An implantable medical device (IMD) and method are provided. The IMD includes a sensing channel configured to obtain biological signals indicative of biological behavior of an anatomy of interest over a period of time. The biological behavior has a feature of interest that repeats over time. The biological signals have clinically relevant (CR) segments that include information related to the feature of interest. The biological signals have non-clinically relevant (NCR) segments that do not include information related to the feature of interest. At least one of circuitry or a processor are configured to compare the biological signals to an amplitude window to distinguish the CR segments from the NCR segments, save to memory the CR segments and delete the NCR segments, save to memory time information indicative of a duration of the NCR segments that were deleted and to form a lossy compressed data set for the biological signals.

Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to methods and devices for managing biological activity data storage using lossy compression.
Implantable medical devices are commonly used to acquire and store biological data signals, such as cardiac signals and neurological signals. For example, the biological data signals may include an intra-cardiac electrocardiogram (IEGM). At least some known implantable medical devices use a time-based sampling system, in which all biological data is sampled at a fixed time step. This fixed time step generally corresponds to a sample rate of an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) used by the implantable medical device.
The acquired signal is generally processed to extract features of interest (e.g., amplitude information, morphology features, QRS intervals). Further, the acquired signal is also sent to a memory device for storage. If an event of interest is detected, the data stored before and after the event of interest can be retrieved and analyzed.
Notably, for at least some known implantable medical devices, the majority of time spent processing and storing data is of limited clinical relevance, as clinical events of interest happen relatively infrequently. A trade-off exists between the amount of memory available due to size and power constraints and the desired amount of biological data signals to store in the IMD. Known compression techniques (e.g., ZIP file format and the like) may be employed to manage the amount of unneeded or clinically insignificant data stored on an IMD. Such compression techniques may be software-based and/or involve lossless compression techniques. Lossless compression techniques may require static data and relatively large amounts of computational resources, rendering them impractical or undesirable for implementation on an IMD to process biological data signals (e.g., IEGM signals). Accordingly, a need remains for methods and devices that more efficiently process and store biological data signals based on the content of the biological data signals that overcomes the foregoing and other disadvantages of conventional lossless and/or software based compression approaches.

Method and device for managing biological activity data storage utilizing lossy compression


There is provided a system for integrating at least one residential Plain Old Telephone System (POTS) phone to a cellular phone network. A Subscriber Line Interface Circuit (SLIC 120) interfaces audio from the cellular phone network to the at least one residential POTS phone. A line switcher (122), connected to the SLIC, connects the at least one residential POTS phone to any one of a POTS line or a cellular line. An audio gateway (116), connected to the SLIC, wirelessly receives the audio from a cellular phone connected to the cellular phone network for subsequent transmission to the at least one residential phone and wirelessly transmits the audio from the POTS line to the cellular phone.

Currently, there is no consistent way to bridge the cellular/Personal Communications System (PCS) system with the Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) landline in a residential scenario. Due to this inadequacy the residential user has to put up with at least three inconveniences: (1) a cell/PCS call cannot be received at home on other land line phones, which means that you have to either go to the cell phone to pick up the call or move around the home with a cell/PCS phone on your body (which means that you cannot charge the cell phone); (2) most of the cellular carriers offer unlimited weekend minutes and a hefty amount of "any time" call minutes that is not available for use by everyone at home, unless the particular cell phone is used in every instance to make the call; and (3) homes that have both POTS as well as cell/PCS phones have to pay for two bills, (a) one to the cellular carrier and (b) another for the POTS usage.
Accordingly, it would be desirable and highly advantageous to have an integrated cellular/PCS-POTS communication system that overcomes at least the above-identified deficiencies.

Integrated cellular/PCS-POTS communication system


Routing data packet traffic in packet networks, expediting the flow of the data packets and reducing the effects of congestion at nodes is accomplished by capturing latency data for nodes for initial measurement times; and computing a least squares estimate of the delay as a recursive least-squares solution.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to methods, systems, and computer program products for transferring data among a plurality of spatially distributed computers or digital data processing systems via one or more communications media, such as computer networks. Specifically, the invention relates to routing data packet traffic in such networks and expediting the flow of the data packets and reducing the effects of congestion at nodes.
2. Background Art
Data is communicated with data services, data storage, and data users as data packets between nodes through networks under the control of routers.
As used herein a packet is the unit of data that is routed between an origin and a destination on the Internet or any other packet switched network. When any file (e-mail message, file, HTML file, GIF file URL request, and so forth) is routed from one place to another within a message oriented middleware system (MOM) the file is divided into "chunks" or packets of an efficient size for routing. Each of these packets is separately numbered and includes the Internet address of the destination. The individual packets for a given file may travel different routes through the Internet. When they have all arrived, they are reassembled into the original file (by the TCP layer at the receiving end). In this context packet-switching is an efficient way to handle transmissions on a connectionless network such as the Internet.
As used herein a "router" means a device or, in some cases, software in a computer, that determines the next network point to which a packet should be forwarded on its way to its destination. The router is connected to at least two networks and decides which way to send each information packet based on the router's current understanding of the state of the networks it is connected. A router is located at any gateway (where one network meets another), including each gateway on the Internet. A router is often included as part of a network.
A router may create or maintain a table of the available routes and their conditions and use this information along with distance and cost algorithms to determine the best route for a given packet. Typically, a packet may travel through a number of network points with routers before arriving at its destination. Routing is a function associated with the standard model of network programming, the Open Systems Interconnection model.
One application of networks between nodes under the control of routers is Message Oriented Middleware. As used herein, message-oriented middleware (MOM) refers to a kind of asynchronous messaging system where multiple applications communicate via a shared message bus, that is, an asynchronous messaging system interconnects the applications. Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) that extend across diverse platforms and networks are typically provided by the MOM.
In client-server applications, message-oriented middleware provides support for asynchronous communication between client and server applications. Message queues provide temporary storage when the destination program is busy or not connected. Implementing message-oriented middleware within a client server application, decouples the client application from the server application.
An extension to MOM known as the Enterprise Service Bus (ESB) provides a messaging infrastructure for Service Oriented Architectures. Virtualizing the ESB enables an infrastructure that is reliable, low cost, and easily scalable. In this context, an ESB can be virtualized through the deployment of a collection of full function nodes. Each individual node is capable of delivering the entire ESB, but with limited bandwidth for processing messages. Each node that is added to the virtualized ESB increases the message processing bandwidth of the ESB. This work is applicable to virtualized ESB deployments with both homogeneous and heterogeneous nodes, e.g., nodes may or may not be capable of delivering the same level of message throughput.
Producers of messages within a virtualized ESB must select a node to process outgoing messages. That is, producers must select the "best" node for routing their messages. The best node for processing a message is defined as one that provides the minimum message latency. The general problem then becomes how to implement a message routing heuristic that minimizes message latency without compromising reliability or scalability.
A common technique for routing packets on a network is through shortest path first (SPF). Shortest Path First is a common technique in network packet routing, where the packet is sent along the shortest path from the current router to its destination. This technique alone is well known to have performance issues.
Network packet routing is a kind of distributed system where each router sees a delayed view of the current state of the network. When each router utilizes a SPF approach then a race condition can occur when the network is under high load. Essentially when a single link becomes under-utilized, all routers race to use that link, since it is under-utilized and offers the shortest path. The result is that the under-utilized link quickly becomes overwhelmed causing network traffic to be routed away from that link and an oscillation occurs that degrades network performance.
In the SPF algorithm, a router estimates the path length from the router to the packet's destination through each of its output ports, and sends the packet through the port that offers the shortest path to the packet's destination. As described herein, an analogous construct is used to estimate the delay associated with routing a message from the message producer to its destination through any of the nodes adjacent to the producer.
Delay and congestion can be modeled using "choke packets." Choke packets, as they are used in networking, are a mechanism for congestion control that limits message transfers. In the context of networking, when traffic through a switch passes a predefined threshold then the switch transmits a choke packet to the source of the current traffic informing the source to reduce traffic volumes by a given percentage. In a virtualized ESB, choke packets are used to communicate transmission delays to the message producer to enable the sender to select a more effective channel for transmission of their message. Choke packets are used to redirect the transmission of messages away from highly loaded nodes to more effective nodes.

Distributed message routing in a virtualized messaging system using recursive least squares links cost estimation with choke points

International Business Machines Corporation


A method of determining link failure in a receiver for receiving a differential voltage signal via a first signal line and a second signal line, the method including: obtaining a first quantity depending on the larger one of a maximum value over time of a voltage level that is attained in the first signal line and a maximum value over time of a voltage level that is attained in the second signal line; obtaining a second quantity depending on a maximum value over time of an average of an instantaneous voltage level in the first signal line and an instantaneous voltage level in the second signal line; and determining that the link failure has occurred on the basis of the first quantity and the second quantity.

