A method and system for deriving a travel distance of an object which travels. As one aspect, a travel velocity of the object producing a pulse signal in response to travel of the object on the basis of a number of pulses of the pulse signal per unit time is calculated, and a plurality of unit travel distances corresponding to a plurality of travel states of the object every travel state are calculated. The plurality of travel states are different from each other and the unit travel distance is a travel distance per pulse calculated by dividing the calculated travel velocity by the number of the pulses of the pulse signal per unit time. And the plurality of calculated unit travel distances are memorized individually, from the plurality of memorized unit travel distances, the unit travel distance corresponding to the travel state of the object which is under travel is selected, and the travel distance of the object on the basis of the selected unit travel distance and the pulse signal is derived.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and system for deriving a travel distance of an object which travels, such as vehicles, and more particularly to the method and system which employ a combination of measurement of the travel distance based on a reception of position-measuring electric waves and measurement of the travel distance based on a stand-alone manner.
2. Description of the Related Art
At present, there are known navigation systems functioning as position-measuring devices for various vehicles such as automobiles, airplanes or ships. The navigation systems are generally constructed such that they display a position mark representing the current traveling position of a driver's vehicle at a determined point on a map including the current traveling position of the vehicle in a superimposed manner, so as to guide the driver in determining travel routes to a desired destination. In terms of the principle of operation, vehicle navigation systems are generally classified into two types: stand-alone type navigation systems and GPS (Global Positioning System) type navigation systems.
In the former navigation systems, a travel direction and a travel distance of a vehicle are determined on the basis of outputs of a velocity sensor and an angular velocity sensor both installed in the vehicle, the determined data regarding the direction and distance are added to data of a preset reference position to obtain a current traveling position, and data of the calculated current traveling position are used to place a mark in the superimposed manner, on a map displayed on a monitor.
In the latter navigation systems, position-measuring electric waves are received from a plurality of GPS satellites which have been launched into space, data of the received electric waves are used to calculate a current traveling position of a driver's vehicle through the three dimensional or two dimensional measurement technique, and data of the calculated current traveling position are used to place a position mark on a necessary map displayed by a monitor display screen in the superimposed manner.
Still, a recent tendency shows that a third type, called a hybrid type vehicle navigation system, having functions of both the standalone and the GPS types has been in common use.
The foregoing vehicle navigation systems permit the user (driver) to recognize a current traveling position of his vehicle in conjunction with a map around the current traveling position. As a result, if the driver is not very familiar with the area, he can get enough navigation information to reach a desired destination.
In addition to the foregoing method utilizing the position-measuring electric waves, the foregoing vehicle navigation systems may employ another method for calculating the travel distance of vehicles. Specifically, in such another method, a pulse signal outputted in response to the rotation of wheels (i.e., rotation of wheel shafts) is used to convert a travel velocity (km/h) measured using the position-measuring electric waves into velocity per second. The velocity per second thus obtained is divided by the number of pulses of the pulse signal, thus obtaining a travel distance per pulse (m/pulse) (hereinafter, referred to as "unit travel distance"). Multiplying the calculated unit travel distance by the total number of pulses detected during the travel produces a travel distance in a stand-alone manner.
In actual applications, however, calculating the travel distance obtained based on the position-measuring electric waves may pose some problems regarding its accuracy. For example, a variety of factors including changes in the number of GPS satellites usable for measuring positions and/or changes in reception states of position-measuring waves owing to surroundings around a current traveling position of a vehicle sometimes prevent travel distances from being calculated in high accuracy. Still, when vehicles run through shadowed places, such as tunnels, where position-measuring electric waves are hardly received, it frequently occurs that distances which a vehicle has moved during travel with receiving no position-measuring electric waves are not counted, thereby increasing errors of travel distances if such occasion happens. Thus, in the case of the foregoing hybrid-type vehicle navigation system, in normal operation, the unit travel distance is updated and held to calculate travel distances based on not only the number of pulses of a pulse signal produced in response to vehicle's travel but also the unit travel distance. If required, the unit travel distance held at that time will be corrected for error-less calculation of travel distances using the position-measuring electric waves.
Such configuration, where travel distances calculated in the stand-alone manner using regularly updated unit travel distances are corrected with a travel distance calculated based on position-measuring electric waves, provides higher accuracy in obtaining travel distances of vehicle.
However, there is another problem in calculation of travel distances based on the above-mentioned pulse signal. This problem, resulted from the fact that the unit travel distance is affected and changed by changes in travel states of a vehicle, is that accurate calculation of travel distances is not always guaranteed.
Various drawbacks concerning the errors of travel distances due to the travel state changes will be explained in detail for automobiles regarded as vehicles. The first drawback is concerned with seasonal kinds of tires. Winter tires and summer tires are different in diameter and air pressure from each other. Hence, for example, when driving in winter season, exchanging summer tires for winter tires inevitably produces a different unit travel distance. In this situation, the unit travel distance after the tire exchange will be updated based on the unit travel distance calculated based on the summer tires. Since there is a large difference in the unit travel distance between summer tires and winter tires, it takes excessive time for updating the unit travel distances. As a result, there are produced large errors of the unit travel distances during such excessive time interval (until it begins to obtain the unit travel distance suitable for the winter tires). The first drawback is therefore that proper calculation of travel distances cannot be made.
The second drawback is also directed to tire exchanges. Even if unit travel distances suitable for the winter tires are obtained after being exchanged for the winter tires, there is some possibility that travel states are changed by, for example temporarily applying chains to tires or slipping of tires. In this case, the update of unit travel distances will be made under chain-applied tires or slipped tires. Although such applying chains or slipping is a short-term event, unit travel distances discontinuously changes after removing the chains or end of the slip. Therefore, until a suitable unit travel distance for the winter tires is again obtained, the unit travel distances with larger errors will last, thereby providing the second drawback that travel distances cannot be calculated properly.
The third drawback arises when automobiles go backward. When automobiles normally go backward by setting the shift lever to the reverse position in the transmission, a backward travel signal indicative of the backward movement (i.e., the signal for turning on the back lamps) is produced. The foregoing conventional vehicle navigation systems monitor the logic level of the backward travel signal (usually the logic level "H" in backward movement), and does not add to the travel distance of the system (travel distance for forwarding) the travel distance obtained during the logic level of "H". In contrast, some automobiles are designed to generate the backward travel signal of "L" when they move backward. If trying to install the foregoing conventional navigation systems into both the two types of automobiles, there arises a drawback that a travel distance calculated in backward movement is automatically added to the travel distance which had been calculated in forward travel, because the systems misinterpret the backward travel signal of "L" as being the signal in forward movement. This also leads to the third drawback that is apt to increase errors in calculated travel distances.
Further, there is a fourth drawback relating to noise filters. Conventional vehicle navigation systems have an LPF (Low Pass Filter) for removing noise in a radio frequency band of the above-said pulse signal. However, different types of automobiles may produce various kinds of pulse signals different in the number of pulses generated per rotation of wheel shafts. For example, when the frequency band of an LPF is set to well be applied to automobiles where a higher number of pulses per rotation of wheel shafts is generated, the LPF cannot practically remove noise existing in a radio frequency band of a pulse signal generated by an automobile whose number of pulses per rotation of wheel shafts is lower. In consequence, noise would be included into the pulse signals of automobiles which generate lower numbers of pulses of in pulse signals, thereby providing the fourth drawback that reluctantly raises errors in travel distances calculated based on pulse signals into which noise is included largely.

Method and system for deriving travel distance of vehicle


A device may include a memory to store control policies set for a network of smart grid devices connected to a power grid, the control policies including an energy consumption threshold associated with the network of smart grid devices; and a processor configured to obtain network content including energy consumption data associated with the network of smart grid devices, compare the energy consumption data to the energy consumption threshold associated with the network of smart grid devices, generate a first instruction with respect to energy consumption associated with network of smart grid devices, and generate a second instruction with respect to replenishment of unforced capacity associated with the network of smart grid devices.

Smart grid devices are being used more and more in energy management systems to manage and control power consumption in smart grid networks installed in fixed, mobile or stationary buildings, facilities, plants, vehicles, installations, or other entities that that are connected to the power grid from which electrical power may be received. Some examples of smart grid devices include programmable HVAC systems, programmable thermostats, programmable controllers that control power cycles of certain devices (e.g., lights, appliances, etc.), computers, and other appliances equipped with power management features (e.g., sleep, hibernate, low power modes, etc.). Other forms of smart grid devices include devices that provide alternative energy sources to smart grid networks, such as a battery bank (e.g., that stores power for use during peak times or off-peak times), uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), generators, solar devices, wind power devices, etc. The use of smart grid devices reduces total power consumption by using less power than conventional devices. Additionally, the use of smart grid devices, in buildings or facilities, reduces demand on the power grid and reduces energy costs by enabling a greater portion of the total power to be consumed during non-peak times when energy costs are cheaper.

