A system that uses a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) to uniquely identify a class of resources. The schema uses a URI with a placeholder substituted for the resource name, effectively creating a URI template. Processing of the URI template facilitates retrieval of resource class information. If specificity is required, the URI template can be converted to a specific URI by replacing the placeholder with the name of a given resource or instance to get information about that particular instance. URI templates allow probes to be identified and the probe characteristics to be understood without actually retrieving the probe for a particular instance.

Traditional systems management is largely ad-hoc. Application developers do not have a structured framework for managing applications and hardware while achieving high reliability. Systems can include a number of abstract and/or physical resources in the form of software and hardware. However, there is no way to identify a class or category of resources that all have common characteristics. Such a mechanism is important when trying to discover the resources. For example, an administrator may want to learn what kind of information is available about disk drives without needing to know how many drives are actually available on any given computer or the drive names in order to access such information.
What is needed is an improved mechanism for identifying system resources.

Using URI's to identify multiple instances with a common schema


Disclosed herein is an information processing apparatus configured to distribute stored content to a client reproducing apparatus connected to the information processing apparatus via a network, which may include acquiring means; real item information generating means; extracting means; virtual item generating means; reproduction sequence list generating means; virtual item information generating means; collecting means; and distributing means.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus and method and a program and, more particularly, to an information processing and method and a program that are configured to allow a reproducing apparatus providing a client to continuously reproduce, with a single operation, one piece of content made up of continuously reproducing in a predetermined sequence a range of portions of a plurality of items of content.
2. Description of the Related Art
A technology is generally gaining popularity in which content is shared for use by use of a network typified by DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) and UPnP (Universal Plug and Play), for example.
For example, a technology is proposed in which type of content stored in a server on a network is recognized and, in accordance with the recognized type, a controller presents commands to each user that are selectable for that content by the user, thereby enhancing the ease of operation of that controller (refer to Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-313502).
However, in the above-mentioned example in which a network is used, it is a premise that a reproducing operation be executed individually on each piece of content, so that, when continuously reproducing, in a predetermined sequence, a range of portions of items of content accumulated in a plurality of servers, processing operations have to be repeated that, in the reproduction of a portion of a first piece of content, access is made to a server in which that first piece of content is stored, search is made for a reproduction start position to start reproducing this content, the reproduction is stopped at a reproduction end position, then, access is made to a server in which a second piece of content is stored to reproduce a portion of this second piece of content, search is made for a reproduction start position to start reproducing this content, the reproduction is stopped at a reproduction end position, and so on. Consequently, it is difficult for the above-mentioned related-art technology to reproduce content without interruption.

