The invention may be embedded in products or services that contain a microprocessor and a facility for communication. The resulting two-way interactive media enables relationships to be built with individual customers and groups of customers throughout a product's or service's life cycle. Customers may also be provided with automatic, portable in-use access to constantly updated information during product use, to increase user success and reduce costly and error-filled processes of acquiring product expertise. The invention may interact with customers, gather information from customers, communicate customer information securely to a vendor or external third party(ies), construct and transmit new pre-programmed interactions to the customer communications system in the product, and analyze and report customer information. This new medium provides a worldwide way to transform the use of products and services into interactive two-way dialogues; add in-product performance measures and any specific assistance needed; educate and train customers as their product uses change; permit vendors to discover and respond instantly to market shifts and opportunities; generate and test new ideas; enable customers to guide a vendor or a third party(ies) in satisfying their needs; and other means of using in-product communications to fit business operations with rapidly changing customers and markets. By making two-way learning and information delivery part of the product and service environment, vendors or third parties can become faster, more efficient and accurate in designing, delivering and supporting what customers want to buy.

The growing speed of product development (with shorter time to market, rapid addition of new product features and transformation of many products due to technological change) makes the ability to measure and deal with complexity considerably more difficulty. The rate of product evolution in many product categories has become faster than ever, so measurement methods must evolve to keep pace with the speed and scope of business decision making. Unfortunately, it still generally takes 30 days or more to run many types of meaningful studies in areas like human factors product testing, market research and product field trials. Such labor-intensive studies, conducted by degreed professionals, are also expensive. Since many product design decisions will not wait or do not have the budget, they are made without the benefit of in-depth customer-based studies that would make those decisions clearer, simpler and more accurate.
In some areas current test methods are immature and only partly assist in making crucial product decisions. For example, a growing number of software and computer-integrated products (which may actually be built around a special purpose computer such as a medical monitor) aim to enhance customer performance, problem solving abilities and complex types of thinking. While learning tests are able to determine whether or not a product's users have learned the procedures for using that product, it remains difficult to assess complex thinking skills and changes in attitude toward one's tasks. Those effects must be inferred instead of measured, forcing decision makers to make crucial product decisions based on guesses instead of knowledge.
In other areas it is extremely difficult to obtain action and behavioral information during the actual use of products, services and information systems. From design and business decision making viewpoints this is essential for understanding how products or processes perform across the spectrum of situations and countries to learn their capabilities and deficiencies for actually achieving the goals for which they are purchased. There is a larger, more advanced reason that this information is required now that embedded microprocessors and software are increasingly transforming products, services and the information infrastructures used to operate many types of organizations. In-depth measurement and data are needed to dynamically trigger automatic and appropriate responses and reconfigurations in response to rapidly changing conditions and swiftly evolving situations.
In a growing number of product categories and industries one key to success is improving the full range of outcomes required by customers for their success. For example, the entire computing industry has been judged harshly for failing to significantly improve productivity measures. Similarly, the medical industry struggles to learn how to provide quality care with a lower cost-per-patient outcome. Such transformations in performance require simultaneous improvements by vendors, customers and everyday product users, which requires systemic and systematic measurement and dynamic adaptation across products, organizations, industries, markets and societies. The immediate availability of accurate and meaningful decision making and reconfiguration information is essential for improving products, business decisions and competitive performance with the speed and scale that are required by today's competitive pressures and societies.
This broad range of needs clearly calls for faster, easier, more direct and broader means for learning customer requirements, measuring actual performance, communicating that information in automatically analyzed formats, and responding to customers and users dynamically based on their group or individual objectives and performance measurements.
This Customer-Based Product Design Module invention uses a combination of computer hardware, software and communications technologies to construct a module that is built into certain products and services, to establish a network of customer-vendor-distributor interactions and communications (or a network of internal organization-wide interactions in the area of computer-based performance). These make possible new customer and user roles in the design and development of products and services, and customer-vendor relationships. Over time, this may produce a gradual transfer to customers of commercial direction and market control, both in individual cases (such as the evolution of a particular product) and in aggregate, from vendors and distributors.
