Provided is a time correction system which includes a means for performing time correction of time in an operational system device by obtaining standard time information from outside with the operational system device among the devices in the cluster to be a representative device and a means for performing time correction of time in a standby system device having the operational system device as a master and the standby system device as a slave, in which the standby system device obtains time information of the operational system device. The operating state of each device is synchronously controlled so as to set the operational system device as a representative device and also the operational system as a master and the standby system as a slave when there is a change recognized in the operating state, which enables to switch the processing corresponding to the setting.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a time correction system in a calculator system and, more specifically, to a time correction system in a cluster system.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a system in which a plurality of calculators are connected via a communication network, time in a clock controlled within each calculator becomes gradually shifted from the standard time (reference time) or it becomes relatively shifted between a plurality of the calculators due to various factors. Thus, it is necessary to perform the time correction processing for correcting the time difference in the clocks of each calculator to meet the standard time.
In a system in which a plurality of calculators is connected via a communication network, NTP (Network Time Protocol) is a widely well-known technique for adjusting the time in the clocks of each calculator.
In the NTP, there is a logical hierarchy, for communication using the NTP, in the relation between a plurality of calculators connected to the communication network. A calculator (NTP client), which requires time correction, makes an access (inquiry about time information for time correction) only to the NTP server within the same hierarchy or the hierarchy of one higher rank.
The NTP client obtains the time information from the NTP server and adjusts the time of the clock in the own device. The NTP server of the higher hierarchy holding the standard time information provides the standard time information to the NTP client of the lower hierarchy in response to the access. Moreover, in the highest hierarchy (primary) NTP server in which the standard time (reference time) can be directly referred and provided, the standard time information is referred and provided by means of cesium atom clock, GPS and the like.
NTP is a technique designed not to concentrate accesses on one server for correcting time between a plurality of calculators connected via a communication network. Also, it is designed to improve the accuracy of time synchronization by canceling communication delay time due to circuits.
As the related art, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2000-349791 discloses a technique for achieving the overall time correction processing in which, in LAN, an NTP client (representative NTP client) among a plurality of calculators makes an access (time inquiry) to the NTP server representatively and the representative NTP client and a group of other NTP clients perform time correction processing (as the second step of the overall processing) separately from the above-described access, so that the NTP server does not receive accesses from a plurality of NTP servers.
Recently, there is an increasing demand for a cluster system (clustering system). The cluster system is a system for executing services and work by building a system by clusters of a plurality of calculators.
In the above-described cluster system, it is also necessary to perform a prescribed time correction processing in regards to time (clock) held by each device constituting the cluster. Generally, in the cluster system, performance and fault resistance are improved by allotting logical operating state (operation mode) to each device according to a prescribed system operation policy corresponding to use of processing so as to operate the devices in cooperation.
A problem will be generated when the above-described related art regarding time correction is applied to the cluster system. The problem will be described below. An access (inquiry about standard time information) is made to a device or means which provides the standard time information placed outside the cluster system having any one of the devices in the cluster system as a representative device. The device, which obtains the standard time information through communication with outside as the representative within the cluster system, is referred to as the representative device in the followings.
First, the representative device obtains the standard time information from an outside device and performs time correction of the inside clock (=a first time correction processing). Further, devices other than the above-described representative device in the cluster performs time correction (=a second time correction processing) by referring to the time of the representative device (the time which has been corrected to the standard time in the above-described first time correction processing). Through those two of time correction processing, the time of each device in the cluster is synchronized. This processing is repeated in the cluster system at a prescribed timing.
Incidentally, the cluster system is a system with a characteristic in which logical operating state (operation mode) such as operational system (act) and standby system (standby) are allotted to each device according to a prescribed policy so as to change (switch the system) the operational system and standby system according to the condition for executing the overall services and work. Thus, there is a problem regarding how to adapt the factors including the operating state of the devices and the irregular change/switching to the time correction processing.
Especially, it is a problem regarding how to adapt the factors including the operating state of the devices and the irregular change/switching to the execution of time correction processing in the cluster system through providing the above-described representative device.
In the basic operation policy of the cluster system, the operational system is a system which directly executes services and work of the system while the standby system stands by in case when the operational system is down (function stopped) and the like without directly executing services and work of the system to be operated and switched to be a new operational system when necessary. There may be a case where a function of taking over the former operational system is added if high availability is desired.
There are devices of operational system and standby system within the cluster system. Provided the device of either system (operating state) is set to be the representative device and performs the time correction processing, there generates irregular switching of systems (change of the operating state) in the cluster system. Thus, there is a problem regarding how to deal with the representative device according to the switching and changing of the system.
As described, when the representative device is set in the cluster system for performing the time correction processing as the cluster system, there is a problem regarding how to perform appropriate time correction processing through adapting the operating state of each device in the cluster and the irregular change/switching.
For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2001-305256 discloses a time synchronizing system in a plurality of calculators. Specifically, it discloses processing capable of switching a master (hot) and a slave (standby) by duplicating the processing unit in order to increase the reliability of the time synchronization program.
However, the duplicated processing and hot/standby structure is only for the processing unit (time synchronization program) for performing time synchronizing processing and not specifically directed to the processing as the cluster system. Thus, it differs from the object of the system of the present invention, which is to provide the time correction processing as the cluster system comprising the operating state of the devices such as operational system and standby system.

Time correction system in cluster system


An apparatus for separating a partially miscible solvent from a contaminated water stream. The apparatus includes a fully enclosed containment vessel having an internal volume bounded by a plurality of walls which define the width, length and height of the internal volume. Devices for feeding the contaminated water, for discharging a solvent rich vapor stream, and for discharging a purified water stream are provided. A dam separates the internal volume into a phase separation zone and a falling film stripping zone with the dam located proximate one end of the internal volume. The dam includes a wall sealably disposed across the entire width of the internal volume and extended upward to a terminal location a distance from the bottom of the internal volume over a portion of the height of the internal volume. In use, the dam determines and maintains a maximum liquid level in the phase separation zone. Any additional liquid added to the phase separation zone results in a film of liquid flowing into the dam over the falling film stripping zone. The falling film stripping zone includes a surface whereon the film of liquid flows toward the device for discharging the purified water. Devices for heating the film of liquid and water contained in the phase separation zone are also provided. The phase separation zone includes a plurality of baffles disposed therein.

The use of organic solvents or other volatile hydrocarbons in processing chemicals for industrial and consumer use is generally known. Solvents known to be useful include organic compounds like hexane, heptane, toluene, benzene, and other hydrocarbons. Within these processes, organic solvents may come into contact with water. Water thus contaminated with an organic solvent must be treated prior to disposal or reuse by removing the organic solvent to meet regulations targeted to prevent detrimental environmental impacts.
It is known that many of the organic solvents or volatile hydrocarbons are only slightly miscible or partially miscible in water. Thus, the most common way to separate at least a portion of the organic solvent from the water is by gravity or phase separation in which the relatively low solubility of the solvent in the water causes the solvent to separate from the water and form a solvent layer and a water layer with a phase boundary therebetween. However, for purposes of waste water treatment, the separation by gravity is insufficient to purify the water to a point where it may be safely discharged to the environment. Small concentrations of organic solvents or volatile hydrocarbons are soluble in the water. For example, the concentration of hexane in water ranges from 0.02 wt. % at 70.degree. F. to 0.08 wt. % at 110.degree. F. To meet existing and proposed environmental regulations, the concentration of organic solvents must be reduced to near zero before discharging a waste water stream.
Another known property of organic solvents or volatile hydrocarbons in water systems is that many organic solvents form an azeotrope with water at certain concentrations. Thus, the azeotrope prevents a complete separation of the organic solvent from water by heating. Using a hexane/water system as an example, while water boils at 212.degree. F. at atmospheric pressure and hexane boils at 156.degree. F. at atmospheric pressure, a hexane water azeotrope which boils at approximately 142.degree. F. is formed. The azeotrope concentration is approximately 94% hexane and 6% water. Thus, to reduce the concentration of the solvent to near zero by heating a liquid stream and removing a vapor containing most of the solvent, a concentration of water at least equal to the azeotropic concentration must also be removed with the solvent.
An example of a process which utilizes an organic solvent which becomes mixed with water is the process utilized to extract oil from soybeans. In this process, it is known to use hexane to extract soybean oil from the seed after it is ground. The spent solvent contains water and is phase separated to remove most of the hexane from the water. However, a small quantity of hexane is soluble in the water. This waste water must be treated prior to discharge into a sewer, lake or river to strip the water of all significant traces of hexane.
One prior art device utilized to treat the solvent containing waste water stream includes an enclosed vessel into which the waste water is pumped proximate the bottom of the enclosed vessel. A wall extends upward from the bottom of the vessel over a portion of the height to separate the lower portion of the internal volume into two areas. As the waste water enters the first side of the internal volume of the vessel, sparge steam or direct steam is added to the water to heat it rapidly. This heat causes some of the hexane to vaporize. The remaining water is allowed to exit the vessel through the other side of the internal volume.
Applicants have found that such system requires operating temperatures as high as 205.degree. F. to remove substantially all of the solvent in a hexane/water system. This requires an excessive amount of energy and is not economically efficient. Finally, the design of the apparatus gives uneven flow and low surface contact area which contributes to the device's inefficiency. Further, the device is unable to compensate for an upset in which a larger quantity of solvent enters the treatment process and could be separated by phase separation.
Another known apparatus also utilizes an enclosed vessel with counter-current flow of liquid and vapor in a vertical direction to separate the solvent. Liquid in the bottom of the vertical vessel is heated to vaporize a portion of the solvent and water. This design also includes trays which extend part of the way across the width of the vertical vessel to cause mixing of the streams being separated. This system also requires high energy input to reduce the concentration of solvent to acceptable levels due to the inefficiency created by low surface area contact. Further, this system does not compensate for upsets in which the concentration of the solvent may be increased to the point where phase separation would assist in purifying the water stream.
Accordingly, the need exists for a method and apparatus for efficiently reducing the solvent concentration or volatile hydrocarbon concentration in a waste water stream to near zero. An apparatus and method to remove such solvents should provide high surface area to increase the efficiency of separation and should incorporate features which allow phase separation of the solvent from the water by gravity during an upset in which the solvent concentration is greater than the solubility of the solvent within the water. Further, the apparatus should minimize energy consumption by incorporating features which allow complete separation of the azeotrope at reduced temperatures due to increased efficiency of separation. Finally, the apparatus should be designed as a simple, relatively compact unit incorporating each of the above features so that a user may readily install such treatment device for use on existing waste water streams and associated equipment with minimal capital investment.
The present invention addresses these needs as well as other problems associated with existing methods and apparatus for treating contaminated water streams containing a partially miscible solvent. The present invention also offers further advantages over the prior art and solves problems associated therewith.

