The system and method of the present invention rely on combining the Speakers+Room binaural Impulse Response(s) (SRbIR) with a special kind of crosstalk cancellation (XTC) filter—one that does not degrade or significantly alter the SRbIR's spectral and temporal characteristics that are required for effective head externalization. This unique combination leads to a 3D audio filter for headphones that allows the emulation of the sound of crosstalk-cancelled speakers through headphones, and allows for fixing the perceived soundstage in space using head tracking and thus solves the major problems for externalized and robust 3D audio rendering through headphones. Furthermore, by taking advantage of a well-documented psychoacoustic fact, this system and method can produce universal 3D audio filters that work for all listeners i.e. independent of the listener's head related transfer function (HRTF).

This invention relates to a system and method of creating 3D audio filters for head-externalized 3D audio through headphones (which for purposes of this application shall be deemed to include headphones, earphones, ear speakers or any transducers in close proximity to a listener's ears), and more particularly to filter designs for providing high quality 3D head-externalized 3D audio through headphones.
The invention has wide utility in virtually all applications where audio is delivered to a listener through headphones, including music listening, entertainment systems, pro audio, movies, communications, teleconferencing, gaming, virtual reality systems, computer audio, military and medical audio applications.
Prior art systems and processes used for the head-externalization of audio through headphones rely on one, or a combination, of the following two methods. The first of these prior art methods (PA Method 1) uses binaural audio, i.e. audio that is acoustically recorded with dummy head microphones, or audio that is mixed binaurally on a computer using the numerical HRIR (head-related impulse response) of a dummy head or a human head. The problem with this method is that it can lead to good head externalization of sound for only a small percentage of listeners. This well documented failure to head externalized binaural sound through regular headphones for virtually any listener is due to many factors (see, for instance, Rozenn Nicol, Binaural Technology, AES Monographs series, Audio Engineering Society, April 2010), One such factor is the mismatch between the HRIR of the head used to record the sound and the HRIR of the actual listener. Another important factor is the lack of robustness to head movements: the perceived audio image moves with the head as the listener rotates his head, and this artifice degrades the realism of the perception. With PA Method 1 it is impossible to use existing head tracking techniques to fix the perceived audio image because the locations of sound sources is generally unknown in an already recorded sound field.
The second prior art method (PA Method 2) filters the audio through digital (or analog) filters that represent or emulate the binaural impulse response of loudspeakers in a listening room. (such filters are referred to as SRbIR filters, where "SRbIR" stands for "Speakers+Room binaural Impulse Response"). An advantage of this method over PA Method 1 is that existing head tracking techniques can readily be used to fix the perceived audio image in space (thereby greatly increasing the robustness to head movements and therefore enhancing the realism of the perceived sound field) as the location of the speakers is effectively known since convolution of the input audio with the SRbIR measured or calculated at various head positions (three positions covering the range of expected head rotation are usually sufficient to extrapolate the SRbIR at other head rotation angles) could be changed as a function of the head location using head tracking so that the listener perceives the sound coming from loudspeakers that are fixed in space. However, while PA Method 2 can lead to good head externalization of sound, it emulates the sound of regular loudspeakers whereby the sound is not truly three-dimensional (i.e. does not extend significantly in 3D space beyond the region where the loudspeakers are perceived to be located.)
Combining these two prior art methods can lead to good head externalization of sound and the ability to use head tracking but the benefits of the binaural audio are largely lost as the sound of binaural audio through regular loudspeakers is not truly 3D since the transmission of the inter-aural time difference (ITD), inter-aural level difference (ILD) and spectral cues in the binaural recording through loudspeakers is severely degraded by the crosstalk (the sound from each loudspeaker reaching the unintended ear).
Although not reported in the literature or in any known prior art, it would seem possible to make the second process described above yield high quality 3D sound (while still head externalizing the sound) by using, in addition to the SRbIR filter, a crosstalk cancellation (XTC) filter with the goal of emulating the sound of crosstalk-cancelled loudspeakers playback. Such a process, however, does not yield the desired quality sound because a regular XTC filter will remove or significantly degrade the crosstalk that is inherently represented in the SRbIR filter and which is critical for head externalization of sound through headphones.
It is therefore a principal object of the present invention to provide and system and process for providing more effective head-externalization of 3D audio through headphones.

System and method for producing head-externalized 3D audio through headphones


A gaming system includes at least one progressive server and a plurality of gaming machines configured to present wagering games to players for play. The at least one progressive server is configured to generate a plurality of progressive jackpots funded at least partially from funds transactions at the gaming machines. Each gaming machine is configured to present at least a first game play option permitting a player to play for a first of the progressive jackpots and a second game play option permitting a player to play for a second of the progressive jackpots, the player permitted to select from the game play options to play for the opportunity to win the progressive jackpot associated therewith. In one embodiment, the system has a tiered configuration where progressive servers are “layered” and associated with different groups or sets of gaming machines.

In order to increase the excitement of wager based-gaming, it is desirable to offer large awards. Generally, a particular paytable is provided which defines the awards for particular game outcomes. In order to maintain a particular "hold" on the game, if the award for a particular outcome is increased significantly, the awards for other games must be decreased or there may need to be a lesser number of winning outcomes.
As one technique for providing a large winning, the amount of winnings paid for one or more outcomes may be variable. In a progressive type award configuration, the amount of an award for a particular outcome varies. Generally, a portion of all wagers placed at the gaming machine is set aside to fund a "pool" and a portion of the pool is awarded when the particular game outcome is received. In accordance with this game configuration, large pools or award values may be generated over time as wagered monies accumulate in the pool.
In an enhancement of this technique, a pool may be associated with a plurality of linked gaming machines. In this manner, the wagers of many players at many machines contribute to the growth of the pool. This allows the pool to grow faster and even larger.
These systems, however, have some disadvantages and limitations. First, a particular gaming machine is associated with a single system. Thus, if the progressive pool of a particular group of gaming machines is relatively low, players may be less enticed to play the machines of that group relative to machines of another group or system where the progressive award is higher. Second, each machine of the group or system is linked by one or more communication links to the other machines and/or a host. If those links are broken or interrupted, then the progressive feature is effectively disabled at one or all of the machines, which renders the machines undesirable for play. This can be very costly to the game operator.
An improved progressive gaming system is desired.


A trench MOSFET structure having improved avalanche capability is disclosed, wherein the source region is formed by performing source Ion Implantation through contact open region of a contact interlayer, and further diffused to optimize a trade-off between Rds and the avalanche capability. Thus, only three masks are needed in fabrication process, which are trench mask, contact mask and metal mask. Furthermore, said source region has a doping concentration along channel region lower than along contact trench region, and source junction depth along channel region shallower than along contact trench, and source doping profile along surface of epitaxial layer has Guassian-distribution from trenched source-body contact to channel region.

Please refer to FIG. 1A for a conventional N-channel trench MOSFET structure of prior art (U.S. Pat. No. 6,888,196) with n+ source regions having same surface doping concentration and junction depth along trenched source-body contact and channel region. The disclosed N-channel trench MOSFET cell is formed in an N epitaxial layer 102 supported on an N+ substrate 100. Near the top surface of a P body region 103, which is formed within said epitaxial layer 102, n+ source region 104 is implanted around the top portion of trenched gates 105 and adjacent to the sidewalls of trenched source-body contact 106. As mentioned above, said n+ source region 104 has a same surface doping concentration and a same junction depth (Ds, as illustrated in FIG. 1A) along epitaxial surface, which is related to the formation process of said n+ source region 104.
FIG. 1B shows the fabrication method of said n+ source regions 104. After the formation of the P body region 103 and its diffusion, said n+ source region 104 is formed by performing source dopant Ion Implantation through a source mask (not shown). The top surface of said P body region 103 suffered the same source dopant Ion Implantation and the same n+ dopant diffusion step, therefore said n+ source region has same doping concentration and same junction depth along the epitaxial surface.
This uniform distribution of doping concentration and junction depth of said n+ source region may lead to a hazardous failure during UIS (Unclamped Inductance Switching) test, please refer to FIG. 1C for a top view of said n+ source region 104 and said trenched source-body contact 106 shown in FIG. 1A. As illustrated, Rbe is the base resistance from said trenched source-body contact 106 to the cell corner; Rbe is the base resistance from said trenched source-body contact 106 to the cell edge. Obviously, Rbe is greater than Rbe because the distance from said trenched source-body contact 106 to the cell corner is longer than that from said trenched source-body contact 106 to the cell edge, resulting in UIS failure occurring at the trench corner and a poor avalanche capability for closed cell at cell corners as the parasitic NPN bipolar transistor is easily turned on.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a new and improved device configuration to avoid the UIS failure occurred at the trench corner in a trench MOSFET while having a better avalanche capability.