Information processing apparatus and method and program


A heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) structure is configured so that the heterojunction between hexagonal and cubic materials is electrically active. A first embodiment of the HBT structure comprises both hexagonal and cubic silicon carbide (SiC). The emitter region is fabricated from the higher bandgap hexagonal SiC appropriately doped. The base and collector regions are grown using the lower bandgap cubic SiC. A second embodiment of the HBT structure comprises both a solid solution of SiC material such as an alloy of silicon carbon aluminum nitrogen (SiCAlN) grown upon a substrate of hexagonal SiC. The emitter region can be placed either on the top or bottom of the second embodiment of the HBT structure. Also, the bandgap between the emitter and base regions of the second embodiment can be varied by controlling the mole fraction ratio between the constituent parts of the SiCAlN, i.e., between the SiC and the AlN.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to heterojunction bipolar transistor structures, but more particularly it relates to heterojunction bipolar transistor structures having both cubically and hexagonally structured silicon carbide and/or SiCAlN electrically active regions.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Silicon carbide (SIC) material exists in many configurations known as polytypes. As a semiconductor material, one configuration, termed cubic SiC because of its cubic crystalline structure, has been the subject of worldwide research because it possesses the electron velocity versus electric field characteristics most suitable for microwave and millimeter wave power transistor devices. In the past, much of the research on the growth of cubic (3C) (beta) SiC thin films has been on silicon substrates. The resulting thin films of this earlier research were of poor quality, e.g., typically the thin films contained 10.sup.16 defects/cm.sup.2. The best of the devices represented by this earlier research is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,912,063 to Davis et al., entitled "Growth of Beta-SiC Thin Films and Semiconductor Devices Fabricated Thereon". In the more recent past, methods have been developed to heteroepitaxially grow high quality cubic (3C) (beta) thin films of SiC on hexagonal (6H) (alpha) SiC substrates having a crystalline orientation on the basal plane (c-axis) or within .+-.0.10.degree. thereof. Thus, using these methods, the thin films produced were of comparatively high quality, e.g., typically these thin films contained only 10.sup.4 defects/cm.sup.2. Homojunction planar bipolar transistors have been formed on these films by using, inter alia, high temperature ion implantation of doping ions such that the base and emitter regions are formed therein. Using a similar but somewhat different approach, homojunction mesa bipolar transistors have also been formed on these films. The homojunction devices represented by this research are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,945,394 to Palmour et al., entitled "Bipolar Junction Transistor on Silicon Carbide".
In homojunction planar or mesa bipolar transistors as disclosed in Palmour et al., the transistor gain is derived from the ratio of the emitter doping concentration to the base doping concentration. For a current gain of 10, the base doping must be at least 10 times less than the emitter doping concentration. While this is tolerated in many applications, the lower base doping requirements lead to excessive base resistance and the resulting resistance times capacitance (RC) time constant of the emitter-base junction precludes operation at extremely high frequencies. In the homojunction bipolar devices of Palmour et al., both electrons and holes cross the emitter-base junction (in a typical ratio of 10:1). This leads to unwanted charge carrier storage effects in the emitter-base junction and these unwanted charge carriers inhibit the ability to rapidly turn off the transistor. Heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs) are well known in the III-V semiconductor materials wherein the material of the base is easily lattice-matched to the material of the emitter. The most common example being the use of an aluminum gallium arsenide (AlGaAs) emitter and a gallium arsenide (GaAs) base and collector. The efficacy of the npn HBT is that it provides virtually no barrier for electrons, but a large barrier for holes (or conversely in a pnp structure, virtually no barrier for holes and a large barrier for electrons). This is contrasted to a conventional homojunction bipolar transistor where the electron and hole barrier are essentially equal. In the HBT, charge carriers move in only one direction across the emitter-base junction resulting in an extremely large current gain--providing that there are few defects at the emitter-base junction to create interface charge states. The base in a HBT, unlike the base of the conventional homojunction bipolar transistor, can be impurity doped to a greater concentration than the emitter with negligible effect on gain. As such, the base resistance can be made to be very low and the device can operate at extremely high frequencies. While the use of SiC as a semiconductor material, as taught in Palmour et al., offers many advantages over conventional semiconductor materials in the fabrication of homojunction bipolar transistor devices, there is a need in the prior art to eliminate the excessive base resistance and the resulting resistance times capacitance (RC) time constant thereof in an improved manner.
As discussed in Palmour et al., the prior art is replete with examples of attempts to grow quality thin films, as well as attempts to fabricate junctions, diodes, transistors and like structures using SiC materials. SiC is difficult to work with because it occurs in more than 170 different one-dimensional ordering sequences without apparent variation in stoichiometry. As previously mentioned, these sequences or configurations are known as polytypes. It is also well known in the prior art that cubic (3C) SiC can be grown on [0001] oriented SiC wafers as described in the publication by Yoder et al,, entitled "Silicon Carbide Comes of Age" Naval Research Reviews, March 1989, pp. 26-33. Field effect transistors (FETs) have been fabricated in these resultant 3C SiC on 6H SiC films. As far as is known, in these and all other devices using 3C SiC on 6H SiC, the hexagonal 6H SiC substrate has not been electrically active. Hence, the 6H SiC substrate was merely used as a "holder" for the electrically active 3C SiC superstrate layers.
As discussed in Palmour et al. and Yoder e.t. al., aforementioned, as a semiconductor material, silicon carbide (SIC) offers many advantages over conventional semiconductors. Its chemical bonds are much stronger than those of conventional semiconductors thus rendering it a much harder material (less vulnerable to scratching during processing). These strong chemical bonds render its interatomic spacing (lattice constant) considerably shorter than that of conventional semiconductors. This hardness also suppresses the diffusion or migration of dopant impurities within the semiconductor. As such, the diffusion dominated wear out mechanism typical of III-V power transistors is absent in transistors made of SiC. The high relative hardness of SiC also renders it more immune to radiation damage. The dielectric constant of SiC is only 9.5 as compared to 11.8 for silicon, 12.8 for GaAs, and 14 for InP. This lower value significantly reduces the parasitic capacitance loss in SiC integrated circuits and extremely high frequency transistors. Unlike the conventional III-V semiconductors, SiC does not exhibit a region of negative electron mobility to reduce frequency response at high power. Stated differently, its charge carrier velocity is highest at the high values of electric field strength--exactly the property required for a combination of high power at high frequency operation.
To reiterate, the attributes of SiC have long been known; however, until recently SiC semiconductor material could not be produced with sufficient perfection to lead to viable production yields of electronic devices. For all of its superlative attributes, SiC suffers from the lack of other lattice-matched materials of its IV--IV semiconductor group. This is the reason, it is believed, that there has been no meaningful heterojunction activity in SiC devices. However, with the advent of single crystalline cubic (3C) SiC films grown on single crystalline hexagonal (6H) SiC wafers, this limitation can be overcome.
To amplify the above teachings, it is believed that the advantages of HBT transistors have not accrued to conventional stoichiometric SiC technology because there have been no suitable lattice-matched interface semiconductor materials. Attempts to fabricate devices by growing non-lattice-matched stoichiometric SiC emitters on lower bandgap silicon base and collector films are known in the prior art, but the severe lattice mismatch between these materials resulted in large interface state densities thereby rendering the devices virtually useless. Such devices (by virtue of the much lower breakdown voltage of silicon) are also not capable of providing the above-stated advantages of devices comprised solely of SiC. Non-stoichiometric SiC emitters on silicon base and collector structures including heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) structures have also been described in a U.S. patent application by Goodman et al., entitled "Trenched Bipolar Transistor Structures", U.S. Ser. No. 07/796,553, filed on Nov. 22, 1991, and assigned to the same assignee as the present application. These HBT structures, while overcoming the interface problem, greatly reduce the magnitude of the heterojunction offset potential and thereby limit the magnitude of the charge carrier velocity advantages that can be achieved in a complete SiC HBT structure. The non-stoichiometric approach also suffers the same disadvantages of the stoichiometric SiC on silicon device relating to breakdown voltages. Consequently, there is a need in the prior art to fabricate a silicon carbide (SIC) heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) structure having an electrically active heterojunction of cubic (beta) type SiC material on a substrate of higher bandgap hexagonal (6H) (alpha) type SiC material in an improved manner.
A silicon carbide (SIC) heterojunction bipolar transistor structure, which uses cubic (beta) SiC on hexagonal (alpha) SiC to form an electrically active heterojunction, according to the present invention, is believed an improvement over the prior art. This is so, inter alia, because the bandgap of cubic (beta) SiC is 2.2 eV while that of hexagonal (alpha) SiC is 3.0 eV, which permits a heterojunction offset potential of 0.4 eV between these two polytypes of SiC material. While the present structure has many attributes as previously disclosed, there is room in the prior art for improvements in at least three important areas, e.g., increase the variation in bandgaps (including larger heterojunction offset potentials), eliminate double positioning boundary defects and fabricate structures in an emitter region up configuration.
As further background, solid solutions of silicon carbide (SIC) are well known in the prior art. The alloy of silicon carbon aluminum nitrogen (SiCAlN) is believed to have the greatest potential as a semiconductor material. Single crystalline semiconducting thin films of SiCAlN are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,382,837 to Rutz, entitled "Epitaxial Crystal Fabrication of SiC:AlN". Various mole fraction ratios of SiCAlN were described in the publication by Dmitriev, entitled "SiC-Based Solid Solutions: Technology and Properties" Proc 3rd Int'l Conf on Amorphous and Crystalline Silicon Carbide and Other Group IV--IV Materials, Howard University, Washington, D.C., Apr. 11-13, 1990, pp. 1-21. Since aluminum nitride (AlN) is latticed-matched to silicon carbide (SIC), virtually any mole fraction ratio of this material can be synthesized with resulting bandgaps of 2.2 eV for cubic SiC through 6.2 eV for hexagonal (2H) AlN. This permits a heterojunction offset potention of 1.5 eV between these two compounds.
To continue, when SiC layers are grown epitaxially on 6H SiC substrates, the resulting layers can be either 6H, 3C, or mixture of 3C and 6H in crystalline structure. If the 6H substrate is cut such that its surface is >3.0.degree. off the [0001] basal plane, then the resulting epitaxial layer is entirely of 6H structure. If the orientation is <0.10.degree. off the [0001] basal plane, then the resulting epitaxial layer is entirely of 3C structure. As previously mentioned, this 3C structured material can be characterized by unwanted double positioning boundary defects.
Recently, epitaxial layers of SiCAlN have been grown on 6H SiC substrates oriented between 0.10.degree. and 3.0.degree. of the [0001] basal plane. In all cases (and unlike the 3C SiC on 6H SiC case), these films were of 3C crystalline structure and without double positioning boundary defects. This is truly an unexpected and as yet unexplained, but reproducible result. Growth was by atomic layer epitaxy (ALE) subjecting the 1120 Celsius 6H SiC surface in sequence to silane (SiH.sub.4), triethyl aluminum [(C.sub.2 H.sub.5).sub.3 Al], ethylene (C.sub.2 H.sub.4), and ammonia (NH.sub.3) after which the cycle was repeated layer by layer. The bandgap of such material is from 2.2 eV to 5.2 eV depending on the mole fraction ratio between the SiC and the AlN constituent parts (Since this is 3C material, the maximum bandgap is 5.2 rather than 6.2 eV for pure 3C AlN.) At mole fractions of AlN exceeding 40.3%, the bandgap of the SiCAlN exceeds that of the 6H SiC substrate on which it is grown while with lower mole fractions, the bandgap of the resulting epitaxial layer is less than that of the underlying 6H SiC substrate.
Epitaxial films of SiCAlN grown by ALE on 6H SiC substrates are of a quality superior to those of 3C SiC films grown on 6H SiC substrates. Moreover, and unlike 3C epitaxial films of pure SiC, the bandgap is controllable between 2.2 and 5.2 eV thereby rendering these films efficacious for heterojunction devices and particularly so for heterojunction bipolar transistors. This efficacy derives from (1) the absence of significant strain at the interface between the 6H SiC substrates and the overlying SiCAlN epitaxial films, (2) the relative similarity of bond angles between the substrate and the epitaxial overlayer thereby reducing the possibility of interface electronic traps that are deleterious to electron devices and (3) the absence of double positioning boundary defects in the overlying SiCAlN layers. Consequently, there is a need in the prior art to fabricate an improved heterojunction bipolar transistor using a solid solution of silicon carbide such as SiCAlN, according to the present invention.

Silicon carbide and SiCAlN heterojunction bipolar transistor structures

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy


A method and apparatus are provided for automatically training or modifying one or more models of acoustic units in a speech recognition system. Acoustic models are modified based on information about a particular application with which the speech recognizer is used, including speech segment alignment data for at least one correct alignment and at least one wrong alignment. The correct alignment correctly represents a phrase that the speaker uttered. The wrong alignment represents a phrase that the speech recognition system recognized that is incorrect. The segment alignment data is compared by segment to identify competing segments and those that induced the recognition error. When an erroneous segment is identified, acoustic models of the phoneme in the correct alignment are modified by moving their mean values closer to the segment's acoustic features. Concurrently, acoustic models of the phoneme in the wrong alignment are modified by moving their mean values further from the acoustic features of the segment of the wrong alignment. As a result, the acoustic models will converge to more optimal values based on empirical utterance data representing recognition errors.

