Methods, systems and computer program products provide for establishing a connection originated by an application executing on a data processing system in a cluster of data processing systems. A dynamic network address is associated with the application at the data processing system on which the application is executing. If a request is received for the data processing system to originate a connection that is associated with the application, the connection is established utilizing the dynamic network address associated with the application as a source address for the connection.

The Internet Protocol (IP) is a connectionless protocol. IP packets are routed from an originator through a network of routers to the destination. All physical adapter devices in such a network, including those for client and server hosts, are identified by an IP Address which is unique within the network. One valuable feature of IP is that a failure of an intermediate router node or adapter need not prevent a packet from moving from source to destination, as long as there is an alternate path through the network.
In Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), TCP sets up a connection between two endpoints, identified by the respective IP addresses and a port number on each. Unlike failures of an adapter in an intermediate node, if one of the endpoint adapters (or the link leading to it) fails, all connections through that adapter generally fail and must be reestablished. If the failure is on a client workstation host, only the relatively few client connections are typically disrupted and usually only one person is inconvenienced. However, an adapter failure on a server may mean that hundreds or thousands of connections may be disrupted. On a System/390 with large capacity, the number may run to tens of thousands.
To alleviate this situation, International Business Machines Corporation introduced the concept of a Virtual IP Address, or VIPA, on its TCP/IP for OS/390 V2R5 (and added to V2R4 as well). Examples of VIPAs and their use may be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,917,997, 5,923,854, 5,935,215 and 5,951,650. A VIPA is typically configured the same as a normal IP address for a physical adapter, except that it is not associated with any particular device. To an attached router, the TCP/IP stack on System/390 simply looks like another router. When the TCP/IP stack receives a packet destined for one of its VIPAs, the inbound IP function of the TCP/IP stack notes that the IP address of the packet is in the TCP/IP stack's Home list of IP addresses and forwards the packet up the TCP/IP stack. The "home list" of a TCP/IP stack is the list of IP addresses which are "owned" by the TCP/IP stack. Assuming the TCP/IP stack has multiple adapters or paths to it (including a Cross Coupling Facility (XCF) path from other TCP/IP stacks in a Sysplex), if a particular physical adapter fails, the attached routing network will route VIPA-targeted packets to the TCP/IP stack via an alternate route. The VIPA may, thus, be thought of as an address to the stack, and not to any particular adapter.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/401,419 entitled "METHODS, SYSTEMS AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCTS FOR AUTOMATED MOVEMENT OF IP ADDRESSES WITHIN A CLUSTER" filed Sep. 22, 1999, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference as if set forth fully herein, describes dynamic virtual IP addresses (VIPA) and their use. As described in the '419 application, a dynamic VIPA may be automatically moved from protocol stack to protocol stack in a predefined manner to overcome failures of a particular protocol stack (i.e. VIPA takeover). Such a predefined movement may provide a predefined backup protocol stack for a particular VIPA. VIPA takeover was made available by International Business Machines Corporation (IBM), Armonk, N.Y., in System/390 V2R8 which had a general availability date of September, 1999.
As described above, the Virtual IP Address (VIPA) on TCP/IP for MVS and OS/390 allows clients to establish TCP connections and send UDP datagrams to a server using an IP address that is owned by a TCP/IP stack, and reachable via any interface, but not tied to any particular adapter. This allows such connections or UDP datagram transmissions to be unaffected by a failure of one adapter owned by the TCP/IP stack, as long as at least one other device for external connectivity to the same network remains operational.
A TCP program on OS/390 may also initiate an outbound connection, acting as a client rather than a server for the purposes of that particular connection. Such a TCP program will typically not bind the socket to any particular local address before initiating the connection and normal TCP rules will use the address of the adapter on which the connection request is transmitted. As a result, the connection may be lost if that same adapter or link should fail while the connection is still active.
To provide the benefits of VIPA to outbound connections, the SOURCEVIPA function was provided to allow the customer to configure a VIPA to be associated with a group of adapters/links, and to cause TCP/IP to use the VIPA instead of the adapter address when a hosted TCP program initiates a connection without binding the socket to a particular IP address.
The above approach works well for a TCP program that is hosted by only one TCP/IP stack for all time and/or when the program receiving the connection request does not care what IP address is used for the source address of the connection request. There are a number of cases, however, where the traditional SOURCEVIPA approach does not meet the needs of particular applications.
For example, some application pairs require both members to function as both client and server, in that one partner establishes a connection to the other, which in turn establishes a connection back to the first. Such applications will often use the source and destination IP addresses to correlate the paired connections. Dynamic VIPAs (DVIPAs) were invented by IBM to address the problem of outages suffered by a TCP/IP stack or an underlying OS/390 image or S/390 processing complex. A DVIPA is a VIPA which can move from one TCP/IP stack to another, under program control, managed either by collaborating stacks or which can be made active on a TCP/IP stack in response to programming actions by an application. Since DVIPAs by their very nature may move from stack to stack, they typically cannot be used for SOURCEVIPA which must, in general, be predictable to be useful by the customer. When one of the application pair resides on OS/390 and uses a DVIPA for incoming connections, SOURCEVIPA will not result in using the same DVIPA for the return connection. The application can be programmed specifically to bind the socket for the outbound connection to the DVIPA, but this may make the resulting application less portable, and may require per-application reprogramming.
In a further example, some servers may need to establish connections to other servers in order to process a request from the original client. These secondary connections may cross enterprises, and may, thus, traverse multiple firewalls. When such servers are used in conjunction with Sysplex Distributor or other IP workload balancing solutions, a server instance on one TCP/IP stack could use a different SOURCEVIPA than a server instance on another stack. All intervening firewalls may, therefore, need to be configured to be aware of, and permit passage of, connection requests from any possible VIPA that might be used as a SOURCEVIPA. The benefit of Sysplex Distributor is that clients outside the Sysplex generally reach all such server instances using the same IP address. Thus, customers would, typically, prefer the server instances going to secondary servers to use the same Distributed DVIPA to reduce configuration of intervening firewalls to a single IP address, independent of where the server instances reside (or might be moved) within the Sysplex.
Furthermore, multiple server instances in a Sysplex Distributor environment may need to establish connections to exactly the same secondary server. A TCP connection is generally identified by source and destination IP address, and source and destination port numbers (the combination of which is known as the "connection 4-tuple"). In this case, the destination IP address and port are the same for all such connections. Programs initiating outbound connections seldom specify source IP address, and almost never specify the port. Instead, they rely on the TCP/IP stack to select a port which is at present not in use by another TCP application. Such a port assignment is known as an "ephemeral port." When a source IP address could reside on only one TCP/IP stack, it did not matter that two different stacks might assign the same ephemeral port number, because the source IP addresses for connections to the same secondary server would be different. Now that Sysplex Distributor allows the same IP address to reside on multiple TCP/IP stacks, and for that same IP address to be used for connections to the rest of the network, it is possibile that two stacks could generate the same connection 4-tuple for connections from different Sysplex Distributor server instances to the same secondary server.
One advantage of OS/390 lies in serving multiple different workloads within the same operating system image and cluster (S/390 Parallel Sysplex). Sysplex Distributor allows a single IP address (the Distributed DVIPA) to be associated with all instances of a particular server application administratively with the Domain Name Server. However, the same TCP/IP stack may be a target stack for multiple Distributed DVIPAs, and many applications that use DVIPAs that are not distributed. In the absence of application programming, there is typically no way for the TCP/IP stack or the system administrator to designate which of many possible DVIPAs should be used for a particular application. Sysplex Distributor as well as dynamic VIPAs are described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/640,412, entitled, "METHODS, SYSTEMS AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCTS FOR NON-DISRUPTIVELY TRANSFERRING A VIRTUAL INTERNET PROTOCOL ADDRESS BETWEEN COMMUNICATION PROTOCOL STACKS", U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/640,409, entitled "METHODS, SYSTEMS AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCTS FOR CLUSTER WORKLOAD DISTRIBUTION", U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/640,438, entitled "METHODS, SYSTEMS AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCTS FOR FAILURE RECOVERY FOR ROUTED VIRTUAL INTERNET PROTOCOL ADDRESSES" all filed Aug. 17, 2000, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/401,419 entitled "METHODS, SYSTEMS AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCTS FOR AUTOMATED MOVEMENT OF IP ADDRESSES WITHIN A CLUSTER" filed Sep. 22, 1999, the disclosures of which are each incorporated herein by reference as if set forth fully herein. VIPAs were provided in OS/390 V2R5 which had a general availability date of March, 1998, Sysplex Distributor was provided in OS/390 V2R10 which had a general availability date of September, 2000 and dynamic VIPAs were provided in OS/390 V2R8 which had a general availability date of September, 1999, both from International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, N.Y.

Methods, systems and computer program products for source address selection


Described are a system and method for identifying variables which impact performance of software under development. Data is collected that is related to performance characteristics of the software under development. Performance change gradients are determined between previous builds of the software under development. A set of performance change factors are generated from the collected data that corresponds to each performance change gradient. Performance characteristic data corresponding to a current build of the software under development are compared to the performance change gradients. At least one fault component from the set of performance change factors that influences performance of the current build is output in response to the comparison between the performance characteristic data corresponding to the current build and the plurality of performance change gradients.