Trench MOSFET structures using three masks process


Adaptive cruise control (ACC) system for motor vehicles is provided, the ACC system having a sensor system for acquiring data concerning a target object and the own (host) vehicle, an actuator system for controlling the longitudinal movement of the vehicle, and a controller that intervenes in the actuator system within certain intervention limits in order to maintain a defined, controlled target distance from the target object, and an output device for issuing a take-over request to the driver if the controlled target distance cannot be maintained. The ACC system further includes a prediction system for predicting a conflict situation in which the controlled target distance cannot be maintained, in which case the take-over request is initiated before the conflict situation actually occurs.

In motor vehicles, distance regulation systems, also known as ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control) systems, are increasingly used that automatically regulate the distance of the own vehicle from a vehicle traveling in front of it. The sensor system has, for example, a radar sensor with which the distances and relative speeds, and generally also the directional angles of vehicles traveling in front can be measured. On the basis of the measured directional angle, a decision can be made as to which of the located vehicles is situated in the same lane as the own vehicle, thus representing a relevant target object for the adaptive cruise control. The goal of the control is typically to maintain a defined setpoint distance from this target object, or at least to avoid falling significantly under this setpoint distance. The setpoint distance is usefully speed-dependent, and is generally defined via a setpoint time gap that indicates the time interval in which the two vehicles pass the same point on the roadway. On the basis of the data measured by the radar sensor, the controller calculates for example a positive or negative setpoint acceleration that is required in order to maintain the setpoint distance, and via the actuator system intervenes in the vehicle's drive train, and also in the vehicle's brake system if required, in a manner corresponding to this setpoint acceleration.
In order to achieve a comfortable system behavior and in order to take into account physical properties of the actuator system, as well as safety-related factors, the setpoint acceleration that is finally outputted to the actuator system is limited by an upper and/or lower limit of intervention. However, this limiting can have the consequence that in critical traffic situations the automatic longitudinal speed controlling or longitudinal acceleration controlling of the own (host) vehicle cannot prevent a collision with the vehicle traveling in front. For this reason, an important component of the known ACC systems is an output device via which a take-over request can be issued to the driver in such cases. In this way, the driver is requested to take over the control of the vehicle himself in order to gain control over the critical situation, the driver not being bound to the intervention limits of the control system. For example, in known systems such a take-over request is issued if the controller calculates a setpoint acceleration that would be required in order to maintain the setpoint distance but that lies outside the limits of intervention of the system. In order to gain control over the critical driving situation, the driver is then generally required to respond to the event in a sufficiently rapid and/or energetic, active manner.

Adaptive cruise control system for motor vehicles


In a network multimedia conference, a bridge service that functions as a proxy for a client to join the conference dynamically selects a video stream from multiple video streams originating from the other participants of the conference and sends the selected video stream to the client for viewing. The bridge service monitors conferencing events of each participant and updates conferencing activity state variables of the participant, such as whether the participant is being shown to the client, whether the participant is talking, how long the participant has been shown or not shown, etc. Periodically, a weight assigned to each of the participants is computed based on the state variables, and the video stream of the participant with the highest weight is then selected for viewing by the client.

Multimedia conferencing has become one of many important applications of network communications, especially over the Internet. Multimedia conferencing is preferably carried out in a multicast mode to enable real-time interactions among several participants, where each participant can see video signals and hear sounds of the other participants. To participate in a multimedia conference, a user of a client machine uses a multimedia conferencing component, which may be a component of a Web browser, to place a multicast call to the other participants. The multimedia traffic from all participants is sent to the multicast address associated with the conference, and each client listening on that address is capable of simultaneously receiving and rendering multimedia streams from all the other clients. In this way, the user is able to hear all the other participants and see them simultaneously in different video windows.
Multimedia conferencing using the multicast technology requires that all of the clients participating in the video conference be connected together by a multicast-enabled network, and all of the clients be multicast-capable. There are, however, many network clients that are not able to participate in a network conference in the multicast mode because either they do not have multicast capabilities or they reside on networks that cannot form a multicast connection to the conference server. Due to the large number of such clients, it is desirable to provide ways for them to participate in a multimedia network conference.
One proposed way to allow a client that is not able to join a network conference in the multicast mode to still participate in the conference is to have the client place a point-to-point call to a bridge service that is multicast capable and connected to the multicast network. The bridge service then joins the conference on behalf of the client. During the conference, the audio and video streams generated by the client is unicast to the bridge service. The bridge service functions as a proxy of the client by forwarding conference traffic from this client to the other participants, and to forward conference traffic originating from the other participants to the client.
One problem with the use of a bridge service, however, is that the unicast client is not able to see all the other participants at the same time. While a multicast participant can receive the multiple video data streams from all the other participants, the point-to-point connection between the unicast client and the bridge service is capable of handling and rendering only a single video substream from one participant. In other words, the unicast client can only see one of the other participants at a time. The difficulty is in deciding which video substream should be presented to the unicast client for viewing. Thus, there exists a need for an intelligent way for the bridge service to select one video substream from all the video substreams originated from multiple conference participants for viewing by the client. The resulting user experience should be seamless and adaptive to different scenarios of conference dynamics.

Method and system for selectively viewing participants of a multimedia network conference


The invention provides a process for preparing a 4-amino-5-mercapto-3-substituted-1,2,4!triazole comprising reacting a thiocarbohydrazide with a carboxylic acid in the presence of an organic solvent and a boron compound having the formula ##STR1## where R.sup.2, R.sup.3, and R.sup.4 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, hydroxy, amino, alkyl, aryl, alkoxy, and aryloxy groups. The process provides a safer low temperature process for preparing the desired compound.

3,6-disubstituted-1H-pyrazolo3,2-c!1,2,4!triazole couplers are important couplers for photographic products. They are, however, difficult to synthesize. Only a few practical synthetic methods to these couplers are known in the art. One of the preferred synthetic routes involves the preparation of the intermediate: 3,6-disubstituted-7H-1,2,4!triazolo3,4-b!1,3,4!thiadiazine(2). ##STR2##
The intermediate 2 can be prepared from the intermediate 1 (4-amino-5-mercapto-3-substituted 1,2,4!trizole), which is the subject of this invention, and an alpha-haloketone as illustrated by the following equation: ##STR3##
The intermediate compound 1 can be prepared according to Hans Beyer (Annalon der Chemie und Phamzie, 1960, 637, 135-145) and Westphal et al (Zeitschrift fur Chemie, 1969, 9, 111) by using thiocarbohydrazide and a carboxylic acid as follows: ##STR4##
This method uses no solvent. The two starting materials 4 and 5 were heated at a high (melting) temperature in their neat state. The described method suffers many disadvantages:
(1) This method is effective only when the carboxylic acid is liquid. The reaction can be very difficult if the carboxylic acid is a solid; PA1 (2) Thiocarbohydrazide 4 is an explosive and a highly hazardous material. A reaction operated at high temperature involving 4 without a solvent is very difficult because all the solid starting materials are not mixed evenly. As a result, local overheat could occur and explosion could result; PA1 (3) The reaction produces low yield of the intermediate 1 or no product at all. Extensive work-up is needed to obtain a reasonably pure final product.
A problem to be solved is to provide a safer low temperature process for preparing a 4-amino-5-mercapto-3-substituted-1,2,4!triazole.

Process for preparation of a 4-amino-5-mercapto-3-substituted-1,2,4!triazole compound


A secure tag coding method and device. The method comprises: providing a first type of secure tag having a first luminescence profile to indicate a first level code; providing a second type of secure tag having a second luminescence profile different from the first luminescence profile to indicate a second level code; mixing secure tags of the first type with secure tags of the second type in a predetermined ratio so that excitation of the mixed secure tags produces a composite of the first luminescence profile and the second luminescence profile, from which composite a multi-level code can be ascertained; and applying the mixture of first and second types of secure tags to a substrate. The substrate carrying this secure tag coding arrangement provides multi-level codes. The device for selecting and applying the secure tag coding arrangement to the substrate is also described.