High-speed differential point-to-point physical signaling can be used for digital communication between different modules and equipment, e.g. in spacecraft. The receiver amplifies the small differential signal conforming to any applicable differential physical signaling standard, such as LVDS, CML, VML, LVPECL, that is received from outside the module or equipment and converts said small differential signal into a single-ended CMOS signal that can be read by digital devices. Modes of link failure include, for example, single short failure (or single short link failure, single short circuit failure)—one input line is short-circuited to a fixed voltage, double short failure (or double short link failure, double short circuit failure)—both input lines are short-circuited to fixed voltages), single open failure (or single open link failure, single open circuit failure)—one input line is disconnected, and double open failure (or double open link failure, double open circuit failure)—both input lines are disconnected. Disconnection of an input line may be due to a broken connection or due to a receiver line being connected to a switched-off transmitter that is operating in cold redundancy.
Conventionally, communication link failure mitigation techniques, e.g. for LVDS, are implemented in order to prevent erroneous data from being accepted as valid data after being received. Such erroneous data may be present in case of link disconnection in which case noise or interference can be picked up. Moreover, due to a potentially large receiver gain, the receiver may start to self-oscillate in case of link disconnection. The most common link failure mitigation techniques are to (i) add hysteresis in the receiver, (ii) introduce an offset in the differential signal, or (iii) introduce a window comparator to prevent, in case of link disconnection, the amplification of noise at the receiver input and the passing of said amplified noise as real data to the module or equipment.
However, the above approaches fail to identify any or all of single or double short failures, signal distortion, interference or self-oscillating signals. In particular, each of the above approaches fails to identify single or double short failures and single open failures, as well as self oscillating signals. Moreover, the above approaches lack the ability to assess the quality of the link and do not allow for a discrimination of typical possible link failure modes.
Not being able to detect link failure and preventing erroneous data from being accepted as valid data could lead to damage or loss of the respective module or equipment. For instance, in the case of space applications, accepting erroneous data as valid data and feeding same to the digital devices controlling operation of the module or equipment of a spacecraft could result in the loss of the spacecraft.
Accordingly, there is a need for a method and an apparatus capable of reliably detecting link failure in a receiver for receiving differential voltage signals.

Differential wired communication link quality detector and differential wired communication link quality detection method


A door latch for securing a door of a building in a closed condition, the door latch including a housing, a handle rod, a lock set assembled into the housing and including a movable key tab, a main lock pivotally connected to the handle rod and including a connecting slot, the main lock being movable for lifting an engagement end, an unlocking latch pivotally connected to the handle rod and including an engagement structure for coupling with the connecting slot and a lock bar assembled to the housing and being movable relative to the housing between a locked position and an unlocked position. Wherein, when the lock bar is in the locked position, the main lock is not pivotable from a position exterior to the building by the use of the handle rod, the main lock being pivotable from a position interior to the building by manual lifting.

The door latch assembly disclosed herein relates generally to the task of securing a sliding door of a structure in a closed condition by the use of a latch arrangement which is releasable from the inside of the structure. Locking, securing, and latching devices for structures with openable and closeable doors (or windows) are well known. However, one field where there has been limited attention over the years relates to large sliding doors which are often found as part of farm buildings, such as barns.
The more common securing techniques for large, sliding barn doors include the use of a simple latching bar or link chain run through handles. If the property owner wants to lock the doors together in a closed condition, a shackle lock can be used to secure the link chain in a closed loop. However, these particular locking and securing techniques do not enable unlocking or unlatching from the interior of the corresponding structure. These techniques may not even enable the opening of the latching bar from the interior even when there is no corresponding locking. These design realities have two important consequences. First, if someone is still in the interior of the barn when the sliding doors are locked from the outside, that person is trapped inside. This may be one reason why a smaller "pedestrian" access door could be included as part of a barn structure. Secondly, if a person is working inside the barn and, for security reasons, wants to be locked inside, this is not an option with these conventional locking or securing techniques. Related to this desire for added security is the desire to not allow an unauthorized person to unlock the door from the outside when that door is locked from the inside.
Another consideration in the locking or securing of large, sliding barn doors is the size of the doors, most notably their height. A selected door latch would advantageously include the option of adding a second and perhaps a third latching point spaced above (or below) the primary latching location. The point is that with a door which might be in the range of twelve (12) to sixteen (16) feet wide and in the range of twelve (12) to sixteen (16) feet high, more than one latching location is desirable. However, if the second latching location is higher than eight (8) feet, most individuals will not be able to reach it. This is why a single unlocking or release action needs to be cooperatively linked to all of the other latching structures, regardless of the number or location which are assembled to the same sliding door.
An improvement to the current locking and securing techniques used for large, sliding barn doors is provided by the door latch which is disclosed herein. More specifically, the disclosed door latch structure includes an optional key lock (i.e., a key-operable lock set) and a linkage arrangement to enable opening (i.e., unlocking) from the interior of the structure as well as locking from the interior. While the focus of this disclosure is directed to large, sliding barn doors, the disclosed door latch could be used for virtually any style of door which has an inner face edge which abuts up against a door jamb or up against an inner face edge of an abutting second door.


The present invention provides a system and method for collecting fumes from an arc furnace of the type typically used in metal foundries. The system provides an electrode hood with extended sides for improved collection of fumes from the vicinity of the electrodes. It also provides a movable spout hood for collection of fumes when metal is tapped. A combination of a tilting manifold and stationary duct are used to maintain a path for collecting fumes throughout the entire range of motion of the furnace. The stationary duct has a group of dampers that open and close as the furnace tilts. Variable position dampers may be provided at the electrode hood and furnace door. In the bag house, there is a dust containment assembly to limit the movement of the collected dust. A variable speed fan may be used with the system. One method of the invention involves determining the pressure differential upstream and downstream of the filter bag, determining the fan speed, and closing a damper downstream of the filter to clean the filter bag when the determined values for the pressure differential and fan speed match previously set values. The entire system may be controlled by a programmable logic element to maximize efficiency. Another method involves the steps of adjusting the electrode hood damper, spout hood damper and door hood damper in response to furnace conditions.

Electric arc furnaces are well known in the steel foundry art. Such furnaces typically employ a large covered crucible for melting steel. Molten steel is then poured through a furnace spout from the crucible to a ladle, for example, that may deliver the molten steel to a mold where the molten steel is poured from the ladle to make a steel casting.
In such furnaces, a group of electrodes are typically introduced into the crucible through openings in the furnace roof. These electrodes serve to heat the contents of the crucible to the desired temperature. The body of the crucible usually has several other openings, for various purposes. A door, such as a back door, is provided for the foundry person to check on the state of the molten material, for insertion and operation of various tools, such as an oxygen lance into the interior of the crucible, and for charging the material with additional ingredients. A pebble lime intake pipe is also included in such furnaces for introduction of pebble lime into the crucible. The roof has three openings through which the electrodes are inserted and removed for heating the metal within the crucible. The furnace also has a spout for tapping molten metal out of the furnace when desired.
To tap the molten steel from the furnace, the entire furnace must be tilted. When the furnace is tilted, the roof of the furnace and the electrodes move through an arc so that the molten metal will flow through the spout.
Use of such furnaces typically results in the generation of fumes, which can exit the furnace from different openings at different times, and in different concentrations at different phases of the process. For example, during melting of the scrap steel, fumes may emit from the roof openings at the electrodes, at the juncture of the roof and the crucible, and through the door. During tapping of the molten steel, the majority of the dust and fumes may be emitted from the vicinity of the spout, with smaller quantities escaping from the electrode roof holes and door. Dust and fumes may also be generated at other sites outside of the typical steel casting facility, such as at the bag house.
One standard air quality control system for use in such environments comprises a canopy hood that draws fumes from the entire plant environment above the furnace into an exhaust duct, and drawing the collected fumes and air to a bag house, where the fumes and air are filtered though bags for removal of particulate. However, to collect and process all of the air in the vicinity of the furnace, is costly to operate: the fan that draws the air must have a motor sized to pull a large quantity of air through the system, and it must be run for extended periods of time, using great amounts of energy at great costs. In addition, an overhead canopy does not necessarily protect the workers in the furnace area from the dust and fumes generated, since the workers are typically between the emissions source and the canopy and may be exposed to the fumes and dust that passes up to the canopy.
In some other prior art furnaces, hoods and a duct moving with the furnace were mounted to the roof of the furnace. This duct mated with stationary duct work only when the furnace was upright and was connected to a collector and fan to draw fumes from the furnace, but the hoods were rendered ineffective when the furnace was tilted to tap the molten metal; when the furnace was so tilted, the ducts became disconnected so that emissions from the furnace escaped to the plant, and so that the duct leading to the collector either drew air from the plant instead of from the furnace or was closed off so as to be ineffective.
In the bag house, air has been drawn through the filter bags, where the particulate has been collected and then dropped into receptacles for disposal. However, the collected particulate is frequently a fine powdery substance, easily dispersed into the environment when dropped into the receptacle.

