The invention relates to methods, kits and compositions using CD247 as a biomarker for assessing the efficacy and selecting an appropriate therapy such as chemotherapeutic, biological therapy or combined therapy for treating a subject suffering from a pathologic disorder that leads to a chronic-inflammatory condition.

Therapies of cancer that are based on the immune system have been used in clinical trials for years but were not shown yet as a successful strategy for an overall extension of survival [1-4]. Currently, the main strategy in the treatment of cancer is chemotherapy, sometimes accompanied with targeted or general immunotherapy [1, 4-7]. Chemotherapy protocols focus on the destruction of cancer cells, for example, by preventing cancer cells from further multiplying or by inducing cell death, thereby eliminating cancer cells from the body.
Chemotherapeutic drugs systemically affect the whole body by being transmitted through the bloodstream and are thus able to eliminate cancer cells at sites that are distant from the site of the original tumor [4, 8]. Unfortunately, during the course of such a process healthy cells are also affected, especially those that are naturally rapidly dividing [7]. While chemotherapy is advantageous in patients at initial stages of developing tumors, advanced cancer patients usually poorly benefit from such treatments, mostly without an option for a cure [9-11]. Thus, although chemotherapy is a very common and sometimes efficacious treatment, there is an urgent need for a less harmful and more targeted strategy, due to its toxic effects.
One of the proposed solutions in some cancer cases is immunotherapy, which is a more controlled therapeutic strategy [1-2, 4-7, 12]. Immunotherapy constitutes of a tumor specific biologic therapy that mimics or uses certain parts of the immune system to destruct or eliminate cancer cells. The concept of immunotherapy relies on the natural defense system of the body, which naturally protects against a variety of diseases [5, 7, and 13]. Immunotherapeutic strategies that are currently used include boosting the patient's own immune system, for example, by vaccination against cancer targets, by cytokine treatment that modulate the activity of the immune system of the patient, or by administrating to a patient engineered versions of normal components of the immune system (e.g. adoptive immune cell transfer, administering antitumor, anti-receptor, or anti-cytokine antibodies, administering soluble cytokine receptors, etc.). Due to the high specificity for cancer cells, the toxicity of immunotherapy is rather low, and in some cases, supports and complements chemotherapy treatment [1, 4-7].
To date, a great effort has been invested in the development of various cancer therapies, where immune and chemotherapeutic strategies are used separately or in various combinations. However, the major focus has been on following the patient's tumor response to the treatment, while the effects of such treatments on the tumor micro- and macro-environments and on the host immune system in general, which are key players in dictating the success rates of given therapies and disease regression, have been in many cases overlooked.
It is currently well established that in cancer patients, the generated tumor microenvironment exhibits features that support tumor growth, for example, by developing local chronic inflammatory response, which later turns systemic [14-18]. While chronic inflammation can directly support tumor growth by secreted factors and enriched populations of unique cells, which may lead to an enhanced tumor cell survival or proliferation and angiogenesis, chronic inflammation may also indirectly support tumor growth by inducing immunosuppression [14, 17 and 19], all leading to a failure of the patient's immune system in defeating the tumor. Therefore, in many cases, the success rates of the above-mentioned therapies are very limited, ensuing in malignant prospers and metastasis. Today there is an urgent need for biomarkers that are required to measure the host's immune status and inflammatory state prior to a given therapy, as well as during its course and following the therapy.
The inventors have previously established a mouse model system mimicking chronic inflammation induced immunosuppressive conditions WO 2005/025310. This publication further disclosed the use of CD247 as a marker for the immunological status of a patient suffering from a chronic inflammatory condition. Another previous publication of the inventors, WO 2009/125408, have demonstrated the use of CD247 as a diagnostic and prognostic marker for monitoring the immune status of patients suffering from chronic inflammatory conditions, specifically, diabetes.
Monitoring of the immune system function of cancer patients could enable to better evaluate the immune status and thus, a) identify responders vs. non-responders to immune-based therapies, b) evaluate therapy efficacies in cases of immune- or chemo-therapy, and c) follow disease regression or recurrence. Such a monitoring system is expected to lead to an intelligent selection of the timing and nature of drug/treatment to be used at the personalized level. Moreover, the quality of life of such patients could be significantly improved, fewer cases of tumor progression and metastasis are expected and the high expenses needed for continuous costly checkups could be less frequently performed, dramatically reducing the care costs.
References considered to be relevant as background to the presently disclosed subject matter are listed below:    [1] Baxevanis, C. N. et al., Cancer Immunology, Immunotherapy 58:317-324 (2009)    [2] Florescu, A. et al., Current oncology 1:e9-e18 (2011)    [3] Bodey, B. et al., Anticancer research 4:2665-2676 (2000)    [4] Ramakrishnan, R. and Gabrilovich, D. I. Cancer Immunology, Immunotherapy 60:419-423 (2011)    [5] Chong, G. and Morse, M. A. Expert Opinion on Pharmacotherapy, 6:2813-2820 (2005)    [6] Ramakrishnan, R. et al., Cancer Immunology, Immunotherapy, 57:1523-1529 (2008)    [7] Gomez, G. G. et al., Cancer treatment reviews, 27:375-402 (2001)    [8] Kannarkat, G. et al., Current opinion in neurology, 6:719-725 (2007)    [9] van de Schans, S. A. et al., Annals of oncology, 10:1-8 (2011)    [10] Kim, S. T. et al., Asia-Pacific Journal of Clinical Oncology, 7:82-87 (2011)    [11] Yao, J. C. et al., Journal of clinical oncology, 1:69-76 (2010)    [12] Nowak, A. K. et al., Cancer research, 15:4490-4496 (2003)    [13] Lesterhuis, W. J. Nature Reviews Drug discovery, 8:591-600 (2011)    [14] Baniyash, M. Seminars in Cancer Biology, 16:80-88 (2006)    [15] Shacter, E. and Weitzman, S. A. Oncology, 2:217-226 (2002)    [16] Ullman, T. A. and Itzkowitz, S. H. Gastroenterology, 6:1807-1816 (2011)    [17] Rosenberg, S. O. and Sinha, P. Journal of Immunology, 182:4499-4506 (2009)    [18] Schetter, A. J. et al., Carcinogenesis, 31:37-49 (2009)    [19] Vaknin, I. et al., Blood, 111:1437-1447 (2008)    [20] Baniyash, M. Nature reviews Immunology, 4:675-687 (2004)    [21] Ezernitchi, A. V. et al., Journal of Immunology, 177:4763-4772 (2006)    [22] Sica, A. and Bronte, V. Journal of clinical investigation, 117:1155-1166 (2007)    [23] Ostrand-Rosenberg, S. and Sinha, P. Journal of Immunology, 182:4499-4506 (2009)    [24] Bunt, S. K. et al., Journal of immunology, 176:284-290 (2006)    [25] Serafini, P. et al., Seminars in cancer biology, 16:53-65 (2006)    [26] Gabrilovich, D. I. and Nagaraj, S. Nature Reviews Immunology, 9:162-174 (2009)    [27] Köhne, C. H. et al., Journal of cancer research and clinical oncology 138(1):65-72 (2012)    [28] Lim, R. et al., World journal of gastroenterology, 14:1879-1888 (2011)    [29] Polyzos, A. et al., Anticancer research, 5:3559-3564 (2005)    [30] Sevinc, A. et al., Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention, 4:1055-1059 (2011)    [31] Goffe, B. and Cather J. C. J Am Acad Dermatol., 49(2 Suppl):S105-11 (2003)    [32] Huye, L. E. and Dotti, G. Discov Med., 9(47):297-303 (2010)    [33] Sutlu, T. and Alici, E. J Intern Med., 266(2):154-81 (2009)    [34] Sinha, P. et al., J. Immunol., 1:181(7):4666-75 (2008)    [35] Bunt, S. K. et al. J Immunol., 1; 176(1):284-90 (2006)    [36] Bronstein-Sitton, N. Nature Immunology, 4: 957-964 (2003)    [37] De Rosa, S. et al., Current Vascular Pharmacology, 2: 259-275 (2010)    [38] Vincent, J. Cancer Research, 70: 3052-3061 (2010)    [39] Ezernitchi, A. et al., The Journal of Immunology, 177: 4763-4772 (2006)    [40] Xiong, H. Q. and Ajani J. A. Cancer and Metastasis Reviews, 23: 145-163 (2004)    [41] Kambe M. et al. The International Journal of Clinical Oncology; 10: 0272-0279 (2011)    [42] Pavillard V. et al., 15; 56(10):1315-22 (1998)
Acknowledgement of the above references herein is not to be inferred as meaning that these are in any way relevant to the patentability of the presently disclosed subject matter.

CD247 as a biomarker for assessing the effect of chemotherapeutic and biological drugs

Yissum Research Development Company of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem


An automatic data collection device, such as a scanner-type device, is provided with an afocal optical element, such as an afocal lens, that operates in conjunction with a scanning mirror to scan a target machine-readable symbol using a scanning beam. The scanning mirror deflects a light beam into the afocal lens. The afocal lens operates to change a resolution or width of the scanning beam for far-field scanning, for example, where resolution is increased by the afocal lens. The afocal lens can also operate to change the resolution or width of the scanning beam for near-field scanning, for example, where resolution is decreased by the afocal lens.

