A method and apparatus for implementing a 32-bit operating system which supports 16-bit code includes loading basic input output system (BIOS) code into a base portion of a memory and loading first operating system code into the base portion. Second operating system code is then loaded into an extended portion of the memory and the second operating system code is allowed to overwrite the BIOS code and the first operating system code with data.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to operating systems. More particularly, this invention relates to implementations of a 32-bit operating system which supports 16-bit code.
2. Background
Modern computer systems are typically made up of several different components, each performing a different function. These components include both a processor for executing instructions and a system memory which stores instructions to be executed by the processor as well as data manipulated by the processor when executing these instructions. The majority of modern processors trace their origins to an architecture referred to as "x86", older versions of which could access memory locations up to 1 megabyte (referred to as an address space of 1 megabyte). A software program written to use memory locations only up to 1 megabyte uses 16 bits for addressing and thus is typically referred to as "16-bit" code. Using 16 bits for addressing provides an address space of 65,536 bytes (64k bytes), thus, multiple "segments" of 64k bytes are used to access the full 1 megabyte.
More recently, processors have expanded to access more memory locations and execute 32- and 64-bit code. For example, many commercially available "x86" compatible processors execute 32-bit code, providing access to multiple segments of four gigabytes each, and typically up to 64 terabytes in all. However, a large amount of 16-bit code remains in existence. Although it is typically beneficial for a processor to execute 32-bit code, there are situations where it is desirable or necessary to use pre-existing 16-bit code. By way of example, many programs are written in 16-bit code so that they can be executed by, and thus sold to owners of, older or less-complex computer systems which only support 16-bit code. One example of such programs are device drivers, used to control access to specific hardware devices. However, rather than providing both 16-bit and 32-bit versions of the programs, it would be beneficial to provide a way to execute 32-bit code which can interact with 16-bit code, thereby allowing newer or more-complex computer systems to use the programs as well.
One solution to this problem is referred to as a "DOS extender". A DOS extender is an additional application that is executed by DOS and acts as an interface between 32-bit applications and the 16-bit DOS. However, typically all communications between the 32-bit applications and 16-bit DOS are required to pass through the DOS extender--no direct communication between the 32-bit applications and 16-bit DOS is typically allowed. Additionally, a DOS extender is an application being executed by the computer system in addition to DOS, and thus increases memory and long-term storage space requirements of the device on which it is executed.
Additionally, the term "computer system" encompasses a wide range of modem computing devices, including conventional desktop PCs as well as less-complex systems. Many such less-complex systems are limited in the amount of memory they include, often in an effort to reduce costs. However, many modern operating systems use a large amount of memory and require a large amount of storage space. Thus, it would be beneficial to provide a relatively small operating system which could be used in such less-complex systems.
Thus, a need exists for an improved 32-bit operating system.

Method and apparatus for implementing a 32-bit operating system which supports 16-bit code


Managing traffic on a distributed system includes partitioning VCE load balancers of the distributed system among service virtual server instances (SVSIs) of the distributed system, each service virtual server instance (SVSI) being identical in function and deployed across two or more regions of the distributed system. The method further includes: periodically polling, by each SVSI each other of the SVSIs; monitoring, by each SVSI, a load on each VCE load balancer for which it is responsible, resulting in a monitored load; recovering, by an SVSI from a failure of VCE load balancer(s) for which it is responsible; automatically adjusting, by an SVSI a capacity of a VCE load balancer for which it is responsible based on a corresponding monitored load; and repartitioning, by the distributed system, in response to an SVSI failure, the VCE load balancers among remaining SVSIs.

Increasingly, companies are choosing to move their computer processes into the cloud, hosted by a provider. With the provider offering such services to multiple clients, a number of things can go wrong, resulting in degraded service availability. For example, failures can occur potentially leading to dropped traffic, which can pose problems for the client's business.
Virtualized computing environments (VCEs) are known. VCEs can be stored as "images." A new active instance of the VCE can be instantiated from the image. Two types of VCEs are virtual machines and containers. A container is a VCE that uses operating-system-level virtualization. This refers to an operating system feature in which the kernel allows the existence of multiple isolated user-space instances, called containers. This isolated user-space instances may look like real computers from the point of view of programs running in them. A computer program running on an ordinary operating system can see all resources (connected devices, files and folders, network shares, CPU power, quantifiable hardware capabilities) of that computer. However, programs running inside a container can only see the container's contents and devices assigned to the container.
Server virtualization is known. Server virtualization occurs when data and instructions that would normally be stored, processed, performed and/or communicated by a physical server computer are instead operated: (i) from within a VCE, or (ii) from within duplicative VCEs, with each VCE acting as a physical server would in a more traditional computing environment.
Virtual server instances (VSIs) are known. As the term is used herein a "virtual server instance" is data indicating a mapping between: (i) VCEs in a virtualized server system (for example, a data center with a very large number of running VCEs that act as servers); and (ii) physical hardware, physical locations and/or logical locations where the respective VCEs are currently running. The management of the number and configurations of VCEs and the mapping between VCEs and physical hardware (initially and on an on-going basis as mappings change) is sometimes herein referred to as VCE management.
Load balancers are known. A load balancer (sometimes herein "loadbalancer") is any computer system or sub-system that performs load balancing. Load balancing improves the distribution of workloads across multiple computing resources, such as computers, a computer cluster, network links, central processing units, or disk drives. Load balancing attempts to balance performance characteristics, such as resource use, maximize throughput, minimize response time, and avoid overload of any single resource. Computing systems that use multiple components having workloads controlled by load balancing, instead of a single component, tends to increase reliability and availability. Load balancing usually involves dedicated software or hardware, such as a multilayer switch or a Domain Name System server process. Load balancing differs from channel bonding in that load balancing divides traffic between network interfaces on a network socket (OSI model layer 4) basis, while channel bonding implies a division of traffic between physical interfaces at a lower level, either per packet (OSI model Layer 3) or on a data link (OSI model Layer 2) basis with a protocol like shortest path bridging.
In virtualized server systems, load balancing is typically performed by a VCE load balancer as part of VCE management. For example, if three separate VCEs are currently acting as identical servers for client requests, then the VCE load balancer makes sure that incoming client requests are divided among and between these three VCEs proportional to their computational capacity and/or other factors.

Fault tolerant distributed system to monitor, recover and scale load balancers

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION


Apparatus for plant cell tissue culture including a plant growth enclosure having a bottom surface formed of a porous material, a buoyant element, separate from the plant growth enclosure and arranged to be placed thereunder in a body of liquid for supporting the plant growth enclosure, and spacer apparatus associated with at least one of the plant growth enclosure and the buoyant element for maintaining a predetermined separation between the buoyant element and the porous material.