Many automatic speech recognition systems use a pronunciation dictionary to identify particular words contained in received utterances. The term "utterance" is used herein to refer to one or more sounds generated either by humans or by machines. Examples of an utterance include, but are not limited to, a single sound, any two or more sounds, a single word or two or more words. In general, a pronunciation dictionary contains data that defines expected pronunciations of utterances. Each pronunciation comprises a set of phonemes. Each phoneme is defined using a plurality of acoustic models, each of which comprises values for various audio and speech characteristics that are associated with a phoneme.
When an utterance is received, the received utterance, or at least a portion of the received utterance, is compared to the expected pronunciations contained in the pronunciation dictionary. An utterance is recognized when the received utterance, or portion thereof, matches the expected pronunciation contained in the pronunciation dictionary. Recognition involves determining that phonemes identified in the utterance match acoustic models of corresponding phonemes of a particular vocabulary word, within predefined bounds of tolerance.
Often acoustic models are modified or "trained" based on actual received utterances in order to improve the ability of the speech recognizer to discriminate among different phonetic units. Although each acoustic model is associated with a particular phoneme, a dictionary based on such acoustic models may have several entries that sound similar or comprise similar sets of phonemes. These vocabulary words may be difficult for the speech recognizer to distinguish. Confusion among such words can cause errors in an application with which the speech recognizer is used.
One reason that such confusion can occur is that acoustic models are normally trained using generic training information, without reference to the context in which the speech recognizer or a related application is used. As a result, the speech recognizer lacks information that can be used to discriminate between phonemes or other phonetic units that may be particularly relevant to the specific task with which the speech recognizer is used.
For example, the English words AUSTIN and BOSTON sound similar and may be difficult for a speech recognizer to distinguish. If the speech recognizer is used in an airline ticket reservation system, and both AUSTIN and BOSTON are in the vocabulary, confusion of AUSTIN and BOSTON may lead to ticketing errors or user frustration.
As another example, consider the spoken numbers FIFTY and FIFTEEN. If the speech recognizer is used in a stock trading system, confusion of FIFTY and FIFTEEN may lead to erroneous orders or user frustration.
Examples of prior approaches that use generic modeling include, for example:
B. Juang et al., "Discriminative Learning for Minimum Error Classification," IEEE Transactions on Signal Processing 40:12 (December 1992), at 3043;
Q. Huo et al., "A Study of On-Line Quasi-Bayes Adaptation for CDHMM-Based Speech Recognition," IEEE Trans. on Speech and Audio Processing, vol. 2, at 705 (1996);
A. Sankar et al., "An Experimental Study of Acoustic Adaptation Algorithms," IEEE Trans. on Speech and Audio Processing, vol. 2, at 713 (1996);
L. Bahl et al., "Discriminative Training of Gaussian Mixture Models for Large Vocabulary Speech Recognition Systems," IEEE Trans. on Speech and Audio Processing, vol. 2, at 613 (1996).
The approaches outlined in these references, and other prior approaches, have significant drawbacks and disadvantages. For example, the prior approaches are applied only in the context of frame-based speech recognition systems that use hidden Markov models. None of the prior approaches will work with a segment-based speech recognition system. A fundamental assumption of those methods is that the same acoustic features are used to match every phrase in the recognizer's lexicon. In a segment-based system, the segmentation process produces a segment network where each hypothesis independently chooses an optimal path though that network. As a result, different hypotheses are scored against differing sequences of segment features, rather than all of them being scored relative to a common sequence of frame features.
In segment-based systems, alternate acoustic features, which are different from the primary features described above and again differ from one hypothesis to the next, are sometimes used. There is a need for an approach that enables discrimination between acoustic units of secondary features where the prior approaches still fail.
In addition, the prior approaches generally rely on manual human intervention to accomplish training or tuning. The prior approaches do not carry out discriminative training automatically based on utterances actually experienced by the system.
Based on the foregoing, there is a need for an automated approach for training an acoustic model based on information that relates to the specific application with which a speech recognition system is used.
There is a particular need for an approach for training an acoustic model in which a speech recognizer is trained to discriminate among phonetic units based on information about the particular application with which the speech recognizer is being used.

Method and apparatus for discriminative training of acoustic models of a speech recognition system


In the field of electrotherapy, there are currently known devices and methods, in which either the frequency or the amplitude of a therapeutic current is varied. According to a representation of the amplitude on a logarithmic frequency scale, said methods are designated correspondingly as methods of vertical or horizontal stimulation. Various advantages and disadvantages are associated with both methods. The invention relates to a device for carrying out an electrotherapeutic method, according to which the amplitude (A) and the frequency (f) of the therapeutic current (iB) are simultaneously varied within a therapeutic frequency band (fB), which lies in the medium frequency range, in such a way that the method is carried out in discrete frequency steps, either in the range of different frequencies lying just below a stimulation threshold (RS), or periodically between a stimulation that lies above the threshold and a stimulation that lies below said threshold.

The invention relates to an electro-therapeutic device for the treatment of the preferably human body with electrical currents having a defined frequency and amplitude. The device comprises at least two flat electrodes that can be connected with the body to be treated, for closing a current circuit via said body, in connection with which a treatment current, the amplitude (A) and frequency (f) of which can be simultaneously modulated, can be introduced into the body to be treated.
Such a device is known already from the Japanese patent application JP 5-212 126 A.
A similar device, which, however, is operated without simultaneous modulation of the amplitude and frequency, is known from the European patent specification EP 0 659 099 B1.
A distinction is made in connection with this known electro-therapeutic device between two methods of application of stimulation current:                the "polar stimulation principle" that is depending on the polarity; and        the "non-polar stimulation principle that is independent of the polarity.
The polarity stimulation principle is applicable to low-frequency currents in the range of from 0 to 200 Hz, and the non-polar stimulation principle is applicable to so-called medium-frequency currents in the range of from about 1 to 100 kHz.
Furthermore, in the field of electro-therapy, a distinction can be made between stimulation effects that depend on the frequency, and stimulation effects that are independent of the frequency. Furthermore, methods are known that elevate these effects in an isolated manner and combine them with each other in a useful manner.
In connection with the methods depending on the frequency, the frequency of the treatment current is varied, and the amplitude of the treatment current is varied in connection with the methods depending on the amplitude.
If, in a double-logarithmic system of coordinates, the thresholds of the frequency are represented as a function of the frequency, whereby the intensity of the voltage or current are represented as ordinate values and the frequencies as abscissa values, the result is an approximately straight-line development of the curve. However, the developing curve is ascending in an approximately straight-lined manner only because the intensity threshold values rise to a relatively higher degree as the frequency values are rising, so that the ascent of the curve grows to a minor extent with the increase in the frequency accordingly. Expressed in other words, the approximately straight-lined curve "is sagging through a little".
The aforementioned, only approximately straight-lined development of the curve represents the stimulation threshold, thus -a frequency-dependent intensity threshold value that is triggering action potentials when it is exceeded.
The frequency at which this threshold is repeatedly exceeded due to repeated variation of the amplitude, determines the frequency at which the above-mentioned action potentials are triggered in conjunction with the stimulation method depending on the amplitude.
In the aforementioned system of coordinates, the treatment currents applied in the field of electro-therapy depending on the frequency are flowing in a horizontal straight line, and the treatment current generated in the case of the treatment depending on the amplitude are flowing on a vertical straight line.
The two methods are accordingly referred to also the horizontal and the vertical stimulation.
Purely below-threshold applications are known in connection with both methods are well if, in the therapy, importance is attributed to effects other than the described stimulation effects.
The successes achieved in electro-therapy primarily relate to the areas of alleviating pain, the stimulation of cross-striated and smooth musculature, of influencing the blood circulation and the metabolism; inhibition of inflammation, and promotion of the regeneration in the area of healing wounds and bones.
The basis for the therapeutic spectrum of currents are their physical parameters and the influences that are derived from these parameters and are acting on the functions of the structures of the biological systems being treated.
Such parameters of the current are most of all the frequency with its modulations; the modulation frequencies; and the intensity parameters such as the voltage, the current intensity, the output; the locally effective field strength; the current density, the output density etc., as well as in turn their modulation as the amplitude modulation at the amplitude modulation frequency and the degree of modulation.
In connection with currents, a distinction has to be made between systemic and local compatibility, as it has to be made in connection with pharmaceuticals.
The systemic compatibility of currents is determined most of all by the electro-toxic dosage required for triggering cardiac ventricular fibrillation, or for triggering epileptic attacks.
The "poorest" local compatibility is exhibited by direct current because of the risk of causing local burns and cauterization. Low-frequency currents are quite incompatible as well because of the poor manner in which they can be inroduced into the body transcutaneously, and the low local pain thresholds deriving therefrom. Furthermore, in most cases, low-frequency currents also comprise a direct-current component with the problems mentioned above.
The disadvantages of low-frequency currents and of direct current can be avoided in connection with the so-called "horizontal stimulation" in the intermediate frequency range between 1 kHz and 100 kHz according to the device known already from EP 0 659 099 B1. The principle consists in that in the system of coordinates mentioned above, a horizontal low-frequency change in the carrier frequency takes place in such a manner that a variation is effected between an above-threshold and a below-threshold carrier frequency range, i.e. the medium-frequency carrier frequencies are frequency-modulated at a low frequency.
In this connection, the method of horizontal stimulation is not free of drawbacks either. In order to reach the threshold of a group of sensitive motor or sympathetic nerve fibers, the intensities are raised to the same extent between an upper and a lower corner frequency. The threshold of a nerve fiber is first exceeded in this connection with the lower corner frequency. After the threshold has been reached, the duration of the above-threshold state in the range of the lower carrier frequencies is still short as compared to the below-threshold state in the range of the higher carrier frequencies.
If the number of nerve fibers stimulated above the threshold is to be increased in order to raise, for example the intensity of the muscular contraction via a greater number of stimulated motor nerve fibers, or via a greater number of sensitive sympathetic fibers, or for the purpose of amplifying the intensity of the counter-irritation for the alleviation of pain, or for the purpose of intensifying peripheral effects of vasoconstriction via a greater number of sympathetic fibers, the duration of the above-threshold state is prolonged for the fibers whose threshold have been exceeded first, and the duration of the below-intensity state is reduced, and if the intensity is raised further, even the entire modulation period may be in the above-threshold range.
A continually growing number of nerve fibers are in fact stimulated above the threshold with each increase in the intensity; however, the "above-the-threshold" time increases at the same time for the fibers already stimulated above the threshold, so that due to the omission of interruption via the generation of volatile excitomotor activity, a permanent polarization with corresponding blocking may finally entail.
For a major part of the fibers, the modulation of the frequency therefore still takes place only in the above-threshold range.
In that case, the desired range of stimulation that is synchronous with the stimulation frequency is vacated and the range of the volatile excitomotor activity is entered into instead, without any clear relation to the stimulation frequency and discharge frequency of the stimulated structure in terms of time. Finally, the risk is posed that a permanent polarization of the cells is caused, i.e. of the nerves or muscles that actually should have been stimulated. In connection with nerves, the local permanent polarization leads to line blockage, and in connection with muscles to a reversible physiological contraction.
For these reasons, it is not possible according to the method of horizontal stimulation to generate maximal tetanic contractions, as it is possible by means of vertical stimulation.
According to EP 0 659 099, a further field of application of horizontal stimulation consists in the generation of so-called interferences. In this connection, two medium-frequency currents that have only minor frequency deviations among each other, are superimposed for generating low-frequency interference currents. An amplitude modulation ensues in the field of superimposition of the medium-frequency currents mentioned above. The modulation of the amplitude is caused by the difference in the frequency of the two medium-frequency currents supplied. The aim of such a superimposition of two or more current circuits is to raise the intensity of the treatment by adding up the individual intensities, so that action potentials or heat are generated in this range.
In this connection, a distinction can be made between phases of the pure heat treatment, and of the heat treatment with action potentials and treatment pauses, by controlling the method accordingly.
During the treatment pauses, in which neither heat nor action potentials are generated, a non-stimulatory metabolism effect remains that is referred to as the so-called "green metabolic effect". This designation is to be understood as being the delimitation vis-à-vis the "yellow stimulation effect", in connection with which the groups of nerves are stimulated in a targeted and stimulating manner.
In the interference therapy, the current circuits are applied by means of the respective electrodes in such a manner that the field of superimposition develops in the respective region of treatment.
A further drawback of the device already known from EP 0 659 099 consists in that relative long pauses of the sensitive perception are unavoidable in connection with the so-called slow horizontal frequency modulation. Only "green metabolic effects" are expected during these pauses; however, these effects could be exploited in a more efficient manner with an amplitude that is higher than the one usually applied in connection with this method.
In addition to the prior art described in the foregoing, devices have become available in the market in the meantime in conjunction with which it is possible to select between methods of the vertical and methods of the horizontal stimulation. This younger generation of devices is therefore adapted to carrying out both methods alternatively.
The invention is based on the problem of providing an electro-therapeutic device that avoids the drawbacks of the prior art and offers a constant level of the safety standard in conjunction with increased treatment comfort and an expanded field of application.
The object constituting the basis of the invention is resolved by an electro-therapeutic device according to the features of the invention. Advantageous further developments of the invention are also specified.
Owing to the fact that according to the invention, a treatment current is generated that is simultaneously amplitude- and frequency-modulated within a medium-frequency range of from 1 to 100 kHz, and that this current is introduced into the body to be treated, the benefits and possibilities of horizontal and vertical stimulation are united in one single method, on the one hand, and, furthermore, the shortcomings that are necessarily inherent to these methods are avoided on the other.


