A system for securing kernel metadata communication in environments employing distributed software services includes a first and a second host linked by a network, where a distributed software service stack at each host includes a respective user-mode software layer and a respective kernel-mode software layer. The first host may be configured to establish a user-mode connection with the second host, e.g., using a secure user-mode communication protocol such as SSL (Secure Sockets Layer). The first and the second hosts may then exchange respective security keys over the secure user-mode connection, upload the security keys to the respective kernel-mode software layers, and use the security keys to secure communication over a kernel-mode connection between the two hosts.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to computer systems and, more particularly, to securing kernel metadata communication in systems employing distributed software services.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many business organizations and governmental entities rely upon applications that process large amounts of data, often exceeding a terabyte or more of data for mission-critical applications. Numerous servers may be utilized to provide the needed processing, and the data may be distributed across multiple, often heterogeneous, storage devices. In order to handle such heavy processing loads and large volumes of data, various types of distributed software services may be used in such environments, such as distributed computing services (e.g., facilities that split up large processing tasks into smaller tasks for execution at various hosts), distributed storage virtualization, cluster management, distributed file systems, distributed content management, distributed workflow management solutions and the like.
In many distributed software service deployments, the software stack at a given computer host may include a user-mode layer and a kernel-mode or privileged layer. The user-mode layer may perform tasks such as data manipulations or computations that require relatively rare interactions with operating system functions such as process management or device interactions, while the kernel-mode layer may interact heavily with the operating systems in use at the hosts. In many cases the kernel-mode layers of the distributed software service stacks at different hosts may need to communicate metadata (e.g., configuration information related to the specific software service being provided) to each other. While in some environments, networks with limited accessibility (e.g., fibre channel links that are isolated from Internet Protocol (IP) networks) may be used for inter-host communication of such metadata, the popularity of shared commodity networks (such as Ethernet-based IP networks) for this purpose is increasing. Typically, secure communication protocols such as Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) may be available for user-mode interactions over such networks, but may not be easily usable for kernel-mode interactions. A technique that utilizes secure communication facilities available at the user-mode layers to achieve secure kernel-to-kernel metadata communication may therefore be desirable.
In particular, distributed storage virtualization services may benefit from such a technique. Distributed storage virtualization includes a set of services to provide enhanced storage functionality and reduce the complexity of dealing with large heterogeneous storage environments. Virtualization services may be configured to present physical storage devices as virtual storage devices (e.g., logical volumes in block storage environments) to storage clients, and to add storage features not present in individual storage devices to the storage model. For example, features to increase fault tolerance, such as data mirroring, snapshot/fixed image creation, or data parity, as well as features to increase data access performance, such as disk striping, may be implemented in the storage model via hardware or software. As in the case of other distributed services, virtualization services software may include user and kernel layers at both virtualization servers (e.g., hosts that provide or support the virtualization features) and virtualization clients (e.g., hosts where the virtualization features are utilized). The metadata that may need to be communicated between kernel layers at virtualization servers and clients may include virtual device layout information (i.e., logical address to physical address translation information), access permissions, security tokens used by various clients to access specific virtual devices, etc. When transmitted over general-purpose networks such as IP networks, such sensitive metadata may result in increased vulnerability to malicious attacks. A mechanism to enhance the security of kernel-to-kernel storage virtualization metadata communication may therefore be particularly beneficial.

Securing kernel metadata communication in environments employing distributed software services


A circuit to characterize the matching of energy-storage components is provided. The circuit includes a linear resistor and a power source. The circuit is electrically connected to two serially connected energy-storage elements, for example, a pair of capacitors. The matching between the two capacitors can be evaluated by measuring the slopes of a function relating the input and the output voltageof the circuit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a circuit to characterize the matching of electronic components. More particularly, the present invention relates to a circuit to characterize the matching of energy-storage components.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a mixed mode circuit design, the matching between neighboring devices is very important. Using capacitors as an example, measuring the matching condition between two neighboring capacitors can provide the circuit designers with important information in terms of circuit design. However, the accuracy of most capacitance measuring meters is often too low to obtain a precise capacitance value for assessing the degree of matching between two capacitors.
FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram showing a conventional circuit for characterizing the matching of capacitors. The circuit 10 comprises a PMOS transistor 11 and a current supply 13. The first source/drain terminal of the PMOS transistor 11 is electrically connected to the current supply 13 and the output voltage Vout. Two capacitors to be measured are a first capacitor 91 and a second capacitor 93. A second terminal of the first capacitor 91 is electrically connected to a first terminal of the second capacitor 93 and a gate terminal of the PMOS transistor 11.
If the first terminal of the first capacitor 91 is P1 and the second terminal of the capacitor 93 is P3, the conventional method is to connect P3 of the second capacitor 93 to a ground and to connect P1 of the first capacitor 91 to an input voltage Vina to produce an output voltage Vouta. Here, assuming that the first capacitor 91 has a capacitance C1 and the second capacitor 93 has a capacitance C3, then the relationship between the input voltage Vina and the output voltage Vouta can be given by the following formula:Vouta=Vina×C1/(C1+C3+Cpar)  (1).
Similarly, if the P1 terminal of the first capacitor 91 is electrically connected to the input voltage Vinb to produce a corresponding output voltage Voutb, then the relationship between the input voltage Vinb and the output voltage Voutb can be given by the following formula:Voutb=Vinb×C1/(C1+C3+Cpar)  (2).
FIG. 2 is a graph showing the functional relationship between the input voltage Vin and the output voltage Vout. As shown in FIG. 2, the straight line 21 shows the functional relationship between the input voltage Vin and the output voltage Vout and the value of the slope S1 can be represented using the following formula:
S1=(Voutb−Vouta)/(Vinb−Vina), and according to formulae (1) and (2), the above formula can be given by:
S1=C1/(C1+C3+Cpar) (3), wherein Cpar is the parasitic capacitance of the conventional circuit 10.
Thereafter, the terminal P1 of the first capacitor 91 is connected to a ground and the terminal P3 of the second capacitor 93 is electrically connected to a dc input voltage Vin. Similarly, the slope S2 (the slope of the straight line 22) of the functional relationship between the input voltage and the output voltage can be obtained from the following formula:S2=C3/(C1+C3+Cpar)  (4).
After some operation of formulae (3) and (4), the following formula is obtained:2×(S1−S2)/(S1+S2)=2×(C1−C2)/(C1+C2)  (5).
According to formula (5), if the two slopes S1 and S2 of the functional relation between the input voltage and the output voltage are obtained, the degree of matching between the first capacitor 91 and the second capacitor 93 can be computed.
However, the conventional method has the following disadvantages.
1. If the capacitors to be measured have a large capacitance or are inter-digital capacitors, the PMOS transistor can be easily damaged due to the antenna effect, such that the measurement cannot be achieved.
2. The PMOS transistor can have a variety of designs or specifications so that the testing conditions need to be changed constantly. In other words, the person taking the measurement must set up a new set of testing conditions to reflect the design and specification of the PMOS transistor. Thus, the measuring process is complicated and cumbersome.
3. As shown in FIG. 3, which is a graph showing the functional relationship between the input voltage and the output voltage for matching different capacitors with different sizes of capacitance using a conventional circuit, the shape of the function differs for each capacitance value. Furthermore, the PMOS transistor is a non-linear device so that only a portion of the graph has a linear characteristic. If the area for getting the slope lies in a non-linear region, an accurate result cannot be obtained.

Circuit to characterize matching of energy-storage components


A temperature sensor comprising: a flange having a bore and mounted on a fluid pipe having a fluid flow, to prevent said fluid from leaking out; an MI cable formed to have metallic cores insulated and retained on a metallic outer cylinder, and fixed in such a mode in said bore that a leading end side of said MI cable protrudes from a leading end side of said flange and extends in an axial direction; a metallic cap fixed on a leading end side outer circumference of said MI cable and having fluid communication ports for allowing said fluid to flow therein; and a temperature sensing element including: a ceramic substrate housed in said cap; a sensing portion formed over said ceramic substrate and having electric characteristics varied with a temperature of said fluid; and a wiring portion for connecting said sensing portion and said metallic cores of said MI cable electrically.

In the prior art, there has been known a temperature sensor, as called the "exhaust temperature sensor", which is disposed in the exhaust pipe of the vehicle and used for detecting the temperature of the exhaust gas. Moreover, a known temperature sensor of this kind has a structure, in which a ceramic substrate having a metallic resist or made of a material of a platinum-group is mounted as a temperature sensing portion (as referred to JP-A-2002-168701).
A detailed construction of the temperature sensor is shown in FIG. 7. A ceramic substrate 81 is fixed by a holding member 90 in a cylindrical case 80 made of a metal. The ceramic substrate 81 is formed into a slender plate shape having wiring layers 81a applied on its one face, as shown in FIG. 8. A metallic resistor 82 made of a thermistor material of a platinum group or the like is printed on the leading end side of the ceramic substrate 81. On the trailing end side of the ceramic substrate 81, there are fixed terminals 83, which are electrically connected with the metallic resistor 82 through the wiring layers 81a. The terminals 83 of the ceramic substrate 81 are connected with the cores 92 of an Mineral Insulated ("MI") cable 91 extending through a spacer 93 from the case 80, as shown in FIG. 7. At a position of a length L1 from the leading end of the case 80, on the other hand, there is formed a flange portion 80a, around which a nut 94 is turnably mounted. On the leading end side of this flange portion 80a, there is formed a seal surface 80c, which makes close contact with the mounting seat face of the exhaust pipe thereby to prevent the exhaust gas from leaking out. In the leading end side of the case 80, moreover, there are formed a plurality of fluid communication ports 80b for providing the communication of the exhaust gas with the inside of the case 80. Here, the MI cable 91 is called the "sheath core", too, and is provided with the cores 92 inside of a cylindrical outer cylinder made of a metal. This outer cylinder is insulated and filled with ceramics or the like so that the cores 92 are held while being insulated from the outer cylinder.
In this temperature sensor, the metallic resistor 82 outputs a resistance varying with the temperature of the exhaust gas, as an electric signal, which is extracted to the outside of the case 80 by the cores 92 of the MI cable 91. Thus, the temperature of the exhaust gas is measured by the temperature sensor so that the engine or the like of the vehicle is properly controlled according to the measured temperature.