ARC furnace fume collection system and method


A process for plating a tin-lead alloy on a substrate by displacement plating from an immersion plating solution containing dissolved tin and lead. The process includes the steps of pretreatment of a substrate by contact with a solution containing a pH adjustor for said immersion deposition solution followed by contact of the substrate with said immersion plating solution for a time sufficient to deposit an alloy of tin and lead.

1. Introduction
This invention relates to immersion solder deposition and more particularly, to pretreatment of a substrate prior to immersion solder deposition to provide uniform deposits from a solder depositing solution over the useful life of the deposition solution. The invention is especially useful for the manufacture of printed circuit boards.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Tin-lead alloy having a composition of between 60 and 65 percent tin and 35 to 40 percent lead (solder) is coated onto copper traces in the manufacture of printed circuit boards. The alloy may function as an etch resist and permits attachment of components to a circuit board. For this latter use, the alloy must melt and reflow at a reasonably low temperature to avoid damage to the circuit during heating of the board and must have an adequate thickness for surface mounting of components.
Conceptually, there are four methods available for coating tin-lead alloys onto copper traces in printed circuit manufacture. These methods include (1) hot air leveling, (2) electroless plating, (3) immersion plating and (4) electroplating. Each process has advantages and disadvantages and the metal deposit obtained from each differs from the deposit obtained by other plating methods. The invention described herein is a process sequence for immersion deposition of tin-lead alloys.
Immersion plating is a process where deposition is by displacement of elemental metal from a substrate by metal ions in a plating solution. Since plating is by displacement, immersion plating is an electrochemical reaction that depends upon the position the substrate metal occupies in the electromotive series relative to the metal to be deposited from solution. Plating occurs when the metal from a dissolved metal salt is displaced by a more active (less noble) metal immersed in the solution. Since copper is more noble than tin or lead, copper would not be expected to be plated by an immersion process to give a tin-lead deposit. However, when complexed under acidic conditions, the electropotentials of the tin and lead complexes relative to copper reverse making immersion plating possible.
Limitations in the use of immersion plating for circuit fabrication exist. These include a slow plating rate, difficulty in obtaining a desired alloy, limited deposit thickness, changes in deposit properties over an extended use of the plating solution and difficulty in obtaining a deposit suitable for reflow. Limited thickness is due to the plating reaction being self-limiting because as the coating builds, the metal deposited from solution masks the underlying base metal which functions as the reducing agent and is required for displacement. Additionally, as the displaced base metal is dissolved in solution, it becomes a contaminant progressively slowing the rate of displacement. Typical deposit thickness for an immersion tin deposit in the prior art is 50 to 100 microinches, mainly because of the foregoing problems. Further, as immersion deposition continues, the concentration of components in the solution changes through reaction, plate-out of metals, "drag in" of solution contaminants and drag out of solution components. Since the immersion deposition solution must be carefully controlled to obtain uniform deposits, small changes in solution composition can result in major changes in deposit properties.
Absent the above disadvantages, there would be advantages to immersion plating compared to other methods for depositing tin-lead alloy in circuit manufacture. Compared to electroless and electroplating, there is no hydrogen generation during the plating process and no concomitant pitting or other discontinuities in the deposit. Also, immersion plating is not subject to surface roughness as found in electroplating processes due to "drag-over" from precleaners, anode corrosion and the like. Further, since electroless baths contain both a metal to be plated and a reducing agent, the bath is potentially unstable subject to spontaneous plating. In immersion plating, there is no problem with spontaneous plating. Moreover, with immersion plating, neither an electrically continuous circuit nor attachments of electrical contacts are required nor is there a need to maintain a precise current. Finally, an immersion deposit is generally uniform in thickness.
It is known in the art that to be suitable for printed circuit board manufacture, a tin-lead alloy deposit over copper circuit lines must be pore free, reasonably thick, should possess a uniform cross section and should be bondable to subsequently attached components. It is also known that as metal is deposited onto a substrate from solution in a plating process, the deposit obtained is often not coherent and may contain numerous pores due to the nature of the plating reaction. Coherency is obtained and pores are eliminated in a tin-lead alloy deposit by heating the board with the alloy deposit to a temperature in excess of the alloy's melting point whereby the deposit melts and pores are eliminated by reassembly of the deposit, a process known in the art as "reflow". To reflow a tin-lead alloy, the tin-lead alloy should melt at a relatively low temperature to avoid damage to the circuit by heating to an excessively high temperature and the deposit must be adequately thick. A thin deposit will not reflow and may not contain the minimum mass of metal required to bond a component to a circuit board, particularly if the component is surface mounted on the board. To obtain a low melting tin-lead alloy, the deposit desirably has a concentration of tin and lead at or close to the low melting eutectic of tin and lead (approximately 63% tin and 37% lead by weight--i.e., solder).
In spite of the potential advantages of immersion plating, the prior art generally dismissed immersion plating processes for printed circuit fabrication because the prior art believed that thick, bondable (solderable) deposits capable of reflow could not be obtained. As stated in Printed and Integrated Circuitry, McGraw Hill Book Company, Inc., New York, 1963 at page 138, (immersion deposits are) "limited in thickness, porous, and often poorly adherent and, therefore, of limited interest". The self-limiting feature and thickness of immersion tin and lead plating procedures were believed to make soldering impossible and consequently, plating baths for immersion deposits of tin and lead were of minimal interest to the art.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,194,913, incorporated herein by reference an immersion plating composition is disclosed for deposition of tin-lead alloys. In accordance with the teachings of this patent, an immersion plating solution is disclosed comprising stannous chloride, lead chloride, sodium hypophosphite, thiourea, hydrochloric acid and gelatin. In this patent, patentee states that the plating composition provides a faster plating rate and a deposit of increased thickness. Though it is believed that improved immersion deposits are obtained using the compositions of the patent, it is believed that the deposits are unsuitable for the commercial manufacture of printed circuit boards.
In European published application No. 0 167 949, also incorporated herein by reference, an immersion plating solution is disclosed that may contain a tin and lead salt of a fluorine containing mineral acid, a fluorine containing mineral acid sufficient to provide a pH up to 0 and 1, and a sulfur containing complexing agent such as thiourea. An example of a tin-lead plating solution is given though it is believed that thick, reflowable deposits of tin and lead are not obtained and the compositions are believed to be unsuitable for the circuit fabrication.
In copending U.S. Pat. Application Ser, No. 07/532,819 filed Jun. 4, 1990, now abandoned, assigned to the assignee hereof and incorporated herein by reference, an immersion plating solution capable of plating a thick, porous, adherent tin-lead alloy deposit capable of low temperature reflow is disclosed. The invention of said application was based on a combination of discoveries. For example, it was found for deposit reflow, the deposit had to be thick and porous--i.e., at least 100 microinches and preferably 150 microinches or greater. Also, to obtain a thick deposit, the plating solution should favor a porous structure--not a dense deposit. To obtain such a deposit, the solution should contain a high metal content--i.e., in excess of 0.10 moles per liter with a tin to lead ratio of at least 1 to 1. Further, the tin salt, the lead salt, and the acid used to adjust pH should desirably contain a fluorine anion. Recognizing that the displacement reaction favored tin, a lead promoter was added to solution to maintain concentration of lead relative to tin. It was also found that dissolved copper was a desired component to promote plating rate. Finally, exaltants are added to solution.
Following deposition of a tin-lead alloy from the immersion plating solution described above, the deposit formed had a crystalline porous structure with alternating layers of lead and tin and was capable of reflow by heating to a temperature above the deposit melting point for a time sufficient to form a dense coherent coating. After reflow, the alloy was dense and shiny and believed to be a true homogeneous alloy of tin and lead.
The immersion deposition composition of the copending application provided solder alloys suitable for the manufacture of printed circuit boards. However, as should be evident from the discussion set forth above, the solution required operation within restricted concentrations and conditions to obtain deposits suitable for use in circuit manufacture and suitable for reflow. Variations in the conditions or composition of the immersion depositing solution resulted in changes in the deposit obtained and consequently, lack of uniformity from deposit to deposit during use of the plating solution over a prolonged time.