Apparatus for separating a partially miscible solvent from water


A portable telephone holder has a base seat, a cover covering the base seat, a left and a right lateral clamp devices disposed at two sides of the cover, a positioning seat disposed on a bottom of the cover, a first and a second coupling sliders disposed between the cover and the base seat, and a left upper, a left lower, a right upper and a right lower rubber sleeves disposed on the cover.

The invention relates to a portable telephone holder. More particularly, the invention relates to a portable telephone holder which has a simple mechanism to clamp a portable telephone.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,615,258 has disclosed a portable telephone holder which comprises a bottom plate, a cover covering the bottom plate, two lateral flaps disposed at two sides of the cover, a bottom block disposed beneath the cover, two coupling sliders disposed in the cover, two plastic casings disposed on the bottom block, and four rubber sleeves disposed on the cover. However, the portable telephone holder has some disadvantages. The lateral flaps move slowly. The portable telephone may be engaged with the rubber sleeves so that it is difficult to remove the portable telephone from the portable telephone holder.


A method of making a glass mat includes providing an assembly of glass fibers, applying a binder composition to the assembly of glass fibers, wherein the binder includes an organic resin, and curing the binder composition while dimensionally constraining the assembly of glass fibers. Dimensional constraining includes directly contacting a first major surface and a second major surface of the assembly of glass fibers between two substantially parallel surfaces. Further provided is a glass mat that includes an assembly of glass fibers, wherein the assembly of glass fibers are substantially randomly oriented with a tensile anisotropy of less than about 6 in any two directions. The glass mat has a decreased surface roughness and a decreased caliper compared to an equivalent glass mat having an assembly of naturally packed glass fibers with an equivalent fiber diameter size.

Building materials for construction, such as gypsum wall boards, cement boards, tiles, and roofing shingles, are typically constructed with a glass fiber mat. Chopped strand mat, suitable for use in construction materials, generally includes glass fibers because they are of high strength and tend not to shrink during use. The glass fibers are typically formed by attenuating streams of molten glass material from a bushing. The fibers are drawn from the bushing and the fibers are then chopped directly into a container. The chopped fibers are then dispersed in a water slurry which contains surfactants, viscosity modifiers, dispersants and other chemical agents. The fibers and slurry are agitated to disperse the fibers prior to depositing the mixture onto a moving screen where most of the water is removed. Although this generally describes a wet-laid process, a dry-laid process may be used. A polymeric binder is then applied. After application of the polymeric binder, the resulting mat is heated to remove the remaining water and cure the binder.
Important properties for a glass mat include surface roughness, caliper, tensile strength, and tear strength. These properties are useful in determining the efficacy of the manufacture of glass mat products and final properties of the glass mat. Modifications to the glass mats to improve such properties are desired.
Accordingly, a need continues to exist in the art for improved processes for manufacturing glass mats that can lower product cost and meet the needs of new and demanding applications.

Glass mat and method of making the glass mat


The present disclosure is directed to two information processing methods and an information processing apparatus. An information processing method includes determining, by processing circuitry of the information processing apparatus, an original image having an original image size and a storage path of the original image. The information processing method also includes determining a sample image having a sample image size from the original image by adjusting at least one image parameter. The sample image size is smaller than the original image size. The information processing method includes sending the sample image and the storage path of the original image to a server device.

With the development of communication technology, mobile phones are becoming more and more widely used, thereby greatly expanding people's social-interaction ranges. Meanwhile, based on expanded social-interaction ranges, more and more users are using instant messaging software on the mobile phones to communicate. In the related art, a user may not only use the instant messaging software to send a text, but also use the instant messaging software to send a picture (or an image). Because pictures are more intuitive, more and more users prefer to chat by sending pictures.

System and method for processing image information

Beijing Xiaomi Mobile Software Co., Ltd.


An erase operation in a non-volatile memory includes selecting a block on which to perform an erase operation, erasing the selected block, receiving test data corresponding to the selected block, determining a soft program verify voltage level based on the test data, and soft programming the erased selected block using the soft program verify voltage level. A non-volatile memory includes a plurality of blocks, a test block which stores test data corresponding to each of the plurality of blocks, and a flash control coupled to the plurality of blocks and the test block, the flash control determining a soft program verify voltage level for a particular block of the plurality of blocks based on the test data for the particular block when the particular block is being soft programmed.

1. Field
This disclosure relates generally to memories, and more specifically, to non-volatile memories having a dynamically adjustable soft program verify voltage level.
2. Related Art
A flash memory cell is a type of non-volatile memory (NVM) cell that stores charge on a floating gate. The amount of charge on the floating gate determines a threshold voltage (Vt) of the cell, hence the logic state stored by the cell. Each time the cell is programmed or erased, electrons are moved to or from the floating gate. The floating gate is electrically isolated so that charge is stored indefinitely. However, as geometries continue to scale down, the gm degradation (where gm=ΔIds/ΔVgs) of a flash bitcell with increasing program and erase cycling becomes more significant causing a need to better manage column leakage throughout the lifetime of the part. To address this gm degradation, soft program has been introduced to tighten the Vt distribution of erased cells. However, this soft programming increases erase times for the flash memory thus resulting in decreased system performance.

Non-volatile memory having a dynamically adjustable soft program verify voltage level and method therefor


The present invention provides a backing for a coated abrasive article, wherein the backing includes a tough, heat resistant, thermoplastic binder material, and an effective amount of a fibrous reinforcing material distributed throughout the thermoplastic binder material. The tough, heat resistant, thermoplastic binder material and the fibrous reinforcing material together form a hardened composition that will not substantially deform or disintegrate during use.