Disclosed are embodiments of heat pump systems and methods for operating such systems in the heating mode while a heat pump operating parameter reaches or is equal to a predetermined operating value at which it is not advisable to use conventional heat pump systems for heating an enclosed structure. In addition to ancillary components, the heat pump systems includes indoor, outdoor and auxiliary heat exchangers, reversing and flow diverting valves, compressors, refrigerant superheat controllers, and auxiliary energy sources. During the heating mode of operation, while the heat pump operating parameter reaches or is equal to the predetermined operating value, the flow of liquid refrigerant through the outdoor heat exchangers is inhibited and is diverted to flow through the auxiliary heat exchangers. Thermal energy from the auxiliary energy source is used for evaporating the liquid refrigerant flowing through the auxiliary heat exchangers.

Heat pump systems are used for both heating and cooling an enclosed structure. In general, during the heating mode of operation, liquid refrigerant supplied to an outdoor heat exchanger is evaporated by extracting thermal energy from the outdoor air, and the refrigerant vapor is subsequently condensed in an indoor heat exchanger, thereby heating at least that portion of the enclosed structure in which the indoor heat exchanger is located. The liquid refrigerant is then returned to and evaporated in the outdoor heat exchanger. During the cooling mode of operation, liquid refrigerant supplied to the indoor heat exchanger is evaporated by extracting thermal energy from, and thereby cooling, at least that portion of the enclosed structure in which the indoor heat exchanger is located, and the refrigerant vapor is subsequently condensed in the outdoor heat exchanger. The liquid refrigerant is then returned to and evaporated in the indoor heat exchanger. These conventional processes are well known to skilled artisans in the present field.
During the heating mode of operation, as the outdoor air temperature decreases, the thermal energy extractable from the outdoor air for evaporating the liquid refrigerant in the outdoor heat exchanger also decreases. Thus, when the outdoor air temperature gets cool enough, it becomes increasingly inefficient and difficult to vaporize the refrigerant in sufficient quantity and quality for heating the enclosed structure.

Heat pump system with auxiliary heat exchanger


A process for forming an interlayer dielectric layer is disclosed. The method comprises first forming a carbon-doped oxide (CDO) layer with a first concentration of carbon dopants therein. Next, the CDO layer is further formed with a second concentration of carbon dopants therein, wherein the first concentration is different than the second concentration.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to low k dielectrics, and more particularly, to a carbon doped oxide having a carbon doping concentration that is graded.
2. Background Information
As integrated circuit technology advances, integrated circuit devices become smaller and smaller. This allows for greater speed and increased device packing densities. Sizes of individual features, for example the transistor gate length, on modern integrated circuits is shrinking to less than 50 nanometers. The resultant increase in packing densities has greatly increased the number and density of metal interconnects on each chip.
The metal interconnects (which consist of conducting lines and vias) have become smaller, more complex, and more closely spaced. The smaller sizes of the interconnect pitch leads to RC (resistance-capacitance) coupling problems which include propagation delays and cross talk noise between interlevel and intralevel conductors. RC delays thus limit improvement in device performance. Additionally, fringing electrical field effects near the metal lines may adversely affect performance of the interconnects.
Capacitance can be reduced by employing low dielectric constant (low k) dielectric materials to insulate the metal interconnect lines. Since capacitance is directly proportional to the dielectric constant of the insulating material, the RC delay can be reduced when a low k material is used. Various semiconductor equipment manufacturers have developed low k dielectrics. One of the most promising low k dielectrics is the carbon-doped oxide (SiOxCyHz).
While carbon doped oxide (CDO) film has been found useful to reduce capacitance by lowering film density and polarizability of bonds, CDO film has poor thermal and mechanical properties. For example, CDO exhibits poor hardness, is susceptible to cracking, and has low thermal conductivity.


A method and apparatus for cooling a workpiece, tool or the like by subjecting the workpiece, tool or the like to a coolant that has been heated to have a temperature near the temperature at which the coolant changes phase from liquid to gas. Thus, the coolant can quickly draw a substantial amount of heat from the workpiece, tool or the like in order to effect a phase change from liquid to gas. Typically, the coolant is preheated to within a predefined range of the phase change temperature, such as within 5° C. or even 1° C.

A number of processes, such as a number of manufacturing processes, require cooling. For example, a workpiece may need to be cooled in order to be properly formed or straightened. Similarly, a bit, such as a drill bit or a bit used for welding applications, such as friction-stir welding, may need to be cooled during use. In order to provide for such cooling, a coolant, such as water, is frequently placed in thermal contact with the workpiece, the tool or the like.
For example, metallic plates, such as those formed of steel, may be thermally formed or straightened. In this regard, a metallic plate may be heated, such as by means of an induction head, and thereafter bent or straightened, as desired. In order to initiate the bending or straightening process, the heated, metallic plate is quenched with a considerable amount of water. By quenching the metallic plate, the metal matrix recrystallizes which causes the metallic plate to bend or be straightened, as desired.
Similarly, tools, such as bits, generally experience an increase in temperature during use. With respect to a drill bit or a bit for use in welding applications, such as friction-stir welding applications, coolant, such as water, is commonly sprayed on or circulated through channels in such bits in order to cool the bits and permit continued machining.
Relatively cool water is typically utilized in these applications. Cooling is therefore provided by heat transfer from the workpiece or tool to the water which increases the temperature of the water. The cooling provided by such conventional techniques is not very quick, however, since the temperature of one gram of water increases by 1° C. in response to transfer of only one calorie of heat. In a number of applications, it would be advantageous to more quickly transfer heat from a workpiece or tool to the coolant, thereby potentially reducing thermal limitations that are otherwise imposed upon the underlying process.


A magnetic closure device for personal effect carriers such as purses, pouches, day packs, and backpacks is provided. The invented closure device comprises a flap assembly affixed to a flap of the carrier and a receiving assembly affixed to the sidewall of the carrier. The receiving assembly is configured similar to the flap assembly, so that the receiving assembly mates with the flap assembly. The receiving assembly is provided with a projecting member configured to extend through the opening in the flap assembly, without projecting substantially beyond a cover plate thereof. The projecting member and opening coact as a guide to enable a user to locate the receiving assembly for quickly interconnecting the two assemblies. A magnet is retained in the receiving assembly for positively securing the flap assembly to the receiving assembly, to inhibit the device from inadvertently releasing. Components of the receiving and flap assemblies are configured to prevent the magnetic field radiated by the magnet from coming into the interior of the carrier and damaging articles stowed therein.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to closure devices for purses, pouches and backpacks, and other personal effect carriers and more particularly, to an improved magnetic closure device for flexible personal effect carriers such as purses, pouches, and day packs and backpacks among others.
2. Description of Related Art
There are a number of closure devices in the prior art provided for flexible personal effect carriers including purses, day packs and backpacks, and hard-sided personal effect carriers such as briefcases, for example. These closure devices are configured for securing a number of different compartments in personal effect carriers. For example, purses and backpacks are often configured with a substantially large, flexible lid or flap, that extends over an opening of one or more compartments in the carrier and over a portion of the outer surface of the carrier adjacent to the compartment to completely cover the opening and enclose the compartment. These carriers are usually configured with a closure device that typically comprises two interlocking portions, with a first portion secured to the outer surface of the carrier that is covered when the flap is in a closed position, and a second potion that is configured to be received by the first portion. The user can interlock the two portions when the flap is brought against the outer surface of the carrier so that the closure device secures the flap against the outer surface of the purse for maintaining the opening to the compartment closed.
These closure devices may comprise any one of several well known configurations including turn-locks and turnbuckles, clamps, buckles, and snap fasteners among others. Often, such as in the case of purses for example, a receiving portion of the device comprises an opening in the flap that is configured to receive a projecting member of an interlocking portion affixed to the outer surface of the purse. The projecting member is placed through the opening and is adjusted so that the two portions interlock.
An alternative closure device configuration further utilizes magnetic means for interlocking the portions of the closure device to positively secure the flap to the outer surface of the carrier, for enclosing the desired compartment. In these prior art magnetic closure devices, a receiving portion of the device may comprise a portion of a magnetically attracted metal having a desired configuration that is affixed to an exterior of a flap covering an opening to a compartment of the carrier. An interlocking portion of the device is affixed to the outer surface of the carrier as previously discussed. The interlocking portion is configured with a mating region formed complementary to the magnetically attracted metal of the receiving portion, such as a protruding member or recess, to aid with interlocking the two portions of the device. A magnet may be located in or adjacent to the mating region, so that the magnet exerts magnetic force on the magnetically attracted metal of the receiving portion, for causing the two portions of the closure device to interlock.
However, a disadvantage of these prior art magnetic closure devices, is that it is substantially difficult for the user to align the receiving and interlocking portions of the closure device when bringing the flap against the outer surface of the carrier to close the opening. Since both portions are usually obscured from the user's view, it is difficult for the user to align the metal portion with the mating region, so that the magnet exerts sufficient force on the metal portion when rotating the flap toward the exterior of the opening, to cause the two portions to interlock. Frequently, the user must gaze directly at the outer surface of the carrier, or beneath the flap, to align the interlocking portions. Alternatively, the user may spend several seconds moving the flap about on the exterior of the purse until they feel the interlocking portions contact each other and are able to interlock the portions for closing the opening to the compartment. These actions by the user may cause objects stowed in the compartment, such as the user's personal belongings, to be dislodged from the carrier.
Another disadvantage of these prior art magnetic closure devices, is that the receiving and interlocking portions are not provided with any means other than the magnet to interlock. Thus, if the magnet is not sufficiently strong or if the user fails to properly align the metal portion with the magnet, the device may not interlock and the compartment would not be secured. Additionally, since the magnet is usually located on the outer surface of the sidewall of the carrier, the magnet is proximal to objects stowed in the carrier. Thus, if objects stowed in the carrier which may be damaged by the magnetic field radiated by the magnet, such as credit cards and magnetic data storage media, the magnetic field radiated by the magnet may cause information stored on these objects to be destroyed.
There are a number of closure devices for purses and the like disclosed in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,033,013, to Peterson, discloses a closure for a flexible case, such as a brief case, purse or the like. The disclosed closure includes opposing flexible magnetic plastic strips that border an opening of the case. The magnetic strips are arranged to be of opposite polarity to develop an attraction force therebetween.
Another closure is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,420,361, to Morita. Disclosed therein is a magnetic clasp that protects magnetic records from being adversely affected by the magnetic induction lines of a magnet. The disclosed clasp is characterized in that the lines of magnetic induction inherent to the magnet thereof are conveyed by the ferromagnetic end surface rather than diverged to outside, in order to maximize the attracting power of the magnet. The disclosed magnetic clasp may be used as a clasp or lock for bags, boxes, bands or similar items.
U.S. Pat. No. Des. 274,467, and U.S. Pat. No. Des. 274,468, each to Morita, each disclose the ornamental design for a separable magnetic lock for a purse or similar article. U.S. Pat. No. Des. 274,883, to Aoki discloses the ornamental design for a separable magnetic lock for a purse or similar article.
Although the devices disclosed in the above enumerated prior art references have improved features, there still exists a need for an improved magnetic closure device for personal effect carriers such as purses, pouches, day packs, and backpacks, and which includes means for allowing facile interconnection of interlocking portions thereof

