Disclosed are cosmetic compositions and methods for making up keratinous tissue using the compositions, as well as methods of making the compositions. The compositions contain a photoluminescent polymer (PLP) which is an oligomeric polyester synthesized from a multifunctional monomer and a diol, and which has grafted thereon an amino acid or an amino acid derivative. The compositions achieve a colorizing and/or UV-protectant effect when applied to keratinous tissue.

Over-exposure to solar radiation is known to cause sunburn, skin damage and an increased risk of developing skin cancer, as well as photo-augmented skin aging. To safeguard against these risks, sun protection materials are applied to the skin, particularly for purposes of engaging in outdoor activities. In addition to their capacity to screen sunlight, the photoprotective compounds, which are typically organic molecules that protect against UV-A and/or UV-B rays, must also have good cosmetic properties, effective solubility in customary solvents, including both aqueous media and oils and fats, exhibit good resistance to water and perspiration (persistence) and satisfactory photostability. However, a large number of soluble organic filters can cause compatibility problems with the usual ingredients of cosmetic compositions mainly because of interactions with other filters or active organic agents such as antioxidants or vitamins that may be present, the result being that the photostability effect is not entirely satisfactory. Solving this latter problem is the subject of numerous patents, revealing how this problem is recurrent.
In addition to protecting the skin against exposure to UV light, the cosmetics industry also engages in continuous efforts to develop new formulas to lighten the skin. The substances most commonly used as bleaching agents include hydroquinone and its derivatives, kojic acid and its derivatives, azelaic acid, arbutin and its derivatives, alone or in combination with other active agents. These bleaching agents are not without drawbacks. For example, they frequently need to be used for a long time and in large amounts in order to obtain a bleaching effect on the skin. No immediate effect is observed on applying compositions comprising them. In addition, when hydroquinone and its derivatives are used in an amount that is effective to produce a visible bleaching effect, hydroquinone is known for its cytotoxicity towards melanocytes. Moreover, kojic acid and its derivatives can have the drawback of being expensive and consequently of not being able to be practicably used in large amounts in products for commercial mass distribution.
Other approaches to skin lightening entail application of cosmetic compositions capable of unifying the complexion, and which may give an immediate white appearance. These compositions include powders dispersed in a binder, wherein the powders are generally white or coloured pigments depending on the desired effect and/or fillers of various shapes (lamellar or spherical) depending on the desired effect. The drawback of such compositions is that the fading-out of the skin defects is provided by the covering power of the compositions. Skin that has thus been made up loses its natural look owing to the lack of transparency of these compositions.
To overcome these drawbacks, the use of optical brighteners such as stilbene derivatives, coumarin derivatives, oxazole and benzoxazole derivatives and imidazole derivatives has been proposed. Optical brighteners are bleaching agents that have fluorescent properties, absorbing in the ultraviolet range (maximum absorption at a wavelength of less than 400 nm) and re-emitting the energy by fluorescence at a wavelength of between 380 nm and 830 nm. An energy emission of between 400 nm and 480 nm results in an emission in the blue region of the visible field, which contributes, when this emission takes place on the skin, towards visually bleaching it. The optical brighteners are generally dispersed directly in the cosmetic formulations under consideration, which may, in certain cases, affect their physicochemical stability, and will do so proportionately more the greater their concentration in the compositions. Moreover, the introduction of these starting materials into compositions for topical use is limited by toxicological constraints. Since the lightening effect is directly linked to the amount of optical brightener used, it decreases when the concentration of optical brightener used is minimized.
Thus, there remains a need for cosmetic products for application to the skin that provide adequate protection against the hazards of over-exposure to U.V. radiation and to provide a skin lightening effect but which are safer to use.

Use of photoluminescent polymers in cosmetic products


A cloud-enabled low power Wi-Fi device is provided that includes a transceiver, a programmable processor, and executable control software stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium. The transceiver can be in a low power sleep mode until the programmable processor and the executable control software detect a first condition. When the programmable processor and the executable control software detect the first condition, the transceiver can exit the low power sleep mode and the programmable processor and the executable software can construct and transmit a message, via the transceiver, to a remote device. When the programmable processor and the executable control software detect a second condition, the transceiver can reenter the low power sleep mode.

Residential wireless communicating devices are most easily installed when they are self-powered and Wi-Fi enabled. For example, Wi-Fi enabled security sensors, such as, motion sensors, can enable home owners to leverage their existing in-home communication devices, such as Wi-Fi routers, computers, and tablets, for economic, low-cost development and customization of home security and monitoring systems.
Low power Wi-Fi sensors are a desired wireless technology for home security and monitoring systems because such sensors consume less battery as compared to traditional Wi-Fi sensors and accordingly, are energy efficient. Low power Wi-Fi sensors are also a desired wireless technology for home security and monitoring systems because such sensors reduce operation costs.
Furthermore, a significant market exists for battery powered sensors that can wirelessly link to a cloud server via a homeowner's in-home internet connection and/or Wi-Fi access point (AP). For example, if a sensor device can link to a cloud server, then information from the sensor device can be integrated, via a browser enabled device, with various user and social networking services and/or web-based portals, such as a security service provider's website, a third party web-based integration and/or automation framework, and/or a homeowner's Facebook account. However, battery life is an issue, and problems arise when attempting to obtain adequate battery replacement intervals while simultaneously providing timely sensor event reports and timely access to the sensor from a remote web client.
Low power Wi-Fi sensors or other low-power devices, such as actuators and combination devices, can be expected to operate on two AAA or AA batteries for two years without replacement. Accordingly, there is a continuing, ongoing need for an improved low power Wi-Fi sensor.


A method for performing predictive translation of a data address in a computer processing system includes organizing a translation lookaside buffer in a set associative manner having each set associated with multiple entries, wherein the multiple entries store consecutively ordered selections. Further, the method includes selecting a set of entries in the translation lookaside buffer in response to a base operand for the predictive translation. The method also includes comparing each entry in the selected set with an input address for determining whether or not the predictive translation failed. The method further includes the step of adding the base operand with an offset operand to produce the effective address. A system in accordance with the present invention includes effective address generation logic, including a base operand register to hold a base operand, and a translation lookaside buffer, translation lookaside buffer. The translation lookaside buffer includes a multiple number of entries organized in a set associative manner to map a desired number of consecutive pages into a single set, and coupled to the effective address generation logic to utilize selected bits of the base operand for selection of a set of entries and for comparing each entry in the selected set with an input address for determining whether or not the predictive translation failed.

