An apparatus receives a signal to perform secure erasure of a storage medium. The apparatus, responsive to reception of the signal, erases the storage medium by performing at least the following operations. An encryption key is erased. The encryption key is stored on the storage medium and is used to encrypt data on the storage medium. The apparatus generates a fake encryption key that is different from the encryption key and stores storing the fake encryption key on the storage medium. The encryption key and/or fake encryption key may be stored on the medium in multiple parts. The encryption key may be generated using random data from the medium. The apparatus may be the storage medium or a computer system that access the storage medium. The erasure can be performed in response to a request by a user. The medium may be an erasure-resistant storage medium.

This invention relates generally to data on storage media, such as data on erasure-resistant storage media like solid state drives and, more specifically, relates to obfuscation of keys on (e.g., an erasure-resistant) storage medium to enable storage erasure.
Electronics are pervasive in our lives at home and at work. Such electronics many times contain non-volatile memory media. This memory media may take many forms, such as Solid State Drives (SSDs), Hard Disk Drives (HDDs), secure digital (SD) memory cards, or memory sticks. At some point, it is beneficial to erase this memory, such as when transferring an electronic device to someone else or throwing away the device or even the medium itself, if the medium is separable from the device.
One problem is that it is difficult to securely erase data on erase-resistant media such as SSDs or HDDs. The traditional approach of secure erasure of data is by writing zeros/random data to the medium multiple times. More recent methods include storing data encrypted on the medium, and subsequently performing the perceived erasure of data through erasing the encryption key. Once the encryption key is erased, it is assumed the data can no longer be read.
However, this relies on the storage device providing a method of securely deleting a sector, e.g., upon which is some of or the entire encryption key. With a storage medium such as an SSD, a traditional write to the drive does not guarantee erasure of data. Thus, such storage devices often provide some variant of a secure erase interface. Nonetheless, not all devices provide such functionality, and some that do provide this functionality do not perform as expected.
Abbreviations that may be found in the specification and/or the drawing figures are defined below, after the main part of the detailed description section.

Obfuscation of keys on a storage medium to enable storage erasure

International Business Machines Corporation


A game table and to a game equipment for playing a ball game with legs. The game table includes a table top structure with a see-through table top surface. The table top structure has a first and second table top ends and a first and second table top sides extending between the first and second table top ends. The game table further includes a first table side wall and a second table side wall extending downwards from the table top structure. The first and second table side walls being arranged to form a channel-like game space together with the table top structure, the channel-like game space having a first opening and a second opening at opposite ends of the channel-like game space.

There are a number of indoor game equipment for exercise by playing ball games. However, the known indoor game equipment are limited to games which may be played with hands. This is mainly due to reasons, that it has been assumed that playing a ball game indoors requires large spaces and may be dangerous. At the same time, indoor exercise equipment for exercising legs contain only exercise machines designed for planned repetitive physical work outs. Furthermore, there exists no game equipment for exercise by playing ball games for people having limited leg mobility or restricted ability to hold themselves up standing while playing a ball game with legs.
Therefore, there exists a need for new kind of exercise equipment for playing a ball game with legs, especially indoors.


An information recording method that obtains optimum recording conditions for recording multi-value data m on a recording medium includes recording a test pattern in a trial writing area of the recording medium by changing a recording power Pw and an erasing power Pe consecutively while maintaining a constant ratio between the recording power Pw and the erasing power Pe, and selecting the recording power Pw and the erasing power Pe producing reproduced results in which a reproduced signal level is substantially linear with respect to the multi-value data m, as an optimum recording power and an optimum erasing power, respectively.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to methods of recording information on recording media such as rewritable optical discs, and particularly relates to an information recording method that records multi-value data on a recording medium by modulating the area size of recording marks.
2. Description of the Related Art
In respect of rewritable optical discs, there are product-to-product variations in optical discs and in optical disc recording/reproducing apparatuses, and also the varying conditions of use environment have some effect, so that the recording conditions need to be optimized with respect to each combination. In phase-change-type optical discs, the light emission period, recording power, and erasing power of a recording laser are controlled for the purpose of forming desired recording marks.
Conventional information recording methods are configured to achieve the uniformity of recording marks by controlling the recording power and/or recording pulse width according the linear recording velocity in order to achieve high-speed recording (see Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-106008, for example). Further, the recording conditions are optimized by feeding back the results of reproduction of recorded data to the recording pulse waveforms (see Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2002-50046, for example).
The conventional information recording methods as described above are directed to setting optimum recording conditions in the case of binary recording. In binary recording, jitter worsens when a slice level for binarization changes (see FIG. 5 of Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-106008, for example). Because of this, the recording conditions are selected such as to set asymmetry within a predetermined value range, thereby optimizing the recording conditions. In multi-value recording, however, there is a need to suppress a deviation in the voltage direction (i.e., the signal level produced by marks) rather than a time deviation (i.e., the mark length or space length). In multi-value recording, therefore, the method of setting optimum recording conditions based on asymmetry as in the conventional information recording method cannot be used.
In the following, a description will be given of multi-value recording relating to the information recording method of the present invention.
FIG. 8 through FIG. 10 are drawings for explaining multi-value recording relating to the information recording method of the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 8, multi-value data is recorded separately for each recording cell that has a constant length, such that the level of a reproduced signal changes in response to the multi-value data. The reproducing of multi-value data is performed by sampling the reproduced signal at predetermined frequency (at the center position of each recording cell, for example) and by discriminating the multi-value data based on the level of the sampled signal. When a solitary wave that has no inter-code interference as recorded data is recorded for multi-value levels "0" through "7", the level of the reproduced signal change linearly in response to the multi-value data as shown in FIG. 9, provided that the recording conditions are optimized.
If the recording conditions are not optimized, linearity deteriorates as shown in FIG. 9 due to too strong or too weak a recording power. Especially, a shorter recording mark (corresponding to multi-value data "1" through multi-value data "3") is susceptible to the recording conditions and external influence. When the recording power is not sufficiently strong, for example, a gap between the threshold values for discriminating multi-value data narrows for multi-value data "1" through "3", giving rise to a problem that the margin for reproduction decreases.
In order to achieve high-speed recording, the rate of disc revolution may be made constant, and the reference clock cycle of a recording signal may be changed according to radial position along the disc radius. Such high-speed recording is employed to record the CLV format in some recording media such as the rewritable DVDs.
When this method is applied to multi-value recording, recording is performed by changing the reference clock according to the linear recording velocity. Since the recording sensitivity of an optical disc is not linear with respect to linear recording velocity, however, the shorter marks (corresponding to multi-value data "1" through "3") tend to be formed larger as shown in FIG. 10. Namely, the relationship between the multi-value data and the signal levels varies according to the linear recording velocity, which creates a need to learn a multi-value discrimination level and/or waveform equalization coefficient separately for each linear recording velocity. At the time of reproduction, the multi-value discrimination level and waveform equalization coefficient corresponding to the linear velocity are retrieved for reproduction, which gives rise to a problem that reproduction becomes time consuming.
In consideration of the above, there is a need in multi-value recording to achieve stable recording regardless of changes in ambient conditions and product-to-product variation in recording media such as optical discs and information recording apparatuses such as optical disc apparatuses for recording information on such recording media.
Also there is a need in multi-value recording to achieve information recording that allows a substantially constant reproduced signal level to be obtained over the entire surface of a recording medium when multi-value data is recorded by the CAV method with constant linear recording density.

Information recording method for recording multi-value data in optimum recording condition


A stand for a display device that adjusts the height and tilt of the display device in a variety of ways to increase user convenience is provided. The stand includes a sliding portion, a supporting portion, and a base. The sliding portion extends toward a rear surface of the display device. The supporting portion slidably supports the sliding portion. The base extends the supporting portion upward. The sliding portion and the supporting portion are formed to extend in mutually different directions.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a stand for a display device, and more particularly, to a stand for a display device that allows the display device to be conveniently adjusted to any one of a variety of positions desired by a user. Still more particularly, the stand for a display device has a wide height adjusting range.
2. Description of the Related Art
Monitors are representative examples of display devices, and are capable of being adjusted to a variety of positions to suit users' preferences. In order to conveniently move such display devices, stands with quadric crank mechanism to conveniently adjust angles of display devices are provided in the related art. A stand for a display device employing the quadric crank mechanism structure allows the tilt angle of the display device to remain unchanged when the position of the display device is altered, thereby increasing the level of user convenience.
However, in a display device stand employing the quadric crank mechanism according to the related art, the process of adjusting the position of the display device can only be performed by changing the center of gravity of the stand by pivoting the stand. Therefore, adjusting the position of the display device is limited to pivoting the display device about the base of the stand.
Also, due to a limit in the amount by which the height of the display can be adjusted, functional versatility of the stand is reduced.