Secure tags are used for a number of different purposes; a primary purpose being preventing, detecting, and/or deterring counterfeiting.
One type of secure tag that has recently been developed is based on small particles of a rare earth doped host, such as glass. This type of secure tag is described in US patent application No. 2004/0262547, entitled "Security Labelling," and US patent application No. 2005/0143249, entitled "Security Labels which are Difficult to Counterfeit", both of which are incorporated herein by reference.
These rare earth doped particles (hereinafter "RE particles") can be applied to valuable items in different ways. For example, the secure tags can be incorporated in fluids which are applied (by printing, spraying, painting, or such like) to valuable items, or incorporated directly into a substrate (paper, rag, plastic, or such like) of the valuable items.
In response to suitable excitation, RE particles produce a luminescence spectrum having narrow peaks because of the atomic (rather than molecular) transitions involved. Luminescence is a generic term that relates to a substance emitting optical radiation in response to excitation, and includes photoluminescence, such as fluorescence and phosphorescence.
Fluorescent materials (dyes and pigments) tend to have a decay lifetime of 10−9 to 10−7 seconds (1 to 100 nanoseconds). The fluorescence disappears very quickly after excitation ceases. Thus, detecting fluorescence is typically performed simultaneously with excitation.
Phosphorescent materials (dyes and pigments) tend to have a decay lifetime of 10−3 to 100 seconds. Although detecting phosphorescence can be done simultaneously with excitation, it is also possible to measure phosphorescence after the excitation is removed, thereby adding to the security of a phosphorescent secure tag.
It would be desirable to have secure tags that include multiple levels (or layers) of codes. For example, it would be desirable to have a secure tag that luminesces at one or more fixed wavelengths to indicate that the secure tag is genuine, or owned by a particular company (the first level code); but also luminesces at one or more additional wavelengths to indicate a certain feature or quality of the substrate the secure tag is applied to (the second level code). Thus, different secure tags from the same company would have the same fixed wavelengths but different additional wavelengths.
The difficulty with achieving multiple levels of codes is that the luminescence from a secure tag is determined by the electronic states within that secure tag. When dopants are added to introduce luminescence at additional wavelengths, the luminescence from the fixed wavelengths change unpredictably. Thus, introducing a new dopant to provide a new second level of code may change the first level of code, thereby ruining the multi-level coding arrangement. This unpredictability means that the only reliable way to ensure that a new dopant does not affect the first level code (and thereby provide consistent multiple levels of codes) is by trial and error, which is expensive. If a large number of different second level codes are desired, it may not be feasible to use the trial and error approach.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


Described is a method and system of requirements management including the expression in a requirements management tool of a relationship selected from the group consisting of a satisfaction relationship, an alternative relationship, a conflict relationship, and a constant dependency relationship.

Requirements governing the development of various types of products have grown as the complexity of these products has increased. Any heterogeneous system (e.g. one built from different types of components) can be defined by a set of requirements documents with which the developed product must comply. Such systems exist in many types of manufacturing and product development such as automotive, military, aerospace, and complex medical systems. Exemplary products may contain such components as computer software programs, computer hardware, semiconductors, mechanical and electrical products, etc. Requirements are often formulated in documents and are partitioned into pieces of text called individual requirements. The requirements are often represented hierarchically.
In requirements management, the refinement and facilitation of requirements are considered in conjunction with the development of a design. The process of requirements specification is an iterative process in which increasingly detailed requirements are produced by the refinement of previously defined requirements. The development of a design generally begins from a set of initial requirements. As the design process progresses, the initial requirements are extended with intermediate design decisions, usually called "derived" requirements. These requirements are added to the whole set of requirements. During the design procedure, further requirements may be elucidated. Managing changes and/or additions to the initial or derived requirements or design often leads to inconsistencies in the requirement and/or design.
Requirements management tools exist some of which are integrated with design management tools. Two exemplary products are DOORS® (available from Telelogic® at http://www.telelogic.com/) and RequisitePro® (available from IBM® Rational® at http://www.ibm.com).
These tools provide basic infrastructure for capturing and selecting requirements, and for connecting requirements to design elements. However, since these tools only allow one general link type between requirements, usually only a simple hierarchy that reflects the structural elements of the requirements document, such as paragraphs, sections, chapters, and enumerations is shown. It is not possible with only one link type to show logical relationships between requirements. A user may wish to assign different roles to links however all the links look the same and there is no way to enter or save such information, hence the user must remember what each link represents.
These tools may also address some primitive forms of impact analysis and traceability problems but the lack of granularity in the definition of relationships prevents an accurate impact analysis from being performed and only step by step tracing between requirements is possible. These tools are further limited in that only whole sets of requirements can be analyzed. There are tools that can determine if all of the requirements are linked to design elements either directly or indirectly, but no analysis is possible on a subset of the requirements.

Requirements management semantics modeling

Abstract: Described is a requirements management method including a first automatic analyzing of a requirements set to find conflicts, having a conflict free requirements subset. and a second automatic analyzing of the requirements set to verify completeness.

International Business Machines Corporation


A battery pulsation system including a battery string including a plurality of cells, the battery string defining a positive end and a negative end, a first pulsation device connected to a first cell of the battery string to supply a first pulsation energy thereto, the first cell includes a first positive terminal and a first negative terminal and is generally adjacent to the positive end of the battery string, wherein the first pulsation device applies a greater portion of the first pulsation energy to the first negative terminal than the first positive terminal, and a second pulsation device connected to a second cell of the battery string to supply a second pulsation energy thereto, the second cell includes a second positive terminal and a second negative terminal and is generally adjacent to the negative end of the battery string, wherein the second pulsation device applies a greater portion of the second pulsation energy to the second positive terminal than the second negative terminal.

The present patent application is directed to the supply of pulsation energy to batteries and, more particularly, to the supply of pulsation energy to a battery back-up system in a manner that reduces electromagnetic interference.
Batteries have been used to supply electrical energy to various applications, wherein the applications place a load on the batteries. While batteries are commonly used as a primary source of electrical energy, batteries are also commonly used as a source of continuous back-up, power, which is commonly referred to as battery back-up. For example, a traditional grid-powered application may include a battery back-up to supply electrical energy to the application in the event of a power failure or other supply interruption affecting the electric grid.
A battery back-up may be configured in various ways depending on the application. As one example, the battery back-up may be an off-line battery back-up, wherein the battery back-up remains idle until a switch is actuated, typically as a result of a failure in the primary power source, thereby transferring the application from the primary power source to the battery back-up. As a second example, the battery back-up may be an on-line battery back-up, wherein the battery back-up continuously powers the application from its energy reserves, while simultaneously replenishing the reserves from the primary power source.
As a battery is discharged, various electro-chemical reactions occur within the battery that result in the accumulation of various deposits, such as lead sulfate deposits, on the battery components (e.g., the battery plates). Batteries are designed to accommodate these deposits, but when these particles increase in size, they cause the charge and discharge cycle to become less efficient. Pulsation devices have been used to counteract the accumulation of large crystal deposits by applying pulsation energy, such as radio frequency energy, to the battery. Without being limited to any particular theory, it is believed that pulsation energy breaks down the accumulated deposits and facilitates ion flow to the active material on the battery plates.
In the telecommunication industry, certain equipment and circuitry is backed-up by large strings of batteries, usually in an on-line battery back-up configuration. However, the use of pulsation energy to restore and maintain healthy operation of the battery strings may cause high levels of electro-magnetic interference ("EMI") to emanate into the sensitive telecommunication equipment/circuitry, thereby causing unacceptable levels of noise. Therefore, to avoid the problems associated with EMI, users may take the battery strings off-line for pulsation reconditioning, thereby greatly increasing maintenance costs, or to avoid higher maintenance costs, users simply replace the battery string which substantially increases capital costs.
Accordingly, there is a need for a battery pulsation system that reduces or perhaps even eliminates EMI in the battery application.


Virus fingerprint data is automatically generated for use in detecting computer viruses and virus removal data for use in removing computer viruses from infected files. The fingerprint generation technique serves to identify the infected virus carrying portions of a computer file and then search within those portions for matching blocks of bytes in excess of a certain size that are consistently located at a predetermined position within the infected computer file such that they may be used to reliably detect that computer virus when it is infecting different host computer files. The removal data generation mechanism serves to search the infected computer file against a clean version of that computer file to identify matching blocks. Critical data missing within the infected computer file may be found within the virus carrying portions by the application of various decryption techniques. Cutting points to remove the virus carrying portions are identified. The fingerprint data and the removal data are tested on pairs of clean and infected computer files to verify that they operate correctly.

This invention relates to the field of data processing systems. More particularly, this invention relates to the field of the building of detection and cleaning mechanisms for use against computer viruses.
It is known to provide systems that detect and remove known computer viruses from computer files infected with those known computer viruses. When a new computer virus is released by a virus author, it generally rapidly comes to the notice of anti-virus system providers. These anti-virus system providers must then analyse the new computer virus to identify distinct characteristics of computer files infected with that computer virus such that they may provide a detection mechanism to their customers. In addition, the anti-virus providers must also analyse the computer files infected with the new computer virus to determine a way of removing the new computer virus from the computer file in question and recovering as much data as possible.
The steps of identifying detection and cleaning techniques are typically performed by an experienced computer programmer in the field of anti-virus systems who is able to analyse an infected computer file to identify the virus portions and develop a detection and cleaning mechanism for the new virus. However, the number of new viruses and variants of existing viruses is increasing such that it is difficult for anti-virus system providers to keep pace with the release of new viruses. Furthermore, steps that can increase the speed with which virus detection and virus cleaning mechanisms can be developed and released to customers are strongly advantageous since a new virus will typically have then spread to a lesser extent and have caused less damage than if the release of the detection and cleaning mechanisms took longer.