Many software applications, for example, Web applications, are designed to be highly scalable in order to simultaneously serve hundreds or thousands of users. These applications must be thoroughly tested to uncover and correct performance-related issues prior to software release.
Conventional test tools can be integrated with source code version control systems to aid developers in identifying code changes made between two successive software builds, for example, between a current build and the build immediately preceding the current build.

Systems and methods for identifying software performance influencers

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION


Provided is an operation handle mechanism with which a handle can be conveniently operated to move a movable section, thereby ensuring smooth operation and movement at any time regardless of an operation position of the handle. An operation handle section 121 includes a handle lever 67, which is used to operate movement of a support frame section 23 capable of moving up and down, and left and right transmission rods 123a and 123b, which are joined to the handle lever. The transmission rods can only move a predetermined distance in a movement direction thereof relative to the support frame section, and start to move together with the support frame section after going beyond that distance. The left and right transmission rods are connected via rack sections 140a and 140b of the transmission rods and a gear train 134a, 134b, 135a, and 135b meshing with the rack sections in such a way as to enable transmission of part of an operation force coming from the handle lever from one transmission rod to the other and thereby allow the two transmission rods to simultaneously move only the same distance.

Technical Field
The present invention relates to an operation handle mechanism for moving and operating a movable part, and, for example, to an operation handle mechanism suitably used to move and operate a load in a support mechanism, which supports the load such as articles in a movable manner, as well as to a load support mechanism.
Background Art
Conventionally, in a support mechanism that supports a computer, a television monitor device, and various other articles in such a way as to be able to move the articles up and down to a desired height position, an operation handle is often provided to manually operate the movement of the articles. For example, what is known is an elevating blackboard equipped with a pair of left and right manual handles for elevating, which are located around the left and right sides of the center in a horizontal lower portion of a support frame (Refer to Patent Document 1 [Jpn. Pat. Appln. Laid-Open Publication No. 11-137362], for example).
The blackboard disclosed in Patent Document 1 is held in such a way as to be able to move up and down, as vertical poles on the left and right sides of the support frame are inserted into up-down guide holes of a fixed frame. Furthermore, the left- and right-end areas of the lower portion of the support frame are supported in such a way as to be lifted up by two wires, which are connected to an outer periphery of a common drum, and by a spring means, which is connected to a cam of the drum. Accordingly, the support frame can be stopped at any given height, as the weight of the blackboard is absorbed.
A sheet supply device is also known (Refer to Patent Document [Jpn. Pat. Appln. Laid-Open Publication No. 2003-276953], for example): the sheet supply device supplies a sheet to an image formation device such as a copier by driving a lifting motor and thereby moving a sheet placement table up and down. In this device, a lifting gear that is fixed to a motor shaft of the lifting motor, and another lifting gear of the same shape that is engaged with the lifting gear, are engaged with left and right lifting racks that are provided on the sheet placement table. Therefore, the sheet placement table of a relatively large planar size can vertically move up and down while being in a horizontal state.
However, if a user stands by the left or right end portion of the above-described conventional elevating blackboard, the user needs to move to around the left and right sides of the center of the blackboard where the manual handles are provided each time the user tries to move the blackboard up and down. Therefore, this configuration is inconvenient. One of improvement measures would be to provide additional manual handles in the left- and right-end areas of the blackboard, if an article that is long in the left-right direction, such as an elevating blackboard, should be moved up and down.
However, if an operation force is applied only to either the left or right side of the support frame of the support mechanism of such an article, the support frame might be distorted or twisted due to the weight of the article, the structure or strength of the support frame, the magnitude of the operation force, and the like. The distortion or twisting of the support frame is not preferred as it can cause troubles such as backlash when the article is moved up or down and hamper a smooth movement operation and operation of lifting up and down.
Another improvement measure is to provide a handle that is long in the left-right direction. However, the problem is that, if the handle is a long rod-shaped handle that extends in a direction that crosses the operation direction or the direction in which the article is moved, and if the operation force is concentrated on one end portion, the handle would be easily bent in the operation direction unless the rigidity of the handle is sufficiently high. In this case, depending on which area of the handle is operated, the operation force would act on the support frame unevenly in the left-right direction, leading to similar distortion or twisting of the support frame and possibly unable to ensure a smooth movement operation and operation of lifting the article up and down.

Operation handle mechanism and load support mechanism


A method and system for calculating the frequency-dependent regularization parameter (FDRP) used in inverting the analytically derived or experimentally measured system transfer matrix for designing and/or producing crosstalk cancellation (XTC) filters relies on calculating the FDRP that results in a flat amplitude vs frequency response at the loudspeakers, thus forcing XTC to be effected into the phase domain only and relieving the XTC filter from the drawbacks of audible spectral coloration and dynamic range loss. When the method and system are used with any effective optimization technique, it results in XTC filters that yield optimal XTC levels over any desired portion of the audio band, impose no spectral coloration on the processed sound beyond the spectral coloration inherent in the playback hardware and/or loudspeakers, and cause no (or arbitrarily low) dynamic range loss.

Binaural audio with loudspeakers (BAL), also known as transauralization, aims to reproduce, at the entrance of each of the listener's ear canals, the sound pressure signals recorded on only the ipsilateral channel of a stereo signal. That is, only the sound signal of the left stereo channel is reproduced at the left ear and only the sound signal of the right stereo channel is reproduced at the right ear. For example, if the source signal was encoded with a head-related transfer function (HRTF) of the listener, or includes the proper interaural time difference (ITD) and interaural level difference (ILD) cues, then delivering the signal on each of the channels of the stereo signal to the ipsilateral ear, and only to that ear, would ideally guarantee that the car-brain system receives the cues it needs to hear an accurate 3-dimensional (3-D) reproduction of a recorded soundfield.
However, an unintended consequence of binaural audio playback through loudspeakers is crosstalk. Crosstalk occurs when the left ear (right ear) hears sounds from the right (left) audio channel, originating from the right speaker (left speaker). In other words, crosstalk occurs when the sound on one of the stereo channels is heard by the contralateral ear of the listener.
Crosstalk corrupts HRTF information and ITD or ILD cues so that a listener may not properly or completely comprehend the soundfield's binaural cues that are embedded in the recording. Therefore, approaching the goal of BAL requires an effective cancellation of this unintended crosstalk, i.e. crosstalk cancellation or XTC for short.
While there are various techniques for effecting some level of crosstalk cancellation (XTC) for a two loudspeaker system, they all have one or more of the following drawbacks:    D1: Severe spectral coloration to the sound heard by the listener, even if that listener is sitting in the intended sweet spot.    D2: Useful XTC levels are reached only at limited frequency ranges of the audio band.    D3: Severe dynamic range loss when the sound is processed through the XTC filter or processor (while avoiding distortion and/or clipping).
The above drawbacks can be seen by analyzing XTC using the most fundamental formulation of the XTC problem—that is by looking at the inverse of the system transfer matrix (as will be shown and discussed below) that describes sound propagation from the loudspeakers to the ears of the listener.
While the technique of constant parameter (non-frequency dependent) regularization, commonly used in XTC filter design to make the inversion of the system transfer matrix better behaved, may alleviate some of Drawback D3, it inherently introduces spectral artifice of its own (specifically, at the expense of reducing the amplitude of the spectral peaks in the inverted transfer matrix, constant-parameter regularization results in undesirable narrow-band artifacts at higher frequencies and a rolloff at lower frequencies at the loudspeakers) and does little to alleviate the other two drawbacks (D1 and D2).
Prior art frequency-dependent regularization, even when coupled with an effective optimization scheme, is not enough to deal away with Drawbacks D1, D2 and D3.
Previous XTC filter design methods based on system transfer matrix inversion (with or without regularization) strive to maintain a flat amplitude vs. frequency response at the ears of the listener by imposing a non-flat amplitude vs frequency response at the loudspeakers (as explained below), which causes a loss in the dynamic range of the processed sound, and, for reasons that will be explained below, leads to a spectral coloration of the sound as heard by the listener, even if the listener is sitting in the intended sweet spot.
Therefore, while previous methods are useful for designing XTC filters that can inherently correct for non-idealities in the amplitude vs frequency response of the playback hardware and loudspeakers, they do not address all of Drawbacks D1, D2 and D3.