An electrical wire connector for use in splicing first and second conductors includes a wire housing having a first receptacle defining a first interior cavity and a first open end selectively allowing access to the first interior cavity and a second receptacle defining a second interior cavity and a second open end selectively allowing access to the second interior cavity, the first and second receptacles being operatively coupled to one another and the first and second open ends being opposite one another. First and second wire capturing mechanisms are situated in corresponding first and second openings defined by first and second receptacles, respectively, each wire capturing mechanism being configured to restrict movement of a respective conductor once inserted therethrough. Each receptacle includes a threaded member constructed of conductive material, the threaded members being conductively coupled together such that conductors inserted into respective receptacles are conductively connected.

Because of the delicate nature of electronic components and devices repairs are inevitable. One principle component, and frequently the most susceptible to mechanical damage, is the wiring that is required to communicate electrical signals between components. To address this problem many types of splicing connectors have been 20 designed to function as tools that aid in repairing and modifying the wiring between electronic devices. For instance, devices commonly referred to as "butt connectors" receive the ends of two electrical wires and allows them to be twisted or crimped together to restore an electrical connection.
Although presumably effective for their intended purpose, the existing devices and patent proposals do not effectively capture the ends of wires to be joined, do not provide a waterproof connection, or protect against overheating.
Therefore, it would be desirable to have an electrical wire connector that captures the ends of wires to be electrically connected along the longitudinal axis of each wire so as to prevent slippage while being connected. Further, it would be desirable to have a wire connector that forms a waterproof connection apart from a surrounding environment. In addition, it would be desirable to have an electrical wire connector having a fuse configured to disconnect conductivity between two wire conductors if an excessive current is detected.


In an embodiment, a power module may include: a plurality of first stages, each having an H-bridge to receive an incoming AC voltage at a first frequency and rectify the incoming AC voltage to a DC voltage; a plurality of DC buses, each to receive the DC voltage from one of the plurality of first stages; a plurality of second stages, each coupled to one of the plurality of DC buses to receive the DC voltage and output a second AC voltage at a second frequency; and a hardware configuration system having fixed components and optional components to provide different configurations for the power module.

Various power conversion systems are used to convert and condition power, to more efficiently provide power from a given power source. Regardless of the type, these systems are typically formed of multiple power converters, often implemented as modules. While these modules can be desirably customized for particular applications, there are not standard modules that can be used in different applications.

Configurable power module for AC and DC applications


In managing multiprocessor operations, a first processor repetitively reads a cache line wherein the cache line is cached from a line of a shared memory of resources shared by both the first processor and a second processor. Coherency is maintained between the shared memory line and the cache line in accordance with a cache coherency protocol. In one aspect, the repetitive cache line reading occupies the first processor and inhibits the first processor from accessing the shared resources. In another aspect, upon completion of operations by the second processor involving the shared resources, the second processor writes data to the shared memory line to signal to the first processor that the shared resources may be accessed by the first processor. In response, the first processor changes the state of the cache line in accordance with the cache coherency protocol and reads the data written by the second processor. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to managing multiprocessor operations.
2. Description of the Related Art
In certain computing environments, multiple host systems may communicate with a control unit, such as an IBM Enterprise Storage Server (ESS)®, for data in a storage device managed by the ESS receiving the request, providing access to storage devices, such as interconnected hard disk drives through one or more logical paths (IBM and ESS are registered trademarks of IBM). The interconnected drives may be configured as a Direct Access Storage Device (DASD), Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID), Just a Bunch of Disks (JBOD), etc. The control unit may be a multiprocessor type system. For example, the control unit may include duplicate and redundant processing complexes, also known as clusters, to allow for failover to a surviving cluster in case one fails.
There are various types of multiprocessor systems. In one type, processors may each have their own memory and cache. The processors may run in parallel and share disks. In one type of multiprocessor system, each processor may run a copy of the operating system and the processors may be loosely coupled through a Local Area Network (LAN), for example. Communication between processors may be accomplished through message-passing.
In another type of multiprocessor system, the processors may be more tightly coupled, such as connected through a switch or bridge. Communication between the processors may be accomplished through a shared memory, for example.
In yet another type of multiprocessor system, only one copy of the operating system may run across all of the processors. These types of multiprocessor systems tend to be tightly coupled inside the same chassis with a high-speed bus or a switch. Moreover, the processors may share the same global memory, disks, and Input/Output (I/O) devices.
Should a shared resource such as a shared disk fail, the processors of the multiprocessor system may simply cease using the failed disk. In a multiprocessor system in which one copy of the operating system runs across the processors of the system, recovery operations may be readily coordinated. For example, if a shared resource such as a bridge may be restored by one of the processors performing recovery operations such as resetting the bridge, those recovery operations may be coordinated amongst the various processors by the common operating system of the processors.
Each processor in a multiprocessor system may also have a cache in which one or more lines of a shared memory may be cached. Thus, two or more caches may have copies of the same line of shared memory. If one processor changes the data in a line of shared memory cached in the caches of other processors, the various caches may have different, incorrect versions of the line of shared memory. As a result, the cached data may no longer be "coherent" with respect to other caches or the shared memory.
Various cache coherency protocols may be employed to synchronize data amongst several caches. One cache coherency protocol marks each cache line with one of four states, Modified, Exclusive, Shared, or Invalid (MESI). A cache line marked as being in the Modified state indicates that the cache line was modified and therefore the underlying data in the line of shared memory is no longer valid. A cache line marked as being in the Exclusive state indicates that the cache line is only stored in that particular cache and has not yet been changed. A cache line marked as being in the Shared state indicates that the particular cache line may be stored in other caches of the other processors. A cache line marked as being in the Invalid state indicates that the cache line is invalid.
Snooping logic is typically employed utilizing a particular coherency protocol to provide for cache coherency. Snooping logic in the processor may broadcast a message over a common bus line shared by the other processors, informing the other processors each time a processor modifies data in its cache. The snooping logic may also snoop on the bus looking for such messages from other processors.
When a processor detects that another processor has changed a value at an address existing in its own cache, the snooping logic invalidates that entry in its cache in accordance with various protocols including the MESI protocol. The invalid state marking of the cache line can inform the processor that the value in the cache is not valid. As a result, the processor can look for the correct value in the shared memory or in another cache.


A test signal for determining a frequency-dependent or any other property of a receiver path is proposed. The test signal comprises, in a time domain representation, a sequence of discrete states that may be periodically repeated and that gives rise to a plurality of discrete tones in a frequency domain representation of the test signal. The test signal can be utilized for determining a frequency-dependent imbalance (e.g., an IQ imbalance) between different signal branches of a receiver or transmitter.

A receiver input signal, such as a Radio Frequency (RF) signal, has to be frequency-shifted ("down-converted") to be centred around Direct Current (DC), or zero frequency, before the signal content can be retrieved. For down-conversion, the RF signal is conventionally shifted to an Intermediate Frequency (IF) for initial signal processing before it is further shifted to DC. Modern receivers are often implemented as direct conversion receivers that avoid the first signal shift to IF. For this reason such receivers are also called zero-IF receivers.
While zero-IF receivers are advantageous as regards power, cost and size considerations, their characteristics are partially inferior to IF-based receivers. It has, for example, been observed that zero-IF receivers often suffer from an imbalance between different signal branches. The imbalance can be attributed to gain and phase errors introduced by components provided separately in or for the different signal branches such as mixers and oscillators. As an example of a signal branch imbalance, the imbalance between In-phase (I) and Quadrature (Q)-phase signal branches can be mentioned. This imbalance is also referred to as IQ imbalance.
The signal branch imbalance may have a frequency-independent or a frequency-dependent (i.e., frequency-selective) characteristic. Frequency-dependent imbalances have become an important factor to consider and mitigate as transmission bandwidth and modulation order are increasing.
US 2005/0260949 A discloses a technique for compensating a frequency-dependent IQ imbalance introduced by different characteristics of filters individually provided in the I and Q signal branches of a receiver. To this end, a test signal is applied to the filter inputs. The test signal is composed of two tones (i.e., two superimposed frequencies). The first tone is positioned near the centre of a filter pass-band, while the second tone is positioned near the edge of the pass-band. The filtered test signals are converted to the frequency domain, and gain and phase errors indicative of the IQ imbalance are determined next from the resulting frequency domain representations. In a final step, the IQ imbalance is compensated for based on the gain and phase errors thus determined.
As an alternative to a test signal composed of two tones, US 2005/0260949 A also teaches the utilization of one-tone test signals. Specifically, the first tone may be injected into the I and Q signal branches during a first time interval and the second tone may be injected during a subsequent second time interval. Still further, US 2005/0260949 A mentions that testing may also be performed over a large number of tones to determine an error matrix.

Technique and test signal for determining signal path properites


In one embodiment, example systems and methods relate to a manner of generating 3D representations from monocular 2D images. A monocular 2D image is captured by a camera. The 2D image is processed to create one or more feature maps. The features may include depth features, or object labels, for example. Based on the image and the feature map, regions-of-interest corresponding to vehicles in the image are determined. For each region-of-interest a lifting function is applied to the region-of-interest to determine values such as height and width, camera distance, and rotation. The determined values are used to create an eight-point box that is a 3D representation of the vehicle depicted by the region-of-interest. The 3D representation can be used for a variety of purposes such as route planning, object avoidance, or as training data, for example.