One of the core purposes of the invention is illustrated in FIG. 15. This is the ability to learn interactively and iteratively from the users of products and information systems anywhere in the world while they are in use--without having to travel to their sites (or without having to bring them to a testing laboratory). Since this is a two-way link, it also offers the ability to respond meaningfully to customers and users based on worldwide, local, organizational or individual needs regardless of where they are located.
Information technology is so new that we're still figuring out what it is and what it should do for us. This technology turns the user interfaces in products, equipment, tools and toys into an interactive learning system that connects vendors, users and marketplaces worldwide. While this emerges from the built-in computing that is becoming an increasingly common part of many products, it transforms the product interface into a learning device and a learning system--for individual products, for marketplaces and potentially, for societies and economic systems.
Product interfaces are increasingly connected to built-in or embedded computing. These interfaces already surround people at work and at home on equipment (whether in business offices, doctor's offices, factories, construction sites, hospitals, etc.), computers, consumer electronics and more. These interfaces are moving into pockets and briefcases via handheld electronic organizers and PDAs (personal digital assistants). They are transforming millions of computer and TV screens via interactive services and channels. Picture a new module behind interfaces around the world. This enables them to "wake up" when these products and services are used so they ask questions based on how they are used. The module stores user answers and uploads them periodically, and its overall architecture delivers a clear and broad picture of the current state and evolutionary changes in individual and group needs. The module/architecture of this invention also downloads into products new questions, user support, or other new capabilities so that product interfaces provide continuous two-way learning, and users receive new information or features that can be delivered through the product itself.
This may help transform the increasingly everyday environment of built-in computing into a two-way system for meeting both vendor and customer needs faster, more accurately and more effectively. Since this technology is scaleable, it doesn't matter whether the focus is:
One vendor's product in one customer's hands, PA1 All of that vendor's products in use in one country, PA1 The marketplace for those types of products in that country, or PA1 Multiple markets around the world. PA1 Products that can learn from and work with individuals or groups in new ways, or PA1 Markets that employ these new built-in communications/information systems to provide new benefits such as additional market efficiencies, built-in marketwide user performance support systems, or accelerated economic growth for individual vendors or national economies. PA1 (a) Systems for storing and transferring data between persons based on portable electronic devices (4,007,355, 2/1977, Moreno and 4,092,524, 5/1978, Moreno), PA1 (b) A portable element of reservation systems, for receiving, storing, displaying and outputting digital data (4,298,793, 11/1981, Melis et al.), PA1 (c) A credit card with a memory, including plural memory fields, for keeping accounts with predetermined homogeneous units (4,367,402, 1/1983, Giraud et al.), PA1 (d) A data processing card system that may be carried by a user for insertion into external terminal devices, which actuates the data processing card system (4,539,472, 9/1985, Poetker et al.), PA1 (e) A system for transferring electronic funds by means of portable modules which connect to resident units for transferring data between units or to a central computer (4,625,276, 11/1986, Benton et al.), PA1 (f) An apparatus that accepts data from a people monitoring system (which is attached to a television set), stores the data and transmits it to a removable local unit that stores it (4,642,685, 2/1987, Roberts et al.), PA1 (g) A voice recording card can record and reproduce messages, and transmit and receive messages (4,677,657, 6/1987, Nagata et al.), PA1 (h) An IC card for operating machines such as automatic cash machines and ID systems, including a display for displaying stored data, an IC card reader for reading the IC card, and transmitting/receiving means for updating the data (4,746,787, 5/1988, Suto et al.), PA1 (i) An intelligent card that includes a keyboard, display and IC chip, designed to provide secure identification of the card's holder (4,749,982, 6/1988, Rikuna et al.), PA1 (j) A customer service system that stores customer service information in an IC card, and displays it on the card's display, based on menu selections by the person holding the card (4,752,677, 6/1988, Nakano et al.), PA1 (k) An IC card system compatible with a bank account system, including account maintenance, money transfers and the functions of credit and debit cards (4,839,504, 6/1989, Nakano), PA1 (l) A portable data carrier that stores more than one bank and/or credit account number and data, and provides account information by means of a display (4,859,837, 8/1989, Halpern), PA1 (m) An intelligent portable interactive personal data system (4,868,376, 9/1989, Lessin et al.), PA1 (n) A smart card apparatus and method of programming it, including a smart card control program and a data dictionary (4,874,935, 10/1989, Younger), PA1 (q) A data collection system useful for trade shows employing a card containing a memory chip for recording and storing the data of individuals (5,019,697, 5/1991, Postman), and PA1 (r) A portable interactive medical test selector that displays questions to a patient, stores answers and analyzes the answers to recommend appropriate medical tests (5,025,374, 6/1991, Roizen et al.). PA1 In products (as