. The system comprises a processor, a memory, one or more external bus controllers and a basic input-output system (BIOS). The BIOS contains an external bus support component to cause a periodic interrupt to be generated and to provide support for external bus enabled devices responsive to the periodic interrupt. The method comprises obtaining a portion of the memory to be used to maintain a plurality of external bus device data; causing an interrupt to be periodically generated; and handling input produced by external bus enabled devices using the portion of the memory. The interrupt may be a system management interrupt (SMI) of the 32-bit Intel Architecture (IA-32). The external bus controller may be a Universal Serial Bus (USB) host controller, the external bus devices may be USB devices, and the external bus support component may be a USB support component.

As personal computers have evolved, the processing power, available memory, available peripheral devices and personal computer features such as the kinds of peripheral connection methods have increased with each passing year. When powering on a personal computer, a basic input-output system (BIOS) controls what occurs. A BIOS may check the status of various hardware components and devices and receive input from the hardware devices, such as keyboard, mouse, and other input devices. To receive such input, the BIOS must be able to receive data from and otherwise communicate with the devices attached to or included in the system. For example, it may be necessary for the BIOS to receive user input from a keyboard or for the BIOS to initiate execution of startup software to be read from, for example, a floppy disk, hard disk, and compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM). To provide support for all of these devices, the BIOS contains software that is executed in system memory that serves as device drivers or other software that supports various devices until an operating system including drivers for the particular devices is loaded.