Plant tissue culture involves growing all or part of a plant from a culture of parent cells. A number of techniques exist for plant tissue culture and include two general types: solid based cultures, in which cells are grown in a gel or membrane, and liquid cultures, in which the cells are free to float in the medium, in a manner similar to fermentation. In both cases, the objective is to make air, vitamins, minerals and hormones accessible to the growing cells or plants. The technique of preference depends on the specific plant, and the stage at which it is growing.
Membrane rafts, comprising hydrophilic microporous membranes sealed to a plastic base, have been described by prior art workers. The raft forms a floating platform on which to seed the cells for plant tissue growth. It comprises a frame to whose bottom perimeter a microporous membrane is sealed. The membrane serves as the bottom of the raft. Liquid and nutrients are meant to reach the cells growing on the membrane only through the pores. The frame prevents liquid from washing over the sides of the membrane. The design of the raft is meant to fit the growing vessel containing the liquid medium. Both square and round designs are known.
Medium contained in the liquid below the membrane reaches the cells by a combination of diffusion and bulk flow through the membrane pores and provides the cells with nutrients for growth. With some plants, substantial increases in the rate of plant growth can be achieved in comparison to growth on agar gels or other solid plant cell support systems. Reports of these results can be formed in the published results of Hamilton RM, Pederson H and Chin C-K, "Biotechniques", vol 3, page 96 (1985) and Young R. E., Hale A., Camper N. D., Keese R. J., and Adelberg J. W., "Transactions of the American Society for Agricultural Engineers", vol 34, pages 328-333 (1991).
Although diffusion to and from a growing cell is quite slow in a gel medium, it can be one or two orders of magnitude faster in a liquid. In the case of the membrane raft, the cell is supported on a solid surface, but the nutrients are transported via a liquid through the pores. The larger the pore size and the greater the number of pores in the membrane, the faster the rate of transport to and from the cells. Membrane rafts therefore have the potential advantage of combining the best features of liquid and solid culture techniques. However, the structure of the prior art rafts is far from optimal.
The current commercial raft design is literally that of a simple flat bottomed "raft", with four legs (Sigma Chemical Co., St. Louis, Mo.). The raft floats as a result of the volume of water displaced, and like any raft, depends on the impermeability of its base to keep liquid out so that it remains afloat. For this reason, the membrane used for the base is restricted to a film with very small pores, and a low hydraulic permeability. Even then, this must be coupled with a lightweight design for the remainder of the raft.
The weight of the raft provides a downwards pressure on the membrane through which water flows. If the flow rate is greater than the ability of the growing cells to use such medium, the cells will die or grow very poorly. In order to be successful, the prior art structure requires a very specific balance between the raft displacement weight and the membrane properties.
The reason for increased rates of growth are not clearly known. However, one may hypothesize that they are related to rates of transport of nutrients to the cells, and cell generated inhibitors or waste products away from the cells. The faster the rate of transport, the higher the effective concentration of growth nutrients, and the lower the concentration of species which inhibit the growth.
Rates of transport will be faster the larger the pores and the greater the surface area thereof. Conventional membranes and porous materials cannot be used in the conventional prior art structure because their hydraulic permeability is too high. Under the weight of the raft over a 24 hour period, conventional rafts either accumulate too much liquid on the surface of the raft or sink completely.
It has been proposed to construct a raft frame with hollow walls or walls made from a foamed material. These solutions reduce the surface area available for cell growth while reducing the depth of displacement of the raft and thus do not provide an acceptable solution.
As the plants grow, the weight of the raft increases with time. This increases the depth at which the raft is floating, as well as the pressure causing liquid to move through the membrane. Although this may sometimes be a desirable occurrence, the prior art structure does not enable control over when and to what extent the two results occur.
A second problem with the prior art raft structure relates to the later stages of plant growth and, more particularly to the development of the plant's root system. At the point at which the culture medium has been changed to cause expression of both the root system and the leaves, the ideal is for the roots to be continuously immersed in the culture medium, with the leaves above the liquid surface. At this stage it is also important for the plant to have mechanical support from the root system to physically support the upper portion of the plant.
Since rootlets cannot penetrate the pores of the membrane, they have nothing in which to anchor themselves to provide this support. The above-mentioned Young et al reference describes two frame membrane and netting devices, or sandwiches of membrane and netting which attempt to solve this problem. These comprise netting, with a regular array of openings large enough for the rootlets to grow through and anchor, placed on top of a microporous membrane. However, this requires peeling away the upper layer of growing plants, which are embedded in the netting, from the bottom layers. This approach is clumsy, expensive, and harmful to the plants as some shock is caused to the root system when the plants are separated.
The patent literature includes various examples of floating apparatus suitable for use in plane cell tissue culture.
U.S. Pat. NO. 4,037,360 describes raft apparatus for growing plants by means of water culture including a buoyant body arranged to float in a stable position on a nutrient solution. The buoyant member contains a generally vertically oriented channel which accommodates the step of a plant whose root system extends into the nutrient solution below the member. To facilitate seed germination, the channel may include a porous or absorptive partition which provides fluid communication by capillary action with a location on which a seed may germinate. During plant growth, buoyancy of the body is increased by adding auxiliary buoyancy apparatus.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,382,348 describes a soilless plant growing device which includes a fine mesh plate supported only at its periphery by a buoyant frame. The buoyancy of the apparatus is such that seeds are maintained at the surface of and in contact with the nutrient solution during germination, while the fine mesh allows roots to subsequently grow into the solution.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,513,533 describes a method of growing plants in an open trough on a sheet of buoyant hydrophobic material such as polystyrene in which are formed a regular pattern of large holes. The holes are covered by a connected grid of plant collars, which hold seedlings or a solid support medium in which a seed has germinated. The buoyancy of the sheet is such as to maintain the plants above the surface of the water in the trough throughout the growth cycle.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,607,454 describes a floating bed for hydroponically germinating seeds. The floating bed is floatable and is hydrophobic.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,531,324 describes a plant tissue culture device in which the cultures are maintained in culture wells on a porous wick which dips into a liquid medium and transports nutrients and water to the cultures.
U.K. Patent 2,014,836 describes a method for producing a stand of plants in which a buoyant inert base is covered with an absorbent material and floated on a trough of liquid. The ends of the absorbent material extend beyond the base and dip into the liquid, thereby transporting nutrients and water to seeds on the surface of the absorbent material.