The automatic data collection (ADC) arts include numerous systems for representing information in machine-readable form. For example, a variety of symbologies exist for representing information in barcode symbols, matrix or area code symbols, and/or stacked symbols. A symbology typically refers to a set of machine-readable symbol characters, some of which are mapped to a set of human-recognizable symbols such as alphabetic characters and/or numeric values. Machine-readable symbols are typically comprised of machine-readable symbol characters selected from the particular symbology to encode information. Machine-readable symbols typically encode information about an object on which the machine-readable symbol is printed, etched, carried or attached to, for example, via packaging or a tag.
Barcode symbols are a common one-dimensional (1D) form of machine-readable symbols. Barcode symbols typically comprise a pattern of vertical bars of various widths separated by spaces of various widths, with information encoded in the relative thickness of the bars and/or spaces, each of which have different light reflecting properties. One-dimensional barcode symbols require a relatively large space to convey a small amount of data.
Two-dimensional symbologies have been developed to increase the data density of machine-readable symbols. Some examples of two-dimensional symbologies include stacked code symbologies. Stacked code symbologies may be employed where length limitations undesirably limit the amount of information in the machine-readable symbol. Stacked code symbols typically employ several lines of vertically stacked one-dimensional symbols. The increase in information density is realized by reducing or eliminating the space that would typically be required between individual barcode symbols.
Some other examples of two-dimensional symbologies include matrix or area code symbologies (hereinafter "matrix code"). A matrix code symbol typically has a two-dimensional perimeter, and comprises a number of geometric elements distributed in a pattern within the perimeter. The perimeter may, for example, be generally square, rectangular or round. The geometric elements may, for example, be square, round, or polygonal, for example hexagonal. The two-dimensional nature of such a machine-readable symbol allows more information to be encoded in a given area than a one-dimensional barcode symbol.
The various above-described machine-readable symbols may or may not also employ color to increase information density.
A variety of machine-readable symbol readers for reading machine-readable symbols are known. Machine-readable symbol readers typically employ one of two fundamental approaches, scanning or imaging.
In scanning, a focused beam of light is scanned across the machine-readable symbol, and light reflected or returned from and modulated by the machine-readable symbol is received by the reader and demodulated. With some readers, the machine-readable symbol is moved past the reader, with other readers the reader is moved past the machine-readable symbol, and still other readers move the beam of light across the machine-readable symbol while the reader and machine-readable symbol remain approximately fixed with respect to one another. Demodulation typically includes an analog-to-digital conversion and a decoding of the resulting digital signal.
Scanning-type machine-readable symbol readers typically employ a source of coherent light such as a laser diode to produce a beam, and employ a beam deflection system such as a rotating or oscillating mirror to scan the resulting beam across the machine-readable symbols. Conventional laser scanning systems employ progressive symbol sampling.
In imaging, the machine-readable symbol reader may flood the machine-readable symbol with light, or may rely on ambient lighting. A one-dimensional (linear) or two-dimensional image (2D) capture device or imager such as a charge coupled device (CCD) array captures a digital image of the illuminated machine-readable symbol, typically by electronically sampling or scanning the pixels of the two-dimensional image capture device. The captured image is then decoded, typically without the need to perform an analog to digital conversion.
A two-dimensional machine-readable symbol reader system may convert, for example, two-dimensional symbols into pixels. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,988,852 issued to Krishnan, U.S. Pat. No. 5,378,883 issued to Batterman, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,330,974 issued to Ackley, U.S. Pat. No. 6,484,944 issued to Manine, et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 6,732,930 issued to Massieu, et al.
Regardless of the type of data carrier used, their usefulness is limited by the capability of a data collection device (such as a matrix code reader, barcode reader, and the like) to accurately capture the data encoded in the machine-readable symbol. Optical data collection devices are directional in nature—such devices need to be optimally positioned in order to accurately read the data on the target symbol. For example, if the data collection device is positioned too far from a target machine-readable symbol, then the target machine-readable symbol may be out of range or otherwise outside of an optimal focus distance of the data collection device. As a result, the data encoded in the target machine-readable system may not be read or may be read incorrectly. The inability of an inexperienced user to skillfully position the data collection device also contributes to the directional limitations of such devices, thereby further contributing to the chances of erroneous or missed data readings.
The quality of the optical resolution of an automatic data collection device is often dependent upon the type of components used by the automatic data collection device in the scanning and/or imaging process. For example, some scanning-type data collection devices use a microelectromechanical structure (MEMS) scanner. The MEMS scanner includes a scanning mirror that oscillates at a resonance frequency to deflect a light beam incident thereon across a target machine-readable symbol.
The size of the scanning mirror can be minimized to allow oscillation at a high frequency, thereby allowing the design of miniature scanners with high throughput capabilities. However, the effects of diffraction limit the maximum resolution that can be obtained when using a scanning mirror having reduced size, particularly when scanning far-field target machine-readable symbols. As a result, it can be difficult for an automatic data collection device having a reduced-size MEMS scanning mirror to effectively read far-field target machine-readable symbols. In short, the small size of such MEMs scanning mirrors inherently limits the optical resolution at far-field.
A possible approach to the above-described problem is to provide the automatic data collection devices with multiple scanning mirrors having different sizes (and thus different resonance frequencies). A particular one of the scanning mirrors can be selected for each specific scanning condition (e.g., reading at a far field, reading at a near field, etc.), thereby providing some basic adaptive capabilities. However, such an approach is not practical due to the costly nature of the MEMS manufacturing process, due to the inflexibility of the automatic data collection device where none of the scanning mirrors is suitable for a particular scanning situation, and/or due to other reasons.

Enhanced resolution automatic data collection apparatus and method using an afocal optical element


A liquid crystal module has a liquid crystal panel and a flexible printed circuit board. The liquid crystal panel has a substrate and an indium tin oxide (ITO) film on the substrate. A flexible printed circuit board has an insulating layer on which a lower conductive layer, a second protective layer, an upper conductive layer and a first protective layer are stacked in sequence. The lower conductive layer is electrically connected to predetermined portions of the lower conductive layer and has a conductive portion, which is unshielded by the insulating layer. The flexible printed circuit board is bonded to the liquid crystal panel with the insulting layer stacked on the indium tin oxide film and the pins of the indium tin oxide film electrically connected to the conductive portion of the lower conductive layer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a liquid crystal module (LCM), and more particularly to a liquid crystal module, which the flexible print circuit (FPC) is bonded to the liquid crystal display (LCD) in a well condition.
2. Description of the Related Art
As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, a conventional liquid crystal module 1 has a liquid crystal panel 2, a driving integrated circuit (IC) 3 and a flexible printed circuit (FPC) 4. The liquid crystal panel 2 has a glass substrate 2a and a patterned indium tin oxide (ITO) film 2b on a side of the substrate 2a. The ITO film 2b has plural pins 2c adjacent to a margin of the substrate 2a. The driving IC 3 is mounted on the substrate 2a and electrically connected to the ITO film 2b. The FPC 4 has a conductive layer 4a, which is consisted of plural copper wires, and two protective layers 4b and 4c on opposite sides of the conductive layer 4a. As shown in FIG. 2, the conductive layer is electrically connected to the pins 2c at a portion of unshielded by the protective layer 4c.
However, the liquid crystal module is required for smaller size as possible. As shown in FIG. 2, the conventional liquid crystal module 1 has the very short pins 2c (typically they only are 1.0 mm) because of the restriction of the size of the substrate 2a and the pattern of the ITO film 2b. The short pins 2c sometime are fail to be connected to the conductive layer 4a of the FPC 4 firmly. As shown in FIG. 3, while the FPC 4 is bent at where the pins 2c are connected to the conductive layer 4a, the copper wires of the conductive layer 4a sometime are broken because of the stress concentration that makes the FPC 4 not electrically connected to the ITO film 2b.


An inline multi-pin connector includes cylindrical male and female connector members which are electrically connected together by pushing the two members together end-to-end. Either the male or the female connector member has a metal cylinder disposed about its conductive pins or sockets, which are adapted for mutual engagement, while the other connector member is provided with inner threads. The metal cylinder includes plural resilient, spaced arms, or tabs, disposed about its outer periphery and urged radially outward and into engagement with the other member's threads to connect the two connector members. Coaxial seals are disposed between and in contact with the two members as is a compressible O-ring seal. The outer periphery of the inner member's cylindrical insulator is provided with alternating peaks and valleys, while the other member's metal cylinder is provided with inwardly extending resilient arms which are adapted for positioning within a respective facing valley to prevent vibration-induced disconnection.

Inline electrical connectors tend to be of two basic types: the screw-type connector or the bayonet-type connector. The screw-type connector incorporates mating threads on the plug and socket portions of the connector and requires rotation of one or the other to connect the sets of electrical cables together in a sealed manner. Connection and disconnection are labor-intensive and require the application of a predetermined fastening torque to achieve an environmental seal or overcoming of this torque in disconnecting the pair of connector members. The fastening torque may undergo unintended loosening when the connector is subject to vibration forces resulting in loss of the connector seal and interruption of the pin and socket connections. Connection and disconnection of the two threaded connector members is also relatively slow and time consuming. The bayonet-type connection, on the other hand, is easily and quickly formed or disconnected. However, the coupled members in a bayonet connection are more easily separated and the connection broken than in a threaded connector. In addition, the bayonet connection is less adapted for the formation of high strength, tight seals than the threaded connection. Finally, the threaded and bayonet approaches are mutually exclusive, as one cannot be connected to the other which, in some cases, is inefficient and wasteful.
Recent efforts in this area have given rise to the use of segmented thread arrangements on each of the two connecting members which can be joined by pushing one connecting member onto the other in an axial direction, followed by rotation of one or both of the connecting members to place their respective thread arrangements in mutual engagement. Thus, this approach includes pushing the two connector members together as in the bayonet approach, followed by relative rotation between the two connector members to provide their threaded engagement. This combined approach does not afford all of the advantages of both approaches taken individually. For example, rotation of one or both of the connecting members is required for connection, while the integrity and strength of the connection is limited by the partial thread arrays that must be on both connecting members. In addition, the connector's seal is limited because of the hand torque requirement to achieve the environmental seal. One approach in this area utilizes plastic segmented threads that wear after a few couplings and uncouplings of the pair of connector members or lose their ability to "spring back" because the elastic limit of the plastic has been reached. The present invention addresses and overcomes these limitations by providing a push-type connection resulting in full thread engagement between the two connecting members that use a standard thread.