Pretreatment process of tin lead plating


Strain in concrete is sensed by a helical optical fiber embedded in the concrete and connected at one end to an external light source, and at the other end to a light detector, providing a signal output to an information processor, which provides a display of the strain in the concrete.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to apparatus and a method of sensing and monitoring strain in concrete structures. More specifically, it relates to a helical optical fiber sensor embedded in concrete, and a method of using the sensor, to monitor the deformation (strain) of concrete due to compression, tension, and bending moment.
2. Description of Prior Art
Strain in concrete structures, such as buildings, foundations, bridges, and dams may cause the failure of such structures, usually with little or no warning. Early detection of strain in concrete structures provides a means of reinforcing or repairing strained regions of concrete before failure occurs. Visual inspection has been found inadequate for monitoring strain in concrete structures. Strain gauges have been used in the past for monitoring strain in concrete structures. They are bonded to the structure, and their electrical resistance changes as strain (deformation) occurs. Optical fiber strain sensors as here disclosed have a higher dynamic range and higher reliability than strain gauges.
Fiber optic sensing means have been disclosed in the prior art. U.S. Pat. No. 5,381,492 discloses a fiber optic vibration sensor having two single-mode optical fibers, one providing a reference signal, and the other one subject to vibrational displacement providing a signal indicative of the perturbation of the sensor. U.S. Pat. No. 5,381,005 describes an optical fiber stress detector, for detecting stresses in structures, using an amplitude-modulated monochromatic light signal that is directed into a reference fiber and a sensing fiber, the phase shift of the sensing fiber output with respect to the reference fiber output being an indication of the stress applied to the detector fiber. This device does not measure strain directly. U.S. Pat. No. 4,686,631 provides an improved method of determining internal stress in polycrystalline solids by X-ray diffraction. U.S. Pat. No. 5,563,348 discloses a stress sensor using changes in the natural frequency of an oscillating string as a means of measuring stress.


Techniques for transferring virtual machines and resource management in a virtualized computing environment are described. In one embodiment, for example, an apparatus may include at least one memory, at least one processor, and logic for transferring a virtual machine (VM), at least a portion of the logic comprised in hardware coupled to the at least one memory and the at least one processor, the logic to generate a plurality of virtualized capability registers for a virtual device (VDEV) by virtualizing a plurality of device-specific capability registers of a physical device to be virtualized by the VM, the plurality of virtualized capability registers comprising a plurality of device-specific capabilities of the physical device, determine a version of the physical device to support via a virtual machine monitor (VMM), and expose a subset of the virtualized capability registers associated with the version to the VM. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Virtualization generally refers to the use of computer software to emulate or otherwise implement the functions or features of a physical computing device to allow, among other things, sharing of physical computing resources. For example, multiple virtual machines (VMs) can run concurrently on the same physical computing system. In the context of input-output (I/O) devices, virtualization technologies can be used to allow multiple VMs to share the same I/O hardware resources. Various systems, such as accelerators and high-performance I/O devices, may be virtualized using single root I/O virtualization (SR-IOV) or other architectures that provide for direct access to I/O devices or functions thereof from VMs.
A VM typically runs a preconfigured operating system (OS) image that includes required applications and/or drivers. In a data center environment, deployment of a VM may include providing a VM image from remote storage for installation on a physical machine. The data center may include a large number of physical machines that may include different hardware and/or software elements. For example, certain of the physical machines may include different generations of an I/O device. The presence of different hardware and/or software elements may lead to deployment compatibility issues when attempting to locate a target physical machine that is capable of operating with a particular VM being deployed within the data center. Migration of a VM generally involves transferring a VM from a source physical machine to a target physical machine within the data center. VM migration typically requires migrating various states of the VM from the source physical machine to the target physical machine, often over a plurality of phases. Illustrative states may include virtual memory state, virtual central processing unit (CPU) state, and virtual device state. Conventional migration techniques, such as within architectures that allow direct access to I/O devices from VMs, do not fully support complete and efficient migration of the virtual states from the source physical machine to the target physical machine. For example, existing VM systems lack driver interfaces for efficiently and accurately migrating device capabilities and/or device states.
In conventional virtualization computing environments, management of resources does not allow for flexible sharing or reassignment of VM processes. For instance, if system and/or VM resources are committed to a first function, the system and/or VM resources may not be reassigned to a second function, for example, if the first function is idle or does not require the system and/or VM resources. Therefore, VM management components, such as hypervisors or virtual machine managers (VMMs) are not able to fully utilize system and/or VM resources.
Accordingly, techniques for comprehensive and efficient virtualization resource management, deployment, and migration of VMs within a data center may be desired.

Techniques for virtual machine transfer and resource management


A workstation for a surveillance system comprising a display, a user input device and a control unit in communication with the display and the user input device. The user input device has a plurality of keys and a light source to light the keys with a plurality of different colors. The control unit generates an image on the display that has a plurality of differently colored icons with each of the icons symbolizing a function to be performed by the control unit. The control unit generates a control signal to the user input device causing the light source to light the plurality of keys in the user input device in colors to correspond to the colors of the icons in the image on the display. The control unit performs the control function corresponding to a particular icon from the plurality of differently colored icons when a user activates a key from the plurality keys having the color that corresponds to the color of the particular icon.

This invention relates to surveillance systems and, in particular, to a workstation for use with a surveillance system. As used herein surveillance system includes building management and security systems.
Prior art surveillance system workstations have been difficult to use requiring the user to memorize various function keys on the keyboard of the controller to operate certain desired functions. Moreover, these keys have a specific function that does not change as the user interface on the display changes, thus the possibility of additional functions cannot be performed. In addition, prior art systems have not provided a way for the user to correlate an action that should be taken at the user input device in relation to the user interface displayed on the monitor. Accordingly, there has been a need for an improved workstation for use in surveillance systems that provides the user with greater ease of use.


A DVD terminal (20) makes a request for sending a sub-content to an authentication server (40) (in this case, attaches the “model name and serial number” of the DVD terminal (20)) (S302). The authentication server (40) generates a random number R (S304) and sends it to the DVD terminal (20) (S306). The DVD terminal (20) reads a terminal key and a terminal ID that are stored in a terminal information memory unit (25), decrypts the received random number R using a terminal key (SK_X) (S308) and sends this and the terminal ID (ID_X) to the authentication server (40) (S310). The authentication server (40) verifies the random number R and the terminal ID that are received from the DVD terminal (20) and encrypted, and judges whether the DVD terminal (20) is the authenticated terminal or not (S312).

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus, a method and a system for detecting a terminal that is manufactured in an unauthorized way, and specifically relates to an apparatus for detecting a DVD player and the like on the network for which a decryption key is generated in an unauthorized way.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, various kinds of recording media (such as Digital Versatile Discs (DVD) and apparatuses for playing them back (such as DVD discs) storing a package content (such as video and music soft) have become popular, and various kinds of measures are taken in order to protect their copy rights.
For example, there is a method for decrypting an encrypted content stored in a DVD using a terminal key (or "device key") stored in a DVD player (refer to related art 1). In this case, an exclusive terminal key is used for each of players. Also, after paying a license fee, the manufacturer of a DVD player receives, from a licensor, one or more terminal keys depending on the license fee.
On the other hand, in a communication system where a center and a group of plural terminals that are connected to the communication network uses a group key, a method for automatically detecting and eliminating an illicitly-copied terminal (for example, refer to related art 2, the Japanese Laid-Open Patent 2002-217890 publication) is also proposed. At the time of distributing a new group key to a terminal, a center connected to the communication network receives, from a terminal, a terminal ID and information obtained by decrypting a terminal random number using a public key of the center, searches communication logs and checks whether there is another terminal for which an identical terminal ID and a different terminal random number are used. In the case where there is such a terminal, the center judges that it is a copy terminal, and it does not distribute any group key. In this case, it is difficult to copy a random number generated in a terminal, which makes it possible to detect the copy terminal that used the random number as an unauthorized terminal in the case where the same random number is detected.
However, in a method of the above-mentioned related art 1, there may be a case where unauthorized terminal keys for which license fee is not paid and a case where a terminal key is decrypted from an authorized DVD player by an illicit analysis and a DVD player where the decrypted terminal key is stored is illicitly copied. The problem in this case is that it is difficult to detect the fact that "an identical terminal key is stored in a plurality of terminals" and detect "which terminal key of an authorized DVD player is stored in an unauthorized DVD player" is difficult.
FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the outline of the problem in the above-mentioned related art 1. As shown in FIG. 1, the apparatus manufacturer 100 pays a licensor 150 for license fee for ten thousand apparatuses, receives ten thousand authorized terminal keys (KA1 to KA10000) from the licensor 150 (or a key management company trusted by the licensor 150).
However, like the apparatus manufacturer 200, it is possible to obtain a terminal key (kB1) after paying the licensor 150 for the license fee for an apparatus, illicitly make 9999 copy terminal keys from the terminal key and stores them in ten thousand apparatuses respectively. In addition, like the apparatus manufacturer 300, it is possible to obtain a terminal 201 manufactured by the apparatus manufacturer 200 without paying the licensor 150 for the license fee, illicitly copy the terminal key KB1 stored in the terminal and store the identical terminal keys KB1 in all terminals.
Also, the method of above related art 2 enables detecting whether it is an illicitly-copied terminal or not, but detecting "which terminal key of an authorized DVD player is stored in an unauthorized DVD player" is difficult.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide the authentication server, the unauthorized terminal detection method and the like that enables detecting the fact that the identical terminal key is stored in a plurality of terminals for which terminal key of an authorized terminal is stored in an unauthorized terminal.