A magnetic recording and reproduction apparatus, includes a circuit for changing a reference amplitude value of a Viterbi detector. The circuit is used to record and reproduce data with the reference amplitude value displaced from a reference value, thereby measuring the data error rate. Displacement of the reference amplitude from a reference value increases the data error rate, and therefore the data error rate can be measured within a short time. A data error rate with the reference amplitude equal to a reference value is estimated from the data error rate measurement, thereby making it possible to evaluate the degree of accuracy of a magnetic recording and reproduction apparatus. The data error rate is measured with the reference amplitude of the Viterbi detector displaced from a reference value while changing the equalization coefficient value of a waveform equalizer, the cut-off frequency of a low-pass filter and the write precompensation amount of a write precompensation circuit. In this way, the effect of the reproduction channel parameter or the write precompensation amount on the degree of accuracy of the magnetic recording and reproduction apparatus is evaluated, and the optimum value of the reproduction channel parameter or the write precompensation amount can thus be determined.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a magnetic recording and reproduction apparatus, and more particularly to a magnetic recording and reproduction apparatus having means for evaluating the degree of data accuracy and means for detecting a fault to assure the quality of the apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
A magnetic recording and reproduction apparatus having a Viterbi detector is described in IEEE Transactions on Magnetics, Vol. 27, pp. 4538-4543.
This magnetic recording and reproduction apparatus is made up of a write precompensation circuit for correcting a bit shift which is generated at the time of reproduction, a low-pass filter for removing high-frequency noise components of an analog reproduction waveform signal read from a magnetic recording medium, an A/D converter for converting the analog reproduction waveform signal into a digital waveform signal, a waveform equalizer for shaping the digital waveform signal, and a Viterbi detector for identifying digital data from the shaped ditigal waveform signal. In this apparatus, a recording-reproduction signal processing circuit is contained in a one-chip LSI (Large Scale Integrated Circuit) to meet requirements for reduction in size and increase in data transfer rate.
A criterion for deciding the quality of a magnetic recording and reproduction apparatus is the degree of data accuracy. The degree of data accuracy is dependent on the recording-reproduction channel parameters such as the amount of write precompensation of the write precompensation circuit, the cut-off frequency of the low-pass filter, and the equalization coefficient value of the waveform equalizer, as well as the electromagnetic conversion characteristics of a magnetic head and a magnetic medium. For producing a magnetic recording and reproduction apparatus of high quality, these parameters are required to be set to optimum values at the time of using the apparatus. In order to determine the optimum value of these parameters, on the other hand, the degree of data accuracy is required to be evaluated quantitatively at the time of parameter variations.
Generally, an error rate is used as a numerical value for quantifying the degree of data accuracy. When a magnetic recording and reproduction apparatus is being used under normal operating conditions, however, the error rate is so small that the measurement of the error rate requires a great amount of time, thereby making it difficult to decide the quality of the apparatus accurately.
JP-A-3-144969 discloses a technique in which the degree of data accuracy is evaluated by comparing the series of a digital waveform signal with the series of a reference signal, measuring the histogram of the resulted error value, and thus predicting the data error rate of the magnetic recording and reproduction apparatus.
On the other hand, as a conventional method of evaluating the degree of data accuracy, a level margin test is known. In the level margin test, a gate slice level to be compared with the amplitude of an output signal of the waveform equalizer is moved vertically, and by detecting missing bits or extra bits, the margin width of the gate slice level and the data error rate are measured.
The method of predicting an error rate by histogram measurement, however, emphasizes only the distribution of a digital waveform signal and fails to incorporate the data identification characteristics of the Viterbi detector for estimating a series of maximum likelihood values. The level margin test, which detects a level for each bit, also does not incorporate the data identification characteristics of a Viterbi detector for estimating a series of maximum likelihood values. For these reasons, the conventional methods of evaluating the degree of data accuracy cannot correctly evaluate the performance of the recording-reproduction channel including the Viterbi detector.
In the case where a recording-reproduction signal processing circuit is built in an LSI chip, it is not easy to detect an optimum value of a parameter unless the same chip includes means for evaluating the dependency of the magnetic recording and reproduction apparatus on the recording-reproduction channel parameters. Further, it is also not easy to determine the quality of the magnetic recording and reproduction apparatus.
An object of the invention is to provide a magnetic recording and reproduction apparatus having a Viterbi detector capable of evaluating the degree of data accuracy of the apparatus.
Another object of the invention is to provide a magnetic recording and reproduction apparatus capable of evaluating the degree of data accuracy of the apparatus by changing the circuit characteristics of the apparatus.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a magnetic recording and reproduction apparatus capable of measuring the data error rate in accordance with a predetermined sequence.
In order to achieve these objects, according to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a magnetic recording and reproduction apparatus made up of a data generator for generating write data, a write precompensation circuit for correcting the phase of the write data signal generated from the data generator, and a magnetic head for electromagnetically converting the write data signal corrected by the write precompensation circuit, a magnetic disc moved relatively with the magnetic head for recording and reproducing a signal through the magnetic head, a read-write amplifier amplifies the signal recorded in the magnetic head and read from the magnetic head, and an AGC circuit keeps constant the amplitude of the output signal of the read-write amplifier. The apparatus further includes a low-pass filter for removing the high-frequency noise components of the output signal of the AGC circuit, an A/D converter for sampling the output signal of the low-pass filter and converting it into a multi-valued digital value, a waveform equalizer for shaping the digital signal converted by the A/D converter, and a VFO circuit for producing a sample clock of the A/D converter, A Viterib detector identifies the output signal of the waveform equalizer by two threshold values and produces read data based on the sample clock. The apparatus further employs and means for changing the reference amplitude value providing the threshold level of the Viterbi detector, means for comparing the write data and the read data, and means for detecting an error, wherein data is recorded and reproduced with the reference amplitude value changed. The degree of data accuracy of the magnetic recording and reproduction apparatus is evaluated according to the data error rate of the apparatus which was measured by changing the reference amplitude value of the Viterbi detector.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a magnetic recording and reproduction apparatus wherein a signal processing LSI has a function such that at least an input pin of the LSI is designated, through which the reference amplitude value of the Viterbi detector is changed.
According to still another aspect of the invention, there is provided a magnetic recording and reproduction apparatus which has the function of changing the cut-off frequency of a low-pass filter, the equalization coefficient value of a waveform equalizer and the reference amplitude value of a Viterbi detector. The degree of data accuracy of the magnetic recording and reproduction apparatus is evaluated by measuring the data error rate when the reference amplitude value of the Viterbi detector is displaced from a reference value while changing the cut-off frequency of the low-pass filter and the equalization coefficient value of the waveform equalizer.
According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a magnetic recording and reproduction apparatus which has the function of changing the amount of write precompensation of a write precompensation circuit and the reference amplitude value of a Viterbi detector. While changing the write precompensation amount of the write precompensation circuit, the data error rate is measured with the reference amplitude value of the Viterbi detector displaced from a reference value. Thus the degree of data accuracy of the magnetic recording and reproduction apparatus is evaluated.
According to a still further aspect of the invention, there is provided a magnetic recording and reproduction apparatus wherein the write precompensation amount of a write precompensating circuit, the cut-off frequency of a low-pass filter, the equalization coefficient value of a waveform equalizer, and the reference amplitude value of a Viterbi detector are set automatically in accordance with a sequence predetermined by a coefficient setting sequencer.
According to a yet further aspect of the invention, there is provided a magnetic recording and reproduction apparatus wherein the degree of data accuracy of the apparatus is evaluated by measuring the magnitude of a signal obtained by averaging the absolute value or the square value of the waveform equalization error.
According to the present invention, the data identification performance can be deteriorated while maintaining the identification characteristics of a Viterbi detector of the magnetic recording and reproduction apparatus by displacing the reference amplitude value of the Viterbi detector from a reference value. As a result, a data error occurs with an increasing frequency, thereby making it possible to measure the data error rate within a short length of time. The data error rate inherent to the apparatus, i.e., the degree of data accuracy of the apparatus, can thus be predicted from the particular data error rate.
Further, the signal processing LSI has the function of changing the reference amplitude value of a Viterbi detector through an input pin of the LSI. As a result, the degree of data accuracy of the apparatus can be easily evaluated with an LSI built in the apparatus.
Furthermore, the data error rate is measured with the cut-off frequency of a low-pass filter and the equalization coefficient value of a waveform equalizer changed while displacing the reference amplitude value of a Viterbi detector from a reference value. The effect of a change in the reproduction channel parameter on the data accuracy is evaluated, and an optimum value of the parameter can thus be determined.
In addition, according to the invention, the effect of a change in the amount of write precompensation on the degree of data accuracy can be evaluated by changing the write precompensation amount of the write precompensation circuit of the magnetic recording and reproduction apparatus and measuring the data error rate with the reference amplitude value of the Viterbi detector displaced from a reference value, thereby determining an optimum value of the write precompensation amount.
Also, the magnetic recording and reproduction apparatus according to the invention has the function of automatically setting the cut-off frequency of the low-pass filter, the equalization coefficient value of the waveform equalizer and the reference amplitude value of the Viterbi detector in accordance with a sequence predetermined by a coefficient setting data sequencer. As a result, the degree of data accuracy can be easily evaluated while setting the coefficient automatically in accordance with a predetermined sequence without using any external devices such as a controller.
What is more, the data identification performance of the recording-reproduction channel can be approximately grasped by monitoring the signal representing the average of the absolute value or the square value of the waveform equalization error. As a consequence, the result of a quality assurance test of a product and the chronological change of the recording-reproduction channel including the head disc when being used by the user after the product shipment can be determined.

Magnetic recording and reproduction apparatus


In a multi-disk clutch comprising a rotary body having splines formed thereon so as to extend helically along the surface thereof, with a number of disks having central openings with inwardly projecting teeth via which the discs are in rotationally positively locking engagement with the rotary body, the teeth are twisted so as to extend in a plane normal to the surface of the helically extending splines of the rotary body so that the end face areas of the teeth are in planar contact with the spline surfaces of the rotary body for the transmission of torque between the rotary body and the disks.

The invention relates to a disk of a multi-disk clutch which is axially movably supported on a splined shaft.
The exemplary embodiment in FIG. 4 of EP 1 273 473 A2 already shows an all-wheel drive train having a multi-disk clutch which forms also a torque shock damping element, that is called a Bonanza effect element. The exemplary embodiment in FIG. 6 of the same publication shows a multi-disk clutch which is designed as a transfer clutch.
In mot, Volume 5, dated Feb. 12, 2003, on page 97, a multi-disk clutch is shown in the form of a viscous clutch. In this multi-disk clutch, the disks are provided with teeth on their inner edge, these teeth forming a spline structure providing for a positive-locking rotationally fixed connection to an externally toothed transmission shaft of a motor vehicle.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a clutch disk support arrangement for keeping the rotational play of a multi-disk clutch minimal and to provide a production method for such a multi-disk clutch.

Disk for a multi-disk clutch and production method thereof


An input buffer circuit. In one embodiment, the input buffer circuit includes a first transistor operable to receive a first input signal, a second transistor operable to receive a second input signal, and a first mechanism coupled to the first transistor and to the second transistor. The first mechanism is operable to control the first and second transistors such that the first and second transistors can receive either single-ended input signals or differential input signals. According to the embodiments disclosed herein, the input buffer combines single-ended input and differential input functionalities without compromising performance.

Input buffer circuits are well known. Examples of input buffer circuits include single-ended input buffer circuits having transistor-transistor logic (TTL) architecture and differential input buffer circuits having emitter-coupled logic (ECL) or positive ECL (PECL) architecture. Conventional single-ended input buffer circuits and differential input buffer circuits require different designs due to the compatibility of signal levels. For example, the voltage levels of PECL and CML circuits are typically higher than the voltage levels of TTL circuits. Another example is that single-ended signals such as TTL require a switching threshold voltage while differential signals do not require any additional reference voltage.
One problem with existing systems is that differential signals such as PECL or CML are often mixed with single-ended signals such as TTL. Therefore, it is difficult to predict the interface required. Another problem is testing; a user may want to use a single-ended signal for testing while using differential signals during normal operation. One conventional solution is to utilize two different types of input buffer circuits. For example, a system can be designed having both a single-ended input buffer circuit and a differential input buffer circuit. The system would also include a multiplexor to select between the two input buffer circuit types. One problem with this approach is that it requires more space on the chip and requires additional external pins.
Accordingly, what is needed is an improved input buffer circuit that provides flexibility by enabling a user to choose optimal solutions for various applications. The present invention addresses such a need.


A connector connected with a circuit board includes a housing and a main body. The housing has an insert hole and an accommodating portion. The main body is fixed in the accommodating portion and has a plurality of signal terminals and a plurality of pins arranged in the same direction. When a plug is plugged in the insert hole, a plugging direction of the plug is perpendicular to the circuit board.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a connector and, in particular, to a connector for communicating transmission.
2. Related Art
Accompanying with the development of electronic technology and communication technology, the present electronic products usually have the communicating transmission function. Generally speaking, the communicating transmission function can be carried out by a connector and a plug.
Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional connector for data transmission through network includes a housing 11 and a plurality of signal pins 12. The housing 11 has an insert hole O, and the signal pins 12 are disposed in the insert hole O. The insert hole O is connected with a plug P such as an RJ-45 plug to transmit data through network.
To connect the plug P with the connector 1, the plug P is plugged into the insert hole O of the housing 11 along a horizontal direction H. Then, the plug P can be electrically connected with the signal pins 12 of the connector 1 so as to transmit data through network.
However, because the connector 1 has a large bottom size, it will occupy a certain area of a circuit board, thereby influencing the layout of the circuit board and thus limiting the space for allocating other circuitries on the circuit board.

