A personalized insurance (“PI”) computing device for determining an optimal insurance product for a driver operating a vehicle for a transportation network company (“TNC”) during a period of increased demand includes at least one processor in communication with at least one memory. The processor is configured to: (i) receive, from a TNC, data indicating increased demand for transportation services, (ii) retrieve driver data that includes the driver history, (iii) generate an optimal pricing model for the driver based upon the increased demand and the driver data, (iv) execute the model to determine an optimal insurance product having characteristics reflecting at least one risk factor associated with the increased demand for transportation services and a risk profile determined from analyzing the driver data, and (v) transmit an offer to the driver to provide transportation services at an increased earnings rate and with the determined optimal insurance product.

Transportation network companies ("TNC"), such as UBER and LYFT, enable efficient transportation of passengers by providing "ride-sharing" systems that allow independent operators (e.g., drivers) the ability to offer transportation services to riders seeking transportation.
Ride-sharing systems may use dynamic pricing models based upon passenger demand and the current supply of vehicles and drivers to determine a market rate. A higher price may be used to encourage drivers to offer rides during high demand or "peak" times when passenger demand is high and low driver supply occurs. By allowing drivers the ability to easily offer or discontinue transportation services, the demand for transportation may be more efficiently met by automatically adjusting the total number of vehicles in operation according to the number of passengers seeking transportation. Prices for transportation services using a flexible model may therefore be lower than if a fixed fleet of vehicles and drivers were deployed.
Independent operators driving for a TNC may be incentivized to offer services to riders through a number of benefits offered by the TNC including flexible scheduling, freedom from substantial oversight, and potential for significant compensation in highly trafficked areas. However, these incentives may not be sufficient to motivate an adequate number of drivers.
Drivers face a number of other difficulties that may deter offering transportation services. For example, driving during peak times may be extremely stressful when dealing with congested traffic conditions. In addition, offering driving services during peak times may also increase the possibility of accidents. Operating a vehicle in highly trafficked areas may also incur added maintenance costs further deterring drivers from offering such transportation services. Enhancing peace of mind and/or providing additional incentives may be desirable to encourage independent operators to offer these TNC transportation services.

Systems and methods for generating mobility insurance products using ride-sharing telematics data

STATE FARM MUTUAL AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE COMPANY


The present invention generally relates to color stable formulations containing the potassium salt of (S)-(+)-abscisic acid, the color stabilizers sodium citrate and sodium acetate, the antimicrobial agent potassium sorbate, and do not contain an acrylic copolymer surfactant. The present invention is also directed to methods for using the present formulations in organic farming.

Abscisic acid ("(S)-(+)-abscisic acid" or "S-ABA") is a naturally occurring plant hormone which is found in all higher plants. (S)-(+)-abscisic acid is involved in many major processes during plant growth and development including dormancy, germination, bud break, flowering, fruit set, general growth and development, stress tolerance, ripening, maturation, organ abscission, and senescence. (S)-(+)-abscisic acid also plays an important role in plant tolerance to environmental stresses, such as drought, cold, and excessive salinity.
The naturally occurring enantiomeric form of abscisic acid is (S)-(+)-abscisic acid. In some literature reports the other enantiomer, (R)-(−)-abscisic acid is seen to be biologically inactive. In other research, it has been reported that (R)-(−)-abscisic acid also has some biological activities, however, they are often different from those of the (S)-(+)-enantiomer. See, Zeevart, J. A. D. and Creelman, R. A. (1988) Metabolism and Physiology of Abscisic Acid, Annu. Rev. Plant Physiol. Plant Mol. Biol. 39, 439-473. Thus, for use in a commercial agricultural product, the formulations of the present invention comprising (S)-(+)-abscisic acid as the active ingredient are preferable to the prior art formulations comprising racemic (R,S)-(±)-abscisic acid, because, in the best case for these prior art formulations, half of the racemic (R,S)-(±)-abscisic acid is inert, resulting in the need to purchase, formulate, package, ship, and apply twice as much material. In the worst case, the (R)-(−)-enantiomer in racemic (R,S)-(±)-abscisic acid can add undesirable side effects to the desired result given by the applied (S)-(+)-abscisic acid and potentially result in undesirable residue in food crops and in the environment.
The stereochemistry of the side chain of naturally occurring abscisic acid produced biosynthetically by all green plants and some microorganisms is 2-cis-,4-trans. The (S)-(+)-2-trans-,4-trans-isomer of abscisic acid also occurs naturally, being produced photolytically by the action of sunlight on the (S)-(+)-2-cis-,4-trans-isomer. The (S)-(+)-2-trans-,4-trans-isomer is reported to be biologically inactive. See, P. E. Kreidelmann, et al., Plant Physiol. 49, 842-847 (1972), D. P. Zhang, et al., Plant Physiol. 128, 714-725, (2002) or X. C. Yu, et al., Plant Physiol. 140, 558-579 (2006).
A challenge with agricultural formulations of (S)-(+)-abscisic acid salts is the inability to maintain color stability. Previously, the color of aqueous formulations of (S)-(+)-abscisic acid changed during storage from a near colorless solution to a dark yellow or brown solution. Such a result is undesirable because the formulation can have an inconsistent cosmetic appearance which raises questions regarding formulation quality and efficacy and can lower the product's commercial appeal. Therefore, there is an unmet need in the art for (S)-(+)-abscisic acid salt formulations with color stability.
Sodium citrate and sodium acetate are both listed in the Food and Drug Administration's ("FDA") Select Committee on Generally Regarded as Safe Substances ("SCOGS") Database, and therefore, are desirable alternatives to color stabilizers utilized by the prior art that are undesirable or prohibited in pesticide formulations used on food crops in the United States.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,722,928 is directed to aqueous formulations containing salts of (S)-(+)-abscisic acid, the acrylic copolymer surfactant Atlox™ 4913, and the color stabilizers sodium citrate and sodium acetate. The formulations of U.S. Pat. No. 8,722,928 have impressive color stability and are non-precipitating. While the formulations of U.S. Pat. No. 8,722,928 have desirable and commercially important qualities, they are not suitable for organic farming.
The Organic Materials Review Institute ("OMRI") reviews agricultural products against organic standards to certify that products are appropriate for use in organic farming. Some of the organic standards include that the ingredients of the products are not obtained from genetically modified organisms, that all of the inert ingredients are included in the EPA List 4 §205.601(m), and that the natural products are extracted by methods that meet the 7 C.F.R. §205 criteria.
One of the advantages of the formulations of U.S. Pat. No. 8,722,928 is that they can be tank-mixed with the plant growth regulator ethephon without the formation of precipitates. This attribute, however, is not important to organic farmers because ethephon cannot be used in organic farming.
Therefore, there is a need for environmentally safe, non-phytotoxic, efficacious, ABA solution formulations for use in organic farming. The improved formulations should overcome the color stability, handling, storage, transportation, and solubility issues encountered by prior art formulations. The formulations should also be certified by OMRI to be safe for organic farming and be safe for end users.

Color stable aqueous formulations containing the potassium salt of (


This is invention comprises a method and apparatus for Infinite Network Packet Capture System (INPCS). The INPCS is a high performance data capture recorder capable of capturing and archiving all network traffic present on a single network or multiple networks. This device can be attached to Ethernet networks via copper or SX fiber via either a SPAN port (101) router configuration or via an optical splitter (102). By this method, multiple sources or network traffic including gigabit Ethernet switches (102) may provide parallelized data feeds to the capture appliance (104), effectively increasing collective data capture capacity. Multiple captured streams are merged into a consolidated time indexed capture stream to support asymmetrically routed network traffic as well as other merged streams for external consumption.

The present invention relates to capturing and archiving computer network traffic. Networks allowing computer users to communicate and share information with one another are ubiquitous in business, government, educational institutions, and homes. Computers communicate with one another through small and large local area networks (LANs) that may be wireless or based on hard-wired technology such as Ethernet or fiber optics. Most local networks have the ability to communicate with other networks through wide area networks (WANs). The interconnectivity of these various networks ultimately enables the sharing of information throughout the world via the Internet. In addition to traditional computers, other information sharing devices may interact with these networks, including cellular telephones, personal digital assistants (PDAs) and other devices whose functionality may be enhanced by communication with other persons, devices, or systems.
The constant increase in the volume of information exchanged through networks has made network management both more important and more difficult. Enforcement of security, audit, policy compliance, network performance and use analysis policies, as well as data forensics investigations and general management of a network may require access to prior network traffic. Traditional storage systems, generally based on magnetic hard disk drive technology, have not been able to keep pace with expanding network traffic loads due to speed and storage capacity limitations. Use of arrays of multiple hard disks, increases speed and capacity but even the largest arrays based on traditional operating system and network protocol technologies lack the ability to monolithically capture and archive all traffic over a large network. Capture and archive systems based on current technologies also become part of the network in which they function, rendering them vulnerable to covert attacks or "hacking" and thus limiting their security and usefulness as forensic and analytical tools.
To overcome these limitations, a robust network packet capture and archiving system must utilize the maximum capabilities of the latest hardware technologies and must also avoid the bottlenecks inherent in current technologies. Using multiple gigabit Ethernet connections, arrays of large hard disk drives, and software that by-passes traditional bottlenecks by more direct communication with the various devices, it is possible to achieve packet capture and archiving on a scale capable of handling the traffic of the largest networks.