defined by this invention), PA1 At vendors, and PA1 Throughout the marketplace or throughout an enterprise (when built into its internal business and computing systems). PA1 Some of its technology parallels include: PA1 Bank Automated Teller Machines (ATMs), in which simplified local interactions with individual customers are linked to centralized systems via marketwide networks, to provide immediate personal services across markets and large geographic regions. PA1 Automobile racing, in which key systems of a race vehicle are monitored by sensors, and combined with direct voice communications with the driver, to gain the clearest possible computer display and understanding of the driver's problems and needs, and to gain the new competitive abilities of supporting the driver so that the driver has the best possible chance to perform better than competitors. PA1 The worldwide telephone network and linked voice mail systems, in which individual local users, who may be located anywhere, operate the global phone network and attached voice mail systems with a small keypad of ten numbers (0-9) and two buttons (# and *), illustrating how a simple means for a user to interface with a product or service may control and communicate with complex systems that are widely distributed. PA1 The ability of an individual corporation to satisfy the needs of its customers, PA1 If that company gains competitive advantages that produce additional market share, or other meaningful advantages, similar in-product communications may be adopted by competing companies, which may transform the industry or the marketplace, PA1 As the industry or marketplace evolves to interact with its customers, the fundamental efficiencies of those markets and those industries may increase. PA1 As the continuous improvement capabilities of particular industries in particular countries grow, the global market share of those industries and countries may transform the leading companies in those industries worldwide. PA1 Some of the possible impacts include: PA1 A first potential impact could be on the market share of vendors who include this in their products. The CB-PD Module may provide competitive advantages that fit the vendor's needs because, in the end, many vendors develop a product or service for only one reason, and that is to produce sales and profits. This invention offers the ability to demonstrate clearly to decision makers at the vendor company what it is about their product that is, or is not, effective, appealing, useful, etc. to their Customers while their product is being used. In many product life-cycle decisions, these clearly Defined Customer Desires (DCD) could prove to be crucial for the design, marketing, positioning, and future of the product and its specific features. PA1 A second potential impact is that this makes material transformations in the products and services that include this invention. For example, the Defined Customer Desires (DCD) that receive the most attention by the product's vendor may be those that appear to have the largest direct impact on the financial success and marketing performance of the product (or the fundamental goals of the organization, which may or may not be commercial; for example, an educational institution may be developing a technology-based curriculum product to produce certain learning outcomes or performance results, such as new skills in its students, and it may use a CB-PD Module to assess outcomes of its curriculum product during use, helping provide a constant flow of improvement information for this educational and non-commercial "product"). PA1 A third potential impact is that this may change relationships between some vendors, customers and product usersFor example, instead of a remote relationship between sellers (vendors) and buyers (customers) they have the opportunity to engage in an evolving dialog during product use, and redefine their relationship. One potential direction is for customers to assist or direct vendors in defining product features, interfaces, functionality, etc. Another potential direction is for customers to assist or direct vendors in developing services offered with the product, such as training, documentation, customer support, financing, volume buying discounts, etc. In addition to improving products and services, many new options are available. Three examples are on-line customer support (that is built into the product and responsive to individual customer needs), interactive performance support systems (that measure customer productivity, recommend productivity improvements, and assist customers in achieving them), and point-of-use transactions (the ability for customers to buy additional products and services from vendors through products, while they are using them, anywhere in the world). PA1 A fourth potential range of impacts may come from using this as a broadcast, narrowcast or point-to-point communications media. One contribution of a patent could be to produce all three capabilities by requiring licensees to adhere to common standards. Thus, A vendor could "broadcast" to all the users of its CB-PD Module-equipped products throughout a marketplace, or "narrowcast" to specific groups of customers in specific market niches. If the customer chooses to identify himself or herself (such as someone who has an urgent need, wants on-line personal support, or is conducting a transaction through a product) the vendor could send a point-to-point reply to the module in that customer's product. In reverse, users could choose to send (or sell) their data to any third-party, including information buyers FIG. 19 726. Who is more interested in the problems and needs of one vendor's word processing software product--that software vendor, a competing software vendor, a vendor of market research data, or a corporation deciding which word processing software to buy? With modules in products and communications options, the data from users has commercial value and may be a source of revenue to product users.