Connector with plugging direction perpendicular to circuit boards


A lower platen of the hemming apparatus is provided with a hem punch capable of being pressed against an inner periphery bent portion of a workpiece having a frame and a cam follower. The cam follower is disposed on the lower platen to come outside the frame of the workpiece. The cam follower and the hem punch are connected through a connecting member. An upper platen of the hemming apparatus is provided with a driver cam engageable against the cam follower. The driver cam moves the cam follower, whereby the hem punch is pressed against the inner periphery bent portion.

(a) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to hemming apparatuses for hemming a workpiece made such as of a metal plate.
(b) Description of Related Art
An example of conventionally known hemming apparatuses for hemming a workpiece, such as a door panel for a motor vehicle, is that disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 3598489. The hemming apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 3598489 includes upper and lower platens arranged opposite to each other and hems a workpiece having a frame, such as a door panel. Specifically, the hemming apparatus is configured to hem an outer periphery bent portion and an inner periphery bent portion of the workpiece formed at the outer periphery and the inner periphery, respectively, of the workpiece.
The lower platen of the above hemming apparatus includes a support table for supporting a workpiece thereon, inner periphery hem punches for hemming an inner periphery bent portion of the workpiece, inner periphery slide cam units supporting the associated inner periphery hem punches to allow them to move in a direction towards and away from the inner periphery bent portion of the workpiece, outer periphery hem punches for hemming an outer periphery bent portion of the workpiece, and outer periphery link cam units supporting the associated outer periphery hem punches to allow them to move in a direction towards and away from the outer periphery bent portion of the workpiece. The inner periphery hem punches and the inner periphery slide cam units are disposed inside the frame of the workpiece supported on the lower platen.
On the other hand, the upper platen includes inner periphery driver cam units configured to engage against associated cam followers of the inner periphery slide cam units to drive the associated inner periphery hem punches, and outer periphery driver cam units configured to engage against associated cam followers of the outer periphery link cam units to drive the associated outer periphery hem punches.
When the upper platen moves down, the inner periphery driver cam units of the upper platen engage against the associated cam followers of the inner periphery slide cam units of the lower platen and the inner periphery hem punches are thereby pressed against the inner periphery bent portion of the workpiece, so that hemming forces act on the inner periphery bent portion. At this time, the outer periphery driver cam units of the upper platen engage against the associated cam followers of the outer periphery link cam units of the lower platen, so that hemming forces likewise act on the outer periphery bent portion of the workpiece. In this manner, the outer periphery bent portion and inner periphery bent portion of the workpiece are hemmed.
In order to hem an inner periphery bent portion of a workpiece having a frame as described above, it will do well to provide the inner periphery hem punches and the inner periphery slide cam units on the lower platen so that they come inside the frame of the workpiece. However, there may be workpieces having small frames. In such a case, it is difficult to arrange the inner periphery slide cam units within the frame of the workpiece. To cope with this, it can be considered that the hemming apparatus includes two lower platens, one of the two lower platens has small first inner periphery hem punches and first inner periphery slide cam units provided to come inside the frame of the workpiece and hem part of the inner periphery bent portion of the workpiece and the other lower platen has small second inner periphery hem punches and second inner periphery slide cam units provided likewise to come inside the frame of the workpiece and hem the remaining part of the inner periphery bent portion of the workpiece. Thus, it is possible that after part of the inner periphery bent portion of the workpiece is hemmed by one lower platen, the workpiece is removed from the one lower platen and supported by the other lower platen and the remaining part of the inner periphery bent portion of the workpiece is hemmed by the other lower platen. In this case, however, the number of process steps increases, thereby increasing the man-hour and in turn causing cost rise. In addition, since two kinds of lower platens are provided, this increases the equipment cost and also causes cost rise. Furthermore, since the workpiece is removed from one lower platen and supported by the other lower platen, a misalignment of the workpiece from the support table inevitably occurs, which invites deteriorated processing precision and in turn may degrade the product quality.
The present invention has been made in view of the foregoing points and, therefore, an object thereof is to allow an inner periphery bent portion of a workpiece having a frame to be hemmed in a single step with a single platen, thereby reducing the cost while giving the product a good quality.


In an embodiment, the arrangement and method enable the accessing of certain stored information by utilizing algorithms. The validity of the algorithms and/or retrieved data are determined by a validity management module. If the algorithm and/or the retrieved data is determined by the validity management module to be invalid, the algorithm and/or the retrieved data may be updated, whereby self-correction occurs dynamically over time with changing stored information. In another embodiment, the arrangement and method enable networked computer systems each including a standardized database access system having hyper objects employing embedded algorithms or rules for accessing information across the network in a standardized manner, even though the networked computer system databases may employ different schema and formats. Each computer system operates independently, and yet is able to dynamically self-correct when invalid algorithms or data is determined. New computer systems can be added or removed to the network without requiring adjustments to its database schema or formats and without synchronizing with the existing networked computer systems.