Coated abrasive articles generally contain an abrasive material, typically in the form of abrasive grains, bonded to a backing by means of one or more adhesive layers. Such articles usually take the form of sheets, discs, belts, bands, and the like, which can be adapted to be mounted on pulleys, wheels, or drums. Abrasive articles can be used for sanding, grinding, or polishing various surfaces of, for example, steel and other metals, wood, wood-like laminates, plastic, fiberglass, leather, or ceramics.
Many abrasive articles are used as discs, in grinding assemblies. A typical such abrasive sanding or grinding assembly includes: a back-up pad or support pad made from a resilient and reinforced material such as rubber or plastic; an abrasive disc, which is typically frictionally mounted on the back-up pad; and a rotatable shaft and cap for mounting the abrasive disc and back-up pad by pressure applied to the disc upon screwing the cap into the shaft so that the disc is squeezed against the back-up pad. In use, the shaft of the assembly exemplified is rotated and the abrasive coated surface of the disc is pressed against a workpiece with considerable force. Thus, the disc is subjected to severe stresses. This is also true for abrasive articles in other forms, such as belts.
The backings used in coated abrasive articles are typically made of paper, polymeric materials, cloth, nonwoven materials, vulcanized fiber, or combinations of these materials. Many of these materials are not appropriate for certain applications because they are not of sufficient strength, flexibility, or impact resistance. Some of these materials age unacceptably rapidly. In some instances the materials are sensitive to liquids which are used as coolants and cutting fluids. As a result, early failure and poor functioning can occur in certain applications.
A common material used for coated abrasive backing material is vulcanized fiber. Vulcanized fiber backings are typically heat resistant and strong, which are advantageous characteristics when the coated abrasive is used in a grinding operation that imposes severe conditions of heat and pressure. For example, vulcanized fiber is used in certain grinding operations, such as weld grinding, contour grinding, and edge grinding, wherein the coated abrasive can be exposed to temperatures greater than 140.degree. C. Vulcanized fiber backings, however, are expensive, hygroscopic, and thus sensitive to humidity.
Under extreme conditions of humidity, i.e., conditions of high and low humidity, vulcanized fiber will be affected by either expansion or shrinkage, due, respectively, to water absorption or loss. As a result, an abrasive article made of vulcanized fiber will tend to cup, causing a coated abrasive disc to curl either in a concave or a convex fashion. When this cupping or curling occurs, the affected coated abrasive disc does not lay flat against the back-up pad or support pad. This essentially renders the coated abrasive disc inoperable.

Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company


One aspect of the current disclosure provides a method for utilizing a plurality of memories associated with a plurality of devices in a computer system. The method includes: 1) receiving a data set for executing an application employing the devices; 2) determining whether the data set is larger than a storage capacity of any of the memories; and 3) when the data set is larger than the storage capacity of any of the memories, replicating a portion of the data set across the memories and distributing a remaining portion of the data set across at least some of the memories.

In a multi-device computer system, devices can access data locally, e.g., access one's own memory, and access data remotely, e.g., accessing other device's memory. While a local access is generally faster than a remote access, the amount of data a device can access locally is limited to the capacity of the device's own memory and can often become insufficient for data-rich applications of today. A remote access, on the other hand, does not suffer from the capacity issue since it allows a device to access memories of other devices. But as mentioned above, remote access is slow compared to the local access and can be even slower if connected through a slow, conventional link such as Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe). As such, what is needed is a multi-device computer system that utilizes both local and remote accesses to exploit the available memory capacity to the full extent while efficiently running/executing an application.

Application-specific memory scaling in multi-device systems


Small electronic information storage and display devices such as paging devices with a limited number of control buttons allow user navigation of complex data structures by use of a single control button. Where a user has opportunity to branch within the data structure, the duration of control button actuation determines the selected branch. During the predetermined time interval, the user has visual indication of the item to be next displayed if the user maintains actuation of the control button. In this manner, a single control button supports navigation functions as might normally be established by two buttons such as a cursor right button and a cursor down button. Incorporating a second control button under the present invention supports a cursor left and a cursor up button. In this fashion, navigation of complex data structures occurs naturally and intuitively without requiring more than a limited number of control buttons.

As technology advances the overall size of electronic devices shrinks. For electronic devices small by nature, e.g., paging devices, advancing technology significantly increases capability and function. For example, sophisticated paging devices are now available in the form and size of a conventional wristwatch with significant memory storage and information display capabilities.
In one important area, however, size reduction provides limited additional advantage. The user interface, i.e., user-operated buttons, must remain at sufficient size to allow user manipulation of the electronic device. Thus, even where overall size is reduced and electronic capabilities are increased, e.g., a paging device integrated into the form of a wristwatch, user-operable buttons remain at least at a minimal size to support user manipulation. Control buttons must be sufficiently large to allow activation by the user's finger tip. Because of significant overall size reduction, the number of such user-operable buttons is severely limited.
In the case of paging devices, for example, early paging devices could display a paging message received, but upon receipt of the next paging message the previous paging message was lost for lack of storage capability. Soon, however, paging devices stored several of the most recently received paging messages. Due to storage capacity limitations, however, only a limited number of paging messages could be stored. The user could review the stored messages as a simple list of items. For such a simple information structure, i.e., a limited number of items stored as a serial list, a limited number of control buttons allowed user manipulation of the paging device to review the stored paging messages. For example, pressing a single control button while in a display mode moves the display to the next item in the relatively small serial list of stored paging messages.
As paging technology advances, however, paging devices have acquired significantly greater storage capabilities. Accordingly, paging devices, even highly miniaturized paging devices in the form of a wristwatch, store significantly more paging messages and make available such information for review by the paging device user. Furthermore, paging message content has diversified into a variety of categories. Information subscriptions available through a paging service include, for example, sports information, financial information, weather information, and news information. Also, a paging service can notify the user of new voice mail and electronic mail. Paging devices receiving and storing such rich information content hold a relatively complex database of information ranging from personal paging messages to information in a variety of categories such as financial, sports, weather and the like.
As the storage capability and variety of message type categories increases, the complexity of the data structure holding the stored paging messages necessarily increases. For example, storage of paging messages should take into account the message type. A data structure including "folders" or directories holding messages of a given category helps organize the stored paging messages according to user interest. As the user displays stored paging messages, review of only certain categories of interest at that time, e.g., financial information taken from the financial folder, should be possible without review at that time of unrelated paging messages, e.g., weather information in the weather folder. Also, new or unread paging messages should be available for review separate from previously read paging messages.
Similarly, the task of reviewing such rich information structures becomes more complex, especially in the context of a small electronic device with a limited number of control buttons. A serial list of all stored paging messages and single button operation to move serially through the entire list allows access to the entire list, but quickly becomes unacceptable due to the complexity and diversity of the stored information. Simple control schemes become burdensome or impossible when paging messages are stored in more sophisticated data structures, e.g., structures including "folders" holding categories of paging messages. More sophisticated control schemes taking into account the nature and structure of the stored paging messages are possible, but typically require use of more than one control button, and/or complicated or dynamic control button function assignment. For some applications, joy sticks and multiple control buttons have been used. Other applications have proposed use of four to eight direction buttons and an enter or accept button to navigate through complex data structures. With space so important and limited on small electronic information storage and display devices, it can be hard for the user to tell which button to push and when to push it. Preferably, user navigation or review of complex data structures should be natural and obvious to avoid user confusion and increase user satisfaction.
Generally, an acceptable control scheme must be simple and intuitive, not requiring the user to memorize button function assignments and preferably not requiring the user to manipulate more than a limited, and most preferably only one, control button.
Thus, advancing technology provides significant increase in the amount and type of information available for display in small information display and storage devices, but has not made more simple the user's task in reviewing such information due to the limited number of control buttons available on such small electronic devices. The subject matter of the present invention provides the user an ability to more easily review complex information structures by use of a single control button.

Single button control for information display


A recording device includes: a housing having an opening; an opening/closing cover that can be disposed in a closed position where the opening is covered, and an open position where the opening is exposed; a medium holder that holds a medium; a recorder that performs recording on a medium; and a transport mechanism that transports the medium from the medium holder toward the recorder along a transport path, in which the medium holder is provided with, a feed port for the medium, connected to the transport path and an alarm unit that warns that the medium is disposed at a position where the medium can be transported by the transport mechanism, and when the opening/closing cover is disposed in the open position, the feed port and the alarm unit can be visually checked.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a recording device, such as a printer.
2. Related Art
As an example of a recording device, there is a printer that holds roll paper which is long paper wrapped in a cylindrical shape and that performs printing on the roll paper. Such printers may be provided with a lamp on the exterior of a roll paper cover rotatably installed on a main unit. The lamp warns when there is no roll paper (for example, JP-A-2007-50667).
In the above-described printer, in general, after opening the roll paper cover and loading roll paper into the interior of the main unit, by manually feeding the end of the unrolled roll paper into the transport path, the roll paper is disposed at a position where automatic transport is possible. For this reason, the above-described lamp is lit or unlit when the end of the roll paper has been fed up to the position where automatic transport is possible, and the presence of roll paper has been detected.
However, the above-described lamp is disposed on the exterior of the roll paper cover. Accordingly, after the roll paper is loaded and fed and the roll paper cover is closed once, whether the roll paper is fed up to the target position and the lamp is lit is visually checked. Thus, if the roll paper is not fed up to the target position, the roll paper cover is opened, the feeding of the roll paper is reattempted, and the roll paper cover is again closed so as to check the lamp. There is a need to repeat the loading and feeding, and the feeding completion checking, and the problem is that time and effort are required for these tasks.
This problem is not limited to printers that eject ink on roll paper, and is widely shared among recording devices provided with an alarm unit relating to the presence of a medium.