The complementary outputs of a master slave flip flop are made symmetric, with substantially zero timing skew over all process, voltage and temperature conditions. This is accomplished by utilizing a master latch and a pair of identical slave latches. Although the complementary outputs from the master latch have non-zero timing skew when the clock goes low, they have zero timing skew when the clock goes high. Thus the identical slave latches, whose outputs react to the master latch outputs only when the clock goes high, do not have any timing skew.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to flip flops and, more particularly, to a flip flop which has complementary, symmetric, minimal timing skew outputs.
2. Description of the Related Art
A flip flop is a device which latches the logic state of a data input signal when a predetermined edge of a clock input signal is detected. As a result, a flip flop generates a flop data output signal whose logic state matches the logic state of the data input signal when the predetermined edge of the clock input signal is detected. Additionally, flip flops typically contain a second data output signal whose logic state is the complement (logical inverse) of the first data output signal.
If a flip flop has true/complementary data outputs which are exact mirror images of each other in the time domain, these outputs are said to be complementary and symmetric. Therefore, the rise time of the true data output signal and the fall time of the complementary data output signal must be equal, and the fall time of the true data output signal and the rise time of the complementary data output signal must also be equal. As a result, the flop true/complementary data outputs must change state at exactly the same time, such that both of them will reach the power supply mid-point voltage at exactly the same time.
FIG. 1 shows a timing diagram which illustrates the operation of a flip flop that has complementary, symmetric outputs. As shown in FIG. 1, the flip flop generates a data output signal Q and a complementary data output signal QZ. In addition, the Q and QZ data outputs have equal rise and fall times (equal to two time units). Furthermore, the Q and QZ data outputs change state at exactly the same time, so that they reach the power supply mid-point voltage VDD/2 at exactly the same time.
Many applications require the use of flip flops which have complementary, symmetric outputs. High accuracy digital-to-analog converters (DACs) are an important example. High accuracy DACs are used in a wide variety of applications, including telecommunications, control systems and filters for digital signal processors.
FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram which illustrates a conventional digital-to-analog interface 200 for one bit of a high-accuracy differential DAC. As shown in FIG. 2, interface 200 includes a flip flop FF1 which has a data input 210 that receives a data signal DATA, and a clock input 212 that receives a clock signal CLK. Flip flop FF1 also has complementary, symmetric outputs which include a data output 214 that generates a flop signal Q, and a complementary data output 216 that generates a complementary flop signal QZ.
Referring to FIG. 2, interface 200 also includes a pair of p-channel load transistors M1 and M2, a pair of differential input transistors M3 and M4, and a current source I. P-channel transistors Ml and M2 both have sources connected to a power supply voltage VDD. In addition, transistor M1 has a gate and a drain connected to a first output node N1, while transistor M2 has a gate and a drain connected to a second output node N2.
N-channel transistors M3 and M4 both have sources connected to current source I which, in turn, is connected to ground. In addition, transistor M3 has a gate connected to data output 214 and a drain connected to first output node N1, while transistor M4 has a gate connected to data output 216 and a drain connected to second output node N2. A differential output is taken across output nodes N1 and N2.
In order to maintain high DAC accuracy, the complementary flop output signals Q and QZ must be mirror images of each other in the time domain. In other words, their rise and fall times must be equal to each other, and they must change state at exactly the same time.
When these conditions are met, the rising and falling waveforms of Q and QZ will cross each other at exactly one half of the power supply voltage (VDD/2), thereby producing an undistorted differential output waveform at nodes N1 and N2.
FIG. 3 shows the schematic diagram of a prior art flip flop 300. Referring to FIG. 3, flop 300 has a clock inverter U1, a master latch 310, and a slave latch 312. Clock inverter U1 has an input connected to an external clock input 314 to receive a clock signal CLK, and an output which generates an inverted clock signal CPZ.
Master latch 310 includes a first transmission gate 316 and a second transmission gate 318. First transmission gate 316 includes an n-channel transistor M1 which has a drain connected to an external data input 320 to receive a data signal D, a source, and a gate connected to the output of clock inverter U1 to receive the inverted clock signal CPZ.
First transmission gate 316 also includes a p-channel transistor M2 which has a source connected to external data input 320 to receive the data signal D, a drain connected to the source of transistor M1, and a gate connected to external clock input 314 to receive the clock signal CLK.
Second transmission gate 318 includes an n-channel transistor M3 which has a drain, a source connected to the source of transistor M1, and a gate connected to external clock input 314 to receive the clock signal CLK. Second transmission gate 318 also includes a p-channel transistor M4 which has a source connected to the drain of transistor M3, a drain connected to the source of transistor M3, and a gate connected to the output of clock inverter U1 to receive the inverted clock signal CPZ.
In addition to first and second transmission gates 316 and 318, master latch 310 also includes an inverter U2 which has an input connected to the source of transistor M1, and an output which generates a latched signal QM. Master latch 310 additionally includes an inverter U3 which has an input connected to the output of inverter U2, and an output which is connected to the drain of transistor M3.
Slave latch 312 includes a third transmission gate 324 and a fourth transmission gate 326. Third transmission gate 324 includes an n-channel transistor M5 and a p-channel transistor M6. Transistor M5 has a drain connected to the output of inverter U2 to receive the latched signal QM, a source, and a gate connected to external clock input 314 to receive the clock signal CLK. Transistor M6 has a source connected to the output of inverter U2 to receive the latched signal QM, a drain connected to the source of transistor M5, and a gate connected to the output of clock inverter U1 to receive the inverted clock signal CPZ.
Fourth transmission gate 326 includes an n-channel transistor M7 which has a drain, a source connected to the source of transistor M5, and a gate connected to the output of clock inverter U1 to receive the inverted clock signal CPZ. Fourth transmission gate 326 also includes a p-channel transistor M8 which has a source connected to the drain of transistor M7, a drain connected to the source of transistor M7, and a gate connected to external clock input 314 to receive the clock signal CLK.
In addition to transmission gates 324 and 326, slave latch 312 also includes an inverter U4 and an inverter U5. Inverter U4 has an input connected to the source of transistor M5 and an output, while inverter U5 has an input connected to the output of inverter U4, and an output which generates the inverted flop signal QZ.
Slave latch 312 also includes an inverter U6 and an inverter U7. Inverter U6 has an input connected to the output of inverter U4, and an output connected to the drain of transistor M7. Inverter U7 has an input connected to the output of inverter U6, and an output which generates the flop data signal Q.
In operation, flop 300 attempts to generate complementary, symmetric outputs at Q and QZ by equalizing the propagation delay in two output signal paths. The first output signal path is from the input of inverter U4 to the output of inverter U5, ending with the inverted flop output signal QZ. The second output signal path is from the input of inverter U4, through inverters U6 and U7, ending with the flop output signal Q.
One problem with flop 300 is that the first output signal path contains two inverters (U4 and U5), while the second output signal path contains three inverters (U4, U6, and U7). Thus it is almost impossible to equalize the propagation delays of these two output signal paths over all process, voltage and temperature conditions (PVT conditions). The best that can be done is to equalize the path delays at one process corner, usually typical PVT, and then tolerate the delay changes, known as a timing skew, at the other process corners. Of course, this timing skew distorts the analog differential waveform between nodes N1 and N2 of interface 200.
FIG. 4 shows a timing diagram which illustrates the operation of a flip flop, such as flipflop 300, that has non-symmetric complementary outputs due to PVT induced timing skew.
Referring to FIG. 4, flip flop outputs Q and QZ are complementary outputs which have equal rise and fall times (equal to 2 time units). However, as shown in FIG. 4, data signal QZ changes state slightly before data signal Q (by one time unit), due to the previously described difference in path delay. Thus flip flop signals Q and QZ do not reach the power supply mid point voltage (VDD/2) at exactly the same time, resulting in signal asymmetry between Q and QZ. This signal asymmetry, due to timing skew, causes the differential analog output signal between nodes N1 and N2 in FIG. 2 to become distorted. This distortion is highly undesirable because it adversely affects the accuracy of the DAC analog output.
FIG. 5 shows the schematic diagram of a prior-art flip flop 500. Flop 500 illustrates a second implementation of flop FF1 in FIG. 2. Flop 500 is similar to flop 300 and, as a result, utilizes the same reference numerals to designate structures which are common to both flops. Referring to FIG. 5, Flop 500 differs from flop 300 in that flop 500 has a slave latch 510 which is different from slave latch 312.
As shown in FIG. 5, slave latch 510 contains several components which are also present, and identically connected, in slave latch 312. These components include transistors M5-M8 and inverters U4, U5 and U6.
Referring to FIG. 5, slave latch 512 includes a fifth transmission gate 528. Transmission gate 528 has an n-channel transistor M9 and a p-channel transistor M10. Transistor M9 has a drain connected to the input of inverter U6, a source which outputs the flop data signal Q, and a gate connected to external clock input 314 to receive the clock signal CLK. Transistor M10 has source connected to the drain of transistor M9, a drain connected to the source of transistor M9, and a gate connected to the output of clock inverter U1 to receive the inverted clock signal CPZ.
In operation, flop 500 attempts to obtain complementary, symmetric outputs by equalizing two propagation delays. The first propagation delay is from the output of inverter U4 to the output of inverter U5, ending with the inverted flop output signal QZ. The second propagation delay is from the output of inverter U4 to the output of transmission gate 528, ending with the flop output signal Q.
Although the delay through inverter U5 can be made equal to the delay through transmission gate 528 at one process corner, (usually typical PVT), the difference between these two delays will definitely change at other process corners.
Furthermore, the output impedance driving the inverse flop signal QZ is due to inverter U5, whereas the output impedance driving the flop signal Q is due to inverter U4 in series with transmission gate 528. Since it is virtually impossible to perfectly balance these two impedances under all PVT conditions, the differential analog waveform between nodes N1 and N2 of interface 200 will become distorted when non-typical PVT conditions are present.
As a result, there is a definite need for a flip flop which has complementary, symmetric outputs that have substantially zero timing skew, under all PVT conditions.
The flip flop of the present invention provides complementary, symmetric outputs which have substantially zero timing skew over all process, voltage and temperature conditions (PVT conditions). This is accomplished by utilizing a master latch to output a latched signal and an inverted latched signal, and a pair of slave latches to synchronize the latched signal and the inverted latched signal to the rising edge of the clock signal.
A flip flop in accordance with the present invention includes a first device which has a first input that receives a clock signal and a second input that receives a data signal. The first device also includes a first output which generates a first output signal, and a second output which generates an inverted first output signal. The clock signal alternates between a first logic state and a second logic state. The first device generates the first output signal with a logic state in response to the data signal when the clock signal is in the first logic state, and holds the logic state of the first output signal when the clock signal is in the second logic state. The first output signal is held by the first device in the state which was present when the clock signal transitioned from its first logic state to its second logic state.
The flip flop also includes a second device which has a third input that receives the clock signal, and a fourth input that receives the first output signal. The second device has a third output which generates a second output signal. The second device generates the second output signal with a logic state in response to the first output signal when the clock signal is in the second logic state, and holds the logic state of the second output signal when the clock signal is in the first logic state. The second output signal is held by the second device in the state which was present when the clock signal transitioned from its second logic state to its first logic state.
Furthermore, the flip flop also includes a third device which has a fifth input that receives the clock signal, and a sixth input that receives the inverted first output signal. The third device has a fourth output which generates an inverted second output signal. The third device generates the inverted second output signal with a logic state in response to the inverted first output signal when the clock signal is in the second logic state, and holds the logic state of the inverted second output signal when the clock signal is in the first logic state. The inverted second output signal is held by the third device to the state which was present when the clock signal transitioned from its second logic state to its first logic state.
A better understanding of the features and advantages of the present invention will be obtained by reference to the following detailed description and accompanying drawings which set forth an illustrative embodiment in which the principles of the invention are utilized.