There is no admission that the background art disclosed in this section legally constitutes prior art.
There have been many different types and kinds of computer arrangements for managing and accessing stored information. For example, reference may be made to U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,829,006; 5,848,415; 6,016,497; 6,119,126; 6,223,227; 6,571,232; 6,898,609; 7,200,602; 7,509,280; 7,644,066; and 7,949,545; and U.S. patent application publications 2003/0105811; 2003/0208493; 2006/0173873; 2006/0036656; 2007/0271275; and 2009/0187344.
Computers have stored information for use in a variety of applications. For example, electronic databases have been known and used for many years. A given native database such as a given populated relational database may require modification, such as a change in the schema for the database. In so doing, it would be necessary to provide additional changes and modifications to the access method for the database to enable the same or similar reports or other outputs to be generated. The same would be true if the type of database structure were to be changed. In this regard, changes and modifications would also be required to maintain consistent reports and other output from the system.
It would be desirable to have a standardized database access arrangement, whereby standardized outputs, such as reports, can be generated by accessing distributed native databases even after the schema or the format of one or more of the databases may be modified or replaced.
One example of one type of electronic databases having different schema or requiring modifications in the existing schema, may be a healthcare management system for healthcare enterprises. Modernly, primary healthcare is often times provided by healthcare enterprises. A healthcare enterprise is a group of healthcare facilities including, for example, hospitals, laboratories, pharmacies, and others. Healthcare enterprises can be expansive, encompassing hundreds of doctors and many geographically widely dispersed point of care facilities. Alternatively, they can be more modest in size having just a few facilities.
Further, each facility may have computer systems that operate differently and store information in diverse formats and schema. Thus, information from different facilities of the same enterprise or of a different enterprise, may not be readily usable by another facility within the same enterprise or enterprises. For example, if a patient has been seen at two or more different facilities of an enterprise or of different enterprises, the medical number assigned to the patient may be different for each facility or enterprise.
A healthcare enterprise having multiple facilities may encounter several problems when admitting a patient. For example, it would be helpful to know whether or not the patient to be admitted is a current patient or had been previously admitted at any of the facilities of the same or different enterprise. Since each of the facilities may be using record management features incompatible with the other facilities, there is no efficient manner to find if a patient had been previously admitted to the same enterprise or to a different enterprise.
Confidently identifying all of the distributed records for a given to-be-admitted patient can be a daunting task. However, it is critical that the patient be positively associated with their true and complete medical record, if available. Such an identification task is exacerbated if the patient is unconscious. The person admitting the patient oftentimes must rely solely on antidotal information to establish the identity of the patient. Thus, the actual identity of the patient may not be established, or an incorrect identity made. Either way, providing treatment for the patient is difficult and may even result in harmful delays in the treatment for the patient.
In providing healthcare to a patient, it is highly desirable that a complete medical history be available to healthcare practitioners. However, in the modern healthcare environment, patients routinely are transferred to different facilities of the same or different enterprise. Thus, over a period of years a patient's medical record may become fragmented and dispersed among the various facilities of an enterprise, or even different enterprises.
Therefore, in general, it would be highly desirable to have a new computer arrangement for more efficiently and effectively communicating information. When the stored information changes or grows over time, it can be a challenge to continuously adapt the computer arrangement to the ever changing environment. Only one example of which is a system of distributed patient databases. Such a computer arrangement is ever changing. As patient data increases among a group of distributed databases, such as the databases associated with various facilities of a healthcare enterprise, or among various different and even unrelated healthcare enterprises, the complexity of managing the growing stored information continues to be an ongoing problem requiring attention.
The new computer system further should be able to quickly and efficiently be installed without burdensome expense to the enterprise that uses the computer system. When the computer arrangement is part of a computer network, for example, a new computer system joining the network should be able to preserve prior information technology investments and maintain its stored information with little or no modifications required.
In the example of a computer network, it would be desirable to have such a new computer network and method which could resolve non-compatible data information between network member computers, so that desired requested information such as given desired data files or records could be uniquely and confidently identified across the entire network, so that the desired information could be readily accessed across the computer network. As an example, but not by way of limitation, a clinical information system may contain clinical data about a patient organized by patient identification fields. The fields may not be unique or compatible across distributed hospital systems in the same or different enterprises. Thus, it would be important to have a unique identifier for every patient across the entire network of hospital systems.
One conventional technique for providing a network of computer systems employing databases is the "shadow" database arrangement. A shadow database is a separate database which stores the data of all the networked databases. In this manner, each member computer system has access to the data of all the networked databases by accessing the shadow database. However, all the databases must be synchronized with the shadow database. When inconsistencies are detected, then a resolution must be made in each separate database and in the shadow database. Also, whenever a new database is added to the network, the shadow database must be reconstructed to add a copy of the new database data. Also, each one of the existing network member databases usually require reconstruction, because all of the network databases and the shadow database must be synchronized.
Such requirements for a shadow database arrangement are time consuming, awkward and expensive. Maintaining the synchronism among the network databases is a continuous process of reconstruction as more and more data is being stored across the network. Also, such a network arrangement is limited to the number of databases that may be added. Every time a new database is added to the network, the complexity of maintaining the arrangement is multiplied and the shadow database continues to grow in size. When a new database is added to the network, the new database must be reconstructed to be compatible with the schema of the other network databases and the shadow database, so that any member computer system can access network data by accessing the shadow database. Thus, any new database can not be quickly and efficiently added to the network as the entire network is impacted including the shadow database.
It would be highly desirable to be able to add new databases to an existing network of databases in a fast and efficient manner. Also, it would be enormously beneficial to be able to expand the size of the network of databases substantially without limits in a convenient and cost effective manner. By so doing, any computer system database may be added to an ever expanding number of networked databases so that information may be exchanged readily and conveniently across the network.
Thus, it would be highly desirable to be able to exchange data between network member computer systems in a standardized manner, even where at least some of the databases have different schema. It would be desirable to have the ability to interchange information across databases, and still be able to communicate in a standardized manner. Additionally, such a computer network should be scalable to be able to add conveniently new legacy databases of new computer systems, or of new facilities, even though the new databases have different schema and even though some of the existing databases may have their schema revised or changed periodically.
All of this should be accomplished by having each computer system of the network being a stand alone computer. In this regard, there would be no need for centralized indexes or other centralized control operations for the network. A new computer system should be able to be added to the network in a stand alone manner and function almost immediately on the network, without restructuring its database. Also, any inconsistencies in the information being interchanged should be self-correcting and dynamically adaptable.
Such a computer arrangement and method should also be able to be self-correcting dynamically should incompatible information be retrieved from the distributed databases. Furthermore, such a computer network and method should be able to add a new computer system to the existing network and begin to function with the other networked computer systems almost immediately without any revisions to its formats or schema and without any revisions to the other networked computer systems. Each networked computer system could function in a stand alone manner and yet be able to access all of the databases across the entire network, even though there may be differences in the formats and schema among the various databases.
As to the more general aspects of the invention, the present invention is not in any way limited to clinical information systems, or even to networked computers. The present invention may be employed on a single stand alone computer which may be used for a variety of different applications and uses. Such variety of different applications and uses may include, but is not in any way limited to, financial applications, office applications, video games, system controls and a whole host of many other applications and uses. The computer arrangement and method of the present invention relates in general to an efficient and effective technique for adapting dynamically over time to continuously changing stored information requirements. The technique enables dynamic self-corrections on the fly to be made as information requirements change with time. Thus, the novel technique is scalable and self correcting automatically over time.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Scalable computer arrangement and method