In the continuing development of faster and more powerful computer systems, microprocessors have been utilized, known as complex instruction set computer (CISC) processors and reduced instruction set computers (RISCs). Increased advances in the field of RISC and CISC processors have led to the development of superscalar processors. Superscalar processors, as their name implies, perform functions not commonly found in traditional scalar microprocessors. Included in these functions is the ability to execute instructions out-of-order with respect to the program order. Although the instructions occur out-of-order, the results of the executions appear to have occurred in program order, so that proper data coherency is maintained.
Although the background will be discussed in the context of a superscalar design, many of these features can apply to other high speed processing systems.
In performing instructions, data address generation typically occurs as shown by the block diagram of FIG. 1a. A base value 8 in a base register, for example, register A, is added to an offset value 9, where the offset value 9 is immediate data or a value stored in a register B, to produce an effective address, EA. The base value 8 in register A normally points to some location in a page of memory with the offset value 9 adding a particular adjustment to that location. The EA is then translated via a translation mechanism 11 to produce the physical address, PA. The PA is then used to locate the data in main memory or a data cache 16. A main goal of producing faster system operations is to reduce the time required to generate the PA.
Typically, the translation mechanism controls the speed of the address translation and is a table lookup mechanism, commonly referred to as a translation lookaside buffer, TLB, that maps the EA to PA. Three basic organizations are usually used in a TLB and are known as direct mapping, `n`-way set associative mapping, and fully associative mapping.
FIGS. 1b-d are conceptual illustrations of exemplary mapping techniques for caching information, according to the prior art. A cache directory 10 has p=2.sup.K =8 entries, each associated with a respective block of information within a cache memory. A matrix 12 has q=2.sup.m+k =64 octal addresses, each representing a respective block of information within a secondary memory. FIGS. 1b-d show each block of matrix 12 together with the block's respectively associated address. Each of the q octal addresses of matrix 12 has m+k=6 address bits.
FIG. 1b illustrates a direct mapping technique. In FIG. 1b, matrix 12 and directory 10 are logically arranged into p=2.sup.k =8 congruence classes. A congruence class is specified by an address's low-order k address bits. Accordingly, each congruence class includes multiple addresses, all of which share the same low-order k address bits. For FIG. 1b, k=3 and m=3.
For example, in FIG. 1b, one congruence class includes 10 all addresses whose low-order three address bits are octal 7. This congruence class includes the octal addresses 07, 17, 27, 37, 47, 57, 67 and 77. Likewise, another congruence class includes the octal addresses 02, 12, 22, 32, 42, 52, 62 and 72.
In FIG. 1b, each congruence class has one respective preassigned associated entry within cache directory 10. Accordingly, at any single moment, the cache memory stores information for only a single address of a congruence class; this single address is specified in the congruence class's associated entry of cache directory 10. For example, in the congruence class's associated entry, cache directory 10 can store a tag including the single address's high-order m address bits. For FIG. 1b, m=3.
As an example, in FIG. 1b, from among the eight addresses whose low order three address bits are octal 5, cache directory 10 indicates that the cache memory stores information for only octal address 45 whose tag value is octal 4. Similarly from among the eight addresses whose low order three address bits are octal 1, cache directory 10 indicates that the cache memory stores information for only octal address 31.
Accordingly, the low-order k address bits of an address ADDR specify the congruence class of ADDR. Moreover, the low-order k address bits operate as an index to access the congruence class's associated entry within cache directory 10 and its associated block of information within the cache memory by binary decoding. The indexed entry of cache directory 10 is read and compared with ADDR. If ADDR matches the indexed entry, then the indexed block of the cache memory stores information for ADDR.
A disadvantage of the direct mapping technique is that storage in the cache memory of one address's information excludes the storage of information for all other addresses of the same congruence class. This disadvantage is augmented by the fact that the number (2.sup.k) of entries in cache directory 10, so that a large number of addresses are forced to share a single entry in cache directory 10. Likewise, all addresses of a single congruence class are forced to share a single entry in the cache memory.
FIG. 1c illustrates an n-way set-associative mapping technique, where n=2. In FIG. 1c, matrix 12 and directory 10 are logically arranged into p/n=4 congruence classes. A congruence class is specified by an address's low-order y address bits, where p/n=w.sup.y. Accordingly, each congruence class includes multiple addresses, all of which share the same low-order y address bits. For FIG. 1c, k=3 and y=2.
For example, in FIG. 1c, one congruence class includes all addresses whose low-order two address bits have a value=3. This congruence class includes the octal addresses 03, 07, 13, 17, 23, 27, 33, 37, 43, 47, 53, 37, 63, 67, 73 and 77. Likewise, another congruence class includes the octal addresses 01, 05, 11, 15, 21, 25, 31, 35, 41, 45, 51, 55, 61, 65, 71 and 75.
In FIG. 1c, cache directory 10 is logically arranged into two columns having four blocks each. Thus, each congruence class has a respective preassigned associated set of first and second entries within cache directory 10. Accordingly, at any single moment, the cache memory stores information for first and second addresses of a congruence class; the first and second addresses are specified in the congruence class's associated set of first and second entries within cache directory 10. For example, in the first associated entry, cache directory 10 can store a first tag including the first address's high-order m+1 address bits; in the second associated entry, cache directory 10 can store a second tag including the second address's high-order m+1 address bits. For FIG. 1c, m=3.
As an example, in FIG. 1c, from among the sixteen addresses whose low order two address bits have a value=1, cache directory 10 indicates that the cache memory stores information for only octal address 05 and octal address 11. Similarly, from among the sixteen addresses whose low order two address bits have a value=3, cache directory 10 indicates that the cache memory stores information for only octal address 43 and octal address 13.
Accordingly, the low-order y address bits of address ADDR specify the congruence class of ADDR. Moreover, the low-order y address bits operate as an index to the congruence class's associated set of two entries within cache directory 10 and its associated set of two blocks within the cache memory. The two indexed entries of cache directory 10 are read and compared with ADDR. If ADDR matches one of the indexed entries, then the matching entry's associated block of the cache memory stores information for ADDR. A disadvantage of the set-associative technique is delayed selection of information output from the cache memory, resulting from selection between the two indexed entries of cache directory 10.
FIG. 1d illustrates a fully associative mapping technique. In FIG. 1d, matrix 12 and directory 10 are not logically arranged into congruence classes. Accordingly, at any single moment, the cache memory can store information for any group of eight addresses; these eight addresses are specified in the eight entries of cache directory 10. For example, cache directory 10 can store eight tags, each including all bits of an address.
In FIG. 1d, cache directory 10 is structured as a content addressable memory ("CAM") array of p=8 CAM entries by m+k=6 address bits. As a CAM array, cache directory 10 inputs address ADDR and compares it simultaneously with all addresses in the eight CAM entries. If ADDR matches any CAM entry's address, then a respective one of match lines 14a-h is asserted to directly select the cache memory block storing information for ADDR. Thus, cache directory 10 operates as a decoder and accessing mechanism for the cache memory.
A disadvantage of the fully associative technique is the expense, complexity, and diminished speed of a CAM array having m+k address bit lines by p match lines This is especially true as the number (m+k) of address bits increases in conjunction with the number (q=2.sup.m+k) of secondary memory blocks.
Although the attempts to use set associative methods to improve translation are generally satisfactory, improvements for reducing translation time and increasing performance are desirable. Accordingly, a need exists for a system of producing better translation mechanisms, including predictive data address translation to improve overall processor performance.

Predictive translation of a data address utilizing sets of associative entries stored consecutively in a translation lookaside buffer

International Business Machines Corporation


A method and apparatus for identifying recurring payments analyzes historical transactions from a predefined time period to identify potential recurring payments and payees, based on one or more potential recurring payment identification parameters. Once potential recurring payments are identified by analyzing the historical transaction data, the user is presented with potential recurring payments report including a list of the potential recurring payments. In one embodiment, the user is given the opportunity to designate a given potential recurring payment as a confirmed recurring payment. Once a potential recurring payment is confirmed as a recurring payment, the data associated with that recurring payment, such as payee, account number, routing/address, payment amount, and date of payment is saved and the user has the opportunity to set up automatic payment of the recurring payment at a selected interval or to have the recurring payment appear as a payment option at a time selected interval.

Currently, computer implemented financial management systems provide a centralized interface with banks, and other various financial institutions, for electronically tracking financial transactions to allow a user to, for example, balance checkbooks, pay bills, track expenditures, and create and manage budgets. These computer implemented financial management systems have enjoyed increased popularity as their capability has increased and the complexity of the average households, or small businesses, finances have also increased.
Currently, some computer implemented financial management systems allow a user to track the nature of financial transactions, whether the transaction involved using checks, cash, credit cards, or electronic payment, and categorize each transaction as a particular type of income or expense. For example, with some computer implemented financial management systems currently in use, a user may track the amount of money he or she spends on taxes, clothing, dining out, utilities, mortgage, rent, etc., by assigning an appropriate category to each transaction. In some instances the appropriate category is assigned automatically by the computer implemented financial management system, in others, the appropriate category is assigned manually by the user. The user may then have the computer implemented financial management system pay his or her bills and/or generate reports periodically to determine the amounts spent in each category. Many users find this feature extremely helpful for ensuring bills are paid, preparing tax returns, and/or keeping within a budget.
As noted above, computer implemented financial management systems have enjoyed a tremendous increase in popularity. However, experience has shown that an average user is far more likely to adopt, and continue to use, a computer implemented financial management system if the amount of manual data entry, i.e., data entry made via any user interface device, such as a keyboard, a mouse, a touch pad, or any other device that requires input from the user, is minimized. Consequently, it is desirable to eliminate as much manual data entry required of a user to either use, or set up, a computer implemented financial management system, as is possible.
One feature of some financial management systems that currently requires considerable manual input on the part of the user is identifying and scheduling a recurring payment. Once a recurring payment is identified and established, a user can schedule an automatic payment of the recurring payment, or a reminder regarding the recurring payment, at regular intervals, without further user input or thought.
Currently, recurring payments must first be identified as such, typically manually by the user, and then, for each recurring payment, the user must enter the data regarding the recurring payment, such as payee, account number, routing/address, payment amount, and date of payment, manually, i.e., using an interface device as described above. For the average household, or small business, this is a non-trivial task. Consequently, many users of current computer implemented financial management systems find this start-up process too time consuming and labor intensive and, in the interest of "saving time", albeit in the short term, forgo setting up a recurring payment system, thereby leaving this potentially valuable feature unused. In addition, many potential users of current computer implemented financial management system never adopt, or buy, a current computer implemented financial management system because of the perceived difficulty of the start up process, i.e. the amount of data, such the recurring payment data discussed above, that must be entered to make full use of a current computer implemented financial management system.