Automatic builder of detection and cleaning routines for computer viruses


The present application discloses a sidewalk lifting device made of steel framed tower that has a flat plate extending inward from the lowest end of the tower. This plate holds the lower surface of a sidewalk slab and also provides the lifting surface to elevate a damaged sidewalk. Additionally, attached to the inside surface of the tower in a position above the plate, is an adjustable slab brace frame which serves to hold the upper surface of a given sidewalk slab while it is being lifted.. The lifting tower also has on its upper end outward extending frame members. When lifting a damaged sidewalk, multiple lifting devices may be used and supplied with hydraulic bottle jacks which fit on the outside edge of the lifting towers.. A method of leveling sidewalks is also disclosed this method includes lifting a sidewalk slab to be leveled then injecting mason's sand into the cavity created between the lower surface of the sidewalk and the settled earth below it. This procedure is accomplished by the use of a sand blaster and a connected wand which is fed beneath the sidewalk and into the cavity. Once the cavity is completely filled with sand, the user simply removes the present invention completely. The use of sand in filling voids provides a very stable foundation for the sidewalk that will resist settling and prolong the useful life of the sidewalk.

The present invention relates to a method of leveling an existing sidewalk which has had portions settle into the ground so as to become uneven over time. More specifically, a method of carefully raising a section of sunken sidewalk so as not to damage the section and allow for the injection of pressurized mason's sand into the cavity created between the bottom of the sidewalk slab and the settled ground.
Regardless of the skill and care used in the initial construction, sidewalks tend to become misaligned over time due to different rates of settlement of the earth. Uplift from freeze/thaw cycles, or tree root lifting are also common causes of sidewalk misalignment. These problems cause cracks in the sidewalk to develop and can also cause step-like structures to occur between sections of the sidewalk. The end result of this condition is the creation of hazards to sidewalk users and liability for those who are responsible for their care. Additionally, the uneven sidewalks are extremely difficult to effectively clear of snow and ice during the winter months in the northern areas of the United States, thus creating further hazards and liabilities for their users and owners.
In the past, there was a number of ways this problem was solved. One of these was to completely remove the damaged section of sidewalk and then re-pour it. The problem with this method is that although it works very well, it is time consuming and very expensive. The re-pour method also results in a checkerboard looking sidewalk as new portion are often a very different color from the older weathered sections. Another method that has been used with the step formation problem is to construct concrete or tar ramps from the lower portion of the sidewalk to the upper. The problem with this method is that it still leaves uneven sidewalk surfaces that are hazardous and difficult to maintain.
Finally, another method that is often used is mud jacking. In this repair method a hole is drilled through the uneven slab and wet mud is pumped under the slab until the slab becomes level. The first problem with this method it that it requires the drilling and patching of unsightly holes in each individual slab of cement. Second, as the mud is pumped under the slab, this method will not repair sections that have raised rather then settled. Finally, the use of wet mud often makes it difficult to effectively level a slab as the mud will settle over time while drying.
More recently, a number of patents have issued that attempt to deal with this problem in an effective and cost efficient manner. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,962,913, Stewart, Oct. 16, 1990, a method of lifting and repairing such damaged sidewalks is provided. The problem with this device is that by nature of its construction, a heavy frame supported by four wheels, it is large and cumbersome in operation. Further, this device requires the even lifting of a given slab in only in small sections at a time, as one portion of the device rests on an unlifted portion of sidewalk. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,982,930, Stewart, Jan. 8, 1991, the same inventor attempted to resolve the short comings of his prior art by lightening the frame and removing the wheels. However, the resulting apparatus is still large and cumbersome in its operation. Also as can be seen both of these lifting methods by Stewart block the walkway while the repair is in progress.
Therefore, from the foregoing discussion it can be clearly seen that it would be highly desirable to provide a means of leveling existing sidewalks in an inexpensive manner that is compact and easily used. The present invention addresses the foregoing problems by providing a pair of small, lightweight towers that attach to and lift either side of a damaged sidewalk so that mason's sand may be injected into the created cavity beneath it. Furthermore, the present invention also offers other advantages over the prior art and solves problems associated therewith.


A method for image processing comprising the steps of processing an image comprising a plurality of pixels each having an intensity to produce an image processed image comprising a plurality of pixels, applying a preservation filter to the image to produce at least one preservation value corresponding to at least one of the plurality of pixels of the image, computing a weight coefficient α, for each of the at least one preservation values, and using each of the at least one weight coefficients to mix the image with the image processed image to produce an output image comprising a plurality of pixels.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus of image processing to enhance image qualities and to reduce noise in ultrasound imaging.
2. Description of Related Arts
Image processing typically enhances image quality by smoothing, sharpening and improving the overall image contrast. Smoothing, for example, can reduce noise and improve contrast. However, in the case of medical imaging, smoothing may cause the loss of some clinically important features. Such important image features are usually detected as discontinuities by discontinuity detection filters. Detection of discontinuities can be performed at a level of edge, line, or point. With reference to FIG. 1, there are illustrated prior art edge detection filters 11. With reference to FIG. 2, there are illustrated prior art line detection filters 21. With reference to FIG. 3, there are illustrated prior art point detection filters 31. Unfortunately, prior art filters 11, 21, and 31 all tend to be sensitive to noise or the signal to noise ratio of the image. There is therefore needed a filter for both detecting and preserving important image features.

Method and apparatus for image processing


A wavelength division multiplexing optical coupler comprising an input optical fiber for a plurality of wavelengths; a lens for converting the light from the input optical fiber into a parallel light; a first optical filter group comprising optical filters aligned along the flux of parallel light so as to be fixed by angles different from each other such that fluxes of light in predetermined wavelength ranges are reflected in respective directions; and output optical fibers, to which the fluxes of light are coupled; wherein a second optical filter group for transmitting the predetermined wavelength ranges are arranged between the first face of the lens and the respective end faces of the set of the output optical fibers for coupling the fluxes of light reflected by the respective optical filters of the first optical filter group.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wavelength division multiplexing coupler used in wavelength division multiplexing communication in an optical communication field, particularly relates to a wavelength division multiplexing optical coupler using an optical filter.
2. Related Art
There is PON (Passive Optical Network) as one of network systems used for FTTx (Fiber To The x, x=H: Home, P: Premise, C: Curb or the like) for introducing optical communication to a so-to-speak access system between a subscriber and a station. There are used fluxes of light having different wavelengths for upstream data from a subscriber to a station and downstream data from a station to a subscriber therefor. Further, there is also a case of multiplexing to use an analog signal of an image or the like having a further different wavelength. For example, there are used 1310 nm band for Upstream Data, 1490 nm band for Downstream Data and 1550 nm band for an image signal. Therefore, there is needed a wavelength division multiplexing optical coupler for multiplexing/demultiplexing the signals having the respective wavelengths in OLT (Optical Line Termination) or ONU (Optical Network Unit) provided on a station side and on a subscriber side.
In a background art, the wavelength division multiplexing optical coupler used for the above-described object is realized by a constitution as shown by FIG. 6. In order to multiplexing/demultiplexing three wavelengths λ1, λ2, λ3, there are used three pieces of optical couplers 201, 202, 203 respectively having three kinds of band pass filters constituting transmission wavelength bands by three different wavelength bands which are connected in Cascade connection (refer to, for example, JP-A-54-17044). The optical coupler is referred to as 3 port coupler and when incident light multiplexed with two wavelengths is made to be incident from an optical fiber 223 constituting a common port (light incident port), fluxes of emitting light of two wavelength regions can respectively be outputted from optical fibers 224, 225 constituting two light emitting ports. By connecting the 3 port couplers in cascade connection, 3 or more wavelengths can be separated. Further, by increasing a number of the cascade connections, the function can be expanded to multiplexing/demultiplexing of 4 or more of wavelength bands. Further, the final optical coupler 203 can also be omitted.
As an inner constitution of the 3 port coupler, it is known to insert a band pass filter between a two-core collimator comprising two pieces of optical fibers and collimator lenses and a single core collimator comprising one piece of an optical fiber and a collimator lens, a type of inserting a band pass filter to a dividing portion of an optical wave guide divided in a Y-like shape or the like. There may be used an optical coupler having 2 kinds of edge filters (there is long wavelength transmitting type or a short wavelength transmitting type) having edge portions (wavelength edges) of transmitting wavelength bands at middles of three wavelength bands in place of a band pass filter.
A cross talk hampering amount (isolation) indicating to what degree is an amount of mixing light having a wavelength other than a predetermined wavelength band to each port of the optical coupler of the background art is normally about 12 dB owing to an influence of remaining reflection which is reflection which is not related to a wavelength characteristic of a filter in the case of a port utilizing reflected light of each filter and achieves at most about 18 db as a limit even when transmission ripples can pertinently be adjusted. Therefore, it is difficult to achieve high isolation (20 dB or higher) for all the channels.
Further, in order to connect two pieces (or three pieces) of couplers in cascade connection, it is necessary to lead around optical fibers and in that case, in order to prevent optical loss from being brought about, a winding radius of the optical fiber cannot be reduced to be equal to or smaller than a constant degree. Since a cabinet containing the optical fibers is needed, the coupler cannot be constituted by a shape of a small-sized tube as in the normal 3 port coupler but the coupler becomes large-sized.
Further, a number of parts is increased by an amount of a number of cascade connections of the 3 port couplers and cost is increased by that amount.
There is known an optical coupler overlappingly inserting a plurality of edge filters having different edge wavelengths in place of 1 sheet of the above-described optical filter as a measure for resolving the above-described problem (refer to, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,474,424). This is an optical coupler for coupling fluxes of light having different wavelengths to different optical fibers by changing directions of fluxes of reflected light from respective filters by respectively changing angles of respective optical filters. Thereby, separation of three wavelengths or more can be carried out by one optical coupler without connecting 3 port couplers in cascade connection and the above-described problem of large-sized formation or an increase in the number of parts can be resolved.
However, according to the above-described constitution, basically, fluxes of reflected light by the respective optical filters are utilized and therefore, the problem that only isolation of about 12 dB can be achieved normally owing to remaining reflection cannot be resolved.