A control apparatus comprises a light monitoring unit for dividing a signal wavelength band into at least a band in which output light power of an optical amplifier tends to decrease at an decrease in the number of signal wavelengths and a band including a gain deviation band, and for monitoring inputted light power for the individual divided bands, a calculation unit for obtaining the number of signal wavelengths in the individual divided bands based on a monitor result, and a target gain correction unit for correcting a target gain based on a result of the calculation. This suppresses a transient variation of signal light level due to SHB or SRS at a high speed with a simple configuration without deteriorating noise characteristic, thus enabling optical amplifiers to be further disposed in a multi-stage fashion, which can lengthen the transmission distance of a transmission system including an optical add/drop unit.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a control apparatus and method for an optical amplifier, an optical amplifier, an optical transmission apparatus, an individual band gain equalizer, a wavelength multiplexing transmission apparatus an optical amplifier and a wavelength multiplexing transmission system using the same equalizer, and more particularly to a technique suitable for use in a WDM (Wavelength Division Multiplex) optical transmission system which lengthens the transmission distance by disposing optical fiber amplifiers, represented by an Erbium-doped fiber amplifier (EDFA), in multi-stage system.
(2) Description of the Related Art
In recent years, as one example of a WDM optical transmission system, there has been noted a metro core system capable of adding/dropping an optical signal with an arbitrary wavelength at arbitrary nodes making a connection between local base cities. FIG. 16 is a block diagram showing an example of a configuration of a metro core system. In a system shown in FIG. 16, a plurality of OADM (Optical Add-Drop Multiplexer) nodes 100 are connected through transmission lines (optical fibers) 400 into a ring configuration so that, at each of the OADM nodes 100, a signal with an arbitrary wavelength (channel) is added to the transmission line 400 and, of WDM signals transmitted through the transmission line 400, light with an arbitrary wavelength is dropped therefrom. Moreover, optical amplifiers (preamplifier 200 and post amplifier 300) are properly placed at the former and latter stages of each of the OADM nodes 100, thereby compensating for the loss in light level between the OADM nodes (each of which will hereinafter be equally referred to simply as a "node") 100 for lengthening the transmission distance.
In addition, in the system which adds/drops a signal at an arbitrary node 100 as mentioned above, since the number of signal wavelengths (hereinafter referred to equally as the "number of transmission wavelengths") to be transmitted in the system (transmission lines 400) varies dynamically, for maintaining the output signal power for each wavelength (channel) to a constant value with respect to this variation of number of wavelengths (keeping the flatness of gain with respect to wavelength), an AGC amplifier having an automatic gain control (AGC) function is commonly used for the above-mentioned amplifiers 200 and 300.
In this case, for example, as shown in FIG. 17, the AGC amplifier is arranged such that portions of input/output signals of an optical amplifier (EDFA) 200 (300) are branched through the use of optical branch means 501 and 502 such as optical couplers so as to monitor the powers thereof (i.e., input/output signal powers of the optical amplifier 200 (300)) by PDs 601 and 602, and an automatic gain control unit 700 controls the pump power of the EDFA 200 (300) so that the power ratio therebetween becomes constant.
Meanwhile, in such a system, it is considered that, for example, as shown in FIG. 18(A), many (for example, 39 wavelengths) optical signals are added from one node 100 (100A) and a different one-wavelength optical signal is added from the next node 100 (100B). In this situation, for example, as shown in FIG. 18(B), in a case in which a trouble such as dynamic reconstruction of an optical transmission path, man-made mistake, fiber disconnection and connector removal occurs between the nodes 100A and 100B, only the signal added at the node 100B remains (that is, the number of transmission wavelengths varies suddenly. At this time, for example, as shown in FIG. 19(A), there arises a phenomenon that the power level of the residual light at the light reception end varies.
For example, as shown in FIG. 25, the above-mentioned "signal reception end" signifies an optical receiver 101 having an optical-electrical conversion function (O/E) to receive dropped optical signal for converting it into an electric signal, and this also applies to the following description. Moreover, the "signal transmission end" signifies an optical transmitter 102 having an electrical-optical conversion function (E/O) to transmit a transmission signal (electric signal) with added optical signal with a given wavelength.
For example, as shown in FIG. 19(B), the above-mentioned optical power variation can depend mainly upon three factors: (1) spectral hole burning (SHB), (2) gain (wavelength) deviation and (3) stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) effects, which will be described hereinbelow.
(1) SHB
The SHB producing the first factor is a phenomenon arising in the optical amplifier 200 (300) and shows a characteristic that the shorter-wavelength side light power lowers. That is, for example as shown in FIG. 20, when the optical amplifier 200 (300) amplifies light with one wavelength (for example 1538 nm) in the C band (1530 to 1565 nm), as a phenomenon, the EDFA gain lowers in the vicinity of that signal wavelength (which is referred to as main hole) and the EDFA gain also lowers in the vicinity of 1530 nm (which is referred to as second hole).
Moreover, in the C band, the main hole becomes deeper toward the shorter-wavelength side (gain decreasing quantity becomes larger) and both the main hole and second hole become deeper as the optical signal input power increases. Since this SHB is averaged in a state where multi-wavelength signal is inputted, it does not show a great effect. On the other hand, the effect thereof increases with a decrease in number of input wavelengths. For this reason, in a case in which only a signal with one wavelength remains due to the occurrence of a trouble between the nodes 100A and 100B as mentioned above, as shown in the column (1) of FIG. 19(B) and in FIG. 21, the gain of the optical amplifier 200 (300) decreases as the residual signal shifts toward the shorter-wavelength side, which causes a phenomenon that the output signal power also lowers (−ΔP). That is, the fluctuation of the gain due to the SHB varies in accordance with the number of signal wavelengths and the allocation thereof. The detail of the SHB is written in the non-patent documents 1 to 3 mentioned later.
(2) Gain Deviation
The gain (wavelength) deviation producing the second factor is also a phenomenon occurring in the optical amplifier 200 (300). That is, as mentioned above, the optical amplifier 200 (300) is made to maintain the average gain of the signal to a constant value (AGC) and, when a wavelength showing a deviation remains, it operates to adjust the gain of that signal to a target gain, which makes a variation (in this case, +ΔP) in output signal power of the residual optical signal, for example, as shown in the column (2) of FIG. 19(B). In other words, the operating point of the optical amplifier 200 (300) varies in accordance with the number of signal wavelengths and the arrangement thereof, which causes a variation in gain spectrum.
(3) SRS Effect
The SRS effect producing the third factor is a phenomenon occurring in the transmission line 400. An optical amplifier utilizing this SRS effect is a Raman amplifier. For example, as shown in FIG. 22, as a characteristic, the SRS of a common single-mode fiber has a gain peak on the lower frequency side by approximately 13 THz from the pump wavelength (when the pump wavelength is in the vicinity of 1400 nm, longer-wavelength side by approximately 100 nm) and, hence, the selection of the pump wavelength enables the optical signal amplification in an arbitrary wavelength band. However, as shown in FIG. 22, the amplification at one-point wavelength is not feasible, and since the amplification (gain) characteristic has a range in some degree with respect to wavelength, the amplification phenomenon arises even in the vicinity of the pump wavelength.
That is, when a WDM optical signal is transmitted through the transmission line 400, the shorter-wavelength side light power becomes pump power, thus amplifying the longer-wavelength side signal. In consequence, as shown in FIG. 23, there arises a phenomenon that the signal power increases toward the longer-wavelength side. Therefore, in a case in which only a signal with one wavelength remains due to the occurrence of a trouble between the nodes 100A and 100B as mentioned above, as shown in the column (3) of FIG. 19 and in FIG. 21(B), as the residual signal shifts toward the longer-wavelength side, it is more difficult to take the power from the shorter-wavelength side, which causes the power (gain) reduction (−ΔP). That is, the SRS effect varies in accordance with the number of signal wavelengths and the allocation thereof.
Thus, when the number of wavelengths of WDM signal transmitted through the transmission line 400 varies largely, mainly depending upon the three f actors of SHB, gain deviation and SRS, the output power of the residual signal (residual channel) varies. Even if the variation quantity per optical amplifier or transmission line is not very large, in the case of a system in which the optical amplifiers 200 and 300 made to carry out the AGC are provided in a multi-stage configuration, there arises the accumulation of the output signal power variations (ΔP) of the respective channels occurring the respective optical amplifiers 200, 300 and transmission lines 400.
In the case of a conventional optical transmission system in which the transmission distance is short and the number of optical amplifiers to be disposed in a multi-stage configuration is small, this variation is little and no problem arises. However, when the number of stages of optical amplifiers increases due to the lengthening of the transmission distance of the system in the future, for example, as shown in the left side of FIG. 24, the optical signal power at the signal reception end becomes out of a reception allowable range, which can produce transmission errors.
It is considered that the accumulation of the power variations is preventable by carrying out the automatic level control (ALC) at high speed at the occurrence of variation of the number of wavelengths, for example, as shown in the right side of FIG. 24. In this case, the ALC is usually made to monitor the output light power of the optical amplifier 200 (300) through the use of PD or the like for controlling (feedback-controlling) the pump power to the optical amplifier 200 (300) so that the monitored value reaches a target output signal power Pout which is a target output signal power Ptarget [dBm/ch] per channel×the number of inputted signal wavelengths.
Thus, for realizing the ALC of the optical amplifier 200 (300), the information on the number of inputted signal wavelengths to be inputted to the optical amplifier 200 (300) becomes necessary. However, in the case of receiving the information on the number of wavelengths from an optical service channel (OSC) or a network management system (NMS), it takes much time and cannot cope with the transient variation, for example, immediately after the occurrence of a trouble [for example, as indicated by meshing in FIG. 19(A), a variation in a period until the OADM node 100 shows the level compensation function after the occurrence of variation in the number of wavelengths].
For this reason, there have been proposed some techniques (methods) of calculating the number of wavelengths in the interior of a node.
(a) One technique is a method of, on the condition that the optical powers of the respective wavelengths to be inputted to an optical amplifier are even (inputted optical power per wavelength is known in advance), monitoring the total power of the inputted light to the optical amplifier to calculate the number of transmission wavelengths by dividing the monitored value by a specified inputted optical power per channel.
(b) As proposed in the following patent documents 1 and 2, another technique is a method of inputting light, branched in a manner such that a portion of signal inputted to an optical amplifier is used as monitor light, to a wavelength demultiplexer (DEMUX) to demultiplex it according to wavelength for counting the number of transmission wavelengths. Concretely, in the technique disclosed in the patent document 1, the inputted signal to the optical amplifier is monitored according to wavelength and the attenuation quantity of a variable optical attenuator provided at an output of the optical amplifier is adjusted in accordance with the monitored value and a variation in the number of wavelengths for controlling the output light power collectively. On the other hand, according to the technique disclosed in the patent document 2, in an optical amplifier in which optical amplification fibers such as EDF are connected in a multi-stage configuration, the pump power to each optical amplification fiber and the attenuation quantity of a variable optical attenuator provided between the stages of the respective optical amplification fibers are adjusted on the basis of the signal power and the number of wavelengths, detected from the inputted light to the former-stage optical amplification fiber, and the light power detected from the output light of the latter-stage optical amplification fiber, thereby controlling the gain of the entire optical amplifier and the gain spectrum.
It is desirable that the above-mentioned transient variation of the output power of an optical amplifier is compensated for (undergoes the flattening processing) as quickly as possible (for example, on the order of microsecond). As candidates for a technique of compensating for such an output power variation, there are, for example, (c) a configuration in which WDM output signal is demultiplexed according to wavelength and the optical power of each wavelength is adjusted through the use of a variable optical attenuator (VOA) for each wavelength and then multiplexed, (d) a dynamic gain equalizer (DGEQ), and other techniques. The DGEQ is a device designed to perform the loss adjustment for each wavelength of the WDM signal and capable of compensating for the gain deviation.
In addition, as a technique about the gain equalization, there are techniques disclosed in the following patent documents 3 and 4. The technique disclosed in the patent document uses an optical circulator, an optical reflector, a variable optical attenuator and a WDM coupler for carrying out the gain equalization according to a plurality of signals (wavelengths) demultiplexed by the WDM coupler. Moreover, the technique disclosed in the patent document 4 is related to variable gain flattening unit including a plurality of long-period gratings arrangement and an adjustment unit (piezo converter and piezo control circuit) for adjusting the attenuation factor for each grating.
[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-168841
[Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-258348
[Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. HEI 10-173597
[Patent Document 4] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. HEI 11-337750
[Non-Patent Document 1] Masato NISHIHAPA, et. al., "Characterization and new numerical model of spectral hole burning in broadband erbium-doped fiber amplifier", 2003 Optical Society of America.
[Non-Patent Document 2] Masato NISHIHARA, et. al., "Impact of spectral hole burning in multi-channel amplification of EDFA", 2004 Optical Society of America.
[Non-Patent Document 3] Maxim Bolshtyansky, "Spectral Hole Burning in Erbium-Doped Fiber Amplifiers", JOURNAL OF LIGHTWAVE TECHNOLOGY, VOL. 21, NO. 4, April 2003.
However, with respect to the technique (method) of calculating the number of wavelengths in a node, there is a problem which arises with the method described above in (a) in that, when the power of each channel to be inputted to an optical amplifier varies, there is a possibility of calculating the number of wavelengths in error. Moreover, the method described above in (b) creates a problem of high cost and size increase. In the case of the technique disclosed in the patent document 1, since the loss is large in the wavelength demultiplexer (DEMUX), there is a need to increase the input branch ratio, which causes the deterioration of the noise characteristic (NF) of an optical amplifier, and in the case of the technique disclosed in the patent document 2, there is a problem in that the high-speed response becomes difficult.
Moreover, with respect to the equalization technology, in the case of the technique described above in (c) and the technique disclosed in the aforesaid patent document, since the received WDM signal is demultiplexed according to wavelength and the adjustment of the optical power is made according to wavelength through the use of the variable optical attenuator for each wavelength, the apparatus scale becomes larger to increase the cost. In particular, if a high-speed operating VOA is used for obtaining a high-speed response characteristic, this VOA is expensive and, when the VOAs corresponding in number to wavelengths are prepared, a further increase in cost occurs.
Still moreover, the dynamic gain equalizer described above in (d) creates problems in that the response speed is as relatively low as approximately 30 ms and the cost thereof stands at several millions yen and the adding loss is large (approximately 5 dB). Accordingly, the introduction into the system is impractical. Yet moreover, in the case of the technique disclosed in the aforesaid patent document 4, although, in a manner such that the piezo control circuit controls the piezo converter to change the pressure to be applied to the gratings, the characteristics of a plurality of grating can individually be changed so as to vary the attenuation factor of light passing through the gratings, the response speed is low because the change of pressure to the gratings falls under physical control.