Method and apparatus for identifying recurring payments


A mobile bill providing server receives bill details for a particular user from a mobile bill issuing server and provides a mobile bill to a mobile terminal available for installation of a bill viewer, the mobile bill being dependent upon the bill viewer. A mobile bill providing method includes searching for the mobile terminal associated with the particular user and determining whether the bill viewer has been installed in the mobile terminal. If the bill viewer has not been installed in the mobile terminal, the method includes transmitting an electronic bill independent of the bill viewer and guidance information for installation of the bill viewer to the mobile terminal, waiting for a period of time until the bill viewer is installed in the mobile terminal, and when the bill viewer is installed, transmitting the mobile bill to the mobile terminal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technique for providing a mobile bill and, more particularly, to a mobile bill providing method and server capable of providing a mobile terminal with a mobile bill generated based on a statement (or bill details) received from a mobile bill issuing server.
2. Related Art
A bill issued by a bill issuing company (e.g., a credit card company) used to be sent using an offline electronic billing system (or giro). Recently, however, due to the development of online technologies, a bill (hereinafter, a "mobile bill") can be sent to and viewed on a user's mobile terminal (e.g., a smart phone). As a result, billing procedures are simplified and user convenience is increased.
Various technologies for providing mobile bills have been proposed.
Korean Patent Laid Open Publication No. 10-2009-0000726 discloses a method of providing a wireless push-based bill to a mobile terminal. This method includes receiving an execution application for the wireless push-based bill, receiving a short message associated with the wireless push-based bill from a bill providing server that provides the wireless push-based bill, establishing a communication connection using a mobile communication network to the bill providing server automatically in response to the received short message or in response to an acknowledgement input of a user, transmitting identification information of the mobile terminal to the bill providing server, and receiving a selected wireless push-based bill from the bill providing server on the basis of the identification information of the mobile terminal. The received wireless push-based bill is provided on the basis of the execution application, and a user input with respect to the wireless push-based bill is transmitted to the bill providing server.
Korean Patent Laid Open Publication No. 10-2012-0091876 discloses a customized mobile contents service technique. The technique includes a mobile contents service device and a user terminal. The mobile contents service device checks a type of the user terminal included in transmission data issued by a contents issuing server by using stored meta data, generates mobile contents by using a stored template according to the type of the user terminal, transmits a message to the user terminal to notify of the generation of the mobile contents, and transmits the mobile contents in response to a mobile contents download request. The user terminal receives the message notifying of the generation of the mobile contents from the mobile contents service device, downloads the mobile contents, and displays the mobile contents for a user.
In the related art, a bill can be automatically provided to a user's mobile terminal, and information in association with the bill can also be provided. Thus, a company may reduce management burden and costs. In addition, a user can check both the bill and the information in association with the bill, and mobile data charges resulting from checking the bill and associated information can be reduced.
Also, in the related art, user information is checked using meta data and templates based on an information product issued by a content-issuing institution. Mobile content is generated according to types of the content-issuing institution and a user terminal and transmitted to the user terminal. The mobile content is downloaded using a mobile content program installed in the user terminal and displayed for a user. As a result, the user can easily download a variety of mobile content regardless of terminal type.
However, the related art primarily focuses on a method for converting offline content into online content and transmitting the online content electronically.
Also, when a program for checking a mobile bill is not installed in a mobile terminal, when the program has been installed but not executed, or when the program has been installed but deleted afterwards, a user may not see the mobile bill. The foregoing related art fails to provide a technical method or configuration for solving such problems.
That is, the related art proposes techniques for simply converting offline content into electronic content that may be processed in a mobile terminal. However, those techniques are incapable of stably providing a bill based on an environment of the mobile terminal.

Method of providing mobile bill and server for performing the same


Scoring a board configuration for a territory board game is often not straightforward and yet there is a desire to determine such scores quickly and accurately. For example, in the game of GO, determining the score at the end of the game involves assessing whether stones on the board are alive or dead which is a difficult judgment. Given a board configuration, the game is played by a scoring system to obtain a terminal board configuration. This is repeated to obtain a plurality of terminal board configurations from which an assessment can be made as to how likely each board position is to be won by a particular player at the end of the game. The scoring system obtains the terminal board configurations by playing random moves or by making a biased sampling of moves. The biased sampling is made using an evaluation function or in any suitable way. In the game of GO, seki positions are quickly and easily identified. An automated game playing system uses the output of the scoring system to assess when to offer to end a game. The output of the scoring system can also be used to provide hints to players during a game.

There is a desire to provide automated scoring systems for board games such as, GO, territory games and the like. The players may be all human players; all computer system players; or some human players and some computer system players.
Often the process of scoring a board configuration for this type of game is not straightforward and yet there is a desire to determine such scores quickly and accurately. For example, in the game of GO, determining the score at the end of the game involves assessing whether stones on the board are alive or dead. Accurately determining life or death is difficult; even very strong human players sometimes disagree over the life or death status of a group of stones.
In addition, scoring at the end of a game of GO is complicated by the fact that different scoring methods apply according to the rules being followed. The two main scoring methods are territory scoring and area scoring. Territory scoring, used by the Japanese rules, counts the surrounded territory plus the number of captured opponent stones. Area scoring, used by the Chinese rules, counts the surrounded territory plus the alive stones on the board. The result of the two methods is typically the same except in some particular circumstances involving so called seki positions or because one player placed more stones than the other. However, it is difficult to identify seki positions accurately using computer GO systems without great computational expense and/or complexity.
Previous attempts have been made to program computers to play Go. However, performance has not matched the level of chess programs even the weaker of which easily match the ability of an average club player. In contrast, the best Go programs play only at the level of weak amateur Go players and Go is therefore considered to be a serious AI (artificial intelligence) challenge not unlike Chess in the 1960s. There are two main reasons for this state of affairs: firstly, the high branching factor of Go (typically 200 to 300 potential moves per position) prevents the expansion of a game tree to any useful depth. Secondly, it is difficult to produce an evaluation function for Go positions. A Go stone has no intrinsic value; its value is determined by its relationships with other stones. Go players evaluate positions using visual pattern recognition and qualitative intuitions which are difficult to formalize.


An optical, waveguide, quasi-phase-matching frequency converter has integral means to vary the efficiency of the quasi-phase-matching frequency conversion process resulting in intensity modulation of the device output; said frequency converter has integral means to optimize the quasi-phase-matching frequency conversion process resulting in optimum device output; and said frequency converter has integral input signal polarization mode conversion means in optional combination with the conversion optimization means for modulating the optimized device output. Methods for modulating and optimizing the quasi-phase-matching frequency converted signal by electro-optically controlling the dispersion of the frequency converting medium are also disclosed.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to quasi-phase-matched optical frequency conversion and more particularly, first, to methods for intensity modulating frequency converted waves and for optimizing the efficiency of quasi-phase-matched optical frequency conversion; and, second, to the improvement of existing quasi-phase-matched optical frequency converters; the improvement consisting of integral intensity modulation means which both electro-optically frustrate the quasi-phase-matching condition and allow optimization of the quasi-phase-matching condition.
2. Description of the Related Art
Devices which employ quasi-phase-matching to achieve optical frequency conversion are well known in the art. They include frequency doublers, known in the art as second harmonic generation (SHG) devices, and frequency mixing devices. Optical frequency conversion by quasi-phase-matching (QPM) is generally dependent on nonlinear optical effects observed in waveguides, for example, formed by surface modification of preferred inorganic, bulk single crystal materials. Surface modification techniques used to form waveguides in these bulk crystal materials include proton exchange, in-diffusion of metal dopants, and out-diffusion of substrate constituents, all of which are well known in the art.
Alternatively, thin film waveguide frequency converters are under development. Quasi-phase-matched frequency conversion in inorganic nonlinear optical thin film waveguides is taught in a copending application of Agostinelli et al., while Khanarian et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,865,406 teaches the use of nonlinear organic thin film waveguides to achieve SHG by quasi-phase-matching.
Intensity modulation of the frequency converted output is often desirable or required for the useful application of device output; for example, to write data onto an optical recording medium, to create a photonic data stream for optical communications, to create an image when the modulated light is further scanned in a raster format, and so on. The modulation of frequency converted light may be achieved either by modulating the input (fundamental frequency) light or by modulating the output (frequency converted) light. A wide variety of modulation techniques are known in the art. With respect to commercially important diode laser fundamental light generators, for example, it is convenient to directly modulate the input light by varying the current supplied to the diode laser. Although this method is convenient, it is ill-suited as a means for modulating quasi-phase-matched frequency converted light due to the sensitive relationship between the efficiency of quasi-phase-matched frequency converters and the input optical frequency. It is well known that the optical frequency of semiconductor diode laser output is highly temperature dependent and that the current supplied to the laser directly influences laser temperature. A constant current supply, therefore, is preferred when diode lasers are used as input sources for frequency converters employing quasi-phase-matching, and to modulate the frequency converted output by other means.
External modulation of frequency converted light is very well known in the art. Known means involve devices which use the electro-optic or acousto-optic effect, and these modulators may be discrete or integrated. Discrete devices include Pockels cells, acousto-optic deflectors and electro-optic deflectors; while Mach-Zehnder interferometers, electro-optic directional couplers, Bragg deflectors and total internal reflection waveguide crosses are examples of integrated devices. Although some of these techniques are compatible with quasi-phase-matching nonlinear optical frequency converter devices, their use considerably increases overall device complexity. In addition, these modulation techniques lack the degree of dynamic optimization of the efficiency of quasi-phase-matched frequency conversion offered by the the present invention.
Direct modulation of the second harmonic output from birefringently phase-matched bulk crystals is also known in the art. These means are inapplicable to quasi-phase-matching waveguide devices, however, since QPM frequency converters do not rely on birefringence to achieve phase-matching.
To summarize, presently utilized means for modulating quasi-phase-matched frequency converted light exhibit shortcomings which limit their ease of use and application utility.