Spectrally uncolored optimal crosstalk cancellation for audio through loudspeakers


An apparatus and a method for exponentially controlling a gain of a driver amplifier to drive a power amplifier are provided. The driver amplifier includes a plurality of cascode amplifier segments, wherein when a plurality of candidate gain values of the driver amplifier is arranged, the candidate gain values form a geometric sequence. A unit cost can be reduced by halving an area occupied by the driver amplifier.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a variable amplifier for amplifying a Radio Frequency (RF) signal in a wireless transmitter. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for exponentially controlling a gain of a driver amplifier to drive a power amplifier which provides a signal to an antenna stage.
2. Description of the Related Art
A general wireless transmitter uses a power amplifier for emitting an RF signal via an antenna. For example, the power amplifier is disposed at the end of a receiver and sends a signal with high power via the antenna.
However, such an amplifier structure is unable to obtain both a significant gain and a significant increase in power, and exhibits an increased performance only when focusing on either the gain or the power. More particularly, it is difficult for the power amplifier to produce a high power and satisfy a high gain at the same time. Yet, both high power and high gain are necessary for characteristics of the transmitter.
Thus, a separate high-gain amplifier is used in a front end to drive the power amplifier. An amplifier at the end of the transmitter combines a Driver Amplifier (DA) and a Power Amplifier (PA).
Typically, a structure of the DA is a set of cascode amplifiers to attain a variable gain. A cascode structure has good input/output isolation, high output impedance, and high gain. For example, for a variable gain interval of 6 dB, a unit cascode amplifier includes eight sets which increase by multiples of two, for example, 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, and 128, and only the cascode amplifier corresponding to the intended gain operates among the cascode amplifier sets.
However, eight digital switches are required to control six gain modes, which adopt a 3-to-8 decoder. Since only one cascode amplifier operates and other cascode amplifier sets do not operate in one mode, this process is inefficient. For example, the area 256 times the smallest unit cascode amplifier size is required for the 8-step gain control, which increases a unit cost.
In addition, scalability is greatly degraded. In some cases, a structure of the wireless transmitter may need more various gains. The control based on 3 dB or 1 dB, rather than 6 dB, is quite complicated and feasible only based on an approximate value, and thus its accuracy also degrades. When the control mode uses 16 steps or 32 steps, not 8 steps, a control switch exponentially increases as such and the area is two times the branch of a maximum gain. As a result, the inefficiency still remains.
Therefore, a need exists for an apparatus and a method for exponentially controlling a gain of a driver amplifier to drive a power amplifier which provides a signal to an antenna stage.
The above information is presented as background information only to assist with an understanding of the present disclosure. No determination has been made, and no assertion is made, as to whether any of the above might be applicable as prior art with regard to the present invention.

Apparatus and method for gain of driver amplifier exponential variable in wireless transmitter


A method for forming a multi-layer, hard coating on a substrate, said hard coating comprising at least one metal element selected from the group consisting of transition metal elements of Groups 4a, 5a and 6a in the Periodic Table, Al, Si and B (at least one of said transition metal elements is indispensable), and at least one non-metal element selected from the group consisting of S, O, N and C (S is indispensable), and having a columnar structure comprising columnar crystal grains having pluralities of layers having different S contents, said method comprising placing said substrate in a chamber comprising evaporation sources having different plasma densities and a reaction gas for physical vapor deposition, and alternately bringing said substrate closer to each evaporation source, while keeping said reaction gas in a plasma state and said evaporation sources simultaneously in an active state.

As high-speed metal cutting at a feed per one edge exceeding 0.3 mm becomes prevailing, conventional hard-coated tools have become insufficient in oxidation resistance, wear resistance, peel resistance, seizure resistance, impact resistance, breakage resistance, etc. of hard coatings. Accordingly, various technologies have been proposed to improve oxidation resistance, wear resistance, peel resistance, seizure resistance, impact resistance, breakage resistance, etc. of the hard coatings.
JP 2003-225807 A discloses a cutting tool having a hard coating layer exhibiting excellent wear resistance in high-speed cutting, the hard coating layer being formed by physically depositing a composite nitride of Ti and Y to an average thickness of 1-15 μm on a substrate of tungsten carbide-based cemented carbide or titanium carbonitride cermet, the hard coating layer having maximum-Y-component points (minimum-Ti-component points) and Y-component-free points (TiN points) alternately at a predetermined interval in a layer thickness direction, the concentration of the Y component changing smoothly between the maximum-Y-component point and the Y-component-free point, the maximum-Y-component points having a composition represented by the formula of (Ti1-xYx)N, wherein x is 0.05-0.15 by atomic ratio, an interval between the adjacent maximum-Y-component point and the Y-component-free point being 0.01-0.1 μm. Japanese Patent 3,460,288 discloses a wear-resistant coated member comprising a substrate and a hard coating formed on its surface, the hard coating being formed by layers of nitrides, oxides, carbides, carbonitrides or borides of 2 or more elements selected from the group consisting of metal elements of Groups 4a, 5a and 6a, Al and Si, such that their compositions change continuously at a period of 0.4 nm to 50 nm to a total thickness of 0.5-10 μm. The hard coatings of JP 2003-225807 A and Japanese Patent 3,460,288 are multi-layer films with repeatedly changing concentrations or compositions. However, because any of the above technologies uses only an arc-discharge ion plating method, edge, they do not necessarily have satisfactory seizure resistance in the cutting of steel, etc., on which seizure tends to occur.
The seizure resistance of hard coatings depends on their lubrication. Hard-coated tools satisfactorily usable under severe cutting conditions cannot be obtained without improving the lubrication, impact resistance and breakage resistance of hard coatings with no damage to adhesion to substrates, hardness, oxidation resistance, wear resistance, thermal resistance, etc. In addition, taking environment into consideration, demand is mounting on tools for use in dry cutting without using cutting oils containing Cl, S, P, etc., for instance, even in the cutting of die-casting steel, called hard-to-cut materials.
As a cutting tool having a hard coating with improved lubrication, JP 5-239618 A discloses a machining tool with a coating having high wear resistance and lubrication, the coating comprising at least one element selected from the group consisting of oxygen, sulfur, selenium and tellurium, and at least one element selected from the group consisting of vanadium, niobium, tantalum, chromium, molybdenum and tungsten, and containing molybdenum disulfide for imparting lubrication. JP 11-509580 A discloses a method for forming a high-lubrication, hard coating comprising, for instance, molybdenum disulfide and TiN on a cutting tool, using a sputtering-ion plating system comprising a first target made of a metal sulfide (for instance, molybdenum disulfide), and a second target made of at least one metal selected from the group consisting of titanium, vanadium, chromium, zirconium, niobium, molybdenum, tantalum, hafnium and tungsten. However, these technologies do not provide hard coatings with sufficient adhesion and hardness, failing to sufficiently improve the wear resistance of cutting tools.
JP 8-127863 A discloses a wear-resistant, hard laminate coating comprising as main components at least one element selected from the group consisting of elements of Groups IVa, Va and VIa in the Periodic Table, Al, Si and B, and at least one element selected from the group consisting of B, C, N and O, the coating having at least 2 types of compound layers having different compositions and composition-changing layers, whose element compositions change in a thickness direction between the compound layers, the compound layers and the composition—changing layer being periodically laminated, and a crystal lattice being continuous over one period or more between the layers. Japanese Patent 3,416,938 discloses a multi-layer, hard coating for cutting tools, etc., in which compound layers (for instance, TiN) and layers with element compositions changing in a thickness direction (for instance, TiAlN) are alternately laminated, a crystal lattice being continuous with strain in said composition-changing layer.
JP 2001-293601 A discloses a cutting tool having a wear-resistant hard coating formed on a tool substrate, the coating comprising as a main component a nitride or carbonitride of at least one element selected from the group consisting of elements of Groups 4a, 5a and 6a in the Periodic Table and Al, said substrate being made of at least one selected from the group consisting of WC-based cemented carbide, cermet, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, aluminum nitride, alumina, boron carbide, sintered aluminum oxide-titanium carbide, high-speed steel, die steel and stainless steel, said wear-resistant, hard coating containing at least one type of fine, hard particles selected from the group consisting of B4C, BN, TiB2, TiB, TiC, WC, SiC, SiNx (x=0.5-1.33) and Al203.
However, any of the hard coatings described in the above references fails to meet the demand of having sufficient lubrication, peel resistance, impact resistance and breakage resistance capable of withstanding dry cutting conditions while maintaining oxidation resistance and wear resistance.

Hard coating and its formation method, and hard-coated tool


Provided is a bulk acoustic wave resonator (BAWR). The BAWR may include a first electrode, a piezoelectric layer disposed on the first electrode, a second electrode disposed on the piezoelectric layer. In various aspects, at least one of the first electrode, the piezoelectric layer, and the second electrode are formed of a carbon-based material.

1. Field
The following description relates to a bulk acoustic wave resonator (BAWR).
2. Description of Related Art
A bulk acoustic wave resonator (BAWR) includes electrodes that are typically disposed on and/or below a piezoelectric layer. In response to a high frequency signal being applied to the electrodes, the piezoelectric layer may oscillate.
The BAWR may be used for a wireless signal transferring system. For example, the BAWR may be used in a wireless communication device, a wireless power transmitter, a filter of a wireless sensor, a transmitter, a receiver, a duplexer, and the like. As another example, the BAWR may be used for input and/or output of wireless data.
Studies on a radio frequency (RF) device that may secure a low power and a high speed are being conducted. Accordingly, a BAWR that may be used in such low power and high speed device is desirable.