Since this through-the-product communications may be used to transform customer-vendor relationships, results may include:
Everyone talks back to products, but not with words they can repeat in public. Think how customers would guide products and services toward what they want if they could really talk back while they use a product, both when they have a problem and when they have an unmet need. Vendors might find an alive marketplace that helps them improve products, services and business relationships.
A number of service industries, such as market research and product testing, seek to help vendors understand their customers. This invention may enable vendors to learn directly from their customers on an ongoing basis and establish a private two-way product development relationship with them, providing a valuable addition to some current methodologies. This invention may also produce more accurate information than these measurement services because it works with larger numbers of customers, in many more markets and market niches, to learn their needs, expectations and desires during the actual everyday use of products and services.
How does this invention accomplish this? Today, microprocessors are often embedded into products as controllers. For example, many new cars have a dozen or more microprocessors inside of them. This invention uses technology to embed a customer-vendor-distributor NETWORKING MODULE into vendor-selected products and services. This technology-based Module turns the product's interface into a two-way learning device, connected to a larger learning system and architecture, so that rapid and iterative customer-based progress may become a feature of those products, services and markets. Because learning, measurement and performance improvement are interconnected, this new feature may involve customers (as individuals, in groups and marketwide) in the product evaluation and design process, and in planning business services so that they serve customer needs better than competitors can accomplish. These are strategic advantages for companies, societies and economic systems.
For products (and information systems) that contain this Module, customers may continuously inform vendors (or developers) of their current and emerging needs. The vendors of those products may have the best opportunity to respond swiftly to a much clearer view of customer problems, product problems and market opportunities than they have today. The inventor believes that within a generation it will be normal for many products and services to include this type of Module, so that customers (in aggregate, the market) comes to play a larger role in directing and controlling the commercial development of many products and services.
The closest known prior art is a combination of six areas. When combined, these six areas represent the prior art for this invention:
1 Market Research
Product and service vendors invest considerable money, employee time and corporate credibility to create their products and services. Are they as successful as they want to be? The market research industry has sprung up to answer a host of questions about customers. It is obvious that in spite of these market research efforts, customer needs that remain unknown and unfilled provide constant opportunities for creating and launching new products and services. In addition, many customers use products and services in ways that are not anticipated or fully understood by market researchers.
Why doesn't market research provide greater understanding? In market research, a variety of methodologies are used to segment groups of customers and to show the preferences and desires of the market segments. Typically, market research focuses on gathering either quantitative data (such as demographic information or numerical responses to surveys and questionnaires) or qualitative data (such as from focus groups). One of the main limitations of these research studies is that they are usually separate from the customers' actual and everyday use of the products and services being investigated.
2 On-line Surveys
In an on-line survey, a subject sits in front of a computer. Generally, this means bringing the subject to the computer that is running the survey software. At the time the subject has been told to complete the on-line survey, the survey software is run and it asks the subject questions. The subject uses a keyboard or mouse to answer the questions. The software records the subject's answers in a data file. After that subject has completed the survey, the software can report those answers. After all the subjects have been run, software can report various compilations of the data set, and provide various analyses of an individual subject, a sub-set of subjects, the entire group, or comparisons between various sub-groups. Over time, a series of on-line surveys can be compiled, and the data may be compared in various ways (such as longitudinally).