Authentication server, method and system for detecting unauthorized terminal


A member for a push-button switch has key top members positioned close to each other through a distance of 1.5 mm or shorter at low cost and with high yield. The member has multiple key top members having resin key top cores and thermoplastic films covering the key top cores other than the lower surfaces thereof. The key top members are formed so that an interval between at least one set of adjacent key top members is 1.5 mm or shorter. In the key top members adjacent to each other through a distance of 1.5 mm or shorter, the maximum thickness of the thermoplastic films covering the key top cores is within the range of 75 to 350 μ, and the ratio of the minimum thickness of the thermoplastic films covering the key top cores to the maximum thickness is within the range of 0.4 to 0.9.

In recent years, key top members arranged in close contact with each other at intervals of 1.5 mm or less have been demanded from the viewpoints of miniaturization, weight reduction, and good design of mobile communication equipments such as a cellular phone and an automobile phone, a digital camera, a home telephone, a facsimile, an electronic notebook, a measurement equipment, an in-car panel switches, a remote control units, a controller, a keyboard, and the like. Generally, the thermoplastic film used for key top members is made of a highly heat-resistant resin such as a bi-axially oriented polyethylene terephthalate resin or polycarbonate resin. For this reason, the thermoplastic film is hard to be stretched to a size enough to cover the closely arranged state of the completed product. Accordingly, under a current method, a plurality of key top members each comprised a thermoplastic film and a key top core are prepared one by one, the plurality of key top members are assembled into the form of a completed product, thereby manufacturing a member for push-button switch comprised closely arranged key top members (for example, see Patent Document 1).    Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-253290 (Claims, Abstract, and others)

Member for push-button switch and method of manufacturing the same


A driver's seat of a work vehicle comprising a seatback section, and a seating section including a receiving surface portion formed in an intermediate portion of the seating section for receiving buttocks of the operator, and a recessed groove formed along a side frame portion at a boundary between the side frame portion and the receiving surface portion to open at an extension distal end of the seating section. The recessed groove has a bottom surface inclined downwardly from a back end of the seatback section to the extension distal end of the seating section.

One conventional example of a driver's seat of an agricultural and construction work vehicle is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2004-142559 (referred to as JP 2004-142559 hereinafter) which includes a drain hole (element 27b) for avoiding accumulation of rain water in a seating section of the driver's seat in outside work (see paragraph 0028 of the publication; FIGS. 2 to 4).
Another example is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 9-123806 (referred to as JP 9-123806 hereinafter) which includes a seating section having a pair of right and left longitudinal guide grooves (element 32), and a transverse guide groove (element 31) communicating with the longitudinal guide grooves in a central portion of the seating section. The longitudinal guide grooves have rear ends communicating with guide grooves formed in a seatback section to form drain holes (element 36) in a boundary between the seatback section and the seating section (see paragraph 0015 of the publication; FIGS. 1 to 4).


A Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) transponder is provided. The RFID transponder may include a basic ID flag circuit having a VDD voltage node, an output voltage node, and a capacitor coupled to the VDD voltage node and the output voltage node to store an ID flag. A supplemental discharge current circuit coupled to the basic ID flag circuit is provided in order to control persistence duration of the state of the ID flag. The persistence duration of the state of the ID flag is controlled by maintaining supplemental discharge current, which is greater than the leakage current of the basic ID flag circuit.

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags are used in a multiplicity of ways. They may be used in locating and identifying accompanying objects, as well as for transmitting information about the state of an object. It has been known since the early 60's that electronic components of transponders could be powered by a sequence of periodic signal bursts sent by a reader (or interrogator) and received by a tag antenna on each of the transponders.
The RF electromagnetic field induces an alternating current in the transponder antenna that can be rectified by a RF diode of the transponder. The rectified current can be used for a power supply for the electronic components of the transponder, and enables the transponder to broadcast a return signal without itself having a self-contained power supply.
An illustrative cycle of a prior art operation of an array of ten RFID tags may be described as follows:    1. The base station or the reader is on channel one and RFID tags 1–8 respond by beginning their participation in the identification protocol. All eight tags are successfully identified.    2. The reader now hops to channel 2, and the frequency of channel 2 allows tags 7–9 to be powered. Tag 9 will now respond by beginning participation in the identification protocol, while tags 1–6 lose their power and therefore stop participating. Since tags 7 and 8 were already identified and continue to be powered sufficiently when operating on channel, they do not participate in the protocol.    3. The reader hops to channel 3. The frequency of channel 3 allows tags 2–10 to be powered. Tags 7–9 stay powered and do not participate in the protocol. However, tags 2–6 must be reidentified in order to identify the one truly new tag 10.
The RFID tags that are not well powered lose track of state information. This state information is essentially a bookmark in the communication sequence between the RFID tag and the base station. In running an ID protocol, for example, tags that newly enter the field, as well as tags that have lost power and then regained it while remaining in the field, are treated equally (i.e. tags that have lost power and regained it may be identified a second time). This process of again identifying an RFID tag that has previously been identified is, of course, inefficient. U.S. Pat. No. 6,404,325 (Heinrich et. al.) is directed at maintaining the integrity of state information retained by a Radio Frequency Transponder during a loss of power. In Heinrich, the state information is maintained by a mirror latches mechanism and a capacitor utilized as a power source for the mirror latches mechanism during the interval when the power supply to the RFID tag is interrupted. The time interval during which the mirror latches mechanism retains the state information (persistence of state) depends on the size of the capacitor. Persistence of state is also determined by the leakage current from the capacitor.
Of course, leakage may be primarily due to switches connected to the capacitor and not through the capacitor itself. The switches are open, and so only semiconductor leakage current flows through them.
Because the leakage current may vary with temperature, an RFID tag with a certain size capacitor may not retain state information as long as necessary at high temperatures and retain state information longer than is practicable at low temperatures.

Method and apparatus for controlled persistent ID flag for RFID applications


An arrangement, method, and access point (AP) in a wireless telecommunication network for providing a user terminal (UT) with access to the network utilizing a contention-based, multi-access uplink channel. The AP includes Nrx receive antennas, where Nrx>1, for receiving simultaneous uplink transmissions from a number of UTs, wherein the number of UTs transmitting on a given slot is less than or equal to Nrx. The AP sends power-control commands to the UTs to control the transmit power of each of the UTs to provide received signals of equal average power at the AP. The AP also instructs each UT to select its transmission data rate based on a noise level at the AP, so as to achieve a desired level of reliability. An MMSE receiver without successive interference cancellation receives the packets transmitted from the UTs and separately demodulates and decodes the packets received from each user terminal.