Wavelength division multiplexing optical coupler


Disclosed is an automatic transaction apparatus comprising an upper unit and a lower unit, wherein a means is provided for reducing the cost of manufacturing the upper unit. An automatic transaction apparatus comprises: an upper unit (2a) provided with a bill deposit/withdrawal part (3) and a sorting part (4); and a lower unit (2b) comprising denomination-specific cassettes (13) and a reject storage part (15). The automatic transaction apparatus is provided with: an upper conveyance path (7) which conveys bills to the parts in the upper unit (2a); and a lower conveyance path (10) which is connected to the upper conveyance path (7) and is disposed in the lower unit (2b), and which branches midway and conveys bills to the denomination-specific cassettes (13) or the reject storage part (15).

In a conventional automatic transaction apparatus, a bill, that has been inserted in a bill deposit/withdrawal section during a deposit transaction, is conveyed and the authenticity thereof is discriminated at a discrimination section, and a bill, that is a legitimate bill from these discrimination results, is stored once in a temporary holding section, and, after the transaction is settled, the bill that is stored in the temporary holding section is again discriminated, and, in accordance with the denomination thereof, is conveyed to and stored in a bill storage section that is structured from plural cassettes (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-108160 (paragraph [0008] through paragraph [0015]).
Generally, an automatic transaction apparatus is structured so as to be divided into an upper unit and a lower unit, and the aforementioned bill deposit/withdrawal section, discriminating section, and temporary holding section are provided within the upper unit, and the bill storage section is provided within the lower unit. At the upper unit, there is provided a conveying path that conveys bills to the respective sections and has a branching portion for conveying bills to the respective cassettes of the bill storage section of the lower unit. Accordingly, the conveying path of bills is branched-off at the branching portion that is on the midst of the conveying path of the upper unit, and the bills are conveyed to the respective cassettes of the lower unit.


An eye width characterization mechanism determines a pass setting of a sampling phase positioned within an eye width of received data. The sampling phase is incremented in a first direction from the pass setting until the sampling phase is outside the eye width of the received data. The sampling phase is then incremented in an opposite direction of the first direction starting again from the pass setting until the sampling phase is outside the eye width of the received data. The number of the sampling phase increments in the first direction is added to the number of the sampling phase increments in the opposite direction to characterize the eye width of the received data.

The design time between product cycles is becoming increasingly compressed. As such, hardware designers have less time to thoroughly test designs to work out bugs and characterize design performance. To aggravate this design verification quandary, as new high-speed, ultra-precise technologies are developed, often test equipment does not exist that is capable of adequately or vigorously testing a design. In fact, a designer may find himself in a scenario where his prototype is faster and more precise than the test equipment at his disposal to verify operation of the prototype.
The demands of compressed product cycles may dictate that a hardware designer is not afforded the luxury of waiting while sufficiently fast, sensitive, and precise test equipment is developed. In response, hardware designers have developed self-test methodologies to aid the design verification process. One such methodology is built in self-test ("BIST"). BIST is a circuit design technique in which physical elements of a circuit are devoted to testing the circuit itself to identify various design and/or manufacturing flaws. Similarly, input/output BIST ("IBIST") is a design technique for testing input/output ("I/O") circuitry. BIST and IBIST afford the designer the opportunity to integrate test components into his design that are capable of vigorously stress testing a prototype.


Adhesive for dental prostheses consists of pharmaceutical glycerin 99.5% in the amount of 29-31 wt %, monopropylene glycol in the amount of 27-29 wt %, purified water in the amount of 22-24 wt %, polyvinylpyrrolidone with a mean molar mass of 360,000 in the amount of 14-16 wt %, carboxymethylcellulose in the amount of 1-3 wt %, dried grapefruit pomace extract in a water-glycerin solvent, containing not less than 1200 mg of naringin per 100 mL of extract in the amount of 0.5-2 wt %, menthol in the amount of 0.05-0.15 wt % and benzalkonium chloride in the amount of 0.01-0.03 wt %.

Dental prostheses are tailored to the individual user, but changes in the gum structure often result in discomfort due to loose or slippery prosthesis. This fact makes it difficult to eat and is embarrassing for users.
Dental prosthesis adhesives are used to temporarily glue dental prostheses to the palate and/or gums, depending on the type of prosthesis. Such adhesives are usually applied to the surface of the prosthesis or mouth at the beginning of the day. Adhesives tend to biodegrade during the day due to the effects of saliva, chewing, aquatic environment and acidic pH.
Intensive work on the development of improved adhesive products for dental prostheses has led to the development of a range of adhesives, both synthetic and natural polymers and resins. These substances are used alone or in combination with various adhesives and other materials to improve adhesion, reduce the flow of adhesive from under the prosthesis, and reduce the amount of dirt and the difficulty of removing adhesive residues from the mouth and prosthesis after use. For example, copolymers of alkylvinyl ether-maleic acid are known to provide good adhesion to dental prostheses in adhesive compositions, which is known from publications WO 01/15657 A, WO 02/30317 A, WO 01/41710 A, WO 05/081935 A, and many others.
In addition to adhesion, it is desirable to limit outflow or the negative aesthetic properties of outflow for the consumer. Outflow may occur because of leakage of dental adhesives from under the dental plate in the mouth caused by a number of factors, including low-viscosity adhesives for dental prostheses, using an excessive amount of dental adhesives, improper application of dental adhesives on dental prostheses, etc. Adhesive compositions for dental prostheses are used in the oral cavity for 6-7 hours or longer. In addition, consumers may stop using adhesive or tend to use less adhesive the next time they experience an unpleasant outflow-related sensation. This can lead to reduced adhesion of the prosthesis or worse performance of the prosthesis. This deterioration in performance can mean less stability in the dental prosthesis, as well as accumulation of food under the dental prosthesis.
High force causing the prosthesis to detach from the substrate should be an important and desired feature of the adhesive. However, this force should be properly balanced, so that the prosthesis can be detached only when the force exceeds the forces occurring during normal use, and at the same time not excessively high, allowing the prosthesis to be removed at any time it is needed.
Another feature of the adhesive should be the possibility of multiple application and removal using a single adhesive portion. It is desirable to rinse the prosthesis between subsequent placements without any additional dose of adhesive, so the adhesive cannot dissolve too quickly in water, and at the same time it should be easily washable at the end of use, e.g. before the next application of adhesive, or overnight.
A preparation for oral care called Citrosept Dental in the form of gel with antibacterial properties is known. The product has the form of an adhesive gel which soothes irritated mucous membranes. The product has clinically proven efficacy in the prevention of fungal infections of the oral cavity in persons using prostheses. The preparation has the following composition:                pharmaceutical glycerine 99.5%—30 g/100 g        propylene glycol—30 g/100 g        Kollidon 90K (polyvinylpyrrolidone with a molar weight of 100 000-150 000)—15 g/100 g        grapefruit extract—1 g/100 g        menthol—0.1 g/100 g        benzalkonium chloride—0.01 g/100 g        water—23.89 g/100 g
An extract of dried grapefruit pomace in a water-glycerin solvent containing not less than 1200 mg of naringin per 100 mL of extract is used.
Citrosept Dental is not offered as a prosthesis adhesive, but as a soothing agent for irritated mucous membranes. This preparation has some adhesive properties, but its purpose is completely different. According to the leaflet: after brushing teeth apply a small amount of gel on gums and/or palate, do not rinse, do not eat or drink for 1 hour. Use 3-4 times a day.
Known adhesives or gels show either insufficient detachment strength, or the detachment time is too short, or the adhesives have an unpleasant taste, or it is difficult to remove them from the prosthesis, or they retain the ability to adhere again only a few times or even they do not retain it at all without applying another dose of adhesive, or they show several defects at the same time in terms of certain properties.
An extremely important aspect is the development of an adhesive that can be applied in larger quantities to the prosthesis, which will significantly increase the force needed to break the prosthesis off. The previously known adhesives are applied in small quantities in spots. The reason for this application is the attribute of known adhesives, namely that the strong holding of a prosthesis simultaneously results in too much force needed for its removal. In addition, known adhesives are difficult to wash away from the prosthesis, and other adhesives are not suitable for re-application without another dose of adhesive. Thus, on the one hand the application of more adhesive is desirable, and on the other hand, it results in a number of disadvantages, described above. So far, it has not been possible to develop an adhesive which, when applied in large quantities, at the same time would not acquire any undesirable properties.
There is a need to develop an adhesive that will be free of most of the foregoing disadvantages, and preferably all the disadvantages, in a single product.