Method and apparatus for network packet capture distributed storage system


Chiral nonracemic molecules which are useful as high tilt, high polarization and/or high birefringence FLC materials or are useful as components of such FLC materials and which have the following general structure are provided: EQU RO--(Ph.sub.1).sub.m --(A).sub.a --(Ph.sub.2).sub.n --(B).sub.b --(Ph.sub.3).sub.p --T. where Ph.sub.1, Ph.sub.2 and Ph.sub.3 are, independently of one another, para-substituted aromatic ring groups selected from the group consisting of phenyl, monohalophenyl, pyridine, pyrimidine, diazine, or pyridizine; where m, n and p are either 0, 1 or 2, such that m+n+p=2 or 3; where A or B are either a triple bond or a --COO-- or --OOC-- group; where a and b are independently of one another either 1 or 0; where R is a branched alkyl or alkene group having from three to twenty carbon atoms; and. where T is selected from the group consisting of --OR', --COOR', OR", COOR", or OOCR'": where R' is an alkyl, alkene, ether, thioether, or alkylsilyl group having from three to twenty carbon atoms wherein non-adjacent carbon atoms can be replaced with a double bond, --O--, --S--, or an (CH.sub.3).sub.2 --Si-- group; where R" is 2,3-alkylepoxide having four to twenty carbon atoms; where R'" is an alkyl, alkene or a monohaloalkyl group having from three to twenty carbon atoms and wherein at least one of R or T is a chiral nonracemic tail unit. Of particular use for increasing the tilt angle and birefringence of FLC mixtures are compounds in which the core contains a tolane moiety. Of particular use in high tilt, high polarization FLC mixtures are compounds in which T is a chiral nonracemic 2,3-epoxyester or 2,3-epoxyether tail unit. Certain of the compounds of this invention display a property of inducing a tilt angle greater than expected in FLC compositions in which they are combined. The invention includes methods of preparing high tilt FLC compounds and high tilt FLC compositions.

Electro-optic effects with sub-microsecond switching speeds can be achieved using the technology of ferroelectric liquid crystals (FLCs) of N. A. Clark and S. T. Lagerwall (1980) Appl. Phys. Lett. 36:899 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,367,924. These investigators have reported display structures prepared using FLC materials having not only high speed response (about 1,000 times faster than currently used twisted nematic devices), but which also exhibit bistable, threshold sensitive switching. Such properties make FLC based devices excellent candidates for light modulation devices including matrix addressed light valves containing a large number of elements for passive displays of graphic and pictorial information, optical processing applications, as well as for high information content dichroic displays.
Smectic C liquid crystal phases composed of chiral, nonracemic molecules possess a spontaneous ferroelectric polarization, or macroscopic dipole moment, deriving from a dissymmetry in the orientation of molecular dipoles in the liquid crystal phases (Myer et al. (1975) J. Phys. (Les Ulis, Fr) 36:L-69). The ferroelectric polarization density is an intrinsic property of the material making up the phase and has a magnitude and sign for a given material under a given set of conditions. In ferroelectric liquid crystal display devices, like those of Clark and Lagerwall, appropriate application of an external electric field results in alignment of the chiral molecules in the ferroelectric liquid crystal phase with the applied field. When the sign of the applied field is reversed, realignment or switching of the FLC molecules occurs. This switching can be employed for light modulation. Within a large range of electric field strengths, the switching speed (optical rise time) is inversely proportional to applied field strength and polarization or dipole density (P), and directly proportional to orientational viscosity. High switching speeds are then associated with FLC phases which possess high polarization density and low orientational viscosity.
Optics may provide an alternative to electronics in data communication and processing applications where high data rates are achieved through either high bandwidth channels or highly parallel processing. To this end a variety of devices for the generation and detection of intensity modulated light have been developed. However, the development of computer systems based on optics technology has been hindered by deficiencies in two key components: the optical crossbar switch and the spatial light modulator (SLM). Both of these components require a large number of light modulating elements, ideally rapidly switchable, in a small area. Envisioned systems could use crossbar switches with up to N=1000 lines, requiring between about 10.sup.4 Nln(N)! to 10.sup.6 N.sup.2 ! switching elements, or SLMs with up to N.sup.2 =10.sup.6 elements. Any switching element considered for these components must meet certain requirements. The individual switching elements must be small in size so that the complete device will not be unwieldily large. The elements must be cable of switching quickly so that the device can be reconfigured in a reasonable time. The elements should afford high contrast between the "on" and "off" states (>1000:1 required for a 1000 element crossbar switch). The energy required to switch the element must be small enough that the heat generated by reconfiguration of the whole device, within the desired time, does not generate more heat than can be feasibly dissipated. The elements must share control lines or in some way be addressable in parallel so that the number of control lines remains small compared to the number of signal lines. The elements must be manufacturable by techniques that produce all the elements needed for a complete device in parallel so that the cost of the device in not prohibitive.
Conventional electro-optic materials (e.g., LiNbO.sub.3) can switch in a few picoseconds but are only weakly birefringent and thus require long optical interaction lengths or high drive voltage which produces large switching energy to achieve required high contrast. Most other optical switching materials suffer from similar shortcomings.
Most effort in the development of FLC materials has been directed towards flat panel display applications. The optimal characteristics for FLC materials used in such displays include high spontaneous polarization and low orientation viscosity which are required to achieve fast switching, tilt angles of 22.5.degree. which result in maximum contrast between crossed polarizers, low birefringence which facilitates construction of a desirable thickness panel and broad temperature range of the desired FLC phase.
Unfortunately, several of these parameters are far from optimal for FLC materials useful in waveguides, integrated optics, and spatial light modulators. High polarization and low viscosity are desired for both display and optical switching FLC applications. However, enhanced performance in optical switching applications is correlated with high total refractive index change between the switched states which is associated with high birefringence and large tilt angles.
A particular type of FLC display device, a dichroic display device containing color switching elements incorporating mixtures of FLCs with dichroic dyes, also requires high tilt FLC material (tilt angle of 45.degree.) to achieve highest contrast (see Ozaki et al. (1985) Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. Part I 24 (Suppl. 24-3):63-65).
A basic requirement for application of ferroelectric liquid crystals in any device is the availability of chemically stable liquid crystal materials which exhibit ferroelectric phases over a substantial temperature range about room temperature. In some cases, the ferroelectric liquid crystal compound itself will possess an enantiotropic or monotropic ferroelectric (chiral smectic C*) liquid crystal phase. Ferroelectric liquid crystal mixtures possessing chiral smectic C* phases with useful temperature ranges can also be obtained by admixture of chiral, nonracemic compounds, designated ferroelectric liquid crystal dopants, into a liquid crystal host material (which may or may not be composed of chiral molecules). Addition of the dopant can affect the ferroelectric polarization density and/or the viscosity of the C* phase and thereby affect the switching speed. To achieve fast switching, desirable FLC dopants are molecules which impart high ferroelectric polarization density to an FLC material without significantly increasing the orientational viscosity of the mixture. For applications requiring high tilt angle materials it is desirable to have FLC materials which combine the properties of high tilt angle with fast switching speed and broad room temperature smectic C* phases.
Thermotropic liquid crystal molecules typically possess structures which combine a rigid core coupled with two relatively "floppy" tails (see Demus et al. (1974) Flussige Kristalle In Tabellen, VEB Deutscher Verlag fur Grundstoffindustrie, Lebzig for a compilation of the molecular structures of LC molecules). FLC materials have been prepared by the introduction of a stereocenter into one of the tails, thus introducing chirality. The first FLC compound to be characterized was DOBAMBC (Meyer et al., supra) which contains an (S)-2-methylbutyloxy chiral tail. Pure DOBAMBC exhibits a smectic C* phase with a ferroelectric polarization of -3 nC/cm.sup.2.
The structures and polarization of several known smectic C* materials, including several containing phenylbenzoate cores, have been summarized in Walba et al. (1986a) J. Amer. Chem. Soc. 108:5210-5221, which also discusses a number of empirical correlations between molecular structure and FLC properties.
There are several reports of compounds containing phenylbenzoate and related cores coupled to chiral tail units which possess monotropic smectic C* phases displaying fast switching speeds at room temperature, or which can be employed as FLC dopants to induce high polarization and fast switching speeds when combined in mixtures with FLC host materials. Walba et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,556,727 reports phenylbenzoates having non-racemic 2-alkoxy-1-propoxy tails. Eidman and Walba, U.S. Pat. No. 4,777,280 reports chiral 1-cyanoalkoxy phenylbenzoates. Walba and Razavi, U.S. Pat. No. 4,695,650 reports chirally asymmetric reverse ester phenylbenzoates having chiral 1-haloalkyl tail units. Wand and Walba, U.S. Pat. No. 5,051,506 reports chirally asymmetric FLC materials having 2-haloalkoxy, 2,3-dihaloalkoxy or 2,3,4-trihaloalkoxy tails incorporated into a suitable core such as those based on biphenyl, phenylbenzoate, biphenylbenzoate or phenyl pyrimidine moieties.
Walba and Razavi, U.S. Pat. No. 4,835,295 discloses chirally asymmetric phenyl- and biphenylbenzoates having chiral (2,3)-epoxy alkyl or 1-halo-2,3-epoxy alkyl tails which are useful for the preparation of FLC materials which possess smectic C* phases and have high polarization density. Tilt angles of the smectic C* phases of these FLC materials have not been reported.
Walba et al. (1986) J. Amer. Chem. Soc. 108:7424-7425 and Walba and Vohra, U.S. Pat. No. 4,648,073 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,705,874 disclose ferroelectric smectic liquid crystal compounds possessing a high ferroelectric polarization density having chiral tail units derived from (2,3)-alkyloxiranemethanols and achiral phenylbenzoate and biphenyl core units. The ferroelectric crystal compounds reported have the following general formulas: ##STR1## where R is an alkyl of one to seven carbon atoms and R' is an alkyl of five to twelve carbon atoms and Ar is phenylbenzoate or biphenyl. Tilt angles of the smectic C* phases of these FLC materials have not been reported.
Hemmerling et al. (1988) European Patent Application, Pub. No. 263437 refers to chiral aryl-2,3-epoxyalkylether FLC compounds having phenylpyrimidine or phenylpyridazine cores of the formula: ##STR2## where A is a diazine-2,5,-diyl or diazine-3,6-diyl, R.sup.4 includes straight chain or branched alkyl groups and R.sup.1 includes straight chain or branched alkyl groups having one to twelve carbons. The properties, including tilt angle, of several FLC mixtures containing certain of these compounds are provided. All of the FLC mixtures described have tilt angle less than 30.degree..
Seto et al. (1990) Mol. Cryst. Liq. Cryst. Letts. 7(1):1-5 refers to chiral tolans as ferroelectric liquid crystals. Several compounds of formulas: EQU R'--O.sub.2 C-Phenyl-C.tbd.C-Phenyl-Y--R.sup.2
and EQU R'--O.sub.2 C-Phenyl-C.tbd.C-Pyridine-Y--R.sup.2
where Y represents a single bond or a phenyl ring, CO.sub.2 -phenyl, or O.sub.2 C-phenyl group, R' is either (S)--C.sub.2 H.sub.5 CH(CH.sub.3)CH.sub.2 -- or (R)--CH.sub.3 (CH.sub.2).sub.5 (CH.sub.3)-- and R.sup.2 is either n-C.sub.10 H.sub.21 O-- or n-C.sub.8 --H.sub.17 O--. No information on tilt angles of these compounds is given.
Shindo et al. (1990) J. Chem. Soc. Chem. Comm. p. 760 refers to the monofluorotolane: EQU (S)--C.sub.10 H.sub.21 --O--C.sub.6 H.sub.4 --C.tbd.C--C.sub.6 H.sub.3 F--CO.sub.2 (CH.sub.2).sub.3 CH(Me)Et!
as a ferroelectric liquid crystal.
Japanese patent application 1-245089 displays the formula: EQU C.sub.6 H.sub.13 (CH.sub.3) CHO-Phenyl-OOC-Phenyl-C.tbd.C-Phenyl-OR
and provides phase diagrams and polarization density measures for several different compounds in which R is a straight chain alkyl group.
Ichihashi et al. (1988) European Patent Application, Pub. No. 269062 describes FLC compositions reported to have tilt angles between 30.degree. to 60.degree. and superior alignment properties. The authors state that most known FLC compounds (single component materials) having a high tilt angle, i.e., greater than or equal to 30.degree. in the smectic C* phase, do not possess a higher temperature smectic A phase, while those having such a smectic A phase have low tilt angle, i.e., less than 300.degree.. It is, thus, inferred that tilt angle depends on the ordering of phases, in particular on the type of phase occurring above the C* phase. It is reported that high tilt smectic C* compositions which possess a higher temperature smectic A phase can be obtained by admixture of a chiral or achiral smectic C compound also having a smectic A phase having a temperature range within 40.degree. C. with a chiral smectic C compound having no smectic A phase. The presence of a smectic A phase is described as useful for alignment of an FLC material. The authors also report that tilt angle of a composition is an approximately additive function of the tilt angles of the individual components. Although the tilt angles of a number of smectic C compounds including several having phenylbenzoate and related cores are reported, no correlation between tilt angle and chemical structure is noted.
In a related reference, Furukawa et al. (1988) European Patent Application Pub. No. 220747 refers to a method for controlling the tilt angle in ferroelectric smectic C mixtures. The reference contains a list of FLC compounds, including a number of compounds having phenylbenzoate and related cores, giving phase diagrams and in many cases tilt angles. This reference also refers to the correlation between the presence of smectic A phases with tilt angles less than 30.degree.. A method for controlling the tilt angle of an FLC mixture by adjusting the composition of the mixture such that a smectic A phase is present (for low tilt angle mixtures) or absent (for high tilt angle mixtures).