Flip flop which has complementary, symmetric, minimal timing skew outputs


Techniques are provided for sequencing user data packets (e.g., voice packets) segmented into plural AAL2 packets which are in turn carried over Internet Protocol (IP). Concerning segmented user data packets, the techniques of the present invention utilize one or more predetermined values in the length indicator (LI) field in the headers of the certain ones of the plural AAL2 packets to carry information other than packet size information. Further, the techniques of the present invention use the User-to-User indicator (UUI) field of the AAL2 packets to carry AAL2 information such as segmentation notification and sequence-derivable information. For AAL2 packets which carry non-segmented user data packets (e.g., user data packets which can fit with the maximum size of a single AAL2 packet), the length indicator (LI) field contains the actual length of the AAL2 packet in conventional manner.

Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) is becoming increasingly used in communication networks. ATM is a packet-oriented transfer mode which uses asynchronous time division multiplexing techniques. Packets are called cells and have a fixed size. An ATM cell consists of 53 octets, five of which form a header and forty eight of which constitute a "payload" or information portion of the cell. The header of the ATM cell includes two quantities which are used to identify a connection in an ATM network over which the cell is to travel, particularly the VPI (Virtual Path Identifier) and VCI (Virtual Channel Identifier). In general, the virtual path is a principal path defined between two switching nodes of the network; the virtual channel is one specific connection on the respective principal path.
A protocol reference model has been developed for illustrating layering of ATM. The protocol reference model layers include (from lower to higher layers) a physical layer (including both a physical medium sublayer and a transmission convergence sublayer), an ATM layer, and an ATM adaptation layer (AAL), and higher layers. The basic purpose of the AAL layer is to isolate the higher layers from specific characteristics of the ATM layer by mapping the higher-layer protocol data units (PDU) into the information field of the ATM cell and vise versa. There are several differing AAL types or categories, including AAL0, AAL1, AAL2, AAL3/4, and AAL5. Yet another AAL type, known as AAL2 prime, is described in the following (all of which are incorporated herein by reference: U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/188,102, filed Nov. 9, 1998; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/188,347, filed Nov. 9, 1998; and International Patent Application Number PCT/SE98/02250 (WO 99/33315, published Jul. 1, 1999).
One purpose of AAL2 is to handle compressed voice data in more bandwidth efficiently. AAL2 is a standard defined by B-ISDN ATM Adaptation Layer Specification: Type 2 AAL ITU-TRecommendation I.363.2. An AAL2 packet comprises a three octet packet header, as well as a packet payload. The AAL2 packet header includes an eight bit channel identifier (CID), a six bit length indicator (LI), a five bit User-to-User indicator (UUI), and five bits of header error control (HEC). The AAL2 packet payload, which carries user data, can vary from one to forty-five octets.
Up to 248 AAL2 channels can be multiplexed on an ATM connection. The channel identifier (CID) is used to identify the channels. The length indicator (LI) is binary encoded plus one to the payload length. The User-to-User indicator (UUI) is a field that is conveyed transparently between endpoints. The User-to-User indicator (UUI) has been used for sequence numbering for other services besides segmentation, as described in AAL ITU-T Recommendation I.366.2. However, the previous uses of the UUI field for sequence numbering has not occurred in a segmentation and reassembly context.
An AAL2 packet can overlap an ATM cell boundary and continue in the remainder of the next ATM cell. Thus, AAL2 packet payloads as carried in ATM cells can be segmented, as prescribed (for example) by the document entitled Segmentation and Reassembly Service Specific Convergence Sublayer For The AAL2 Type 2: ITU-T Recommendation I.366.1. This segmentation of AAL2 packet payloads is particularly facilitated by the fact that the first octet in the payload of every ATM cell contains a start field (STF). The start field (STF) contains a modulo 2 sequence counter named SN, which specifies or points to the location of the first AAL2 packet header within the ATM cell payload. The purpose of the start field (STF) is to provide easy resynchronization at the receiving side if the AAL2 packet boundary is lost. Normally, the receiving side finds the boundaries by the length indicator (LI), which indicates the start of the next AAL2 packet.
Other methods for segmentation are described in the following documents: PCT/SE97/00570 [WO 97/38550], entitled MINICELL SEGEMTATION AND REASSEMBLY; and PCT/SE97/00972 [WO 97/48251], entitled MULTIPLEXING OF VOICE AND DATA MINICELLS.
Thus, in the prior art, data packets (e.g., compressed voice packets) are carried in payloads of AAL2 packets, with one or more AAL2 packets (either whole or in part [e.g., segmented]) being carried in ATM cells. With ATM transport, sequencing information is unnecessary user data packets are segmented, since ATM is connection oriented.
In the context of the current invention, by contrast, user data packets belonging to a higher layer (e.g., voice packets) are carried by AAL2 packets, with the AAL2 packets (or segments thereof) being multiplexed into the payload of Internet Protocol (IP) packets. The IP packets can be UDP/Ipv4 or UDP/Ipv6 packet format, with or without RTP, with compressed header or not compressed header. Any underlying transport bearer, e.g., PPP/HDLC, AAL5/ATM may apply since it is in the IP paradigm that it can be carried on all sorts of bearers. See, for example, Swedish patent application SE-9903982(-8), and PCT patent application PCT/SE00/02089, both of which are incorporated herein by reference.
There is a need for segmentation of data packets (e.g., voice packets) having a length longer than 45 octets (45 octets being the length of the payload of the standard AAL2 packet). The need exists when the AAL2 packets are carried in the payload of an IP packet. Since Internet Protocol (IP) packets can be reordered in the network, sequencing information is important for such segmentation.
The present invention fulfills this need by providing techniques for segmenting user data packets (e.g., voice packets) carried in AAL2 packets, and for sequencing those AAL2 packets as the AAL2 packets are carried over Internet Protocol (IP). Concerning segmented user data packets, the techniques of the present invention utilize one or more predetermined values in the length indicator (LI) field in the headers of the certain ones of the plural AAL2 packets to carry information other than packet size information. Further, the techniques of the present invention use the User-to-User indicator (UUI) field of the AAL2 packets to carry AAL2 information such as segmentation notification or sequence-derivable information. For AAL2 packets which carry non-segmented user data packets (e.g., user data packets which can fit with the maximum size of a single AAL2 packet) and for the last segment of a segmented frame, the length indicator (LI) field contains the actual length of the AAL2 packet in conventional manner.
In a first mode of the invention, when a user data packet payload is spread or segmented over plural AAL2 packets, values related and thus corresponding to sequence numbers for the AAL2 packets (which carry the segmented user data packets) are stored in the length indicator (LI) field of all but the last of the plural AAL2 packets utilized by the segmented user data packet. To facilitate this first mode, a range of values are reserved for the length indicator (LI) field. In one illustrated implementation, the range of reserved or predetermined values extends between 48 and 63, inclusive of both 48 and 63. Thus, the range of predetermined or reserved values comprises numbers which are greater than a maximum number of octets in a standard size AAL2 packet. In addition, in this first mode of the invention, the User-to-User indicator (UUI) field of all but the last of the AAL2 packets accommodating segmented user data packets contains a preselected value, the preselected value serving as a notification (1) that the AAL2 packet is not the last AAL2 packet serving the user data packet, and (2) that other AAL2 packets for the same user data packet are to be expected. In one illustrated implementation of this first mode, this continuation notification preselected value for the User-to-User indicator (UUI) field is 27.
Therefore, in the first mode, when an AAL2 packet is detected before reassembly as having a value in the reserved range (e.g., from 48 to 63 inclusive), that AAL2 packet is recognized as serving a segmented user data packet, and having a sequence number which is derived from the value in the length indicator (LI) field. A modulo division of the predetermined value in the length indicator (LI) field provides the sequence number for the AAL2 packet.
A last AAL2 packet of the plural AAL2 packets accommodating the segmented user data packet is detectable in the first mode, since it has in its length indicator field a value not greater than the maximum number of octets in a standard size AAL2 packet. Moreover, the contents of the User-to-User indicator (UUI) field of such a last AAL2 packet can be used to confirm that the last AAL2 packet is in a proper sequence.
The second mode of the invention resembles the first mode in that, when a user data packet payload is spread or segmented over plural AAL2 packets, the sequence number-related values for the AAL2 packets (which carry the segmented user data packets) are stored in the length indicator (LI) field of the plural AAL2 packets utilized by the segmented user data packet. To facilitate this second mode, two ranges of values are reserved for the length indicator (LI) field. In one illustrated implementation, the first range of reserved or predetermined values extends between 48 and 55, inclusive of both 48 and 55, while the second range of reserved or predetermined values extends between 56 and 63, inclusive of both 56 and 63. When the length indicator (LI) field of a received AAL2 packet belongs to the first range, the received AAL2 packet is recognized as being for a first of the plural AAL2 packets containing the user data of the user data frame. When the length indicator (LI) field of a received AAL2 packet belongs to the second range, the received AAL2 packet is recognized as being other than the first of the plural AAL2 packets (e.g., a second, third, fourth AAL2 packet, etc.).
In the second mode of the invention, a last AAL2 packet of the plural AAL2 packets has a predetermined end-of-user data packet value (e.g., zero) in its user-to-user indication (UUI) field of its header, and thus serves to mark reception of the end of the user data packet. The second mode has provision for determining loss of the last AAL2 packet containing the last segment (e.g., end) of a user data packet. If, in the second mode, a last AAL2 packet containing the last segment (e.g., end) of a user data packet is lost, such loss will be ascertained upon next encountering a new AAL2 packet having a first range value in its length indicator (LI) field or a value in the User-to-User indicator (UUI) field in the normal range (1 to 26 inclusive). That is, while looking for such an AAL2 packet containing the last segment of a user data packet, before encountering an AAL2 packet with the predetermined end-of-user data packet value the reassembly subunit RSU will encounter either: (1) a new AAL2 packet having a first range value in its length indicator (LI) field; or (2) an AAL2 packet having its contents in the normal range.
In a third mode of the invention, the predetermined value in the length indicator (LI) field serves as a notification that another AAL2 packet of the plural AAL2 packets carries subsequent data belonging to the frame. As in the other modes, the predetermined value is a value greater than a maximum number of octets in a standard size AAL2 packet. In one example illustrative embodiment, the predetermined value is 46. In this third mode, a last AAL2 packet of the plural AAL2 packets is detected by having in its length indicator field a value not greater than the maximum number of octets in a standard size AAL2 packet. The third mode frees the user-to-user indication (UUI) field in the header of the AAL2 packets, so that the user-to-user indication (UUI) field can serve for other purposes such as sequence number, for example.
One example, non-limiting deployment of any of the modes of the present invention is in the context of a universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS).