3 Field Programmable Logic Devices
Engineers now able to rapidly produce unique, custom programmed chips in their offices using "desktop silicon foundries." An engineer uses a personal computer or workstation to design the chip with commercially available software. A blank chip, in a special box attached to the desktop computer, is programmed in a few minutes. This is by far the fastest and cheapest way to create custom chips that add custom features to products. When a chip design is finished, if only a small number are needed, copies can be made in that "desktop silicon foundry." If many of these custom chips are needed, they can be mass produced in a factory.
4 Hand-held Bar Code Readers
These devices are carried into the field by many types of employees, such as couriers for organizations like Federal Express. These devices gather data from individual products or transactions by means of reading printed bar codes. This data is held in the bar code reader until it is connected to a computer or to a device that communicates with a computer. At that time, function keys are pressed and the bar code reader's data is uploaded to the computer. During that same connection, function keys are pressed and the bar code reader may be reprogrammed by means of downloading new software into the bar code reader's memory.
5 The Calculator
The small, hand-held calculator contains a microprocessor, memory, display, power supply and input buttons. It can be mass manufactured in large enough quantities that these devices can be sold very inexpensively.
6 Smart Cards
The Smart Card is like a calculator with additional memory and functions built into it. It is used for many types of applications, such as electronic ID systems that provide secure access throughout corporate offices, maintaining personal medical or financial account histories, and other single-purpose uses. A number of the prior art for Smart Cards and related devices demonstrate the feasibility of the present invention, including:
(o) A method and system for using facsimile machines to perform electronic funds transfer (4,960,981, 11/1990, Benton, et al.),
(p) A portable electronic keysafe system (e.g., a secure lock) that stores data, along with a stand to interface with a computer, and a computer that programs the lock (4,988,987, 1/1991, Barrett et al.),
This invention combines the prior art in a new distributed system whose components reside:
What Are Products and Services?
The departure from this prior art comes from fundamental re-definitions: Physical products and many types of services are really high-level concepts that use specific physical designs of products and service concepts to engage customers and attempt to satisfy their needs, desires and expectations. This is inevitably imprecise, and customers flexibly and individually determine how they will use the products and services that they buy. Thus, any one embodiment of a physical design is temporary and subject to improvements, even though it may look permanent at any one moment.
Vendors typically use market research to discover unfilled user needs and create new product and service designs that might capture valuable market share. The resulting physical products and services are therefore the current conceptual embodiment of a vendor's current knowledge of customer and user needs. As this knowledge is improved, the physical and process designs of products and services are altered. Thus, we propose that the current designs of products and services at any time are a reflection of a vendor's knowledge of customer needs and desires.
A second redefinition is that the current concept of a product life cycle may become less precise and less meaningful as product markets become information markets. The core transformation is from a product development stage followed by a product launch stage and one or more sales campaigns with occasional product improvements when needed to meet sales and revenue objectives. As enabled by this invention, the initial development stage increasingly interpenetrates all other stages of the product life cycle, the operations of corporations, and the evolution of economic systems (i.e., capitalist economies).
As envisioned by this invention, as customers and vendor employees interact to produce continuous improvement, the marketplace may be e-engineered into an interactive development environment (i.e., research and development environment, or R&D environment) with a national or global scope. The opportunities for accelerated learning may transform:
Because of the embedding of microprocessors and computing into products, some of the types of industries that may be affected include computers, software, electronics, communications, interactive entertainment, multimedia, transportation, energy, farm equipment, avionics, medical equipment, scientific instruments, etcPerceivable or measurable improvements may include customers receiving more of what they really want to buy for each dollar they spend, faster product evolution based on customer needs, increased market shares for companies that are more responsive to customer desires and more able to assist customers in achieving their goals, etc.
Thus, a technology may lead to organizational and market efficiencies that empirically improve the efficiency and effectiveness of capitalist markets. In Adam Smith's terms, the "invisible hand" of the market may be rendered "visible," accelerating the evolution of human welfare by providing greater benefits from free choice and personal freedom. In sum, the redefinitions intended may simultaneously be technological, operational (for products, organizations and economies) and political.