High tilt ferroelectric liquid crystal compounds and compositions


The present invention relates to processes for the preparation of sclareolide and related compounds by the biocatalytic cyclization of polyunsaturated carboxylic acid compounds, in particular of homofarnesylic acid and related compounds; and to a process for the preparation of ambroxide via the biocatalytic cyclization of homofarnesylic acid to sclareolide.

Compounds with the dodecahydronaphtho[2,1-b]furan skeleton are of great economic interest as aroma chemicals. In this context, compound (−)-2 should be mentioned; that is, (3aR,5aS,9aS,9bR)-3a,6,6,9a-tetramethyldodecahydronaphtho-[2,1-b]-furan, known as the laevorotatory stereoisomer of ambroxan.
Ambroxan has originally been obtained from sperm whale ambergris and currently can be prepared mainly via two routes. Sclareol (3), a constituent of clary sage (Salvia sclarea), is frequently used as suitable starting material for semisynthetic material because it already contains the optical information for compound ((−)-2). Here, the oxidative degradation may be carried out using chromic acid, permanganate, H2O2 or ozone [Stoll et al.; Helv Chim Acta (1950), 33: 1251]. The resulting sclareolide (4) is subsequently converted (for example using LiAlH4 or NaBH4) to ambrox-1,4-diol (5) [Mookherjee et al.; Perfumer and Flavourist (1990), 15: 27]. The preparation of compound (4) from sclareol (3) can also be effected by biotransformation with Hyphozyma roseoniger [EP 204009]

Finally, ambrox-1,4-diol (5) can be cyclized in a series of chemical processes to give compound ((−)-2). Research has been carried out into the preparation of the racemate of ambroxan (rac-2) via inter alia homofarnesylic acid [U.S. Pat. No. 513,270; Lucius et al.; Chem Ber (1960), 93: 2663] and 4-(2,6,6-trimethylcyclohex-1-enyl)butan-2-one [Büchi et al.; Helv Chim Acta (1989), 72: 996].
In 2002, the market volume of ambroxan was, on average, 20 tonnes per year. This requires a starting base of approximately 33 tonnes of sclareol per year. The production of one tonne of ambroxan requires 207 tonnes of various individual substances, which, in turn, bring about the generation of 206 tonnes of waste. The accumulating substances have different but overall relatively potent effects on health and environment [Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt]. Thus, this synthesis consumes a great deal of energy and requires the use of polluting chemicals.
The biocatalytic synthesis of compound ((−)-2) has been described in the literature [Neumann et al.; Biol Chem Hoppe Seyler (1986), 367: 723]. Here, the molecule is obtained from homofarnesol (compound (la), (3Z,7E)-4,8,12-trimethyltrideca-3,7,11-trien-1-ol). The catalyst used was the enzyme squalene-hopene cyclase (SHC) from Alicyclobacillus acidocaldarius (formerly Bacillus acidocaldarius). Further enzymes for catalyzing the cyclization of homofarnesol to ambroxan have been described in patent specifications (for example WO 2012/066059) and in the literature [Neumann et al., loc. cit.].
Seitz, M. et al describe in ChemBioChem 2013, 14, 436-439 an enzymatic process for the preparation of sclareolide from homofarnesylic acid using the squalene-hopene cyclase from Zymomonas mobilis (Zm SHCI). However, the product yields obtained therein are only approximately 7.7 to 22.9%.
It was an object of the present invention to provide an improved process for the preparation of ambroxide precursors, in particular of sclareolide and related compounds, which can be carried out in a technically more simple and a more economic fashion than traditional chemical processes (for example reduction of the number of reaction steps required, and/or more convenient starting materials). It was a further object to additionally reduce the arising costs by using readily available starting materials and by reducing the number of chemical reactions (or steps). In particular, an improved biocatalytic process for the preparation of sclareolide should be provided.

Enzymatic cyclization of homofarnesylic acid


A boot 23a for insulating the bare end of an insulated electrical wire includes a neck 25 to hold a wire or wires 21a centrally in the boot. The boot is filled with a solidifiable liquid substance 24, such as epoxy resin, to encapsulate the wire or wires after insertion. The boot may be transparent and include depth markings 26, 27 to determine the minimum insertion depth of the wire or wires 21a and the minimum level of substance.

Insulated electrical wire usually comprises a conductive core and a sheath of insulating material. The bare ends of wires are insulated in the appliance to which they are attached, or by a separate insulator. Separate insulators can be expensive.
In manufacture of a wiring harness it may be necessary to join several wires. This may be accomplished by using connector devices but a more reliable connection can be made by joining the conductive cores by soldering or welding, and applying an insulating boot. In conditions where moisture or corrosion is likely it is important that the boot is sealed.
Bared ends of insulated wires may be capped by a boot containing fluid substance which is solidified after the boot is fitted. Such an arrangement is disclosed for example in U.S. Pat. No. 3,550,765, and encapsulates the bare wire ends.
However this kind of boot may be unreliable in wet or corrosive conditions if the insulated wires lie against the wall of the boot, thus preventing the fluid substance encircling the wires. U.S. Pat. No. 3,597,528 discloses a cover to centralize wires in the boot, but this additional component increases cost and assembly time.
Problems may also arise with this kind of boot if the bare wire is not sufficiently inserted in the fluid substance, thus leading to insufficient depth of insulation. Further problems arise if the depth of insertion in the boot is correct but the amount of fluid substance is insufficient, or if external pressure results in insufficient encapsulation of the bared wire end.

Boot and method of insulating and waterproofing electrical wire ends


The present invention is directed to compositions and methods related to the use of human OGC as an uncoupling protein.