Sequencing of user data packets segmented into AAL2 packets transported over internet protocol (IP)


A transistor includes; at least two polycrystalline silicon layers disposed substantially parallel to each other, each polycrystalline silicon layer including a channel region and at least two high conductivity regions disposed at opposing sides of the channel region; a gate which corresponds to the channel region of the two polycrystalline silicon layers and which crosses the two polycrystalline silicon layers, and a gate insulating layer interposed between the gate and the two polycrystalline silicon layers, wherein low conductivity regions are disposed adjacent to one edge of the gate and are formed between the channel region and one high conductivity region of each polycrystalline silicon layer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an organic light emitting display having a polycrystalline silicon thin film transistor ("TFT"), a method of fabricating the same, and an organic light emitting display including the transistor.
2. Description of the Related Art
Active color image display apparatuses using an organic light emitting diode ("OLED") generally use a circuit including two transistors and one capacitor. In particular the circuit includes a switching transistor (also known as a sampling transistor), which provides an analog image signal, a memory capacitor retaining an image signal and a driving transistor controlling a current supplied to an OLED according to an image signal voltage accumulated on the memory capacitor. This circuit has what is called a 2T-1C structure, wherein the "2T" stands for two transistors and the −"1C" represents one capacitor, and an example of such circuit construction is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. 2002-156923. A pixel including a 2T-1C structure can be constructed using a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor ("CMOS") obtained from a wafer which comprises single crystalline silicon. However such a pixel cannot be easily constructed using a thin film transistor ("TFT") structure.
An n-channel polycrystalline silicon TFT is used in manufacturing an OLED on a glass or plastic substrate. The advantage of using polycrystalline silicon is that it is able to obtain very high charge carrier mobility compared to amorphous silicon. However, the disadvantage of using polycrystalline silicon is that it may have a high leakage current when turned off.
It is well known that, in such a polycrystalline silicon TFT, leakage of a current is generated in a depletion region of a drain by grain boundary traps (see Ferry G. Fossum, et al., IEEE Trans. Electron Devices, vol. ED-32, pp. 1878-1884, 1985).
In order to more effectively reduce current leakage, an offset structure has been proposed (see M. Rodder et al., IEEE Electron Device Letters, Vol. EDL-6, No. 11, November 1985). An offset region is located between a channel and a gate and another offset region is located between the channel and the drain. The use of offsets deteriorates an electric field generated at the drain and reduces field emission caused by a gate voltage and a drain voltage. However, in the prior art, a doping process which varies locally is required to form an offset structure. Unfortunately this locally varying doping process requires the use of an additional mask in order to manufacture the offset structure. In order to successfully perform differential doping in the offset region using the mask, the mask is required to be precisely aligned on a substrate. However, since the manufacturing method uses an additional mask, a doping process is complicated, yield is low and productivity is degraded.
Accordingly, a simplified method of manufacturing a transistor having an offset structure is required. In particular, the number of masks required for the formation of a lowly doped drain ("LDD") is required to be minimized.

Transistor, method of fabricating the same and organic light emitting display including the transistor


A laser modulator (10) having a low voltage assembly (12) with a plurality of low voltage modules (14) with first stage magnetic compression circuits (20) and magnetic assist inductors (28) with a common core (91), such that timing of the first stage magnetic switches (30b) is thereby synchronized. A bipolar second stage of magnetic compression (42) is coupled to the low voltage modules (14) through a bipolar pulse transformer (36) and a third stage of magnetic compression (44) is directly coupled to the second stage of magnetic compression (42). The low voltage assembly (12) includes pressurized boxes (117) for improving voltage standoff between the primary winding assemblies (34) and secondary winding (40) contained therein.

The present invention relates generally to electronic power supply devices and more particularly to an improved high average power magnetic modulator for metal vapor lasers.
It has become recognized that pulsed power supplies employing magnetic compression circuits are appropriate for use with high power pulsed lasers. Even though such power supplies are more expensive and more complex than some other known modulator types, the high reliability of magnetic switch modulators is deemed to be necessary for critical applications, and the higher the output power required the greater is the improvement in the reliability of such modulators as compared to more conventional electronic pulsed power supply devices using thyratrons, or the like, as the ultimate switching circuit elements. An example of a particular such magnetic compression laser driving circuit, particularly adapted for high efficiency operation, is found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,177,754 issued to Ball et al..
Due to the fact that high average power magnetic compression laser driving circuits produce a great deal of heat, and further due to the fact that they produce very high voltages, they have been designed to be operated immersed in a liquid dielectric fluid, which fluid acts both to improve voltage hold off and as a coolant. However, known fluorocarbon dielectric fluids which have been used for this purpose present environmental problems, and are becoming unavailable for that reason. Therefore, it is desirable to produce a magnetic compression laser driver circuit which can operate without the use of such fluids. However, efforts to produce a device which can provide the necessary power for those applications which require very high power, without the use of fluorocarbon dielectric and coolant fluid and with the requisite reliability, have been less than completely successful. Primary switching stages using thyratron switches have proven to be less than optimal due the inherently finite life of such switches. Solid state devices have been tried but these generally lack the ability to deliver the instantaneous power and/or rate of change of current necessary for the task.
To the inventors' knowledge, no previous magnetic compression laser driving circuits which can produce the very high power output required by high average power lasers (greater than 30 kW) and which function without the use of fluorocarbon coolants or dielectrics have been known in the prior art. All previous such devices have either required the use of fluorocarbons or else have produced insufficient voltage and/or power output for some applications.