This invention relates to wireless telecommunication systems. More particularly, and not by way of limitation, the invention is directed to an arrangement and method for contention-based multi-access for user terminals operating over wireless, fading, dispersive channels in a wireless communication system.
In wireless packet data systems, many user terminals (UTs) may attempt to transmit packets on an uplink channel to an access point (AP). The uplink multi-access scheme in most wireless systems is reservation based, i.e., each UT wishing to transmit on the uplink must first request the AP to schedule resources for it on the uplink. Once the AP has assigned resources for the requesting UT, and once this assignment has been communicated to the UT, the UT is allowed to transmit on the uplink using the assigned resources.
In some wireless systems, the UT can request uplink resources using a contention-based multi-access scheme (typically a slotted Aloha scheme). A good example of such an approach is WiMax (802.16) on the uplink. In WiMax, the uplink channel utilizes orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM), and therefore, the uplink channel is divided into many sub-carriers. Furthermore, the channel is divided into non-overlapping slots in the time domain. WiMax defines contention-based request channels where each channel consists of M contiguous sub-carriers. Assuming that the wireless channel does not change over these M sub-carriers, WiMax defines M orthogonal codes on each request channel. With M orthogonal codes, M UTs (each using a different one of these orthogonal codes) can simultaneously transmit requests to the AP on each slot. Each UT wishing to transmit on this request channel chooses one code among the possible M codes randomly; hence, it is possible that two transmitting UTs will chose the same code and this will lead to a collision and loss of the transmitted packets.
In effect, WiMax creates M parallel, contention-based, multi-access channels for transmission of requests. Each of these request channels essentially implements a slotted Aloha protocol. Each UT can transmit a packet at will on any slot using one of these M parallel channels, and as long as no other UT simultaneously transmits on the same slot and on the same one of the M request channels, the request will be received correctly by the AP.
The main shortcoming of a reservation-based multi-access scheme is extra delay incurred by each packet transmitted on the uplink channel. The process of requesting a resource reservation by the UT, and subsequently communicating the reservation from the AP to the UT adds extra delay between the time a packet arrives at the UT and the time the packet is transmitted on the uplink.
A problem with using only contention-based request channels (for example, WiMax) is that the UTs can only use the contention-based multi-access for making reservations. This approach does not allow for transmitting the actual data packets in contention mode. Thus, in this approach, the data packets still incur a delay due to the process of requesting resource reservations and communicating the reservations back to the UTs.
The contention-based request channels in WiMax are designed so that the UT can transmit only a very few bits of information to the AP. In WiMax there is no mechanism for setting the information rate on the contention-based request channels because data packets are not transmitted on this channel.
In wireline systems, Ethernet is by far the most commonly used contention-based, multi-access method. Ethernet uses a form of Carrier Sense Multiple Access (CSMA) in which each node wishing to transmit first listens to what is being transmitted on the channel for a while (carrier sensing), and if this node does not hear any other node transmitting, it would proceed to transmit on the channel. Unfortunately, CSMA is not well suited for wireless applications. In wireless systems, mobile stations typically transmit and receive (i.e., listen) on different frequencies; hence, it is not possible for most wireless mobile stations to listen to the transmissions of other mobile stations. Furthermore, due to line-of-sight and other restrictions in wireless environments, dispersed mobile stations would probably not be able to hear all of the other mobile stations transmitting to the AP. The AP may be able to receive a signal from a given transmitting mobile station, while this signal is not receivable (due to an obstruction) at another mobile station. This is typically referred to as the "hidden node problem", and it renders CSMA unsuitable for wireless environments. See, D. Bertsekas and R. Gallager, Data Networks, Second Edition, 1992, Prentice-Hall Inc., New Jersey.
Another well-known approach for implementing contention-based multi-access in wireless environments is to transmit data packets (not just access requests) using the slotted Aloha protocol. Slotted Aloha is a single-packet, contention-based approach meaning only one packet can get through per slot. If more than one UT attempts to transmit in a particular slot, nothing gets through. In such a system, each UT selects some random slot following the arrival of a data packet for transmission of the packet to the AP. As long as no other UTs transmit on the same slot, the AP correctly receives the data packet. If one or more UTs transmit on the same slot, the AP does not receive any packets correctly. It is well known, that the maximum number of correctly received packets-per-slot with this approach is 1/e˜0.36. See, D. Bertsekas and R. Gallager, Data Networks, Second Edition, 1992, Prentice-Hall Inc., New Jersey. In other words, the maximum throughput with slotted Aloha is 0.36 (packets/slot). Similarly, the maximum offered load that can be supported with slotted Aloha at finite packet delay is 0.36 packets/slot. With slotted Aloha, as long as the number of new packet arrivals per slot is significantly below 0.36, the packet delay is quite low. However, this leads to low throughput in terms of packets/slot that can be received at the AP. This low throughput is the biggest disadvantage of a straightforward, single-packet, contention-based approach.
Another well-known approach for achieving low packet delay in wireless environments is contention-based multi-access with multi-packet reception. See, for example, L. Tong, Q. Zhao, and G. Mergen, "Multipacket reception in random access wireless networks: from signal processing to optimal medium access control," IEEE Commun. Mag., vol. 39, pp. 108-112, November 2001; Q. Zhao and L. Tong, "A dynamic queue protocol for multi-access wireless networks with multipacket reception," IEEE Trans. Wireless Commun., vol. 3, pp. 2221-2231, November 2004; and M. K. Tsatsanis, R. Zhang, and S. Banerjee, "Network-assisted diversity for random access wireless networks," IEEE Trans. Sig. Proc., vol. 48, pp. 702-711, March 2000. In this approach, it is assumed that the AP is capable of simultaneously receiving packets transmitted from up to Nrx users. For example, it can be shown that the maximum number of correctly received packets with Nrx=4 is 2.95 packets/slot, compared to 0.36 packets/slot achievable with slotted Aloha.
Consider multi-packet reception with Nrx=2. Assume that UT-A and UT-B are simultaneously transmitting to the AP. At the AP, the signal transmitted from UT-A is seen as interference when the signal from UT-B is demodulated, and vise versa. In other words, there is a large mutual interference among the signals received from different simultaneously transmitting UTs. Naturally, the data rate that can be reliably received from UT-A depends on the strength of the signal received from UT-B (the stronger the signal received from UT-B, the lower the data rate that can be received from UT-A). Unfortunately, in a wireless environment, the signal received at the AP from each transmitting UT is a function of the channel between each particular UT and the AP. With widely separated UTs (compared to the wavelength of the carrier, which is 15 cm at 2 GHz carrier frequency), the channels between the AP and different UTs are very different. This implies that the data rate than can be received from UT-A depends on the number of UTs that transmit simultaneously with UT-A, and the channel each UT is using. Unfortunately, this information is not known to UT-A when UT-A transmits its packet, and thus the proper data rate cannot be determined. Hence, implementation of a wireless, contention-based, multi-packet system requires a method for each UT to determine the proper transmission data rate such that, with an appropriate receiver at the AP, Nrx packets can be simultaneously decoded at the AP with high reliability.
What is needed in the art is an arrangement and method for contention-based multi-access that overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art. Such an arrangement and method should provide a specific transmission methodology at the UTs and a reception methodology at the AP, which enable the AP to correctly receive Nrx simultaneously transmitted packets with a given degree of reliability (i.e., a small probability that a transmitted packet is incorrectly received at the AP). The present invention provides such an arrangement and method.

Arrangement and method for contention-based multi-access in a wireless communication system


A cord drying apparatus dries cords for forming cord-inserted bands, such as belts and components of tires, such as carcasses. A plurality of cords C unwound from a plurality of reels 1a held in a wheeled creel 1 are passed through guide holes formed in a guide plate 21 and are extended to an insulation head 6. Vertically movable rollers 4 are moved down from their home positions above the cords C to cause the cords C to extend along curved heating surfaces of heating boards 5. The cords C are moved along the heating surfaces of the heating boards 5 to dry the cords C. The cords C can be easily extended along and pressed against the heating surfaces of the heating boards 5. Thus cords C can be changed in a short time and the efficiency of operations for drying cords C by a drying process can be improved.

A plurality of cords for tires, particularly, cords for forming carcasses of tires are extended parallel to each other and the parallel cords are covered with rubber to form a rubber-covered flat cord. Cord processing methods and cord processing apparatuses for forming such a rubber-covered flat cord are known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
Polyester and nylon cords are used generally for forming carcasses of tires. Rayon cords excellent in heat resistance and fatigue resistance are used prevalently for forming carcasses of radial tires for passenger cars. Rayon cords, however, are highly hygroscopic and the strength thereof decreases when they absorb moisture. Therefore, rayon cords for forming carcasses need to be dried by a drying process before being covered with rubber by a coating process.
A cord drying apparatus of a cord covering apparatus for covering cords for forming carcasses with rubber has been used for drying cords. In this cord drying apparatus, a plurality of cords pulled out from reels held in a wheeled creel are passed through a guide plate to extend the cords parallel to each other. The parallel cords are wound round hot-water-heated, rotary drying drums disposed at plurality of drying stages to dry the cords.    JP 2001-336078 A (P. 1, FIG. 33)

Cord drying method and cord drying apparatus for carrying out the same


A scrubbing instrument for scrubbing the human eye corneal epithelium, including a handle, having a grip portion, a scrubbing head having a curved main scrubbing surface, and a connection arrangement for enabling connection of the scrubbing head to the handle and disconnection of the scrubbing head from the handle, thus enabling the scrubbing head to serve as a sterile, disposable, single-use component.