Remote energy management using persistent smart grid network context


The object of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing hydrogen-added water containing a large amount of microscopic bubbles and manufacturing equipment for the same so as to expand the industrial applicability of hydrogen-added water by injecting a large amount of microscopic bubbles. More specifically, a plurality of tubular structures, in which the diffusion chamber (5), having double tubes, is provided, and a porous element (6) having predetermined pore diameters, in the diffusion chamber (5) is provided and are substantially linearly arranged in a longitudinal direction. The raw water and hydrogen are supplied with one of the tubular structures, so as to form the mixture of raw water and hydrogen by mixing supplied raw water and hydrogen in the diffusion chamber (5). The mixture is passed through the porous element (6) and diffused therein. The mixture fluid of raw water and hydrogen is then supplied to an adjacent tubular structure under high pressure.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a hydrogen-added water and a device for the same, more specifically, relates to the method for continuously manufacturing the hydrogen-added water containing a large amount of microscopic bubbles of the hydrogen gas and the device for the same.
2. Related Art
Various oxidation-reduction systems are present inside of the body of mammals including humans (hereinafter, referred to as "living organisms"), many of which are related to one another and use the oxidation-reduction reaction. The electric potential in the oxidation-reduction systems inside the living organisms is directly related to the free energy changes of the reactions and equilibrium constants, which help to predict the direction of the reactions.
The oxidation-reduction reactions of mammal organs or the reaction inside living organisms have low electric potentials, normally in the range of −100 mV to −400 mV, with a pH in the range of 3 to 7. It is understood that, as the oxidation-reduction potential in bodily fluids increases, active oxygen is easily retained, which causes organ failures. Especially in the intestines, enteric microbes are very active in digesting and absorbing nutrient components, anaerobically reducing ambient oxygen needs to be maintained.
For example, the oxidation-reduction potential of "acetic acid+CO2+2H+/α-ketoglutarate reaction" within the living organism is −673 mV and the oxidation-reduction potential of "acetic acid+CO2/pyruvic acid reaction" is −699 mV. The oxidation-reduction potential of "acetic acid+2H+/acetaldehyde reaction" is −581 mV and the oxidation-reduction potential of ferredoxin is −413 mV. The oxidation-reduction potential of "xanthine+H+/hypoxanthine+H2O" is −371 mV, the oxidation-reduction potential of "uric acid+H+/xanthine+H2O" is −360 mV. The oxidation-reduction potential of acetoacetic acid+2H+/β-hydroxybutyric acid reaction" is −346 mV and the oxidation-reduction potential of "cystine+2H+/2 cysteine reaction" is −340 mV.
Thus, in the reactions of enzymes, coenzyme and metabolically-related substances within the living organism, the oxidation-reduction potential is low. Also, a water or food product having low oxidation-reduction potential has separating and eliminating effects on the active oxygen in the body and on molecules or atoms containing one or more unpaired electrons—i.e. free radicals—thereby enhancing the reaction of the active oxygen excisionase called SOD (superoxide dismutase).
Bodily fluids provide grounds for metabolic reactions inside the body, including oxidation-reduction reactions. Bodily fluids account for substantially 60% of living organisms, to which electrolytes, proteins, and especially water, or the like, are significant components. Water is especially important because reaction in a low oxidation-reduction potential is effective for living organisms.
Meanwhile, the oxidation-reduction potential of a tap water is +400 to +800 mV, with a pH in the range of 6.5 to 8. Consequently, it is believed that tap water does not keep balance with living organisms with an oxidation-reduction potential is in the range of −100 mV to −400 mV.
Current means exist for lowering the oxidation-reduction potential of water (for example, tap water) to less than zero by imposing electrolysis and a high frequency current on the water. However, in all methods thereof, the balance between the oxidation-reduction potential value and the pH is not ideal in terms of the oxidation-reduction reaction within living organisms.
Many other biological reactions accompany the oxidation-reduction reactions and play a pivotal role in metabolic reactions and the like. Also, outside living organisms, in a system (solution) containing an oxidant and a reductant, if an inactive electrode that is uninvolved in the oxidation-reduction reactions itself, such as platinum, is soaked in the solution, a potential difference appears between electrodes. The potential difference is the oxidation-reduction potential (Oxidation-Reduction Potential=ORP), the unit of which is referred to as mV. Herein, if an activity of the oxidant of a substance is [Ox] and that of the reductant thereof is [Red], the state that both are mixed is represented by the formula (1).Formula 1: [Ox]+n(e)→[Red]  (1);
wherein e is an electron, and n is an electron number that is moving.
The oxidation-reduction potential (mV) of the electrode reaction formula represented by the formula (1) is expressed by means of the Nernst's formula (2).Formula 2: E=E0+(RT/nF)ln [Ox]/[Red]  (2);
wherein R is a gas constant (8.31 Jmol−1K−1), T is an absolute temperature (K), and F is a Faraday constant (96406 JV−1). E0 is a standard oxidation-reduction potential when [Ox] is equal to [Red].
In the formula (2), ln [Ox]/[Red] is a natural logarithm. Accordingly, as the denominator "[Red]" is becomes much larger than the numerator "[Ox]", the negative value of the oxidation-reduction potential, E, is increased. In other words, theoretically, as the activity of the reductant [Red] is larger than that of the oxidant [Ox], the oxidation-reduction potential can be negatively charged.
More specifically, in the method of negatively changing the oxidation-reduction potential of raw water by blowing hydrogen into raw water in a mixed state of oxidant and reductant, it is important that the activity of the reductant [Red] be larger than that of the oxidant. In this case, efficiency is increased by blowing hydrogen into raw water, which is in the mixed state of oxidant and reductant, the contacting the water with a reduction catalyst like metal supported with the quartz porphyry.
The inventors have hitherto developed hydrogen solution manufacturing equipments based on the above-mentioned theoretical background (see JP 2005-177724). In particular, JP 2005-177724 discloses a hydrogen-added water manufacturing equipment, comprising a reaction tank, a raw water-supplying pipe watertightly connected to the reaction tank, a depressurizing pipe watertightly connected to the reaction tank, a hydrogen-supplying pipe watertightly connected to the reaction tank, and a water-extracting pipe watertightly connected to the reaction tank.
Recently, studies on microscopic bubbles and developments in application thereof have been well-practiced. Microscopic bubbles are defined as fine bubbles having diameters in the range of 10 to a few dozen μm. In general, the bubbles generated or formed in water are a few millimeters in diameter, but microscopic bubbles are characterized as having a hundredth thereof in diameter. In such formations, the microscopic bubbles have the high absorption efficiencies into bodily fluids, and are superior in homogeneity and dispersibility. Microscopic bubbles also increase biological activities of living organisms. Applications to diagnosis and treatment of cancer take advantage of the characteristic that the microscopic bubbles can produce heat up to about 70 degrees when they are exposed to ultrasound waves.

Method for manufacturing a hydrogen-added water and a device for the same


A method and system are provided for preventing the activation of a screen saver for locking user access to a computer while a user is near the computer. A controller capable of generating signals corresponding to an input device is connected to a user interface of a computer. The controller is connected to computer input devices (such as a keyboard or a mouse) and serves as a pass-through to the user interface for the input devices. The controller also includes a motion sensor for detecting a user's activity within a predetermined perimeter of the computer. The controller then determines if the user activity is non-computer activity by determining if input signals are being received from one of the computer input devices. If input signals are not being received from the computer input devices, the controller generates a pseudo user input corresponding to a command from a computer input device to prevent the screen saver from activating.

In today's society, the security of information stored on personal computers is of significant concern, especially in office environments where multiple persons may have access to a single computer. In recent years, a number of computer software applications have been developed to prevent access to personal computers. For example, screen saver programs include a security feature which hides a computer user's work from would-be snoopers if there are no keystrokes or mouse movements for a specified duration. These screen savers fill the computer display with an image or animation locking access to the personal computer until the user enters a password.
In office environments, personal computer security guidelines require that the screen saver lock access to the computer after a specified period of keyboard or mouse inactivity. The purpose of these guidelines is to ensure that the computer is not left unattended and thus subject to access by unauthorized users. Authorized users may gain access (i.e., logon) to a locked computer by entering an ID and password. These security guidelines are often ignored, however, because the screen saver activates and locks computer access while the authorized user is still in the office performing non-computer activities (such as reading, writing, talking on the telephone, etc.). Thus, when the user returns to their computer after performing these activities, the screen is locked, requiring the user to re-enter their ID and password.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for a method and system for preventing the activation of a screen saver for locking user access to a computer while a user is near the computer, but performing non-computer activities.

Method and system for preventing the activation of a computer screen saver

BellSouth Intellectual Property Corporation


A leak detector for sensing a test gas leaking into a vacuum chamber in accordance with this invention comprises a vacuum chamber having an opening, and a momentum transfer pump connected to such opening and serving to compress the gases emanating from the vacuum chamber. An entrainment pump is connected to receive the gases exhausted from the momentum transfer pump, with the entrainment pump having means for entrapping the active exhaust gases coming from the vacuum chamber, but not the noble gases, which remain in a gaseous state and continually increase in pressure. A mass spectrometer is connected to receive the output from the entrainment pump, with the entrapment of the active exhaust gas by the entrainment pump reducing the total pressure at the mass spectrometer gas detector, thus making possible the detection and measurement by the mass detector of extremely small noble gas leaks.