Today there are many approaches to competitiveness and the cost of failing to find a successful approach has mushroomed For example, some world-class corporations use new technologies to capture market share. Others use a constant launching and churning of new product models to attack their competitors' customer-vendor relationships.
This invention focuses on the competitive strategy of having companies work in a partnership with their customers to gain the greatest ability to concentrate their scarce resources on developing the products and markets that customers want most, and on serving customers in the ways that are most valuable to customers, so that these companies gain the largest increases in sales and profits. It suggests that the value of these customer-vendor relationships may be a central business advantage at this point in the emergence of a global information age, and this advantage may be explicitly captured by engaging in new types of product development partnerships that may be made possible by this invention.
Needs for This Invention
(Note: this invention's terminology is defined at the beginning of the Preferred Embodiment.)
Simply put, this invention helps vendors and customers by transforming their learning cycle: It compresses the time and steps between setting business objectives, creating effective products and services, and improving them continuously. It also alters their roles: Customers become partners in the improvement process along with vendors and distributors.
This invention's "Customer-Based Product Design Module" (CB-PD Module) generates numerous opportunities for improvements by integrating customers and employees into the design and delivery of products and services as a continuous process. The invention describes a specific new class of product feature that may be added to, or built into, many types of products and services. The CB-PD Module engages Customers in Development Interactions (DI) while products and services are being used. The customers and users provide direct, on-task understanding of their use of the products and services, and of their unfilled needs, to the product vendors, designers and developers Development Interactions (DI) will take place most often during actual uses of the product or service, which is when most unreported problems and dissatisfactions occur. The results of these Development Interactions (DI) clarify customer needs, improve products, and they may also help solve problems, control costs, and improve services and operations.
Because it automates this process and adds networking to many types of products and services, this invention may help change the cost, economics, methods and desirability of involving customers in the design and evolution of products and services. By automating this process, there are new opportunities to produce valuable customer-based information that may become low in cost and constantly available. This might transform the overall learning cycle, the very process by which products and services can be improved continuously in the future. In other words, if your customers and users are telling you directly what has value to them and what doesn't, this becomes a way to manage a business better, to select priorities more responsively, to budget scarce capital and human resources more accurately, to target the points where one's products and services make the most difference to customers, and to increase the company's revenues and profits faster than competitors.
With this CB-PD Module, because of the new customer-vendor partnerships and learning cycle it creates, the result is a different learning cycle based on new kinds of interactive feedback from customers. Over time, if one or more general purpose CB-PD Modules can be productized and modularized for rapid and affordable insertion into appropriate products and services, that will decrease its cost, accelerate the learning process for many companies, and expand management's ability to work directly with their customers to provide valuable new benefits faster than they are able to today.
From this invention's viewpoint, critical management decisions spring from the fact that vendors invest considerable money, employee time and effort to create and market their products and services. One of a vendor's most important questions is, "How can our currently available resources be leveraged to jump faster and farther toward our goals?" Potential opportunities exist at two levels. There are local decisions, such as how to design or improve a specific product or service. There are also system decisions, such as how to prioritize the relative value of different product and service investment opportunities. With multiple opportunities and limited resources, how can vendors continually identify the best available opportunities for investing in products and services, and for choosing their specific features and user interfaces?
Answering these types of questions, to improve the management of businesses, the quality of products and the satisfaction of customers, are some of the core purposes of this invention.


A first optical interface is coupled to a first IP service node and a first non-IP service node. A second optical interface is coupled to a second IP service node and a second non-IP service node. The first optical interface is coupled to the second optical interface by a first working link for the IP service nodes and by a second working link for the non-IP service nodes. The first optical interface is coupled to the second optical interface by a shared protect link. The first optical interface and the second optical interface replace either of the first working link or the second working link with the shared protect link.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention is related to the field of communications, and in particular, to the use of shared protect links for the back-up operations of multiple communication services.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Internet Protocol (IP) communications systems frequently use IP routers that are set-up as matched pairs. If one of the IP routers in the pair fails, then the other IP router in the pair can take over for the failed IP router. In addition, IP routers are connected over two diverse links. If one of the links between two IP routers fails, then the IP routers use the other link.