The bulk of animal tissue oxygen consumption is driven by a finely-balanced system in which the rate of mitochondrial catabolism of fuels is regulated largely by the flow of electrons along the electron-transport chain. Concomitant pumping of protons outward across the mitochondrial inner membrane establishes a proton electrochemical gradient or proton motive force (Δp) which drives ATP synthesis via inward flow of protons through F1F0 ATP synthase. Thus, fuel combustion, electron transport, proton flux, and ATP turnover are intimately coupled. However, a portion of the Δp is dissipated as protons flow inward independent of ATP synthase, a phenomenon termed "proton leak" or "uncoupling." Fuel combustion and electron transport/outward proton pumping increase in response to dissipation of Δp; thus, innate mitochondrial proton leak may account for a significant amount of daily energy expenditure (estimated at between 20–40% of tissue metabolic rate)[Brand et al, Biochim. Biophys. Acta, 1187:132–139 (1994); Rolfe et al., Am. J. Physiol., 276:C692–C699 (1999)].
The first indication that specific proteins may underlie mammalian mitochondrial proton leak emerged from studies of brown adipose tissue (BAT), a specialized tissue in which a large proportion of mitochondrial oxygen consumption is uncoupled from ATP synthesis under conditions in which adaptational thermogenesis is triggered (i.e. cold-exposure in rodents)[Nicholls and Locke, Physiol. Rev., 64:1–64 (1984)]. The heat-generating futile cycling of the BAT mitochondrial proton circuit was found to be associated with a specific protein termed uncoupling protein (UCP, subsequently named UCP1)[Nicholls and Locke, supra; Ricquier et al., FASEB J., 5:2237–2242 (1991)].
UCPs were first found and described in the brown fat cells of hibernating animals, such as bears. UCPs were believed to help such hibernators and other cold-weather adapted animals maintain core body temperatures in cold weather by raising their body's resting metabolic rate. Because humans possess relatively small quantities of brown adipose tissue, UCPs were originally thought to play a minor role in human metabolism.
Several different human uncoupling proteins have now been described. [See, generally, Gura, Science, 280:1369–1370 (1998)]. The human uncoupling protein referred to as UCP1 was identified by Nicholls et al. Nicholls et al. showed that the inner membrane of brown fat cell mitochondria was very permeable to proteins, and the investigators traced the observed permeability to a protein, called UCP1, in the mitochondrial membrane. Nicholls et al. reported that the UCP1, by creating such permeability, reduced the number of ATPs that can be made from a food source, thus raising body metabolic rate and generating heat. [Nicholls et al., Physiol. Rev., 64, 1–64 (1984)].
It was later found that UCP1 is indeed expressed only in brown adipose tissue [Bouillaud et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 82:445–448 (1985); Jacobsson et al., J. Biol. Chem., 260:16250–16254 (1985)]. Genetic mapping studies have shown that the human UCP1 gene is located on chromosome 4. [Cassard et al., J. Cell. Biochem., 43:255–264 (1990)].
Despite confinement of UCP1 to BAT under most conditions, significant proton leak occurs in all tissues in which it has been measured, leading to the possibility that UCPs are present body-wide and impact whole-animal metabolic rate. To date, four putative UCP homologs have been identified, with homolog-specific tissue expression patterns [see Adams, J. Nutr., 130:711–714 (2000)].
Another human UCP, referred to as UCPH or UCP2, has also been described. [Gimeno et al., Diabetes, 46:900–906 (1997); Fleury et al., Nat. Genet., 15:269–272 (1997); Boss et al., FEBS Letters, 408:39–42 (1997); see also, Wolf, Nutr. Rev., 55:178–179 (1997)]. Fleury et al. teach that the UCP2 protein has 59% amino acid identity to UCP1, and that UCP2 maps to regions of human chromosome 11 which have been linked to hyperinsulinaemia and obesity. [Fleury et al., supra]. It has also been reported that UCP2 is expressed in a variety of adult tissues, such as brain and muscle and fat cells. [Gimeno et al., supra, and Fleury et al., supra].
A third human UCP, UCP3, was recently described in Boss et al., supra; Vidal-Puig et al., Biochem. Biophys. Res. Comm., 235:79–82 (1997); Solanes et al., J. Biol. Chem., 272:25433–25436 (1997); and Gong et al., J. Biol. Chem., 272:24129–24132 (1997). [See also Great Britain Patent No. 9716886]. Solanes et al. report that unlike UCP1 and UCP2, UCP3 is expressed preferentially in human skeletal muscle, and that the UCP3 gene maps to human chromosome 11, adjacent to the UCP2 gene. [Solanes et al., supra]. Gong et al. describe that the UCP3 expression can be regulated by known thermogenic stimuli, such as thyroid hormone, beta3-andrenergic agonists and leptin. [Gong et al., supra].
To characterize a putative UCP, an in vitro assay measuring mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) may be used. Ectopic expression of UCP homologs in mammalian cell lines and yeast leads to a drop in ΔΨm, consistent with uncoupling under these conditions. As a negative control in such experiments, it is preferable to use a molecule that is a mitochondria-localized carrier that exchanges compounds in an electroneutral manner. Human 2-oxoglutarate (human OGC) exhibits these characteristics. Furthermore, it was reported that expression of human OGC in transformed yeast did not affect mitochondrial function [Sanchis et al., J. Biol. Chem. 273(51):34611–34615 (1998)].

Control of metabolism with human 2-oxoglutarate carrier


A multi-angle tool handle includes a handle device including a compartment longitudinally formed therein, and a through-hole formed thereon and in communication with the compartment. An embedding portion is defined in the compartment. A interconnecting element is disposed in the compartment and includes a pivoting end formed on an end thereof and having an embedding portion. A locking device is installed in the through-hole and includes an embedded end defined on an end thereof. A connecting device is pivotally coupled to another end of the interconnecting element. The locking device is moveable between a first position and a second position so that the connecting device can be operated to pivot relative to the handle device or not.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multi-angle tool handle.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional tool handle is shown in Taiwan Patent NO M279461. Specifically, the tool handle includes a handle 1, a driving unit 2, a base cap 3 and a connecting stem 4. A pawl 21 is formed on an end of the driving unit 2 and is disposed in a though-hole 13 which is defined though the handle 1. A pin 31 is formed on the top of the base cap 3 and is adapted for abutting another end of the driving unit 2. A ratchet 42 is defined on an end of the connecting stem 4 adjacent to the driving unit 2. A teeth portion 43 is formed on the periphery of the ratchet 42, with the pawl 21 engaging therewith.
The connecting stem 4 can pivot relative to the driving unit 2 to various angles. However, the connecting stem 4 only can be fixed to a specific position for stable operation by using a spring to maintain positioning of the driving unit 2.
The present invention is therefore intended to obviate or at least alleviate the problems encountered in the prior art.


A gas turbine engine component includes a ring element and a plurality of circumferentially spaced load carrying vanes extending in a radial direction of the ring element. At least one of the vanes is made of a composite material. The at least one composite vane is fastened to the ring element. The component further includes first and second wall portions that are fixed in relation to the ring element and arranged on opposite sides of the composite vane. At least a first hole extends through the first wall portion, the composite vane and the second wall portion. The first hole is adapted to receive a first insertion member. The component is arranged such as to, with regard to the first hole, provide a tight fit for the first insertion member in the first wall portion as well as in the composite vane and to provide a loose fit with a radial play in the second wall portion.