Individual band gain equalizer for optical amplifiers


Various embodiments disclosed relate to visually transparent UV-absorbing coatings including ZnO nanoparticles. The coating includes ZnO nanoparticles, hydroxy(C1-C10)alkyl cellulose, a dispersant, and less than about 5 wt % water.

Ultraviolet (UV) protection is critical to human skin health and material preservation. There are three types of UV radiation: UVA (320-400 nm). UVB (290-320 nm), and UVC (290-100 nm). Though UVC is absorbed by the atmosphere. UVA and UVB radiation reach the earth at 95% and 5% of the total UV radiation, respectively. Generally, excessive exposure to sunlight induces degradation of organic materials, loss of mechanical strength, and fading of pigments. Therefore, various industries have a great level of interest in protective coatings with UV-blocking capability to prevent photo degradation. The same principle can be extended to food protection. In meat packaging. UV protection can help prevent myoglobin rich meats from fading in color. There is also significant interest in utilizing UV protection for plastic bottles to maintain the taste of dairy or prevent vitamins from degradation for sports drinks or juices. In addition, in transparent bags, lipid rich snacks undergo oxidative rancidity, and UV protection could slow the process and enhance the shelf life.
Conventional views are that ZnO particles need to be dispersed to provide good transparency and UV-blocking. This limits the concentration of the ZnO particles, which in turn limits the extent to which UV-blocking films containing ZnO particles can be made thin.

UV-absorbing coating including zinc oxide nanoparticles

Iowa State University Research Foundation, Inc.


A method is disclosed for automating software availability management based on application program interface (API) versioning. The method includes receiving a call to a first version of an API method from a software application. The method includes retrieving software configuration information for the software application, the software configuration information including a set of supported versions of the API method. The method includes retrieving server configuration information for a server computing device, the server configuration information including a set of available versions of the API method. The method then includes determining availability of the server computing device to support the software application.

An application programming interface (API) method specifies how some software components should interact with each other. An API method can be in the form of an API library, which is essentially a basic library consisting of interfaces, functions, classes, structures, enumerations, etc. for building a software application. An API library can also consist of specifications for routines, data structures, object classes, and variables. In other cases, an API method can come as just a specification of remote calls, allowing an application to cause a procedure to execute in another address space. API method and libraries are usually specific to a given technology: hence, the API methods of a given language cannot be used in other languages unless the function calls are wrapped with specific adaptation libraries. When clients and servers interact, they rely on pre-determined versions of API methods on the client application side and compatible API method versions in the API library on the server side. Often, the API versions in the API library are modified when changes are made on the server side. This leads to compatibility errors between client programs and server programs due to the versions required by the client not matching the versions available on the server. Compatibility errors require many changes to the client program to allow for software compatibility with the API library on the server.

Automating software availability management based on API versioning

International Business Machines Corporation


This switch element includes a resistance change element, a first transistor, and a second transistor. The resistance change element includes: a metal deposition type resistance change film; a first electrode; and a second electrode. To the second electrode, a source or a drain of the second transistor is connected. The switch element has a first mode and a second mode, when a potential of the second electrode is made higher than that of the first electrode and the resistance change element is switched from the low resistance state to the high resistance state. The gate voltage is greater in the first mode than in the second mode, and a potential difference between the first and second electrodes is smaller in the first mode than in the second mode.

A semiconductor integrated circuit being a semiconductor device includes transistors formed in a semiconductor substrate and an interconnect layer formed in an upper layer of the semiconductor substrate in order to connect the transistors. A configuration of the transistors and the interconnect is determined at a design stage of the integrated circuit, and it is difficult to change a connection between the transistors after manufacturing the semiconductor integrated circuit. On the other hand, a programmable logic integrated circuit that can be reconfigured such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA) stores configuration information on an operation of a logic operation circuit and a connection of a logic operation circuit into a memory, and thereby enabling a change in a logic operation and an interconnect connection.
As a memory element for storing the configuration information, a static random access memory (SRAM) cell, an anti-fuse, a floating gate metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) transistor, and the like are used. However, these memory elements are formed in the same layer as the transistor, and thus an area of the semiconductor integrated circuit becomes large by an area of the memory element, resulting in an increase in manufacturing cost. Further, since a ratio of the logic operation circuit to the area of the semiconductor integrated circuit is decreased by the area of the memory element, a power performance ratio is lowered due to a decrease in an operation speed and an increase in an operating power of the circuit.
PTL 1 and NPL 1 disclose a programmable logic integrated circuit capable of changing an interconnect connection after manufacturing a semiconductor integrated circuit by a resistance change element formed in an interconnect layer. This enables correction of a defect and change of a specification of the circuit after being manufactured, reduction of an area and improvement of a power performance ratio of the semiconductor integrated circuit, and, in addition, omission of an operation of reading circuit configuration information on start-up.
The resistance change element in PTL 1 and NPL 1 includes a solid electrolyte in which an ion can freely move by an electric field or the like, and a first electrode and a second electrode that face each other across the solid electrolyte. The solid electrolyte is supplied with a metal ion from the first electrode, and not from the second electrode. The metal ion is deposited as a metal by movement and electrochemical reaction in the solid electrolyte. The deposited metal becomes a metal crosslink (also referred to as a filament or a conductive path) connecting the first electrode and the second electrode, and therefore the resistance change element becomes a low-resistive state (ON). Further, when this metal crosslink disappears, the resistance change element becomes a high-resistive state (OFF).
FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an operation of the resistance change element having a bipolar characteristic. First, in a set operation (a) in which transition from the high-resistive state to the low-resistive state is performed, when the second electrode is grounded and a positive voltage is applied to the first electrode, a metal of the first electrode becomes a metal ion and is dissolved into the solid electrolyte. The metal ion is deposited as a metal by movement and electrochemical reaction in the solid electrolyte, and a metal crosslink connecting the first electrode and the second electrode is formed by the deposited metal at a set voltage. The first electrode and the second electrode are electrically connected by the metal crosslink, thereby the resistance change element turns ON. In this low-resistive state being ON, when the second electrode is grounded and a positive voltage is applied to the first electrode, the resistance change element maintains the low-resistive state, and exhibits an ohmic current-voltage characteristic (low-resistive operation (b)).
On the other hand, in a reset operation (c) in which transition from the low-resistive state being ON to the high-resistive state being OFF is performed, when the second electrode is grounded and a negative voltage is applied to the first electrode, a part of the metal crosslink becomes a metal ion and is dissolved into the solid electrolyte, and therefore the metal crosslink is broken. As a result, the electrical connection between the first electrode and the second electrode is cut off and the resistance change element turns OFF. Note that a change in electrical characteristics such as increase of resistance between the electrodes or capacitance change occurs from a stage before the electrical connection is completely cut off, and the electrical connection is finally cut off at a reset voltage. In order to change from the high-resistive state being OFF to the low-resistive state being ON, the second electrode has only to be grounded again and a positive voltage has only to be applied to the first electrode (re-set operation (d)).
The switch using the above resistance change element is smaller than a semiconductor switch such as the MOS transistor described above, and has a smaller resistance value (referred to as ON-resistance) in the ON state. Further, the resistance change element is formed in the interconnect layer. For this reason, the area of the semiconductor integrated circuit can be reduced and the power performance ratio can be improved. In addition, the resistance change element has non-volatility that maintains ON and OFF states without applying voltage, and therefore the operation of reading circuit configuration information on start-up is not necessary. From the above features, the switch using the resistance change element is advantageous for applying to a programmable logic integrated circuit. Further, the resistance change element can also be used as a non-volatile memory due to the non-volatility.
PTL 2 further discloses a technique for reducing a set/reset voltage and variation thereof by devising a shape of the first electrode that supplies a metal ion in such a way that the electric field can be easily concentrated.