Waveguide nonlinear optical frequency converter with integral modulation and optimization means


Airway obstruction in a patient with bilateral impairment of mobility of the vocal cords may be relieved by a method comprising implanting an electrode of a neural electrical stimulator comprising a pulse generator such that the electrode stimulates the posterior cricoarytenoid muscle, thereby resulting in abduction of the vocal cords and relief of airway obstruction. This method of relieving airway obstruction is based, at least in part, on the discovery that the implantation of an electrical pulse generator previously used in the stimulation of the spinal cord into a dog model of human BVCP was successful in chronically stimulating the PCA without the development of significant muscle abnormality. In various embodiments, electrical stimulation of the PCA may be accomplished either by the manual or magnetic activation of a switch which triggers the firing of the pulse generator or, alternatively, the power source of the pulse generator may be adapted to provide an electrical stimulus automatically in a predetermined sequence such that vocal cord abduction and adduction are caused to occur in a sequence selected to correspond to the respiratory needs of the patient.

2.1. BILATERAL VOCAL CORD PARALYSIS
Bilateral vocal cord paralysis ("BVCP") is a condition in which both recurrent laryngeal nerves ("RLN") are severed and all the intrinsic laryngeal muscles, except for the cricothyroid, are paralyzed (Holinger et al., 1976, Ann. Otol. Rhinol. Laryngol. 85: 428). The vocal cords assume a position near the midline which allows for an acceptable voice. Because of the loss of function of the posterior cricoarytenoid muscle ("PCA"), however, the vocal cords no longer abduct during inspiration. If left untreated, the individual ultimately suffocates. The standard initial therapy for this condition is to bypass the obstruction by performing a tracheostomy. Although crudely efficient in restoring an airway, tracheostomy requires a great deal of care and involves a number of serious social disadvantages and social complications (Myers and Stool, 1985, in Tracheotomy, Myers et al., eds, New York, Churchill Livingston).
Numerous surgical procedures have been proposed to rehabilitate the patient with BVCP and allow for removal of the tracheostomy tube. Currently, the most common clinical procedures include vocal cord lateralization (Kirchner, 1979, Laryngoscope 89: 1179), and arytenoidectomy (Woodman, 1946, Arch. Otolaryngol. Head Neck Surg. 43: 63), which widen the glottic opening by permanently altering the vocal cord. The disadvantage to these procedures is that the widened glottis increases the patient's susceptibility to aspiration while simultaneously decreasing the quality of the voice.
Another means of rehabilitation involves reanastomosis of the RLN. However, the RLN contains both abductor and adductor fibers and upon its reanastomosis, these fibers regenerate in an indiscriminate manner, so that the resulting laryngeal movement is uncoordinated and synkinetic (Doyle et al., 1967, Laryngoscope 77: 1245; Siribodhi et al., 1963, Laryngoscope 73: 148).
An entirely different approach to rehabilitation attempts to restore the function of the PCA muscle by reinnervation with nerves presumed to carry neural activity synchronous with inspiration. These nerves are either connected to the severed distal stump of the RLN or the RLN nerve branch which enervates the PCA, or are implanted directly into the PCA. Nerves used in these procedures include the phrenic, cervical nerve trunk, ansa cervicalis, and nerves to the cricothyroid, sternohyoid, and omohyoid muscles (Jacobs et al., 1990, Ann. Otol. Rhinol. Laryngol. 99: 167; Rice and Burstein, 1983, Arch. Otolaryngol. Head Neck Surg. 109: 480; Hengerer, 1973, Arch. Otolaryngol. Head Neck Surg. 97: 247; Tucker, 1983, Laryngoscope 93: 295).
It has been theorized that restoring denervated PCA function may be accomplished with a functional electrical stimulation system (Sanders, 1991, Otolaryngologic Clinics of North America 24: 1253-1274, citing Broniatowski et al., 1986, Otolaryngol. Head Neck Surg. 94: 41; Broniatowski et al., 1985, Laryngoscope 95: 1194; Hollinger et al., 1976, Ann. Otol. Rhinol. Laryngol. 85: 4285; Obert et al., 1984, Arch. Otolaryngol. 110: 88; Otto and Templer, "Coordinated pacing of vocal cord abductors in recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis", presented at the Research Forum of the American Academy of Otolaryngology, Las Vegas, September, 1984; Sanders and Biller, "Considerations in the development of a laryngeal pacer", presented at the Research Forum of the American Academy of Otolaryngology, Atlanta, September, 1985; Zealar and Dedo, 1977, Acta Otolaryngol. 83: 514; Zrunek et al., "Direct electrical stimulation of the posterior cricoarytenoid muscle" in Proceedings of the 1st Vienna International Workshop on Functional Electrostimulation, Vienna, Austria, Oct. 19-22, 1983; Zrunek et al., "Functional electrical stimulation in bilateral recurrent nerve palsy in sheep: Functional and biochemical results" in Proceedings of the 2nd Vienna International Workshop on Functional Electrostimulation", Vienna, Austria, Sep. 14-21, 1986).
Of all the possible tissues that could be stimulated by such a system, denervated muscle is the least studied (Sanders, 1991, Otolaryngologic Clinics of North America 24: 1253-1274), and has been associated with a variety of technical problems.
Sanders et al., 1989, Ann. Otol. Rhinol. Laryngol. 98: 339-345 reports successful transmucosal electrical stimulation of laryngeal muscles in dogs, and states that transmucosal stimulation appears promising as a diagnostic technique for correlating particular vocal cord movements and thresholds of activation with specific laryngeal disorders. However, this technique cannot be used therapeutically because the stimulation of mucosa causes pain in the awake patient.
Studies of stimulation of denervated PCA in dogs suggest that in order to achieve a sufficient firing frequency, an overly large power supply would be required (Sanders, 1991, Otolaryngologic Clinics of North America 24: 1253-1274, see pp. 1257-1262). It has been suggested that this problem might be solved by limiting the duration or frequency of firing, or by augmenting artificial stimulation with physiologic stimulation recruited from intact nerves.
Another problem to be addressed is the undesirable spread of current to stimulate muscles other than the PCA (Id., pp. 1262-1263). In BVCP, the intrinsic muscles of the larynx are paralyzed and sensation is lost in the subglottic larynx and trachea, so that high current flows required to stimulate the denervated PCA can easily spread to excite these structures. It has been suggested that the current might be further localized by manipulating such factors as the size, location, and orientation of the electrodes, variables which constitute what has been referred to as the "electrode array". A pilot study of chronic stimulation of denervated PCA in dogs indicated that chronically stimulated muscle resisted atrophy and was more responsive to electrical stimulation than muscle that was not chronically stimulated (Id., pp. 1270-1272).
2.2. FUNCTIONAL ELECTRICAL STIMULATION
Functional electrical stimulation ("FES") is the application of stimulation devices to nerves to rehabilitate neurological deficits. The most successful FES system to date is the cardiac pacer which has become a routine part of cardiac disease therapy (Lynch, 1982, "Cardiovascular Implants" in Implants, Lynch, ed., New York, Van Nostrand Rheinhold). There are a variety of other FES systems, however. The most heavily researched are FES systems to restore locomotion to paraplegics and arm motion to quadriplegics (Peckham, 1991, IEEE Trans. Biomed. Eng. 28: 530). Other motor control devices restore bladder control to paraplegics and diaphragm function to high quadriplegics (Erlandson, 1978, Scand. J. Urol. Nephrol. 44(Suppl.): 31; Glenn, 1976, Ann. Surg. 183: 566). There are also FES devices designed to rehabilitate sensory deficits, such as the cochlear implant (Hambrecht, 1979, Ann. Otol. Rhinol. Laryngol. 88: 729).
Neural FES devices which may be used to stimulate spinal cord, phrenic nerve, cochlea, paralyzed limbs or sacral nerve are available. Sacral nerve FES systems are currently being investigated for use in the management of pelvic dysfunctions which have proved refractory to appropriate conventional treatments. Such dysfunctions include urinary incontinence due to detrusor instability or sphincter instability, voiding difficulties such as dysfunctional flow and urinary retention, urgency/frequency syndromes associated with urethral syndrome and prostatism, recurrent urinary tract infections and pelvic pain.