This invention relates to a gas turbine engine component. In particular, the invention relates to fastening of load carrying composite vanes to a ring element. The invention also relates to a gas turbine engine comprising such a component.
Turbojet engines often comprise a fan part with a gas/air channel defined by an outer ring (outer casing) and an inner ring (inner casing) connected by a plurality of air-guiding vanes and structural, load-carrying vanes that extend in a radial direction between the two rings. An engine mount is usually also provided by means of which the engine can be suspended in a frame, such as a wing of an aircraft. The engine mount is commonly attached to the above-mentioned outer ring. A structure of the type described above will be subjected to large mechanical forces upon operation of the engine and must be designed to withstand such conditions.
Conventionally, the vanes and the ring elements have been made of metal and fastening of the vanes to the ring elements has been achieved by means of bolt or rivet friction joints. However, for the purpose of saving weight there is an increasing interest of making use of vanes and ring elements made of a composite material such as a fibre-reinforced polymer.
Fastening of composite components is generally more complex than fastening of metal components. One reason is that composite materials have a tendency to relax mechanically during its lifetime, which results in that an initially applied clamping friction force is likely to decrease with time. Another reason is that a fibre-reinforced composite material usually exhibits different mechanical properties in different directions, which requires certain considerations regarding the transmission of forces through the fastening arrangement. Conventional friction joints are therefore normally not suitable for fastening e.g. a load-carrying composite vane to a ring element.
WO 2008/121047 discloses an arrangement for fastening a load carrying composite vane to a ring element using a ring element stiffening structure and a bracket member, wherein particular attention is paid to the subject of direction of forces.
There is still a need for improvements in this field, for instance regarding the problem related to the tendency of composite materials to relax mechanically during its lifetime.
It is desirable to provide a gas turbine engine component and gas turbine engine that exhibit improved properties concerning fastening of composite load-carrying vanes to a ring element compared to conventional gas turbine engines and components.
The invention concerns, according to an aspect thereof, a gas turbine engine component comprising: a ring element and a plurality of circumferentially spaced load carrying vanes extending in a radial direction of the ring element; wherein at least one of said vanes is made of a composite material, and wherein the at least one composite vane is fastened to the ring element, said component further comprising: first and second wall portions that are fixed in relation to the ring element and arranged on opposite sides of the composite vane; and at least a first hole extending through the first wall portion, the composite vane and the second wall portion, wherein said first hole is adapted to receive a first insertion member.
An aspect of the invention is characterized in that that the component is arranged such as to, with regard to the first hole, provide a tight fit for the first insertion member in the first wall portion as well as in the composite vane and to provide a loose fit with a radial play in the second wall portion.
In an aspect of the inventive design the tight fitting achieved between an insertion member, such as a bushing or a bolt, positioned in the first hole provides a fixed position of the vane in relation to the first wall portion. Thereby a rigid load path is provided without having to apply large clamping forces. A rigid load path is important for avoiding a gap/play that may result in sliding and reduced stiffness that limits the functionality during operation of engine. Moreover, tolerances can be taken up by the loose fit radial play in the second wall portion. Thus, tolerances can be taken up by adjusting the relative position of the wall portions. This is useful when providing a corresponding fixed position of the vane in relation to the second wall portion (for instance by a tight fit arrangement as described above) and when fastening the vane and wall portions to the ring element.
A known way of achieving a tight fit between a bolt or other insertion member and a hole that extends through a plurality of parts to be joined is line drilling, i.e. the parts to be joined are drilled through jointly in one operation. However, such line drilling has drawbacks in that it is relatively time-consuming and thereby costly, in that the parts will be unique and generally not replaceable and further in that the machining operation may be complex in case one part is in metal and another in composite material. In the inventive design a tight fit is provided without line drilling.
The terms tight fit and loose fit are well recognized terms for a person skilled in the art. A tight fit means that the hole has the same size (diameter) or is only slightly larger than the insertion member, in this case with a radial play of <0.1 mm and typically 0.015-0.1 mm. A loose fit means enough clearance to allow free play at any tolerance condition expected for the particular parts to be joined. Loose fit means in this case that the radial play to the insertion member is >0.3 mm and typically 0.4-0.6 mm.
In an advantageous embodiment of the invention the component comprises a second hole extending through the first wall portion, the composite vane and the second wall portion, wherein said second hole is adapted to receive a second insertion member, said first and second holes being positioned at a distance from each other as seen in an axial direction of the ring element, wherein the component further being arranged such as to, with regard to the second hole, provide a tight fit for the second insertion member in the second wall portion as well as in the composite vane and to provide a loose fit with a radial play in the first wall portion.
Thus, in this embodiment the insertion member in the second hole has a cross-wise opposite tight fit-loose fit as compared to the insertion member in the first hole. The tight fittings provide in this case a fixed position of the vane in relation to both the first and the second wall portions (without having to drill jointly). Tolerances can be taken up by the loose fittings in both wall portions which means that, if so required, the relative position of the two wall portions can be adjusted to allow insertion of both the first and second insertion member into the first and second holes, respectively. Further, a fastening arrangement comprising two holes and two corresponding insertion members, where the holes are positioned at a distance from each other as seen in an axial direction of the ring element, is well adapted to secure the vane to the ring element.
In a further embodiment of the invention the fastening arrangement is configured to allow adjustment of the relative positions of the first and second wall portions. Preferably, at least one of the wall portions forms part of a separate bracket member that is fastened to the ring element and to the composite vane. Such a separate bracket member can be easily be position-adjusted and fastened when assembling the component. Preferably, the separate bracket member is fastened to the ring element by means of a fastening device that allows its position to be adjusted. Such an arrangement can e.g. include bolt holes with sufficient tolerances and/or shims for adjusting the distance between bracket member and its point of attachment at the ring element
In a further embodiment of the invention the first insertion member extends in the first hole along an axial direction thereof. In one embodiment the first insertion member is a bushing member. Preferably, the component comprises a fastening member that extends in an axial direction through the first hole, wherein the bushing member extends at least partly around and along the fastening member. In another embodiment the first insertion member is an elongated fastening member, such as a bolt or a rivet.
In a further embodiment of the invention a third hole is arranged in-between the first and second holes, wherein said third hole is adapted to receive a third insertion member, and wherein the component is arranged such as to, with regard to the third hole, provide a loose fit with a radial play for the third insertion member in the first and the second wall portions and to provide a tight fit in the in the composite vane. Such a design is useful for reducing vibrations.
In a further embodiment of the invention the component comprises an inner ring element and an outer ring element connected by said plurality of circumferentially spaced load carrying vanes.
In a further embodiment of the invention the component is configured to define a gas flow in a gas turbine engine, such as a turbo jet engine.
In a further embodiment of the invention the first and second wall portions are made of a metallic material.
The invention also concerns, according to another aspect thereof, a gas turbine engine comprising a gas turbine engine component of the above type.


A frame analyzer component and a memory management unit process frames received over cable television lines. The frame analyzer component may receive frames that were transmitted over the cable television lines and that were processed by a digital signal processor. The frame analyzer component checks incoming frames or frame fragments for consistency and errors. Results from the frame analyzer component relative to frame fragments may be stored in a context memory. When a later fragment of the frame arrives, the previous context of the frame can be restored and used to continue processing the frame. The memory management unit stores the frames and frame fragments in separate memory management tables.

A. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to network data transmission, and more particularly, to data transmission through cable modem systems.
B. Description of Related Art
Cable modems allow end-users to connect to networks, such as the Internet, through cable TV lines. In a manner similar to traditional telephone modems, cable modems modulate between digital signals from an attached computer to analog signals that are transmitted over the cable lines. Unlike traditional telephone dial-up modems, however, cable modems may provide significantly greater throughput.
Cable modems are generally installed locally to the end-user, and communicate with a cable modem termination system (CMTS) at a local cable TV company office. Multiple cable modems may share a single communication channel with the CMTS. The cable modems can receive from and send signals to the CMTS, but not to other cable modems on the line.
When sharing a communication channel with a CMTS, the cable modems may use a time division multiple access (TDMA) scheme in which the modems transmit units of data, called frames, to the CMTS only during designated time intervals. The CMTS receives these frames as a series of intermingled frames and separates the frames into a series of time sequenced frames based on the transmitting cable modems.
FIG. 1 is diagram illustrating transmission and reassembly of a series of frames from two different cable modems. The first cable modem, labeled as cable modem 101 (cable modem X), wishes to transmit the series of frames X1, X2, and X3. The second cable modem, labeled as cable modem 102 (cable modem Y), transmits the two frames Y1 and Y2. Cable modems 101 and 102 transmit their respective frames over a shared cable line to CMTS 103. As shown, the frames are intermingled in time. CMTS 103 reconstructs the order of frame transmission from cable modems 101 and 102 based on information in the header of each frame that identifies the cable modem associated with the frame. A correctly reconstructed series of frames from cable modems 101 and 102 is shown in FIG. 1 as reconstructed X frames 104 and reconstructed Y frames 105.
Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification (DOCSIS) is a commonly used cable modem protocol that defines interface requirements for cable modems. Under DOCSIS, cable modems, instead of transmitting a complete frame, may transmit only a portion of a frame, called a frame fragment. The CMTS receives the frame fragments and reassembles the frame fragments into complete frames. As with entire frames, frame fragments may arrive at the CMTS intermingled with frames or frame fragments from other cable modems.
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating fragmented frames. Cable modem 101 again transmits three frames (X1, X2, and X3). Cable modem 102 transmits two frames, the first of which (Y1), is broken into three frame fragments, labeled as Y1(1), Y1(2), and Y1(3). The frame fragments may be intermingled with the frames from cable modem 101. The CMTS, as well as ordering the received frames based on the transmitting cable modem, reassembles frame fragments into complete frames, such as complete frame 210.
In high bandwidth applications, in which multiple cable modems communicate with a single CMTS, it is desirable to reassemble frame fragments and order frames in the correct frame sequence in an efficient manner.

Context switching for on-the-fly processing of fragmented frames


A new and distinct cultivar of Lysimachia plant named ‘Midnight Sun’, characterized by its compact and prostrate to trailing growth habit; freely branching habit; freely flowering habit; long flowering period; relatively large yellow-colored flowers; and good garden performance.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Lysimachia plant, botanically known as Lysimachia congestiflora and hereinafter referred to by the name 'Midnight Sun'.
The new Lysimachia plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Kulnurra, New South Wales, Australia. The objective of the breeding program is to create new compact Lysimachia plants with numerous large flowers and good garden performance.
The new Lysimachia plant originated from an open-pollination during the spring of 2003 in Kulnurra, New South Wales, Australia of an unnamed selection of Lysimachia congestiflora, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unknown selection of Lysimachia congestiflora as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Lysimachia plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated open-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Kulnurra, New South Wales, Australia during the spring of 2004.
Asexual reproduction of the new Lysimachia plant by cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Kulnurra, New South Wales, Australia since 2005, has shown that the unique features of this new Lysimachia plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.


A first sample solution including exosomes including first to third detection target substances is mixed with a first buffer solution including first nanoparticles including first binding substances which bind to the first detection target substances. The first detection target substances and the first binding substances are bound together, so as to form first complexes of the exosomes and the first nanoparticles. The first complexes are isolated from a mixed solution of the first sample solution and the first buffer solution. The second detection target substances and the second binding substances are bound together, so as to capture the first complexes on a substrate. The second binding substances are fixed onto the substrate. A second buffer solution including second nanoparticles including third binding substances which bind to the third detection target substances is reacted with the first complexes.

The present disclosure relates to a method of capturing exosomes secreted by various kinds of cells.
Analysis is widely used that quantitatively analyzes disease detection and therapeutic effects by detecting particular antigens (or antibodies) as biomarkers associated with diseases. In recent years, membrane vesicles referred to as exosomes have been expected to serve as new biomarkers.
Exosomes are contained in blood, lymph, saliva, urine, breast milk, semen, and the like. Exosomes dispersed in liquid are substantially spherical and typically have a diameter of about 100 nm. Exosomes are covered with lipid bilayers. Lipid bilayers keep various kinds of substances thereon such as proteins. Lipid bilayers enclose various proteins and nucleic acids such as miRNA. Exosomes have several names and are also referred to as microvesicles and extracellular vesicles.
International Publication WO 2009/092386 (Patent Literature 1) discloses a method of capturing and analyzing exosomes by immunoassays of an enzyme-linked immuno-sorbent assay (ELISA).