The present invention relates to an instrument and a method for scrubbing the human eye corneal epithelium.
A high percentage of the population suffers various vision defects, including focusing (refractive) defects such as short-sightedness, long-sightedness and astigmatism. Refractive defects are usually corrected by wearing eyeglasses or contact lenses.
Refractive defects are caused by an imperfect three-dimensional spatial structure of the cornea and the eye bulb size, erg. myopia, a near-sightedness resulting from the elongation of the eyeball so that parallel rays are focused in front of the retina, or hyperopia, a far-sightedness, resulting from an error of refraction in which rays of light entering the eye are brought into focus behind the retina.
Avoiding the need for wearing eyeglasses or contact lenses is made possible by reshaping the shape of the exterior surface of the cornea.
At present, several surgical technical methods are used to treat refractive errors, the most reliable treatment using laser tools.
Removal of the epithelium is usually done by means of manual scrubbing using a scrubbing tool or blade. The scrubbing tools currently in use are crude tools, for multiple use, are usually made of one piece of rust-free metal, such as stainless steel, and have a shape resembling that of a golf club, with a planar scrubbing surface. These tools have many drawbacks as a result of their structure, including repetitive scraping of the scrubbing surface as a result of repeated use, discomfort in holding the tool, the fact that the tool is highly traumatic to the cornea, especially to the stroma layer, and can even scratch the cornea when used without care, and can also be contaminated, thus requiring sterilization between uses, as well as the very grave drawback of the planar scrubbing surface applying pointed pressure on the cornea.
There is therefore the need for a scrubbing tool, whose scrubbing surface is a curved surface adapted to the shape of the cornea, and is intended for single use.
The prior art does not teach or suggest such a tool.

Instrument and method for scrubbing the corneal epithelium


Signature generation key sk_s is randomized with random number r to calculate randomized signature generation key sk′_s=SigningKeyRandomize(sk_s, r). The random number r is encrypted with public encryption key pk_e to calculate an encrypted random number R=Enc(pk_e, r)). A message m is signed with the randomized signature generation key sk′_s to calculate signed message s′=Sign(sk′_s, m). The signed message s′ and the encrypted random number R are sent to a recipient, where sk_s represents the secret signature generation key of a sender of the message m, pk_e represents the public encryption key of the recipient, r represents the random number, s represents a signature, Sign represents a signature generation function, s=Sign(sk_s, m) represents a signature for the message m, SigningKeyRandomize represents a function for randomizing the secret signature generation key sk_s, and Enc represents an encryption function.

A user sends and receives mails through a web browser in an online email service such as Gmail, available from Google Inc., Menlo Park, Calif., USA. Now assume that a mail is signed and then encrypted in such an environment, such as is performed through PGP or S/MIME. In other words, assume that a so-called Sign-then-Encrypt (StE) process is performed on the mail. A browser usually does not function to manage a signature generation key and an encryption key, and thus an StE process cannot be executed locally on a computer of the user. For this reason, a server holds information on a signature generation key and an encryption key, and also executes an StE process. For example, consider a case where a sender sends a recipient a mail after subjecting the mail to an StE process. In this case, a secret signature generation key of the sender and a public encryption key of the recipient are held on a server. The server uses these keys to execute the StE process on, and then send, a mail that the sender has created on a browser.
The secret signature generation key of the sender may be stolen if a malicious attacker (either an insider or an outsider) invades the server in the above environment. To cope with this, some sort of protection means is required. Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. Hei 7-87081 (Patent Literature 1) describes a method for preventing fraud in a key publicity center by not allowing the key publicity center to hold any secret signature generation key. However, Patent Literature 1 cannot provide a method for executing an StE process since the key publicity center does not hold a signature generation key from the beginning. C. Collberg, C. Thomborson and D. Low, "A Taxonomy of Obfuscating Transformations." Technical Report 148, Department of Computer Science, University of Auckland. 1997 describes various techniques for obfuscating a program written in JAVA programming language or C. A lot of such obfuscation tools, including ones commercially available, exist and can be used to obfuscate a program for an StE process. However, these tools aim to make a program difficult to read, and are not capable of preventing the revealing of a secret key completely. S. Hohenberger, G. N. Rothblum, A. Shelat, and V. Vaikuntanathan, "Securely Obfuscating Re-Encryption," Proceedings of TCC '07, 2007 (Non-patent Literature 2) describes a technique for obfuscating Re-Encryption (Decrypt-then-Encrypt: operation of decrypting a ciphertext and then encrypting the decrypted ciphertext with another key). Non-patent Literature 2 provides a technique for obfuscating a Decrypt-then-Encrypt function, and cannot be utilized for obfuscating an StE function.
T. El Gamal, "A public key cryptosystem and signature scheme based on discrete logarithms," IEEE Trans. Inform. Theory, Vol. 31, pp. 469-472, 1985 describes well-known encryption schemes. D. Boneh, B. Lynn, and H. Shacham, "Short Signatures from the Weil Pairing," Proceedings of ASIACRYPT 2001, pp. 514-532, 2001, C. Schnorr, "Efficient Signature Generation by Smart Cards," J. Cryptology 4(3), pp. 161-174, 1991, A. Lysyanskaya, "Unique Signatures and Verifiable Random Functions from the DH-DDH Separation," Proceedings of CRYPTO '02, 2002, B. Waters, "Efficient Identity-Based Encryption Without Random Oracles," Proceedings of Eurocrypt 2005 each describe a well-known signature scheme.

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION


There is provided an address translator having the functions to prevent, in the communications via the address translation, transmission of packets having no correct destination and transmission source addresses which will cause troubles in the networks and to urge an administrator take adequate measures for reception of the relevant packets. This address translator stores discriminator to discriminate temporary addresses. Moreover, when the original address is registered as the temporary address at the time of assignment of the temporary address of the receiving side host started when the name solution is performed, assignment is rejected to prevent transmission of packet from the transmitting side host by returning a response for name solution error to the transmitting side host. In addition, when transmission source address before translation and destination address after translation are registered as the temporary address, the received packet is discarded. Moreover, assignment of the temporary address is rejected and the packet is discarded, a message is transmitted to an alarm device or external host to notifying the event to an administrator.