CINTAMANI POLAND MAJEWSCY I KOC SPÓLKA JAWNA


Securing and supporting electronic components in a computer node disposed on a computer rack. The method comprises the steps of first disposing a tray having one or more wedge block assemblies in the rear of said rack such that each wedge block assembly can be moved under and engaged with each node. The wedge block mechanism is retained from side to side using guide brackets. The mechanism and the tray are then torqued into place by using incorporated hard stop feature on said tray. The nodes can then be engaged and disengaged through the engaging and disengaging of the wedge block assembly. This is done by using a rod that is connected to a fastener one end and to a pivot at another end and is integrated into the wedge block mechanism. Once the fastener is moved the pivot is also moved causing the mating and unmating of the node.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the packaging of computing systems and more particularly to a method and assembly for enhancing structural integrity and improving serviceability of large computing system environments.
2. Description of Background
The industry trend has been to continuously increase the number of electronic components inside computing environments while maintaining or even reducing the environment's footprint. Computer environments can vary in range and sophistication. Simple environments can only comprise of a single computer unit while more sophisticated environments can comprise of networks of large computers that are in processing communication with one another. No matter what the size of the environment, the current industry trend has created design challenges for the developers and manufacturers of such environments. When the environments are larger and more sophisticated, however, the issues become more complex. This is because changing even the most isolated component, in such an environment, can affect so many others. This is especially true when such components are packaged together in a single assembly or housed in close proximity. A particularly difficult challenge when designing such computing system environments is the issue of mechanical and structural integrity. This is because so many other factors both depend and affect structural integrity. Heat dissipation, electrical connections, system performance and system recovery are a few such examples.
Conventional large computing system environments that incorporate one or more sophisticated units such as servers, house many electronic components together on boards that are then housed in a single assembly. These assemblies often comprise of metal racks and among the many challenges discussed, dynamic loading effects to these racks and their housed electronic components needs also be considered so as not to cause electrical and mechanical failures.
In recent years, both environmental catastrophic events and man-made conditions have placed an even greater demand on the designers of computer systems to provide environments that are structurally enhanced so as to be able to withstand sudden abnormal shock or persistent vibrations for long periods of time. Such factors as heat dissipation, electrical connections and others have to be considered carefully in the design of such environments as to fully preserve structural integrity. An environment's inability to withstand such extreme conditions may cause data loss and system collapse at a critical time, potentially affecting lives and infrastructures.
The prior art has tried to resolve the problems that arise from catastrophic events that can affect the structural integrity of the environment in a number of ways. Most of these prior art solutions, however, are inadequate or are meant to only provide a temporary relief. For example, in areas that are routinely exposed to earthquakes or vibrations, structures using frame ties or even node lock mechanisms that ultimately bolts the rack and the nodes to the floor are provided in an attempt to stabilize the computing environment during such vibrations. Many of these prior art methods do not mitigate all issues successfully. However, even if they do mitigate most of the aforementioned structural integrity issues, unfortunately, they still pose inherent drawbacks. One serious drawback of such prior art methods has to do with ease of serviceability (including installation and maintenance) of computing environments. Methods such as bolting schemes, for example, render nodes not readily or concurrently serviceable.
Consequently, it is desirable to introduce a solution that can provide improved structural integrity for system environments, enabling them to withstand abnormal shocks and vibrations while not affecting serviceability issues.

Assembly and method for enhancing structural integrity and improving serviceability of electronic card disposed in a computing environment


A rotation angle signal from a rotation sensor for a rotating body is converted (first conversion) into a rotation angle detection value, based on a signal value of the rotation angle signal as is, and is converted (second conversion) to a rotation angle detection value based on a signal value for where a rotation angle signal has been amplified a predetermined number of times, and according to a rotation angle region, either one of a first converted rotation angle detection value, and a second converted rotation angle detection value, is selected and output as a final rotation angle detection signal. At at least two reference rotation angles, a first learning is performed for learning a conversion characteristic in the first conversion, based on; rotation angle detection values converted by the first conversion, and reference-rotation-angle-equivalent-values set beforehand, and at at least two optional rotation angles in a rotation angle region in which the rotation angle detection value of the second conversion is selected, a second learning is performed for learning a conversion characteristic in the second conversion, based on rotation angle detection values due to conversion by the first conversion which have been learned in the first learning, and the signal value amplified a predetermined number of times.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for detecting a rotation angle of a rotating body, and in particular, to a learning technique for improving detection accuracy.
2. Description of the Related Art
In Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 9-133039, a technique for improving detection accuracy in a low throttle opening range is disclosed in which a signal from a throttle sensor (rotation angle sensor) that detects a throttle opening of an internal combustion engine, is directly input to a first A/D converter, and the sensor signal is amplified a predetermined number of times and input to a second A/D converter, and the amplified signal via the second A/D converter is used when the throttle opening is low, and the signal via the first A/D converter is used when the throttle opening is high.
Moreover, in the disclosed technique, in order to solve a problem where, when an amplification ratio of the amplifier differs from a calculated value, the throttle opening detection values vary and become discontinuous on the low opening side and the high opening side of a switching point of the output values of the respective A/D converters, the point of discontinuation can be resolved by finding the ratio of the output values for a predetermined opening, and correcting the amplification ratio according to this ratio.
However, in the above correction of the amplification, while variation in the amplifier can be learnt, variation in the sensor itself cannot be absorbed.
Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 2 of the above-mentioned Publication, since the amplified signal becomes saturated at an intermediate opening, there has been a problem in that a conversion characteristic (gain) between the sensor output and the rotation angle cannot be learnt.

Rotation angle detecting apparatus and method thereof


A liner that covers an amputation stump and which cushions the stump when it is placed into a prosthesis socket includes selectively inflatable bladders for customizing the liner to fit individual patients. In a first embodiment, the liner is made of two liner parts, one being an inner liner and the other being an outer liner. The inner liner is placed onto the amputation stump and a prosthetist determines the region or regions where bladders are needed to provide a comfortable fit. The region or regions are outlined with an adhesive and the outer liner is then brought into overlying relation to the inner liner so that the two liner parts adhere to one another along the outlined regions. Upon inflation, the inner liner conforms to the shape of the amputation stump to provide enhanced cushioning and the outer liner conforms to the shape of the interior wall of the socket and the patient receives a custom fit from a simple appliance. An annular bladder at the proximal rim of the socket creates a substantially perfect seal to maintain the suction within the socket. In a second embodiment, a tubular cuff replaces the outer liner and a triple seal is achieved when the socket is inserted between the cuff and the inner liner. In a third embodiment, an annular return bend is formed in the inner liner so that the cuff is integral with it.