Method of relieving airway obstruction in patients with bilateral vocal impairment


A method can include registering a first image of a region to a three-dimensional (3D) point set of the region to generate a registered first image, registering a second image of the region to the 3D point set to generate a registered second image, identifying, based on the 3D point set, geometric tie points of the registered first image and the registered second image, projecting, using an affine transformation determined based on the identified geometric tie points, pixels of the registered first image to an image space of the registered second image to generate a registered and transformed first image, and displaying the registered and transformed first image and the registered second image simultaneously.

In certain applications, images from different sources may be processed in a manner to fuse (e.g., combine, overlay, augment, or the like) such images. In some cases, one image may be projected through a point cloud to the other image for such fusion. However, such a projection can leave voids in the resulting fused image. For some applications, the presence of voids is unacceptable. Thus, it can be advantageous to facilitate fusing image chips from two or more sources without voids.


The invention provides a method and apparatus for policing a traffic flow in which a first stage of policing is performed on the traffic flow to produce a first stage conforming flow and a first stage violating flow. These two flows are then policed again in a second stage of policing, such that the first stage conforming flow can take advantage of a capacity allowed for the first stage violating flow which is unused by the first stage violating flow. In some embodiments, performing a first stage of policing involves associating each packet of the traffic flow with one of a plurality of sub-flows, policing at least one of the plurality of sub-flows individually to produce for each sub-flow a respective conforming sub-flow and a respective violating sub-flow. The conforming sub-flow(s) collectively are the first stage conforming flow. The violating sub-flows collectively are the first stage violating flow.

Different strategies may be employed in a digital communication network to control the flow of digital data traffic into, through and from different areas of the network. Broadly, traffic control of one or more traffic flows can be divided into two categories: i) "traffic shaping"; and ii) "traffic policing". Traffic policing and shaping are complementary operations to one another and are commonly used in combination within digital communication networks and sub-networks.
Traffic delivery and control is done according to an agreed upon Service Level Agreement (SLA) that is specified for a particular traffic flow or set of traffic flows. A typical SLA will specify such things as a maximum data rate, allowable burst tolerance and one or more thresholds associated with each. Shaping and policing traffic controls regulate and enforce the rate of data transfer at a given point or points in the digital communication network.
Each traffic flow may be a data stream from a single user or multiple data streams from multiple users that have been multiplexed together into a single traffic flow. A traffic flow representing a single data stream can be considered a "micro-flow" and a traffic flow made-up of multiple data streams can be considered a "macro-flow". In this light it can be recognized that traffic control can be enforced either on a single micro-flow, a set of micro-flows or an entire macro-flow. However, thus far it has been difficult to fairly enforce traffic control at both the micro-flow and macro-flow levels simultaneously.
Traffic shaping involves the redistribution of the contents (e.g. packets or the like) of a traffic flow in the time domain so that the traffic flow conforms to an agreed upon SLA. That is, traffic shaping forces the data rate of a particular traffic flow down to a predetermined data rate when the data rate of the traffic flow is too high. The data rate of a traffic flow can be lowered by buffering and queuing packets of the traffic flow. Despite being able to slow down a traffic flow, a traffic shaper does not have the ability to increase the rate (speed) of traffic flows that have respective data rates below the data rate(s) permitted under the SLA. Shaping is typically done by the source of the traffic.
Traffic policing involves the enforcement of one or more traffic parameters which might be specified in a SLA. For example, a traffic policer determines whether or not a traffic flow has exceeded its respective maximum data rate(s) and/or burst tolerance(s) permitted under its SLA. If in violation, the traffic policer may either mark or discard packets of the traffic flow that are considered to be violating the SLA specified for the traffic flow. Marking allows the violating portions of the traffic flow, now being marked traffic, to continue on towards its destination. However, subsequent network elements will recognize marked traffic and will be more likely to discard it in the event of congestion.
Conventional traffic policers are usually very restrictive while conventional traffic shapers add delays to traffic flows. If a traffic flow is carrying real-time data, such as voice communications, then dropped packets from the traffic flow or delays caused by redistribution will lower the Quality of Service (QoS) to low levels where real-time communications are poor and unreliable. It is also generally true that the restrictive operation of conventional traffic policers lowers the effective rate and efficiency with which a traffic channel medium, such as an optical fiber, can be used.
For example, referring to FIG. 1 shown is a conventional Dual-Leaky Bucket Policer 100 commonly used to control Frame Relay (FR) type traffic flows. In a RF system digital data is organized into frames that are transmitted through links on a communication network. Typically a particular frame will have one of two Discard Eligibility (DE) values "1" or "0" where "1" indicates a high probability of discard and "0" indicates a low probability of discard. Accordingly, frames marked with a DE of "1" are more likely to be discarded by a traffic policer than frames marked with a DE of "0".
The Dual-leaky Bucket Policer 100 has a Discard Eligibility Switch (DES) 102 and first and second policers 104 and 106. The DES 102 is coupled to accept frames and is further coupled to deliver frames to the first and second policers 104 and 106. Each policer 104 and 106 enforces a specified maximum data rate and burst tolerance. Specifically, the first policer 104 enforces a maximum data rate Rc and a maximum burst tolerance of Bc. The second policer 106 enforces a maximum data rate of Re-Rc, where Re>Rc, and a maximum burst tolerance of Be-Bc, where Be>Bc. The data Rc can be considered the committed (or guaranteed) data rate permitted through the Dual-Leaky Bucket Policer 100, whereas the data rate Re can be considered the excess data rate permitted through the Dual-Leaky Bucket Policer 100. Similarly, the burst tolerance Bc is the committed (or guaranteed) burst tolerance permitted through the Dual-Leaky Bucket Policer 100, whereas the burst tolerance Be is the excess data rate permitted through the Dual-Leaky Bucket Policer 100.
The operation of the Dual-Leaky Bucket Policer 100 is as follows. The DES 100 receives a sequence of frames, each frame having either a DE of "1" or "0". The received sequence of frames may be continuous or bursty. The DES 102 diverts frames having a DE of "0" to the first policer 104 and diverts frames having a DE of "1" to the second policer 106.
In the first policer 104, if the frames received have a data rate less than or equal to the maximum data rate Rc (i.e. the committed rate) then the frames flow through the policer 104 without modification. If the frames received have a data rate greater than Rc but have not exceeded its burst tolerance Bc (i.e. the committed burst size) the frames are still considered to be conforming with the limitations of policer 104 and are able to flow through 104 without modification. However, if the frames received exceed both Rc and Bc then their respective DE's are changed from "0"0 to "1" and type are diverted to the second policer 106 as indicated by 103.
The operation of the first policer 104 is as follows. A credit count is maintained for the bucket. The credit count is a representation of how many traffic units (these cold be packets, bytes or any other appropriate unit) have been received which are in excess of the rate Rc. Each policing interval, the credit count is decremented by a number of credits allowed per policing interval by the rate Rc. Therefore, if the policing interval is Tp seconds, and the rate Rc is in units per second, then the number of credits which would be decremented would equal Tp×Rc. Next, as each packet arrives for policing, if the current credit count exceeds the burst tolerance, then the traffic is marked as DE "1" and included in flow 103 which is passed to the input of the second policer 106. If the current credit count does not exceed the burst tolerance, the packet is allowed to pass. At that time, the credit count is incremented by the number of traffic units of the packet.
The second policer 106 works in a manner similar to the first policer 104. However, the input to the policer 106 is the combination of received frames (directly from the DES 102) having a DE of "1" and the overflow (non-conforming traffic) from the first policer 104 having been marked to have a DE of "1".
A problem with this design is that the second policer 106 does not distinguish between the frames coming from the first policer 104 or the DES 102 when discarding. If the DE "0" traffic is less than what is permitted by the first policer 104 there is no way for the DE "1" marked frames from the DES 102 to take advantage of the unused bandwidth controlled by the first policer 104.

Multi-flow multi-level leaky bucket policer


A system and method for sensing capacitance at the edge of a movable barrier and for detecting an obstruction includes positioning a conductive member within or about a holder. A sensed capacitance between the conductive member and ground. A controller is coupled to the sensor. The controller determines whether an obstruction exists within a path of the barrier by analyzing the sensed capacitance. The conductive member and holder move away from a physical reference as the physical reference is approached such that the sensed capacitance between the conductive member and the physical reference remains below a predetermined threshold.