In particles for image displaying used in an image display device, in which one or more kind of particles are sealed between opposed substrates, at least one substrate being transparent, and, in which the particles are made to fly and move so as to display an image, each particle has a micro-irregularity at its surface. Moreover, in an image display device, in which one or more kind of particles are sealed between opposed substrates, at least one substrate being transparent, and, in which the particles, to which an electrostatic field produced by two kinds of electrodes having different potentials is applied, are made to fly and move so as to display an image, use is made of each particle having a micro-irregularity at its surface.

As an image display device substitutable for liquid crystal display (LCD), image display devices with the use of technology such as an electrophoresis method, an electro-chromic method, a thermal method, dichroic-particles-rotary method are proposed.
As for these image display device, it is conceivable as inexpensive visual display device of the next generation from a merit having wide field of vision close to normal printed matter, having smaller consumption with LCD, spreading out to a display for portable device, and an electronic paper is expected.
Recently, electrophoresis method is proposed that microencapsulate dispersion liquid made up with dispersion particles and coloration solution and dispose the liquid between faced substrates. However, in the electrophoresis method, there is a problem that a response speed is slow by the reason of viscosity resistance because the particles migrate among the electrophoresis solution. Further, there is a problem of lacking imaging repetition stability, because particles with high specific gravity of titanium oxide is scattered within solution of low specific gravity, it is easy to subside, difficult to maintain a stability of dispersion state. Even in the case of microencapsulating, cell size is diminished to a microcapsule level in order to make it hard to appear, however, an essential problem was not overcome at all.
Besides the electrophoresis method using behavior in the solution, recently, a device without using the solution is proposed, in which two or more groups of particles having different colors and different charge characteristics are sealed between two substrates and the particles, to which an electrostatic field is applied, are made to fly and move so as to display an image. [The Imaging Society of Japan "Japan Hardcopy '99" (Jul. 21-23, 1999) Transaction Pages 249-252] Since this device is a dry type as opposed to the electrophoresis method, there is a merit such that a moving resistance of the particles is small and thus a response speed is fast.
The dry-type display device mentioned above has an operation mechanism such that a mixture of two kinds of the particles having different colors and different charge characteristics is sandwiched by electrode plates and an electric field is generated between the electrode plates by applying a voltage to the electrode plates, thereby flying the charged particles having different charge characteristics in a different direction to obtain a display element.
As to forces applied to the particles, there are an attraction force between the particles due to Coulomb' force, an imaging force with respect to the electrode panel, an intermolecular force, a liquid bridging force and a gravity.
When the force applying to the particles due to the electric field is larger than total forces mentioned above, the particle fly occurs.
In the case that an actual drive circuit in the image display device takes into consideration, it is preferred that the drive voltage is lowered. As a large factor for defining the drive voltage, there are mainly an intermolecular force and a liquid bridging force. If these factors are made to be lowered, a decrease of the drive voltage is instantly achieved. Therefore, it is very important to improve these characteristics.
Moreover, in order to obtain god operation properties, it is preferred that an electrostatic property is made to be higher to some extent. Therefore, it is another task to obtain the particles having an excellent electrostatic property. The electrostatic property of the particle itself for the image display is the most important factor when a force generated by applied electric field and an adhesion force between the particles or to the substrate are controlled. However, the electrostatic property of the particle is normally under control of a material of the particle itself, and thus it is difficult to control it accurately by the particle itself.
Further, in the case that fine particles are used in a display element, it is necessary to use white color particles and black color particles so as to make a contrast on color tone clear. Contrary to this, polymerized fine particles obtained from a general-purpose resin show an achromatic color, but, since they are fine particles, they look like a white color by an irregular reflection of light. However, in the case that they are used with the black particles in the image display device, a contrast ratio lacks and thus whiteness is decreased.
In order to improve the whiteness, there is a method such that white fine powders such as titanium oxide powders or zinc oxide powders are included in the particle. However, in the case that the white fine particles are to be included during a particle polymerization by means of a polymerized method, it is necessary to control a surface affinity by performing a coupling agent treatment with respect to the white fine powders, so that the white fine powders are included in the particle effectively. Therefore, the producing method becomes very complicated.
Further, in the case that the method mentioned above is utilized, it is normally difficult to control a particle size. For example, a method, such that the particles are produced by kneading, grinding and classifying a mixture of a main resin and white fine powders constituting the particle, is proposed. However, in this case, it is not possible to obtain the particles having a narrow particle size distribution if the classifying operation is not performed. Moreover, since a mechanical grinding is performed so as to obtain the fine particles, it is difficult to obtain the particles having a particle size of 8 μm or less even if the fine particles having a particle size under the above level are to be obtained.