The crudest form of a prosthesis is a hard, stump-receiving socket. If a socket is for receiving the stump of a below-the knee amputee, it will be attached by suitable means to a prosthetic foot; if it is for an above-the knee amputee, it will be attached to a prosthetic knee as well. In either application, the amputee will experience discomfort arising from contact between the stump and the hard interior of the stump-receiving socket unless an adequate cushioning means is provided. Moreover, the socket will separate from the stump unless an attachment means is provided.
Some prosthetic devices are held onto the residual limb (amputation stump) by suction. When the residual limb is fully inserted, usually with the aid of a sock, the tissue is pulled slightly downwardly, by pulling on the sock, and this creates a suction within the socket that holds it on. Obviously, this suction must be maintained if the socket is to remain in place; this is accomplished by a check valve. It is equally obvious that a socket equipped with a check valve is more expensive than a socket without such a valve.
Another socket attachment method intended to make the downward pulling on the tissue easier includes the use of a cream-like material. A predetermined quantity of the cream is applied to the residual limb and said residual limb is then inserted into the socket. Although this method works, it is messy; the cream often soils the amputee's clothing, for example.
Some individuals fit socks over their residual limb in an attempt to make the prosthesis more comfortable. Several layers of socks will form a reasonably soft cushion, but there are a number of drawbacks to the use of socks as socket liners. Perhaps the most obvious limitation is the inability of socks to protect a particular point or area where extra cushioning is needed, i.e., socks provide the same amount of cushioning everywhere. Moreover, the diameter of a stump will vary during the day, especially where the amputee is active. Specifically, most stumps shrink in size as the day progresses because walking and other activities drives fluids out of the stump; this results in the need for more layers of socks and that need requires the amputee to travel throughout the day with a supply of extra socks on hand. It is also troublesome and time-consuming to remove the socket, add a layer or two of socks, and to reattach the socket several times per day. Amputees who use socks as cushioning means are of course familiar with other drawbacks not mentioned herein.
Perhaps even more problematic than daily stump volume variations are the long term variations brought about by long term weight loss or weight gain.
In response to the limitations of socks as a means for cushioning, inventors have developed a number of alternatives thereto. Perhaps the simplest, most obvious alternative is to line the socket with a cushioning means. The problem with cushioned stump-receiving sockets is equally obvious, i.e., the fit between the socket and the stump becomes loose as the day progresses, and the amputee must again resort to the expedient of employing multiple layers of socks to maintain a reasonably tight fit as required.
Cushioned sockets, like socks, also fail to provide extra cushioning to particular points or areas.
Accordingly, customized cushioning means have been developed so that each individual amputee may have a cushioning means that matches the contour of his or her residual limb. A cast is made of the stump by wrapping plaster bandages around it, or by simply inserting the stump into a vat of impressionable material. The negative of the stump thereby created is then filled with plaster or other suitable material; this produces a replica of the residual limb. A liner is then fabricated that provides the proper amount of cushioning at the places where extra cushioning is needed.
Although liners so fabricated are superior in performance to socks and non-customized liners, they do not compensate for the changes in size of the stump during a day or from day to day. Moreover, such liners are expensive because they must be made for one patient at a time.
In an attempt to provide customized liners that compensate for changes in stump size, inventors have developed liners that include inflatable bladders. Thus, as the day progresses, more air is introduced into preselected bladders to maintain the tight fit between the socket and stump and to maintain the amputee's comfort level.
Even these advanced liners have shortcomings. Their primary drawback is that they must be customized with a high degree of precision for each patient. Thus, they cannot be mass produced and their unit cost is therefore quite high.
For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,923,475 to Gosthnian et. al., the stump-engaging surface of each bladder is molded to have a shape conforming to the outer surface of the amputee's stump when the stump is under static pressure, i.e., the patient stands to place static pressure on the stump, and the bladders are made so that they conform, when deflated, to the particular contour of the stump thereby produced. This highly exacting procedure does not lend itself to mass production.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,923,474 to Klasson et. al. eschews bladders and discloses a liner that has a distal end that is highly elastic in a radial direction so that it tightly and snugly engages the stump as the stump changes size, yet which is substantially inelastic axially so that it will not stretch with the weight of a prosthesis.
In summary, even though the art of prosthetics is old and well-developed, it is still unsatisfactory in several major respects. Specifically, the art has failed to produce a highly effective yet simple means for providing a suction that prevents inadvertent separation of limb and socket, and it has failed to produce a cushioning means that can be easily adapted to fit an individual. Significantly, at the time the present invention was made, the art neither taught nor suggested to those of ordinary skill how the limitations of the prior art devices could be overcome.

Apparatus and method for sealing a liner to a prosthesis


A method of making a monolithic ceramic component of a gas delivery system of a semiconductor substrate processing apparatus wherein the gas delivery system is configured to supply process gas to a gas distribution member disposed downstream thereof. The gas distribution member is configured to supply the process gas to a processing region of a vacuum chamber of the apparatus, wherein the processing region is disposed above an upper surface of a semiconductor substrate to be processed. The method comprises preparing a green compact of ceramic material. The green compact of ceramic material is formed into a form of a desired monolithic ceramic component of the gas delivery system. The formed green compact of ceramic material is fired to form the monolithic ceramic component of the gas delivery system.

Semiconductor substrate processing apparatuses are used for processing semiconductor substrates by techniques including, but not limited to, plasma etching, physical vapor deposition (PVD), chemical vapor deposition (CVD), plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), atomic layer deposition (ALD), plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD), ion implantation, and resist removal. Semiconductor substrate processing apparatuses include gas delivery systems through which process gas is flowed and subsequently delivered into a processing region of a vacuum chamber of the apparatus by a gas distribution member such as a showerhead, gas injector, gas ring, or the like. For example, the gas delivery system can be configured to supply process gas to a gas injector positioned in the chamber above a semiconductor substrate so as to distribute process gas over a surface of the semiconductor substrate being processed in the chamber. Current gas delivery systems are constructed from many individual components, many of which have conduits therein through which process gas flows. The individual component interfaces require seals therebetween such that leaking does not occur when process gas is being supplied through the conduits of the assembled gas delivery system. Furthermore, many components of gas delivery system are formed from metal, such as stainless steel, wherein metal contaminants can be released from the process gas wetted surfaces forming the conduits of the component by corrosion, erosion and/or corrosion/erosion which may lead to contamination of semiconductor substrates during processing thereof. Thus, there is a need for gas delivery systems which comprise fewer individual components, and further, it is desired that the components thereof are corrosion, erosion, and corrosion/erosion resistant.

Monolithic ceramic component of gas delivery system and method of making and use thereof


A five speed power transmission has a planetary gear arrangement comprised of three simple planetary gearsets and a plurality of clutches and brakes. The planetary gear arrangement is controlled to establish five forward gear ratios and a reverse gear ratio between the input and output shaft. One of the planetary gearsets is controlled to establish a reaction point or node for the fifth forward gear ratio.

It is common practice to change a four speed planetary transmission to a five speed transmission by the addition of a planetary gearset at the input or output end of the four speed. The added gearset requires at least one clutch and one brake to provide the added ratio which may be either an underdrive or an overdrive.


Building a first layer model of a three-layer model based on attributes that are sensitive features is provided. A first dimension reduction of sensitive features removes each sensitive feature having an indicator that it is present in a patch and does not contribute to one or more of three probabilities. A second dimension reduction of insensitive features is performed using vectorizing and using one-hot encoding. The remaining insensitive features are main features. One or more second layer models of the three-layer model is built based on the main features. The third layer model is built based on a verification dataset and the first layer model. Regression test coverage is recommended based on prediction result of the third layer model, and wherein regression tests are selected. The training dataset is updated based on probability calculations of the first layer model.

The present application relates generally to computer software and more specifically to software update management.
Software, such as operating systems, applications, and database management systems (DBMS) are complex computer programs that are typically comprised of a collection of specialized modules. As is typical, software requires maintenance and updates to ensure the proper security, data integrity, and performance of the data under the software's management. The software vendor supplies maintenance in the form of software fixes, also referred to as patches or software maintenance, which are executable code files that are installed into the software, typically to correct a flaw in the software's execution. The patch is often released together with metadata, such as release notes that describe the patch's intended function and impact. The description can include natural language text and other unstructured text data (in addition to structured data and metadata).
Through extensive analysis and testing, the software vendor validates the maintenance for correct execution prior to supplying it to customers, to verify as best as possible that the software performs correctly according to the vendor's published specification. It would be desirable to improve testing of software maintenance to reduce risks to software performance, reliability, and integrity, while improving testing efficiency.


The present invention relates to a method for the manufacture of a hot-dip coated steel sheet coated with a zinc or an aluminum based coating including the provision of a specific steel sheet, a recrystallization annealing with specific heating, soaking and cooling sub-steps using an inert gas and a hot-dip coating; the hot dip coated steel sheet and the use of the hot-dip coated steel sheet.