Currently, may vehicles, such as autonomous cars, include multiple cameras that capture images of the surroundings of a vehicle. For example, an autonomous vehicle may have a camera that captures the environment in the front of the vehicle, a camera that captures the environment in the rear of the vehicle, a camera that captures the environment to the left of the vehicle, and a camera that captures the environment to the right of the vehicle.
As may be appreciated, the images captured by such cameras are two-dimensional images, and more specifically monocular images. While such monocular images can provide useful information to the autonomous vehicle, in some scenarios it may be desirable to extract three dimensional information about one or more objects in the images.
For example, a two-dimensional image may show one or more objects such as other vehicles in front of the vehicle. In order for the vehicle to determine the best way to avoid the vehicles shown in the two-dimensional image, it would be useful for the vehicle to have three-dimensional information about the vehicles shown in the image such as their dimensions and orientation, for example.
Furthermore, extracting three-dimensional information from two-dimensional images may be useful for a variety of other fields and technologies that commonly use two-dimensional images. These may include security (e.g., generating three-dimensional representations of intruders or other objects captured in security footage), film making, and the generation of training data.

System and method for lifting 3D representations from monocular images


A Fresnel lens screen 20 is comprised of a light entering surface partial total reflection type Fresnel lens 24, a first light diffusing part 26 disposed behind the Fresnel lens, and a first base 25. An image display element 30 disposed behind the Fresnel lens screen 20 has a lens element 31, a second base 32, and a third base 35. Second light diffusing parts 33 are disposed behind the second base 32. Each of the second light diffusing parts 33 includes two types of particulates having different particle sizes which are distributed therein.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a transparent screen, a projection display device, and an image display method for and of projecting image light onto a screen from the rear side of the screen as viewed from a viewer, so as to display an image.
2. Description of Related Art
There are projection display devices as a device which displays an image by using a combination of a Fresnel lens screen and diffusion sheets (diffusion layers). Unlike CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) and PDP (Plasma Display Panel), projection display devices are of nonluminescent type. A projection display device is provided with, as a projector, an illuminating optical system for guiding light from a light source toward a predetermined direction, a light valve to which the light guided by the illuminating optical system is applied, and for adjusting the amount of the light according to an image signal to form an image, and a projection optical system for enlarging and projecting the image formed by the light valve onto a screen thereof.
Projection display devices include rear projection type display devices each of which projects image light onto a screen from the rear side of the screen as viewed from a viewer, and front projection type display devices each of which projects image light onto a screen from the front side of the screen as viewed from a viewer. A transparent screen for use in a rear projection type display device among these devices is provided with a Fresnel lens screen for bending image light from a projector toward a viewer, and an image display element for forming the image light from the Fresnel lens screen into an image, and for providing an angle of diffusion for the image light so as to diffuse the image light.
Generally, because a Fresnel lens is formed in such a way as to have a lens pitch smaller than the size of projected pixels (e.g., one-tenth of the size of pixels), the Fresnel lens has a very thin size in its thickness direction (for example, the thickness including the prism portion is several hundreds of μm). Therefore, in order to hold the Fresnel lens, there is a necessity to provide a base having a thickness of about 1 to 5 mm. In many cases, the base is made from a resin, such as PMMA (Poly Methyl MethAcrylate), MS (Methyl methacylate Styrene), MBS (Methyl methacylate Butadiene Styrene), or PC (Polycarbonate), or glass. Furthermore, the Fresnel lens is formed directly on the base by using a light-curing resin or the like in many cases, and an element which is comprised of the Fresnel lens and the base is called a Fresnel lens screen.
The image display element is constructed in such a way as to include at least a light diffusing means and a base. The light diffusing means uses projections and depressions each having a larger surface than the wavelength of certain light (visible light having a wavelength ranging from 380 nm to 780 nm), or uses the difference between the refractive index of a diffusion layer substrate and that of particulates having a size larger than the wavelength of the certain light. When such the structure having larger fluctuations larger than the wavelength of the certain light is illuminated by light which is enlarged by a projection optical system so as to have large degree of spatial coherence, a large number of bright and dark spots (glaring) are recognized disorderly even if the light source is a lamp having small temporal degree of coherence. Generally, these light and dark spots are called speckles (strictly speaking, subjective speckles) or scintillation, and cause a problem of image degradation.
As measures against such speckles (scintillation), there have been proposed a method of arranging the diffusion layers included in the screen apart from one another (for example, refer to patent reference 1), a method of making the particle size of particulates whose refractive index difference with the diffusion layer substrate is large (Δn>0.08) be smaller than about 20 times (10 μm) as long as the wavelength of the light λ (for example, refer to patent reference 2), and so on.
[Patent reference 1] Japanese patent No. 3606862
[Patent reference 2] JP, 2004-271922,A
A problem with the above-mentioned conventional technology is, however, that in a case in which the gap between two adjacent diffusion layers is large, the image becomes blurred while the light propagates from the first diffusion layer to the next diffusion layer, and therefore the resolution decreases. A further problem is that in a case in which particulates having a large refractive index difference (a large dispersion of refractive index and a small particle size are used for the diffusion layers, the color temperature becomes low. This is because the path light follows bends at a different angle (diffuses with a different angle) according to its wavelength, i.e., color, and the path light follows bends at a larger angle (diffuses with a larger angle) as the refractive index difference becomes larger and the particle size becomes smaller. Although the reason can be explained on the basis of scattering problems for Maxwell's equations, it is generally known as the Mie scattering theory.

Transparent screen, projection display device, and image display method


A measurement device is provided for determining a distance of the measurement device from a medium and a flow speed of a medium by evaluating a transmission signal emitted by the fill level measurement device and reflected by the medium. The measurement device includes an antenna arrangement for emitting the transmission signal in two different directions. The flow speed of the medium can be determined using the Doppler shift of the transmission signal.

Measurement devices for measuring the distance between the sensor and the surface of a medium (in other words the "fill level" or level) and the flow speed and flow direction of the medium are known which consist of two different measurement systems for detecting the distance (measurement system 1) and the flow speed (measurement system 2).
The distance is detected by way of a pulsed radar system. By contrast, the flow speed is determined by a different system which uses Doppler evaluation of a constant transmission signal, also known as a CW signal, CW standing for continuous wave.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Determining a level and flow speed of a medium


There is provided a buoyancy system for a structure having at least one component being substantially stationary with respect to the bottom of a water covered area. The system comprises a set of buoyancy modules of engineered materials to apply an identified amount of buoyancy. The set of buoyancy modules is attached to the structure at a set of buoyancy load transfer locations. The set of buoyancy modules comprises layers of the engineered materials. The engineered materials comprise a substantially reinforced axial layer, a substantially reinforced hoop layer; and a leak prevention layer.