Barrier movement operators are automated systems which are used to move a barrier with respect to an opening. Examples of barriers to be moved include garage doors, gates, fire doors and rolling shutters. A number of barrier movement operators have been sold over the years most of which include a head unit containing a motor connected to a transmission. The transmission, which may include, for example, a belt drive, a chain drive, a screw drive or extendible arm is then coupled to the barrier for opening and closing.
Such barrier movement operators also typically include a wall control unit, which is connected to send signals to the head unit thereby causing the head unit to open and close the barrier. In addition, these operators often include a receiver unit at the head unit to receive wireless transmissions from a hand-held code transmitter or from a keypad transmitter, which may be affixed to the outside of the area closed by the barrier or other structure.
Obstructions may exist or may enter the pathway of the moveable barrier. Previous systems have allowed the barrier operator systems to determine if an obstruction has been encountered and to either stop or reverse the direction of the travel of the barrier once this determination has been made. For instance, some previous systems measured the force applied to the barrier by the motor. The systems then compared the measured force to an expected value plus a fixed cushion value. If the comparison indicated that the measurement value exceeded the expected value plus the cushion value (together, a threshold value), then the downward barrier movement was reversed. These systems typically determined the force by measuring the barrier speed or current in the motor and then calculated the force using these measurements.
In some previous systems, capacitive sensor arrangements were used to detect the obstruction in the pathway of the door by detecting the capacitance between a conductive element and the ground. However, in these previous systems, the sensed capacitance between a conductive element and the ground increases above a threshold as the sensor approaches the ground thereby indicating that an "obstruction" existed. Consequently, as the door neared the ground, the capacitance reading would have to be adjusted or discarded because the reading would indicate an obstruction existed, when, in fact, the ground was the "obstruction" being detected. Thus, these previous systems could not be used to detect an obstruction unless the readings were sufficiently adjusted to take into account the detection of the ground or other reference.

System and method for using a capacitive door edge sensor


A method for relieving residual stress in an object includes: (a) applying a vibration energy to the object over a frequency range; (b) monitoring vibration behavior of the object over the frequency range so as to identify a reference frequency, where the vibration amplitude of a fundamental wave component of the wave pattern is approximately one third of a maximum vibration amplitude of a resonate frequency of the object, and an optimum frequency, where the frequency and the vibration amplitude of the harmonic wave component of the wave pattern are respectively larger than those of the harmonic wave component of the wave pattern of the reference frequency; and (c) applying the vibration energy to the object at the identified optimum frequency for an extended period of time.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method for relieving residual stress in an object, more particularly to a method using a vibration energy for relieving residual stress in an object.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is known in the art that the internal residual stress of an object can be relieved by applying a vibration energy thereto using a vibrator and that the internal residual stress is not directly relieved by the operating frequencies of the vibrator, but by excited harmonic vibrations of the metal object.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,823,599 discloses a method of operating a vibrator for the stress relief of a workpiece. The method includes the steps of determining, within a defined harmonics region, harmonics corresponding to those vibrations in an operating range in which resonances or similar stable states of vibration occur, and selecting a vibration speed, that causes the higher numbers of harmonics in the defined harmonics region, as the operating speed for the vibrator.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,968,359 discloses a method of stress reliving in metal objects. The method includes the steps of: applying a mechanical cyclic vibration energy to the metal object; identifying a plurality of orders of harmonic vibration absorption peaks, each consisting of a plurality of vibration absorption resonant peaks; and applying the mechanical cyclic vibration energy to the metal object for an extended period of time at a fixed frequency corresponding to a sub-harmonic frequency of one of the harmonic peaks. The sub-harmonic frequency associated with a particular order of the harmonics corresponds to a vibration amplitude equal to approximately one third of maximum vibration amplitude of the particular order.

Method for relieving residual stress in an object


A data processing apparatus includes: an intermediate data generating unit that generates intermediate data expressing input data, which is a subject to be coded, in another expression manner; a coding unit that converts the intermediate data generated by the intermediate data generating unit into code data; and a code quantity evaluating unit that evaluates a code quantity of the code data generated by the coding unit on the basis of a statistical amount of the intermediate data generated by the intermediate data generating unit.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a data processing apparatus, a data processing method, a computer readable medium storing a program, and a computer data signal.
2. Related Art
For example, a method is disclosed in which a relational expression of a code quantity and a quantization parameter is used to estimate a quantization parameter for every region in such a manner that the code quantity becomes not more than a prescribed quantity.

Data processing apparatus, data processing method, computer readable medium storing program, and computer data signal


Nanostructures and methods of making nanostructures having self-assembled nanodot arrays wherein nanodots are self-assembled in a matrix material due to the free energies of the nanodot material and/or differences in the Gibb's free energy of the nanodot materials and matrix materials.

In recent years, research into nanotechnology has been increasing. Of particular interest is the research into nanomagnetic materials, which may be used for such things as magnetic storage media, nonvolatile memory cells, ferrofluid technology, magnetocaloric refrigeration, biotechnology, and lighting systems, to name a few.
The formation of regular arrays of uniformly distributed ferromagnetic nanoparticles in a matrix material may provide opportunities for reducing the size of magnetic storage media while significantly increasing the storage capacity of such devices. For example, magnetic storage media having bit densities exceeding 10 Tbit/in2 could theoretically be formed from a nanostructure having regular arrays of uniformly distributed magnetic nanoparticles in a matrix material.
Many methods have been developed to fabricate nonostructures having arrays of nanoparticles. For instance, electron-beam lithography methods in the range of 100 nm and above have been developed to create arrays of magnetic nanoparticles. Chemical routes have also been explored wherein a layer-by-layer self-assembly of magnetic nanoparticles are formed. In the chemical self-assembly methods, however, only one or two monolayers may be produced, resulting in nanostructures having two-layers of nanoparticle arrays. Furthermore, many of the currently available methods are expensive and involve multi-step processes including the repetitive formation of resists, energy beam exposure, etching, lift-off, and/or encapsulation.
It is therefore desirable to develop methods for constructing nanostructures with less than 100 nm size and having multiple arrays of uniformly distributed nanoparticles, where size and number density can be controlled precisely. It is particularly desirable to develop methods for forming structures having more than two layers of nanoparticle arrays. Further, methods involving fewer steps than those presently available are desired.

Methods of forming three-dimensional nanodot arrays in a matrix


A lithium rechargeable battery includes a separator that shows excellent safety characteristics such as short circuit resistance and heat resistance. The lithium rechargeable battery includes a cathode, an anode, a separator that separates the cathode and the anode from each other, and a non-aqueous electrolyte, wherein the separator includes a porous membrane formed of a ceramic material and a binder, and wherein the binder includes at least one crystalline resin having a crystal melting temperature of 250° C. or higher or at least one non-crystalline resin having an initial decomposition temperature of 250° C. or higher.