An image pickup apparatus that is capable of dissipating heat generated by an image pickup device efficiently, even when a small image pickup device that has electrode pads on almost all the back face is used. The image pickup apparatus has a lens assembly. An image pickup device photoelectrically converts subject light that is incident on the lens assembly. The image pickup device is implemented at one side of a device substrate. A heat dissipation section that dissipates heat generated by the image pickup device is provided at the other side of the device substrate. A heat dissipation sheet is thermally connected to the heat dissipation section at one end, and is thermally connected to an exterior of an apparatus body at the other end.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a thin image pickup apparatus, such as a digital camera.
Description of the Related Art
An image pickup apparatus, such as a digital camera, is required to attain multi-functionality by improving image quality and processing speed in addition to being compact and thin. This increases a heat value of an image pickup device, and requires efficiently dissipating heat generated by the image pickup device.
There is a known technique that perforates a substrate of an image pickup device and arranges an elastic heat dissipation member in the perforated hole so as to contact a back of the image pickup device (see Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2012-70272 (JP 2012-70272A)). Heat generated by the image pickup device is conducted to the heat dissipation member and a heat dissipation plate that contacts the heat dissipation member.
Moreover, there is another known technique that attaches a base to a back of an image pickup device package and forms a plurality of fins on a back of the base (see Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2008-64863 (JP 2008-64863A)). Heat generated by the image pickup device is conducted to the fins through the base and is dissipated to the inside of an image pickup apparatus.
Incidentally, some image pickup apparatuses in recent years employ small image pickup devices of a BGA (Ball Grid Array) type or a LGA (Land Grid Array) type in order to miniaturize apparatus bodies. Such an image pickup device has electrode pads on the back face thereof and can connect signal lines with a substrate through the electrode pads when the device is implemented.
Since an image pickup device of the BGA type or the LGA type has electrode pads on almost all the back face, a part of the electrode pads cannot connect to a substrate when an area of the substrate on which the image pickup device is implemented is perforated. That is, the heat dissipation structure proposed by JP 2012-70272A cannot be applied to such a type of an image pickup device.
Moreover, an image pickup device and a substrate thereof may be arranged close to another heat source (for example, a main board unit) in a compact and thin image pickup apparatus.
In this case, when heat of the image pickup device is dissipated to the inside of the image pickup apparatus using the technique of JP2008-64863A, the internal temperature of the image pickup apparatus rises rapidly, which may increase the temperature of an IC on the main board unit rapidly, for example. Moreover, when another heat source close to the image pickup device and to the substrate has larger heat value than that of the image pickup device, heat from the other heat source may be conducted to the image pickup device through the fins, which increases the temperature of the image pickup device.
Incidentally, it is necessary to arrange a lens unit having an image pickup device and a main board unit having an image processing circuit, a control circuit, etc. appropriately in a camera body when decreasing a thickness of a digital camera in the vertical direction, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. H6-326905 (JP H6-326905A) discloses a video camera in which a frame is attached to a side of a lens unit having an image pickup device and a video signal processing board (a main board unit) is arranged to the frame so as to be parallel to the side of the lens unit.
Moreover, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2012-173330 (JP 2012-173330A) discloses an image pickup apparatus in which a shade hood is mounted at a subject side of an exterior member and a circuit board (a main board unit) is arranged in an inside space of the shade hood at the counter side of a subject. The circuit board is arranged at an outer position of one side of the lens unit so as to be parallel to the side of the lens unit.
In both of JP H6-326905A and JP 2012-173330A, the main board unit is arranged at the outer position of one side of the lens unit so as to be parallel to the side of the lens unit. When a digital camera, which is thin in the vertical direction, is going to be achieved by applying such an arrangement, a main board unit will be arranged at an outer position of an upper side or lower side of a lens unit so as to be parallel to the upper side or the lower side of the lens unit.
In this case, the thickness of the digital camera in the vertical direction is at least larger than the total thickness of the lens unit and the main board unit.

Image pickup apparatus having decreased thickness in the vertical direction


A transformerless data access arrangement (DAA) device facilitates data transfer between a high speed modem device and a central office telephone line (i.e., a phone line). The DAA device uses D/A and A/D converters in conjunction with a pair of nonlinear opto-couplers that function as an isolation barrier. The A/D converter converts an analog signal received from the phone line into a one-bit modulated digital signal. The digital signal is relayed by the nonlinear opto-couplers to a processor. Since the relayed signal is digital, the use of nonlinear opto-couplers does not result in unacceptable levels of noise and distortion. This is relevant since high speed modems have stringent noise and distortion requirements. A phone line supply voltage is regulated internally and used to power the DAA device. When the processor detects a ring signal on the phone line, the processor generates a control signal which places the A/D and D/A converters in idle mode while sending a caller ID directly to the processor. The processor also initiates a control signal to place the DAA device in and out of its normal operation mode if an off-hook condition is detected.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to data access arrangement devices, which facilitate data transfer between high speed analog modem devices and a telephone central office line, and more particularly to data access arrangement devices employing solid state isolation techniques without the use of transformers or linear opto-couplers.
2. Description of the Related Art
Data Access Arrangement (DAA) devices connect a central office telephone line with end-user equipment. The end-user equipment is typically a high speed analog modem device (e.g., V.32bis or V.34 modem), but DAA devices may also be used with facsimile machines, answering machines, key telephones, two-wire transceivers for short haul modems, and other types of user-defined equipment. The DAA device typically provides line monitoring, filtering, isolation, protection, and/or signal conversion. Conventional DAA devices use transformers to provide some of these functions, particularly isolation. Also, the prior art has used solid state DAA's that use signal modulation to pass through isolations.
The advent of high speed modems and the Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA) card standard, however, has resulted in more stringent demands on systems employing DAA devices, and hence, on DAA devices themselves. For example, high speed modems require that DAA devices function at higher bit rates while simultaneously meeting stringent noise and distortion requirements. The PCMCIA card standard introduces size and weight requirements.
Conventional transformer-based DAA devices have difficulty meeting the PCMCIA size and weight requirements and also have difficulty meeting the performance requirements at higher speeds. As a result, solid-state, transformerless DAA devices have been attempted. For example, opto-couplers have replaced transformers in some DAA device designs. These designs, however, are typically limited to low speed modems due to an inability to meet the stringent noise and distortion requirements at higher speeds; or else they require linear opto-couplers, which can be prohibitively expensive. In another approach, capacitors have replaced transformers as the isolation device. Capacitor designs, however, typically require redundant circuitry in the signal path, resulting in an overall reduction of the system signal-to-noise ratio.
Accordingly, there is a need for a transformerless DAA device which operates at high speeds while meeting stringent noise and distortion requirements but which is not prohibitively expensive.


A method is provided for reducing the amount of wear particulates generated by a total joint orthopaedic implant. The implant consists of two matched articulating components wherein at least one of the components is made of polymer or other material with similar physical properties. The method includes the steps of placing the total joint orthopaedic implant in a fluid bath and articulating the implant in the fluid bath for at least 1,000 cycles. The articulation may be performed in three stages. In the first, the implant is articulated under a load of substantially 0.1-500 Newtons with sliding speeds of substantially 0.01-0.5 meters per second. During a second stage the articulation takes place under a load of substantially 100-2,500 Newtons with sliding speeds of substantially 0.01-0.5 meters per second. In the third stage the articulation takes place under a load of substantially 2,500-10,000 Newtons at sliding speeds of 0.5-2.0 meters per second. The method also includes pre-implantation creeping for the polymer component. This improves the wear resistance of the polymer component, as well as, increases the conformity between the matched articulating components resulting in reduced wear particulate generation.