The present invention relates to the application of buoyancy to objects used in large vessel and platform operations.
Vast oil reservoirs have recently been discovered in very deep waters around the world, principally in the Gulf of Mexico, Brazil and West Africa. Water depths for these discoveries range from 1500 ft. to nearly 10,000 ft. Conventional offshore oil production methods using a fixed truss type platform are not suitable for these water depths. These platforms become dynamically active (flexible) in these water depths. Stiffening them to avoid excessive and damaging dynamic responses to wave forces is prohibitively expensive.
Deep water oil and gas production has thus turned to new technologies based on floating production systems. These systems come in several forms, but all of them rely on buoyancy for support and some form of a mooring system for lateral restraint against the environmental forces of wind, waves and current.
These floating production systems (FPS) sometimes are used for drilling as well as production. They are also sometimes used for storing oil for offloading to a tanker. This is most common in Brazil and West Africa, but not in Gulf of Mexico as of yet. In the Gulf of Mexico, oil and gas are exported through pipelines to shore.
Drilling, production, and export of hydrocarbons all require some form of vertical conduit through the water column between the sea floor and the FPS. These conduits are usually in the form of pipes which are called "risers." Typical risers are either vertical (or nearly vertical) pipes held up at the surface by tensions devices; flexible pipes which are supported at the top and formed in a modified category shape to the sea bed; or steel pipe which is also supported at the top and configured in a category to the sea bed (Steel Category Risers—commonly known as SCRs).
The flexible and SCR type risers may in most cases be directly attached to the floating vessel. Their category shapes allow them to comply with the motions of the FPS due to environmental forces. These motions can be as much as 10%–20% of the water depth horizontally, and 10's of ft vertically, depending on the type of vessel, mooring and location.
Top Tensioned risers (TTRs) typically need to have higher tensions than the flexible risers, and the vertical motions of the vessel need to be isolated from the risers. TTRs have significant advantages for production over the other forms of risers, however, because they allow the wells to be drilled directly from the FPS, avoiding an expensive separate floating drilling rig. Also, wellhead control valves placed on board the FPS allow for the wells to be maintained from the FPS. Flexible and SCR type production risers require the wellhead control valves to be placed on the seabed where access and maintenance is expensive. These surface wellhead and subsurface wellhead systems are commonly referred to as "Dry tree" and "Wet Tree" types of production systems, respectively.
Drilling risers must be of the TTR type to allow for drill pipe rotation within the riser.
Export risers may be of either type.
TTR tensions systems are a technical challenge, especially in very deep water where the required top tensions can be 1000 kips or more. Some types of FPS vessels, e.g. ship shaped hulls, have extreme motions which are too large for TTRS. These types of vessels are only suitable for flexible risers. Other, low heave (vertical motion), FPS designs are suitable for TTRS. This includes Tension Leg Platform (TLP), Semi-submersibles, and Spars, all of which are in service today.
Of these, only the TLP and Spar platforms use TTR production risers. Semi-submersibles use TTRs for drilling risers, but these must be disconnected in extreme weather. Production risers need to be designed to remain connected to the seabed in extreme events, typically the 100 year return period storm. Only very stable vessels are suitable for this.
Early TTR designs employed on semi-submersibles and TLPs used active hydraulic Pensioners to support the risers. FIG. 10 illustrates a TLP riser system 150 with tensioners 160. As tensions and stroke requirements grow, these active tensioners become prohibitively expensive. They also require large deck area, and the loads have to be carried by the FPS structure.
Spar type platforms recently used in the Gulf of Mexico use a passive means for tensions the risers. These type platforms have a very deep draft with a central shaft, or centerwell, through which the risers pass. Buoyancy cans inside the centerwell provide the top tension for the risers. These cans are more reliable and less costly than active tensioners.
FIGS. 11 and 12 respectively show the arrangement of the risers in two types of spars: the Caisson Spar 200 (cylindrical) and the "Truss" spar 210, respectively. There may be as many as forty production risers passing through a single centerwell. Buoyancy cans 220, typically cylindrical, are located on the risers, and they are separated from each other by a rectangular grid structure referred to as riser guides 230.
These guides are attached to the hull. As the hull moves the risers are deflected horizontally with the guides. However, the risers are tied to the sea floor, hence as the vessel heaves the guides slide up and down relative to the risers (from the viewpoint of a person on the vessel it appears as if the risers are sliding in the guides).
FIG. 13 shows the arrangement for a single spar production riser 300. A wellhead 310 at the sea floor connects the well casing 320 (below the sea floor) to the riser with a special tieback connector 330. The riser, typically 9″–14″ pipe, passes from the tieback connector through the bottom of the spar and into the centerwell. Inside the centerwell the riser passes through a stem pipe 340, or conduit, which goes through the center of the buoyancy cans. This stem extends above the buoyancy cans themselves and supports the platform to which the riser and the surface wellhead are attached. The buoyancy cans need to provide enough buoyancy to support the required top tension in the risers, the weight of the cans and stem, and the weight of the surface wellhead. FIG. 14 illustrates buoyancy cans and guides in a spar centerwell. FIGS. 15 and 16 illustrate a typical buoyancy can design showing an outer shell 240 surrounding the stem 340.
Since the surface wellhead ("dry tree") move up and down relative to the vessel, flexible jumper lines 400 (FIG. 13) connect the wellhead to a manifold 500 which carries the product to a processing facility to separate water, oil and gas from the well stream.
Spacing between risers is determined by the size of the buoyancy cans. This is an important variable in the design of the spar vessel, since the riser spacing determines the centerwell size which in turn contributes to the size of the entire spar structure. This issue becomes increasingly more critical as production moves to deeper water because the amount of buoyancy required increases with water depth. The challenge is to achieve the buoyancy needed while keeping the length of the cans within the confines of the centerwell, and the diameters to reasonable values.
The efficiency of the buoyancy cans is compromised by several factors, as follows:

Engineered material buoyancy system and device


A level shifting circuit includes an input node, an output node, a first power supply node, a second power supply node, a third power supply node, an inverter coupled to the first and second power supply nodes having an input coupled to the input node and an output, a transistor having a current path coupled between the output of the inverter an the output node, a first transistor circuit coupled between the first power supply node and the third power supply node having a first input coupled to the output of the inverter, a second input coupled to the output node, and an output, and a second transistor circuit coupled between the output node and the third power supply node having a first input coupled to the output of the first transistor circuit and a second input coupled to the input node.

The present invention relates, in general, to the field of integrated circuits. More particularly, the present invention relates to a circuit resident on an integrated circuit for the level shifting of voltages between at least one pumped supply.
Level shifting circuits are known in the art. While there are many different level shifting circuits to choose from, most such circuits use too many devices and undesirably occupy too much precious area on the integrated circuit. Further, larger circuits consume too much power. Increased chip area and power consumption lead to higher operating and chip costs.
What is desired is a reduced device count level shifting circuit in which both the number of devices in the circuit and the corresponding power consumption is reduced as much as possible.

Reduced device count level shifter with power savings


This invention relates to the treatment of depression by administration of novel 3-(R.sub.n -phenyl)-1,4-dialkyl-1,2,4-triazolium salts of the formula ##STR1## wherein R is halogen, trifluoromethyl, C.sub.1-4 lower alkyl or C.sub.1-4 lower alkoxy,. n is zero, 1 or 2, and PA1 R.sub.1 and R.sub.4 independently represent C.sub.1-3 lower alkyl; PA1 and A.sup.- represents a pharmaceutically acceptable anion.

3- And 5-aryl triazole derivatives have been reported in the prior art to have a wide variety of pharmacological activities. 5-Aryl-2,4-dialkyl-3H-1,2,4-triazole-3-thiones, for example, are known to have activity against depression, as claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,775,688, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,775,689, against thrombocytosis, as claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,847,276, against the symptoms of Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, as claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,100,906, against Alzheimer's disease, as claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,236,942,and in enhancement of memory and cognition, as claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,331,002. The use of 5-phenyl-1,2,4-triazole-3-thione as an antisecretory agent is disclosed U.S. Pat. No. 4,230,715. 5-Aryl-1,2,4-triazol-3-one derivatives are known to have activity against seizure disorders, as claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,966,909, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,946,856, and for treatment of neurodegeneration due to stroke, as claimed in pending U.S. Ser. No. 494,049. 3-Phenyl-3-alkylthio, alkenylthio, alkoxy and hydroxy-triazole derivatives are described as anticoccidial agents in Japanese Kokai 50-63119. 3-Aryl-5-alkylthio-, alkylsulfinyl- and alkylsulfonyl-4H-1,2,4-triazole derivatives are known to have activity against convulsant seizures, as claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,143,933, against anxiety, as claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,981,863, against muscle spasms and muscle tension, as claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,900,743, and against hyperreflexia due to spinal trauma, as claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,158,968. Mhasalkar, et al. (J. Med. Chem 14(3), 260-262 (1971)) evaluated a series of 3-phenyltriazoles for hypoglycemic activity and noted that the level of activity varied substantially when the substituents on the 4- and 5-positions of the triazole ring and on the benzene ring were changed.
By contrast, 3-aryltriazolium salts known to the prior art are not reported to have beneficial pharmacological activity. For example, triazolium dyes are described in German Offenlegung 3,314,659, assigned to VEB Filfabrik Wolfen, and in an article by Alberti (Ann. Chim. (Rome) (1975), 65(5-6), 305-14). Fr. 1,481,761, assigned to Badische Anilin, describes triazolium salts useful as plant protection agents. U.S. Pat. No. 4,414,221, assigned to FBC Ltd., includes triazolium salts in a genus of o-halophenyl-substituted N-heterocyclic compounds useful as pesticides against acarids and insects.

3-phenyl-1,4-dialkyl-1,2,4-triazolium salts and their use as antidepressants


A method of making a honeycomb structure includes the step of intermittently slitting a sheet of material such that longitudinal slits are aligned in alternating staggered rows. Each staggered row has a lateral centerline spaced substantially uniformly from adjacent row centerlines. The longitudinal slits in each staggered row have substantially uniform lateral spaces between each slit. Another step is applying continuous stripes of adhesive laterally across a top side and a bottom side of the sheet such that each stripe is spaced apart longitudinally and centered on a row of slits. The stripes alternate between the top side and the bottom side. Still another step includes pleating the sheet such that pleats run longitudinally. Each pleat has a top fold and a bottom fold aligned with a longitudinal slit. Yet another step involves gathering the pleats together in a closed stack and compressing the stack to cause the stripes of adhesive to bond the pleats together at adhesive contact points. A final step is pulling the pleats laterally apart to generate hexagonal cells having interconnections at the adhesive contact points and openings between the adhesive contact points.