According to one aspect of the invention, for a database statement that specifies evaluating reporting window functions, a computation-pushdown execution strategy may be used for the database statement. The computation-pushdown execution plan includes producer operators and consolidation operators. Each producer operator computes a respective partial aggregation for each reporting window function based on a subset of rows, and broadcasts the respective partial aggregation. Each consolidation operator fully aggregates all partial aggregations broadcasted from the producer operators. Alternatively, an extended-data-distribution-key execution plan may be used. Each producer operator sends rows based on hash keys to sort operators for computing partial aggregations for at least one reporting window function based on a subset of rows. Each consolidation operator receives and fully aggregates all partial aggregations broadcasted from the sort operators.

The approaches described in this section are approaches that could be pursued, but not necessarily approaches that have been previously conceived or pursued. Therefore, unless otherwise indicated, it should not be assumed that any of the approaches described in this section qualify as prior art merely by virtue of their inclusion in this section.
Window functions have been very popular in the user community and become an integral part of data warehouse queries. A class of window functions commonly used in data warehousing is reporting window functions. Database statements in data warehouse environments may involve multiple such reporting window functions at successive hierarchical levels.
Window functions such as reporting window functions are often used as foundational analysis tools for data sets. For example, one or more such window functions may be used to extract information on sales data stored in a database system. This information can be utilized by a company to track sales, evaluate policy, develop marketing strategy, project future growth, and perform various other tasks.
Records from one or more database tables can be grouped according to one or more partition-by keys. Reporting window functions can be calculated based on records in each group. The desired grouping can be specified in a database query, such as a SQL query.
Given the importance of window functions for data analysis, providing a quick result for database queries containing window functions is often an important database performance metric. To answer such a database query in an accelerated fashion, the database query can be formulated as parallel operations when creating a query execution plan for execution by database software in a hardware configuration.
Based on the foregoing, there is a need for developing techniques that can evaluate window functions in a highly efficient and scalable fashion.

Scalable and adaptive evaluation of reporting window functions


A contact image sensor fixing device for an office machine having a frame, a contact image sensor, and a white roller, the contact image sensor fixing device including an elastic unit mounted on the frame to push the contact image sensor against the whiter roller with a particular pressure, the contact image sensor reading data from a document as the document passes between the contact image sensor and the white roller; a holder unit to accommodate and support the contact image sensor; and at least one holder-movable unit freely moving the holder unit against the elastic force of the elastic unit applied to the contact image sensor to maintain an even pressure between the white roller and the contact image sensor when the contact image sensor receives a rotation force of the white roller.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to image forming devices such as office machines, including facsimile machines, multi-function machines, and so on, which use a contact image sensor within a scanning device to scan a document, and, more particularly, to a contact image sensor fixing device for an office machine that can maintain a constant contact force between a contact image sensor and a corresponding sensor roller (referred to herein as a "white roller"), to enhance the quality of read out images.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, an office machine such as a facsimile machine, a multi-function machine, and so on, has a scanning device to scan data recorded on documents, a facsimile device to transfer and receive scanned data through communication lines, and a printing device to print the scanned data, the data received through the communication lines, or data input from a computer on sheets of paper and to output the sheets. The scanner of the office machine is an essential device to transfer data recorded on documents or to print data on sheets of paper.
In FIG. 1, a general scanning device 10 is shown, which is used in an office machine such as a facsimile machine, a multi-function machine, and so on. Such a scanning device 10 has an automatic document transfer part 13 to automatically transfer documents D within the scanning device 10, a scanner 18 for reading out data from each of the documents D transferred by the automatic document transfer part 13, a white roller 19 for pressing each of the documents D against the scanner 18, and a discharge part 21 for discharging each of the documents D that has passed through the scanner 18 and the white roller 19.
The automatic document transfer part 13, which transfers each of the documents D inside the scanning device 10, has a document supply tray 15 in which documents D are loaded, a document load detector 1 for sensing whether the documents D are loaded, a pickup roller 14 for picking up each of the documents D according to operation of the document load detector 1, a friction pad 16 contacting the pickup roller 14 with a predetermined pressure to pick up the documents D sheet-by-sheet by friction, and a supply roller 14′ for transferring the documents D to the scanner 18.
The scanner 18 has a contact image sensor 23 (FIG. 2) to read out data from a document D transferred to the white roller 19 by a rotational force of the supply roller 14′.
As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the contact image sensor 23 is fixed to a frame 25 of the scanning device by contact image sensor fixing devices 30 and 30′. The frame 25 rotatably supports shafts 20 and 20′ of the white roller 19.
The contact image sensor fixing devices 30 and 30′ have holders 32 and 32′ for accommodating and supporting the contact image sensor 23 and balancing the left and right ends of the contact image sensor 23 to enable smooth data readout operations. Hinge shafts 33 and 33′ provided in the respective holders 32 and 32′ are accommodated and supported in hinge shaft accommodation holes 34 and 34′ formed in the frame 25 so that the holders 32 and 32′ can be rotated. Elastic springs 35 and 35′ are mounted on respective spring seats 36 and 36′ of the frame 25 below the contact image sensor 23 to press the contact image sensor 23 in an upward direction so the scan glass face of the contact image sensor 23 can contact the surface of the white roller 19.
The holders 32 and 32′ have respective hook members 41 and 41′ coupled with hook member accommodation grooves 42 and 42′ formed in the contact image sensor 23 to fix the left and right ends of the contact image sensor 23.
The operations of the conventional scanning device 10 as illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 3 are described below.
First, when the documents D are loaded on the document supply tray 15, the documents D slide down due to the weight thereof, triggering an operation of the document load detector 1. Accordingly, a controller (not shown) applies electric power to a driving motor (not shown) to rotate the pickup roller 14.
The pickup roller 14, in concert with the friction pad 16, picks up one of the documents D by frictional force and transfers the picked-up document D to a document entry detector 17. When a user presses a start button of the office machine to transfer or copy data in the document D, the driving motor is driven again so that the supply roller 14′ conveys the document D toward the scanner 18.
Thereafter, as the supply roller 14′ conveys the document D between the scanner 18 and the white roller 19, the scanner 18 reads data from the document D. To read the data from the document, the contact image sensor 23 of the scanner 18 emits light through a light emitter (not shown) while contacting the white roller 19. Light is reflected from the document D to an optical sensor (not shown) as the document D is conveyed by the white roller 19. The output of the optical sensor is sent to an image process circuit (not shown).
The image process circuit compares the data output from the contact image sensor 23 with reference data to perform shading corrections and cording and compressing processes with respect to the corrected data, and sends the processed data to a facsimile device or a printing device for transferring or printing the processed data. To output the reference data, the contact image sensor 23 emits light to the white roller 19 through the light emitter before the document D is conveyed to the scanner 18, and the reference data are based upon the reflected light read by the optical sensor.
When the contact image sensor 23 completes the reading of the document data, the document D is externally discharged by the discharge part 21.
Because the scanning device 10 reads out data while the document D is conveyed onto the scanner 18, the contact image sensor 23 must be fixed at an exact position for the data to be read precisely from the document D. That is, the contact image sensor 23 must be positioned parallel to the white roller 19 for the scan glass face of the contact image sensor 23 to linearly contact the curved surface of the white roller 19.
However, for the contact image sensor 23 to contact the white roller 19, the conventional contact image sensor fixing devices 30 and 30′ are hingedly rotated by the hinge shafts 33 and 33′ of the holders 32 and 32′ within the hinge shaft accommodation holes 34 and 34′ of the frame 25. This causes a problem in that left and right pressures between the scan glass face of the contact image sensor 23 and the white roller 19 can be uneven due to machining and assembling variables such as the degree of flatness of the scan glass face of the contact image sensor 23 attached the holders 32 and 32′, the degree of precision of the positions of the hinge shafts 33 and 33′ of the holders 32 and 32′, the degree of precision of the hinge shaft accommodation holes 34 and 34′ of the frame 25, and so on.
As described above, if uneven left and right pressures are applied between the scan glass face of the contact image sensor 23 and the white roller 19, the contact image sensor 23 and the surface of the white roller 19 do not remain parallel to each other. Thus, the distances between the contact image sensor 23 and the white roller 19 become unequal along the length of the white roller 19, which adversely affects corrections of the document data.
Further, if the uneven left and right pressures are applied between the scan glass face of the contact image sensor 23 and the white roller 19, the document D may become skewed or obliquely conveyed by the white roller 19, resulting in the contact image sensor 23 not reading data precisely from the document D.


A vehicle seat, especially an aircraft passenger seat, has seat components such as the seat part, backrest and at least one console (10) which laterally borders the seat part, which forms an armrest, and which has a holder (12). In the holder (12), at least one display screen (14, 16) can be lowered in to its rest position. The screen can be moved by an adjustment part (18) out of the rest position into the position of use and vice versa. In the position of use for a seat occupant, data displayed on the display screen can be viewed. The functional possibilities are expanded to the extent that the console holder is used to store the display screen, by which a seat occupant can access information, whether in the form of a television program or movie, or in the form of computer displays.