Each year approximately 500,000 human joints require replacement as a result of debilitating disease or damage from an accident. Hip and knee joints represent a majority of these. To meet this need, a variety of total joint orthopaedic implants have been designed and are presently being marketed by various manufacturers. Examples of these are shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,021,063 to Tager; 5,030,238 to Nieder et al.; 5,108,452 to Fallin; and 5,180,394 to Davidson.
Total joint orthopaedic implants are composed of two articulating components. The first of these components includes a concave surface made from a polymer or a ceramic (usually the former). The second of these components includes a convex counterface, typically formed of either metal or ceramic that is designed to slide or roll over the polymer or ceramic surface.
Ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene remains the dominant polymer for utilization in the construction of concave bearing surfaces in total joint orthopaedic implants at the present time. To prevent undue wear to this bearing surface, the hard metal or ceramic counterface of the other component of the total joint orthopaedic implant should have an exceptionally smooth surface as roughness is directly related to the wear rate. The average surface roughness of, for example, a hip joint is about 0.025 .mu.m. It should be appreciated, however, even such a smooth hard, metal or ceramic surface generates wear particulates from the softer polymer surface. These wear particulates, unfortunately have been shown to be associated with adverse tissue reactions over time.
Specifically, the wear particulates stimulate cellular activity in the form of an immune system response. More specifically, inflammation and foreign body reactions result including macrophage and foreign body giant cell activity. This process leads to the production of bone resorbing cytokines (e.g. IL-1, IL-6, P6E-2, etc.) which lead to destruction of the bone tissue holding the implant securely in place. These conditions likely contribute to the loosening of prosthetic components eventually resulting in pain and failure of the total joint orthopaedic implant.
The shape, size and volume of the wear particulates produced may determine the type and extent of the adverse tissue and cellular reactions that are stimulated. It is hypothesized that very small wear particulates are transported away from the implant site and eliminated by the lymphatic system. More specifically, these very small particulates are phagocytized and transported through the lymphatic system by macrophages. The volume or rate of the particulates that the macrophages can phagocytize and transport, however, may be less than the volume or rate of particle generation. Furthermore, this volume or rate may depend upon the material composition of these small particulates, as well as their shape or size. Accordingly, the lymphatic system may become overloaded as a result of increased wear rates with the resulting particulate generation leading to an accumulation of wear particulates in the tissues around the total joint orthopaedic implant. This may produce a chronic inflammatory response that eventually leads to bone resorption.
Although larger wear particulates generally remain in the tissue surrounding the implant, they also can produce a chronic foreign body response which may eventually give rise to bone resorption. Accordingly, it should be appreciated that wear particulates have been repeatedly associated with aseptically loosened implants, a condition that eventually requires total joint orthopaedic implant replacement surgery. A need is therefore identified for a procedure to reduce the number, or modulate the shape and size of wear particulates generated in a human from a total joint orthopaedic implant. By successfully addressing this need, it is possible to increase the service life of the total joint orthopaedic implant and thereby reduce the need for difficult, painful and costly revision surgery.
Recognizing the problem resulting from wear particulate generation, a number of solutions have been proposed. As set out in the article entitled "Clinical Reviews: Particulate Debris And Failure of Total Hip Replacements" by Murali Jasty in the Journal of Applied Biomaterials, Volume 4, pp 273-276 (1993), these approaches include: the use of polyethylene components with more than 8 mm wall thickness and the use of head sizes smaller than 32 mm; the use of non-titanium alloys; the use of circumferential porous coatings on the femoral components; the use of prosthetic designs and surgical techniques to obtain rigid initial fixation at surgery, the minimizing of the modularity of the components and the surface hardening of the metal surface with techniques such as nitrating or ion implantation.
While each of these approaches is successful to some degree, none is directed to removing laps, folds and other surface irregularities (which form wear debris and would otherwise be produced in the body after implantation) prior to the implanting of the total joint orthopaedic implant into a patient. Further, while some clinical studies of the generation of wear particulates in a total joint implant have been completed and still others are ongoing, there has been absolutely no suggestion in the art that any method could be utilized to pre-wear a pair of matched implant joint bearing surfaces prior to implantation so as to significantly reduce the amount, rate of generation, or change the shape or size of wear particulates generated following implantation and thereby increase the service life of the total joint orthopaedic implant.
In addition, none of the known approaches are directed to increasing the conformity between the bearing surfaces of the articulating components which comprise the total joint orthopaedic implant. Particularly, there is no suggestion in the art that a method of pre-loading a pair of matched implant joint bearing surfaces, either above or with a pre-wearing process could be utilized to increase the conformity and to reduce the amount or change the shape or size of wear particulates generated following implantation and thereby increase the service life of the total joint orthopaedic implant.

Implant pre-treated for reducing the generation of wear particulates

The University of Kentucky Research Foundation


A developing unit incorporated in an image forming apparatus and having a waste toner container for collecting a waste toner and a fresh toner container containing a fresh toner and adjoining the waste toner container. When the waste toner container is filled with the waste toner, the developing unit causes the waste toner to enter the fresh toner container while preventing the fresh toner from entering the waste toner container. A wall separates the waste toner and fresh toner containers from each other and is formed with an opening. A shutter is associated with the opening and opens when the pressure inside the waste toner container increases due to the waste toner. The waste toner which enters the fresh toner container via the opening is agitated together with the fresh toner as far as possible and then fed to a developing roller or is collected in a container whose volume is variable.

The present invention relates to a developing unit incorporated in an image forming apparatus and having a fresh toner container and a waste toner container which adjoin each other.
It is a common practice with a copier, facsimile transceiver, laser printer or similar image forming apparatus to electrostatically form a latent image on a photoconductive element by an electrophotographic process, develop the latent image to produce a toner image by a developing unit, and then transfer the toner image to a recording medium. The toner remaining on the photoconductive element after the image transfer is removed by a cleaning device.
The developing unit may be provided with a waste toner container and a fresh toner container adjoining each other with the intermediary of a wall, as disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 74033/1974. In this type of developing device, the toner removed from the photoconductive element, i.e., waste toner is collected in the waste toner container, while a fresh toner to be fed to the developing unit is stored in the fresh toner container. As soon as the fresh toner container runs out of the fresh toner, it is removed from the unit together with the waste toner container and discarded. To enhance the efficient use of toner and the life of the unit, the waste toner collected in the waste toner container is again fed to a toner hopper to be reused for development.
However, reusing the waste toner is not desirable from the developing characteristic standpoint since it has a different developing characteristic from the fresh toner, i.e., it is usually constituted by the toner left in the image area and background of the photoconductive element without being transferred to a recording medium. This part of the toner carries an opposite charge or an unstable charge thereon. In light of this, the entire amount of waste toner may be collected in the waste toner container adjoining the fresh toner container. This, however, has a problem that the amount of waste toner to be produced depends on the ambient conditions and the kind of documents and, is, therefore, almost impossible to estimate beforehand. While the waste toner container may be provided with a sufficient volume, i.e., a volume which would accommodate the entire fresh toner, such a waste toner container is impractical since the space available in the developing unit is limited. In practice, therefore, the amount of waste toner to be produced is estimated by multiplying the amount of fresh toner by an experiential ratio and adding some margin to the product. As a result, when the actual ambient conditions are different from estimated ones, it is likely that the waste toner fills up the waste toner container and, in the worst case, flows out of such a container to smear the interior of the apparatus.

Developing unit for an image forming apparatus having adjoining fresh and waste toner containers