Switch element, switching method and semiconductor device


A process for the solid phase synthesis of a peptide having at least one thyptophan residue, wherein said method comprises temporarily protecting the indole ring of said tryptophan residue with a side chain protecting group which is labile to a base wherein said protecting group is removed during cleavage of said peptide from the solid support.

Luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) is a neurotransmitter produced by the hypothalamus which stabilizes the secretion of luteinizing hormone (LHRH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) from the pituitary, which in turn stimulates the synthesis of steroid hormones, such as testosterone, from the gonads. Many LHRH peptide analogs (e.g., agonists and antagonists) are currently sold for the treatment of endometriosis, prostate cancer, precocious puberty, and other hormonally mediated disorders. The synthesis of such LHRH analogs are difficult and expensive.
Solid phase peptide synthesis was introduced in 1963 with the intent to overcome many of the intermediate purification problems associated with solution phase peptide synthesis. Stewart, et al., Solid Phase Peptide Synthesis (Pierce Chemical Co., 2d ed.) 1984. During solid phase synthesis, amino acids are assembled (i.e., coupled) into a peptide of any desired sequence while one end of the chain (i.e., the C-terminus) is anchored to an insoluble support. Once the desired sequence has been linked together on the support, the peptide is then detached (i.e., cleaved) from the support.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,010,125 (1977) describes the synthesis of [D-Trp6]-LHRH in which the side chains of four of the ten residues of the LHRH agonist are protected (e.g., L-histidyl(tosyl), seryl(benzyl), tyrosyl(2,6-di-Cl-Bzl), and L-arginyl(tosyl)). However, Coy, et al., Int. J. Peptide Protein Res. 14:359 (1979) later reported the synthesis of a number of other LHRH analogs in which minimal side chain protection, e.g., only salt protection of arginine (i.e., Arg.HCl), produced superior yield to the corresponding protected synthesis. The present invention is directed to the discovery that, despite the trend in the art to not protect the side chains of amino acids in the synthesis of LHRH analogs, the protection of the tryptophan residue during solid phase synthesis does indeed improve the yield of LHRH analogs having a tryptophan residue (e.g., [D)-Trp6]LHRH).

Process for the synthesis of a peptide having a Trp residue


An electronic music instrument and music performance method mainly comprises the following steps: a, selecting a music score to be played in an electronic music score management unit, and selecting a played voice part and/or an automatic accompaniment voice part, the type of a music instrument, a corresponding input device, a performance music instrument, an output device and a reference voice part; b, starting an electronic music instrument performance device for playing said music score, transmitting a performance control signal to a digital music instrument unit under the control of a performance control unit to enable the digital music instrument unit to carry out corresponding performance actions or transmitting the performance control signal to a signal output unit.

For the music instrument performance, music sound at an appropriate music pitch is produced by controlling keys, chords, breaths, etc., and the performance of a musical composition is completed by controlling rhythms, force, timbre, etc. For many music instruments, a lot of practice is needed to master relevant skills for completing the musical composition performance.
At present, similar products are software such as Magic Zither, Guqin, Magic Piano and the like running on iPhones and iPads. Said software can control a system to produce music sound to realize the musical composition performance by virtue of click and slide actions on a touch screen according to a track selected from a music library. The software has functions for controlling the force as well as timbre such as portamento, vibrato, etc. This product can play the correct sound according to the music score without controlling the music pitch (selecting a music instrument chord corresponding to a music score note). However, the product is not based on the electronic music instrument and does not play the music according to the music score; multiple voice parts cannot be independently and simultaneously played; the ensemble of multiple persons and multiple music instruments is not supported; the automatic performance of a non-played voice part is not supported; the input of an external action signal is not supported; the connection to external digital and electronic music instruments (adopting an MIDI (Musical instrument Digital Interface) specification) is not supported.
For example, in the patent of Human-Machine Cooperated Music Performance Instrument System (application No. B7104074, invalid now and the patent of Super-Human-Machine Cooperated Music Program-controlled Instrument (application No. 87209253, invalid now), the correct sound can be played according to the music score without controlling the music pitch (selecting a music key corresponding to the music score note). However, by adopting the performance way that the instrument does not produce sound with instruction if a control key is not pressed, the music instrument cannot produce the sound either when the control key is pressed but no instruction is provided, and the music instrument only can produce the sound when the instruction is provided and the control key is pressed, multiple voice parts cannot be independently and simultaneously played, multiple music instrument ensemble is not supported; the automatic performance of the non-played voice part is not supported; a single note in a group of notes cannot be played and controlled; the input of the external action signal is not supported; the connection to external digital and electronic music instruments (adopting the MIDI specification) is not supported.
There are some other technologies and products for controlling the music play by utilizing the actions, for example, the patent of a method for controlling the note play by virtue of variation of action directions (application No. 201110442230.X. application date: Dec. 26, 2011), the patent of method and device for playing the music instrument on basis of a digital music file (application No. 00814372.2) and the patent of a trigger playback device for controlling music or sound in real time by an actor and a method (application No. 200610110665.0) are characterized in that the music playing speed (rhymes), volume (force), etc. of a music playing device are controlled by virtue of actions rather than the control on the music instrument performance so as to control the music performance, so that a single voice part and a single note cannot be played and controlled, and the effect for playing the music instrument cannot be realized.
Therefore, in the prior art, while the music instrument and music performance is simplified, the music instrument performance cannot be comprehensively and accurately controlled, so that the music performance experience and effect are greatly different from those of the real music instrument performance.

Performance method of electronic musical instrument and music


A system for sealably closing a reservoir is disclosed. The system can have a container and a slider. The container can have an orifice and catches and lips surrounding the orifice. The slider can be translatably attached to the container over the orifice. The slider can slidably engage the catch and lips to force the orifice closed. While attached to the catch and lips, the slider can create a pressurized seal of the orifice.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of closeable and sealable fluid reservoirs. More specifically, this invention relates to reservoirs that can be closed and tightly and securely sealed, yet unsealed and opened rapidly.
2. Description of the Related Art
Light weight, resealable bags are used increasingly in sporting activities, such as hiking, biking, and snow sport activities like skiing and snowboarding. Limited access to the interior of typical bags makes cleaning more difficult and increases the potential for unclean and unsanitary bags. Once liquids placed in the bags are consumed, the remaining deposits encourage the growth of bacteria and mold. If left uncleaned, such growths can leave stains on the bag, may retain odors, taint any other fluids subsequently introduced into the bag, and create health risks. Regular and thorough cleaning of the inside of the reservoir is critical.
Commonly used bags for sporting are typically accessible through a relatively small side port in the bag, often covered by a removable cap. The side port limits the access to the interior of the bag, thereby limiting the ability to clean the interior of the bag.
Also, removing or adding large quantities of liquid to the typical bags is often cumbersome and messy due to the limited and constrained access to reservoir via the side port. The side ports can also limit the flow rate into and/or out of the bag, slowing the process of removing excess fluid from the bag or loading fluid into the bag.
Zipper-type closures have been developed for bags in some uses. Zipper closures allow for larger and wider openings than typical side ports, thereby allowing easy cleaning of the interior of the bags. Zipper openings also ease the process of removing and adding fluid to the bag, in speed, convenience and cleanliness. However, common zipper closures are not suitable for most sporting activities. The bags often receive forceful blows during regular use, causing large increases in fluid pressure inside the bag. Elements used to close the opening often need to be reinforced to ensure closure during use. For example, the caps on side ports are often threaded. However, zippers are often only a small portion of the length of the entire opening, leaving much of the opening exposed to rupturing upon increased reservoir fluid pressure.
Roll-top closures satisfy the above demands: reinforced openings capable of withstanding high-pressure; ease of internal reservoir cleaning; and rapid, convenient, and clean liquid addition and removal. However, some users feel that roll-top closures are cumbersome and slow to open and close.
Therefore, a closeable reservoir system is desired that is capable of ease of internal reservoir cleaning. A closeable reservoir system is also desired that can provide rapid, convenient and clean liquid addition and removal. It is also desired to have a closeable reservoir system that can withstand significantly increased fluid pressures without leaking. A closeable reservoir system is also desired that is easy and fast to open and close.


A three-dimensional reinforced membrane is designed to be inflated and used in various structural applications. A dropstitch or double wall fabric may be reinforced with one or more coatings, such as urethane-based coatings, and may also be laminated in accordance with various disclosed embodiments.

The present disclosure is related to three-dimensional reinforced membranes, such as those used in the manufacture of inflatable products, among other applications.
The present disclosure is also related to a method for manufacturing a three-dimensional reinforced membrane. Coatings can be applied using various methods that are known in the art. For example, one or more coatings can be applied using knife coating, Meyer Rod coating, slot die coating (or die slot coating), spraying, and/or roll coating or lamination. Layers and/or coatings can also be formed through extrusion.