Bulk acoustic wave resonator and manufacturing method thereof, and radio frequency device using bulk acoustic wave resonator


Data exchanged between at least one server and at least one user is intercepted in a capturing module that operates independently from the server and the user. A copy of the intercepted data is stored in a database. The intercepted data that is destined for the server is forwarded to the server, or the intercepted data that is destined for the user is forwarded to the user. The intercepting and storing are performed transparently to the user. Interception of data may be performed continuously, and storing of data may be performed during a predetermined time window or at predetermined time intervals. The intercepted data may include events, attributes, images, user identifications, requests, and/or responses. Only a predetermined portion of the data and/or data that satisfies predefined rules is stored. The user may be a web server or a web browser, and the server may be a web server. The data may be exchanged in the form of an Internet protocol and assembled into a web page view for the user. Interception and storing may be performed concurrently for capturing data exchanged simultaneously between a plurality of servers and the user, the server and a plurality of users, or a plurality of servers and a plurality of users.

The present invention is directed to a method, apparatus, and system for capturing data. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a method, apparatus, and system for capturing data exchanged between a server and a user.
For systems employing interactions between a user and server, it is often desirable to be able to view the interactions, ideally in a manner that is transparent to the user. This is particularly desirable in a context such as sales, customer service, or e-commerce, where interactions between customers and a service provider are important indicators of customer satisfaction.
Attempts have been made to recreate interactions between a user and a server. For example, click stream analysis procedures have been used to recreate interactions between a web user and a web service provider. This type of procedure is analogous to reviewing and analyzing the script to a movie. While this procedure reveals some information about the interaction between the server and the user, it does not provide a clear tangible picture of special effects, the environment, chemistry between the user and the server, etc.
Other attempts have been made to replay recorded interactions between a server and a user. However, these attempts are typically implemented at the server and are thus suitable only for a particular type of server.
There is thus a need for a way of capturing data exchanged between a server and a user in a manner that is independent of the server and transparent to the user and that provides a full picture of the interaction between the server and the user.

Method, apparatus, and system for capturing data exchanged between a server and a user


A robotic cleaning apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus includes an automatically controlled cleaning machine and coded reflective targets used to provide information to the cleaning machine for positioning it along desired cleaning paths. The apparatus determines it position on a real time basis, particularly in the case of obstacles that are encountered by the cleaning machine during its cleaning operation. Hardware and software are provided for controlling movement of the cleaning machine relative to side and end walls of the floor surface section being cleaned, as well as controlling the functions of cleaning equipment.

Various apparatuses have been developed to effectively clean floors. These vary from small personal vacuum cleaners to large industrial floor scrubbers. One of the most common industrial floor cleaners requires an operator to manually direct the cleaner over the areas where the cleaning is desired. The benefits gained by such cleaners include the thoroughness of the cleaning operation, the speed at which the cleaner can clean and, since most are self-powered, the ease of maneuverability. Labor costs have led to even further advances. In particular, instead of one operator per floor cleaner, floor cleaning inventions have been disclosed that allow a single operator to control a plurality of floor cleaners. For example, there are floor cleaners that are controlled by wires embedded in the floor such that an operator may initiate a number of floor cleaners simultaneously, each following a different wire track. However, the initial expense and resulting inflexibility has motivated the development of floor cleaning apparatuses guided substantially by the combination of a computer for determining the cleaning sections and cleaning paths, and a location sensing system for providing continual feedback as to the location of the cleaner during the cleaning process. In one such apparatus, the location sensing system includes laser beam emitting and sensing equipment for reflecting a laser beam off pre-positioned reflective targets. The targets are oriented to correspond with the cleaning path configuration. Thus, for instance, the reflectors are positioned in rows on the ceiling such that the floor cleaner may traverse a path parallel to a reflector row. In another embodiment, the targets are able to emit a desired signal upon activation by the laser beam. On the other hand, such automated floor cleaners lack a general location determining system to orient themselves within a cleaning area. That is, such floor cleaners can only determine their position relative to the current path being cleaned. They also have little in the way of obstacle avoidance capabilities other than a multiplicity of sensing devices that shut the floor cleaner off when an obstacle is detected. However, it is known in the cleaning field to utilize a robotic unit that is preprogrammed to avoid predetermined obstacles that are found in the area to be cleaned. This unit is deficient though in properly handling obstacle avoidance under certain critical circumstances, including when an obstacle is encountered that was not taken into account during the pre-programming.
With respect to obstacle avoidance, a certain measure of success has been made in a different field, that of robotics. Robots have been developed which traverse a predetermined path deviating only enough to avoid obstacles in their path. One such robot, used as a sentry, navigates by infrared beacons placed at "nodes" along a path to be followed by the robot. If an obstacle is encountered on the path, the robot attempts to avoid it by the use of 24 ultrasonic sensors placed every 15.degree. around the robot. Since the robot is shaped much like a vertical cylinder, a relatively simple algorithm is used to avoid small obstacles. That is, by determining the collections of blocked and unblocked ultrasonic sensors around the robot's circumference, a deviation angle is determined such that by changing course by this angle, the robot will avoid the obstacle.
Despite these previous efforts, no floor cleaning apparatus has effectively combined and automated the functions peculiar to floor cleaning with a sufficiently accurate general location determining system to also provide sophisticated obstacle avoidance techniques.


The present invention provides a method for performing thermal melt analysis using a microfluidic device, the method comprising providing a microfluidic device having at least one microfluidic channel, introducing fluid comprising into the at least one microfluidic channel, continuously flowing the fluid through the at least one microfluidic channel while varying the temperature of the entire fluid stream as it moves through the at least one microfluidic channel by uniformly heating the entire fluid stream, and measuring, while continuously flowing the fluid through the at least one microfluidic channel, a detectable property emanating from the fluid.

When carrying out chemical or biochemical analyses, assays, syntheses or preparations, a large number of separate manipulations are performed on the material or component to be assayed, including measuring, aliquotting, transferring, diluting, mixing, separating, detecting, incubating, etc. Microfluidic technology miniaturizes these manipulations and integrates them so that they can be executed within one or a few microfluidic devices.
For example, pioneering microfluidic methods of performing biological assays in microfluidic systems have been developed, such as those described by Parce et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 5,942,443 entitled "High Throughput Screening Assay Systems in Microscale Fluidic Devices", and Knapp et al. in PCT Publication No. WO 98/45481 entitled "Closed Loop Biochemical Analyzers". Additionally, microfluidic devices for performing temperature-mediated reactions have been explored by Stern in U.S. Pat. No. 6,670,153.
One type of biological assay of particular interest in many fields of science is the detection and quantification of binding between various molecules. For example, screening of numerous compounds or molecules to determine how they bind to one another or how they bind to a particular target molecule is extremely important in many areas of research. For example, screening of large libraries of molecules is often utilized in pharmaceutical research. "Combinatorial" libraries, composed of a collection of generated compounds, can be screened against a particular receptor to test for the presence of possible ligands and to quantify the binding of any possible ligands.
Various methods exist to characterize the binding between molecules. Many of those methods involve calorimetric analysis. Isothermal calorimetry (ITC) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) are examples of such methods. By measuring the thermal parameters of a binding reaction, calorimetry can be used to test for the presence of binding between the molecules by detecting a shift in the thermal denaturation of a molecule that occurs when another molecule is bound to it. The shift in the thermal denaturation of a molecule (which could be as expressed in a molecular melt curve) can be monitored via the fluorescence of an indicator dye that binds to only select conformational states of the molecule. Alternatively, in some cases the binding between molecules can be determined by changes in the intrinsic fluorescence of one of the molecules.
Characterization of the binding between molecules is also important tool in the characterization of nucleic acids. For example, Knapp et al. in U.S. Published Application No. 2002/0197630 entitled "Systems for High Throughput Genetic Analysis" discuss the use of melting curve analysis to detect single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Molecular melt curves (and differences between molecular melt curves) can also be used to detect and analyze sequence differences between nucleic acids. The thermal denaturation curve for nucleic acids can be monitored by, e.g., measuring thermal parameters, fluorescence of indicator dyes/molecules, fluorescence polarization, dielectric properties, or the like.
Melting curve analysis is typically carried out either in a stopped flow format or in a continuous flow format. In a stopped flow format, flow is stopped within a microchannel of a microfluidic device while the temperature in that channel is ramped through a range of temperatures required to generate the desired melt curve. A drawback to stopped flow format is that is does not integrate well in systems with other flow through processes which require the flow to continue without any stoppage. When fluorescent indicator dyes are used to monitor denaturation, another drawback to stopped flow format is the loss of fluorescent signal due to dye photobleaching while the thermal ramp is being performed.
In a continuous flow format, a melting curve analysis is performed by applying a temperature gradient along the length (direction of flow) of a microchannel of a microfluidic device. If the melting curve analysis requires that the molecules being analyzed be subjected to a range of temperatures extending from a first temperature to a second temperature, the temperature at one end of the microchannel is controlled to the first temperature, and the temperature at the other end of the length is controlled to the second temperature, thus creating a continuous temperature gradient spanning the temperature range between the first and second selected temperatures. A drawback to current implementations of continuous flow format is that thermal properties of the molecules in the stream must be measured at multiple points along the temperature gradient to generate the desired melting curve. This is makes measurement of thermal properties of the molecules in the stream more complex than in the stopped flow format, where thermal properties of the molecules in the stream can be measured at a single point to generate the desired melting curve.
A welcome addition to the art would be a process that allows performance of thermal melting analysis for continuously flowing a fluid, material, etc. through at microchannel of a microfluidic device while varying the temperature of the entire fluid, material, etc. stream as it moves through the microchannel by uniformly heating the entire fluid, material, etc. stream. Such an addition to the art would enable the advantage of the continuous flow format, namely integration with continuous flow processes upstream and downstream of the thermal melt analysis, and permit measurement of thermal properties of molecules in the stream at a single point in the stream to generate the desired melting curve. Furthermore, the problem of photobleaching will be greatly reduced because fluorescent dye molecules continuously flowing past a point of measurement will be exposed to photobleaching radiation for much shorter periods than in the case of stopped flow analysis.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method and apparatus for applying continuous flow and uniform temperature to generate thermal melting curves in a microfluidic device


An exercise apparatus includes a bar assembly and weight assemblies and can be used according to various methods of performing exercise routines using the apparatus. An exemplary exercise apparatus includes bar segments that are coupled together to create a bar assembly. Weight can be added to the bar assembly and the assembled device can be used to perform exercises that involve, for example, twisting and stretching.