Magnetic closure for a personal effect carrier


The invention has an object of providing a power supply device for vehicle of high efficiency while keeping longer service life of a capacitor. By supplying an electric power of a capacitor to various electronic devices for a first predetermined time period after a vehicle engine has been stopped and discharging an electric power of the capacitor to a battery for a second predetermined time period after the first predetermined time period has ended, the voltage of the capacitor is reduced. By forcing the electric power of the capacitor to discharge at a forced discharge circuit until the voltage of the capacitor is substantially equal to a predetermined voltage after the second predetermined time period has ended, the time period during which the capacitor is held at a high voltage is made shorter. Longer service life of the capacitor and higher efficiency of the power supply device can be achieved.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a power supply device for vehicle and, more particularly, to a power supply device for vehicle using a capacitor in combination.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is a recent trend that, to be friendly to environments or to improve fuel efficiency, automobiles having an idling-stop function to stop the operation of engine on the occasion of making a stop or an electric power steering for reducing an engine load are commercially available. Further, a hybrid system for positively assisting engine drive is assumed to come into wide use in the future. Furthermore, as to the braking of vehicles, e.g., a regenerative brake system to recover an electric energy from a braking energy is practically utilized.
As described above, although an electric power that automobiles require tends to increase from now on, a problem exits in that a secondary battery cannot sufficiently be charged with an instantaneous electric power in such a manner as in the braking time of vehicles. To meet this, an arrangement of adding in an auxiliary manner a capacitor having a large capacity, typified by an electric double-layer capacitor capable of performing rapid charge and discharge, has been proposed. However, a problem exits in shorter service life of the capacitor in case that the capacitor is left in the state of high voltages close to its rated voltage.
On the other hand, for example, a power supply device for vehicle achieving longer service life of a capacitor was proposed in the Japanese Patent Publication (unexamined) No. 124771/2007.
In this power supply device of the Japanese Patent Publication (unexamined) No. 124771/2007, improvement in service life is achieved by discharging an electric power of a capacitor until its voltage is substantially equal to the voltage of a battery on the occasion when the ignition switch of a vehicle is turned off. In this case, an electric power having been stored in the capacitor is discharged to the battery and the battery is charged.
However, in the power supply device for vehicles incorporating the above-mentioned regenerative brake system, since a regenerative energy is charged by the regenerative brake system at the time of making a stop, the battery is likely to be in the full-charge state as described above.