Noble gas leak detectors for detecting infinitesimally small leaks by means of inert noble tracer gases such as helium, argon, neon and the like, preferably helium, are known. One such detector is shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,070,992 and 3,227,872. The leak detector disclosed in those patents has a mechanical pump and a diffusion pump to evacuate the system, a pressure gauge tube, a mass spectrometer to detect gaseous material and a getter pump to remove active gases during the leak checking process.
The leak detector of those patents uses a titanium sublimation getter pump to remove the active gases and to hopefully leave the noble gases for leak detection. However, helium may be entrapped under the titanium that is sublimed off of a filament, which allows helium later to evolve slowly. That slow evolution of helium causes undesirable helium background and false signals.
Other aspects of these devices also contribute to an unwanted helium background with the result that these devices could only repeatedly detect leaks larger than, 10.sup.-12 atm cc/sec at 20.degree. C.
Other helium leak detectors use diffusion pumps that exhaust the gas from the diffusion pump into a mechanical pump. This gas then goes to the atmosphere. A liquid nitrogen cold trap is placed above the diffusion pump to capture oil molecules backstreaming from the diffusion pump and to also capture water vapor. A turbomolecular pump is sometimes used to replace the diffusion pump and liquid nitrogen trap. An inlet system on the other side of the mass spectrometer chamber allows gases to enter from the device under test. The inlet system contains a series of valves and usually another mechanical pump for initial evacuation of the gases in the device under test along with the inlet system.
Bergquist U.S. Pat. No. 4,492,110 entitled "Ultra Sensitive Noble Gas Leak Detector" uses a non-evaporable getter pump in the vacuum system that contains the mass spectrometer. During the leak test period no gases are exhausted. Active gases are captured by the getter pump, noble gases are not. The noble gases remain in a gaseous state and if helium enters the system through a leak in the component, the helium pressure increases. The helium pressure increases as long as helium surrounds the leak. This increase is detected and measured by the mass spectrometer, which detects leak rates as small as 10.sup.-16 torr liter/sec at 20.degree. C. However, the partial pressure of the noble gas remains uniform throughout the vacuum system. If the system has a very large volume, the partial pressure of the tracer gas will be too low to be detected even after a long period of accumulation.
Bergquist U.S. Pat. No. 4,608,866 entitled "Small Component Helium Leak Detector" uses a modified cryopump which entraps all gases except helium on its cooled surfaces. Helium remains in a gaseous state inside the vacuum chamber. This system entraps the gases entering from the inlet, not the exhaust side of the turbomolecular pump. Also, as with U.S. Pat. No. 4,492,110, there is no mechanism to increase the pressure of the tracer gas.
Bergquist U.S. Pat. No. 4,785,666 entitled "Method of Increasing the Sensitivity of Leak Detector in the Probe Mode" uses a modified cryopump, but again on the inlet side and without a tracer gas enricher.
The difference between Bergquist U.S. Pat. No. 4,608,866 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,785,666 is the approach used to introduce the gases into the cryopump. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,608,866 the gas comes in and out of a baffled flange at the top of the cryopump. Not all gases that are on top of the pump immediately enter the pump. Some of the gases may also come out of the cryopump before they enter the cold region and are frozen. U.S. Pat. No. 4,785,666 has the inlet gases going in on the bottom side of the cryopump where most of the gases are entrapped except helium which goes out on the top side of the pump to the leak detector to be measured.
Japanese U.S. Pat. No. 59-48630 aims at preventing the backstreaming of atmospheric helium to the detector region. It uses a sorption pump and a "helium reservoir" instead of a mechanical exhaust pump during the test cycle. This may eliminate the back diffusion of helium from the atmosphere and through the mechanical exhaust pump. However, the partial pressure of helium at the sensor head remains very low. The detector senses helium as it flows by the sensor head on its way to the "helium reservoir" and the sorption pump.
Japanese U.S. Pat. No. 58-35434 measures the helium pressure at the mid point of a turbomolecular pump, but does not allow the helium to accumulate nor does it preferentially pump active gases to lower the total pressure. The total pressure in the vacuum chamber must be approximately 10.sup.-10 torr before making the test, therefore leak testing is limited to extremely low chamber pressures.
None of these prior art devices uses an entrainment pump placed on the exhaust side of a turbomolecular pump, removing the active gases and collecting the noble gases, thus reducing the active gases to low enough pressure that a mass spectrometer can be operated to measure the noble gases accumulated in or around the entrainment pump.

Ultrasensitive helium leak detector for large systems

The Lyle E. & Barbara L. Bergquist Trust


An n-channel MOSFET, a p-channel MOSFET and a nonvolatile memory cell are provided for the same semiconductor substrate. The nonvolatile memory cell is formed on the semiconductor substrate, the n-channel MOSFET is formed in a p-type well region of the semiconductor substrate, and the p-channel MOSFET is formed in an n-type well region of the semiconductor substrate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device wherein an n-channel MOSFET, a p-channel MOSFET and a nonvolatile memory cell are formed in one chip.
2. Description of the Related Art
An EPROM, which is an example of a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device, is made up mainly of a group of EPROM memory cells, and a peripheral circuit such as a decoder used for selecting the memory cells. In general, the peripheral circuit is constituted by a MOSFET. Presently-available MOSFETs include an n-channel MOSFET and a p-channel MOSFET, and an EPROM whose peripheral circuit is formed by using these two types of MOSFETs is generally referred to as a CMOS-type EPROM.
In the CMOS-type EPROM, an n-channel MOSFET and an n-channel EPROM memory cell are formed in the major surface of a p-type silicon substrate, and a p-channel type MOSFET is formed on the surface of an n-type well region provided in the p-type silicon substrate.
In the n-channel EPROM memory cell, hot electrons are generated in the channel region of the memory cell transistor, and data writing is carried out, with the hot electrons being captured in a floating gate. The hot electrons have to be implanted into each of a number of floating gates with no deviation. In other words, it is required that the electron concentrations in the floating gates be uniform. To meet with this requirement, the EPROM memory cells are formed on the substrate surface where the impurity concentrations are uniform and stable, and the entire memory cell region is applied with a uniform electric field. It should be noted that the impurity concentration in the substrate is determined in accordance with the characteristics of the EPROM memory cell.
In the circuit section formed by an n-channel MOSFET and a p-channel MOSFET, so-called latch-up becomes a problem. The latch-up is a phenomenon observed in the case where the n-channel MOSFET and the p-channel MOSFET are formed on the same substrate. In this case, a parasitic thyristor within the substrate may be turned on, resulting in a continuous current flow between the two MOSFETs. If the latch-up occurs, the circuit may become out of order; in some cases, it may be broken. If the n-channel MOSFET and the p-channel MOSFET are miniaturized, the latch-up becomes very likely to occur.
In the COMS-type EPROM, the impurity concentration in the substrate is increased, so as to prevent the latch-up between the n-channel MOSFET and the p-channel MOSFET.
In the above method for preventing latch-up, however, it is difficult to increase the impurity concentration in the substrate to an optimal degree, and the impurity concentration in the substrate is liable to become high. If the impurity concentration is too high, the EPROM memory cell may have different characteristics, for example, different writing speeds. If the two types of elements are further miniaturized, the latch-up becomes more likely to occur, so that the reliability of the device is degraded very much.

Semiconductor device wherein n-channel MOSFET, p-channel MOSFET and nonvolatile memory cell are formed in one chip


A copolymer of the present invention comprises a repeating unit derived from phenylphenyl (meth)acrylate; a repeating unit derived from a hydroxyphenyl group-containing unsaturated compound; and a repeating unit derived from an epoxy group-containing unsaturated compound. The copolymer of the present invention brings together excellent transparency and a high refractive index. A resin film formed from the copolymer of the present invention can be suitably utilized in the formation of a protective film or interlayer insulating film for an electronic part such as a liquid crystal display device, an integrated circuit device, or a solid-state imaging device, the formation of a microlens or a microlens array, the formation of an optical waveguide, or the like.

As a method for obtaining a high-refractive index material, there has been known a method involving introducing a sulfur atom into an organic compound, a method involving forming a composite by combining inorganic particles each made of titanium oxide, zirconium oxide, or the like with an organic component (such as a polymer), or the like. However, the introduction of a large amount of the sulfur atoms may cause an odor problem or a reduction in stability due to a disulfide produced as a byproduct from an impurity in a raw material. Further, a composite of the inorganic particles and the organic component may cause a problem in association with the agglomeration of the particles (such as a reduction in transparency).
In addition, an attempt has been made to introduce an aromatic skeleton to obtain a high-refractive index material. In particular, a fluorene skeleton (9,9-bisphenolfluorene skeleton) out of the aromatic skeletons has characteristics such as a high refractive index and high heat resistance, and hence a high-refractive index material using a compound having such fluorene skeleton has been studied.
For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a photopolymerizable resin composition containing an epoxy resin having a fluorene skeleton (such as bisphenol fluorene diglycidyl ether or a 9,9-bis(glycidyloxy C2-4 alkoxyphenyl)fluorene), an alkoxysilane, and a photoacid generator. In addition, Patent Document 2 discloses a high-refractive index material obtained by curing a polymerizable composition containing a fluorene compound, a metal alkoxide, and a photoacid generator.
However, any such high-refractive index material using a compound with a fluorene skeleton uses a photoacid generator, and hence concern has been raised about a reduction in transparency due to the remaining of the generator.
Further, a photosensitive resin composition has been used in: the formation of a protective film for preventing the deterioration of, or damage to, an electronic part such as a TFT-type liquid crystal display device, a magnetic head device, an integrated circuit device, or a solid-state imaging device; the formation of an interlayer insulating film for insulating a gap between wirings placed in a layer manner; the formation of a microlens or a microlens array; or the formation of an optical waveguide. The photosensitive resin composition is required to have excellent transparency and to have a high refractive index from the viewpoint of a concentration.
Patent Document 3 discloses a composition comprising: a copolymer containing hydroxyphenyl (meth)acrylate and an epoxy group-containing unsaturated compound as polymerizable components; and a quinone diazide group-containing compound, as such a photosensitive resin composition. However, the refractive index of the composition is low and its transparency is insufficient.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application laid-open No. 2005-314692
Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application laid-open No. 2011-190179
Patent Document 3: Japanese Patent Application laid-open No. 2007-033518

Copolymer, monomer composition, resin solution, and resin film


This application provides a method, an apparatus, and a system for sending a terminal policy. After determining that a terminal is not reachable, a mobility management network element may send, to a visited policy control function network element, a notification indicating that a first message fails to be forwarded. The visited policy control function network element may determine, based on the notification, a first PTI allocated by a home policy control function network element to a first policy, and send, to the home policy control function network element, both the first PTI and the indication indicating that the first message fails to be forwarded, to notify the home policy control function network element.