Traditionally, getting in shape has come at the expense of physical discomfort experienced during the process. Additionally, conventional exercise equipment is too big and/or heavy to be transported easily and can occupy unnecessarily large amounts of space. Moreover, traditional exercise equipment and methods of using them tend to focus on low-impact stretching, cardiovascular exercise, or light weight-lifting exercise, but not all three.

Exercise apparatus and methods of assembling and using the same


The invention generally relates to the field of power factor correction and specifically to generation of a reference waveform which is proportional to line voltage and is controllable in amplitude.

It is generally desirable to operate an AC electrical system at a high power factor for the efficient transfer of electrical power. Highest power factor is attained when line current and line voltage are proportional.
An electronic load on an AC electrical system, such as an offline switching power supply, may attain operation at high power factor through a variety of measures.
One such measure is the closed loop control of the line current waveform. The closed loop control regulates the line current waveform in accordance with a line current reference waveform, the line current reference waveform being proportional to the line voltage waveform. In addition, it is generally desirable that the line current reference waveform is controllable in amplitude for the control of power level.
In the practice of implementing a closed loop control of the line current waveform, a general simplification of circuitry is attained by processing the rectified versions of the line current waveform and the line voltage waveform. Accordingly, it is generally desired that the line current reference waveform is proportional to the rectified line voltage waveform. For the sake of brevity the mention of line voltage and line current in the following implicitly refers to the mention of their rectified versions, unless stated otherwise.
There is a general need to provide the line current reference waveform at lowest cost and size.
A simple and straightforward solution of the prior art provides the line current reference waveform in two steps, a first step whereby a signal proportional to line voltage is derived by means of a resistive voltage divider, and a second step whereby the signal is controlled in amplitude by means of an analog multiplier circuit.
Drawbacks of the conventional approach are the general expense of a high voltage resistive divider, and the general expense of an analog multiplier.


A network device for processing packets. The network device includes a memory management unit for storing packets and performing resource checks on each packet and an egress module for performing packet modification and transmitting the packet to a destination port. The memory management unit includes a timer for indicating that a free space should be created on a bus slot between the memory management unit and the egress module, wherein the free space is used for transmitting CPU instructions from the memory management unit to the egress module.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a network device in a packet switched network and more particularly to a method for scheduling CPU instructions in the network device.
2. Description of the Related Art
A packet switched network may include one or more network devices, such as a Ethernet switching chip, each of which includes several modules that are used to process information that is transmitted through the device. Specifically, the device includes an ingress module, a Memory Management Unit (MMU) and an egress module. The ingress module includes switching functionality for determining to which destination port a packet should be directed. The MMU is used for storing packet information and performing resource checks. The egress module is used for performing packet modification and for transmitting the packet to at least one appropriate destination port. One of the ports on the device may be a CPU port that enables the device to send and receive information to and from external switching/routing control entities or CPUs.
As packets enter the device from multiple ports, they are forwarded to the ingress module where switching and other processing are performed on the packets. Thereafter, the packets are transmitted to one or more destination ports through the MMU and the egress module. According to a current switching system architecture, the MMU inserts request/instructions from a CPU to the egress module between empty slot/bubble on a bus from the MMU to the egress module. The bubbles on the bus are typically found between packets. However, if all ports on the network are transmitting packet, the MMU may not be able to obtain a bubble on which to transmit a CPU instruction. Therefore a scheme is needed wherein the MMU is ensured of empty slots for transmitting CPU instructions.


Provided is an amplifier circuit having a constant output swing range and a stable delay time, where the amplifier circuit includes a first bias unit, a second bias unit, a comparison unit, and an amplifier unit, and the first bias unit responds to an internal reference signal with a predetermined voltage level and maintains constant the amount of a first current, and the second bias unit receives an external reference signal, responds to a control voltage, and controls the amount of a second current to be the same as the amount of the first current, and the comparison unit compares a voltage level of a first node with a voltage level of a second node, and controls a voltage level of the control voltage according to the comparison result, and the amplifier unit compares a voltage level of an external input signal with a voltage level of the external reference signal, amplifies and outputs a voltage difference between the two compared signals, responds to the control voltage, and controls the amount of a third current to be the same as the amount of the first current although the level of the external reference signal is varied, such that the amplifier circuit and a circuit for receiving data can maintain a constant output swing range and a stable delay time irrespective of variations in the voltage levels of the external input signal or the external reference signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to amplifier circuits, and more particularly, to amplifier circuits that are robust to variations in a voltage level of an external reference signal or an external input signal.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the semiconductor device field, as data transmission speeds between semiconductor chips is increasing power consumed in data interfaces is also increasing.
In order to reduce power consumption, an attempt has been made to reduce an operating voltage level. However, it is more difficult for a data receiver to receive data when the operating voltage level is reduced, but noise in the interface is not reduced enough.
In particular, since the speed of the interface increases, the operating voltage level is reduced to prevent increasing power consumption, and a termination circuit is used to reduce noise between signals. Voltage levels of whole signals are reduced, thereby reducing drastically a swing range of an external signal input to an amplifier circuit.
FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a reduction in a swing range of an external input signal and variations in a delay time, indicated generally by the reference numeral 100. Referring to FIG. 1, a high level band VIHBAND in which the external input signal is recognized as a high level signal, and a low level band VILBAND in which the external input signal is recognized as a low level signal, are reduced gradually to a point where the bands become narrower than a reference signal band VREFBAND.
If the high level band VIHBAND and the low level band VILBAND are reduced and a level of a reference signal is varied within the reference signal band VREFBAND, a valid window in which the external input signal can be recognized as a high level signal or a low level signal is reduced disadvantageously.
FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram of a conventional amplifier circuit. Referring to FIG. 2, a conventional amplifier circuit 200 includes a bias unit 210, which generates a bias voltage VBIAS having a constant voltage level, and an amplifier unit 220, which responds to the bias voltage VBIAS and outputs amplified data.
The bias unit 210 includes first through fourth transistors TR1, TR2, TR3, and TR4, respectively, which build a current mirror. Since a power voltage VDD is applied to a gate of the third transistor TR3, the third transistor TR3 is always turned on, and accordingly, a gate of the first transistor TR1 changes to a low level due to a ground voltage VSS.
Therefore, the first transistor TR1 and the second transistor TR2 are turned on, and a first node N1 maintains a constant voltage level due to current flowing through the second transistor TR2. At this time, the amount of the current flowing through the second transistor TR2 can be controlled and the voltage level of the first node N1 can also be controlled by adjusting the size of the first transistor TR1 and the second transistor TR2. The voltage at the first node N1 makes the fourth transistor TR4 turn on, and is output as the bias voltage VBIAS. The bias voltage VBIAS output from the bias unit 210 is maintained constant.
The amplifier unit 220 includes fifth through ninth transistors TR5, TR6, TR7, TR8, and TR9, which amplify a voltage difference between an external reference signal XVREF and an external input signal XIN, and output, respectively, data DATA and inverted data DATAB through an output node OUTN and an inverted output node OUTNB.
The fifth transistor TR5 and the sixth transistor TR6 are turned on due to the ground voltage VSS connected to gates thereof and a degree to which the seventh transistor TR7 and the eighth transistor TR8 are turned on is determined depending on voltage levels of the external reference signal XVREF and the external input signal XIN, respectively input to the fifth transistor TR5 and the sixth transistor TR6.
The ninth transistor TR9 responds to the bias voltage VBIAS and determines the whole operation of the amplifier unit 220. That is, if the ninth transistor TR9 is turned on, the amplifier unit 220 operates, and if the ninth TR9 is turned off, the amplifier unit 220 does not operate. If the voltage level of the bias voltage VBIAS applied to the ninth transistor TR9 is constant, swing ranges of the data DATA and the inverted data DATAB output from the amplifier unit 220 are maintained constant.
The operation of the amplifier unit 220 is equal to that of a general differential amplifier, which is well known to one of ordinary skill in the pertinent art, and thus, a detailed explanation thereof will not be given.
FIG. 3A shows a graph 300 illustrating the external input signal and the external reference signal input to the amplifier circuit shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 3B shows a graph 350 illustrating the data output from the amplifier circuit shown in FIG. 2.
Referring to FIG. 3A, the voltage level of the external input signal XIN and the external reference signal XVREF is not constant, but is varied. That is, as the level of the external input signal XIN is varied, the level of the external reference signal XVREF is also varied to 0.55V, 0.75V, and 0.95V.
Accordingly, although the voltage level of the bias voltage VBIAS applied to the ninth transistor TR9 of the amplifier unit 220 is constant, if the level of the external input signal XIN and the level of the external reference signal XVREF are varied as shown in FIG. 3A, the swing ranges of the data DATA and the inverted data DATAB output from the amplifier circuit 200 are not constant and output delay times are increased.
This is because as the voltage levels of the external input signal XIN and the external reference signal XVREF are varied a voltage level of a second node N2 of the amplifier unit 220 is varied. Referring to FIG. 3B, it can be seen that the swing range of the data DATA is not constant, as is shown by arrows (i), (ii), and (iii). Further, it can be seen that an output delay time TD taken from when data DATA is output to when next data DATA is output is relatively long.
As a result, the conventional amplifier circuit has poor performance in that when the voltage levels of the external input signal XIN and the external reference signal XVREF are varied the output swing ranges are not constant and the output delay times are increased.