The transistor suffers the variation caused in threshold voltage or mobility due to gathering of the factors of the variation in gate insulator film resulting from a difference in manufacture process or substrate used and of the variation in channel-region crystal state. The present invention provides an electric circuit having an arrangement such that both electrodes of a capacitance element can hold a gate-to-source voltage of a particular transistor. The invention provides an electric circuit having a function capable of setting a potential difference at between the both electrodes of the capacitance element by the use of a constant-current source.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the art of electric circuits. Meanwhile, the invention belongs to a technical field of a semiconductor device having an electric circuit as represented by a source-follower circuit, a differential amplifier circuit, a sense amplifier and an operational amplifier, a signal-line drive circuit and a photoelectric converter element.
2. Description of the Related Art
The integrated circuit (IC), for broad use recently on a cellular phone or personal digital assistant, is formed with transistors or resistors as many as several hundreds of thousands to several millions on a silicon substrate in a size of nearly a 5-mm square. This plays an important role in device miniaturization and reliability improvement, and device mass production.
In designing an electric circuit for use on an integrated circuit (IC) or the like, it is frequent cases to design an amplifier circuit having a function to amplify a voltage or current of a signal small in amplitude. The amplifier circuit is broadly used because of a circuit requisite for eliminating strain occurrence to stably operate an electric circuit.
Herein, explained is the configuration and operation of a source-follower circuit, as one example of amplifier circuit. At first, a configuration example of source-follower circuit will be shown in FIG. 5A to explain an operation in a steady state. Next, an operating point of the source-follower circuit will be explained, by using FIGS. 5B and 5C. Finally, an example of source-follower circuit different in configuration from FIG. 5A will be shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, to explain an operation in a transient state.
At first, a steady state operation is explained by using a source-follower circuit in FIG. 5A.
In FIG. 5A, 11 is an n-channel amplifier transistor while 12 is an n-channel bias transistor. Note that, although the amplifier transistor 11 and bias transistor 12 in FIG. 5A is of an n-channel type, configuration may be by the use of p-channel transistors. Herein, the amplifier transistor 11 and the bias transistor 12 are assumably the same in characteristic and size, for simplification sake. It is further assumed that the current characteristic of them is ideal. Namely, it is supposed that, even if the amplifier transistor 11 or bias transistor 12 is changed in its source-to-drain voltage, there is no change in saturation-region current value.
Meanwhile, the amplifier transistor 11 has a drain region connected to a power line 13 and a source region connected to a drain region of the bias transistor 12. The bias transistor 12 has a source region connected to a power line 14.
The gate electrode of the bias transistor 12 is applied by a bias potential Vb. A power-source potential (high potential power) Vdd is applied onto the power line 13 while a ground potential (low potential power) Vss (=0V) is applied onto the power line 14.
In the source-follower circuit of FIG. 5A, the gate electrode of the amplifier transistor 11 is made as an input terminal so that an input potential Vin can be inputted to the gate electrode of the amplifier transistor 11. Also, the source region of the amplifier transistor 11 is made as an output terminal so that the potential on the source region of the amplifier transistor 11 provides an output potential Vout. The gate electrode of the bias transistor 12 is applied by a bias voltage Vb. When the bias transistor 12 operates in a saturation region, a current denoted by Ib assumably flows. At this time, because the amplifier transistor 11 and the bias transistor 12 are in a series connection, the same amount of current flows through the both transistors. Namely, when a current Ib flows through the bias transistor 12, a current Ib flows also through the amplifier transistor 11.
Herein, determined is an output potential Vout in the source-follower circuit. The output potential Vout is lower in value than the input potential Vin, by an amount of the gate-to-source voltage Vgs1 of the amplifier transistor 11. At this time, the input potential Vin, the output potential Vout and the gate-to-source voltage Vgs1 have a relationship satisfying the following Equation (1).Vout=Vin−Vgs1  (1)
In the case the amplifier transistor 11 is operating in the saturation region, in order to flow a current Ib through the amplifier transistor 11 there is a necessity that the gate-to-source voltage Vgs1 of the amplifier transistor 11 is equal to a bias potential Vb (gate-to-source voltage of the bias transistor 12). If so, the following Equation (2) is held. However, Equation (2) is held only when the amplifier transistor 11 and the bias transistor 12 operate in the saturation region.Vout=Vin−Vb  (2)
Next explained is an operating point of the source-follower circuit by using FIGS. 5B and 5C showing a relationship of between a voltage and a current of the amplifier transistor 11 and bias transistor 12. More specifically, explanation is made on a case that the gate-to-source voltage Vgs1 of the amplifier transistor 11 is same in value as the gate-to-source voltage Vgs2 of the bias transistor 12, by using FIG. 5B. Next explained is a case that the gate-to-source voltage Vgs1 of the amplifier transistor 11 is different in value from the gate-to-source voltage Vgs2 of the bias transistor 12 wherein, for example, the bias transistor 12 is operating in a linear region, by using FIG. 5C.
In FIG. 5B, the dotted line 21 shows a relationship between a voltage and a current when the amplifier transistor 11 has a gate-to-source voltage Vgs1 of Vb. The solid line 22 shows a relationship between a voltage and a current when the bias transistor 12 has a gate-to-source voltage Vgs2 of Vb. Meanwhile, in FIG. 5C, the dotted line 21 shows a relationship between a voltage and a current when the amplifier transistor 11 has a gate-to-source voltage Vgs1 of Vb. The solid line 22 shows a relationship between a voltage and a current when the bias transistor 12 has a gate-to-source voltage Vgs2 of Vb′.
In FIG. 5B, the gate-to-source voltage Vgs1 of the amplifier transistor 11 and the gate-to-source voltage Vgs2 of the bias transistor 12 are in the same value, and further the bias potential Vb and the gate-to-source voltage Vgs2 of bias transistor 12 are in the same value. Consequently, the gate-to-source voltage Vgs1 of the amplifier transistor 11 is in the same value as the bias potential Vb. Namely, this results in Vgs1=Vgs2=Vb. The amplifier transistor 11 and the bias transistor 12 are operating in the saturation region, as shown in FIG. 5B. At this time, the input potential Vin and the output potential Vout have a relationship in a linear form.
On the other hand, in FIG. 5C, the gate-to-source voltage Vgs1 of the amplifier transistor 11 is in a value different from the gate-to-source voltage Vgs2 of bias transistor 12. Furthermore, the gate-to-source voltage Vgs2 of bias transistor 12 is in a same value as the bias voltage Vb. Meanwhile, it is assumed that the gate-to-source voltage Vgs1 of the amplifier transistor 11 is at the bias voltage Vb′. Namely, this results in Vgs2=Vb and Vgs1=Vb′. As shown n FIG. 5C, the amplifier transistor 11 is operating in the saturation region while the bias transistor 12 is operating in the linear region. At this time, the input potential Vin, the output potential Vout and the bias potential Vb′ have a relationship satisfying the following Equation (3).Vout=Vin−Vb′  (3)
Provided that the current flowing upon operating of the bias transistor 12 in the linear region is taken Ib′, Ib′<Ib is given. Namely, by having Vb′<Vb, the both values of the input potential Vin and current Ib′ decrease. Thereupon, the bias potential Vb′ also decreases. At this time, the input potential Vin and the output potential Vout have a non-linear relationship.
Summarizing the above, in order to increase the amplitude of the output potential Vout in the source-follower circuit in a steady state, it is preferred to decrease the bias potential Vb. This is because of the following two reasons.
The first reason is that the output potential Vout can be increased at a small bias potential Vb, as shown in Equation (2). The second reason is that, in the case of a great bias potential Vb value, the bias transistor 12 readily operate in the linear region at a decreased input potential Vin. In case the bias transistor 12 operates in the linear region, the input potential Vin and the output potential Vout are ready to have a non-linear relationship.
Incidentally, because the bias transistor 12 is required in a conduction state, there is a need to provide a greater value of bias potential Vb than a threshold voltage of the bias transistor 12.
So far explained was the operation in a steady state of the source-follower circuit. Subsequently, explanation is made on the operation of the source-follower circuit in a transient state, by using FIGS. 6A and 6B.
The source-follower circuit shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B has a configuration designed by adding a capacitance element 15 to the circuit of FIG. 5A. The capacitance element 15 has one terminal connected to the source region of the amplifier transistor 11 and the other terminal connected to the power line 16. A ground potential Vss is applied onto the power line 16.
The capacitance element 15 has a same potential difference at between its both electrodes as the output potential Vout of the source-follower circuit. Herein, explained is the operation in a case of Vout<Vin−Vb, by using FIG. 6A. Next explained is the operation in a case of Vout>Vin−Vb, by using FIG. 6B.
At first, explanation is made on the operation in a transient state of the source-follower circuit in the case of Vout<Vin−Vb, by using FIG. 6A.
In FIG. 6A, when t=0, the gate-to-source voltage Vgs1 of the amplifier transistor 11 has a greater value than the gate-to-source voltage Vgs2 of the bias transistor 12. Consequently, a great current flows through the amplifier transistor 11 to promptly hold charge on the capacitance element 15. Thereupon, the output potential Vout increases to decrease the gate-to-source voltage Vgs1 value of the amplifier transistor 11.
As time elapses (t=t1, t1>0), the amplifier transistor 11 goes into a steady state when its gate-to-source voltage Vgs1 becomes equal to the bias potential Vb. At this time, the output potential Vout, the input potential Vin and the bias potential Vb have a relationship satisfying the foregoing Equation (2).
Summarizing the above, in the case of Vout<Vin−Vb, the gate-to-source voltage Vgs1 of the amplifier transistor 11 is greater in value than the bias potential Vb. Accordingly, a great current flows through the amplifier transistor 11, to promptly hold charge on the capacitance element 15. Hence, the time may be short that is required for the capacitance element 15 to hold predetermined charge, in other words the time required in writing a signal to the capacitance element 15.
Next, explanation is made on the operation in a transient state of the source-follower circuit in the case of Vout>Vin−Vb, by using FIG. 6B.
In FIG. 6B, when t=0, the gate-to-source voltage Vgs1 of the amplifier transistor 11 has a smaller value than the threshold voltage of the amplifier transistor 11. Consequently, the amplifier transistor 11 is in a non-conduction state. The charge stored on the capacitance element 15 flows in a direction toward the ground potential Vss through the bias transistor 12, finally being discharged. At this time, because the gate-to-source voltage Vgs2 of the bias transistor 12 is in the same value as the bias potential Vb, the current flowing through the bias transistor 12 is Ib.
As time elapses (t=t1, t1>0), the output potential Vout decreases while the gate-to-source voltage Vgs1 of the amplifier transistor 11 increases. When the gate-to-source voltage Vgs1 of the amplifier transistor 11 becomes equal to the bias potential Vb, a steady state is entered. At this time, the output potential Vout, the input potential Vin and the bias potential Vb have a relationship satisfying the foregoing Equation (2). Note that, in the steady state, the output potential Vout is kept at a constant value, and charge does not flow to the capacitance element 15. Thus, a current Ib flows through the amplifier transistor 11 and bias transistor 12.
Summarizing the above, in the case of Vout>Vin−Vb, the time for the capacitance element 15 to hold predetermined charge, in other words the write time of a signal to the capacitance element 15, relies upon the current Ib flowing through the bias transistor 12. The current Ib relies upon a magnitude of the bias potential Vb. Accordingly, in order to increase the current Ib and shorten the write time of a signal to the capacitance element 15, a necessity is raised to increase the bias potential Vb.
Incidentally, as a method of correcting for threshold-voltage variation of a transistor, there is a method that variation is observed by an output of a circuit a signal has been inputted and thereafter the variation is inputted and fed back thereby carrying out a correction (e.g. see Non-Patent Document 1).
[Non-Patent Document] H. Sekine et al, "Amplifier Compensation Method for a Poly-Si TFT LCLV with an Integrated Data-Driver", IDRC′ 97, p. 45–48.
The foregoing operation of the source-follower circuit is to be carried out on an assumption the amplifier transistor 11 and the bias transistor 12 have the same characteristic. However, for the both transistors, variation occurs in the threshold voltage or mobility due to gathering of the factors, such as of variation in gate length (L), gate width (W) and gate insulating film thickness or variation in channel-region crystal state caused due to the difference in fabrication process or substrate used.
For example, it is assumed, in FIG. 5A, that there is variation of 1 V provided that the amplifier transistor 11 has a threshold of 3 V and the bias transistor 12 has a threshold of 4 V. If so, in order to flow a current 1b, there is a need to apply a voltage for the gate-to-source voltage Vgs1 of the amplifier transistor 11 lower by 1 V than the gate-to-source voltage Vgs2 of the bias transistor 12. Namely, Vgs1=Vb−1 results. If so, Vout=Vin−Vgs1=Vin−Vb+1 results. Namely, in case variation occurs even by 1 V in the threshold voltage of the amplifier transistor 11 and bias transistor 12, variation is also caused in the output potential Vout.
The present invention has been made in view of the above problems. It is a problem to provide an electric circuit suppressing against the affection of transistor characteristic variation. More specifically, it is a problem, in an electric circuit having a function of current amplification, to provide an electric circuit capable of supplying a desired voltage while suppressing against the affection of transistor characteristic variation.

Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.


Adapter for a rolling assembly intended to be fitted to a passenger vehicle, with improved mountability and a high capacity for absorbing large deformations in the event of pinch shocks. The adapter has reinforcing element (15) of the axially outer end (9) wholly situated axially on the outside of bearing face (21) and radially on the outside of adapter seat (18), and a main reinforcement (17) having a radial superposition of at least two layers of reinforcers, the reinforcers being mutually parallel within one and the same layer and crossed with one another from one layer to the next. Each of the layers of main reinforcement (17) comprises reinforcers which make, with a circumferential direction (XX′) of the tire, an angle at least equal to 30°, and coated with a polymer material having an elastic modulus at 10% elongation at most equal to 70 MPa.

Because a tire is a toric structure having, as axis of revolution, its axis of rotation, it can be described in a radial plane passing through its axis of rotation. In what follows, for any radial plane, the radial, axial and circumferential directions denote the directions perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the tire, parallel to the axis of rotation of the tire and perpendicular to the radial plane, respectively. The equatorial plane refers to the plane passing through the middle of the tread and perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the tire. Any section through the tire along a radial plane is referred to as a radial section.
In general, a tire comprises a tread, intended to come into contact with the ground, two sidewalls extending the axial ends of the tread radially inwards, and two beads extending the two sidewalls radially inwards and intended to come into contact with a rim.
Document WO 00/78565 proposes inserting an elastic adapter between a tire bead and a rim. Such an adapter comprises, axially from the inside towards the outside, an axially inner end referred to as adapter bead, comprising an inner reinforcing element and intended to attach the adapter to the rim, an axially outer end comprising an outer reinforcing element and intended to accept a bead of a tire, and a body connecting the two respectively axially inner and axially outer ends. The outer reinforcing element comprises a substantially radial first portion situated on the inside of the axially outer end, and a substantially axial second portion situated on the inside of the body, the first and second portions being substantially perpendicular to one another and forming a continuous assembly.
Such an adapter allows a tire to be mounted on a rim that is narrower than the one recommended by the usual standards, such as, for example, the ETRTO (European Tire and Rim Technical Organization) standard.
A rolling assembly equipped with an adapter as described in the aforementioned document performs the main functions of a conventional rolling assembly, in which the tire is mounted directly on its recommended rim, and notably guarantees a drift thrust response when a drift angle is applied, namely when a rotation about a radial direction is applied, with enough flexibility to avoid any damage to the rolling assembly.
However, such an adapter of the prior art does not have enough deformability to be able to absorb large deformations generated by impacts that the rolling assembly might experience against obstacles, such as kerbs, or in holes formed in the roadway, such as potholes. This type of impact is commonly referred to as "pinch shock".
Furthermore, the adapter of the aforementioned prior art is not very easy to fit, which means to say to mount between the tire and the rim. By way of example, in the case of a rolling assembly comprising a single adapter providing the connection between a first bead and the rim, the second bead, axially opposite to the first bead, being mounted directly on the rim, the mounting procedure is as follows. In a first step, the axially inner end of the adapter is mounted on the rim. In a second step, before the first bead of the tire is mounted at the axially outer end of the adapter, the adapter needs to be deformed in a substantially axial direction so as to allow the second bead to be mounted directly on the rim. Now, the outer reinforcing element, and in particular the substantially axial second portion thereof that is on the inside of the body, axially stiffens the body near the axially outer end and thus limits the axial deformation of the adapter, and this may impede the mounting of the second bead directly on the rim.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Adapter for a rolling assembly and rolling assembly comprising same

COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN


An apparatus and method for transmitting/receiving control information using a pilot pattern inserted in a plot field of a dedicated physical channel in a mobile communication system including a transmitter for transmitting data and a receiver for receiving the data. The apparatus and method include selecting control information according to whether the data is received; and selecting a pilot pattern according to the control information, and inserting the selected pilot pattern in a pilot field of a dedicated physical channel as the control information, before transmission. The pilot pattern includes a first pilot pattern used when the control information is not transmitted, a second pilot pattern being orthogonal with the first pilot pattern, and a third pilot pattern generated by inverting a sign of the second pilot pattern.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a mobile communication system. In particular, the present invention relates to an apparatus and method for transmitting control information in a mobile communication system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) mobile communication systems developed from a voice based IS-95 standard into a high-speed data transmission based IMT-2000 that also supports voice signal transmission. The IMT-2000 standard provides high-quality voice service, moving image service, and Internet search service.
In the mobile communication system, various schemes for servicing such information as voice and data are being realized, and a typical one of the schemes is a High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) scheme in a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) communication system.
Generally, the HSDPA scheme refers to a data transmission scheme, including a high speed-downlink shared channel (HS-DSCH), which is a downlink data channel for supporting high-speed downlink packet data transmission, and its associated control channels. In order to support the high-speed downlink packet data service, an Adaptive Modulation and Coding (AMC) scheme, a Hybrid Automatic Retransmission Request (HARQ) scheme, and a Fast Cell Select (FCS) scheme have been proposed. A description will now be made of the HARQ scheme, especially, an n-channel Stop And Wait HARQ (n-channel SAW HARQ) scheme.
In the HARQ scheme, the following two methods have recently been applied to increase the transmission efficiency of an Automatic Retransmission Request (ARQ) scheme. According to a first method, retransmission request and Acknowledgement/Negative-Acknowledgement (ACK/NACK) are exchanged between a user equipment (UE) and a Node B. According to a second method, a UE temporarily stores defective data and combines the stored defective data with retransmitted data of the corresponding defective data before decoding the data. The high-speed downlink packet data service method has introduced the n-channel SAW HARQ scheme in order to compensate for the defect of the conventional Stop And Wait ARQ (SAW ARQ) scheme. In the case of the SAW ARQ scheme, next packet data cannot be transmitted before an ACK for a previous packet data is received. Therefore, in some cases, a UE should wait for an ACK even though it can currently transmit packet data.
In the n-channel SAW HARQ scheme, a UE continuously transmits a plurality of data packets before it receives the ACK for a previous data packet, thereby increasing channel efficiency. That is, if each of n logical channels established between a UE and a Node B can be identified by a specific time or its unique channel number, the UE receiving packet data at a specific time can determine a channel over which the packet data was received. Therefore, the UE can take necessary measures such as reordering data packets in their right reception order and soft-combining the corresponding data packets.
Table 1 and Table 2 below illustrate downlink and uplink physical channels used in a mobile communication system, respectively.
TABLE 1Downlink PhysicalChannelsFunctionsDPDCHDedicated Physical Data ChannelDPCCHDedicated Physical Control ChannelCPICHCommon Pilot ChannelP-CCPCHPrimary Common Control Physical ChannelS-CCPCHSecondary Common Control Physical ChannelSCHSynchronization ChannelPDSCHPhysical Downlink Shared ChannelAICHAcquisition Indicator ChannelAP-AICHAccess Preamble Acquisition Indicator ChannelPICHPaging Indicator ChannelCSICHCPCH (Common Packet Channel) Status IndicatorChannelCD/CA-ICHCPCH Collision Detection/Channel AssignmentIndicator ChannelHS-PDSCHHigh Speed-Physical Downlink Shared ControlChannelHS-SCCHHigh Speed-Shared Control Channel
TABLE 2Uplink PhysicalChannelsFunctionsDPDCHDedicated Physical Data ChannelDPCCHDedicated Physical Control ChannelPRACHPhysical Random Access ChannelPCPCHPhysical Common Packet ChannelHS-DPCCHHigh Speed-Dedicated Physical Control Channel
The downlink physical channels are distinguished using orthogonal variable spreading factor (OVSF) codes.
In order to support a packet data service with an uplink in a mobile communication system, a similar scheme to the scheme for supporting a packet data service with a downlink can be introduced. Therefore, in order to provide a packet data service in an uplink, it is necessary to transmit packet data of the uplink and control information of the downlink. The control information refers to, for example, "ACK/NACK information." A scheme for transmitting control information including the ACK/NACK information using the downlink is classified into a scheme for transmitting the control information over an existing physical channel after time multiplexing, and a scheme for transmitting the control information over the existing physical channel after code multiplexing.
The time multiplexing scheme and the code multiplexing scheme will be described herein below with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, respectively.
FIG. 1 illustrates a structure of a downlink physical channel for time-multiplexing ACK/NACK information, control information, with data before transmission. The types and functions of physical channels in the downlink have been illustrated in Table 1. Referring to FIG. 1, the ACK/NACK information which is control information is time-multiplexed to a space generated by puncturing data on a physical channel, before being transmitted. That is, the physical channel includes the ACK/NACK in a partial duration where no data is transmitted, before being transmitted.
FIG. 2 illustrates a structure of a downlink physical channel for code-multiplexing ACK/NACK information, control information, with an existing physical channel before transmission. Referring to FIG. 2, a separate physical channel for transmitting ACK/NACK information is generated in addition to an existing physical channel, and the ACK/NACK information is transmitted over the generated physical channel. The existing physical channel and the physical channel for transmitting the ACK/NACK information are separated using OVSF codes, as described above. Also, the physical channel for transmitting the ACK/NACK information can include control information indicating an ACK/NACK information transmission channel.
The time multiplexing scheme illustrated in FIG. 1 should include the ACK/NACK information which is control information in a partial duration of an existing physical channel, causing a possible loss of data transmitted over the existing physical channel. Although the code multiplexing scheme illustrated in FIG. 2 prevents data loss in the existing physical channel, it requires additional power and OVSF codes for the physical channel generated to transmit the ACK/NACK information which is control information.

Apparatus and method for transmitting control information in a mobile communication system


A structure assembled from a combination of stackable modules, each module assembled from multiple prefabricated, transportable blocks. The blocks are typically reinforced cast concrete formed in reusable molds. Module framing blocks may include arched corner blocks, key blocks that interlock with a pair of corner blocks, and optional center blocks. Other structural elements include roof, floor, and wall components that interlock with the framing modules. Modules may be stacked or nested to form structures including buildings, elevated roadways, and parking garages. Utilities may be provided through optional conduits formed in the corner elements. The framing supports raised floor modules for ease in mechanical system installation and modification. The roof elements support usable terraces and rainwater collection. The blocks are demountable and reusable. The modules are self-supporting during erection, and may be assembled without fasteners.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a system of construction involving interlocking stackable precast blocks where a combination of interlocking and overlapping structural blocks are used to create individual structural frame modules; frame modules may then be nested and stacked with the necessary interlock to build larger structures.

System for construction of a compression structure with corner blocks, key blocks, and corner block supports


The invention relates to application of a surface treatment to a fuser, typically in a print process. According to various aspects of the invention, methods and apparatus are provided for applying surface treatment to a fuser comprising varying a width of surface treatment application to the fuser.

Fuser oil is applied to the fuser roller so that toner does not stick to the fuser roller. The paper width determines the width of oil that should be laid down on the fuser roller. Currently, in one example of the art, oil is applied to the fuser roller in a fixed width, as determined by a rotating oil wick. There are 11 different wick sizes, ranging from 8.50 inches up to 14.00 inches in half-inch increments excluding 9.00 inches. When a customer changes paper sizes, the corresponding size wick should also be installed in the machine if that job is of significant size (number of pages). This prevents under oiling or over oiling of the fuser roller. Using an under size wick (under oiling) can result in toner sticking to the fuser roller. This will cause paper jams and eventual failure of the fuser roller and the wick itself. Using an over size wick (over oiling) will contaminate other portions of the electrophotographic process (transfer/film) and the web cleaner with excessive oil. Either under or over oiling can lead to expensive service calls.
The oiled length of a rotating wick is determined by an oil barrier between the porous ceramic core and the surface layer of the wick. Since all of the wicks look identical (with the exception of a different colored dot), it is difficult for a user to identify what size wick is in the machine. Furthermore, most users simply will not change wicks based on the job width size. Still further, since the machine can be loaded with many paper width size jobs that run consecutively without the machine stopping, there is no opportunity to stop and change the wick size. All of the above can lead to the failure modes mentioned.

Method and apparatus for variable width surface treatment application to a fuser


Methods and compositions for treating or preventing cerebral stroke, cerebral infarction, cerebral edema, reperfusion injury and increased cerebral vascular permeability which employ an agent that prevents the binding of IL-8 to its receptor are disclosed.