In a 5th generation (5G) system, an access and mobility management function (AMF) may interact with a policy control function (PCF) to obtain a user equipment (UE) policy. The PCF provides the UE policy for a terminal through the AMF. PCFs include a visited policy control function (V-PCF) and a home policy control function (H-PCF).
However, in some scenarios, the AMF cannot send the UE policy to the terminal because the UE is not reachable. A processing method in this case has not been defined in the prior art.

Method, apparatus, and system for sending terminal policy


The main challenge in providing video on demand service is to meet the quality of service requirements under the conditions when both server and network are loaded. Disclosed is a system and method for meeting this challenge by using a streaming overlay network with edge and core nodes, by the determination of best possible path for bulk copying of a video data based on location information of the nodes thereby distributing load across the network, by the simultaneous frame streaming and bulk copying of a video data, by the caching of a video data in the overlay network, and by the streaming of the video data to a client from an edge node that is close to the client.

Video on demand as a service needs adequate infrastructure (network and servers) to meet Quality of Service (QoS) requirements. Relevant QoS parameters are time to start of the video and sustainable frame rate. Both these parameters are affected when a server that is to stream a video to a client and a network through which the server and the client are connected are loaded. However, the absolute loading of the network is relatively infrequent and it is useful to deploy approaches that exploit the network as a whole thereby overcoming the bottleneck due to relative loading situations. Relative loading indicates that the select paths in the network are overloaded while the rest of the paths are not so loaded. The approaches that exploit the network as a whole offers several advantages including being able to meet QoS requirements under trying conditions, being able to provide a best possible interactive environment for interacting with the video servers, and being able to enhance the return on investment on network and server infrastructure.
A network that supports video streaming can either be a public, general purpose network or a dedicated, special purpose network. Taking into account the cost of providing Video on Demand (VoD) services, it is essential to deploy a suitable mix of public and private networks. The dedicated network is primarily used to address the requirements related to the core activity of the VoD service while the public network is used for meeting the non-core activities of the video-service. A way to effectively meet the core activity of the VoD service is to determine a best possible path for streaming video when the network is loaded. There are several approaches for determining the best possible path and as this path determination is done in real-time, the deployed approach must be quite efficient. Furthermore, the overall approach must be scalable as the resource requirements of a deployed service normally increases with time.
Caching provides an additional way for effectively utilizing the network infrastructure. Caching of the video data helps in reducing the load on the video server as well as on the network. By using the cache effectively along with the point of presence of nodes of the dedicated network, it is possible to offer the video service in a best possible manner.

System and method for piecewise streaming of video using a dedicated overlay network

Satyam Computer Services Limited of Mayfair Centre


A highly reliable inexpensive RFID medium (Radio-frequency Identification medium) and a method of manufacturing the same is provided, particularly for small, thin RFID mediums.

The present invention relates to a wireless communication medium for use in wireless communication, more specifically, a radio-frequency identification medium (RFID medium) generally called an IC tag. More particularly, the present invention relates to techniques effectively applicable to a RFID medium that is intended for use in combination with a thin or flexible structure, and to a method of manufacture of such a RFID medium.
The inventors of the present invention have found through studies that a RFID medium facilitates commodity management for inventory and commodity distribution, and authentication of commodities. The RFID medium has become prevalently used in combination with commodities for its inherent advantages. The RFID medium includes an IC chip for data processing and storage, and an antenna for signal transmission and reception. The RFID medium is shaped according to its intended usages in the form of a card or a sheet.
Usually a method of manufacturing a RFID medium uses a hot-pressing method or a lamination method. FIGS. 16(a) and 16(b) are sectional views of a RFID medium being formed by a general hot-pressing method. As shown in FIG. 16(a), a module 102, which is formed by joining an IC chip 100 and an antenna 101, is held between a base sheet 103 and a covering sheet 104 to form a structure. The structure is placed on a press 105, and the structure is compressed between a heated upper plate 106 and a heated lower plate 107 to form a semifinished RFID medium by bonding the base sheet 103 and the covering sheet 104 together. Then, the semifinished RFID, medium is shaped to obtain a RFID medium as shown in FIG. 16(b).
There are many lamination methods, including those disclosed in the below-listed Patent Documents 1 and 2.
A lamination method mentioned in Patent Document 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 17 to 20. FIG. 17 shows an arrangement of component parts; FIG. 18 is a view illustrating a process of forming recesses in a base sheet; FIG. 19 shows an assembly of the base sheet and a cover sheet placed on the base sheet; and FIG. 20 is a sectional view of a finished, individual product.
As shown in FIG. 17, the lamination method mentioned in Patent document 1 forms hollows 113 in a base sheet 110; places modules 102, each formed by combining an IC chip 100 and an antenna 101, in the hollows 113; and laminates a covering sheet 104 to the base sheet 110 to protect the modules 102.
The hollows 113 are formed in the base sheet 110 by passing the base sheet 110 between two rotating rollers 111 and 112, as shown in FIG. 18. The roller 111 has an embossed circumference with a shape complementary to the shape of the hollow 113. The rollers 111 and 112 are heated to a temperature substantially equal to the softening point of the base sheet 110, so that the hollows 113 may be easily formed.
After the modules 102 have been placed in the hollows 113 of the base sheet 110, the covering sheet 104 is laminated to the base sheet by a hot-pressing method, a lamination method or an ultrasonic bonding method to form a laminated sheet having the modules 102, as shown in FIG. 19. The laminated sheet is cut into individual finished products, each including one module 102, as shown in FIG. 20.
A method mentioned in Patent Document 2 will be described with reference to FIGS. 21 to 23. FIG. 21 is a diagram illustrating a method of manufacturing an IC-inlaid band and an IC tag; FIG. 22 is a sectional view showing separate IC tag bodies; and FIG. 23 is a sectional view of IC tags formed by attaching labels to the IC tag bodies, respectively.
Referring to FIG. 21, which illustrates the method of manufacturing an IC-inlaid band and an IC tag, an IC-inlaid band a is wound around a roller A, a release sheet b is wound around a roller B, and a combined sheet formed by attaching the IC-inlaid band to the release sheet b is taken up on a roller C. The IC-inlaid band a unwound from the roller A is bonded to the release sheet b by rollers 201 and 202 to form the combined sheet, and the combined sheet is taken up on the roller C. An adhesive 204 is applied to the release sheet b using an application roller 200 before the release sheet b is bonded to the IC-inlaid band a. The combined sheet is cut with a cutting blade 203, which is disposed between the rollers 201, 202 and the roller C, such that the release sheet b is not cut and IC-inlaid parts are separated. An unnecessary part is taken up on a roller D.
In a state after the combined sheet has been thus cut, a release sheet 205 consists of a base sheet and a silicone resin layer 210, and IC inlays 208, each consisting of an IC chip 207 and an antenna, not shown, are separately arranged on the release sheet 205 with gaps 209 formed between the adjacent IC inlays 208, as shown in FIG. 22. Then, labels 211 are attached to the IC inlays 208, as shown in FIG. 23. The roller C is used in a process similar to that shown in FIG. 21 to increase the width of the gaps 209 on the release sheet according to the size of the labels 211.
[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2003-67696
[Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2002-187223

Wireless communication medium and method of manufacturing the same

Abstract: A RFID medium includes a transmitting/receiving antenna 2 and an IC chip 3. A rectangular part of a base sheet 1, having a major surface on which transmitting/receiving antennas 2 are formed, is folded along one of the long sides thereof, and the other three sides are bonded to the base sheet 1 so as to cover the transmitting/receiving antenna 2 and the IC chip 3 connected to the transmitting/receiving antenna 2. The base sheet 1 has spacing parts of a predetermined shape for covering the transmitting/receiving antenna 2 and the IC chip 3 connected to the transmitting/receiving antenna 2. The transmitting/receiving antennas 2 and the spacing parts 22 are arranged alternately. The base sheet 1 is rolled in a roll.