DE 101 32 282 A1 discloses a generic vehicle seat in the form of an aircraft passenger seat, with a console which forms an armrest and with a holder for a plate. The plate holder is articulated to the console by an adjustment mechanism and can be adjusted by that mechanism out of a rest position retracted in the console selectively, into a separating element position in which it is moved upward out of the console and extends the lateral boundary of the seat part upward, and out of the separating element position into a horizontal position forming a table surface. In passenger aircraft with rows of seats in which there are several seats next to one another, efforts have been underway to make available as much privacy as possible to passengers who are sitting next to one another. The known possibility of moving a separating element out of the console between two seats located next to one another contributes significantly to achieving this object. The plate which has been moved upward out of the console forms a type of shielding of the seat area relative to the seat area of the passenger seat located next to it. The known solution does make it possible to use the plate not only as a separating element, but after transfer into the horizontal position, also as a table surface. In spite of this double use, however, other, different possible uses for the holder of the console have not been considered.

Vehicle seat, especially an aircraft passenger seat


A flame retarded resin molding compositions with enhanced weatherable properties, which comprise a polyester and polycarbonate blend modified with an organopolysiloxane-polycarbonate and a glycidyl ester impact modifier for enhancing weatherablity and a flame retarding amount of a halogenated flame retardant.

Impact-modified thermoplastic resin blends that include a polyester resin, a polycarbonate resin and a glycidyl ester impact modifier are known, see, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,112,913 and 5,369,154, and have been used to mold articles, e.g., automotive components such as mirror housings and cowl vent grilles, wherein a glossy, defect-free surface appearance is of extreme importance.
A polymer blend comprising a polyalkylene terephthalate, an organopolysiloxane-polycarbonate block copolymer, and a halogenated copolycarbonate having improved impact, heat distortion and flame retardant properties is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,155,898 to Bopp.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,794,141 to Winfried et al. relates to molding compositions containing polydiorganosiloxane/polycarbonate block copolymers, elastomeric polymers an, if appropriate, polyalkylene terephththalates. The elastomeric polymer is described as a hydrogenated block copolymer of a vinyl aromatic monomer and a conjugated diene.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,994,532 to Hawkins et al. describes functionalized polydimethylsiloxane fluids which react with polycarbonate in the melt to form polydimethylsiloxane/polycarbonate block copolymers. The resultant copolymers are described as transparent and show improved flow.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,026,791 to Hawkins et al. relates to an aromatic carbonate polymer having a siloxane unit in the backbone of the polymer.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,161,498 and 4,155,898, both to Bopp, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,161,469 to LeGrand et al. describe polyalkylene terephthalate resin and an organopolysiloxane-poly-carbonate block copolymer having impact and heat distortion properties.
While articles molded from known impact-modified polyester resin/polycarbonate resin blends provide, e.g., good impact performance, the weatherability of the such articles has been found to be deficient in some applications, i.e., it is desired to retain the impact resistance after long term exposure UV radiation, especially low temperature impact resistance. Hence, it is desirable to provide a molding composition having a combination of flame resistance, impact resistance with enhanced weatherability.

Modified weatherable thermoplastic resin molding compositions and articles molded therefrom


A stator manufacturing device including a winding unit for forming a winding coil made up of a plurality of unipolar coils formed by winding wire, an insertion unit for receiving the winding coil from the winding unit and inserting the winding coil into a stator core, a shaping unit for shaping an outline of the winding coil that has been inserted into the stator core, and a transfer unit that is movable towards the insertion unit and the shaping unit, such that, in a state of holding the stator core, the transfer unit, by relatively moving to the insertion unit, moves the winding coil into a position for insertion into the stator core, and, by moving relative to the shaping unit, forms an outline of the winding coil.

The disclosure relates to a stator manufacturing device for manufacturing a stator by arranging a winding coil, which is formed by winding wire, in a stator core.
In cases where a stator is formed by inserting a winding coil formed by winding wire into a slot formed in an inner peripheral face of a stator core, the winding coil is first formed in a winding jig. The winding coil is then temporarily shifted to an insertion jig and thereafter inserted so as to be positioned within the stator core. A winding device, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-253631, includes a flyer, which is equivalent to the aforementioned winding jig, rotatable and able to supply the wire, a winding frame on which the wire is wound by the flyer, and a blade for receiving the wire wound on the winding frame. Then, a unipolar coil is formed by winding the wire by means of the flyer and the winding frame. The unipolar coil is sequentially dropped onto, i.e. received by, the blade so that a winding coil is formed by multiple unipolar coils. The blade that has received the winding coil is moved to a position facing a stator core, and a coil inserter, equivalent to the insertion jig, is moved so that the winding coil is inserted so as to be positioned within the stator core.


The provided method and control circuit are employed to alternately control the dual boost PFC circuits. The control circuit for alternately controlling parallel-connected first and second boost circuits of a dual boost PFC circuit to achieve a current-sharing of the first and the second boost circuits includes: a first control circuit having a first current control loop for employing an output voltage of the PFC circuit, a feed-forward voltage, and an input reference voltage to generate a current reference, and sending the current reference to an input terminal of the first current control loop to generate a first PWM signal to drive the first boost circuit, and a second control circuit having a second current control loop for receiving the current reference through an input terminal of the second current control loop to generate a second PWM signal to drive the second boost circuit.

The traditional boost PFC circuits are widely used due to their unique features of: simplicity, capability of boosting the voltages, and relatively higher efficiency. Following that the relatively higher power levels of the power sources are more and more desired, several of these modulated boost PFC circuits are required to be coupled in series or in parallel usually. For example, three-level boost PFC circuits are usually employed to let the voltage stresses of the switches be limited to a half of the output voltage in the high voltage applications. In which, apparatuses respectively composed of several boost converters and coupled in parallel are usually employed. Please refer to FIG. 1, it is the schematic diagram of the dual boost PFC circuit in the prior art. In which, two boost units are coupled to the bridge rectifier circuit located at the input side. Compared with the traditional boost converters, the alternatively controlled dual boost PFC circuits have the following advantages: 1. the current level of each unit can be decreased to a-half, and 2. the ripples of the AC current and the output current can be decreased. On the other hand, the configurations of this kind of circuits have their problems: 1. the configurations of the circuits are relatively more complex, 2. the currents of the two sub-circuits are unbalanced due to the discrepancies of the two sets of elements. This phenomenon is relatively more serious when the whole apparatus is operated under the inductor current continuous conduction mode (CCM).
Due to the above-mentioned problems, a simple and effective controlling method for accomplishing the current sharing between the two sub-circuits, controlling the total inductor current, and tracking the output voltage of the bridge-rectifier circuit is required for this kind of circuits. The existing solutions for the aforementioned problem in the prior arts are analyzed as follow.
A dual boost PFC circuit has to guarantee that the total inductor current iL and the rectifying voltage have the same phase such that the AC line current and the AC input voltage could have the same phase, and the current sharing between the two sub-circuits has to be guaranteed also. Thus, there are certain difficulties for this kind of apparatuses to properly accomplish the controlling of the circuit. Firstly, it is the sampling of the current. If the total inductor current iL is sampled, the total inductor current is easy to control, but the balance between the two sub-circuits is not guaranteed. Otherwise, if the inductor current of each sub-circuit is sampled, the current sharing could be guaranteed, but other measures are required to keep the total inductor current and the rectifying voltage at the same phase. Among the traditional controlling methods for the dual boost PFC circuits, the method proposed in "Multiple parallelized boost PFC devices" (China Patent no. CN1353497), which samples the total inductor current and controls the circuit by the power factor control IC UC3854 to make sure that the total inductor current and the rectifying voltage have the same phase. Meanwhile, the output control signal of the UC3854 is divided into two driving signals having a phase-shift of 180 degrees through frequency dividing, which respectively control two sets of main power switches, and let the two sets of power switches conduct alternately. The unique feature of this controlling method is that the total inductor current is being controlled, the AC line current and the AC input voltage have the same phase, and the control circuit is simplified. But this control method does not accomplish the real current sharing, the current difference between the two sub-circuits are not eliminated by this method since there exists current unbalancing between the two sub-circuits due to the discrepancies of the two sets of elements (power switches, boost inductors, output diodes, control circuit dividing elements etc.) of the two sub-circuits. Finally, this will cause the power switch having relatively larger current being over-heated, the boost inductor being saturated, and the efficiency of the system being decreased.
There is another representative controlling method in the prior art, which is proposed by Laszlo Balogh and Richard Redl in "Power-Factor Correction with Interleaved Boost Converters in Continuous-Inductor-Current Mode," Proceedings of APEC' 93, pp. 168–174. A UC3854 control IC is employed to control the total inductor current, to detect the current of each power switch, employ the differential amplifying to amplify the currents of the two sub-circuits, decide the slopes of the two saw-tooth waves for controlling the two pulse signals by the output of the differential amplifier, and accomplish the current sharing. This control method samples the total inductor current, detects the currents of the two sub-circuits, and employs extra peripheral circuits for producing the alternately controlling signals such that the whole control circuit becomes relatively complex due to the total number of elements is increased.
Keeping the drawbacks of the prior arts in mind, and employing experiments and research full-heartily and persistently, the current sharing method and apparatus for alternately controlling the parallel connected boost PFC circuits are finally conceived by the applicants.