The present invention relates to an address translator for effecting mutual connection among a plurality of communication networks in which address translation is required for discrimination of hosts for mutual communication.
Protocol translation is a known technology which is used to realize communication between a network to which a certain host belongs and a network to which a communication partner belongs under the condition that different communication protocols are used in these networks. For example, as an Internet Protocol (hereinafter referred to as "IP"), the Internet Protocol version 4 (hereinafter, referred to as "IPv4") is used at present at the every location in the world. However, the is now a concern that there may be a shortage of available addresses and therefore, an the Internet Protocol version 6 (hereinafter referred to as "IPv6") has been proposed in order to solve this problem.
However, since it is substantially impossible to directly shift the Internet Protocol to IPv6 from IPv4, introduction of a system to connect a network using IPv4 and a network using IPv6 through protocol translation has also been proposed. As an example of practical translation systems, the NAT-PT, which is described in the RFCs (Request For Comments) 2765 and 2766, published from the IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force), and the SOCKS64, which is described in the RFC3089, and the transport relay, which is described in the RFC3142, or the like are known.
These translation systems are basically intended to translate the formats of an IP packet between IPv4 and IPv6. In this case, since address translation is also performed between IPv4 and IPv6, it is necessary to generate a translation rule for the IPv4 address and the IPv6 address before the translation and then maintain the address translation rule. This translation rule is previously set statically in some cases, or it is created dynamically for each generation of a communication. In the latter case, a name resolution of the DNS (Domain Name System) is utilized to start generation of the translation rule.
The DNS is a system used to translate names which are written as a string of characters for easier understanding by people into IP addresses. The operation to translate the names into IP addresses is called name resolution. At present, almost all applications on the Internet obtain the IP addresses of a communication partner by utilizing this DNS.
The IPv4-IPv6 translator always monitors the messages of the DNS that are exchanged to start a communication by utilizing this fact, and it generates the IP address translation rule when the name resolution request message is issued. The practical operations involved in such a communication will be described below, considering the example of a communication that has originated toward an IPv4 host from an IPv6 host.
First, an IPv6 host inquires as to an IPv6 address of the receiving side host from a DNS proxy server. Next, the DNS proxy server also sends an inquiry to the other DNS servers and receives, as a response to this request, the address of the receiving side host. When the received address is the IPv4 address, the DNS proxy server updates the IPv4 address in the response message to a temporary IPv6 address, and then it returns this temporary IPv6 address to the IPv6 host. In this case, the IPv4-IPv6 translator, in cooperation with the DNS proxy server, generates the address translation rule under the correspondence between the IPv4 address before updating and the updated temporary IPv6 address and, thereafter, stores this rule within the server.
The transmitting side IPv6 host transmits IPv6 packets to the temporary IPv6 address of the receiving side host identified by the name solution of the DNS, as described above. At this time, the source address of packets is the IPv6 address of the transmitting side host itself. These IPv6 packets are first received by the IPv4-Ipv6 translator.
Upon reception of the IPv6 packet, the IPv4-IPv6 translator searches first for the IPv4 address corresponding to the destination IPv6 address of the IPv6 packets from a table storing the address translation rule (hereinafter, referred to as the "address translation table"). At this time, since the destination address translation rule is already generated by the name resolution of the is DNS, the object IPv4 address can be obtained.
Next, the IPv4-IPv6 translator searches for the IPv4 address corresponding to the IPv6 address of the transmission source of the IPv6 packets from the address translation table. However, since the translation rule of the transmission source address has not yet been generated at this time, the object IPv4 address cannot be obtained. Therefore, the address translator newly assigns a temporary IPv4 address for the IPv6 address of the transmitting side host and then generates the address translation rule through correspondence between these two addresses and also registers it in the address translation table.
When the translation rule of the transmission source address is generated and the IPv4 address corresponding, respectively, to the transmission source and destination can be obtained, the IPv6 packets are translated to the IPv4 packets, where the transmission source and destination addresses are updated respectively to the corresponding IPv4 address, they and are then transmitted toward the destination. Thereafter, since the translation rule of the transmission source address and destination address is already generated for the packets transmitted between both hosts, the packet translation is performed with reference to the translation rule.
Here, the address translation rule which is generated dynamically is only a temporary rule, and, therefore, this rule is discarded when the communication is terminated.
In the above-described example, the communication toward the IPv4 host from the IPv6 host is discussed, but a communication toward the IPv6 host from the IPv4 host and a communication which requires address translation between the IPv4 hosts (for example, communication between two IPv4 private networks in which addresses may be overlapped) also generate an address translation rule in the sequence described above to realize an communication through the address translation.
In addition, even when the communication protocols other than an IP are used, it is also possible to generate a rule for the mutual translation of a discriminator of hosts, depending on the protocol, in the same manner as that described above by providing a means to establish correspondence between the information to discriminate the host in each protocol, such as the IPv4 address and IPv6 address and the information to uniquely discriminate the host, not depending on the protocol.
As is obvious from the above description, in a communication effect through an address translation, the destination address after update by the address translation process has to be the address given actually to the host (hereinafter referred to as a "native address"). Moreover, the transmission source address before the update by the address translation process also has to be the native address.
If the destination address after an update by the address translation process is a temporary address, the following two kinds of failures may occur.
First, when a host having an address which is matched with the destination address after an update process does not exist, the packets transmitted from the address translator through address translation do not have any destination.
Second, when an address that is preset as a temporary address is overlapped with the address of a host which actually exists, the packets transmitted from the address translator through address translation reach an unexpected destination.
When an address solution provided by the DNS is utilized to start the generation of an address translation rule, a second failure may be expected to occur.
Moreover, if the transmission source address before an update obtained through an address translation process is a temporary address, another host which is given the same address as the transmission source address after the update process can be expected to exist, and, therefore, the hosts in the receiving side consider the packets as being those transmitted from another host. Accordingly, it becomes possible for malicious hosts to make a false access to a certain host or server by pretending to be one of the other actual hosts.
As described above, when the transmission source address before address translation is a temporary address or when the destination address after address translation is a temporary address in a communication which requires address translation, there is a concern that there may be an occurrence of a failure in the network which is accommodating the transmission destination host, because the packets which are given such a destination address actually exist.

Address translator and method for management of address translation rules


There is provided a constant current driven oscillating circuit including: an oscillator with first and second ends; a first field effect transistor that turns ON when a signal of a lower level than a first threshold voltage is input to a first gate terminal, and outputs, from a second terminal, current that has been input from a first terminal; a second field effect transistor turning ON when a signal output from the oscillator and is at a higher level than a second threshold voltage is input to a second gate terminal connected to the second end of the oscillator, and outputs, from a fourth terminal, current that has been input from a third terminal connected to the second terminal and to the first end of the oscillator; and an adjusting section that adjusts the first threshold voltage according to the level of the signal output from the oscillator.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an oscillating circuit which is driven by a constant current (constant current driven oscillating circuit), and in particular to a constant current driven oscillating circuit employed in a clock or the like of an LSI.
2. Related Art
Conventionally known is a constant current liquid crystal oscillating circuit that, in order to lower power consumption, employs an oscillation stop control signal, and stops oscillating operation of the oscillating circuit during an oscillation stop mode (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 61-225904).
Furthermore, in order to lower power consumption, there is also a liquid crystal oscillating circuit that, by lowering a back gate electric potential of an N-channel field effect transistor (referred so as an N-MOSFET below) of a CMOS inverter when power is introduced using a switching circuit, thereby lowering the threshold voltage, has speedy start up of the liquid crystal oscillating circuit, from when power is introduced up to the point when a stable oscillating state is achieved, and then after stable oscillation has been achieved in the liquid crystal oscillating circuit, raises the threshold voltage by raising the back gate electric potential of the N-MOSFET, thereby reducing power consumption (JP-A No. 2001-298326).
Furthermore, there is an oscillating circuit that, in order to perform oscillating operation at a low power source voltage, lowers a gate voltage input to a gate terminal of a P-channel field effect transistor (referred to below as a P-MOSFET) of a CMOS inverter, using an voltage lowering circuit, with an accompanying increase in the drain current (JP-A No. 6-97732).
Furthermore, there is a constant current driven liquid crystal oscillating circuit that makes a gate signal for input to the gate terminal of a P-MOSFET of a CMOS inverter constant, and makes the drain current flowing of the P-MOSFET constant by the P-MOSFET constantly being in a conducting state, and suppresses the penetration current that occurs when the P-MOSFET and an N-MOSFET are both conducting at the same time (JP-A No. 2008-219387).
However, the constant current liquid crystal oscillating circuit described in JP-A No. 61-225904 is merely a technique to reduce power consumption by stopping the oscillating circuit when oscillating operation is not required, and cannot reduce power consumption during oscillating operation.
Moreover, the liquid crystal oscillating circuit described in JP-A No. 2001-298326 uses a switching circuit to raise the back gate electric potential of the N-MOSFET of a CMOS inverter and to raise the threshold voltage of the N-MOSFET, and therefore the circuit configuration is complicated.
Furthermore, the oscillating circuit described in JP-A No. 6-97732 merely performs oscillating operation at a low power source voltage, and when the N-MOSFET of the CMOS inverter is in the ON state, the drain current that flows to the N-MOSFET via the P-MOSFET is wasted.
Furthermore, the constant current driven oscillating circuit described in JP-A No. 2008-219387 merely makes the drain current flowing to the P-MOSFET of the CMOS inverter constant and suppresses the penetrating current, and similar to in JP-A No. 6-97732, when the N-MOSFET is in the ON state, the drain current flowing to the N-MOSFET via the P-MOSFET is wasted.

Constant current driven oscillating circuit


A coupling assembly is attached to the upper surface of a board having upper and lower surfaces. The coupling assembly is extendable upwardly for coupling to a covering surface. A plurality of projections on the lower surface of the board are extendable downwardly for contacting a floor for support. A plurality of apertures extends through the board for functioning with the projections for ventilation and moisture abatement.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a drainage board system and more particularly pertains to extending the life of outdoor carpet while enhancing its appearance.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of drainage systems of known designs and configurations is known in the prior art. More specifically, drainage systems of known designs and configurations previously devised and utilized for the purpose of draining floors through known methods and apparatuses are known to consist basically of familiar, expected, and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which has been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
By way of example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,687,021 issued Aug. 29, 1972 to Hensley relates to Vertically Draining Flat Structures. U.S. Pat. No. 5,666,772 issued Sep. 16, 1997 to Betty relates to a Patio/Floor Assembly. U.S. Pat. No. 6,802,167 issued Oct. 12, 2004 to Pacione relates to Anchor Sheet Framework and Subflooring. U.S. Pat. No. 5,259,163 issue Nov. 9, 1993 to Pacione relates to an Anchor Board System. Lastly, U.S. Pat. No. 6,599,599 issued Jul. 29, 2003 to Buckwater relates to an Underlayment Composite and Associated Flooring Installation System.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not describe a drainage board system that extends the life of outdoor carpet while enhancing its appearance.
In this respect, the drainage board system according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of extending the life of outdoor carpet while enhancing its appearance.
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for a new and improved drainage board system which can be used for extending the life of outdoor carpet while enhancing its appearance. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.