Corrugated container board for shipping containers is well known in the packaging art. Such container board has a corrugated paper medium sandwiched between two flat sheets of paper, forming a stiff laminated structure. Corrugated container board is light weight and inexpensive because it is made in a continuous web from three rolls of paper. The corrugations provide bending stiffness and column strength, which are requirements of shipping containers.
A honeycomb structure has recently been substituted for a corrugated medium in order to reduce the weight of the container board and to provide greater flat crush or compression strength and more uniform bending resistance. Corrugated mediums resist bending along an axis perpendicular to corrugations more than they resist bending along an axis parallel to corrugations. Also, corrugations provide no walls within the structure which are perpendicular to the sides of the container or liner board in order to resist side compression. A honeycomb medium has all of its walls perpendicular to the sides of the container board, and because of the cell configuration, bending stiffness is substantially uniform in all directions. Also, within a given thickness of container board, honeycomb cells can be sized as needed to balance container board strength and stiffness with overall container board weight.
Container board may be made from films and other materials besides paper. Regardless of the material used for the medium, an important aspect in the desirability of medium structures is how easily and inexpensively they can be made. Common honeycomb structures are made by stacking layers of material together with staggered parallel stripes of adhesive between them. When the stack is pulled perpendicular to the layers, the layers stick together at the adhesive stripes but fold between stripes to form open polygonal cells. U.S. Pat. No. 5,415,715 issued May 16, 1995 to Delage et al. illustrates this method of making a honeycomb structure. The problem with this method is that it is a batch method and requires cutting perpendicular to the cells through all the layers of material in order to obtain a honeycomb structure thin enough for use as a container board medium. The cutting step tends to damage the honeycomb structure and there is an overall size limitation for such cutting operations. Board made with a honeycomb medium is typically thick and uses heavy paper so that the structure can withstand the cutting operation.
Delage et al. also show an alternative prior art method in which a single sheet of paper is provided with staggered rows of slits. When this sheet is pulled perpendicular to the slits, polygonal cells are opened. However, such cells do not have walls perpendicular to the plane of the slit material. Instead cell walls are angled to the plane depending upon the tension applied to open the cells. Because edges are not perpendicular to the plane of the sheet, this structure does not lend itself to forming a rigid container board medium.
Delage et al. illustrate their invention as a hybrid of the two prior art methods. A stack of layers of cloth or fiber web is "needled" or sewn together and then slit and stretched perpendicular to the slits but parallel to the layers to obtain a honeycomb structure. The stack up of expanded layers provides a cell wall perpendicular to the plane of the layers. Delage et al. then perform a "densification" operation to bond all the layers together in a stretched condition to complete a honeycomb structure which will remain expanded without applying further tension. This method does not lend itself to a simple process for making container board.
What is desired is a method of making a honeycomb medium which is made continuously from a single web of material and which has cell walls perpendicular to the single web of material.
What is also desired is a honeycomb material having sufficient integrity when stretched that adhesive bonds alone are not required to hold cells together.

Honeycomb structure and method of making


Route search is performed considering the fact that traffic conditions differ according to lane even for the same road. A navigation device performs route search, using link costs (link travel times) classified by lane. For example, the navigation device searches for a route having the lowest total cost to the destination, using link data that determine cost for each lane of a component link of a road on a map. A cost of a lane on which a vehicle runs to move to a next link, being the cost of any lane of the link, is used as a cost of a link on a route.

The present invention relates to a navigation device, and particularly to a route search technique for a car-mounted navigation device.
Patent Document 1 describes a car-mounted navigation device that uses respective costs (travel times) of links constituting a road and searches for a route having the lowest cost to reach a destination.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Non-examined Patent Laid-Open No. H08-287393
Some roads have a plurality of lanes in the same direction. For example, in the case where there are a right turn lane and a straight through lane, travel times may be very different depending on the lane, due to the right turn lane being jammed while traffic in the straight through lane moves smoothly. The technique of Patent Document 1 does not take this into consideration.
An object of the present invention is to perform route search considering difference in traffic conditions between lanes.

Navigation device used for a route search


The present invention provides lift pin strategies with a reduced risk of causing contamination due to the up and down actuation of lift pins. The present invention provides a lift pin system that uses electromagnetic actuation strategies in order to raise and lower lift pins. The electromagnetic forces act remotely on the lift pins so that direct contact or coupling of the lift pins to actuation components is not required. This avoids contamination that otherwise would be associated with friction and associated lubricants used for mechanical actuation strategies.

Semiconductor device fabrication uses substrates/wafers, such as circular silicon substrates/wafers, to form microelectronic devices using various fabrication processes implemented in variety of types of process chambers. Accordingly, the wafers are transferred among many tools to deposit, etch, clean, coat, and/or pattern the wafers. In most instances, the wafers are transported in carriers (such as Front Opening Unified Pods, or FOUPs) from tool to tool in order to protect the wafers from contamination.
A typical FOUP holds several wafers. The wafers are stacked apart in a FOUP in order to allow room for a robot end effector on a robot arm to load and unload individual wafers from the FOUP. In effect, the end effector can be viewed as a hand on the robot arm. It is also desirable to avoid contact between the wafers held in a FOUP to avoid causing physical damage to the wafers. Once a FOUP carrier is at a tool, a wafer handling robot transfers the wafers between the FOUP and the tool's process chuck disposed within a process chamber.
The robot picks up a wafer from the carrier using a thin-profile end effector on a mechanical arm to extend between the wafers in the carrier. The carrier may be indexed downward, or lowered to the right zone, so that the robot arm can retrieve a desired wafer without touching the other wafers. The backside of the wafer being retrieved makes contact with and rests on the end effector. The robot arm lifts the wafer from its slot in the FOUP so that the wafer is no longer in physical contact with the FOUP. Thus holding the wafer, the mechanical arm is withdrawn from the FOUP and moves the wafer towards the process chamber. Still holding the wafer, the robot arm moves the wafer into the process chamber above the process chuck. The goal is to now set the wafer onto the chuck.
In most instances, the robot arm system is unable to place the wafer directly onto the process chuck without assistance, because the end effector is between the wafer and the chuck. Somehow, the end effector needs to set the wafer down before the end effector can withdraw. A common approach to this issue is for the wafer to be set on an intermediate mechanism such as the lift pins of a lift pin assembly. A lift pin assembly often includes three or more lift pins connected to an actuating member that supports the pins. The actuating member can move the lift pins upward and downward. When lifted upward, the upper tips of the lift pins extend above the top surface of the chuck. This provides clearance room so that the robot arm can lower the wafer onto the pins. Once the wafer is supported on the pins, the robot arm can be removed from the process chamber, leaving the wafer behind in the process chamber supported on the lift pins. The lift pin assembly can now be lowered in order to place the wafer onto the top surface of the underlying chuck.
Withdrawing the wafer from the chamber is handled in a similar way using the lift pins as an intermediate support. The lift pin assembly is raised in order to lift the wafer above the chuck. This provides clearance so that the end effector can move underneath the wafer, lift the wafer from the lift pins, and then withdraw the wafer from the chamber. Often, the robot arm then places the wafer back inside a protective FOUP.
In most instances, actuation of the lift pin assembly to move the wafer up and down within the process chamber may generate contamination. Contamination may result from any movement of the lift pins or actuation mechanism used to lift or lower the wafer due to the friction between moving components. Also, lubricants associated with lift pin actuation also can be a source of contamination.
Various techniques have been used in order to reduce the risk of contamination due to lift pin actuation. In some instances, the lift pin systems are designed to isolate a portion of the mechanical system outside of the process chamber to prevent the outside components from causing contamination inside the process chamber. The exterior mechanical system may be connected to the interior components of the assembly through sealed ports. Unfortunately, such seals also may be another source of contamination.
FIGS. 1 (prior art) and 2 (prior art) show a conventional chamber assembly 10 that incorporates a lift pin assembly 12 with both interior and exterior components, Chamber assembly 10 generally includes a housing 14 defining a process chamber 16. Housing incorporates an egress 18 through which wafers can be loaded into and taken from the process chamber 16. Gate valve assembly 20 helps to isolate the process chamber 16 from the wafer transfer environment and is operable to open and close the egress 18 to the process chamber 16. Lid 21 is fitted with a handle 22 and sensor assembly 24 used, for example, to detect the presence of a wafer. Exhaust system 26 is used to help pull materials from the chamber and to establish a vacuum inside process chamber 16. Drive 28 rotatably drives shaft assembly 30. Rotary seal 31 protects the egress of the shaft assembly 30. Shaft assembly 30 is hollow to allow electrical lines and the like to be fed to and from the process chamber 16.
A rotatable and translatable chuck 32 is housed inside the process chamber 16. Chuck 32 includes a lower chuck portion 34 and an upper chuck portion 36. Lower chuck 34 is mounted in off-center/eccentric fashion to rotatable shaft assembly 30 that rotates about axis 31. As a consequence of the off-center mounting of chuck 32, rotation of shaft assembly 30 causes chuck 32 to be translated in an arc-shaped path inside process chamber 16. The arc-shaped path is centered about axis 31. In practical effect, the off-center rotation causes the chuck 32 to orbit the axis 31 through a suitable range of motion. As the chuck 32 translates along this arc, it is swept through a nozzle assembly (not shown) that includes at least one nozzle through which treatment material can be dispensed onto a wafer (not shown) held on the chuck 32. Support structure 40 helps to support the chuck 32.
In the meantime, upper chuck portion 36 is able to rotate about axis 42 independently of the lower chuck portion 34. In this way, a wafer held on chuck 32 can be rotated about axis 42 and/or translated below nozzle assembly in an orbit or arc-shaped path about axis 31.
Lift pin system 12 includes exterior components 44 outside process chamber as well as interior components 46 inside process chamber 16. The interior components 46 include lift pins 48 supported on an actuation plate 50. The interior components 46 are connected to the exterior components 44 by a lift pin shaft 51 that passes through a vacuum sealed port in the floor of the chamber housing 14. The shaft 51 moves vertically up and down to allow the lift pins 48 to lift and lower the wafer from the process chuck to either pick up the wafer from the transfer robot or place the wafer on the process chuck 32.
The exterior components 44 include an air cylinder used to drive a lift pin shaft up and down. Such an air cylinder would create unacceptable contamination if it were located inside process chamber 16 due to friction and lubricants. Also, the lift pin shaft 51 passes through a vacuum-sealed port intended to prevent ambient air or particles from entering the process chamber 16. This port, however, nonetheless creates a potential leak source as well as a potential source of contaminating particles from friction during actuation.
The industry has a strong need for lift pin strategies with a reduced risk of causing contamination due to the up and down actuation of the lift pins.