According to the present invention, there is disclosed a radio transmitter comprising: a signal processing section which outputs a control signal for designating one of first and second communication systems and a base band signal; a frequency synthesizer for outputting an LO signal corresponding to the control signal; a quadrature modulator into which the base band signal and LO signal are inputted; a first terminal for the first communication system; a second terminal for the second communication system; a first radio section which is disposed between the quadrature modulator and the first terminal and corresponds to the first communication system; a second radio section which is disposed between the quadrature modulator and the second terminal and corresponds to the second communication system; and a switch which passes an output signal from the quadrature modulator through any one of the first and second radio sections in response to the control signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a radio transmission apparatus and radio transmission method for use in a radio communication system, particularly to a multimode radio transmitter which can be used in a plurality of radio communication systems.
2. Related Background Art
A radio apparatus for use in a radio communication system is divided into a transmission apparatus (hereinafter referred to as a transmitter) used for the radio apparatus to transmit a signal, and a reception apparatus (hereinafter referred to as a receiver) used for receiving the signal sent from another radio apparatus.
There are various types of configurations of the transmitter and receiver, and the most suitable configuration to satisfy system requirement of the radio communication system at which the radio apparatus aims is employed as the configurations of the transmitter. Three types of configurations frequently used as a transmitter configuration will briefly be described hereinafter.
(First Transmitter Configuration: Translation Loop)
FIG. 13 shows a transmitter configuration called "Translation Loop". The configuration also has other names such as "Modulation Loop", but here the name "Translation Loop" will be used.
In the "Translation Loop", since a phase lock loop (PLL) is composed of a phase comparator 5, loop filter 6, first voltage control oscillator 7, frequency converter 8, and second synthesizer 9, an RF oscillator signal outputted from the first voltage control oscillator 7 is a signal having remarkably little noise.
However, the configuration of the "Translation Loop" can be used only in the radio communication system using frequency modulation such as a Gaussian-filtered minimum shift keying (GMSK) modulation.
An operation of the "Translation Loop" will briefly be described hereinafter taking the radio communication system (hereinafter referred to as GSM900) called global system for mobile communication (GSM) using a 900 MHz band as an example.
First, GMSK-modulated base band signals inputted via I and Q channel base band signal input terminals 1, 2 are multiplied with a first local oscillator (LO) signal outputted from a first synthesizer 3 in a quadrature modulator 4, and frequency-converted to an intermediate frequency (IF) signal. Additionally, a 90° phase shifter is omitted (this also applies to all the drawings hereinafter).
Subsequently, the IF signal outputted from the quadrature modulator 4 is inputted into a phase comparator 5.
On the other hand, the first voltage control oscillator 7 outputs a radio frequency (RF) oscillator signal corresponding to a voltage given from a loop filter. The RF oscillator signal outputted from the first voltage control oscillator 7 is inputted into the frequency converter 8. The frequency converter 8 multiplies the RF oscillator signal outputted from the first voltage control oscillator 7 with a second LO signal outputted from the second synthesizer 9, and ideally the frequency of the IF signal outputted form the first voltage control oscillator 7 and the frequency of the IF signal outputted from quadrature modulator is the same. The IF signal outputted from the frequency converter 8 is inputted into the phase comparator 5. The phase comparator 5 compares the phase of the IF signal inputted from the quadrature modulator 4 with that of the IF signal inputted from the frequency converter 8, and outputs a voltage corresponding to a phase difference of the two signals to the loop filter 6. The loop filter 6 attenuates unnecessary high-frequency signals except direct current and low-frequency signals which are generated in accordance with the phase difference of the two IF signals. The first voltage control oscillator 7 outputs the RF oscillator signal corresponding to the voltage outputted from the loop filter 6.
The RF oscillator signal outputted from the first voltage control oscillator 7 is outputted from the first signal output connector for "Translation Loop" 10.
(Second Transmitter Configuration; Super-Heterodyne)
FIG. 14 shows a transmitter configuration called a "Super-Heterodyne". An operation of the "Super-Heterodyne" will briefly be described hereinafter taking the radio communication system called wide-band code division multiple access (W-CDMA) as an example.
First, the hybrid phase shift keying (HPSK) modulated base band signals are inputted via the I and Q channel base band signal input terminals 1, 2 and multiplied with the first LO signal outputted from the first synthesizer 3 in the quadrature modulator 4, and the IF signals are outputted from the quadrature modulator.
Subsequently, the IF signal outputted from the quadrature modulator 4 is inputted into a first IF variable gain amplifier 11 and the IF signal power is amplified. Next, the IF signals outputted from the first IF variable gain amplifier 11 are inputted into a first IF band pass filter 12, and unnecessary signals in the IF signals are attenuated. The IF signal is inputted into the frequency converter 8. The frequency converter 8 multiplies the IF signal outputted from the first IF band pass filter 12 with the second LO signal outputted from the second synthesizer 9, and outputs the RF signal. The RF signal outputted from the frequency converter 8 is outputted from a signal output terminal 13 for the "Super-Heterodyne".
The "Super-Heterodyne" can be used regardless of a modulation, and is broadly used in various radio communication systems. Moreover, as the gain dynamic range of the IF variable gain amplifier can be large, the "Super-Heterodyne" is particularly used in the radio communication systems which need a large transmission power control range.
(Third Transmitter Configuration; Direct-Conversion)
FIG. 15 shows a transmitter configuration called "Direct-Conversion". An operation of the "Direct-Conversion" will be described hereinafter taking the radio communication system called personal digital cellular (PDC) using a frequency of a 800 MHz band as an example.
In this configuration, first, the base band signals inputted via the I and Q channel base band signal input terminals 1, 2 and multiplied with the first LO signal outputted from the first synthesizer 3 in the quadrature modulator 4, in order to frequency-convert to the RF signals.
Subsequently, the RF signal outputted from the quadrature modulator 4 is inputted into a first RF variable gain amplifier 14 to amplify power. Next, the RF signals which are outputted from the first variable gain amplifier for RF 14 and from which the unnecessary signals are removed by a first band pass filter for RF 15 are outputted. The RF signal outputted from the first band pass filter for RF 15 is outputted from a signal output terminal for "Direct-Conversion" 16.
Similarly as the "Super-Heterodyne", the "Direct-Conversion" can be used regardless of the modulation, and is therefore used for the radio communication systems using various modulation. Moreover, since the amplifier and filter for the IF stage is unnecessary, a transmitter can be miniaturized as compared with "Super-Heterodyne". Therefore, the "Direct-Conversion" is often used, when the radio apparatus is to be miniaturized.
As described above, for many of the conventional radio apparatuses, the above-described transmitter configurations have been designed exclusively for the respective radio communication systems, and an exclusive-use radio apparatus has been constituted for each radio communication system.
(Multimode Radio Apparatus)
In recent years, cellular phone users have increased all over the world, and various radio communication systems have been used. Therefore, there has been an increasing demand for a so-called "multimode radio apparatus" such that one radio apparatus can be used in a plurality of radio communication systems.
For example, when a transmission section of the "multimode radio apparatus" is realized by a conventional method of constituting the transmitter exclusive for each radio communication system and, for example, when the multimode radio apparatus can be used in three radio communication systems GSM/W-CDMA/PDC, as shown in FIG. 16, the same number of transmitters exclusive for the respective radio communication systems as the number of radio communication systems are arranged, and the transmitters are large-scaled. Additionally, each of the first and second synthesizers 3 and 9 includes the same number of voltage control oscillators as the number of the corresponding radio communication systems.
On the other hand, there has been a demand for a convenient, small-sized and light-weight radio apparatus superior in portability.

Radio transmission apparatus and radio transmission method


The present invention provides a solution to the needs described above through a system and method for a business applications server. The automated system of the present invention uses a persistence framework to provide a process for saving and restoring state of business objects and for performing operations thereon, and metadata driven processes to dynamically define class properties and behavior for each class of business object, in order to control the execution of the required tasks with minimum use of redundant data input to the several applications, thereby minimizing the use of hardware resources and user input and programming effort.

Today software systems developers are providing more efficient automated systems for managing the processing of information from multiple, inter-related applications, wherein the applications may be housed on disparate hardware platforms and in diverse locations, and wherein the overall use of computer hardware resources are efficiently managed and the efforts of the users are made more efficient by the reduction of redundant inputs to the multiple disparate but related systems.
Prior art systems of this type typically have an infrastructure which is tightly coupled to application products, specific hardware platforms and specific Operating systems and related services. Such systems are difficult to maintain, difficult to upgrade and difficult to extend to other applications as well as usually requiring redundant data input for their specific applications.
In the past, developers have turned to object-oriented programming (OOP) to improve programming and code maintenance efficiency for such systems and to the use of hardware platform independent languages like Sun Microsystems™ JAVA™ language and system, as tools for developing such platform independent applications support systems. Until recently, the use of Java has been focused on the client side of the client-server system architecture with the development of JavaBeans™ and Java servelet generation. More recently, the technology required to allow distributed objects to communicate with each other across either the client-server or server-server boundary has been provided by the EnterpriseJavaBeans (EJB)™ component architecture. This new architectural system and related tools and systems are well documented and well known to those skilled in these arts. These tools and related systems are described in various whitepapers and tutorials found on the Sun web site at www.java.sun.com as well as in a plethora of books on JAVA and JAVA programming.
However, there remain significant technical problems in crafting a concrete, tangible and useful business applications server which is generally compliant with the EJB architecture specification but which is not bound by vendor specific constraints and which is flexible enough to allow individual business users to add custom data to business objects which are EJB compliant. In addition, business systems are making additional use of the Extended Markup Language (XML) protocol for process communication and data transmission between clients and servers and between servers themselves. Consequently there is a technical need in a business applications server to accommodate XML formatted communications and to accommodate the interchange between Java Business Objects and XML.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a business applications server system and methods which can provide hardware platform independence, but also can provide a metadata process for including user specific data in business objects and for an efficient and useful interchange between Java compliant objects and XML.
The current invention provides these facilities in various new and novel ways as more fully described below.

Method and apparatus for a business applications server


An invention is provided to efficiently create, deploy and conduct highly realistic and interactive cyber simulation exercises. In the invention, a collection of virtual machines and associated resources (such as compute, storage, and networking) can be modified by a simulation author by adding components and/or executing actions that will make up stage(s) in each exercise(s) required by a simulation, where a simulation is a collection of exercises and stages. When saved, a stage becomes part of an exercise and can be deployed to a workspace. Participants in the simulation use the workspace to achieve a mission associated with each stage. The invention uses replicas of real life computing environments, where these replicas are adapted for participant interaction, and where these replicas comprise logical elements such as startup sequences of individual components. The invention can also provide features such as zero overhead data copy (ZODC) and/or parallelized data ingestion.

1. Field of the Invention
The Invention, CyberVR™ is a Process to efficiently create, deploy and conduct highly realistic and interactive cyber simulation exercises.
2. Description of the Related Art
Interactive simulations of production systems in the Information Technology world rarely reflect realistic environments due to the high cost and complexity required to prepare, deploy, and conduct them using representative systems. In the majority of the cases the exercises are theoretical "table-top" activities, or are based on generic scaled down versions of common application environments. Neither delivers the degree of realism required to provide the high quality actionable information and insight that simulations are designed to provide.
Some companies and technologies provide agility in the cyber world but with a different focus. Virtualization technologies like VMware provide some level of agility to data center operations but is "component" focused. From our research, and corroborated by highly respected industry consultants in this space, up to now nobody has taken a multi-disciplinary approach that combines virtualization, advanced storage technologies, and authoring/simulation methodologies to create a process specifically designed to prepare, deploy, and conduct agile, interactive, and realistic Cyber simulations.