Copper laser modulator driving assembly including a magnetic compression laser

The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy


Provided are an apparatus and method of transmitting working context, which can minimize power consumption in a power-off standby mode of a portable apparatus including a system on a chip, where the method includes selecting a power-off standby mode, transmitting working context with respect to a hardware module, which is mounted on a semiconductor chip, to a predetermined memory, and storing the working context in the predetermined memory, transmitting the working context stored in the memory to a non-volatile memory outside the semiconductor chip, and storing the working context in the non-volatile memory, and executing the power-off standby mode; where the method may further include releasing the power-off standby mode, restoring the working context with respect to the hardware module, which is stored in the non-volatile memory, to the predetermined memory, and recovering the at least one hardware module to a state existing immediately before the power-off standby mode was executed by using the working context restored to the memory from the non-volatile memory.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for storing and restoring data, and more particularly, to an apparatus and method in which at least one hardware module rapidly reaches a state by using a working context stored in a non-volatile memory.
2. Description of the Related Art
Portable apparatuses such as mobile phones can be used for more time if they have low power consumption. Thus, portable apparatuses in a system-on-a chip ("SOC") design use a standby mode to reduce power consumption. SOC means that a plurality of systems having independent functions are mounted on one semiconductor chip.
The most common method of reducing power consumption in a standby mode is to cut off a clock signal supplied to all or several circuits of a SOC and reduce the amount of dynamic current consumed by all or several circuits of the SOC. In this case, all or several circuits of the SOC from which the clock signal is cut off do not lose any working context.
However, deep submicron semiconductor devices have currently been designed in the form of a SOC. Since an operating threshold voltage of the SOC decreases, a static leakage current generated in the SOC increases. Thus, the dynamic current consumption and the static leakage current are common problems in portable apparatuses.
Hence some SOCs use a power-off standby mode, during which power supplied to alt or several circuits of the SOCs, which are not needed to be used for a long period of time, is cut off to remove static leakage current generated in the SOCs.
Unfortunately, when the power supplied to the SOCs is cut off, the working context of all or several circuits of the SOCs is lost. When power is supplied again to the alt or several circuits of the SOCs, the all or several circuits of the SOCs boot up again. In this case, a tong time is required to boot up the circuits, and the all or several circuits of the SOCs do not recover to a state just before the power was cut off.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Apparatus and method for restoring working context


An interpretation service for voice based on sentence template retrieval allows a translation database to be customized without burdening users and enables sentences needed by users to be accurately interpreted. A sentence to be stored in a translation database for customization can be described as a sentence template including a slot which allows words to be replaced. A condition for selecting sentence templates is extracted from a registered user profile (UP). A sentence template matching the condition is retrieved from those stored in the translation database for customization and is registered in a translation database customized for each user. A word extracted from the UP is inserted into the sentence template's slot for registration to a sentence dictionary customized for each user.

The present invention relates to an automatic interpretation service which translates voice uttered by a user into another language and outputs a translation result as voice. The present invention mainly concerns services using a mobile telephone capable of mobile internet access services. However, the present invention also includes voice interpretation services which perform the aforementioned operation by using normal fixed-line telephones, personal computers, mobile information terminals, etc.
Conventionally, there are broadly two types of voice translation systems. One is to translate a free input sentence. The other is to retrieve prepared sentence templates.
As a system for translating free input sentences, for example, JP-A-65424/1997 discloses the voice translation system using a voice recognition server and a wireless mobile terminal. Since free sentences are input, a variety of sentences can be translated in principle. However, high translation accuracy is hardly available, making practical usage difficult.
As a system for retrieving prepared sentence templates, JP-A-88564/1981 discloses the portable translation apparatus which displays categorized sentence templates corresponding to a scene on the screen and outputs voice for a translated sentence selected by a button operation.

Method of interpretation service for voice on the phone


A storage circuit defines a first field for storing first header bits of a first payload signal of a first data unit, a second field, and a third field for storing the first payload signal. The first header bits are equal in number to second header bits of a second payload signal of a second data unit. A division circuit divides the first header bits by a generator polynomial to produce a first error check code. The same generator polynomial is used to divide the second header bits to produce a second error check code. A remainder of division of hypothetical header bits by the generator polynomial is summed to the first error check code to produce a sum which is inserted into the second field of the storage circuit. The hypothetical header bits are greater in number than a total number of bits in the first and second fields, so that the first and second data units can be distinguished from each other by different error check results of the first and second data units.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to communications systems and more specifically to a method and system for transmission and reception of asynchronously (statically) multiplexed signals onto a common transmission medium. The present invention is particularly useful for asynchronously multiplexing data units of different format such as ATM cells and frames (i.e., layer-2 frames) in which IP (Internet Protocol) packets are encapsulated.
2. Description of the Related Art
Demand for high speed communication systems is increasing to meet multimedia communications services (audio, video and the Internet). Physical interfaces for implementing high speed communications have been deployed to provide a wide range of different services corresponding to networks of different architecture. For multimedia communications, ATM (asynchronous transfer mode) cells are the most promising data format for transporting user traffic as a multimedia platform. In addition, high-speed transport interfaces are increasingly used for interfacing high-capacity routers. However, there is an increasing amount of processing burden on the transport interfaces for assembling data traffic into ATM cells and disassembling ATM cells to original format. The transport interfaces thus represent a bottleneck for high speed transmission. One solution to this problem is the use of point-to-point protocol (PPP) frames in the transport interface. However, a need will arise to multiplex PPP frames with ATM cells over a transmission system such as SONET (synchronous optical network. Because of their difference in data format, PPP frames and ATM cells must be segmented into bytes and alternately multiplexed onto synchronized time slots. However, it is impossible to control the allocated bandwidths according to traffic needs. Alternatively, WDM (wavelength division multiplexing) technique may be used to carry PPP frames and ATM cells on different wavelengths to be multiplexed onto a common optical link. However, efficient resource utilization cannot be achieved because of the inability to control the allocated bandwidth according to varying traffic. In addition, the use of two wavelengths represents a waste of one wavelength which could be otherwise used for other high speed traffic.
In addition, a need may exist for asynchronously multiplexing data units of same format but different lengths.

Method and system for transmission and reception of asynchronously multiplexed signals


A washing machine appliance is provided herein. The washing machine appliance may include a cabinet, a tub, a wash basket, a lid, and a nozzle assembly. The tub may be positioned within the cabinet. The wash basket may be rotatably mounted within the tub and define a wash chamber. The lid may be rotatably mounted to the cabinet above the wash basket. The nozzle assembly may be mounted in part within the lid. The nozzle assembly may include an extendable nozzle and a retractable fluid supply conduit. The extendable nozzle may be movable between a retracted position at which the extendable nozzle is held on the lid and an extended position in which the extendable nozzle is spaced apart from the lid. The retractable fluid supply conduit may be selectively wound on the lid in the retracted position.

Washing machine appliances generally include a tub for containing water or wash fluid (e.g., water, detergent, bleach, wash additives, etc.). A basket is rotatably mounted within the tub and defines a wash chamber for receipt of articles for washing. During normal operation of such washing machine appliances, the wash fluid is directed into the tub and onto articles within the wash chamber of the basket. The basket or an agitation element can rotate at various speeds to agitate articles within the wash chamber, to wring wash fluid from articles within the wash chamber, etc.
During operation of certain washing machine appliances, a volume of wash fluid is directed into the tub in order to wash or rinse articles within the wash chamber. More specifically, a predetermined volume of wash fluid is typically provided through a stationary nozzle positioned at the center of the back wall of the washing machine appliance. However, in certain situations, a user may wish to have greater control over the wash fluid dispensed into the tub. For instance, a user may wish to add more or less of certain additives (e.g., detergent, bleach, fabric softener, etc.) depending on the particular articles within the tub. Moreover, a user may wish to direct the flow of wash fluid onto a particular garment or within a specific region of the wash tub (e.g., to perform a pretreating operation, to saturate a particular article of clothing, etc.). However, this ability may be limited by the increased complexity and wiring required to relocate existing stationary nozzles. The ability to adjust the amount of wash fluid and its dispensing location is a commercially desirable feature and increases the user's positive perception of the wash process generally.
Accordingly, a washing machine appliance that provides a user with more control over the dispensing of wash fluid is desirable. In particular, a nozzle assembly that enables the dispensing of an additional amount of wash fluid at a desired location within the tub would be particularly beneficial. Additionally or alternatively, it would be advantageous to provide a nozzle assembly that is movable relative to the tub of a washing machine appliance without affecting the usable space of the tub relative to the footprint or volume of the cabinet.

Washing machine appliance and extendable nozzle therefor


Methods and apparatus relating to advanced graphics Power State management are described. In one embodiment, measurement logic detects information about idle transitions and active transitions of a power-well of a processor. In turn, determination logic determines performance loss and/or energy gain based at least in part on the detected information and power-on latency of the power-well of the processor. Other embodiments are also disclosed and claimed.