With a view of saving the weight of vehicles, it is known to use high strength steels for the manufacture of automobile vehicle. For example for the manufacture of structural parts, mechanical properties of such steels have to be improved. It is known to add alloying elements to improve the mechanical properties of the steel. Thus, high strength steels or ultra-high strength steels having high mechanical properties including TRIP (Transformation-Induced Plasticity) steel, DP (Dual Phase) steels, HSLA (High-Strength Low Alloyed), TRIPLEX, and DUPLEX are produced and used.
Usually, DP steels have a ferritic-martensitic microstructure. This results in a microstructure consisting of a soft ferrite matrix containing islands of martensite as the secondary phase (martensite increases the tensile strength). The overall behavior of DP steels is governed by among others the phases' volume fraction and morphology (grain size, aspect, ratio, etc.), in addition to the steel chemical composition. DP steels have high ultimate tensile strength (UTS, enabled by the martensite) combined with low initial yield stress (provided by the ferrite phase) and high early-stage strain hardening. These features render DP steels ideal materials for automotive-related sheet forming operations.
Their advantages are: low yield strength, low yield to tensile strength ratio, high initial strain hardening rates, good uniform elongation, a high strain rate sensitivity and good fatigue resistance.
Usually, these steels are coated with a metallic coating improving properties such as corrosion resistance and phosphatability. The metallic coatings can be deposited by hot-dip coating after the annealing of the steel sheets. However, for these steels, during the annealing performed in a continuous galvanizing line, the alloying elements having higher affinity towards oxygen (compared to iron) such as Manganese (Mn), Aluminum (Al), Silicon (Si) or Chromium (Cr) oxidize and lead to the formation of oxides at the surface. These oxides being for example manganese oxide (MnO) or silicon oxide (SiO2) can be present in the form of a continuous film on the surface of the steel sheet or in the form of discontinuous nodules or small patches. They prevent the proper adherence of the metallic coating to be applied and can result in zones in which there is no coating on the final product or problems related to the delamination of the coating.
The patent application EP2415896 discloses a method for manufacturing a high-strength galvanized steel sheet including a zinc plating layer, having a mass per unit area of 20 g/m2 to 120 g/m2, disposed on a steel sheet containing 0.01% to 0.18% C, 0.02% to 2.0% Si, 1.0% to 3.0% Mn, 0.001% to 1.0% Al, 0.005% to 0.060% P, and 0.01% or less S on a mass basis, the remainder being Fe and unavoidable impurities, includes annealing and galvanizing the steel sheet in a continuous galvanizing line. A temperature region with a furnace temperature of A° C. to B° C. is performed at an atmosphere dew-point temperature of −5° C. or higher in a heating process, where 600≤A≤780 and 800≤B≤900. The dew-point temperature of the atmosphere in the annealing furnace other than a region from A° C. to B° C. is not particularly limited and is preferably within a range from −50° C. to −10° C.
A high-strength galvanized steel sheet obtained by the above method has a texture or microstructure in which an oxide of at least one or more selected from the group consisting of Fe, Si, Mn, Al, P, B, Nb, Ti, Cr, Mo, Cu, and Ni is formed in a surface portion of a steel sheet that lies directly under a plating layer and that is within 100 μm from a surface of a base steel sheet at 0.010 g/m2 to 0.50 g/m2 per unit area and a crystalline Si oxide, a crystalline Mn oxide, or a crystalline Si—Mn complex oxide is precipitated in base metal grains that are present in a region within 10 μm down from the plating layer and that are within 1 μm from grain boundaries.
However, by using the above method, there is a risk that an important layer of external oxide such as FeO is formed at the steel sheet surface. In this case, it is difficult to reduce all the external oxide leading to a bad wettability and a bad coating adhesion of the zinc on the steel surface.
The patent application JP2008156734 discloses a method for manufacturing a high-strength hot-dip galvanized steel sheet comprising:
subjecting a steel to hot rolling, pickling and cold rolling, and subjecting the resultant steel sheet to hot-dip galvanizing treatment to manufacture the hot-dip galvanized steel sheet, wherein
in the hot rolling, a slab heating temperature is set at 1150 to 1300° C., a finish rolling temperature is set at 850 to 950° C., and a coiling temperature is set at 400 to 600° C.;
in the pickling, a bath temperature is set at 10° C. or higher and lower than 100° C., and a concentration of hydrochloric acid is set at 1 to 20%; and
in the hot-dip galvanizing treatment, a hydrogen concentration in an atmosphere in a heat treatment furnace from a temperature-rising process to 600° C. or higher to a cooling process to 450° C. via an annealing temperature is set at 2 to 20% and a dew point of the atmosphere is set at −60 to −10° C., and the cold-rolled steel sheet is kept at the annealing temperature of 760 to 860° C. for 10 to 500 seconds, and then cooled at an average cooling rate of 1 to 30° C./sec.
It also discloses a high-strength hot-dip galvanized steel sheet comprising: by mass %, 0.03 to 0.12% C, 0.01 to 1.0% Si, 1.5 to 2.5% Mn, 0.001 to 0.05% P, 0.0001 to 0.005% S, 0.005 to 0.15% Al, 0.001 to 0.01% N, 0.01 to 0.5% Cr, 0.005 to 0.05% Ti, 0.005 to 0.05% Nb, 0.005 to 0.5% V, 0.0003 to 0.0030% B, with the balance being Fe and unavoidable impurities; and having a structure including a ferrite phase having an average crystal grain size of 10 μm or less and a martensite phase having a volume fraction of 30 to 90%, wherein a ratio of hardness of a surface layer of a sheet thickness to hardness of a center of the sheet thickness is 0.6 to 1, the maximum depth of cracks and recesses extending from an interface between a plating layer and the steel sheet to an inside of the steel sheet is 0 to 20 μm, and furthermore, an area ratio of a flat portion other than the cracks and the recesses is 60% to 100%.
It is mentioned that in the inside of the steels sheet, Si-based and Mn-based oxides are formed in the crystal grain boundaries and the grains.
However, by using the above method with the steel composition, a bad wettability and a bad coating adhesion of the zinc can be obtained since the oxides are close to the steel sheet surface. Thus, there is a risk that the presence of such oxides forms a discontinuous oxides film in the steel sheet.
The patent application JP2000212648 discloses an one stage method for producing a high-strength hot-dip galvanized steel sheet with excellent workability and plating adhesiveness, the method comprising the steps of: subjecting a steel slab comprising 0.10 wt % or less of P to hot rolling followed by pickling, or otherwise subjecting the steel slab to cold rolling;
heating in an atmosphere where a heating temperature T is 750° C. or more and 1000° C. or less and satisfies the following formula (2), a dew point t of an atmosphere gas satisfies the following formula (3) and a hydrogen concentration of an atmosphere gas is 1 to 100 vol %; and then subjecting to hot-dip galvanization:0.85≤{[P(wt %)+(⅔)]*1150}/{T(° C.)}≤1.15  (2);0.35≤{[P(wt %)+(⅔)]*(−30)}/{t(° C.)}≤1.8  (3).
All the examples of JP2000212648 wherein the one stage heat treatment method is performed (Examples 18-26) include a heat reduction treatment where a heating temperature T is 810 and 850° C. with a dew point very dry (−35° C.) or very humid (35° C.) allowing the coating adhesion.
The only comparative example of the one stage method of JP2000212648 (Comparative Example 10) is performed with a steel sheet having very low amounts of Si and Cr. In this case, the one stage heat treatment method includes a heat reduction treatment where a heating temperature of 820° C. with a dew point of 0° C. However, P-based oxides were not reduced leading to a bad coating adhesion.
The patent application JP2011153367 discloses a method for producing a galvannealed steel comprising an annealing, a hot-dip galvanizing, and an alloying treatment on a steel sheet comprising, in terms of mass %, C: 0.03 to 0.20%, Mn: 0.03 to 3.0%, Si: 0.1 to 2.5%, S: 0.01% or less, P: 0.1% or less, sol. Al: 1.0% or less, N: 0.01% or less, and Bi: 0.0001 to 0.05%, in heating up to a recrystallization temperature in the annealing, the annealing is performed to the recrystallization temperature with a dew point of −25 to 0° C. in an annealing furnace during heating in the range of at least 650° C. to the recrystallization temperature.
However, the presence of Bismuth in the steel can decrease the mechanical properties of steel. Moreover, there is a risk to decrease the wettability and the coating adhesion of high strength steels and ultra-high strength steels.
Additionally, as shown in FIG. 1 of the patent application JP2011153367, the method starts by a purge of the furnace with a N2-10 vol. % H2 gas having a dew point of −60° C. The gas is changed to a predetermined high dew point gas at the start of heating. Indeed, when the sheet temperature reached 650° C., the furnace is again purged with a high dew point gas having a predetermined dew point, e.g. −10° C. After that, when the sheet temperature reached 860° C., which is equal to or higher than the recrystallization temperature, the gas is again switched to the initial low-dew point gas, i.e. −60° C., before the temperature of the sheet is immersed in a plating bath reached 460° C.
Thus, the method requires three purges:                one when starting the method with a gas having a dew point of −60° C.,        one during the annealing when the steel sheet temperature reaches 650° C. with a gas having a dew point of −10° C. and        another one during the annealing when the steel sheet temperature reaches 850° C. with a gas having a low dew point gas of −60° C.
This method is very difficult to manage in industrial scale, especially in a continuous annealing line.
Thus, in addition to the recrystallization annealing method, the chemical composition and the steel microstructure, the oxides nature and the oxides repartition which are formed during the recrystallization annealing are also important characteristics to take into account to improve the wettability and the coating adhesion of DP steels.