A tool holder has a chuck portion with a retaining bore in which a cutting tool can be inserted. The tool has flat surfaces extending from its end, and a circumferential groove at rear ends of the flat surfaces. When the tool is inserted into the retaining bore, first protrusions of the tool holder pass through spaces between the flat surfaces and the inner wall of the retaining bore and fitted in the groove. When the tool is turned, the protrusions move in and engage the side edges of the groove, thus preventing the tool from pulling out of the chuck portion. When the first protrusions are fitted in the groove, second protrusions of the tool holder are located on the flat surfaces. When the tool is turned, the second protrusions are received in ends of the respective spaces, thereby preventing rotation of the tool relative to the chuck portion.

As shown in FIG. 1, which shows one embodiment of the present invention, a tool holder A used to mount a cutting tool on a machining center includes a shank portion 1 which can be detachably mounted to a spindle of a machining center, and a chuck portion 2 fixed to the shank portion 1 through a grip portion 3 to be gripped by a manipulator.
Since today's spindles are rotated at increasingly high speeds, it is for example required that tool holders be capable of gripping a cutting tool 30 strongly and with high accuracy, have sufficient rigidity, rotatable in a balanced manner. Among tool holders that meet these requirements are known as shrink fit tool holders, in which the cutting tool 30 is fitted in the chuck portion 2 by shrink fitting (which are disclosed in the below-identified Patent documents 1 to 4).
Due to recent advanced technology, increasing numbers of parts made of materials which are difficult to cut, such as aluminum alloys and titanium alloys, are used in aerospace, motor-related and other industries. These parts include aluminum structural parts such as airframes, wing ribs and bulkheads of aircraft, titanium structural parts such as air frame components and edge frame, and blades and impellers of motors.
Spindles of machine tools (machining centers) used to efficiently machine or cut these difficult-to-cut materials are rotated at as high as 33000 rpm or over, with the output of the spindle motors at as high as 80 kW (100 HP) or over, in machining aluminum, and the spindle torque could reach 1500 Nm in machining titanium. Machining centers capable of withstanding such high loads are now commercially available.
Since conventional machining centers having three axes (capable of moving up and down, right and left, and back and forth) are low in machining efficiency, 5-axis control machining centers, which have two rotation center axes (A- and B-axes) in addition to the above three axes, are now increasingly frequently used.
During machining of such difficult-to-cut materials, especially using a 5-axis control machining center, especially high gripping force (gripping torque) is required for the cutting tool holder.
The gripping force is the force which receives and withstands cutting loads applied to the cutting tool 30 during cutting. The larger this gripping force, the higher the cutting efficiency. In other words, the larger the gripping force (gripping torque) of the tool holder, the higher the cutting ability is, and the smaller the gripping force, the lower the cutting ability. For higher efficiency, it is also required that the tool holder have high rigidity (due e.g. to a large diameter of its grip portion, and its short effective length) and the cutting tool also have high rigidity (due e.g. to a short length of its protruding portion and due to the fact that it is made of cemented carbide). The gripping force is important because the larger the gripping force, the deeper it is possible to cut the material at a higher feed rate, which means that the higher the gripping force, the higher the machining efficiency, which significantly influences productivity and costs.
When machining aluminum, the higher the cutting speed is, the higher the cutting efficiency tends to be. Since aluminum is lower in strength than steel, it can be cut deeper. Thus, when machining aluminum, the depth of cut is set at a larger value. But if the depth of cut is large, the tool holder and the cutting tool tend to chatter (vibrate) violently. Violent chattering (vibration) of the tool holder and the cutting tool could easily cause slippage between the tool holder and the cutting tool, even if the gripping force is considered to be sufficient. Such slippage could result in the cutting tool being pulled out of the tool holder.
On the other hand, titanium is high in mechanical strength, low in thermal conductivity (and thus heat dissipation), high in affinity for other metals, and can easily react with oxygen and nitrogen, so that titanium is classified as a difficult-to-cut material. Titanium generates peculiar serration-shaped chips due to fluctuations in cutting force. Due to fluctuations in cutting force, violent "chattering" occurs, which causes premature wear of the cutting tool. The worn cutting tool increases cutting torque, which could in turn causes slippage of the cutting tool or the cutting tool to be pulled out of the tool holder.
Parts for aircraft are frequently manufactured by cutting a huge material to be cut. Such material to be cut is expensive and if parts are excessively cut due to separation of the cutting tool, it is impossible to repair such excessively cut parts, resulting in immense loss.
Thus, it is an ordinary practice to increase safety standards and reduce the standards for machining conditions. But this makes it impossible to perform machining with high efficiency expected for such machining.
As explained above, since shrink fit tool holders can cope with high-speed rotation of spindles, can grip the cutting tool 30 with high accuracy and with high strength, are rigid, and allows the cutting tool to be rotated in a balanced manner, slender and tapered shrink fit holders are frequently used in the mold manufacturing field, especially during deep carving. This is mainly because by using such a holder, the holder is less likely to interfere with the workpiece, so that it is possible to use a relatively short cutting tool, which increases the rigidity of the cutting tool, thereby improving the machining accuracy and increasing the life of the cutting tool (see Patent document 1).
But in the fields of high-efficiency machining of aluminum and machining of difficult-to-cut materials such as titanium, including the aircraft-related fields, such tapered shrink fit holders are not considered to be as satisfactory as used in the mold manufacturing field.


A method for determining illness of a biological entity, progression to non-acute death of the biological entity, and/or timing of non-acute death of the biological entity. A comparison of measured values of resistance, reactance, phase angle, extracellular and intracellular water volumes, and membrane status of whole body and regions of the entity show hallmarks of the state of health of the entity.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a method for determining illness of a biological entity, progression to death of said biological entity, and/or timing of death of said biological entity.
The terms "biological entity", "patient" and "subject" as used herein mean: "any and all human beings, animals and/or living organisms."
The term "non-acute death" as used herein means: "any death that does not occur acutely; it occurs more than four days (96 hours) from a precipitous event or illness; it is the end-point of a process whose duration exceeds the four-day reference; unlike that death resulting from a proximate, immediate or acute event, a 'non-acute death' occurs over time."
(2) Description of Related Art including information disclosed under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98.
The prior, but not necessarily relevant, art is exemplified by: Bagno U.S. Pat. No. 2,111,135; Hanson U.S. Pat. No. 2,852,739; Tolles U.S. Pat. No. 3,085,566; Thomasset U.S. Pat. No. 3,316,896; Max et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,498,288; Sigworth U.S. Pat. No. 3,882,851; Ghislaine et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,823,804; Gallup et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,372,141; Kotler U.S. Pat. No. 5,615,689; Brasile U.S. Pat. No. 6,024,698; Cherepenin et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,236,866; and Kobayashi U.S. Patent Application Publication 2001/0023362.
A desideratum of the present invention is to avoid the animadversions of conventional methods and techniques, and to provide a novel method for determining illness of a biological entity, progression to death of said biological entity, and/or timing of death of said biological entity.

Methods for determining illness, progression to death, and/or timing of death of biological entity


An attacker is prevented from obtaining information about the configuration of a computer system. Each of one or more revealing content elements that may be found in outgoing data transmitted by the computer system and that are capable of being used by the attacker to obtain the information about the configuration of the computer system is associated with one or more respective replacement content elements. Outgoing data to be transmitted by the computer system are then scanned for these one or more revealing content elements. A revealing content element found in the outgoing data is replaced by a replacement content element from the one or more replacement content elements associated with that revealing content element. This is done before the outgoing data is transmitted.

Corporate computer systems often store confidential internal and customer information. As a result, they are frequently targeted for attacks by directed attackers (also called "hackers" or "crackers") who wish to use the confidential information for unlawful purposes. In fact, for many businesses, the increasing threat of the exposure of confidential information in networked computer systems represents the largest area of concern for financial loss, especially when customer credit card or banking details may be exposed. Total losses in 2005 due to the theft of confidential information from computer systems are estimated to be $30 million.
A directed attacker attempts to penetrate a specific target computer system by discovering and exploiting weaknesses that make the particular computer system vulnerable. One technique for doing this is called network fingerprinting. A packet of data transmitted from a networked computer system typically contains information in a set of protocol header fields corresponding to its particular protocol stack (e.g., Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and Internet Protocol (IP)). Unfortunately, the content of many of these protocol header fields may reveal configuration information about the sending computer system. Using network fingerprinting techniques, a directed attacker may analyze the revealing content elements in the protocol header fields in order to determine a computer system's operating system, software applications, equipment manufacturers, protocol header vendors, and other detailed system information. For example, a computer system's operating system (e.g., Microsoft Windows®, Linux®, Mac OS®, etc.) can usually be accurately determined by examining the content of fewer than nine different TCP/IP protocol header fields. Once determined, the attacker leverages any detected vulnerabilities in order penetrate the targeted computer system's security features. After gaining access to the target computer system, the attacker then steals and/or destroys information, depending on the attacker's motives. The attacker may also install "backdoors" such as Trojans or rootkits to bypass security patches or improved security mechanisms that may be implemented in the future. Such backdoors are typically very hard to detect and to eliminate.
A popular network fingerprinting tool is Nmap, presently available without cost as open-source software from Insecure.org. Nmap tests a target computer system by sending a series of TCP and User Datagram Protocol (UDP) data packets to the target computer system and examining the responses that it receives. After performing dozens of such tests, Nmap compares the results to its database of more than 1,500 known operating system fingerprints and displays the operating system details if there is a match.
In addition to, or as an alternative to the above-described network fingerprinting, a directed attacker may attempt to discover configuration information about a target computer system by simply trying to access a target system through its available communication applications. These communication applications will often implement communication protocols such as the Teletype Network Protocol (TELNET), the File Transfer Protocol (FTP), and the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP). Frequently, these communication applications display a banner (or response header) on their login and exit screens, as well and on other screens (e.g., screens indicating that the maximum number of connections has been reached). As in the case of protocol header fields, the content of these banners may reveal operating system and version information in addition to other information that can be exploited by a determined directed attacker. This additional or alternative discovery technique is sometime called "banner grabbing."
There are, of course, several existing techniques for securing networked computer systems. Nevertheless, although these techniques have some success in stopping mass attacks (i.e., attacks that are not directed at a particular computer system), they are typically not adequate to prevent directed attacks by sophisticated attackers or attacks involving previously unknown vulnerabilities (e.g., vulnerabilities that have not yet been patched). Network firewalls, anti-virus software, and intruder detection systems, for example, attempt to discover malicious content in data packets sent to and from a computer system and to restrict network users to legitimate users and systems. Even so, however, these conventional techniques continue to allow packets without malicious content to be transmitted from a networked computer system with information that can be exploited by directed attackers using network fingerprinting. In addition, these conventional techniques do not typically determine the content that a communication application provides via its banners. Sensitive confidential data, as a result, continues to remain potentially exposed.
For these reasons, a need exists for additional techniques and apparatus for reducing the vulnerability of networked computer systems to directed attacks.