Amplifier circuit having constant output swing range and stable delay time


The present invention provides a projection optical system which projects an image on a first object plane onto a second object plane, comprising at least four optical members which are arrayed in turn from the second object plane, and made of an isotropic crystal, wherein the at least four optical members are formed by alternately arraying optical members in each of which a <1 1 1> crystal axis is oriented along a direction of an optical axis, and optical members in each of which a <1 0 0> crystal axis is oriented along the direction of the optical axis.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a projection optical system, an exposure apparatus, and a device fabrication method.
2. Description of the Related Art
A projection exposure apparatus has conventionally been employed to fabricate, for example, a micropatterned semiconductor device such as a semiconductor memory or logic circuit by using photolithography. The projection exposure apparatus projects and transfers a circuit pattern formed on a reticle (mask) onto, for example, a wafer via a projection optical system.
A minimum line width (resolution) that the projection exposure apparatus can transfer is proportional to the wavelength of exposure light and is inversely proportional to the numerical aperture (NA) of the projection optical system. Along with a demand for micropatterning semiconductor devices, the wavelength of the exposure light is shortening and the NA of the projection optical system is increasing. Particularly in recent years, a projection optical system (immersion projection optical system) using an immersion exposure technique has attracted a great deal of attention as a means for increasing the NA of the projection optical system. The immersion exposure technique further increases the NA of the projection optical system by filling the space between the wafer and the final lens (final surface) of the projection optical system with a liquid.
The immersion projection optical system generally uses pure water as the liquid which fills the space between the final lens and the wafer, and uses quartz as the lens material of the final lens. From the viewpoint of design of this system, the limit of its numerical aperture is about 1.35. Under the circumstances, it is proposed to increase the numerical aperture to 1.5 or 1.65 or more by using a liquid having a refractive index higher than that of pure water and a lens material having a refractive index higher than that of quartz.
At present, LuAG (Lu3Al5O12) is attracting a great deal of attention as a lens material which transmits light having a wavelength of 193 nm and a refractive index higher than that of quartz. Since, however, LuAG is a crystal lens material, it contains crystal-structure-related birefringence. The higher the refractive index of the crystal lens material, the larger the crystal-structure-related birefringence. For example, CaF2 (calcium fluoride) has a refractive index of 1.506 with respect to light having a wavelength of 193 nm, and has a maximum crystal-structure-related birefringence of 3.4 nm/cm. On the other hand, LuAG has a refractive index of 2.14 with respect to light having a wavelength of 193 nm, and has a maximum crystal-structure-related birefringence of 30 nm/cm.
FIGS. 21A and 21B each show the crystal-structure-related birefringence distribution of an isotropic crystal lens material (flat shape). FIG. 21A shows the birefringence distribution around the <1 1 1> crystal axis (crystal orientation). FIG. 21B shows the birefringence distribution around the <1 0 0> crystal axis (crystal orientation). In FIGS. 21A and 21B, each position along the radial direction indicates the light beam propagation angle, and the radial direction indicates the propagation direction of the light beam. The length of each short line indicates the relative amount of birefringence, and the direction of the short line indicates the fast axis direction of birefringence.
Referring to FIGS. 21A and 21B, the crystal-structure-related birefringence of an isotropic crystal lens material is zero in the <1 0 0> crystal axis orientation and <1 1 1> crystal axis orientation, and is maximum in the <1 1 0> crystal axis orientation. Hence, when the <1 0 0> crystal axis and <1 1 1> crystal axis are oriented along the optical axis of the projection optical system, the light beam propagation angle increases as the numerical aperture increases, resulting in an increase in the crystal-structure-related birefringence.
To correct the crystal-structure-related birefringence, there has been proposed a technique of forming other lenses of the projection optical system using the same crystal lens materials as that of the final lens or crystal lens materials each having nearly the same birefringence as that in the final lens, and controlling the assembly angles of these crystal lens materials around the optical axis. Japanese Patent Laid-Open Nos. 2004-45692 and 2006-113533 propose other techniques of correcting the crystal-structure-related birefringence.
To correct the crystal-structure-related birefringence, the maximum angles between the optical axis and a light beam (propagating light beam) which propagates through the crystal lens materials are preferably, nearly equal to each other. U.S. Pre-Grant Publication No. 2007/0035848 proposes an optical system with such an arrangement.
International Publication WO 2006/089919 proposes a technique of correcting the crystal-structure-related birefringence not only by specifying the assembly angles of the crystal lens materials around the optical axis but also by arraying them in the light beam traveling direction in consideration of the order of the crystal lens materials.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-45692 discloses a technique of efficiently correcting the crystal-structure-related birefringence by orienting the <1 0 0> crystal axis of a crystal lens material, which exhibits a maximum angle between a propagating light beam and the optical axis of the projection optical system of 30° or more, along the optical axis of the projection optical system. However, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-45692 does not take account of a high refractive index crystal lens material which has a very large crystal-structure-related birefringence (e.g., has a birefringence more than 20 nm/cm). It is difficult to correct the crystal-structure-related birefringence of such a high refractive index crystal lens material unless not only the condition of a crystal lens material in which the <1 0 0> crystal axis is oriented along the optical axis of the projection optical system but also that of a crystal lens material in which the <1 1 1> crystal axis is oriented along the optical axis of the projection optical system is defined.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-113533 discloses a technique of correcting the crystal-structure-related birefringence of a high refractive index crystal lens material by forming the final lens and lenses adjacent to it using MgO (magnesium oxide) and CaO (calcium oxide) having crystal-structure-related birefringences of opposite signs. However, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-113533 does not show concrete arrangements of the crystal axes of MgO and CaO, which allow reduction in the crystal-structure-related birefringence. In practice, high-quality MgO and CaO which can be used for the exposure apparatus neither exist nor are under development.
U.S. Pre-Grant Publication No. 2007/0035848 (FIG. 2) discloses a technique of correcting the crystal-structure-related birefringence by arraying crystal lens materials such that the maximum angles between the optical axis and a light beam which propagates through these materials are nearly equal to each other. However, U.S. Pre-Grant Publication No. 2007/0035848 (FIG. 2) does not take account of the curvature radii of these crystal lens materials. It is difficult to correct the crystal-structure-related birefringence unless the curvature radii of these crystal lens materials are specified.
U.S. Pre-Grant Publication No. 2007/0035848 discloses a technique of correcting the crystal-structure-related birefringence by alternately arraying crystal lens materials in each of which the <1 0 0> crystal axis is oriented along the optical axis of the projection optical system, and crystal lens materials in each of which the <1 1 1> crystal axis is oriented along the optical axis of the projection optical system. However, U.S. Pre-Grant Publication No. 2007/0035848 does not take account of the array order of the crystal lens materials with respect to their assembly angles around the optical axis. When at least six or more crystal lens materials are arrayed, it is difficult to correct the crystal-structure-related birefringence unless the condition of the array order of the crystal lens materials with respect to their assembly angles around the optical axis is defined.

Projection optical system, exposure apparatus, and device fabrication method


Systems, methods, and apparatus are provided for secure transaction execution at an assistive device. Assistive devices include technologies that support people with disabilities in daily tasks, such as mobility aids or vision aids. An assistive device may be preregistered with a financial institution. The financial institution may generate a first hash incorporating a customer identifier and a device identifier. At the time of transaction, an active session may be initiated with the assistive device at a POS terminal, self-service kiosk, or financial institution. The assistive device may use short range wireless communication such as NFC or UWB to transmit the customer identifier and device identifier. A second hash may be generated and compared to the first hash to authenticate the device. Following authentication, the transaction may be completed at the assistive device via user inputs to the assistive device.