The disclosed computer-implemented method for recovering an infected endpoint may include receiving an acoustic signal having an embedded command for executing a security application at the infected endpoint, decoding the acoustic signal to obtain the embedded command, and executing the embedded command to start a security application at the infected endpoint, where the security application is operable to mitigate the infected endpoint. Various other methods, systems and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

Malicious actors, such as hackers and malware writers, continually update sophisticated methodologies to attack and infect user endpoints. The attack vector of these infections is broad, but some may have a common outcome of causing a denial of service at the user endpoint by denying access to a user interface. Often these infections persist until a user performs an action such as a payment to the malicious actor or some other party.
The denial of service application may show a blocking user interface that prevents the user from performing any action on the device. Because the user is unable to perform an action on the device, it may be unusable until the denial of service application is removed. However, because the user cannot perform an action on the device, it may not be possible to remove the denial of service application without the user performing the requested action. The instant disclosure, therefore, identifies and addresses a need for systems and methods for recovering an infected endpoint.

Systems and methods for recovering an infected endpoint


A system and method for providing path planning and generation in a semi-autonomous or autonomously driven vehicle that provides a steering correction for collision avoidance purposes. The method includes detecting a lane center of a roadway lane that the vehicle is traveling along and determining a lane centering path that directs the vehicle from its current position to the lane center. The method also includes detecting a moving object in front of the vehicle and determining if a collision between the vehicle and the object will occur if the vehicle travels along the lane centering path at the current vehicle speed. The method solves a fifth-order polynomial equation to define a collision avoidance path from the current vehicle position to a waypoint a safe distance from the object and a return path from the waypoint to the lane center that the vehicle is automatically steered along.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a system and method for providing path planning and generation in a semi-autonomous or autonomously driven vehicle and, more particularly, to a system and method for providing path planning and generation in a semi-autonomous or autonomously driven vehicle that includes altering the vehicle steering path in response to a detected moving object in front of the vehicle, where the object may be moving in either a transverse or longitudinal direction relative to the vehicle motion.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
The operation of modern vehicles is becoming more autonomous, i.e., vehicles are able to provide driving control with less and less driver intervention. Cruise control systems have been on vehicles for a number of years where the vehicle operator can set a particular speed of the vehicle, and the vehicle will maintain at that speed without the driver operating the throttle. Adaptive cruise control systems have been recently developed in the art where not only does the system maintain the set speed, but also will automatically slow the vehicle down in the event that a slower moving preceding vehicle is detected using various sensors, such as radar and cameras. Certain modern vehicles also provide autonomous parking where the vehicle will automatically provide the steering control for parking the vehicle. Some vehicle systems intervene if the driver makes harsh steering changes that may affect vehicle stability. Some vehicle systems attempt to maintain the vehicle near the center of a lane on the road. Further, fully autonomous vehicles have been demonstrated that can drive in simulated urban traffic up to 30 mph, observing all of the rules of the road.
As vehicle systems improve, they will become more autonomous with the goal being a complete autonomously driven vehicle. For example, future vehicles probably will employ autonomous systems for lane changing, passing, turns away from traffic, turns into traffic, etc. Smooth maneuvering and automated lane centering and lane changing control is important for driver and passenger comfort in autonomously driven vehicles. However, as a result of sensor and actuator latency, measured vehicle states may be different from actual vehicle states. This difference may cause improper path generation, which will affect lane changing harshness.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,170,739 issued May 1, 2012, titled, Path Generation Algorithm for Automated Lane Centering and Lane Changing Control System, assigned to the assignee of this application and herein incorporated by reference, discloses a system for providing path generation for automated lane center and/or lane changing purposes. The system employs one or more forward-looking cameras that detect lane markings in front of the vehicle for identifying a travel lane on which the vehicle is traveling. A desired path generation processor receives the signals from the camera, vehicle state information and a steering angle of the vehicle, and a request for a vehicle lane change. The system also includes a path prediction processor that predicts the vehicle path based on the vehicle state information including vehicle longitudinal speed, vehicle lateral speed, vehicle yaw-rate and vehicle steering angle. The desired path information and the predicted path information are compared to generate an error signal that is sent to a lane change controller that provides a steering angle signal to turn the vehicle and reduce the error signal, where the path generation processor employs a fifth-order polynomial equation to determine the desired path of the vehicle based on the input signals.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0082195 to Lee et al., titled, Method to Adaptively Control Vehicle Operation Using an Autonomic Vehicle Control System, assigned to the assignee of this application and also herein incorporated by reference, discloses improvements to the path generation algorithm disclosed in the '739 patent that includes determining a preferred travel path for the vehicle based on a predicted travel path and an estimated roadway position.
Both the '739 patent and the '195 application do not provide desired path generation and automatic vehicle steering in a semi-autonomous or autonomously driven vehicle for collision avoidance purposes if a moving object is detected in front of the vehicle.

Unified motion planner for autonomous driving vehicle in avoiding the moving obstacle


The invention relates to a multiple-row egg breaking and separating machine in which the egg contents and egg shells are passed adjacent one another through an inspection station at which the contents of the egg can be rejected because the shell or contents are contaminated, defective or abnormal. The present invention is particularly useful for high-speed breaking operations, yet still allows the inspector to view all the parts of the eggs for possible rejection of the egg contents. The present invention is particularly suited for automatic scanning of egg shells and contents, and eliminates possible U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) objections to prior art multiple-row egg breaking machines.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed for a machine for high-speed breaking, separating, and inspection of eggs. In particular, the present invention is a machine which allows multiple rows of eggs, both egg contents and egg shells, to be inspected at the same time and in which the egg shell and contents of a particular egg are inspected adjacent one another. The invention is particularly useful for an automatic scanning device for the inspected eggs.
2. Description of the Related Art
Single-row egg breaking and separating machines are known in the prior art. Examples of such devices are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,815,055; 3,029,849; 3,082,804; 3,133,569; 3,142,322; 3,180,381; 3,185,194; 3,203,458; 3,417,798. Generally in such devices the egg shell and separated egg contents are conveyed, in a carousel-like fashion, past an egg inspection station, at which point defective, abnormal or contaminated egg contents or egg shells can be detected and the contents disposed of in a disposal bin. These devices, however, suffer from inherent limitations in the speed at which the single row of eggs can be passed through breaking, separating, inspecting and collecting stations, and are therefore not adapted for high-speed operations.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,718,906 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,085,139, assigned to Pelbo S.r.l., show machines for breaking and separating multiple rows of eggs and for conveying those eggs to an inspection station. In the device of U.S. Pat. No. 5,085,139 there is an inspection station, generally over first container 180, at which an operator or inspector can dispose of any abnormal or defective egg contents 183 by actuating a release lever 133 coupled to the egg content cup 140 corresponding to the abnormal or defective shell contents 183. However, in the device of U.S. Pat. No. 5,085,139, the egg shell and the egg contents are conveyed on separate conveyors 121, 203, such that the egg shell of an abnormal or defective egg does not travel with the egg contents 183 at the point where an operator or inspector views the egg contents for defects or abnormalities. As a result, an operator or inspector can not determine if egg contents being inspected came from an egg shell which is contaminated and which may have contaminated the egg contents either before or during shell breakage.
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has required that egg breaking machines allow an inspector or operator to view both the egg contents and egg shells corresponding to those contents at the same time. This requirement allows rejection of egg contents to be based not only on abnormal or defective egg contents but also on contamination of the egg shell with dirt, blood, or other contaminants which could effect the contents of the eggs either before or after breaking. As a result, the FDA has not approved the use of the multiple-row egg breaking and separating devices of the type shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,085,139 because the egg shells are conveyed away from the egg contents before the inspector or operator has had the opportunity to view both for possible contamination or abnormalities.

Method for breaking, separating, and inspecting eggs


A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device using a polishing slurry for CMP of Cu, which includes a first complexing agent containing a heterocyclic compound which is capable of forming a water-insoluble complex with Cu, and a second complexing agent containing a heterocyclic compound which is capable of forming a slightly water-soluble or water-soluble complex with Cu to thereby provide at least one extra ligand subsequent to formation of the complex.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a slurry for CMP (Chemical Mechanical Polishing) of copper and to a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device by making use of the slurry. In particular, the present invention relates to formation of a damascene wiring of copper, which is designed to be employed in a DRAM or a high-speed logic LSI.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, attention has been drawn to the employment of copper as a wiring material for LSI. Since the working of a Cu layer by means of RIE (Reactive Ion Etching) is accompanied with difficulties, the working of a Cu layer has been generally performed by making use of a damascene wiring-forming method where the CMP method (Chemical Mechanical Polishing Method) is employed.
The working by means of chemical CMP is performed as follows. Namely, a protective film made of an oxide or an organic compound (an organic Cu complex) is formed by chemical reaction on the surface of a Cu layer, and then, the Cu layer is polished while the surface of the Cu layer is protected by this protective film. Therefore, the performance of the working by means of CMP is greatly influenced by the characteristics of the protective film to be employed. Namely, a protective film made of an organic Cu complex which is excellent in flexibility is more preferable than a protective film made of a Cu oxide or an inorganic material in that the polishing rate of Cu layer is relatively high and the erosion of Cu layer can be minimized. Incidentally, if it is desired to form the protective film on the surface of a Cu layer by making use of an organic Cu complex, it can be realized by incorporating a complexing agent which is capable of forming the organic Cu complex into a polishing slurry.
However, the method of forming the protective film made of the organic Cu complex is accompanied with the problem that the resultant protective film is hydrophobic because of the fact that the protective film is formed of an organic material. If the protective film is hydrophobic, it will give rise to instability of the performance of CMP. For example, since residual abrasion dust (residual dust created from the polishing) of the organic Cu complex is hydrophobic, it is not dissolved in a polishing slurry, so that residual abrasion dust is caused to accumulate in a polishing pad. If this residual abrasion dust is accumulated in the polishing pad, the polishing rate of a Cu layer is considerably decreased.
Further, since the surface of a Cu layer being polished is also hydrophobic, residual abrasion dust is caused to adhere onto the surface of the Cu layer. Further, since the Cu layer is polished in the presence of residual abrasion dust, scratches are caused on the surface of the Cu layer.
Therefore, it is required that the protective film made of an organic Cu complex is made hydrophilic. It is conceivable to incorporate a surfactant into the complexing agent in order to hydrophilize the protective film formed of an organic Cu complex. However, if the surfactant is formed of an ionic surfactant, the surfactant may react with Cu to form a compound or be adsorbed onto the particles in the polishing slurry, thereby deteriorating the performance of CMP. On the other hand, if the surfactant is formed of a nonionic surfactant, the surfactant may be prevented from forming a complex with Cu, thus allowing the surfactant to adsorb onto a hydrophobic organic complex that may be formed through the reaction between Cu and the complexing agent, thereby improving, to some extent, the hydrophilicity of the protective film. However, since the magnitude of hydrophilization of the protective film is insufficient in this case, the effect obtained from this hydrophilization of the protective film would be negligible.