Networked computer system with reduced vulnerability to directed attacks


An inkjet printing correction method is used with an inkjet printing apparatus. The inkjet printing correction method includes the following steps. Firstly, a first test image file is printed out as a print test pattern by the inkjet printing apparatus. Then, the print test pattern is scanned to obtain a second test image file. Then, all second block intervals are compared with respective first block intervals, thereby obtaining correction interval difference data. According to the comparing results, a procedure of ejecting ink droplets from the ink nozzles is determined to be advanced or delayed.

With increasing development of personal computers, inkjet printing apparatuses are widely used as peripheral devices of personal computers. By means of the inkjet printing apparatus, the document file of a computer could be printed on many kinds of media (e.g. papers). FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view illustrating an inkjet printing apparatus according to the prior art. As shown in FIG. 1, the inkjet printing apparatus 1 comprises an ink cartridge 10, multiple ink nozzles (not shown), a transmission mechanism 11, a paper input tray 12 and a paper output tray 13. The ink cartridge 10 is used for storing ink. The ink nozzles are disposed at the bottom of the transmission mechanism 11. The ink nozzles are moved by the transmission mechanism 11 such that ink could be ejected through the ink nozzles to be printed on any position of a blank paper P. The blank paper P is placed on the paper input tray 12. After an inkjet printing operation is performed, the paper P is exited to the paper output tray 13.
During the printing process of the inkjet printing apparatus 1, the blank paper P on the paper input tray 12 is fed into the inkjet printing apparatus 1 in a feeding direction Y and the transmission mechanism 11 is moved in a printing direction X. The printing direction X is perpendicular to the feeding direction Y. After the inkjet printing operation is completed, the paper P is exited to the paper output tray 13.
Generally, after the inkjet printing apparatus 1 is communicated with the computer and a print driver is installed, the inkjet printing apparatus 1 will perform a print testing operation. For performing the print testing operation, a first test image file stored in the computer is printed on a paper as a print test pattern. By visually examining the colors or image positions of the print test pattern, the user could discriminate whether the printing capability of the inkjet printing apparatus 1 is still satisfactory.
FIG. 2 is a schematic view illustrating a first test image file for performing the print testing operation by the inkjet printing apparatus according to the prior art. The first test image file T comprises multiple first blocks b11˜bnn. The interval between every two adjacent first blocks is equal. For example, the first block b11 and the first block b12 are distant from each other by a first block interval D1. The first block b12 and the first block b13 are distant from each other by another first block interval D2. The first block b11 and the first block b21 are distant from each other by another first block interval D3. The first block interval D1, the first block interval D2 and the first block interval D3 are equal. Due to many factors adversely affecting to the inkjet printing apparatus 1, the intervals between adjacent physical blocks of the print test pattern are possibly unequal. For example, if the surface of the moving shaft of the transmission mechanism 11, which is disposed along the printing direction X, is not flat, the transmission mechanism 11 will be moved at inconsistent speeds during the printing operation of the inkjet printing apparatus 1. Under this circumstance, the print test pattern is erroneous.
For correcting the inkjet printing apparatus 1 and increasing the inkjet accuracy, the print test pattern is then scanned by an image scanner in order to obtain a second test image file. Similarly, the second test image file includes multiple second blocks. Every two adjacent first blocks are distant from each other by a second block interval. The positions and the intervals of the second blocks included in the second test image file are identical to those of the physical blocks included in the print test pattern. Next, the second block intervals of the second test image file are accumulated and an average value of the accumulated second block intervals is calculated. The average value is compared with the first block interval (e.g. D1) of the first test image file T. According to the comparing result, the timing of ejecting the ink of the inkjet printing apparatus 1 is adjusted. After adjustment, the intervals between adjacent physical blocks of the print test pattern are equal to the average value.
Although the conventional printing correction method is effective to adjust the equal intervals of the physical blocks, there are still some drawbacks. For example, in comparison with the first test image file T, all blocks included in the adjusted print test pattern are slightly shifted. In other words, the images printed by the corrected inkjet printing apparatus 1 are somewhat distorted.
Therefore, there is a need of providing an inkjet printing correction method for obtaining a non-distorted image so as to obviate the drawbacks encountered from the prior art.

Inkjet printing correction method and inkjet printing apparatus


The present invention aims at depth or field improvements or digital cameras, where differently-focused images of a scene, to be photographed, are exposed. A final image is produced from these primary-shots, where depth of field-limitations related to classic photo-lenses, are essentially eliminated. Specific new problems related to camera-viewfinders and camera-focusing are emerging however, due to the increasing number of images being registered. Following the present invention, advantageous procedures regarding camera viewfinders, for visualizing the individual primary shots as well as images processed for improved depth of field, are outlined. A simple technique for upgrading a standard digital camera for depth of field-improvement operation, including an adequate method for preselecting focuses, is illustrated by FIG. 5. These problems and others, related to a photographers adjustments and handling of various kinds of depth of field-enhancing cameras are remedied by applying the present invention.

A depth of field-improving system where differently focused photographic images of one and the same scene are being registered thereafter combined, is known from a previous patent PCT/SE01/02889. Digital registration in particular, makes it feasible to obtain pictures featuring sharp definition from extreme proximity distance up to infinity, more or less. Other options, referring to the same patent, are described as well. Its possible, according to the same invention, to execute separate exposures, one after another, with intervening range adjustments of the camera lens. However, practical circumstances make it more advantageous in certain cases to perform these exposures simultaneously, for example by using beamsplitters.

Digital camera with viewfinder designed for improved depth of field photographing


A method, apparatus, software product, and network element enable a user equipment to operate in an idle mode, to sense a change in the broadcasted location area, and to then report that change to a network without requiring a dedicated connection to the network. This embodiment is achieved by sending an identifier via an uplink transport channel, and then the user equipment receives a resource allocation that is based at least partly on the identifier. The user equipment provides an uplink signal via the allocated resource, including a user equipment identity in the uplink signal. When the user equipment receives confirmation, including the user equipment identity, then the user equipment reenters the idle mode. The uplink signal provided an update as to the location area of the user equipment, although other types of signals can instead be provided this way to the network.

LTE, or Long Term Evolution (also known sometimes as 3.9G) is a name for research and development, involving the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), to identify technologies and capabilities that can improve systems such as the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS). It is known that a user equipment (UE) will be in an idle state when it is not in a connected state. Once in the connected state, there are a number of possible states that the UE can be in, and it is often possible to transition between those states. LTE is concerned with both the idle state as well as the connected states.
A Radio Link Identity (RLID) is similar to a Cell Radio Network Temporary Identifier (C-RNTI) in the Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN). In the LTE, a user equipment (UE) in idle mode does not automatically have a cell-specific RLID which may be needed by the network (NW) so as to allocate resources for sending and/or receiving data. Thus, when the UE attempts to perform some procedure in idle mode, such as attempting a Location Area Update (LAU), the UE often needs to receive the RLID in order to be able to communicate with the NW. Obtaining the RLID sometimes requires quite a lot of signaling, and it would be desirable to reduce or eliminate that amount of signaling.
Location updating is a procedure used to ensure that the network knows the location of the UE when the UE is in an idle state. In this state, the UE does not have an active signaling connection to the network, but nevertheless the network is responsible for tracking the location of the UE. For example, the UE can decode a broadcasted location area identifier of the UE's current cell, and if the location area identifier changes, due to movement of the UE, then the UE can perform an LAU to notify the network. One possible purpose for the network to have this kind of location awareness is to control the amount of paging required by the network in order to reach a specific UE; the network can merely page those specific cells that are part of the location area where the UE is located.
In former systems, such as the Global System for Mobile (GSM) Communications Enhanced Data Rates for Global Evolution (EDGE) Radio Access Network (GERAN) and such as UTRAN, the UE has needed to establish a dedicated connection in order to perform the location area update (LAU). Unfortunately, that has entailed a relatively inefficient use of resources.