People with disabilities may encounter challenges in the activities of daily living. Assistive technology, including assistive, adaptive and rehabilitative devices, can help provide greater independence. Examples of assistive devices include wheelchairs, walkers, hearing aids, screen readers and refreshable braille displays.
One area where problems may arise is in the realm of financial transactions. A customer dependent on assistive technology may face challenges carrying out a conventional transaction at an automated teller machine ("ATM") or at a point of sale ("POS"). The customer may need to hand over an access card or payment card to a caregiver or cashier to complete the transaction. However, exposing a card containing sensitive information creates a serious security risk.
It would be desirable to enable an assistive device to interact directly with a point-of-sale terminal or with financial institution technology and allow a user to complete a transaction via the assistive device.

Specialized transaction execution via assistive devices


An internal combustion engine has a mechanical compression release including a cam, a cam follower, and a compression release member. The cam having a cam lobe and a base radius with a slot, and a compression release member disposed within the slot. The compression release member is substantially V-shaped and is comprised of a first portion, a second portion, and a bridging portion. The first portion has an auxiliary cam surface that extends slightly beyond the base radius and the second portion has sufficient mass to function as a flyweight. The bridging portion is substantially U-shaped and connects the first and second portions. The compression release member pivots about a pivot pin, that is disposed within the curved portion of the bridging portion. As the cam rotates, centrifugal forces cause the compression release member to pivot and to disengage from the cam follower.

This invention relates to internal combustion engines, and more particularly to a centrifugally responsive mechanical compression release.
Compression release mechanisms are common in pull-start engines to make the engines easier to start. In a normal pull-start engine, the operator pulls a rope which moves the engine through one or more cycles. During the compression stroke of the engine cycle, the operator must exert enough force to compress the air in the combustion chamber, and the additional force from compressing the air makes it more difficult to start the engine. In a pull-start engine with a compression release mechanism, pressure in the combustion chamber is slightly released during the compression stroke to reduce the resistive force on the rope. This makes the engine easier to start because the operator does not have to pull the rope as hard. Typically, a compression release mechanism slightly unseats the exhaust valve to vent the combustion chamber during starting while the engine is revolving at cranking speeds. The mechanism then typically disengages when the engine reaches normal operating speeds.
Some compression release mechanisms use centrifugal forces to disengage themselves from the cam follower. These designs generally have a cam member and a flyweight. When the cam shaft rotation speed reaches a certain point, the flyweight moves away from the cam shaft, which positions the cam member out of contact with the cam follower. Some previous saddle-type compression release designs had pivot points on the cam shaft that required machining or drilling of the cam shaft. Modifying and machining a cam shaft is difficult because of its hardness and curved surface. The flyweights of some saddle-type designs also required apertures in the cam gear for clearance.
Other compression release mechanisms involve complex shapes that are difficult to manufacture and assemble. Complex designs usually require additional manufacturing steps which increase the cost of the part. Also, a complex part usually takes longer to assemble and is more likely to be assembled improperly.
The present invention includes a cam with a cam lobe and base radius. The cam is preferably slip fit over a cam shaft. A compression release member is preferably located adjacent the base radius and retained by a retainer, although the compression release member could be placed in other locations. In one embodiment, the compression release member is disposed in a slot on the base radius. The compression release member preferably comprises a first portion, a second portion, and a bridging portion that interconnects the first and second portions. Preferably, the first portion has an arc-shaped auxiliary cam surface that engages a cam follower, and the second portion functions as a flyweight. The pivot pin is preferably disposed within the curvature of the bridging portion and retains the compression release member in the slot. The bridging portion contacts the back surface of the slot, which absorbs the forces the cam follower applies on the compression release member. In the preferred embodiment, the compression release member may be symmetrical about a line through the bridging portion, but by no means is the invention limited to this embodiment. A symmetrical design provides additional benefits, but is not necessary to practice this invention.
In operation, the cam follower contacts the cam lobe as the cam shaft rotates. The compression release member is located in a slot along the base radius. At low speeds, the auxiliary cam surface engages the cam follower and slightly lifts the cam follower from the cam. Once the engine reaches higher running speeds, centrifugal forces pivot the compression release member out of contact with the cam follower.
The present invention achieves many advantages over previous compression release mechanisms. Biasing springs are not needed when the invention is incorporated into vertical shaft engines. The costly process of machining the cam shaft is no longer necessary because the compression release member is preferably integrated into the cam, which can be slip fit over the cam shaft. This arrangement can be readily integrated into an engine utilizing a cam lever and direct lever overhead valve system.
The back surface of the slot bears the forces the cam follower applies upon the compression release member. This substantially flat back surface is capable of supporting a relatively large amount of force and minimizes the forces applied on the pivot pin. The auxiliary cam surface is curved so there are no corners to cut into the cam follower. The cam follower is also preferably curved, and this smooth transition of the cam follower from the base radius to the compression release member extends the life of the parts.
In the preferred embodiment applied to a 5 hp engine, the compression release member is approximately 0.375 inches wide. This width dimension is wider than most previous compression release mechanisms and allows the forces transferred to the back surface to be distributed along a larger surface area. One skilled in the art will realize the invention does not require this large of a width dimension, and the size of the compression release member ultimately depends on the size of the cam lobe and the engine. The invention is by no means limited to this dimension, which merely provides an additional benefit of the preferred embodiment.
Additional advantages of this invention are derived from its efficient design. The compression release member may be easily stamped, or cut from a metal coil and bent into the proper shape. As previously mentioned, the compression release member may be symmetrical about a line through the bridging portion. While not necessary, the symmetrical design provides benefits during assembly of the invention. Since both the first and second portions are the substantially the same in this embodiment, either arced surface may be the auxiliary cam surface; the compression release member cannot be placed in the slot upside-down. This feature saves time during the assembly process, eliminates many mis-assembled parts, and reduces costs.


A method of authorizing performance of transcranial magnetic stimulation on a subject using a head mount adapted to bear one or more magnetic assembly devices having unique identifiers. The method comprises connecting the one or more magnetic assembly devices to a control device, each magnetic assembly device being installed at a location on the head mount, receiving, at the control device, the identifiers of the connected magnetic assembly devices. determining whether the installed magnetic assembly devices are authorized for the treatment based on the received identifiers and treatment configuration information in a database, and energizing the connected magnetic assembly devices based on the determination of authorization.

Commonly-owned U.S. patent Ser. No. 10/398,907 B2 entitled "Method and Apparatus for Providing Transcranial Magnetic Simulation (TMS) to a Patient", describes a transcranial magnetic stimulation apparatus ("TMS apparatus") that includes replaceable magnet assemblies that can be used to generate various patterns of transcranial magnetic stimulation. FIG. 1 is a side view of an example TMS apparatus 5. As shown, the TMS apparatus 5 includes a head mount or cap 10 for positioning on a subject's head and a plurality of magnet assemblies 15 that can be attached at specific attachment locations e.g. A, B, C, D, E, F to the surface of the head mount (in FIG. 1, magnetic assemblies are shown attached at locations A, C and E, obscuring the attachment points). The magnet assemblies are connected by leads 25 to a computer device (not shown in FIG. 1). The computer device can be programmed to activate any or all magnet assemblies to generate transcranial magnetic stimulation suited for a specific treatment. For example, the computer device can control magnets at different locations to deliver different magnitudes of stimulation, or to generate particular waveforms of stimulation (e.g., in periodic bursts or oscillatory waves) suited for stimulating activity in specific brain regions.
These waveforms are applied to the magnetic assemblies to set them into motion and to control rotation in order to deliver highly focal stimuli. The various parameters for controlling the magnetic assemblies, which include the waveforms (which can be applied in packet bursts), duty cycles, magnitudes, and rate of rotation, are tailored to the particular treatment or therapy contemplated. As such, the demands on the magnetic assemblies can vary depending on the intended treatment. Commercially available magnetic assemblies preferably are labeled as being approved for particular uses and for a finite number of times before being discarded.
For some medical applications, in order to ensure that a TMS apparatus is used in a medically safe and appropriate manner, it is important that the magnetic assemblies be utilized by licensed medical professionals in an approved way. It is also important that use of the magnetic assemblies operated within their rated number cycles and within the constraints of safe operating parameters since the performance of the assemblies can alter or degrade with repeated use and can degrade in a way that is inappropriate for repair and repackaging as the repaired device may not meet quality control standards.
For other current and envisioned applications of a TMS apparatus, such as home use (unsupervised) for medical purposes, or for non-medical applications such as but not limited to learning and concentration improvement, it is important that the magnetic assemblies be mounted and used properly. Additionally, for such unsupervised uses, the safety concerns outlined above apply with greater urgency.
It would therefore be helpful to provide a way to identify and track the use of particular magnetic assemblies used in a TMS apparatus to ensure that the assemblies are used only for authorized procedures and that the assemblies are not used more than their ratings will permit. The present invention addresses these and other needs.