Magnetic integrated lift pin system for a chemical processing chamber

TEL MANUFACTURING AND ENGINEERING OF AMERICA, INC.


The present invention provides a system and method to facilitate installation and/or removal of components in which one of the components is a shared component. The components are installed based on a valid order, such that shared components are installed after other components have been installed. According to one aspect, one or more properties associated with a shared component may be manipulated to facilitate installation and/or removal of components, including the shared component and dependent components.

Software applications and/or services are commonly offered to consumers in the form of grouped packages or suites, in which two or more such applications are provided. A suite is generally provided at a lower cost than if the individual applications included therein were purchased separately. In addition, a software suite typically includes an assortment of related and/or interoperable applications or services targeted to satisfy the software needs of a particular type of customer, such as small businesses or other types of organizations. Different application suites may thus be provided to satisfy various market needs, where certain segments of software consumers commonly require more than one application or service.
It is common to install the various applications of a suite onto one or more computers. However, if the applications are not installed in a proper sequence and with a proper dependency for the installed components, there is an increased likelihood of errors occurring during installation. When an error occurs, the user typically must exit the current installation, correct the error identified, and reinitiate the installation procedure. This dilemma is particularly pertinent for shared components.
For example, one or more applications of a suite may depend on one or more shared components or applications. A shared component typically is not operable unless utilized in conjunction with the application or applications that depend upon it. That is, the shared component usually serves no useful purpose by itself.
By way of illustration, an indexing service provides an efficient way to search through a large data store. The indexing service is configured specifically for each application with which it is installed to operate. As a result of such configuration, the indexing service is programmed to know how and/or what to search in the data store in conjunction with its associated application. In the absence of the associated dependent application to search, the indexing service provides substantially no useful purpose. Those skilled in the art will appreciate other instances in which shared components are employed.
In certain circumstances one or more versions of a shared component could be provided in a suite of applications. In the absence of a logical way to manage such data, more than one version of a shared component could be installed on a given machine. Moreover, the multiple versions of the same component may be stored in an unorganized manner, which could result in conflicts or other errors associated with the operation or use of such components.

System and method to facilitate installation and/or removal of components


A programmable logic array integrated circuit has a number of programmable logic modules which are grouped together in a plurality of logic array blocks ("LABs"). The LABs are arranged on the circuit in a two dimensional array. A conductor network is provided for interconnecting any logic module with any other logic module. In addition, adjacent or nearby logic modules are connectable to one another for such special purposes as providing a carry chain between logic modules and/or for connecting two or more modules together to provide more complex logic functions without having to make use of the general interconnection network. Another network of so-called fast or universal conductors is provided for distributing widely used logic signals such as clock and clear signals throughout the circuit. Multiplexers can be used in various ways to reduce the number of programmable interconnections required between signal conductors.

This invention relates to programmable logic array integrated circuits, and more particularly to programmable logic array integrated circuits with improved arrangements of the programmable logic elements and improved interconnections between those elements.
Programmable logic arrays are known in which substantial numbers of relatively elementary individual programmable logic elements are provided in a two-dimensional array. The array also includes a grid of intersecting signal conductors for conducting logic signals to, from, and between the programmable logic elements.
As integrated circuit fabrication techniques progress, it becomes possible to put more and more programmable logic elements on a chip. As the number of elements increases, it becomes important to improve the techniques used to interconnect them. For example, it is important to provide enough interconnection pathways between the programmable logic elements so that the capabilities of those elements can be fully utilized and so that complex logic functions (requiring concatenation of programmable logic elements) can be performed, without providing so many such pathways that there is a wasteful excess of this type of resource. Similarly, as the number of programmable elements increases, the complexity of the logic which can be performed also increases. But this in turn tends to increase the complexity of the task of programming the circuit unless additional logical structure is included in the circuit to help correspondingly structure the programming task.
There is always room for further improvement, however, and there are some situations in which the provision of additional or alternative types of interconnections between the logic modules would have benefits sufficient to justify the additional circuit and programming complexity. Such additional interconnection paths may be desirable for making frequently needed kinds of interconnections, for speeding certain kinds of interconnections, for allowing short distance connections to be made without tying up more general purpose and therefore long distance interconnection resources, etc. There is also a continuing demand for logic devices with larger capacity. This produces a need to implement logic functions more efficiently and to make better use of the portion of the device which is devoted to interconnecting individual logic modules.
Another challenge that must be met in PLD design is the connection of internal logic elements to the input/output pins of the chip, as discussed, for example, in commonly assigned, co-pending patent application Ser. No. 08/497,504, filed Jun. 30, 1995, and incorporated by reference herein. For example, larger PLDs are generally provided with a large number of external input/output pins for transmitting signals off-chip, but the interconnect structure of such PLDs is such that a particular logic element on the chip has direct access to a very limited number of I/O pins. A typical large PLD may have as many as two-hundred to four-hundred or more I/O pins. Such devices are also provided with an intricate global interconnect structure for allowing individual functional elements on the PLD to communicate signals with all other elements on the PLD. For reasons of conserving chip area, this global interconnect structure is connected to the external pins in a limited way such that a particular logic element on the chip has direct access to a very limited number of I/O pins. If a signal from a logic element must be transmitted to an I/O pin to which that logic element does not have direct access, the signal must be routed through an additional logic element that has direct access to that I/O pin. This can create problems in PLD reprogrammability and modifiability of certain logic designs. For example, if a minor modification in an application requires that a logic signal be routed to a different I/O pin, ideally the PLD should be easily reprogrammable to accommodate this modification. However, with the limitations of some prior art PLDs, rerouting a logic signal to a different I/O pin could require use of additional logic elements. If these logic elements were unavailable because they were being used in other parts of the design, modification of the chip to reroute the output signal might be impossible.
From the above it is seen that an improved programmable logic device is desired.

Programmable logic array integrated circuits


A coil scheduling system and a method for electrogalvanizing line in steel industry are disclosed. In addition to considering the minimum changeover of physical parameters such as post-processing mode, width, thickness between every two adjacent steel coils, the method of the present invention further considers the influence of selecting coils on the production system stability due to the changeover of post-processing mode, width and thickness, and, thereby less adjusting the production equipment. Thus, the coils are smoothly produced, and more reasonable production process is obtained. The result of comparing the coil production schedule controlled by coil scheduling system for electrogalvanizing line in steel industry of the present invention with that of the production schedule determined manually shows that the number of changeover is reduced by 31.51%, and the adjustment of the production equipment is effectively reduced. Thus, the product quality is improved, and the enterprise benefit is increased.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the technical field of metal material processing information, which relates to automation technology, and in particular to a coil scheduling method and system for electrogalvanizing line in steel industry.
2. The Prior Arts
The coil scheduling for electrogalvanizing line is considered as a main production and management content of metallurgical enterprises, and the quality of coil scheduling directly affects the stability and operating efficiency of electrogalvanizing line, the product quality and production costs.
Take a steel plant as an example: annealed coils are mainly used as the raw material of electrogalvanizing strip steel, the annealed coils are uniformly painted with a layer of metallic zinc to achieve the aim of rust prevention, beautiful appearance and the other surface characteristics, and the electrogalvanizing line is the process to achieve the above processing objective by zinc painting, post-processing. The main electrogalvanizing process (as shown in FIG. 1) includes: uncoiling the coils, welding the coils into a continuous strip steel, sending the strip steel to the electrogalvanizing unit after cleaning and treating the surface of the strip steel, forming a uniform compact and well-combined metallic zinc deposit layer on the surface of the strip steel; thereafter, post-processing the strip steel to improve the plating or corrosion resistance by passivation, parkerising, fingerprint resistant processing; finally, cutting and coiling up the post-processed strip steel into coils after cleaning, oiling and trimming.
Because of the requirement of the electrogalvanizing process, there are some restrictions for the coil production schedule during the production operation of the electrogalvanizing line, which directly affects the stable operation of equipment, the productivity of the electrogalvanizing line and the product quality. The coil production schedule of the electrogalvanizing line is to make the coils smoothly transitioned as far as possible while satisfying the process constraints of specification, zinc layer thickness, post-processing requirement, so as to increase the operation speed of the electrogalvanizing line, guarantee the product quality, and develop the productivity of the electrogalvanizing line. In the electrogalvanizing process, the coils are welded into a continuous strip. The more changeover of thickness and width between two adjacent coils is, the more the possibility of causing the strip to break and the rollers to wear is, moreover, the production stability and the operating efficiency of the electrogalvanizing line will decrease. If the required post-processing modes of two adjacent coils are different, the post-processing liquid in the electrogalvanizing line needs to be replaced. Thus, in order to process the latter coil in accordance with the corresponding post-processing mode, after processing the former coil, it is necessary to adjust the pulling speed of the equipment strip and even stop the operation. At this moment, the latter coil is paused in the electrogalvanizing line, and the quality of the coil is reduced in the process of equipment adjustment.
At present, in the practical electrogalvanizing production, the coil scheduling of electrogalvanizing line is manually accomplished. Because the electrogalvanizing process has the complicated constraints, and large number of coils to be considered in actual production, it is difficult for manual scheduling to select coils, make coil processing schedule in reasonable time, with the objective of guaranteeing the smooth transition of the width and thickness of adjacent coils, guaranteeing product quality, increasing productivity and guaranteeing the stable operation of the electrogalvanizing line.