Slurry for chemical mechanical polishing for copper and method of manufacturing semiconductor device using the slurry


The invention provides a tissue manipulation system including a tethered clamp and a clamp applicator for positioning the clamp through a trocar sleeve and applying the clamp to a tissue location in the abdominal cavity. In a further embodiment, the tissue manipulation system includes a introducer through which the tether can be withdrawn from the abdominal cavity and a clamp attached to the proximal end of the introducer for clamping the tether in position. The tissue manipulation system further includes an obturator for inserting the introducer into the abdomen, and a tether snare for retrieving the tether and withdrawing it through the introducer.

The present invention relates generally to surgical instruments, and more specifically to surgical instruments for tissue manipulation during surgical procedures, especially in laparoscopic surgery of the abdomen.
Laparoscopy facilitates the performance of a variety of surgical procedures of the abdomen, such as cholecystectomies, appendectomies, hernia repairs, hysterotomies and the like, without requiring large incisions or the invasive procedures of conventional surgical techniques. In laparoscopy, the abdominal cavity is distended using gas insufflation, so as to lift the wall of the abdominal cavity away from the underlying organs. A video scope is inserted through a cannula or trocar sleeve into the abdomen and connected to a monitor so as to provide visual guidance to the surgeon. One or more additional trocar sleeves are placed in the abdomen to allow introduction of surgical tools, such as retractors, cutting instruments and the like. Such trocar sleeves have a sealed passage through which instruments may be inserted, providing a leak-resistant entryway into the insufflated abdomen.
One disadvantage of laparoscopic surgical procedures is the limited access to the surgical site available to the surgeon. Entry to the site is limited to the small incisions or trocar sleeves through the abdominal wall. Any manipulation of internal tissue, for example, positioning a duct for ligation, or moving tissue to allow better access to or visibility of a particular location, must be performed using long handled instruments insertable through the trocar sleeves or incisions.
It is known to use surgical clamps or clamps for the purpose of clamping vessels or manipulating tissue. Typically, such clamps have a pair of movable jaws biased by a spring into a closed position, allowing the clamp to be placed on a vessel or portion of tissue and be firmly retained thereon. Examples of such clamps can be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 4,932,955 to Merz et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,605,990 to Wilder et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,074,870 to Von Zeppelin, U.S. Pat. No. 3,809,094 to Cook, U.S. Pat. No. 3,404,677 to Springer and U.S. Pat. No. 4,051,844 to Chiulli and U.S. Pat. No. 4,988,355 to Leveen et al.
It is also known in laparoscopic surgical procedures to use long-handled instruments for applying clamps to internal tissue within the abdominal cavity. Such clamp applicators typically include a pair of movable handles at the proximal end of the applicator and a pair of movable jaws at the distal end, wherein a clamp is placed in the jaws, the distal end of the applicator is inserted through a trocar sleeve into the abdomen and positioned at the desired tissue location, and the handles are actuated so as to apply the clamp to the tissue. Illustrative examples are seen in U.S. Pat. No. 4,174,715 to Hasson, and British Patent No. 1,452,185 to Wolf. Other tissue manipulation or clamping instruments with possible application to laparoscopic procedures are seen in U.S. Pat. No. 4,607,620 to Storz, U.S. Pat. No. 5,074,869 to Daicoff, U.S. Pat. No. 4,393,872 to Reznik et al., U.S. Pat. No. 2,549,731 to Wattley and U.S. Pat. No. 1,274,669 to Bohn.
However, known devices for manipulating tissue in laparoscopic procedures suffer from certain disadvantages. Known manipulating instruments typically have long, rigid members between the distal end and the handles at the proximal end, limiting the positionability of such devices. In addition, once such devices have been used to manipulate tissue to a desired position, the devices must be held in that position by the surgeon or an assistant. Further, the usefulness of known devices for positioning of tissue during laparoscopic procedures is limited by the necessity of having a trocar sleeve or incision in place proximate to the tissue to be manipulated in addition to those trocar sleeves being used for the surgical instruments employed in the procedure. Moreover, the size of known manipulation instruments requires that the additional trocar sleeve be of considerable size (e.g. 10 mm), increasing the invasiveness of the procedure.
For these and other reasons, an improved system and method for manipulating internal tissue during laparoscopic and other surgical procedures is desired. The system and method should allow greater flexibility in positioning from various points and at various angles. The system and method should allow positioning through a trocar sleeve or similar small access way and should minimize the need for placement of trocar sleeves in addition to those already in place for insertion of surgical instruments. Further, the system and method should allow the tissue to be maintained in a desired position without the need for ongoing manual intervention by the surgeon or an assistant.


The invention relates to a method for combining landline network and mobile telephony with the use of at least a home cell, a landline network and a mobile network, whereby the user uses a dual mode terminal that operates both in cellular mode and in cordless mode.

Mobile telephony and landline telephony are currently offered as two completely separate products. Therefore, the customer also gets separate telephone numbers, which he also must use in different networks with different telephones.
In addition, different rates are offered to the customer in both networks. The result of this is that the customer, if he is, e.g., at home, he must make a decision for outgoing calls, based on these rates, of whether he wants to use the landline network or mobile telephone network.
Potential callers must be informed of two telephone numbers, while each telephone number generally has its own answering machine or voice mail. Because of this, operation and use of telecommunication services becomes complicated.
To add to this, in households with several people, with analog user connections, only a single phone number is available. In contrast, in mobile telephones there is a trend toward personalizing telephone numbers.
For transparent usage of landline network and mobile phone network, the customer today has only the rudimentary beginnings, which are mainly based on call forwarding. An example will serve as an explanation:    1. If the customer will not be available, he call forwards his mobile telephone number to a landline number. An answering machine is connected to the landline connection.    2. If the customer will not be available, he call forwards his landline number to his mobile telephone number. If he cannot be reached at the mobile telephone number, there is a call forwarding to the voice mail in the mobile telephone network.
Several serious disadvantages result from this:    1. Handling the call forwarding for the two networks has to be carried out separately.    2. The call forwarding can only be changed by using the respective terminal (landline phone for landline phone numbers and mobile phone for mobile phone numbers).

Method of combining fixed-network telephone and mobile radio telephone communications


A locking mechanism in a delta-store-based database to support long running transactions across multiple RID spaces is described. An example method includes establishing a column-based in-memory database including a main store and a delta store. A delete or an update statement is executed with a transaction on a table having plurality of table versions. The table versions are represented by bitmaps in the delta store and the bitmaps and table fragments corresponding to the table versions implement RID spaces for the table. A lock on a row of the table manipulated by the delete or the update statement is requested to preclude other transaction from deleting or updating an obsolete version of data. Upon a successful validation that the row to be locked is not the obsolete version in the RID spaces of the table, a lock is granted to the transaction.

With the development in modern computer architectures, fast communication among multi-core processors makes parallel processing possible. Because large main memory configurations become commercially available and affordable, server setups with hundreds of cores and several terabytes of main memory may also be a reality.
High performance database systems, such as in-memory databases, are adaptive to make full use of the main memory provided by modern hardware. In such systems, all relevant data may be kept in main memory, so that read operations can be executed without disk I/O. The systems are designed to minimize the number of CPU cache misses and avoid CPU stalls because of memory access. One approach for achieving this goal is using column-based storage in memory, which leads to high spatial locality of data and instructions, so the operations can be executed completely in the CPU cache without costly random memory accesses.
In a column-based storage, the entries of a column are stored in contiguous memory locations. Columnar data storage allows highly efficient compression, such that the relevant data can be stored in main memory with less cost because of data compression. The data structure that contains the main part of the data is called the main storage. The changes are taken over from the delta storage asynchronously at some later point in time. The separation into main and delta storage allows high compression and high write performance at the same time. The column store may implement MVCC (Multi Version Concurrent Control), which is based on having multiple versions of the same data in the database. When reading data it ensures that the operation reads the right set of versions required to get a correct and consistent view of the database. A Consistent View Manager may determine which version each operation is allowed to see depending on the current transaction isolation level.
The column store may use a delta storage—an in-memory data store that implements row-level versioning that is optimized to support real time data ingestion—to provide a high level of transaction concurrency through MVCC. In order to support these design objectives, a high performance locking mechanism is required to provide row level locking capabilities, especially for long running transactions across various table versions in multiple Row Id (RID) spaces. However, the current state of the art for managing locks requires excessive resources in acquiring and releasing locks. Therefore, current system fails to provide an ideal row-level mechanism with optimal performance and scalability.