The present invention relates to a preventive or therapeutic agent for cerebral stroke comprising an interleukin-8 (IL-8)-binding-inhibition agent as an active ingredient. The present invention also relates to a preventive or therapeutic agent for cerebral edema comprising an IL-8-binding-inhibition agent as an active ingredient. The present invention also relates to a preventive or therapeutic agent for reperfusion injury of cerebral ischemia comprising an IL-8-binding-inhibition agent as an active ingredient. Furthermore, the present. invention relates to a preventive or therapeutic agent for increased cerebral vascular permeability comprising an IL-8-binding-inhibition agent as an active ingredient.
IL-8 is a protein that belongs to the C-X-C chemokine subfamily and was formerly designated as the monocyte-derived neutrophil chemotactic factor, the neutrophil attractant/activation protein-1, the neutrophil activating factor and the like. IL-8 is a factor that activates neutrophils and provide them with a migratory ability, and is produced by inflammatory cytokines such as IL-1xcex2 and TNF-xcex1 (Koch, A. E. et al., J. Investig. Med. (1995) 43, 28-38; Larsen, C. G. et al., Immunology (1989) 68, 31-36), mitogens such as PMA and LPS (Yoshimura, T. et al, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. (1987) 84, 9233-9237), and heavy metals such as Cadmium (Horiguchi, H. et al., Lymphokine Cytokine Res. (1993) 12, 421-428) in a variety of cells. It is also known that human umbilical endothelial cells under a low oxygen condition express IL-8 (Karakurum, M. et al., J. Clin. Invest. (1994) 93, 1564-1570).
In order for IL-8 to exhibit its biological activity, it is necessary that IL-8 binds to IL-8 receptor and thereby stimulates the cells that are expressing IL-8 receptors. IL-8 receptors that transmit signals into the cell by binding to IL-8 have already been cloned and the amino acid sequences thereof have been elucidated. Human IL-8 receptors include those referred to as IL-8 receptor A (xcex1 or 2) and those referred to as IL-8 receptor B (xcex2 or 1) (Murphy, P. M. and Tiffany, H. L., Science (1991) 253, 1280-1283; Holmes, W. E. et al., Science (1991) 253, 1278-1280). Both receptors are thought to have a structure that penetrates the cell membrane seven times, and both are associated with GTP-binding proteins in the cytoplasmic domain (Horuk, R., Trends Pharmacol. Sci. (1994) 15, 159-165), and transmit IL-8 signals into the cell. Therefore, inhibition of binding,between IL-8 and IL-8 receptor enables the inhibition of biological activity of IL-8.
The IL-8 binding-inhibition agents so far known include the following substances. As anti-IL-8 antibodies, there are known WS-4 antibody (Ko, Y. et al., J. Immunol. Methods (1992) 149, 227-235), 14E4, 46E5 (Sticherling, M. et al., J. Immunol. (1989) 143, 1628-1634), and human antibody (International Patent Application WO 96/33735), and besides, a polysaccharide (International Patent Application WO 94/18989), a chemical synthetic compound (Sola, F. et al., Invasion Metastasis (1995) 15, 222-231), a peptide fragment (Hayashi, S. et al., J. Immunol. (1995) 154, 814-824), and the like.
With respect to the involvement of IL-8 in reperfusion injury of ischemia, the following findings have been obtained. It has already been reported that in the experimental animal model of reperfusion injury of pulmonary ischemia, the administration of anti-IL-8 antibody at reperfusion following 2 hours of pulmonary ischemia inhibited damages to lung tissues (Sekido, N. et al., Nature (1993) 365, 654-657). On the other hand, though the expression of IL-8 in myocardial tissues after reperfusion has been reported (Ivey, C. L. et al., J. Clin. Invest. (1995) 95, 2720-2728; Kukielka, G. L. et al. J. Clin. Invest. (1995) 95, 89-103), the effect of neutralizing IL-8 is unknown. Rather, it is reported that by administering before reperfusion IL-8 per se that is elevated by reperfusion, the formation of the focus of myocardial infarction is inhibited (Lefer, A. M. et al., Br. J. Pharmacol. (1991) 103, 1153-1159). However, it is unknown whether IL-8 is involved in cerebral infarction, cerebral edema, reperfusion injury of cerebral ischemia, and increased cerebral vascular permeability.
From its mechanism of onset, cerebral apoplexy is classified into the occlusive cerebral vascular injury and the hemorrhagic cerebral vascular injury. The occlusive cerebral vascular injury includes cerebral infarction, and the hemorrhagic cerebral vascular injury includes subarachnoid hemorrhage and cerebral hemorrhage. Cerebral infarction is a condition in which occlusion or decreased perfusion pressure in cerebral and carotid arteries occurred for any reason, thereby causing ischemic necrosis in the brain tissue, and the disease is further divided broadly into the thrombotic, embolic and the hemodynamic infarctions.
The condition in which a sclerotic lesion in the brain arteries combined with increased blood viscosity or decreased perfusion pressure caused anterior occlusion leading to ischemic necrosis is referred to as cerebral thrombosis, the condition in which embolism was formed in the brain artery by intracardiac thrombus or the occasionally ablated mural thrombus of artery is referred to as cerebral embolism, and when the stenosis or occlusion of the cranial and intracranial arteries causes decreased blood flow into the peripheral brain tissues leading to infarction, it is referred to as hemodynamic infarction (Toshio Matobe and Teruo Omae, ed., xe2x80x9cNoukekkan Shougai (Cerebral Vascular Injuries),xe2x80x9d Life Science Shuppan, 54-55, 1992; Hiroo Imura ed., xe2x80x9cNoukekkan Shougai (Cerebral Vascular Injuries),xe2x80x9d in Saishin Naikagaku Taikei (Institution of the Latest Internal Medicine), vol. 66, Nakayama Shoten, 28, 1996).
In the brain tissue that has fallen into ischemia because of cerebral infarction, cerebral hemorrhage, or subarachnoid hemorrhage, the formation of ischemic cerebral edema may be observed. In the case of cerebral infarction, cerebral edema appears a few hours after the onset and persists up to one week after the onset. Thereafter cerebral edema gradually decreases and, depending on the scope of the infarct, becomes fixed as the lesion of the infarct during the one to three months after the onset of the disease. In cerebral hemorrhage, cerebral edema becomes manifest in the periphery of hematoma generally about 6 hours after the onset of the disease due to impaired blood flow at the peripheral territory of the disrupted arteries and impaired circulation and tissue necrosis arising from compression by hematoma (Hiroo Imura ed., xe2x80x9cNoukekkan Shougai (Cerebral Vascular Injuries),xe2x80x9d in Saishin Naikagaku Taikei (Institution of the Latest Internal Medicine), vol. 66, Nakayama Shoten, 289, 1996).
In the case of subarachnoid hemorrhage, delayed spasm is observed 3 days to 3 weeks after hemorrhage, and the spasm is associated with decreased cerebral perfusion pressure which causes delayed cerebral ischemia. Those unresponsive to treatment develop into cerebral infarction, which in severe cases cause ischemic cerebral edema (Hiroo Imura ed., xe2x80x9cNoukekkan Shougai (Cerebral Vascular Injuries),xe2x80x9d in Saishin Naikagaku Taikei (Institution of the Latest Internal Medicine), vol. 66, Nakayama Shoten, 163, 1996). Cerebral edema causes an increase in the volume of the brain. Since the brain is covered with the hard cranium, cerebral edema, when it surpasses a certain degree, may cause a sudden rise in tissue pressure and intracranial pressure, which eventually aggravates brain disorders and determines the future scope of the lesion of the infarct (Kenji Inamura and Akiro Kaku, Nippon Rinsho Vol. 51, xe2x80x9cCT, MRI Jidaino Nosocchu Gaku, Jokan (Stroke in the Age of CT and MRI, the first volume),xe2x80x9d Nippon Rinsho (Japan Clinic), 231-239, 1993). When a part of the brain falls into infarction, the functions carried by the region such as recognition, consciousness, sensation, and memory are lost.
Cerebral edema often occurs in head injuries especially brain contusion, acute subdural hematoma, and acute intracranial hematoma. Cerebral edema serves as an enlarged intracranial lesion with a result that local neurological symptoms become manifest, and intracranial swelling and increased pressure lead to the formation of transtentorial herniation and transforaminal herniation in the brain tissue, which becomes fatal (The Japanese edition of Merck Manual, Vol. 1, Medical Book Service, 1405-1406, 1994).
Furthermore, a surgical operation such as craniotomy may be practiced for the purpose of treating head injury, cerebral hemorrhage, subarachnoid hemorrhage, cerebral tumor, and the like. In order to avoid secondary bleeding in these occasions, the blood vessels whose territory is to be treated may be temporarily occluded with an arterial clip etc. to partially block the cerebral blood flow. In such cases, blood flow is resumed after the completion of the desired surgery, when reperfusion injury of ischemia may occur. Furthermore, among the surgical processes for treatment of cerebral infarction is anastomosis between the superficial temporal artery and the middle cerebral artery. In such cases as well, anastomosis is performed under temporal hemostasis, and blood flow is resumed after the desired surgery, when reperfusion injury of ischemia may occur.
As hereinabove described, the prevention and treatment of cerebral stroke and cerebral edema that affects the prognosis of life and quality of life of the patient is a clinically very important challenge. At present anti platelet agents and agents for improving cerebral circulation metabolism are being administered for treatment of cerebral infarction. Although some anti-platelet agents are effective for treatment of the acute phase of cerebral thrombosis, they are contraindicated for patients with cerebral hemorrhage or cerebral infarction who exhibit similar symptoms, since they accelerate hemorrhagic cerebral infarction, and thereby careful diagnosis of the disease type is required before use (Yukihito Shinohara, xe2x80x9cmedicina,xe2x80x9d Igaku Shoin, Vol. 32, No. 11, 2217-2219, 1995).
Agents for improving cerebral circulation metabolism are drugs that are administered during the chronic phase at one month after an attack of cerebral infarction and after, and are considered to be undesirable for use during the acute phase (Masakuni Kameyama ed., xe2x80x9cNosocchu Chiryo Manual (Manual of Cerebral Stroke Treatment),xe2x80x9d Igaku Shoin, 172-173, 1991). In recent years, for the purpose of resuming blood flow in areas that have not yet fallen into irreversible cell death during the super acute phase after the onset, thrombolytic therapy, bypass surgery, thromboendarterectorny, embolectomy and the like have been performed. Unlike myocardial infarction, however, the resumption of blood flow after an irreversible damage was imparted to the brain tissue may cause reperfusion injury of ischemia such as increases in hemorrhagic infarction and cerebral edema in which tissue damage is aggravated, providing a new problem to be solved (Yasushi Okada, xe2x80x9cSinkei Kenkyuno Shinpo (Advances in Neurological Studies),xe2x80x9d Igaku Shoin, Vol. 40, No. 4, 655-665, 1996; Akira Takahashi, xe2x80x9cmedicina,xe2x80x9d Igaku Shoin, Vol. 32, No. 11, 2261-2263, 1995).
As hereinabove stated, the drugs currently used during the acute phase of cerebral infarction may have side effects such as hemorrhagic infarction and reperfusion injury of ischemia, or may have limitations in the indicated pathological conditions and the timing of administration when the therapeutic effects can be expected, and therefore are not satisfactory.
On the other hand, though treatment of cerebral edema relies on the administration of a hypertonic solution, a steroid, or others in combination with hyperpnea and cerebrospinal fluid drainage, its effects are in most cases transient, and its eventual effects of treatment are not very promising (Masakuni Kameyama ed., xe2x80x9cNosocchu Chiryo Manual (Manual of Cerebral Stroke Treatment),xe2x80x9d Igaku Shoin, 34-36, 1991).
It is therefore desired to develop a drug having a completely new mechanism different from the conventional etiology as a method of preventing or treating cerebral infarction, cerebral edema, reperfusion injury of cerebral ischemia during reperfusion therapy, or reperfusion injury of cerebral ischemia associated with reperfusion after transient blocking of cerebral blood flow during surgery.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a new preventive or therapeutic agent for such diseases.
Disclosure of the Invention
As a result of an intensive study to provide such a preventive or therapeutic agent, the applicants have found that an IL-8 binding-inhibition agent can attain the desired object and thereby have completed the present invention.
Thus, the present invention provides a preventive or therapeutic agent for cerebral stroke comprising an IL-8 binding-inhibition agent as an active ingredient.
The present invention also provides a preventive or therapeutic agent for cerebral infarction comprising an IL-8 binding-inhibition agent as an active ingredient.
The present invention also provides a preventive or therapeutic agent for cerebral thrombosis comprising an IL-8 binding-inhibition agent as an active ingredient.
The present invention also provides a preventive or therapeutic agent for cerebral embolism comprising an IL-8 binding-inhibition agent as an active ingredient.
The present invention also provides a preventive or therapeutic agent for hemodynamic infarction comprising an IL-8 binding-inhibition agent as an active ingredient.
The present invention also provides a preventive or therapeutic agent for, hemorrhagic cerebrovascular disorders comprising an IL-8 binding-inhibition agent as an active ingredient.
The present invention also provides a preventive or therapeutic agent for cerebral hemorrhage comprising an IL-8 binding-inhibition agent as an active ingredient.
The present invention also provides a preventive or therapeutic agent for subarachnoid hemorrhage comprising an IL-8 binding-inhibition agent as an active ingredient.
The present invention also provides a preventive or therapeutic agent for cerebral edema comprising an IL-8 binding-inhibition agent as an active ingredient.
The present invention also provides a preventive or therapeutic agent for ischemic cerebral edema comprising an IL-8 binding-inhibition agent as an active ingredient.
The present invention also provides a preventive or therapeutic agent for cerebral edema associated with head injuries comprising an IL-8 binding-inhibition agent as an active ingredient.
The present invention also provides a preventive or therapeutic agent for reperfusion injury of cerebral ischemia comprising an IL-8 binding-inhibition agent as an active ingredient.
The present invention also provides a preventive or therapeutic agent for reperfusion injury of cerebral ischemia associated with reperfusion after transient blocking of cerebral blood flow during surgery comprising an IL-8 binding-inhibition agent as an active ingredient.
The present invention also provides a preventive or therapeutic agent for reperfusion injury of cerebral ischemia associated with thrombolytic therapy comprising an IL-8 binding-inhibition agent as an active ingredient.
The present invention also provides a preventive or therapeutic agent for increased vascular permeability comprising an IL-8 binding-inhibition agent as an active ingredient.
The present invention also provides a preventive or therapeutic agent for cerebral stroke comprising anti-IL-8 antibody as an active ingredient.
The present invention also provides a preventive or therapeutic agent for cerebral infarction comprising anti-IL-8 antibody as an active ingredient.
The present invention also provides a preventive or therapeutic agent for cerebral thrombosis comprising anti-IL-8 antibody as an active ingredient.
The present invention also provides a preventive or therapeutic agent for cerebral embolism comprising anti-IL-8 antibody as an active ingredient.
The present invention also provides a preventive or therapeutic agent for hemodynamic infarction comprising anti-IL-8 antibody as an active ingredient.
The present invention also provides a preventive or therapeutic agent for hemorrhagic cerebrovascular disorders comprising anti-IL-8 antibody as an active ingredient.
The present invention also provides a preventive or therapeutic agent for cerebral hemorrhage comprising anti-IL-8 antibody as an active ingredient.
The present invention also provides a preventive or therapeutic agent for subarachnoid hemorrhage comprising anti-IL-8 antibody as an active ingredient.
The present invention also provides a preventive or therapeutic agent for cerebral edema comprising anti-IL-8 antibody as an active ingredient.
The present invention also provides a preventive or therapeutic agent for ischemic cerebral edema comprising anti-IL-8 antibody as an active ingredient.
The present invention also provides a preventive or therapeutic agent for cerebral edema associated with head injuries comprising anti-IL-8 antibody as an active ingredient.
The present invention also provides a preventive or therapeutic agent for reperfusion injury of cerebral ischemia comprising anti-IL-8 antibody as an active ingredient.
The present invention also provides a preventive or therapeutic agent for reperfusion injury of cerebral ischemia associated with reperfusion after transient blocking of cerebral blood flow during surgery comprising anti-IL-8 antibody as an active ingredient.
The present invention also provides a preventive or therapeutic agent for reperfusion injury of cerebral ischemia associated with thrombolytic therapy comprising anti-IL-8 antibody as an active ingredient.
The present invention also provides a preventive or therapeutic agent for increased vascular permeability comprising anti-IL-8 antibody as an active ingredient.
The present invention also provides a preventive or therapeutic agent for cerebral infarction, cerebral edema, reperfusion injury of cerebral ischemia, and increased cerebral vascular permeability comprising a monoclonal antibody against IL-8 as an active ingredient.
The present invention also provides a preventive or therapeutic agent for cerebral infarction, cerebral edema, reperfusion injury of cerebral ischemia,.and increased cerebral vascular permeability comprising an antibody against mammalian IL-8 as an active ingredient.
The present invention also provides a preventive or therapeutic agent for cerebral infarction, cerebral edema, reperfusion injury of cerebral ischemia, and increased cerebral vascular permeability comprising an antibody against human-IL-8 as an active ingredient.
The present invention also provides a preventive or therapeutic agent for cerebral infarction, cerebral edema, reperfusion injury of cerebral ischemia, and increased cerebral vascular permeability comprising WS-4 antibody against IL-8 as an active ingredient.
The present invention also provides a preventive or therapeutic agent for cerebral infarction, cerebral edema, reperfusion injury of cerebral ischemia, and increased cerebral vascular permeability comprising a humanized or chimeric antibody against IL-8 as an active ingredient.
The present invention further provides a preventive or therapeutic agent for cerebral infarction, cerebral edema, reperfusion injury of cerebral ischemia, and increased cerebral vascular permeability comprising humanized WS-4 antibody against IL-8 as an active ingredient.