Identifiable magnetic assemblies and communications


A receiving circuit for a communication unit of an access device has a resonance circuit (1) with a receiving coil (L) for converting a magnetic induction into electrical current, and a capacitor (C). The receiving circuit (10) further has a first resistor (R1) and a switching element (3) designed for controllably connecting and disconnecting the first resistor (R1) to the resonance circuit (1). The receiving circuit electrically connects the resonance circuit (1) to the first resistor (R1) when the circuitry of the resonance circuit (1) changes from a first circuitry (7) to a second circuitry (8), and electrically disconnects the first resistor (R1) from the resonance circuit (1) when the circuitry of the resonance circuit (1) changes from the second circuitry (8) to the first circuitry (7).

For modern access authorization systems and access monitoring systems, use is being increasingly made of electronic security systems or access arrangements in which the authentication of a person who is authorized for access is carried out using a data communication which takes place between a first communication device, which is usually arranged at the object to be accessed such as, for example, a motor vehicle, and a second communication device which is in the possession of the person who is authorized for access, said communication device being, for example, in an electronic key. With respect to the electronic security systems, a differentiation is made between active and passive access arrangements.
In the case of an active access arrangement, an identification code is transmitted from the second communication device to the first communication device, which is arranged, for example, in a vehicle. The transmission is typically brought about by pressing a corresponding pushbutton key on a mobile identification signal generator. In the second communication device, the transmitted identification code is checked, and in the case of success, the security device of the access arrangement is released or locked. Since the identification signal generator has to be intentionally activated by its possessor in order to permit said possessor, for example, to access his motor vehicle, this electronic access system is referred to as an active access arrangement.
In the case of a passive access arrangement such as is shown schematically in FIG. 2, for example, the first communication device KE1 of a motor vehicle FZ transmits interrogation signals NFS with specific field strength at regular intervals. If the second communication device KE2, which is provided in an identification signal generator IG such as a key, is located within the effective range of the first communication device, said second communication device KE2 can receive the interrogation signals of said first communication device and respond thereto with a response signal HFS in order to initiate an authentication process or pre-authentication process. The authentication is carried out by exchanging data telegrams which, inter alia, also transmit the authentication code (CO) from the second communication device to the first communication device. If the authentication is successful, the security device, such as a door lock TS, which is controlled by the access arrangement is released and can then be opened automatically or manually. Since the identification signal generator in the case presented does not have to be intentionally activated by its possessor, this electronic access system is referred to, in contrast to that explained above, as a passive access arrangement. Passive access arrangements are preferably used for what are referred to as keyless vehicle access systems.
The interrogation signal NFS is usually emitted in the inductive frequency range using a low frequency transmitter (LF transmitter), which usually operates in the kHz range, and is received by the LF receiver of the second communication device. The received interrogation signal is decoded and further processed to form a response signal HFS which is transmitted by the second communication device with low transmission power to the RF transceiver device of the first communication device via a radio frequency transmitter (RF transmitter) which is usually operated in the MHz range.
The transmission of the LF interrogation signal is referred to as a wakeup process. The quickly decreasing magnetic field of the interrogation signals which are transmitted by the first communication device limits the effective range of the access arrangement to a functional radius of typically less than ten meters. The functional radius is determined, on the one hand by the transmission power of the LF transmitter and on the other hand by the sensitivity of the LF receiver. The circuit electronics of the second communication device are usually supplied with current by a rechargeable energy store, for example an accumulator. The storage capacity of the energy store is, of course, very low in order to permit small dimensions of the second communication device.
Owing to the small autonomous power supply capacity, the LF receiver of the second communication device is generally designed as a receiver with low energy consumption. The LF receiver has a coil for receiving the magnetic component of the LF radio signals, referred to as the receiving coil. In order to optimize the reception sensitivity of the LF receiver, a suitable capacitor is connected parallel to the receiving coil, as a result of which a parallel resonant circuit is produced, the resonant frequency of which parallel resonant circuit is matched to the LF transmission frequency of the first communication device. The high output signal, achieved during the resonant peak, of the resonant circuit ensures a high level of sensitivity of the receiver to the LF transmission frequency of the first communication device. As a result it is possible to transmit the wakeup signal with a good signal-to-noise ratio.
The further communication between the first and second communication devices generally takes place as a function of the respective distance between the two communication devices. In order to determine the distance between the two devices, after the reception of the wakeup signal the field strength of the LF signal which is emitted by the first communication device is measured at the location of the LF receiver. This is done by measuring the output voltage of the resonant circuit described above. The precision of the determination of the field strength which is achieved with this measuring method is determined substantially by the change in the quality and the resonant frequency of the resonant circuit as a result of component tolerances, especially also as a result of external influences such as, for example, temperature effects. In particular at high quality the influence of a resonance frequency shift due to changes in capacitance or inductance is dominant. The properties of the induction of the oscillatory circuit which is designed to receive the magnetic component of the LF radio signals are highly temperature dependent. If the inductor is embodied as an air coil, the quality of the oscillatory circuit or resonant circuit changes as a result of the strong temperature dependence of the specific resistance of the coil wire. If a ferrite core coil is used, the likewise strong temperature response of the ferrite core is also added to this. Depending on the ambient conditions, the measurement of the same reception field strength can therefore lead to different measurement results.
In order, nevertheless, to obtain a sufficiently reliable measurement, it is customary to damp the oscillatory circuit with, for example, a resistor which is connected parallel to the inductor and capacitor. As a result, the resonance curve of the parallel oscillatory circuit is flattened, causing temperature changes of the capacitor or inductor to have a smaller effect on the resonance of the oscillatory circuit. Furthermore, this stabilizes the quality of the oscillatory circuit to a relatively low value and therefore brings about a more stable output voltage of the resonant circuit. However, a disadvantage with this is that the damping also leads to a reduction in the resonant peak and therefore to a reduction in the sensitivity of the receiving circuit for receiving the wakeup signal.
At present, a compromise is therefore aimed at between the still permissible measuring tolerance and the minimum necessary sensitivity, but said compromise means a departure from the optimum for each of the two operating modes.
If the autonomous power supply is no longer possible because of flat batteries, the passive function of the identification signal generator is also no longer provided. In this case, the release of vehicle devices is replaced by a transponder function. For this purpose, the second communication device is usually introduced into a station which is provided for that purpose and via which, on the one hand, the access control is processed and, on the other hand, an energy store of the second communication device is charged using an inductive LF signal. Subsequent to the charging process a communication can take place between the first communication device and the second communication device for the identification and subsequent release of the vehicle device. For a high level of efficiency of the charging process, the resonant circuit described above must have, as in the case of the reception of the wakeup signal, a high quality. However, the reduction in quality which is associated with the currently practiced compromise solution has an adverse effect on the transponder function.

Quality adjustment of a receiving circuit


The present invention is related to a method of exchanging data between mobile phones through an inter-working function or proxy inter-working function service. The method includes a first step in which as a transmitting user manipulates a keypad of a transmitting mobile phone, the transmitting mobile phone enters transmission mode. At a second step, as a receiving user manipulates a keypad of a receiving mobile phone, the receiving mobile phone enters reception mode. Thereafter, the transmitting and receiving mobile phones are operated in data exchange mode for transmitting data from the transmitting mobile phone to the receiving mobile phone. Finally, data transmission from the transmitting mobile phone to the receiving mobile phone is completed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a method of exchanging data between mobile phones, and more particularly to a method in which one mobile phone is connected with another mobile phone and exchanges data, such as melodies, animations, phone directories or multimedia files, with the other through an inter-working function or proxy inter-working function service.
2. Description of the Prior Art
With the development of mobile phones, the users of mobile phones store data, such as personal information, phone directories, schedules, in their mobile phones. Accordingly, users usually carry mobile phones as one of their necessities such as a diary or a pocket book. Additionally, the users of mobile phones often desire to share their information stored in their mobile phones with other persons by exchanging it with them.
As a result, the users of mobile phones demand technology for transmitting data stored in one mobile phone to another mobile phone and receiving data transmitted from the other phone.
Such technology is implemented for example in a system as shown in FIG. 1, which is comprised of a base station 300, a mobile switching center 400, and a telephone network 500. In this drawing, reference numerals 100 and 200 designate a mobile phone and a personal computer, respectively. The detailed description of this system is disclosed in Korean Pat. Appln. No. 2000-0052451. In the prior art system, although data exchange is easily performed, there are still inconveniences in exchanging data in that a certain computer program must be used and a computer must intervene in the exchange.
As another example of conventional data exchange technology, there is disclosed data exchange using infrared communication, as shown for example in FIG. 2.
The infrared ports of mobile phones are employed to allow data, such as melodies, animations, and phone directories, to be exchanged between mobile phones. In this case, a receiving mobile phone must be situated within the range of an angle of 30° and a distance of 10 cm from the infrared port of a transmitting mobile phone. Accordingly, when one mobile phone is not situated in physical proximity to another mobile phone, they cannot exchange data with each other. In brief, conventional data exchange is not reliable and has a functional distance limitation.

Method of exchanging data between mobile phones