A method comprises subjecting ant oxygen scavenger to actinic radiation; and then optionally storing the oxygen scavenger in a container, the container configured such that the oxygen scavenger exhibits no substantial oxygen scavenging activity while inside the container. The dosed oxygen scavenger can later be removed from the container, if stored therein, subjected to a second dose of actinic radiation to trigger the oxygen scavenger, and used in packaging oxygen sensitive products. A stored oxygen scavenger, untriggered, is also disclosed.

It is known that many oxygen sensitive products, including food products such as meat and cheese, smoked and processed luncheon meats, as well as non-food products such as electronic components, pharmaceuticals, and medical products, deteriorate in the presence of oxygen. The oxidation of lipids within the food product can result in the development of rancidity, and the oxidation of flavor components, pigments, or vitamins could adversely affect the quality and freshness of foods. These products benefit from the use of oxygen scavengers in their packaging.
Some of these oxygen scavengers, typically unsaturated polymers or polymers containing benzylic hydrogens or hydrogens adjacent to heteroatoms or tertiary carbons, in compositions with transition metal catalysts, can be triggered by actinic radiation. Triggering, as the term is used herein, offers the advantage of an oxygen scavenger that does not prematurely scavenge oxygen until such time as the user decides to use the oxygen scavenger in a commercial packaging environment. The oxygen scavenger is thus "dormant" until it is passed through an exposing unit, such as a bank of UV lights through which a package structure containing an oxygen scavenger is passed to trigger the oxygen scavenging activity of the material. This is usually done just prior to a packaging step, in which a package comprising the oxygen scavenger is made, with an oxygen sensitive product placed in the package prior to closure of the package to extend the shelf life of the oxygen sensitive product.
In many cases, packagers desire high speed packaging processes. For example, packaging lines having a speed of greater than about 40 feet per minute are known in various food packaging processes. Unfortunately, triggering of the type of oxygen scavenger just described requires actinic radiation exposure having a certain energy quantity. Since the energy quantity applied is proportional to the product of the output per unit time of the energy source and the duration of the dose, it is difficult for a packaging line on which triggering of an oxygen scavenger is desired to operate at a speed greater than about 20 feet per minute under a typical quantity of UV lamps; the faster the package assembly line speed, the less the duration of the dose, and thus the greater the energy output per unit time required from the energy source. Conventional triggering equipment is already quite large, and to achieve higher speeds with this technology would require equipment capable of applying greater energy quantities to the scavenger. The size and associated costs of purchasing or leasing such equipment, maintenance costs, safe operation costs, and the requirement of space in the processing plant to accommodate such equipment, can be economically unattractive. Some processors or potential users of oxygen scavengers do not have room for large equipment.
A class of oxygen scavengers that do not require actinic triggering, and thus do not require the associated actinic triggering equipment, includes iron based scavengers and some polymeric scavengers. Such oxygen scavengers are active at the time of manufacture without triggering by actinic radiation. These oxygen scavengers also have several disadvantages, however. Some require the presence of moisture to initiate oxygen scavenging, i.e., are moisture-triggered. This may not be technically attractive in packaging environments where it is otherwise undesirable or impractical to provide a moisture source to trigger the oxygen scavenger. Also, optics of the finished package can often be undesirably compromised by discoloration or pigmentation of the oxygen scavenger itself, either in its original state or after a period of oxygen scavenging activity. Processing of these oxygen scavengers in a uniformly dispersed way can also prove difficult in conventional extrusion operations. If such scavengers are not dispersed, as is the case with iron based sachets, scavenging activity may be too localized, and uniformity of scavenging may thus not be sufficient in the entire package environment to provide proper and adequate removal of oxygen from the head space of the package, and/or active barrier from subsequent ingress of oxygen from outside the package. Furthermore, oxygen scavenging sachets are unsuitable for vacuum packaging applications.
A solution to these problems may be to provide a multi-step process of triggering an oxygen scavenger using an initial dose of actinic radiation followed by a final dose of actinic radiation at a later time. The initial dose gives the oxygen scavenger a low dose of actinic radiation that is insufficient to trigger oxygen scavenging activity. The initial dose of actinic radiation can, however, reduce the amount of actinic radiation required for triggering in later processing steps. The cumulative dose of the initial dose and final dose is sufficient to trigger oxygen scavenging activity.
This solution avoids the need to apply a single, large dose of actinic radiation to the oxygen scavenger at a customer location, and can at least in some cases avoid the need to store a triggered, active oxygen scavenger in a container such that the oxygen scavenger exhibits no substantial oxygen scavenging activity while inside the container.

Process for subjecting to actinic radiation and storing an oxygen scavenger, and a stored oxygen scavenger


A system of redirecting encrypted requests for content at a web site includes the steps of receiving, at a first web site, data enabling secure communication with a client, receiving, at the first web site, a request for content from the client, identifying an alternate web site to service the request from the client and forwarding a communication associated with the request to the alternate web site including forwarding the data enabling secure communication to the alternative web site. Such an arrangement allows a web site to communicate with a client using encrypted packets without having previously set up a tunneled connection, thereby aiding in disaster recovery and providing a facilitating client proximity detection when traffic is encrypted.

As is known in the art, load-balancing solutions are becoming more common to support high-traffic Web sites. Typically high traffic Web sites can't process all requests on a single server. In order to increase the performance of the Web site (where the performance can be measured in response time to requests, among other criteria), one may seek to increase the capabilities of the server supporting the Web site. Rather than move the Web site to a more powerful and expensive hardware, clusters, or farms, of servers are provided, where each of the clusters store mirrored copies of the Web site. As requests are received for access to the Web site, the 'best' server cluster is selected to respond to each request. The selection of the 'best' server cluster for each web request depends upon a variety of considerations, including the health, user proximity, weights, and response times associated with each of the servers.
Some technologies that attempt to provide a measure of geographic distribution of Web requests rely primarily on Domain Name System (DNS) techniques, which rely on the DNS server alone or in combination with other logic. For example, round robin DNS techniques map multiple IP addresses to a single DNS host name. As clients resolve the hostname, DNS responds by cycling through the multiple IP addresses mapped to the host name. The DNS technique may be further enhanced by using routing metrics or network distance calculation. Alternatively, sets of IP addresses may be associated with geographically diverse DNS servers. While the DNS techniques provide some load sharing capabilities, they are problematic because they are resource intensive to resolve and are typically incapable of being content aware.
An improved load balancing approach for high traffic web sites is implemented in the Alteon line of products provided by Nortel Networks, Ltd. The Alteon product line includes Content Directors (CDs), which are designed to route or load balance requests between web sites. Various data is used in determining the client proximity to the available servers and thus where to route requests. This data includes the distance between server and client, the current health of each site, the response time for each site (indicating the relative load at the site), and the availability of content at each site. The CDs are able make client proximity calculations at TCP connection time using a selection of proximity detection methods. Because the CD can make client proximity calculations at TCP connection time, the CD is able to calculate the closest topographical path between the client and each site, rather than having the calculation performed by the client's local DNS server.
Several of the techniques used by a CD for proximity detection are described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/728,305, entitled "A Method and Apparatus for Discovering Client Proximity", filed Nov. 30, 2000 by Tenereillo et al. (hereinafter referred to as the Tenereillo patent), incorporated by reference herein. An exemplary method disclosed in the Tenereillo patent is a so-called 'footrace' method for determining client proximity. The basic blocks of the footrace method are shown in FIG. 1, and will be described with regard to a client requesting content that is mirrored at three different web sites; Site A, Site B and Site C. Initially, at step 22 the client establishes a set of TCP connections to a Web Site by requesting access to a resource having a certain IP address. At step 24, DNS resolves the domain name to the IP address of one of the sites in the global domain, for example Site A. The global domain is registered in DNS with a unique Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN).
At step 26, the CD at Site A that receives the client's initial request acts as a synchronizing CD, and forwards partially built redirect messages to each participating web site (i.e., web sites which store mirrored copies of the content) including itself. The redirect message includes a local domain field and a response time field. The local domain field indicates the local domain to which future requests for the resource should be redirected. When the synchronizing CD partially builds the redirect messages, it leaves the local domain URL portion of this field empty. The response time field stores a time value indicating when the CDs at the participating web sites should forward their rebuilt redirect message back to the client.
At step 28, the CD at each web site that receives the partially built redirect message fills in the local domain field with their own local domain URL to provide a rebuilt redirect message. At the precise time indicated by the response time field, the CD at each participating web site forwards the rebuilt redirect message (with modified local domain URL) back to the client. In essence, a footrace ensues, with the participating web site having the fastest response time winning the footrace back to the client. At step 30, the client breaks the TCP connection with the synchronizing web site (Site A, in the above example, assuming Site A did not win the footrace), and initiates a new TCP connection to the local domain URL retrieved in the 'winning' redirect message.
Alternative methods of selecting the most proximate client are also described in the Tenereillo patent, and may include caching the URL of the 'best' Web site for client requests and building an HTML page having links between the various Web Site local domain names and the client to permit the client to calculate the round trip time for accessing each local domain.
However, one problem with the above described method of determining the optimum Web site is that is cannot be used in an environment where encrypted traffic is transferred between a client and a server, since certification and authentication is generally done on a point to point (client/server) basis. Accordingly, it would be desirable to determine a method for load balancing web site resources in a network including encrypted traffic.

System and method for multi-site load-balancing of encrypted traffic