Current sharing method and apparatus for alternately controlling parallel connected boost PFC circuits


In some examples, an electrical power system includes a power source and a load modulator configured to receive power from the power source and to deliver power to a load zone. The electrical power system also includes a controller configured to determine a software-controlled power flow limit for the load zone. The controller is further configured to receive information indicating the power delivered to the load zone and to cause the power delivered to the load zone to remain below the software-controlled power flow limit.

A network services exchange provider, co-location provider, or enterprise may operate a communication facility, such as a data center or warehouse. The customers of the co-location provider, or in the case of an enterprise-owned facility, departments or organizational groups, may have equipment such as network, server, and storage gear located in the communication facility. The communication facility includes one or more power sources such as mains power, batteries, and electric generators that supply power to the customers' equipment. The communication facility can include circuit breakers to prevent the current or power flow to any equipment from exceeding a predefined limit.
A controller can monitor the electrical parameters of each piece of equipment to determine the power or current flowing to the equipment and/or the voltage across the supply lines connected to the equipment. Based on these electrical parameters, the controller can detect a potential fault, a short circuit, an overcurrent or overvoltage, or some other problem with the equipment. The controller may then trip the circuit breaker to reduce or eliminate the power flow to the equipment.


A method for remote monitoring of a premises. A geographically remote client is operatively coupled to a security system server capable of authenticating a user of the remote client. The remote client is then operably coupled to a security gateway capable of managing the monitoring of the premises, activating a signal at the premises for notifying an occupant at the premises that remote monitoring is occurring, and transferring information between the security gateway and the remote client. The transfer of information between the security gateway and the remote client is controlled by the user of the remote client. The security gateway may be operably coupled to at least one camera at the premises and to at least one audio station at the premises.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of security systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to a system and method for the remote monitoring of a premises from a location other than the premises.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventional security systems typically protect a building using make/break contacts strategically placed at doors, windows, and other potential entry points and motion sensors in strategic areas inside the building. Other devices include glass breakage detectors, panic or medical alert buttons, temperature and flood sensors, smoke detectors, and P.I.R. (passive infra red) sensors, a type of motion sensor that senses heat differences caused by animate objects such as humans or animals. Also used are vibration sensors which, when placed upon a window for example, detect when the window is broken, and radio frequency (rf), radar, and microwave sensors, as well as laser sensing. When the system is on and a sensor is tripped, a signal is sent through a wire, or using radio frequencies (on wireless systems), to a main controller which sounds a siren and dials out via telephone, an IP connection, or cellular service to the monitoring station whenever an alarm condition occurs.
One technological approach to determining whether or not an alarm condition exists is through the use of separate audio monitors operating in concert with separate alarm sensors.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,591,834 and 4,918,717 are directed to such systems. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,591,834 refers to the use of miniature, low-frequency dynamic microphones. Alarm activities noted at the microphones are verified via a separate network of discriminator sensors which comprise geophones. Signal processing techniques are utilized to distinguish alarm activity. Intrusion and discriminator sensors are arranged in known patterns comprised of multiple sensors of each type. U.S. Pat. No. 4,918,717 refers to a system wherein a number of microphones are distributed about a secured premises in relation to other intrusion sensors. Upon detection of an intrusion alarm, the microphones can be manually enabled one at a time from the central station to allow an operator to listen to audio activity in proximity to the sensor alarm.
Another approach is the use of video images to monitor a location. In many prior art devices, however, the video images may not be received by the monitoring party until several moments have passed after the recorded event has actually taken place, likely causing any response to be late and less effective.
Another disadvantage with existing security systems is that after a person has left the premises, he or she may not be certain that he or she remembered to activate or arm the security system. In prior art systems, it has been necessary to return to the premises to arm the security system or ask someone else to check on the premises and report back to the person. Returning to the premises is time-consuming and inconvenient, and may not be possible if the person is traveling or is otherwise unable to return to the premises.
In addition, the owner of a premises may desire to monitor the premises or communicate with an occupant of the premises, whether or not an alarm has been triggered. One approach for remote monitoring or remote communication involves the use of web cams. A disadvantage to using web cams is that they fail to address privacy concerns by failing to inform or notify the occupant of the premises that remote surveillance is occurring. Instead, the attraction of web cams to consumers is the ability to spy on a location without individuals knowing the web cam is transmitting images of the premises.
Furthermore, the owner of the premises may desire to modify aspects of the security system while he or she is away from the premises. In many prior art systems, the owner is unable to modify certain aspects of the security system. Instead, the security system must be reconfigured by a representative of the security system manufacturer or a complex process using the keypad with limited user interface. It is therefore desirable for a user at a remote location to be capable of arming and disarming the security system, changing aspects of the security system, and generally having access to control the monitoring of the premises from the remote location.
Prior art systems generally do not provide for two-way audio communication. Two-way audio capabilities enable owners of the premises and monitoring personnel to communicate with individuals present at the premises, providing an extra means for determining the status of the premises (such as determining if an alarm event is actually occurring) and, in the case of a remote user communicating with the premises, the opportunity to maintain a sense of control of the premises (such as communicating with a child at the premises).
Prior art systems generally do not provide for hands-free communication by occupants of the premises with a remote user. In cases in which the occurrence of an alarm event has resulted in an occupant being injured or otherwise unable to operate the security system, the only option was to wait for someone to check on the premises and notify the proper authorities. Furthermore, prior art systems generally do not transmit images or sound during non-alarm periods. It is therefore desirable to provide a security system capable of transmitting images and sound during non-alarm time periods, and to further provide a way for individuals at a monitored location to communicate with users accessing the security system from a remote location, and without the need for acknowledging the remote user in order to communicate.
There is a desire to balance security, privacy, and convenience concerns, particularly with residential security systems. Many prior art security systems sacrifice security and lack convenience for the sake of privacy. It is therefore desirable to provide a security system that provides security of the premises, is configurable to address privacy concerns of the occupants, and is convenient for the users of the security system to access the system remotely.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


Method and computer program product for identifying a primary disk storage medium that is higher in a boot order than a secondary disk storage medium in a software RAID, and testing for a hardware failure of the primary disk storage medium during the BIOS power-on self test. The boot order of the disk storage mediums in the software RAID is automatically changed to position the secondary disk storage medium in the RAID higher in the boot order than the primary disk storage medium in response to detecting a hardware failure in the primary disk storage medium. The operating system is then booted from the disk storage medium that is highest in the boot order. A hardware failure may be detected by reading and verifying a predetermined portion of the boot partition of the disk storage medium. Optionally, the predetermined portion of the boot partition may be less than the entire primary disk storage medium, but is preferably sufficient to allow loading of software RAID drivers for the primary and secondary disk storage mediums.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the use of a software-controlled redundant array of independent disks (software RAID), and more specifically relates to dealing with a disk failure in a software RAID system.
2. Background of the Related Art
A redundant array of independent disks (typically referred to by the acronym RAID) refers generally to a group of computer data storage schemes that can divide and replicate data among multiple data storage devices, such as hard disk drives. An implementation of RAID may take the form of hardware RAID or software RAID. Hardware RAID uses dedicated hardware to control the array of disks. This hardware component may be referred to as a dedicated RAID controller. In software RAID, by contrast, the functions required to implement the RAID array are preformed by the system processor using special software routines. Since management of the array is a low-level activity that must be performed in support of other software that runs on processor, software RAID is usually implemented by the installed operating system and drivers which emulate a dedicated hardware RAID controller.
One disadvantage of a software RAID implementation is that a hardware failure occurring in the boot portion of the source disk will prevent the operating system from even loading. Accordingly, the system will become unusable until a system administrator manually restores the system by either replacing the damaged disk or revising the code in the Basic Input/Output System (BIOS). Either approach to restoring the system results in significant downtime and expense.