Treatment of cerebral disorders by inhibition of IL-8 binding to receptor


Disclosed is a solid-state imaging device including a plurality of pixels and a plurality of on-chip lenses. The plurality of pixels are arranged in a matrix pattern. Each of the pixels has a photoelectric conversion portion configured to photoelectrically convert light incident from a rear surface side of a semiconductor substrate. The plurality of on-chip lenses are arranged for every other pixel. The on-chip lenses are larger in size than the pixels. Each of color filters at the pixels where the on-chip lenses are present has a cross-sectional shape whose upper side close to the on-chip lens is the same in width as the on-chip lens and whose lower side close to the photoelectric conversion portion is shorter than the upper side.

The present disclosure relates to solid-state imaging devices, methods of manufacturing the solid-state imaging devices, and electronic apparatuses and, in particular, to a solid-state imaging device, a method of manufacturing the solid-state imaging device, and an electronic apparatus capable of preventing the degradation of color mixture.
In recent years, CMOS type solid-state imaging devices (CMOS image sensors) have been installed in various electronic apparatuses such as digital cameras, video cameras, monitoring cameras, copiers, and facsimile machines.
In solid-state imaging devices, on-chip lenses are formed over photodiodes serving as light receiving portions. However, the manufacturing of the on-chip lenses with a desired curvature has become difficult since it is requested to downsize the on-chip lenses to suit to finer pixels.
Accordingly, there has been proposed the technology of achieving an improvement in sensitivity in a pixel structure in which on-chip lenses larger in size than pixels are formed for every other pixel to suit to finer pixels (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2007-287891 (hereinafter, referred to as Patent Document 1).