Coil scheduling method and system for electrogalvanizing line in steel industry


An optical transmission apparatus receives an optical signal of an optical wavelength. The optical transmission apparatus has a variable wavelength filter, a neighboring frequency detection unit, and an ADC/DSP. The variable wavelength filter detects a neighboring of another optical transmission apparatus that receives an optical signal of a wavelength different from the wavelength. The neighboring frequency detection unit determines whether or not a second frequency supported by the another optical transmission apparatus where a neighboring has been detected by the variable wavelength filter is different from a first frequency supported by the optical transmission apparatus. The ADC/DSP changes a parameter for removing a phase noise from the optical signal of the wavelength according to a difference between the first frequency and the second frequency when it is determined that the second frequency is different from the first frequency.

Conventionally, in optical networks employing the WDM (Wavelength Division Multiplex) system, the optical transmission system having a plurality of transponders has been utilized in both ends of the WDM transmission section. The plurality of transponders correspond to a plurality of different wavelengths, respectively. The optical signal inputted to each transponder via an optical fiber from a router of the optical multiplex side is subjected to optical wavelength conversion at each transponder and then transmitted to the network side. The optical signal transmitted from each transponder is wavelength-multiplexed and then sent out to the WDM transmission section. Upon reaching the optical separation side via the amplification process by the optical amplifier on the WDM transmission section, the sent out optical signal is subjected to the optical wavelength separation. Upon receiving the optical signals on a wavelength basis obtained by the optical wavelength separation from the network side, the plurality of transponders disposed in the optical separation side output them to the corresponding routers in the client side. Thereby, the long distance transmission of the optical signal is implemented.    Patent Document 1: Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2006-522508    Patent Document 2: Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2010-028470    Patent Document 3: Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2005-341161    Patent Document 4: Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2012-099880
Due to the increase of the traffic amount in recent years, however, the transponder supporting 100 Gbps has been prevalent in addition to the related transponder supporting 10 Gbps. Therefore, the 10 Gbps transponder and the 100 Gbps transponder are mixed in one optical network. In the ITU-T (International Telecommunication Union-Telecommunication standardization sector), because multiple optical wavelengths are arranged in the wavelength grid with the interval of 50 GHz, the transponders for the different optical transmission speeds may be arranged neighboring to each other in the wavelength grid. In this case, due to the difference in the modulation system between the 10 Gbps and the 100 Gbps, the XPM (Cross Phase Modulation) that is the optical non-liner effect affects the 100 Gbps transponder of the phase modulation system from the 10 Gbps transponder of the direct modulation system. This causes the error rate of the 100 Gbps transponder to increase. This results in the reduced transmission quality in the optical transmission system.
The disclosed technique has been made taking the above into consideration and aims to provide an optical transmission apparatus and an optical transmission method that is able to quickly suppress the reduction in the transmission quality due to the addition of the neighboring wavelength.

Optical transmission apparatus and optical transmission method


The present invention relates to a hearing aid logging data and learning from these data. The hearing aid (10, 100) comprises an input unit (12) converting an acoustic environment to an electric signal; an output unit (16) converting an processed electric signal to a sound pressure; a signal processing unit (14) interconnecting the input and output unit, and generating the processed electric signal from the electric signal according to a setting; a user interface (18) converting user interaction to a control signal thereby controlling the setting; and finally a memory unit (20) comprising a control section storing a set of control parameters associated with the acoustic environment, and a data logger section receiving data from the input unit (12), the signal processing unit (14), and the user interface (18); and wherein said signal processing unit (14) configures the setting according to the set of control parameters and comprises a learning controller adapted to adjust the set of control parameters according to the data in the data logging section.

In today's hearing aids data logging comprises logging of a user's changes to volume control during a program execution and of a user's changes of program to be executed. For example, European patent application no.: EP 1 367 857, which hereby is incorporated in the below specification by reference, relates to a data-logging hearing aid for logging logic states of user-controllable actuators mounted on the hearing aid and/or values of algorithm parameters of a predetermined digital signal processing algorithm.
Further, learning features of a hearing aid generally relate to data logging a user's interactions during a learning phase of the hearing aid, and to associating the user's response (changing volume or program) with various acoustical situations. Examples of this are disclosed in, for example, American patent no.: U.S. Pat. No. 6,035,050, American patent application no.: US 2004/0208331, and international patent application no.: WO 2004/056154, which all hereby are incorporated in the below specification by reference. Subsequent to the learning phase, the hearing aid during these various acoustical situations recalls the user's response and executes the program associated with the acoustical situation with an appropriate volume. Hence the learning features of these hearing aids do not learn from the acoustical environments but from the user's interactions and therefore the learning features are rather static.
Even though this type of data logging and learning provides improved means for a dispenser to adapt a hearing aid to a user, and thereby improving the quality of the hearing aid for the user, the known techniques do not provide a complete picture of which sounds in fact were presented to the user of the hearing aid causing the user to make changes to the volume or program selection.

Hearing aid for recording data and learning therefrom


Certain thienopyrrolyl and furanopyrrolyl compounds are disclosed as useful to treat or prevent disorders and conditions mediated by the histamine H4 receptor, including allergic rhinitis.

Histamine was first identified as a hormone (G. Barger and H. H. Dale, J. Physiol. (London) 1910, 41:19-59) and has since been demonstrated to play a major role in a variety of physiological processes, including the inflammatory "triple response" via H1 receptors (A. S. F. Ash and H. O. Schild, Br. J. Pharmac. Chemother. 1966, 27:427-439), gastric acid secretion via H2 receptors (J. W. Black et al., Nature 1972, 236:385-390), and neurotransmitter release in the central nervous system via H3 receptors (J.-M. Arrang et al., Nature 1983, 302:832-837) (for review see S. J. Hill et al., Pharmacol. Rev. 1997, 49(3):253-278). All three histamine receptor subtypes have been demonstrated to be members of the superfamily of G protein-coupled receptors (I. Gantz et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 1991, 88:429-433; T. W. Lovenberg et al., Mol. Pharmacol. 1999, 55(6):1101-1107; M. Yamashita et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 1991, 88:11515-11519). There are, however, additional functions of histamine that have been reported, for which no receptor has been identified. For example, in 1994, Raible et al. demonstrated that histamine and R-α-methylhistamine could activate calcium mobilization in human eosinophils (D. G. Raible et al., Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. 1994, 149:1506-1511). These responses were blocked by the H3-receptor antagonist thioperamide. However, R-α-methylhistamine was significantly less potent than histamine, which was not consistent with the involvement of known H3 receptor subtypes. Therefore, Raible et al. hypothesized the existence of a novel histamine receptor on eosinophils that was non-H1, non-H2, and non-H3. Most recently several groups (T. Oda et al., J. Biol. Chem. 2000, 275(47):36781-36786; C. Liu et al., Mol. Pharmacol. 2001, 59(3):420-426; T. Nguyen et al., Mol. Pharmacol. 2001, 59(3):427-433; Y. Zhu et al., Mol. Pharmacol. 2001, 59(3):434-441; K. L. Morse et al., J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther. 2001, 296(3):1058-1066) have identified and characterized a fourth histamine receptor subtype, the H4 receptor. This receptor is a 390 amino acid, seven-transmembrane, G protein-coupled receptor with approximately 40% homology to the histamine H3 receptor. In contrast to the H3 receptor, which is primarily located in the brain, the H4 receptor is expressed at greater levels in neutrophils and mast cells, among other cells, as reported by Morse et al. (see above).
Events that elicit the inflammatory response include physical stimulation (including trauma), chemical stimulation, infection, and invasion by a foreign body. The inflammatory response is characterized by pain, increased temperature, redness, swelling, reduced function, or a combination of these. Many conditions, such as allergies, asthma, chronic obstructed pulmonary disease (COPD), atherosclerosis, and autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, are characterized by excessive or prolonged inflammation. Inhibition of leukocyte recruitment can provide significant therapeutic value. Inflammatory diseases or inflammation-mediated diseases or conditions include, but are not limited to, acute inflammation, allergic inflammation, and chronic inflammation.
Mast cell de-granulation (exocytosis) leads to an inflammatory response that may be initially characterized by a histamine-modulated wheal and flare reaction. A wide variety of immunological (e.g., allergens or antibodies) and non-immunological (e.g., chemical) stimuli may cause the activation, recruitment, and de-granulation of mast cells. Mast cell activation initiates allergic (H1) inflammatory responses, which in turn cause the recruitment of other effector cells that further contribute to the inflammatory response. The histamine H2 receptors modulate gastric acid secretion, and the histamine H3 receptors affect neurotransmitter release in the central nervous system.
Examples of textbooks on the subject of inflammation include J. I. Gallin and R. Snyderman, Inflammation: Basic Principles and Clinical Correlates, 3rd Edition, (Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Philadelphia, 1999); V. Stvrtinova, J. Jakubovsky and I. Hulin, "Inflammation and Fever", Pathophysiology Principles of Diseases (Textbook for Medical Students, Academic Press, 1995); Cecil et al., Textbook Of Medicine, 18th Edition (W. B. Saunders Company, 1988); and Steadmans Medical Dictionary.