Resilient software-controlled redundant array of independent disks (RAID)

International Business Machines Corporation


In one embodiment a fiber tray include an arrangement of retaining slots configured to receive retaining clips in a variety of different orientations and sizes. Retaining clips may have standardized sizes to correspond with the arrangement of retaining slots and to secure a variety of components to the fiber tray in different locations and orientations. Fiber management means may be provided to guide fiber optic cable from the components in a variety of orientations and locations. The fiber tray may be configured to move between a stowed position within a node housing in which the mounting surface of the tray faces downward and an access position in which the tray faces upward. The tray may be transparent to allow a technician to view the fiber arrangement without moving the tray from the stowed position.

Cable management is often difficult in CATV enclosures, such as Scientific-Atlanta's Gainmaker® or 1 GHz node, due to the large number of components that must fit within the small enclosure. Typically, a node contains a cable management system that is specifically configured for the particular arrangement of components and cable employed by the customer. In fiber optic applications, such as the GS7000 Node application, an assortment of components are needed to perform common tasks such as combining wavelengths, patching fibers together, splitting optical power, etc. These tasks are typically performed by a particular component or combination of components, such as Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM) modules and Optical Add-Drop Multiplexer (OADM) cassettes, filters, Course Wavelength Division Multiplexing (CWDM) modules, fiber storage devices, adapter bulkheads, etc. These components may be provided by a variety of different vendors and have a variety of different shapes and form factors. This makes it difficult to provide a cable and component management system that can readily accommodate the different modules and resulting cable patterns that different operators may employ.
For example, when an operator wants to upgrade to different components, he may need to rearrange the components to ensure a proper bend radius of cable. Newer, smaller components may provide space savings that would allow for additional components to be stored in the node, but which may also require different cable management techniques than those used with previous components. The inability to easily manage the components and associated cable may limit the capabilities that could otherwise be provided in the node. Furthermore, under many present systems it is difficult for a technician to easily determine the status of components or the particular arrangement without moving components or cables. Inadvertent shifting or misplacing of cables can lead to system performance problems.


A lid locking device enables engagement of a container lid for handling, particularly for an intermodal container, and also enables locking and unlocking of the lid to the container. The lid has fittings disposed at each of its four corners, with recesses for rotatable twistlocks carried on a lifting spreader. The lid and the intermodal container have corresponding twistlock fittings, preferably operated in opposite directions, configured to engage so that the container twistlock can be locked and unlocked using an actuator attached to the spreader twistlock, which likewise can be locked an unlocked. The lid is initially engaged to the spreader using the spreader twistlocks, and the spreader is used to move the lid into position on top of the container. As the lid is placed on the container, the container twistlocks insert into the recesses in the lid fittings. The actuator is rotated, concurrently locking the lid to the container and unlocking the lid from the spreader.

Bulk materials, finished products, parts and components, and also waste materials are frequently transported in large containers that resemble the body portions of semi trailers apart from the undercarriage and wheels. When configured with fittings for engagement with standardized lifting and manipulation fittings, the same containers are useful for transport by ship, rail or roadway, i.e., as intermodal containers.
There are a number of standard sizes for intermodal containers. A typical container short size container is approximately twenty feet long, six to eight feet wide and four to twelve feet deep. Another standard size is forty feet in length. Fittings for cranes and other handling devices are provided, for example, at all eight corners. The fittings can be engaged by manipulators or received by fixed berthing fittings on a ship deck or hold, or on a rail or truck transport bed. The same sort of fittings can attach between the corners of adjacent or stacked containers to secure the containers as well as to align the containers in a registered stack or array.
The corner fittings typically have plates or cast hollow boxes, with oblong entry holes. The devices that engage in the corners, namely the twistlocks, have non-round insertion parts with cross sections that are complementary to the entry holes. When inserted, the insertion parts are rotated on their shafts, e.g., by 90 degrees, using any of various manual or powered mechanical drive means. The rotation renders the cross sections no longer complementary, thereby preventing axial withdrawal without first re-aligning the non-round insertion part with the entry hole. Various types of twistlocks are known. One supplier is Tandemloc, Inc., 824 Highway 101, Havelock, N.C. 28532, tel. (252)447–7155.
Intermodal containers most typically are closed by permanently attached walls except at end doors. One or more doors might be hung on vertical hinge axes for access or on a horizontal hinge axis for dumping. It is known, however to outfit a container with openings such as an open top. A variety of open top containers are available, for example from Wastequip, Inc., 25800 Science Park Drive, Cleveland, Ohio 44122, tel. (216) 292–2554.
A container with a top opening can be fitted with a lid or cover to prevent the escape of loose material from the container and to prevent ingress of water. Among other possibilities, tarpaulin covers, sliding lids and hinged top doors can be used as covers. Advantageously, a lid arrangement can cover just a portion of the top opening of the container. The lid might also cover a top opening that is bounded at a perimeter defined by the outer walls of the container.
Certain roll-top arrangements are available from Wastequip (see for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,364,153—Petzitillo). The lid is arranged to roll to one side wall and then to pivot to move clear of the opening. These arrangements require two distinct structures. One structure is the rolling and pivoting support mechanism that handles moving the lid over the open top of the container or clear of the open top. A second structure is provided for affixing the lid onto the container when in place. The lid is not related to any intermodal fittings or to any devices such as twistlocks that resemble intermodal fittings.
A roll top is convenient in relatively small containers. For larger containers, the lid may be too large to be manipulated by one or two people. It is possible to provide a lid that is placed or lifted in a vertical direction from an opening atop the container. Such a lid can be handled by a crane equipped with an engagement device. A frame, known as a spreader, can be suspended from a crane and has members placed to attach to the lid at spaced points such as at the four corners of a rectangular lid. this allows the position of the lid to be controlled by the position of the spreader frame.
A lid-lift spreader generally conforms to an outer rectangular dimensions of the lid and is much the same as the sort of spreader that is used to engage with the intermodal fittings at the corners of containers, when lifting a whole container as opposed to the lid alone. The engagement devices therefore can comprise four twistlocks. The engagement devices and the lid engagement devices (like intermodal corner structures) have mating non-round male and female elements. These elements are aligned, axially inserted, and relatively rotated. This locks the elements so that the spreader is engaged to the lid (or to the intermodal container) and the crane can lift and manipulate the lid (or the container) as needed. Engaging and lifting the lid is a different problem from attaching the lid to the container.
Current lids are designed to engage a raised lip disposed about the rim of the opening at the top of the container. The lid is designed to fit over and around the lip and is thus generally prevented from being laterally dislodged from the opening. A separate lid locking mechanism may be provided to prevent tampering with the container contents or to further assure that the lid will stay in place on the container.
It would be desirable to combine the beneficial features of a mechanism for engaging and manipulating a lid for an intermodal container with a locking mechanism that will assure retention of the lid on top of the container.

Lid locking mechanism for a spreader twistlock


A motion video signal encoder maximizes image quality without exceeding transmission bandwidth available to carry the encoded motion video signal by comparing encoded frames of the motion video signal to a desired size of frame. If the size of encoded frames differ from the desired size, quantization is adjusted to produce encoded frames closer in size to the desired size. In addition, a cumulative bandwidth balance records an accumulated amount of available bandwidth. The cumulative bandwidth balance is adjusted as time elapses to add to the available bandwidth and as each frame is encoded to thereby consume bandwidth. If the cumulative bandwidth balance deviates from a predetermined range, quantization is adjusted as needed to either improve image quality to more completely consume available bandwidth or to reduce image quality to thereby consume less bandwidth. Rapid changes in the amount of change or motion in the motion video signal are detected by comparing the amount of change between two consecutive frames and the amount of change between the next two consecutive frames. Quantization is precompensated according to the measured rapid change. Conditional replenishment is improved by dividing macroblocks into quadrants and measuring differences between corresponding quadrants of macroblocks. As a result, sensitivity to changes along edges and corners of macroblocks is increased. In addition, sensitivity to changes in a particular macroblock is increased when an adjacent macroblock contains sufficient change to be encoded and therefore not a candidate for conditional replenishment.