As integrated circuit fabrication technology improves, manufacturers are able to integrate additional functionality onto a single silicon substrate. As the number of the functions increases, so does the number of components on a single Integrated Circuit (IC) chip. Additional components add additional signal switching, in turn, generating more heat and/or consuming more power. The additional heat may damage components on the chip by, for example, thermal expansion. Also, the additional power consumption may limit usage locations and/or usage models for such devices, e.g., especially for devices that rely on battery power to function. Hence, efficient power management can have a direct impact on efficiency, longevity, as well as usage models for electronic devices.

Advanced graphics power state management


Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) signals are detected in microtesla fields. Prepolarization in millitesla fields is followed by detection with an untuned dc superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetometer. Because the sensitivity of the SQUID is frequency independent, both signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and spectral resolution are enhanced by detecting the NMR signal in extremely low magnetic fields, where the NMR lines become very narrow even for grossly inhomogeneous measurement fields. MRI in ultralow magnetic field is based on the NMR at ultralow fields. Gradient magnetic fields are applied, and images are constructed from the detected NMR signals.

The invention relates generally to nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and more particularly to low noise NMR and MRI at ultralow magnetic fields.
Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is a technique for obtaining information about atoms and the molecules they form. NMR operates on atoms having nuclei in which at least one proton or neutron is unpaired. This imbalance causes these nuclei to spin on an axis like miniature tops and gives rise to a magnetic moment, i.e. the nuclei behave like magnets with north and south poles.
When exposed to an external magnetic field, these spinning magnets attempt to align their axes along the lines of magnetic force. The alignment is not exact, however, resulting in a wobbly rotation (precession) about the force lines that is unique for each type of nuclei. If, while exposed to the magnetic field, the nuclei are bombarded with radio (RF) waves, they will absorb and re-emit energy at a specific frequency according to their rate of rotation. This resonating frequency therefore becomes a signature signal by which the nuclei can be identified.
When nuclei absorb the energy of an incoming radio wave, they are knocked out of alignment with the external magnetic field lines. As they subsequently lose this energy, the nuclei come back into alignment. The rate at which resonating nuclei realign themselves with magnetic field lines provides detailed information on their position and motion with respect to neighboring nuclei. This provides a noninvasive technique to study the structural, dynamic, and spatial relationships of atoms in a sample of molecules.
NMR has two basic subsets—spectroscopy and imaging. In NMR spectroscopy, the frequency of the incoming radio wave is varied, and all of the different frequencies absorbed and emitted by the nuclei are measured to obtain a resonance spectrum. This NMR spectrum reveals the molecular makeup of the material down to the respective positions and motions of the constituent atoms.
In magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), the frequency of the incoming radio wave is kept constant, but the strength of the external magnetic field is varied. The resulting signal corresponds to the total number of spinning nuclei present in any part of the sample, i.e. the atomic density of the sample at that point. Information obtained from an array of points can be translated by computer into a recognizable image.
Since the invention of MRI in the early 1970's, MRI scanners have steadily developed towards higher magnetic field strengths. The enhanced sensitivity attainable at high field makes it possible to resolve features at ever shorter length scales, and enables fast imaging experiments with close to real-time resolution. State-of-the-art clinical scanners operate at field strengths of 1.5 T, corresponding to a proton Larmor frequency of 64 MHz; currently, there is a drive to gain approval for 4 T imagers for clinical use. A number of facilities around the world now have 7 T scanners for research purposes.
At the same time, the last three decades have seen continued effort toward the development of systems for MRI in low magnetic fields. Much of this work has been motivated by considerations of cost: a commercial full-body imager operating at 1.5 T costs several million dollars, and the operation of such a machine places considerable demands on the infrastructure of the hospital or research facility. In addition, due to the size and complexity of the high-field system, it must necessarily remain fixed in one location, and the sample or subject must be transported to the system and inserted into the confining bore of the high field magnet; in certain cases this is simply not possible. A low-cost, portable MRI scanner is extremely appealing, as is an open MRI system, which would enable acquisition of MRIs at the same time that a medical procedure is performed. Inexpensive, portable imagers would enable MRI to address a wide variety of new problems, potentially transforming MRI usage from a highly specialized clinical and research technique to a much more widespread, flexible tool for rapid patient screening and general noninvasive imaging. However, any sort of portable or open MRI system would need to operate at relatively low magnetic field strengths.
Moreover, despite the serious disadvantage of reduced sensitivity, the images acquired in low field should, in principle, be of higher quality than those acquired in high magnetic field. An inevitable drawback of high-field imaging is that of susceptibility artifacts. When a heterogeneous sample is placed in a magnetic field, variations in magnetic susceptibility over the sample volume give rise to spurious magnetic field gradients. When these spurious gradients become comparable to the gradients that are used for encoding, the image is severely distorted. In medical imaging, the presence of dental fillings or jewelry is enough to destroy the MRI; abrupt changes in susceptibility at solid-liquid and solid-air interfaces inside the body, such as in the sinuses, produce distortions which are more subtle, but which nevertheless place strict limits on the achievable spatial resolution. Since the strength of the spurious gradients scales linearly with the strength of the applied field, it is possible to eliminate susceptibility-induced distortions entirely by imaging in low magnetic field.
Finally, T1 contrast in tissue is enhanced in low magnetic field. Because of this, low-field images allow sharper differentiation of different organs and tissue types, and potentially contain richer information than the corresponding images acquired in high field. (It is interesting to note that, in the early days of MRI, many researchers were skeptical that high-field MRI would ever amount to a useful clinical tool, precisely because of the degradation of tissue contrast in high field.)
There have been a number approaches to low-field MRI in recent years. These have generally relied on Faraday detection in a static field of order 10 mT to 100 mT, which is generated by an electromagnet. The main obstacle in these studies is the low sensitivity intrinsic to the low field experiment. In a different approach, H. C. Seton et al., "A 4.2 K receiver coil and SQUID amplifier used to improve the SNR of low-field magnetic resonance images of the human arm," Meas. Sci. Technol. 8, 198–207 (1997) employed a tuned SQUID magnetometer for NMR detection; the SQUID provided an SNR enhancement of a factor of 2.8–4.5 over conventional detection in images acquired from room temperature samples in a field of 10 mT. In the low-field imaging work of A. Macovski et al., "Novel approaches to low cost MRI," Magn. Reson. Med. 30, 221–230 (1993) and W. Shao et al., "Low readout field magnetic resonance imaging of hyperpolarized xenon and water in a single system," Appl. Phys. Lett. 80, 2032–2034 (2002), spins were prepolarized in a field of 0.3 T, while the NMR signals were detected in a much lower field of 30 mT. Here, the homogeneity of the polarizing field was not crucial, and the prepolarization step led to an enhancement of sample magnetization by an order of magnitude. Using similar techniques, J. Stepi{hacek over (s)}nik et al., "NMR imaging in the Earth's magnetic field," Magn. Reson. Med. 15, 386–391 (1990) and G. Planin{hacek over (s)}i{hacek over (c)} et al., "Relaxation-time measurement and imaging in the Earth's magnetic field," J. Magn. Reson. Ser. A 110, 170–174 (1994), acquired MRIs in the magnetic field of the Earth (BEarth˜50 μT), demonstrating the enhanced T1 contrast attainable in low-field. In both the works of Macovski et al. and Stepi{hacek over (s)}nik et al., however, Faraday detection in the field of the Earth entailed substantial signal loss.
Superconducting Quantum Interference Devices (SQUIDs) are sensitive detectors of magnetic fields based on the quantum mechanical Josephson effect. SQUIDs are based on superconductors, whose resistance drops to zero when cooled to a critical temperature Tc. A SQUID is formed by separating its superconducting material with a very thin insulating barrier through which electron pairs can tunnel. This combination of superconducting material and insulating barrier forms a Josephson junction, i.e. two superconductors joined by a weak link. The SQUID consists of a superconducting ring or square interrupted in two spots by Josephson junctions. When sufficient electrical current is applied to the SQUID, a voltage is generated across its body. In the presence of a magnetic field, this voltage will change as the strength of the field changes. Thus the SQUID turns a change in a magnetic field, which is more difficult to measure, into a change in voltage, which is very easy to measure.
For application purposes, SQUIDs are almost always coupled to auxiliary components. To form a magnetometer, a SQUID is connected to a flux transformer, a device consisting of a relatively large loop of superconducting material and a much smaller multiturn coil. Since the large loop picks up a magnetic field over a much greater area, the sensitivity of the SQUID to changes in magnetic field strength is boosted manyfold.
Originally SQUIDs were made with low Tc superconductors, e.g. niobium (Tc=9.5° K), which required cooling with liquid helium. More recently, high Tc SQUIDs have been made, using high Tc ceramic oxide superconducting materials, e.g. yttrium barium copper oxide (YBCO) materials (Tc=93° K), which only require cooling with liquid nitrogen, which is much less expensive and easier to work with than liquid helium. A high Tc low noise SQUID is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,023,161 issued Feb. 08, 2000.
Low transition temperature SQUIDs have been used experimentally to detect NMR and nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) signals, e.g. Dinh M. Ton That et al., "Direct current superconducting quantum interference device spectrometer for pulsed nuclear magnetic resonance and nuclear quadrupole resonance at frequencies up to 5 MHz," Rev. Sci. Instr. 67, 2890 (1996). Low Tc SQUIDs have been used to image polarized helium and xenon at relatively low fields, e.g. M. P. Augustine et al., "Low field magnetic resonance images of polarized noble gases obtained with a dc superconducting quantum interference device," Appl. Phys. Lett. 72 (15), 1908 (1998). The feasibility of using a high Tc SQUID to detect NMR signals has been demonstrated, S. Kumar et al., "Nuclear magnetic resonance using using a high temperature superconducting quantum interference device," Appl. Phys. Lett. 70 (8), 1037 (1997).
SQUIDs were first used in the 1980s to detect NMR signals in low magnetic field. However, the majority of SQUID NMR studies have been performed on samples in the solid state, at liquid helium (LHe) temperatures. Recently, there has been increased interest in extending SQUID NMR techniques to samples in the liquid state, and in particular to systems which are biologically relevant. S. Kumar et al., "Broadband SQUID NMR with room temperature samples," J. Magn. Reson. B 107, 252 (1995) demonstrated NMR spectra from animal tissue measured at room temperature. H. C. Seton et al., ibid., used SQUIDs to image room temperature samples in a field of 10 mT, and K. Schlenga et al., "Low-field magnetic resonance imaging with a high-Tc dc superconducting quantum interference device," Appl. Phys. Lett. 75, 3695–3697 (1999) and U.S. Pat. No. 6,159,444 issued Dec. 12, 2000, used a SQUID magnetometer fabricated from the high transition temperature superconductor YBCO to image thermally polarized proton samples at room temperature in a field of 2 mT. Despite these early efforts, however, SQUID NMR studies of liquid samples remain extremely limited in number and in scope. The central challenge for SQUID NMR studies of liquids is that of low sensitivity. Thermal polarizations are two orders of magnitude lower at 300 K than at 4.2 K. Moreover, in order to cool the SQUID below its superconducting transition temperature, it is necessary to thermally isolate the detector from the sample; filling factor is therefore quite low.
The NMR effect is produced by a spin magnetic moment on nuclei in a sample. A magnetic field causes the spin magnetic moments to precess around the field at the Larmor frequency ω which is proportional to the magnetic field.
In low field NMR (typically ≦10 mT) the spin precesses at correspondingly low frequencies, typically below 500 kHz, around the field direction. In conventional NMR, in which a resonant circuit is used to detect the precessing magnetization, the induced voltage signal V is proportional to the spin magnetization M and its rate of change (frequency) ω. Since M is also proportional to the frequency ω, V scales with ω2. As a result it is difficult to detect NMR signals at low fields with a conventional Faraday detector. In contrast, SQUIDs can be used to measure magnetic flux directly, resulting in much higher signal to noise (S/N) ratio at low frequencies. However, the use of SQUIDs for NMR/MRI has heretofore been limited, and not used at ultralow magnetic fields of tens or hundreds of microtesla.