1. Field of the Invention
Aspects of the present invention relate to a lithium rechargeable battery. More particularly, aspects of the present invention relate to a lithium rechargeable battery including a separator that provides excellent safety in areas such as short circuit resistance and heat resistance.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, as portable electronic instruments have been designed to have a low weight and a compact size, batteries used as drive sources for such instruments have also been required to have a low weight and a high capacity. Active and intensive research and development has been carried out with regard to lithium rechargeable batteries, since lithium rechargeable batteries typically have a drive voltage of 3.6V or higher, which is at least three times higher than the drive voltage of Ni—Cd batteries or Ni-MH batteries, which are currently widely used as power sources for portable electronic instruments. Moreover, lithium rechargeable batteries provide a higher energy density per unit weight than do Ni—CD or Ni-MH batteries.
A lithium rechargeable battery generates electric energy by redox reactions occurring during lithium ion intercalation/deintercalation in a cathode and an anode. A lithium rechargeable battery is obtained by using a material capable of reversible lithium ion intercalation/deintercalation as a cathode active material and an anode active material and by introducing an organic electrolyte or polymer electrolyte between the cathode and the anode.
In general, a lithium rechargeable battery includes: an electrode assembly formed by winding an anode plate, a cathode plate and a separator interposed between both electrode plates into a predetermined shape such as a jelly-roll shape; a can for housing the electrode assembly and an electrolyte; and a cap assembly mounted to the top of the can. The cathode plate of the electrode assembly is electrically connected to the cap assembly via a cathode lead, while the anode plate of the electrode assembly is electrically connected to the can via an anode lead.
The separator in a lithium rechargeable battery has the basic function of separating the cathode and the anode from each other so as to prevent a short circuit. Additionally, it is important for the separator to allow the infiltration of an electrolyte necessary for carrying out electrochemical reactions in the battery and to maintain high ion conductivity. Particularly in the case of a lithium rechargeable battery, the separator is required to have additional functions of preventing substances capable of inhibiting such electrochemical reactions from moving in the battery and/or of ensuring the safety of the battery under abnormal conditions. Generally, the separator includes a microporous polymer membrane based on a polyolefin such as polypropylene or polyethylene, or a multilayer membrane including multiple sheets of such membranes. Such conventional separators have a sheet-like or film-like porous membrane layer, and thus show a disadvantage in that if heat emission occurs by an internal short circuit or an overcharge condition, the pores of the porous membrane may become blocked and the sheet-like separator may shrink. If the sheet-like separator is shrunk by such internal heat emission of the battery, the area covered by the separator may be reduced and the cathode and the anode may come into direct contact with each other, resulting in ignition and explosion of the battery.
Such film-like separators can ensure the safety of a battery upon heat emission caused by a short circuit via a so-called shutdown action that interrupts lithium ion movement (i.e., current flow) by blocking the pores of the separator with a softened polypropylene or polyethylene resin. However, the separators are still disadvantageous when an internal short circuit occurs. For example, using a nail test (penetration) as a substitutive test simulating an internal short circuit condition, it can be shown that the heat emission temperature may locally reach several hundred degrees C. depending on the test conditions, and thus that the porous membrane layer is deformed by the softening or loss of the resin. Further, in the nail test, the test nail penetrates through the cathode and the anode, thereby causing an abnormal overheating phenomenon. Therefore, a separator membrane that utilizes the aforementioned shutdown effect with a softened resin cannot provide an absolute safety measure against an internal short circuit.
Additionally, lithium dendrites may be formed totally on a film-like separator upon overcharge of the lithium rechargeable battery. This is because there is typically a gap between the anode and the film-like separator, and thus, lithium ions that cannot infiltrate into the anode accumulate in the gap between the anode and the film, resulting in the precipitation of lithium metal. If lithium precipitation occurs over the whole surface of the film, such lithium dendrites may penetrate through the film-like separator so that the cathode comes into direct contact with the anode. At the same time, side reactions may occur between lithium metal and the electrolyte to cause heat emission and gas generation, resulting in the ignition and explosion of the battery.

Lithium rechargeable battery including a porous membrane separator formed of ceramic secondary particles and a binder


A first cabinet comprising a first display module and a second cabinet comprising a second display module are provided. A switching is allowed between: a first state in which the first cabinet is placed on top of the second display module and the first display module faces outside, and a second state in which the first cabinet and the second cabinet are arranged next to each other and the first display module and the second display module face outside. A first screen to be displayed by the first display module and a second screen to be displayed by the second display module are stored and a screen switching operation is detected. Displaying of the first screen on the first display module is canceled and the second screen is displayed on the first display module, when the screen switching operation is detected in the first state.

Some mobile terminal devices comprise two display surfaces. In such mobile terminal devices, there may be a first screen state in which only one display surface of the two display surfaces is arranged facing outside, and a second screen state in which both display surfaces are arranged facing outside. When executing an application program, the user is able to execute the application program in each screen state. However, in the first screen state, the user is unable to use functions executed using the hidden screen. It is desirable to enable the user to easily use functions executed using the hidden screen while maintaining the first screen state.


A method of binding a web service to a business application includes dynamically extending the executable code of the business application while the business application is being executed by a networked web service client device. The dynamic extension of the business application creates a persistent customizable web service interaction between the business application and a selected web service.

Packaged business applications are prevalent in modern information technology. Packaged business applications provide a computer-based user interface that users utilize to perform business functions (e.g., create a ticket, approve a purchase order, update a work order, etc). Many such business applications use business objects to pass data back and forth between a user interface and a persistence layer (e.g., a relational database or XML repository) where data is stored beyond the current session. The business objects of a business application enforce business rules that determine what can or cannot be done with the data embodied within the business objects. The user interface of a business application enables users to perform specific tasks and read or manipulate the data embodied within the business objects.
It is also often necessary for business applications to retrieve, display and consume data that is not normally managed by the native business application. Such data is resident in external applications and can be retrieved using data synchronization, data integration, Application Programming Interfaces (API) or web services.
A web service is a software resource available to a client machine over a network. In a typical scenario, a client machine will invoke a web service by transmitting a request over the network to a server hosting the web service. The server will then execute the web service according to the request made by the client machine, and may transmit a response back to the client machine.
One or more Web services may be used to enrich a business application by integrating data that is external to the application. Nevertheless, developer resources, dedicated development tools, and the authoring of code are traditionally required to design an interface between a packaged business application and a web service.