Solid-state imaging device, method of manufacturing a solid-state imaging device, and electronic apparatus


Devices in a process control system communicate by data messages over a communication medium segment. Each device includes a communication controller that includes a data queue and a queue of received message objects. The data queue stores a plurality of messages received on the communication medium. The received message objects contain information about a corresponding message in the data queue.

The present invention relates to a communications controller for use in field instruments and other devices of process control systems. In particular, the present invention is a system and method for low latency data packet reception and processing in a communications controller.
In a typical industrial plant, a distributed control system (DCS) is used to control many of the industrial processes performed at the plant. Typically, the plant has a centralized control room having a computer system with user input/output (I/O), disc I/O, and other peripherals as are known in the computing art. Coupled to the computing system are a controller and a process I/O subsystem.
The process I/O subsystem includes of I/O ports which are connected to various field devices throughout the plant. Field devices include various types of analytical equipment, silicon pressure sensors, capacitive pressure sensors, resistive temperature detectors, thermocouples, strain gauges, limit switches, on/off switches, flow transmitters, pressure transmitters, capacitance level switches, weigh scales, transducers, valve positioners, valve controllers, actuators, solenoids, and indicator lights. The term "field device" encompasses these devices, as well as any other device that performs a function in a distributed control system.
Traditionally, analog field devices have been connected to the control room by two-wire twisted pair current loops, with each device connected to the control room by a single two-wire twisted pair. Analog field devices are capable of responding to or transmitting an electrical signal within a specified range. In a typical configuration, it is common to have a voltage differential of approximately 20-25 volts between the two wires of the pair and a current of 4-20 milliamps running through the loop. An analog field device that transmits a signal to the control room modulates the current running through the current loop, with the current proportional to the sensed process variable. On the other hand, an analog field device that performs an action under control of the control room is controlled by the magnitude of the current through the loop, which is modulated by the I/O port of the process I/O system, which in turn is controlled by the controller. Traditional two-wire analog devices having active electronics can also receive up to 40 milliwatts of power from the loop. Analog field devices requiring more power are typically connected to the control room using four wires, with two of the wires delivering power to the device. Such devices are known in the art as four-wire devices and are not power limited, as are two-wire devices.
In contrast, traditional discrete field devices transmit or respond to a binary signal. Typically, discrete field devices operate with a 24-volt signal (either AC or DC), a 110- or 240-volt AC signal, or a 5-volt DC signal. Of course, a discrete device may be designed to operate in accordance with any electrical specification required by a particular control environment. A discrete input field device is simply a switch which either makes or breaks the connection to the control room, while a discrete output field device will take an action based on the presence or absence of a signal from the control room.
Historically, most traditional field devices have had either a single input or a single output that was directly related to the primary function performed by the field device. For example, the only function implemented by a traditional analog resistive temperature sensor is to transmit a temperature by modulating the current flowing through the two-wire twisted pair, while the only function implemented by a traditional analog valve positioner is to position a valve between an open and closed position, inclusive, based on the magnitude of the current flowing through the two-wire twisted pair.
More recently, hybrid systems that superimpose digital data on the current loop have been used in distributed control systems. One hybrid system is known in the control art as the Highway Addressable Remote Transducer (HART) and is similar to the Bell 202 modem specification. The HART system uses the magnitude of the current in the current loop to sense a process variable (as in the traditional system), but also superimposes a digital carrier signal upon the current loop signal. The carrier signal is relatively slow, and can provide updates of a secondary process variable at a rate of approximately 2-3 updates per second. Generally, the digital carrier signal is used to send secondary and diagnostic information and is not used to realize the primary control function of the field device. Examples of information provided over the carrier signal include secondary process variables, diagnostic information (including sensor diagnostics, device diagnostics, wiring diagnostics, and process diagnostics), operating temperatures, temperature of the sensor, calibration information, device ID numbers, materials of construction, configuration or programming information, etc. Accordingly, a single hybrid field device may have a variety of input and output variables and may implement a variety of functions.
HART is an industry standard nonproprietary system. However, it is relatively slow. Other companies in the industry have developed proprietary digital transmission schemes which are faster, but these schemes are generally not used by or available to competitors.
More recently, a newer control protocol has been defined by the Instrument Society of America (ISA). The new protocol is generally referred to as Fieldbus. Fieldbus is a multi-drop serial digital two-way communications protocol intended for connecting field instruments and other process devices such as monitoring and simulation units in distributed control systems. Fieldbus allows enhanced digital communication over previous process control loop methods while maintaining the ability to power process devices coupled to the Fieldbus loop and while meeting intrinsic safety requirements.
Two reasonably standardized industrial Fieldbus protocols are Foundation Fieldbus and Profibus. The physical layer of the Fieldbus protocols are defined by Instrument Society of America standard ISA-S50.02-1992, and its draft two extension dated 1995. The Fieldbus protocol defines two subprotocols. An H1 Fieldbus network transmits data at a rate up to 31.25 kilobits per second (Kbps) and provides power to field devices coupled to the network. The H1 physical layer subprotocol is defined in Clause 11 of the ISA standard, part two approved in September 1992. An H2 Fieldbus network transmits data at a rate up to 2.5 megabits per second (Mbps), does not provide power to field devices connected to the network, and is provided with redundant transmission media.
Fieldbus provides significant capabilities for digitally communicating immense amounts of process data. Thus, there is a continuing need to develop process control devices capable of maximizing fieldbus communication effectiveness.

Low latency data packet reception and processing


A display control apparatus includes a first display control unit for controlling displaying a first representative image in a first folder on a first area of a display screen with first content recorded on a recording medium thereof belonging to the first folder, a second display control unit for controlling displaying a second representative image in a second folder on a second area of the display screen with second content supplied from a partner apparatus connected thereto via a network and belonging to the second folder, and a third display control unit for controlling displaying, on a third area of the display screen, a thumbnail image of one of the first content and the second content corresponding to one of the first folder and the second folder selected using one of the first representative image and the second representative image.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus, method and computer program for display control and, in particular, to an apparatus, method, and computer program for controlling displaying content.
2. Description of the Related Art
Digital cameras for taking a picture are in widespread use.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2003-92719 discloses a digital camera that receives, without using a personal computer, only video data desired by a user out of video data of pictures taken by another digital camera and stored on an information recording medium therewithin.

Apparatus, method, and computer program for controlling display


A memory management unit for I/O devices uses page table entries to translate virtual addresses to physical addresses. The page table entries include removal rules allowing the I/O memory management unit to delete page table entries without CPU involvement significantly reducing the CPU overhead involved in virtualized I/O data transactions.

The present invention relates to a computer architecture and in particular an input-output memory management unit (IOMMU) for controlling mapping between an I/O device address space and physical computer memory reducing both the processor burden and the risks of memory corruption due to erroneous or malicious operation of I/O.
Current electronic computers may include a memory management unit (MMU) positioned between one or more processors and physical memory. The MMU, under the control of the operating system (OS), maps virtual addresses used by the processors to different addresses of physical memory. This mapping, for example, allows fragmented physical memory locations to be presented to a processor (or a particular process running on the processor) as a continuous block of virtual memory. Different processes can use the same address range of virtual memory mapped to different addresses of physical memory.
The MMU also provides for memory protection by isolating given processes to limited virtual memory (and hence a physical memory) regions preventing processes from corrupting memory used by other processes through overwriting of that memory. In this regard, the MMU may track and enforce read/write permissions, limiting reading or writing of a given process within the physical address range allocated to a process.
A similar input-output memory management unit (IOMMU) may be interposed between I/O devices such as disk drives and the physical memory. Like the MMU, the IOMMU provides the I/O devices with virtual addresses (IOVA) that are mapped to physical addresses of the physical memory. The IOMMU may further include permissions limiting the reading and writing within the physical address range allocated to the I/O device and thus may prevent an I/O device from corrupting the memory state of others (CPU, OS or other I/O) or accessing other I/O devices.
The mappings between the virtual addresses (IOVA) and the physical addresses are stored in a data structure called page table, typically resident in physical memory. The page table stores the mapping information at the granularity of one or a few fixed-size pages. Each of the individual entries of the page table is called a page table entry or PTE. A PTE thus stores the mapping of a given page in a virtual address to its corresponding physical address of physical memory. The PTE may also include one or more permission limiting reading and/or writing to the physical memory within the mapped address range.
In operation, an device is typically associated with a driver program that may run on the processor. Before an I/O device can read or write, from or to the physical memory, the corresponding driver program requests the OS to establish the needed mapping between the virtual address and the physical memory. The OS then may create the requested PTEs in the page table to establish the requested mapping.
After the OS establishes table entry on behalf of the driver, the driver invokes the necessary call to the I/O device which performs an I/O task.
When the I/O device needs to access memory as part of the I/O task, it provides a virtual address to the IOMMU. The IOMMU finds a PTE related to that virtual address in the page table to obtain the necessary physical address range and permissions. These mappings and permissions of the page table PTE may be duplicated in a cache structure of the IOMMU called IO Translation Lookaside Buffer (IOTLB). The IOMMU then accesses the physical memory according to that mapping and the permissions of the cached PTE. The IOMMU denies access to physical memory if the mapping or if enough permission for the operation is unavailable.
When the memory access by the I/O device is complete, the I/O device provides a completion signal to the operating system. The operating system executing on the processor then may perform a PTE deletion action, deleting the PTE from the page table, and sends a corresponding IOMMU cache deletion signal to the IOMMU cache causing deletion of the corresponding PTE from the IOMMU cache. This deletion process prevents extra erroneous memory accesses by an errant I/O device such as may corrupt previously written data. The operating system executing through the processor may periodically delete stale PTEs from the page table (even absent a completion signal from the IOMMU) after a predetermined period of time.
The benefits of the IOMMU in virtualization and reduction of memory corruption are offset in part by the additional time required to implement the above described protocol and the demands placed on a processor resources.

I/O memory management unit providing self invalidated mapping