Method and system for interactive cyber simulation exercises


A tire trouble detection device detects occurrence of a trouble in a tire. The tire trouble detection device comprises a detection unit which detects a change of state of a layered composition portion arranged in layers inside an outer sheath forming an outside surface of the tire, the layered composition portion forming a frame of the tire. A determination unit receives a result of the detection from the detection unit and determines occurrence of a trouble of the layered composition portion based on the received result of the detection.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the tire trouble detection technology of detecting the occurrence of troubles in the tires of an automotive vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
In order to make the automotive vehicle run safely, it is indispensable to keep the states of the tires normal. If a trouble occurs in any of the tires, it is necessary to detect it exactly and take the suitable measures to eliminate it. Conventionally, the technology of detecting the occurrence of troubles in the tires is known.
For example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 7-081337 discloses a tire trouble detection device in which the electrodes are arranged in the tread portion and the rim portion in the air cell of the tire, respectively, and the distortion of the tire is detected based on the static capacitance that varies according to the distance between the electrodes.
Moreover, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 7-081341 and Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 9-193627 disclose the technology similar to the above-mentioned device.
According to the conventional technology disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 7-081337, it is possible to detect the occurrence of troubles, such as the drop of the air pressure of the tire or the rapid unusual deformation of the tire. However, it is difficult to detect the partial plastic deformation in the carcass, the inner liner, etc. of the tire inside.
When the tire steps on the curbstone on the road or the safety rivet (called the cat's eye) embedded in the road surface or the road center line, the layered composition portion in the tire inside, such as the carcass, may be damaged and the swelling (or bulging) of the sidewall portion of the tire may occur, although it does not result in the rapid unusual deformation.
If it results in the rapid unusual deformation, the possibility that the driver notices the trouble in the tires is high. In such a case, the conventional technology can detect the occurrence of the trouble. However, if it does not result in the rapid unusual deformation and the trouble occurs in the tire inside only, the possibility that the driver does not notice the trouble even by visual inspection remains. In such a case, the conventional technology cannot detect the occurrence of the trouble.


An information processing apparatus comprises: a manual login unit configured to display a login screen, and to perform user authentication using user information input through the login screen; an auto login unit configured to perform user authentication using user information held beforehand, without displaying the login screen; a determination unit configured to determine whether or not a password included in user information of a user who is to log in is required to be changed; and a control unit configured to cause not the auto login unit but the manual login unit to perform the user authentication, in the case where the determination unit determines that the password is required to be changed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and a non-transitory computer-readable medium, and particularly relates to a user password management method.
2. Description of the Related Art
An information processing apparatus such as a personal computer, a tablet, or a multi-function peripheral (MFP) having login/logout function is commonly known. Software such as an application, a database, or a website having unique login function apart from the login function when using the information processing apparatus is known, too. A user finds it troublesome to, after logging in to the information processing apparatus, perform a login operation again to use the software. Accordingly, the software having unique login function may have "auto login function" of automatically logging in to the software using information stored in association with the user information of the information processing terminal.
The software having login function is also commonly known to have a function of managing a password policy (such as password complexity and validity period) as a measure against user spoofing, for data protection (for example, see Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-318304). Such software has a function of displaying, on the display of the information processing apparatus, a screen prompting the user to change his or her login password in the case where the complexity of the password is below specified complexity or in the case where the validity period of the password is about to expire. Typically, the timing of displaying the screen prompting for the password change is immediately after the user performs a login operation using the pre-change password.
However, the following problem arises in the case of using both the "auto login function" and the "password change prompting function". For example, the timing of prompting for the password change is typically immediately after the login operation to the software. In the case where the auto login function is on, however, the user performs no login operation, and so there is no timing of displaying the screen prompting for the password change. If the screen prompting for the password change is displayed despite auto login, the user may become confused, unable to recognize where the password to be changed is managed. The user may be, for instance, unable to recognize whether the password change is for the information processing apparatus or the software.
For example, an information processing apparatus having a large display can display the login screen and the password change screen simultaneously on its operation unit, thus preventing confusion on the user. An information processing apparatus such as an MFP or a smartphone having a relatively small display is, however, not suited to display a plurality of screens simultaneously on its display.
The present invention has been made in view of the problem stated above, and enables a user to perform a password change operation without confusion even in the case where the auto login function is on.

Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and non-transitory computer-readable medium


Provided is apparatus for removing a sheath from a pre-filled syringe. The syringe has a barrel and a needle, the sheath providing a sterile cover for the needle. The apparatus comprises a housing, for enclosing the syringe barrel defining an injection end with an aperture sized to allow the sheath of an enclosed syringe to protrude therethrough, and a syringe barrel mount for retaining the syringe in the housing. The mount is slidable axially within the housing between positions towards and away from the injection end of the housing. The apparatus also comprises a biasing means, for biasing the mount away from the injection end of the housing, and latching means for latching said mount in a latched position to prevent sliding of the mount away from the injection end of the housing. The latching means is releasable from the latched position, by sliding of the mount towards the injection end. Also provided is an injection device comprising said apparatus.

Various types of injection devices are available for assisting with the injection of a medicament into a patient (human or animal), and which are configured to receive a standard, pre-filled glass or plastic syringe tipped with an injection needle. These devices may have a dose setting mechanism and a main drive spring for driving a plunger into the syringe so as to expel the medicament out through the needle. Injection devices may comprise a further spring for driving the needle out of the device housing and into the patient's skin, prior to activation of the main drive spring to expel the medicament.
In order to maintain sterility prior to use, and to avoid "sticking" injuries, the pre-filled syringe is supplied to the injection device assembler with a rubber or plastic cap, known as a "sheath", covering the needle. The sheath has an interior space for containing the needle, and a sealing end that abuts the adjacent end of the syringe barrel to seal that inner space.
Immediately prior to use, a user (e.g. healthcare professional or patient) must remove the sheath to uncover the needle. This is typically achieved using a sheath removal tool that is inserted by a user into the injecting end of the device. The tool comprises a set of sprung fingers that ride over and along the sheath as the tool is pushed into the device. The fingers then snap into the junction between the syringe end and the sheath. The user can then pull out the tool, bringing the sheath with it.
Particularly in the case of expensive medicaments, it is extremely important to minimise the failure rate of assembled injection devices. Considering the sheath removal solution outlined in the previous paragraphs, it may be difficult to achieve exactly the right degree of flexibility in the fingers to ensure that they can ride over the sheath whilst still providing sufficient force to close over the junction at the rear of the sheath.
GB 2438593 (Cilag), US 2006/0100588 A1 (Brunnberg et al), WO 2007/047200 A1 (Eli Lilly) and US 2006/0270986 A1 (Hommann et al) all describe devices for housing syringes and removing sheaths therefrom. US 2001/0031949 A1 (Asbaghi) is not concerned with sheath removal but with only with preventing accidental re-use of a syringe after injection and with prevention of "stick" injuries at that time. Disclosed is a guard, a guard body and a spring. The device passively covers and protects an exposed needle post-injection by locking the guard housing over the tip of needle. This is achieved via a linear slot and cooperating plug arrangement. The slot has a latching cut out between the slot ends and a locking cut out. The locking cut out is positioned at an injection end of the device and, after use, locks the guard to the guard body to ensure that the guard completely covers the needle tip. A spring is provided to drive the guard towards the injection end of the device relative to the guard body, but this motion towards the injection end is limited by the latching cut out. To remove the sheath, the syringe is held in place by the latching cut out and, once removed, the device is arranged such that the needle tip is partially exposed beyond the guard. After injection, the locking cut out serves to keep the needle tip covered by the guard.
WO 01/68164 A1 (International Technology Group) provides a safety syringe, comprising an outer tubular protective cover sleeve for an inner syringe body, to prevent a needle "stick" injury. GB 2 451 665 A (Cilag) describes an injection device with a housing with an exit aperture covered by a cap, a syringe carrier, a needle sheath and a locking component. In use, the lock operates in conjunction with the cap. Upon removal of the cap, the lock is automatically released. Until released, the lock the serves to prevent forward motion of the syringe, thereby preventing damage to the syringe prior to use. GB 2 451 662 A (also by Cilag) describes an auto-injector device with a trigger and locking mechanism for restraining and triggering a drive spring to, inter alia, prevent forward motion of a syringe carrier before triggering. A pivoting trigger switch is mounted on a housing, between the drive spring and the syringe carrier. Upon triggering, drive is transmitted to the syringe via two rods connected by a piston so as to cause a time delay.