Method, apparatus, network element and software product for location area update optimization


An apparatus and corresponding method for managing busy lamp field (hereinafter, referred to as BLF) information in an inter-networking system are provided which are capable of collecting and managing BLF information of every PBX in a BLF information repeater added to the inter-networking system. The BLF information repeater reduces the load of the inter-networking system by transmitting the BLF information to a PBX that requests the BLF information.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an inter-networking system. More particularly, the invention relates to an apparatus and corresponding method for managing busy lamp field (hereinafter, as BLF) information in an inter-networking system.
2. Background of the Related Art
Inter-networking means that a communication network is formed or a communication network is widened by inter-connection of communication networks, such as inter-connection among/of a plurality of dispersed and independent local area networks (hereinafter LAN) or inter-connection among/of the LAN and wide area networks (WAN), to form an inter-networking system. Generally, inter-networking systems use connection only apparatuses, such as a bridge or a router and the like, to connect LANs having identical or similar communication protocols. A gateway is used in an inter-connection for communication networks which require conversion of protocol.
In an inter-networking system, a plurality of private branch exchanges (hereinafter referred to as PBX) are interworked to create a system. The system transmits status information of a subscriber, which belongs to each system (PBX), to an opposite PBX to interwork the plurality of PBXs. The status information of the PBX subscriber is transmitted as busy lamp field (hereinafter referred to as BLF) information, and the BLF information indicates the number and status of the subscriber as 1 byte.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a conventional inter-networking system. As shown in FIG. 1, the inter-networking system includes a plurality of PBX, PBX A 10, PBX B 20, and PBX C 30, which exist in each sub-network. A plurality of extension subscribers A1–A3 are connected to the sub-network in which the PBX A 10 is positioned, a plurality of extension subscribers B1, B2 are connected to the sub-network in which the PBX B 20 is positioned, and similarly a plurality of extension subscribers C1–C3 are connected to the sub-network in which the PBX C 30 is positioned. The plurality of PBX 10–30 are mutually connected to each other, and communicate by sending and receiving BLF information according to a BLF information requesting message of the extension subscriber, that is, extension status report message (BLF Req. Status report message).
The sub-network is also called as a sub-net. The term sub-net means a network which can be recognized as a part, which is divided separably, even though it belongs to an organization. Generally, a sub-network connects all computers in a region, building or LAN, and the sub-network can be connected to the internet as a shared network address.
FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing the flow of signals between the PBX A 10 and PBX B 20 of FIG. 1 when an extension subscriber registers/unregisters registration for the extension of the PBX B 20, or removes the extension.
The communication process of each PBX in the inter-networking system will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.
Since it is not clear to a PBX which extension subscriber of its extension subscribers is registered with which key phone of an opposite PBX, the PBX transmits the BLF information of all of its extension subscribers. That is, when extension status is requested from the PBX B 20, since the PBX A 10 does not know which subscribers A1–A3 are registered with the PBX B 20, the PBX A 10 transmits the BLF information for all of its extension subscribers A1–A3 to the PBX B 20 through the BLF Req. Status Report message in step S10.
The above transmission method is a multi-casting transmission method in which one or more senders transmit data to specifically one or more receivers, and is mainly used in internet visual communicating conference. For the multi-casting transmission, data is transmitted by indicating an address of a group to which the senders belong in the header of the transmitted packet, instead of the address of the receivers.
Also, the BLF information indicates the subscriber extension status (subscriber registration or subscriber unregistration) of a PBX subscriber to another PBX in the inter-networking system, or an extension remove status of the PBX. When the BLF Req. Status Report message of the subscriber is received from the PBX, the respective PBX B 20 checks the subscriber extension status of the PBX A 10 in step S11 and transmit a BLF Res. Ack message of the subscriber to the PBX A 10 in step S12.
In the general conventional inter-networking system, each PBX does not know which of its subscribers are registered with which PBX of the opposite sub-network. Accordingly, it must transmit BLF information of all of its subscribers to every PBX. Accordingly, in an inter-networking system which interworks a plurality of PBXs as if they are one system, in case where the number of PBX or the number of subscribers of the respective PBXs increases, the amount of data that the respective PBXs must transmit is exponentially increased, thus degrading the performance of the whole system and decreasing data transmission speed.

Apparatus and method for managing BLF information in an inter-networking system


An encoding/decoding device corrects errors by concatenated codes of an ECC code and a parity code to prevent an increase in the circuit scale and to improve error correction performance. The device has encoders for creating a concatenation type encoded data by interleaving a data string into a plurality of blocks at every m (m≧2) bit, adding a parity of an error correcting code and adding a parity bit at every predetermined number of bits for preventing an increase in the circuit scale even if the data string is interleaved into a plurality of blocks, and a parity of error correcting code is generated. Also ECC decoding circuits for correcting an ECC decoded data string using the likeliness of a soft output decoder and parity check result are provided, so a deterioration of correction performance can also be prevented.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an encoding device, decoding device, encoding/decoding device and recording/reproducing of data including an error correcting code used for a recording/reproducing device and a communication device, and more particularly to an encoding device, decoding device, encoding/decoding device and recording/reproducing device for an error correction of a data block in which an ECC code is added.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a field of such a recording/reproducing device as a magnetic disk device, and a communication system, a data decoding technology using maximum likelihood sequence detection and an error correction technology using ECC (Error Correction Code) are widely used to improve the reliability of data reproduction when data is reproduced from low quality transmission signals and recording/reproducing signals.
RS (Reed Solomon) code is used as this ECC code. In a bit string which is output from a maximum Likelihood detection unit, an incorrect value enters in several bits because of the influence of the medium noise and the circuit noise. In ECC, a bit string having an error is corrected, and an error-corrected bit string is output. For example, in the case of a magnetic disk device, retry is required if ECC correction fails, but retry should be avoided as much as possible. So it is proposed that some candidate strings are received from a maximum likelihood detector, and whether the candidate string can be decoded with ECC is sequentially tried (e.g. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H11-330985).
FIG. 37 to FIG. 39 are diagrams depicting an error correction operation based on Reed Solomon codes, and FIG. 40 is a block diagram depicting a conventional error correction circuit using a maximum likelihood sequence.
First encoding will be described. As FIG. 37 shows, a Reed Solomon code with the number of error corrections t is generated by a generation polynomial of degree 2t. For example, if the Galois field used for encoding is GF (third power of 2), and if the number of error corrections t is "1", then the generation polynomial of the Reed Solomon code is given by the following Expression (1), for example, using a primitive element α.
      [          Expression                                      1        ]                                                                                G                                                        (                    x                    )                                                                                =                                                                                (                                          x                                                                                -                                                                                1                                        )                                    ·                                      (                                          x                                                                                -                                                                                α                                        )                                                                                =                                                                                x                    2                                                                                +                                                                                α                      3                                                                                x                                                                                +                                                                                α                                                                                (          1          )
In this example, three bits of a bit string are handled as one symbol, and a parity string with the 2t (=2) symbols is added to the information string in ECC encoding. For example, in the case of encoding the information string in FIG. 37, the information strings (bit representation) "001", "110" and "101" correspond to 1, the fifth power of α, and the fourth power of α in the Galois field representation respectively. The j-th symbol here indicates the coefficient of the term xj of the polynomial of the transmission word string. Therefore the bit string (information string) represents the polynomial x4+α5 x3+x4 x2.
As FIG. 38 shows, in ECC encoding, a polynomial represented by a bit string is divided by the generation polynomial of Expression (1), and a parity string which represents the acquired remainder polynomial α4 x+α4 is added to the bit string. Since the coefficient of the terms of degree 1 and degree 0 of x are both α4 in the remainder polynomial, a parity string shown in FIG. 37 is added, and a transmission word string comprised of five symbols is generated.
If this transmission word string is recorded on a magnetic disk and is read, for example, a receive word string, including an error, may be input to the ECC decoder, as shown in FIG. 39. This receive word string is given by the following Expression (2).[Expression 2]Y(x)=αx4+α5x3+α4x2+α4x+α4  (2)
As FIG. 40 shows, in the receive side error correction circuit, a maximum likelihood detector 20 creates a plurality of candidate data strings from the input signals according to the maximum likelihood sequence. A data storage section 31 stores a plurality of created candidate data strings. An ECC decoder 22 is comprised of a syndrome calculation section 41, an error locator polynomial calculation section 42, a chien search execution section 43 and an error value calculation section 44.
The syndrome calculation section 41 calculates a syndrome calculation expression (described later) of the data string which is input to the ECC decoder 22. The error locator polynomial calculation section 42 calculates an error locator polynomial (described later) from the syndrome polynomial. For the calculation algorithm of the error locator polynomial, the Euclid method or Berlekamp Massey method, for example, is used (e.g. E. R. Berlekamp, "Algebraic Coding Theory", McGraw-Hill Book Co., pp. 176 to 199 and pp. 218 to 240, New York, 1968, and J. L. Massay, "Shift-register Synthesis and BCH Decoding", IEEE Transactions on Information Theory, Vol. IT-15, pp. 122 to 127, 1969).
The chien search execution section 43 executes a chien search, and decides a position on a data string where an error exists (error position) using the above mentioned error locator polynomial. The error value calculation section 44 corrects an incorrect value at the error position to a correct value. Then a decoding judgment section 32 checks the validity of the data string after correction, which is output from the error value calculation section 44, and if not valid, the decoding judgment section 32 judges this as a correction failure, and instructs the data storage section 31 to output the next decoding candidate data string.
First the syndrome calculation section 41 calculates a syndrome polynomial for the receive word string in FIG. 39, for example, using the following Expression (3).[Expression 3]S(x)=s1+s2x s1=Y(1)s2=Y(α)  (3)
In Expression (3), a syndrome si (i=1, 2, . . . , 2t) is a value acquired by substituting the i-th root of the generation polynomial G (x) of Expression (1) in the receive word polynomial Y (x), and the syndrome polynomial S (x) is a polynomial where the syndrome si is a coefficient of the term xi-1. If no error is included in the receive word string, all of si becomes "0".
Then the error locator polynomial calculation section 42 calculates the error locator polynomial C (x) of the following Expression (4) from the syndrome polynomial S (x) according to the Berlekamp Massey method.[Expression 4]C(x)=1+α−4x  (4)
Then using the error locator polynomial C (x) of Expression (4), the chien search execution section 43 calculates the value of C (αj) (j=0, 1, 2, 3, 4), and outputs position j where C (αj)=0 is established, as an error position. In the case of the example in FIG. 39, C (α4)=1+α−4·α4=0, so it can be detected that an error exists in the fourth symbol.
Then the error value calculation section 44 calculates a correct value of the fourth symbol based on a predetermined algorithm using the syndrome polynomial S (x) of Expression (3) and the error locator polynomial C (x) of Expression (4), and this bit string is corrected. In this case, a correct value "1" is determined and the fourth symbol in the receive word string shown in FIG. 39 is corrected from α to "1".
In the case of a magnetic device, for example, the Reed Solomon code where the number of error corrections t=20 is used as shown in FIG. 41. In ECC encoding, 10 bits constitute one symbol, and a parity string comprised of 40 symbols is inserted before one sector of a bit string (4096 bits=410 symbols). In this case, the syndrome polynomial S (x) and the error locator polynomial C (x) are given by the following Expression (5) and (6), for example.[Expression 5]S(x)=s1+s2x+ . . . +s40x39  (5)[Expression 6]C(x)=1+x+α2x2+ . . . +α35x8  (6)
On the other hand, when a block length is long, as shown in FIG. 42, the r interleave method may be used (FIG. 42 shows an example of an r=4 interleave). In other words, a block is divided into r number of blocks, and RS codes (ECC codes) are calculated for the divided blocks using the above mentioned polynomial, and added.
In terms of error correction performance, the 1 interleave method is better than the r interleave method. In other words, as FIG. 41 shows, in the case of the one interleave method, RS codes are created for an entire one block according to the above mentioned encoding and decoding principles, so correction is for an entire one block and performance is high. In the case of the r interleave method, RS codes are created for 1/r of one block, as shown in FIG. 42, so error correction is for 1/r of one block, and therefore performance is lower than the one interleave method.
For example, if one block is 4 kbytes (=32,000 bits), 12 bits of RS code must be used for each symbol as ECC code. In other words, if one symbol consists of 10 bits, the maximal number of bits is 210−1=1023 symbols (=10230 bits), and one entire block cannot be corrected.
If one symbol consists of 12 bits, the target number of bits is 212−1=4092 symbols (49104 bits), and one entire block can be corrected. However if the number of bits in one symbol is increased, the ECC encoder, decoder and buffer increases, and the circuit scale expands several times compared with the case of the current 10 bits in one symbol.
Whereas if the current one symbol 10 bit ECC is used, one interleave configuration cannot be used, instead a four interleave configuration must be used. But in this case, the error correction performance drops compared with the one interleave configuration.