With the advent of digital video products and services, such as Digital Satellite Service (DSS) and storage and retrieval of video streams on the Internet and, in particular, the World Wide Web, digital video signals are becoming ever present and drawing more attention in the marketplace. Because of limitations in digital signal storage capacity and in network and broadcast bandwidth limitations, compression of digital video signals has become paramount to digital video storage and transmission. As a result, many standards for compression and encoding of digital video signals have been promulgated. For example, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has promulgated the H.261 and H.263 standards for digital video encoding. Additionally, the International Standards Organization (ISO) has promulgated the Motion Picture Experts Group (MPEG), MPEG-1, and MPEG-2 standards for digital video encoding.
These standards specify with particularity the form of encoded digital video signals and how such signals are to be decoded for presentation to a viewer. However, significant discretion is left as to how the digital video signals are to be transformed from a native, uncompressed format to the specified encoded format. As a result, many different digital video signal encoders currently exist and many approaches are used to encode digital video signals with varying degrees of compression achieved.
In general, greater degrees of compression are achieved at the expense of video image signal loss and higher quality motion video signals are achieved at the expense of lesser degrees of compression and thus at the expense of greater bandwidth requirements. It is particularly difficult to balance image quality with available bandwidth when delivery bandwidth is limited. Such is the case in real-time motion video signal delivery such as video telephone applications and motion video on demand delivery systems. It is generally desirable to maximize the quality of the motion video signal as encoded without exceeding the available bandwidth of the transmission medium carrying the encoded motion video signal. If the available bandwidth is exceeded, some or all of the sequence of video images are lost and, therefore, so is the integrity of the motion video signal. If an encoded motion video signal errs on the side of conserving transmission medium bandwidth, the quality of the motion video image can be compromised significantly.
The format of H.263 encoded digital video signals is known and is described more completely in "ITU-T H.263: Line Transmission of Non-Telephone Signals, Video Coding for Low Bitrate Communication" (hereinafter "ITU-T Recommendation H.263"). Briefly, a digital motion video image, which is sometimes called a video stream, is organized hierarchically into groups of pictures which includes one or more frames, each of which represents a single image of a sequence of images of the video stream. Each frame includes a number of macroblocks which define respective portions of the video image of the frame. An I-frame is encoded independently of all other frames and therefore represents an image of the sequence of images of the video stream without reference to other frames. P-frames are motion-compensated frames and are therefore encoded in a manner which is dependent upon other frames. Specifically, a P-frame is a predictively motion-compensated frame and depends only upon one I-frame or, alternatively, another P-frame which precedes the P-frame in the sequence of frames of the video image. The H.263 standard also describes BP-frames; however, for the purposes of description herein, a BP-frame frame is treated as a P-frame.
All frames are compressed by reducing redundancy of image data within a single frame. Motion-compensated frames are further compressed by reducing redundancy of image data within a sequence of frames. Since a motion video signal includes a sequence of images which differ from one another only incrementally, significant compression can be realized by encoding a number of frames as motion-compensated frames, i.e., as P-frames. However, errors from noise introduced into the motion video signal or artifacts from encoding of the motion video signal can be perpetuated from one P-frame to the next and therefore persist as a rather annoying artifact of the rendered motion video image. It is therefore desirable to periodically send an I-frame to eliminate any such errors or artifacts. Conversely, I-frames require many times more bandwidth, e.g., on the order of ten times more bandwidth, than P-frames, so encoding I-frames too frequently consumes more bandwidth than necessary. Accordingly, determining when to include an I-frame, rather than a P-frame, in an encoded video stream is an important consideration when maximizing video image quality without exceeding available bandwidth.
Another important consideration when maximizing video image quality within limited signal bandwidth is a quantization parameter Q. In encoding a video signal according to a compression standard such as H.263, a quantization parameter Q is selected as a representation of the compromise between image detail and the degree of compression achieved. In general, a greater degree of compression is achieved by sacrificing image detail, and image detail is enhanced by sacrificing the degree of achievable compression of the video signal.
However, a particular quantization parameter Q which is appropriate for one motion video signal can be entirely inappropriate for a different motion video signal. For example, motion video signals representing a video image which changes only slightly over time, such as a news broadcast (generally referred to as "talking heads"), can be represented by relatively small P-frames since successive frames differ relatively little. As a result, each frame can include greater detail at the expense of less compression of each frame. Conversely, motion video signals representing a video image which changes significantly over time, such as fast motion sporting events, require larger P-frames since successive frames differ considerably. Accordingly, each frame requires greater compression at the expense of image detail.
Determining an optimum quantization parameter Q for a particular motion video signal can be particularly difficult. Such is especially true for some motion video signals which include both periods of little motion and periods of significant motion. For example, in a motion video signal representing a football game includes periods where both teams are stationary awaiting the snap of the football from the center to the quarterback and periods of sudden extreme motion. Selecting a quantization parameter Q which is too high results in sufficient compression that frames are not lost during high motion periods but also in unnecessarily poor image quality during periods were players are stationary or moving slowly between plays. Conversely, selecting a quantization parameter Q which is too low results in better image quality during periods of low motion but likely results in loss of frames due to exceeded available bandwidth during high motion periods.
A third factor in selecting a balance between motion video image quality and conserving available bandwidth is the frame rate of the motion video signal. A higher frame rate, i.e., more frames per second, provides an appearance of smoother motion and a higher quality video image. At the same time, sending more frames in a given period of time consumes more of the available bandwidth. Conversely, a lower frame rate, i.e., fewer frames per second, consumes less of the available bandwidth but provides a motion video signal which is more difficult for the viewer to perceive as motion between frames and, below some threshold, the motion video image is perceived as a "slide show," i.e., a sequence of discrete, still, photographic images. However, intermittent loss of frames resulting from exceeding the available threshold as a result of using an excessively high frame rate provides a "jerky" motion video image which is more annoying to viewers than a regular, albeit low, frame rate.
While use of P-frames which avoid redundant information between successive frames reduces the amount of data needed to represent a particular frame of a motion video image, further reductions are achieved by a mechanism known as conditional replenishment. In conditional replenishment, a portion of a frame, typically a macroblock, is compared to the corresponding macroblock of the previous frame. If the differences between the two macroblocks are below a predetermined threshold, the current macroblock is not encoded at all and a flag is set to so indicate. The H.263 standard provides for such a flag in the standard format proscribed by the H.263 standard. In addition to reducing the required bandwidth of the encoded motion video signal, conditional replenishment reduces the amount of processing required to encode a motion video signal. In general, the most computationally expensive component of encoding a motion video signal is the estimation of and compensation for motion which is necessary in encoding motion-compensation frames such as P-frames. By quickly recognizing macroblocks which do not change significantly from frame to frame and therefore avoiding motion estimation and compensation for such macroblocks, the processing resources required to encode a motion video is significantly reduced.
However, conditional replenishment generally introduces particularly annoying artifacts into a decoded motion video signal. The most annoying of such artifacts is best described by way of example. Consider a motion video signal which includes an interview of a person who is shown sitting and moving only slightly and predominantly with head movements (commonly referred to as a "talking head" image). The interviewee's head may occasionally be moved such that just the tips of her hair lie across a boundary between macroblocks. Although macroblocks in which the majority of her head is represented are replaced since corresponding macroblocks differ significantly, macroblocks in which only a very small bit of hair is represented can be sufficiently similar to the corresponding macroblock of the previous frame that the macroblock is not replaced by subsequently encoded macroblocks by operation of conditional replenishment. The proliferation of detached hair tips along rectangular macroblock boundaries is a particularly noticeable and annoying artifact.
A similar annoying effect occurs when an object spans two or more macroblocks and the object moves slightly such that part of the object in one macroblock is sufficiently different to cause a new macroblock to be coded in the subsequent frame while that part of the object in an adjacent macroblock changes so slightly that the macroblock is not replaced in the subsequent macroblock. Consider again the talking head image. Suppose that a macroblock border cuts horizontally across the bridge of the nose of the interviewee. Suppose further that her head moves slightly to one side. Since her eyes include a stronger contrast that her nose and mouth; therefore, the macroblock which includes her eyes can change sufficiently to cause a new macroblock containing her eyes to be encoded in a subsequent frame while the macroblock including her nose and mouth changes insufficiently, due in part to the lower contrast of the nose and mouth, and is not encoded in the subsequent frame. The result is the perception by the viewer that her head is being twisted or stretched. This phenomena is commonly known as "object shear" and is particularly annoying.
Conventional conditional replenishment mechanisms attempt to avoid such artifacts by setting a macroblock distortion threshold, i.e., the degree of similarity between macroblocks required to justify declination of encoding and transmitting the macroblock, so low that macroblocks which include changes as small as hair tips are detected as changed macroblocks and are therefore encoded and transmitted. However, setting a macroblock distortion threshold so low causes macroblocks which differ from corresponding macroblocks of a previous frame only by ordinary noise present in the macroblocks to be encoded and transmitted as well. As a result, any benefit of conditional replenishment in terms of less bandwidth used and less processing resources required is generally not realized when such a macroblock distortion threshold is excessively low. Of course, the danger in leaving such a macroblock distortion threshold too high is that the annoying artifacts described above proliferate.
I-frame placement and quantization parameter Q selection combine to represent a compromise between motion video image quality and conservation of available bandwidth. However, to date, conventional motion video encoders have failed to provide satisfactory motion video image quality within the available bandwidth. In addition, conventional conditional replenishment mechanisms conserve valuable bandwidth but with an unacceptable degradation in motion video signal quality.

Digital video signal encoder and encoding method