Web service interaction in a dynamically extensible business application

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION


A large-scale centralized supervisory system for a plurality of network elements comprises a plurality of system zones. Each system zone has a plurality of supervisors connected to the transmission network elements, for supervising respective statuses of the network elements, a central supervisor for managing the network elements based on supervisory data transmitted from the supervisors, and an extensive supervisor connected between the supervisors and the central supervisor, for collecting the supervisory data from the supervisors and transmitting the collected supervisory data to the central supervisor and also to the extensive supervisor of an adjacent one of the other system zones. The supervisors collect current data indicating current statuses of the network elements, event data indicating changes in the current statuses of the network elements, and historical data indicating statuses of the network elements before the central supervisor is set up, and transmit the collected data to the central supervisor. The central supervisor generates a current table of the statuses of the network elements based on the transmitted data, displays data of the current table on the display unit, and generates history data including fault histories of the network elements for managing fault data of the network elements.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a centralized supervisory system for supervising transmission network elements and a method of supervising transmission network elements, and more particularly to a system for and a method of centralized supervision of a transmission network with sets of supervisors (SVs) and a plurality of supervisors in each set for supervising a number of transmission network elements and a central supervisor (CSV) connected to the supervisors.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There is generally known a centralized supervisory system having a plurality of supervisors (SVs) for supervising respective transmission network elements scattered in remote locations and connected respectively to the supervisors, and a central supervisor (CSV) for collecting supervisory data from the supervisors and processing the supervisory data for efficient network maintenance. The central supervisor usually comprises a minicomputer or a workstation for achieving high-level processing operation.
The minicomputer or workstation has a highly sophisticated human interface device which can display more specific supervisory data including the type of a fault that has occurred, a network element that is subjected to a fault, and a network region or zone in which a fault has occurred, than conventional LED devices. The minicomputer or work station also makes it possible to manage supervisory data as by statistically processing supervisory data. For such supervisory data management, it is necessary to obtain history data that are higher in level than conventional fault data called a "log".
One conventional centralized supervisory system is shown in FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawings. The conventional centralized supervisory system comprises a tree-type hierarchical network having a number of slave supervisors (SSVs) connected respectively to transmission network elements (NEs), a number of master supervisors (MSVs) each connected to some of the slave supervisors, and a central supervisor (CSV) positioned at the top of the tree structure and connected to the master supervisors (MSVs). Information as to a fault that has taken place in any transmission network element (NE) is sent successively through the corresponding slave supervisor (SSV) and the corresponding master supervisor (MSV) to the central supervisor (CSV). Each of the transmission network elements (NEs) has a built-in processor for diagnosing itself for a fault, and transmits diagnostic data through a built-in supervisor to the corresponding slave supervisor (SSV). The slave supervisors (SSVs) and the master supervisors (MSVs) collect and transmit the diagnostic data to the central supervisor (CSV). The slave supervisors (SSVs) and the master supervisors (MSVs) primarily serve to collect and transmit data though they slightly process the collected data. The central supervisor (CSV) supervises the transmitted fault data and manages the entire system.
In recent years, the supervisory area of a central supervisory system has been spreading from local urban regions to a national stage. The widespread supervisory service has resulted in many supervisory bases or footings and a hierarchical centralized supervisory system configuration, and demands a plurality of centralized supervisory systems put together for higher reliability.
To meet such a demand, there has been proposed a larger-scale centralized supervisory system having two tree configurations as shown in FIG. 2 of the accompanying drawings. In the illustrated centralized supervisory system, fault data is transmitted from a slave supervisor (SSV) through a master supervisor (MSV) to an extensive supervisor (XSV), from which the fault data is supplied to a zone center (ZC) and a national center (NC). The zone center (ZC) effects centralized supervision of those transmission network elements that are disposed in a zone to which the zone center (ZC) belongs. The national center (NC) supervises all the transmission network elements across the zones.
The conventional centralized supervisory system is, however, disadvantageous for the following reasons:
1. Fault data and other data in each zone are supplied to the national center (NC), but not to the other zones. Therefore, in the event of a fault with a transmission network element in one zone adversely affecting lines connecting the fault network element to the transmission network elements in other zones, those zone centers (ZC) of the zones that are connected to the adversely affected lines can recognize the malfunctioning of the lines, but cannot identify the position of the fault and hence cannot take an appropriate action.
2. When the national center (NC) malfunctions due to a fault, the zones are detached from each other, and the zone centers (ZC) effect centralized supervision of their own zones, respectively. Consequently, the ability of the system to supervise the transmission network elements all across the zones is disabled.
3. The number of zones that can be supervised by the national center (NC) depends on the number of input ports possessed by the national center (NC). Therefore, the number of zones that can be added is limited, and the entire system cannot be expanded beyond a certain limit.
The central supervisor (CSV) and the transmission network elements (NEs) supervised thereby are connected by dedicated communication lines, over which fault data are transmitted from the transmission network elements (NEs) to the central supervisor (CSV). The fault data include current data indicative of the current status of the transmission network elements (NEs), and event data indicative of only a change in the current status after the previous status has been transmitted from the transmission network elements (NEs) to the central supervisor (CSV). The central supervisor (CSV) receives the fault data as a communication message, and collects and manages the received fault data.
For the sake of brevity, the flow of such a communication message will be described below as a flow from an XSV to a CSV which may be an NC or a ZC. Specifically, the XSV collects communication messages from NEs through SSVs and MSVs, and then sends the collected communication messages to the CSV. Here, the transmission of a communication message from the XSV to the CSV will be described by way of example. The flow of a communication message between the NEs, the SSVs, the MSVs, and the XSV will not be described below unless particularly necessary.
For collecting fault data by way of the flow of a communication message from the XSV to the CSV, the following three alternative time sequences may occur when the XSV and the CSV are started:
1. The XSV side is set up first, and thereafter the CSV side is set up.
2. The CSV side is set up first, and thereafter the XSV side is set up.
3. The CSV side is set up first, then the XSV side is set up, thereafter disabled, and then set up again.
The flow of fault data between the XSV and the CSV will be described below with respect to the above three time sequences. The time when the XSV side and the CSV side are set up is the time when they are energized with electric power supplied thereto, and the setting-up is completed upon elapse of an idle time (setting-up time) in which data loading, initialization, transmission of a request for current data, and reception of transmitted data are carried out. When the setting-up is completed, the XSV and the CSV are ready to supervise the NEs. The setting-up of the XSV side includes the setting-up of the XSV, the SSVs, the MSVs, and the NEs.
FIG. 3 of the accompanying drawings is a timing chart of the first time sequence referred to above in which the CSV side is set up subsequently. A CSV 70 has a current table 74 indicative of the contents of faults at times, and history data 75 indicative of the histories of the respective faults. In reality, there are several thousand to several ten thousand NEs, and hence there are a considerable number of contents of faults and the history data 75 are composed of a large number of fault data. However, it is assumed for simplicity that there are three faults A, B, C and there are fault data with respect to the faults A, B, C.
As shown in FIG. 3, the XSV 60 side is set up, subjected to a fault A at a time t0, then restored from the fault A at a time t1, and subjected again to a fault B at a time t2. During this time, the CSV 70 side has not been set up, and fault data from the SSVs and the MSVs are stored in a buffer memory of the XSV 60.
Then, when the CSV 70 side is set up, the CSV 70 clears all the contents of the current table 74, writes "RESTORED" in the current table 74, and issues a request command to request current data from the XSV 60. In response to the request command, the XSV 60 sends current data 81 representing current data (B occurred, restored from A, C at t2) to the CSV 70. Based on the supplied current data 81, the CSV 70 produces a current table 74 and also history data 84 with respect to the fault B. Then, the XSV 60 transmits stored event data 82 to the CSV 70. Based on the transmitted event data 82, the CSV 70 generates data indicating occurrence of and restoration from of the fault A, and also data indicating occurrence of the fault B, in the current table 74. The occurrence of and restoration from the fault A are indicated within a rectangular frame 83 in the current table 74. Then, the CSV 70 generates, as the history data 75, history data 85 corresponding to the occurrence of and restoration from the fault A and history data 86 corresponding to the occurrence of the fault B.
One problem with the above first time sequence is that the two history data 84, 86 are generated with respect to the fault B. Another problem is that the setting-up of the CSV 70 is delayed while the current table 74 is being updated with the occurrence of and restoration from the fault A, and since there are many NEs actually, large event data are stored in the buffer, and the idle time (setting-up time) of the CSV 70 side is considerably long.
FIG. 4 of the accompanying drawings is a timing chart of the second time sequence referred to above in which the XSV side 60 is set up after the CSV 70 side.
As shown in FIG. 4, the CSV 70 side is set up, clears all the contents of the current table 74, i.e., writes "RESTORED", then waits for a circuit link to be connected to the XSV 60 side. Then, the XSV 60 side is set up, and faults A, B occur at a time t0. The CSV 70 side issues a request command for requesting current data from the XSV 60. In response to the request command, the XCV 60 sends current data 91 representing current data (A, B occurred, restored from C at t0) to the CSV 70. Based on the supplied current data 91, the CSV 70 produces a current table 74 and also history data 93, 94 with respect to the faults A, B. When restored from the fault A at a time t1, the XSV 60 sends event data 92 indicative of the restoration from the fault A to the CSV 70. Based on the event data 92, the CSV 70 writes "RESTORED" in the item A in the current table 74, and also writes "t1" in the restoration time of the history data 93.
As described above, when the CSV 70 side is set up, the CSV 70 clears all the contents of the current table 74 and write "RESTORED" in the current table 74. Actually, at this time, the XSV 60 has not been set up yet, and the statuses of the respective NEs are not fixed while no link is being established between the NEs and the XSV 60. Accordingly, the display of "RESTORED" on the display unit of the CSV 70 side does not properly reflect the actual statuses of the NEs. Particularly, if an actual NE corresponding to an NE registered in a data base of the CSV 70 is not operable (i.e., if a board with the NE mounted thereon is removed from the terminal station), then even after the communication link has been established, the CSV 70 is not informed of the inability of the NE to operate and interprets the NE as being normally operable.
FIG. 5 of the accompanying drawings is a timing chart of the third time sequence referred to above in which after the CSV 70 side is set up, the XSV 60 side that has once been set up is disabled and then set up again.
As shown in FIG. 5, the CSV 70 side is set up, then the XSV 60 is set up, and the CSV 70 side generates a current table 74 and also history data 103, 104 based on current data 101. Then, the XSV 60 side is disabled and set up again. At this time, the XSV 60 sends current data 102 (A, B occurred, restored from C at t1) to the CSV 70. The CSV 70 generates history data 105, 106 again based on the current data 102.
As described above, the history data 105, 106 are generated again and exist together with the history data 103, 104. To avoid the overlapping history data, it might be possible to search and check all the history data 75 for identical fault data. Since the history data 75 are actually considerably large, however, it would take a long period of time to check the history data 75 with respect to all the current data. Therefore, such a process would not be practically feasible.
As described above, the time sequences shown in FIGS. 3, 4, and 5 have problems with respect to the conventional centralized supervisory system.
As described with reference to FIG. 3, when the CSV 70 side is set up, the XSV 60 sends the event data 82 stored in the buffer memory of the XSV 60 to the CSV 70. Since the current table 74 is updated each time the event data 82 are sent to the CSV 70, the contents of the current table 74 change in order to process the past fault data that are not necessary in the present supervisory process, and the display unit of the CSV 70 side displays the past faults as they vary. Furthermore, a long period of time is required to process a large number of data from the NEs that are stored in the buffer memory. Therefore, it takes a long time until the CSV 70 side starts a supervisory process, i.e., the idle time (setting-up time) of the CSV 70 side is long.
According to another problem, as shown in FIG. 3, since the current data 81 and the stored event data 82 are transmitted, the data about the same fault B are generated as the history data 84, 86 in the history data 75.
As described with reference to FIG. 4, when the CSV 70 side is set up, the contents of the current table 74 are cleared to "RESTORED". However, the statuses of the respective NEs are not fixed before the XSV 60 side is set up and no link is established between the NEs and the XSV 60. Therefore, displaying the "RESTORED" on the display unit of the CSV 70 side does not reflect the actual NE statuses. Particularly, if an NE registered in the data base of the CSV 70 is not actually operable (i.e., if the board with the NE mounted thereon is removed), then even after the communication link has been established, the CSV 70 is not informed of the inability of the NE to operate and interprets the NE as being restored or normally operable.
As described above with reference to FIG. 5, history data are generated again together with existing history data. This drawback could be avoided by searching and checking all the history data 75 for identical or overlapping data. Since the history data 75 are considerably large, however, the time required to search all the history data 75 would be so long that such a process would not be practical.

Centralized supervisory system for transmission network elements and method of supervising transmission network elements