Decoding device, encoding/decoding device and recording/reproducing device


A non-volatile semiconductor memory cell comprises a P-type semiconductor substrate (5) and N+ diffusion regions (6) spaced apart from each other on the principal surface of a P-type substrate (5). Each N+ diffusion region (6) can be used as source or drain of a transistor. Between any two adjacent N+ diffusion regions and under the gates is located the channel region (7). A control Y gate (8) is formed on an insulation layer above a portion of the channel and extends over a portion of N+ diffusion region (6). A floating gate (9) is formed on an insulation layer above the control Y gate (8) and the rest of the channel, and extends over a portion of another N+ diffusion region (6). A control X gate (10) is formed on an insulation layer above the floating gate (9) and N+ diffusion regions (6). Isolation between N+ diffusions (6), not covered by the control X gate (10), is provided by P+ diffusion regions (11) diffused into the substrate between each cell and its adjacent cells, or by oxide filled trench, or by relatively thick field oxide. The resulting structures are reliable contactless EPROM's or EEPROM's.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to semiconductor memories, and, in particular, to non-volatile, Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EPROM), and Electrically Erasable and Programmable Read-Only Memory (EEPROM).
2. Prior Art
Metal Oxide Semiconductor (MOS) semiconductor memory devices, in particular, floating gate MOS transistor structures used as memory cells, are well-known in the art. In general, such devices operate by charging or discharging a floating gate, which floating gate then affects whether the device will easily conduct or will not easily conduct current from drain to source of the MOS transistor. The status of the floating gate as either electrically charged or discharged, which controls the conductance of the channel of the MOS device so that the device can be tested to identify a storage state, makes the device useful in the same fashion as other bi-stable data storage devices such as magnetic cores, flip-flops, and so forth. Memory arrays made of such devices are programmed to one state or the other depending upon the memory storage requirement for each particular cell. By choosing an appropriate convention for an EEPROM, a "0", for example, may be represented as the presence of conduction or, at least relatively high conduction through a cell, and a "1" as the absence of conduction, or relatively low conduction, through a cell, or vice-a-versa.
In EEPROM devices, two mechanisms are generally used for electrically charging or discharging the floating gate: Fowler-Nordheim tunneling and channel hot-electron injection. By Fowler-Nordheim tunneling, the floating gate is charged or discharged by use of a relatively high potential across a thin dielectric layer such as silicon dioxide, causing tunneling of electrons onto or out of the floating gate.
By applying suitable voltages to the gate, drain and source, channel hot electron injection can be made to occur when the channel is near pinch-off, causing an increase in the number of "hot" or high energy electrons, some of which have sufficient energy to transit the insulation layer barrier which separates the channel, from the floating gate. Charges on the floating gate remain after the programming conditions are removed due to the insulation layer such as silicon dioxide which surrounds it.
To make a useful device from the single memory cell which has been described, a plurality of such cells is arranged into rows and columns, groups of drains of memory cells generally being connected by lines called a "bitlines" and groups of gates of memory cells being connected by lines called "wordlines". Each individual cell within the array can be addressed, and its contents can be read-out, by applying appropriate signals to the selected bitline and wordline associated with that particular cell. When so addressed, the existence of charge (or its absence) on the floating gate is determined by interrogating the cell individually and sensing whether it is conductive or non-conductive between the source and the drain. In practical arrays, the individual bits are not read out singly, but are rather read out as bytes: groups of eight related bits.
The geometry of a conventional EPROM cell comprises a channel disposed between drain and source. Overlying the channel and isolated from it by a thin insulating layer is a floating gate. The floating gate is sandwiched between the channel and a select gate and isolated from them by insulating layers. A contact on the drain provides for connection to the bit-line. A wordline extends to each cell. A source line is common to a group of cells. Adjacent cells are isolated by thick field oxide. Such a cell requires space for the contact and the thick field oxide regions which occupy substantial, expensive "real estate" on the silicon substrate.
Recently, EPROM/EEPROM cells which do not require field oxide and contacts were reported. (See, for example, R. Kazerounian, et al.; IEDM Technical Digest Papers, paper 11.5.1, pp 311-314, (1991) or B. J. Woo, et al.; IEDM Technical Digest Papers, paper 5.1.1, pp 91-94, (1990). or Yoshimitsu Yamauchi:, et al; IEDM91, pp 319 to 322.)
Gill, U.S. Pat. No. 5,051,796, issued Sep. 24, 1991, describes buried bitline construction of memory arrays.
Such buried bitlines offer many improvements in construction over the earlier structures, and can provide a theoretically higher density than cells having contacts, in that the area occupied by the cell is reduced by the absence of the metallic contact. However, the buried bitline has high capacitance and, in particular, causes high drain-to-gate capacitance. This causes a reduction in the immunity of the cells to spurious signals which frequently occur during programming.
As memory storage size demands increase, the demands for miniaturization of each individual cell increase correspondingly, the goal being ever-expanding capacity in ever-decreasing physical size, while the cost per bit remains steady or, preferably, decreases. To increase the chip density, the individual cell size must be decreased through various methods such as eliminating contacts, replacing field oxide isolation by junction isolation, and the like. To further reduce cell size, the capacitance coupling ratio of the floating gate to the control gate must be increased, and the control and select methods must be made more reliable.