An input apparatus including: a display device which displays an operational image; an image-designation detecting device which detects designation of the operational image; a processing executing section configured to, where the image-designation detecting device has detected that the operational image has been designated, execute a processing assigned to the designated operational image; a display updating section which updates display on the display device from a state in which the operational image has been displayed; and a disabling section configured to, where the image-designation detecting device has detected a designation of an operational image which has been displayed on the display device after the update of the display by the display updating section and which is different from an operational image having been displayed on the display device before the update, disable an execution of a processing assigned to the designated operational image.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an input apparatus and a storage medium storing an input control program.
2. Description of the Related Art
There is known various apparatuses to which instructions can be inputted by a user touching or pressing a button displayed on a display device. For example, there is a multi-function apparatus which has a plurality of functions such as a copying function and a telephone function and to which instructions can be inputted by a user touching or pressing a button or an image displayed on a display device. In this apparatus, where a job of a certain function has interrupted in a state in which a screen for a function different from the certain function is displayed, the apparatus splits the screen into two screens such that a button originally displayed is displayed on one of the two screens, and a button related to the job of the interrupted function is displayed on the other screen.

Input apparatus and storage medium storing input control program


A novel method of making a laminated label construction is provided which involves (1) providing a temporary carrier having a first relatively strong release surface and a second relatively weak release surface on opposite sides thereof, (2) forming a heat sealable lacquer on said first release surface so as to form a label face film having a predetermined edge configuration, (3) forming indicia on at least one selected portion of said label face film (in the case where printed labels are desired), and (4) forming a layer of a pressure-sensitive adhesive in overlying bonded relationship with the indicia (when present) and the protective lacquer. The pressure-sensitive adhesive has lateral dimensions less than those of the label face film. The lacquer face film comprises at least one heat-activatable ingredient that becomes tacky when heated and thereby provides heat-sealing properties. The carrier may be an elongate web that is wound on itself to form a roll-type package, with the pressure-sensitive adhesive facing outwardly and engaged by the weak release surface of the carrier. The differential release prevents any blocking or offsetting of the label as roll is wound and unwound. Each labels is easily peeled off of the web and transferred to a workpiece or other receiving object such as a plastic bottle by application of heat and pressure, whereby the edge of the lacquer film forms a heat seal with the surface of the receiving object.

This invention relates to pressure-sensitive adhesive labels and decals, and particularly to the manufacture of same using radiation-cured films.
For a long time a customary process of manufacturing pressure-sensitive adhesive labels has involved production of a sheet or roll of laminated construction comprising a layer of label feedstock, a layer of a pressure-sensitive ("P/S") adhesive, and temporary carrier having a release surface. More specifically, a carrier web having a release surface, e.g., a plastic film or a smooth paper having a release layer of silicone, is engaged with a web of a label feed stock having a pressure-sensitive adhesive, with the pressure-sensitive adhesive being in contact with the release surface of the carrier web. The face stock may be made of paper or a suitable synthetic material such as a vinyl plastic material, and the face stock may be blank or may have printed indicia. Discrete labels are formed on the carrier web by die-cutting through the label face stock and the adhesive layer without perforating the carrier web. A standard practice is to make the laid-on labels using a die-cutting procedure as disclosed in the following U.S. Pat. Nos.: 4,253,899; 4,219,596; 2,391,539 and 3,166,186. Such labels are commonly referred to as "laid-on labels". Subsequently the face stock and the adhesive surrounding the individual labels are stripped as a continuous skeletal web or matrix, leaving discrete spaced apart labels adhered to the carrier web. The laid-on labels are then dispensed from the carrier web either manually or by a suitable automatic procedure.
The foregoing standard manufacturing technique suffers from the disadvantage of the need to die-cut the label face stock. This die-cutting procedure is expensive due to wasted face stock material and the need for precision die-cutting machinery.
Laid-on labels also may be made without die-cutting as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,022,926, issued to A. K. Keough et al for "Label Assemblies Without Die-Cutting". However, this form of label manufacture has limitations due to (1) the occurrence of beads of the label face film between adjacent labels, which constitutes non-adherent waste and may adversely affect equipment performance, and (2) the relative stiffness of the face film/adhesive laminate limits the ability to reliably dispense the labels and apply them to the desired workpiece, e.g., bottles. Also, the method of the patent commences with the step of applying a P/S adhesive to a temporary carrier web, and then printing the face film onto the adhesive. This order of steps presents the possibility of damaging the adhesive when the face film is printed.
A different approach was proposed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,253,899 and 4,219,596, both issued to Shiro G. Takemoto et al. These patents propose a method of making matrix-free labels. The label construction proposed by Takemoto et al comprises the following:
(1) a temporary carrier having a release surface; and
(2) a label releasably adhered to the release surface of the carrier, with the label taking the form of a face film in contact with the release surface and a layer of pressure-sensitive adhesive on the side of the face film opposite the carrier, with the layer of pressure-sensitive adhesive being substantially in registration with the face film. In one embodiment Takemoto et al also provide a protective backing having a release surface in contact with the adhesive layer, the adhesion between the adhesive and the release surface of the protective backing being weaker than the adhesion between the face film and the release surface of the carrier, so as to enable the protective backing to be removed from the label and thereby expose the layer of adhesive while leaving the label releasably adhered to the carrier. In this label construction, the face film comprises a radiation-cured polymer.
The label construction of Takemoto et al is manufactured by a process that preferably involves the following steps:
(1) forming discrete label face films on the release surface of the carrier web by coating discrete areas of the release surface corresponding in size and configuration to the labels being formed with at least one layer of a radiation-curable liquid;
(2) curing the aforesaid liquid by exposure to polymerizing radiation;
(3) applying a pressure-sensitive adhesive in liquid form over the discrete liquid face films so that the adhesive is substantially in registration with the label face films; and
(4) solidifying the liquid adhesive so as to form discrete labels, with each label having a face film releasably adhered to the release surface of the carrier web and a layer of pressure-sensitive adhesive on the side of the label facing away from the carrier web. If a protective backing sheet is used, it is applied after the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer is formed, with the adhesion between the adhesive and the release surface of the backing being weaker than the adhesion between the face film and the release surface of the carrier web, so that the protective backing may be removed from the label to expose the layer of adhesive on the label while leaving the label releasably adhered to the carrier web.
The technique disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,219,596 and 4,253,899 avoids the die-cutting operation, and also the resulting loss of face stock. However, the method of making labels and decals disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,219,596, and 4,253,899 has the disadvantage that it requires substantially exact registration of the pressure-sensitive adhesive with the discrete label face films. This is a disadvantage in that substantial precision is required to obtain the degree of registration required by Takemoto et al, since if the adhesive does not fully cover the face film, the edges of the face film will not adhere to the surface of the object or workpiece to which the label is transferred.
A related method of making labels is disclosed in British Patent Specification No. 827,313, published Feb. 3, 1960. This patent discloses a dry-release pressure-sensitive label construction comprising a printed layer or assembly of layers which are adapted to be transferred and are printed or coated on a temporary dry-releasing paper support from which the printed layer or layers may be dry-released, with the paper support being impregnated or coated so as to have a release surface. The method and label construction disclosed in British Patent Specification No. 827,313 provides teachings similar to those of Takemoto et al but is handicapped in that it does not utilize radiation-curable polymers to form the labels. Reed uses a solvent based system that is eminently unsatisfactory because of disposal concerns and also because it is limited as to printing speed.
Reed also does not address the question of registration of the several layers of his label construction, particularly as it affects the reliability of the adhesion of the label to the support to which it is ultimately transferred.

Pressure sensitive adhesive labels and manufacture thereof