Squid detected NMR and MRI at ultralow fields


A method for selecting a seed area for tracking nerve fibers in a brain includes performing registration of an atlas which shows a plurality of areas which are included in the brain and image data which relates to the brain, displaying a brain area list with respect to the plurality of areas, selecting a first area from the atlas based on a first user input with respect to the brain area list, extracting an area of the image data which corresponds to the first area, as a seed area, based on a result of the registration, and generating a first image which corresponds to the seed area from the image data, and displaying the generated first image.

1. Field
One or more exemplary embodiments relate to a method and apparatus for selecting a seed area for tracking nerve fibers in a brain, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for selecting a seed area as an interest area for reconfiguring nerve fibers on an image of a brain which is obtained from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data.
2. Description of the Related Art
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a typical non-invasive brain measuring technique by which a human body is exposed to a uniform magnetic field and a sectional image of the human body is drawn from information that is obtained via nuclear magnetic resonance. Nuclear magnetic resonance signifies that, when a particular high frequency is incident on an atomic nucleus in a state magnetized by an external magnetic field, an atomic nucleus which is in a relatively low energy state absorbs high frequency energy, thereby becoming excited to a relatively high energy state.
According to a diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) technique, which is a type of MRI technique, information which relates to movements of water molecules may be obtained from a resonance signal which is obtained from a human body located in a magnetic field, and a diffusion tensor may be calculated from the obtained information. Then, directivity of nerve fibers in the white matter of a brain is estimated based on the calculated diffusion tensor, and thus the connection of nerve fibers is virtually reconfigured. According to the DTI technique, because an image of neurons of a brain is obtainable, a detailed diagnosis of a brain disease may be obtainable based on the image.
In order to study or clinically use an image of a brain which is obtained by using the DTI technique, a process of searching for tracks which pass particular interest areas within the image of the brain and checking the shapes and trends of corresponding tracks is needed. The interest areas are referred to as seed areas or seed points. The nerve fiber tracks which pass through the seed areas are tracked and may be used for diagnosis of a disease and an operation schedule.
Accordingly, software supporting the DTI technique provides a method of defining a seed area. To this end, a method for receiving a user input which relates to manually drawing a seed area on a 2D image of a brain which has been obtained from DTI data has been used.
However, according to the method of manually defining a seed area, a seed area which is manually drawn by a user must be repeatedly corrected until the desired seed area is correctly represented, and thus, a relatively large amount of time is consumed during the drawing process. Also, in spite of the amount of time spent on manually drawing the desired seed area, the accuracy of a defined seed area may be low.

Method and apparatus for selecting seed area for tracking nerve fibers in brain

Industry-University Cooperation Foundation Hanyang University


A call flow guidance system helps a call center agent navigate the maze of complex call flows that apply to an enormous spectrum of caller issues, and further improves adoption rates and training timelines for the call center agents. Through the system, call center agents easily navigate multiple call flows and view information tailored to improve average handle time (AHT) and first call resolution (FCR). The system provides dynamic content attached to call flows and improve call flow navigation by implementing links that bridge nodes between display sections of a particular call flow and links that cross from one call flow to another.

1. Technical Field
This disclosure concerns a system and method for improving call center support services by providing a dynamic call flow tool to call center agents. In particular, this disclosure relates to an efficient and cost effective way to improve call handling, learning adoption rates, and training timelines for call center agents.
2. Background Information
The growth and globalization of the call center support industry has resulted from the globalization of markets that rely on call center support services. In many cases, the global markets rely on 24×7 call center support in order to handle the enormous volume of customer calls, each of which must be handled in an efficient, correct, and helpful manner. Call center support organizations deliver support services under the constant pressure of lowering operating margins in order to remain competitive and locate call center facilities in economically viable and geographically diverse regions of the world. Vendors in the global market place constantly introduce new technologies and products, which force call center organizations to constantly distribute information on new technologies and products, including new call flows and revised call flows for handling customer inquiries. Accordingly, call centers maintain agent training programs in order to attempt to address new and continually changing call flows, slow learning adoption rates, and long training timelines for call agents.
Call centers measure the performance of call center facilities and individual agents based on many factors, including average handle time (AHT) and first call resolution (FCR). Call centers measure and define AHT as the sum of the average talk time between a consumer and agent and the average after-call work required to resolve the issue that the consumer called for support. Call centers measure first call resolution as an indication of whether an issue is resolved for a caller upon the first call, avoiding a need for a subsequent call. Improved AHT and FCR are goals for most call centers. Yet, significant technical challenges exist to improving AHT, FCR and their related performance parameters.
Many call centers use paper based call flows in an attempt to improve AHT and FCR. However, call center managers must physically distribute to agents located across various geographical locations paper based call flows that are not easy to read, require agents to manually flip through multiple call flows, and determine to which of multiple pages in a complex call flow to turn at any given point. The result is slow learning adoption rates, long training timelines for call agents, and reduced ability to successfully resolve the call.
Therefore, a need exists for a system and method that address the problems noted above and other problems previously encountered.

Call flow framework for consistent troubleshooting across multiple vendors and locations


A hotel room entertainment system enables video games to be played in each room of a hotel without providing a video game generator in each room. The entertainment system includes at a head end system portion in which the video game audio and video signals are generated and a plurality of guest terminals. Game interrogations are provided to each guest terminal in an active game-playing mode, each game interrogation having a plurality of response positions for guest terminal responses to the interrogation. The game interrogations are interleaved with a series of system interrogations generated at the head end system, enabling the entertainment system to provide video game signals along with other entertainment and services to the guest terminals using a single distribution system.

The present invention relates to hotel entertainment systems and, in particular, to a system for enabling video games to be played in each room of a hotel without the need to provide individual video game generators in each room.
In recent years, the use of hotel entertainment systems to provide in-room entertainment and services has become increasingly widespread. Such entertainment systems often include the provision of free television programming and pay-per-view movies. Such systems also often allow the guest to order hotel services such as laundry services and room service, and can provide alternative check-out services. A further potential use for such hotel entertainment systems is the provision of in-room video games.
In-room video games are currently provided through the use of conventional video game generators which are rented from the hotel and connected to the television provided in the room of a guest. This method of providing video games, while currently popular, results in severe wear and tear on the video game generators due to their frequent use and occasional abuse. Further, the renting of a video game generator is inconvenient for a hotel guest who wishes to play for a short period of time but does not wish to make a trek to the front desk of the hotel to rent the game generator.
An alternative method of providing in-room video games is to place a video game generator in each room of the hotel. However, this solution can be expensive and does not solve the problems of theft and wear and tear on the video game generators. Further, a difficulty arises in charging a guest for the use of the video game generator. Either an additional metering device must be installed with the game generator in each room of the hotel or the video games must be offered to the guests free of charge.
It is therefore desirable to find a way in which to enable video games to be played in each room of a hotel which is not prohibitively expensive, minimizes the wear and tear on the equipment used to provide the games and enables a user of the video games to be easily and accurately billed. It would also be desirable for the video games to be able to be provided upon the demand of the user.

Entertainment system for collecting user inputs by periodically interleaving game collection interrogations into series of system interrogations during interruption of system interrogations