Since the IP routers and their links must back each other up, they must retain significant excess capacity to perform their back-up role. Unfortunately, this form of back-up protection requires a serious overbuild in IP links and routers. The overbuild results a excess cost and complexity.

Communication system that shares protect links among multiple services including an internet service


A power generating plant control system for collectively operating and controlling a power generating plant having a plurality of generating units with unit controllers provided in correspondence with respective generating units belonging to the generating plant and having control logics for applying special purpose operations to control systems of the respective generating units, data servers provided in correspondence with the unit controllers of the respective generating units and for processing and retaining control data and supervisory data of the respective generating units, and a central supervisory control system adapted to input data of the respective data servers through a data bus to carry out supervisory control of the operating states of the respective generating units, and to give start/stop instructions or load operating instructions to the respective generating units.

This invention relates to a power generating plant control system for collectively operating and controlling a power generating plant having a plurality of power generating units, and more particularly to a system for controlling in a distributed manner power generating units in a large scale power generating plant by microcomputers provided in every unit.
For example, thermal power generating plants generate steam by means of a boiler by using petroleum, coal or LNG, etc as fuel to introduce this steam into the turbine to rotate the power generator, thus to generate an electric power. Meanwhile, there are instances where such a power generating system is comprised of small scale generating units to use these plural power generating units as a single large scale power generating plant. In order to control the respective generating units in such a power generating plant, it is required to operate or manipulate a large number of equipments in accordance with a complicated procedure. For this reason, ordinarily a large number of plant operators or a large scale automatic system are required such that an operating procedure is stored into the process computer being used.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the entire configuration of a typical power generating plant comprised of a plurality of generating units. In order to operate the power generating unit to generate an electric power output, the following procedure is basically taken.
For the purpose of generating steam, a steam turbine 109 is driven at the number of revolutions of 3000 rpm (or 3600 rpm). Steam thus generated is collected into a condenser 100, at which it is cooled by using sea water. Water cooled at the condenser 100 is delivered from a low-pressure heater 102 to a deaerator 103 by means of a condensate pump 101 through a condensate line 100b. Water subjected to vacuum heat deaeration at the deaerator 103 is delivered to a feed water pump 104 through a feed water line 103a, and is pressurized by the feed water pump 104. Water thus pressurized is delivered from a high-pressure heater 105 to a boiler 106.
In the arrangement of FIG. 1, there is provided a system such that condensed water is returned from the deaerator 103 to the condenser 100 through the line 103b, the internal portion of the boiler 106 and the line 106a, and that feed water is delivered from the exit of the high-pressure heater 105 to the deaerator 103 through the line 105a to the condenser 100 through the internal portion of the boiler 106 and the line 106a. Thus, water can be circulated within the system at the middle stage of starting the unit.
Temperature of water admitted into the boiler 106 is elevated by means of a burner, resulting in high temperature and high pressure steam. The steam from the exit of the boiler 106 goes through a main steam line 106b and is controlled by a steam control valve 107 and a main steam stop valve 108. Thereafter, steam is delivered into the turbine 109. At this time, steam is controlled mainly by the steam control valve 107 so that predetermined rotational frequency is reached.
The rated rotational frequency of the turbine 109 is determined by the frequency of the output of a power generator 110. Namely, the turbine 109 is controlled so that the rated rotational frequency thereof becomes equal to 3000 rpm in the area of the frequency of 50 Hz, and that it becomes equal to 3600 rpm in the area of the frequency of 60 Hz.
The power generator 110 is coupled to the turbine 109 through the central shaft thereof, and the power generator 110 and the turbine 109 rotate at the same number of rotations. Thus, a predetermined generated electric power output is stepped up to the same voltage as the voltage of the power system by a main transformer 112 through a main breaker 111. The voltage thus stepped up is sent to a transmission line 114 of the electric power system through a line breaker 113.
The operation of the power generation unit is basically carried out in accordance with the procedure as stated above. Although not shown in FIG. 1, there are also included a sea water cooling system used for cooling at the condenser 100, a fuel system for carrying out combustion by the burner to heat water at the boiler 106, and an air draft system.
It is to be noted that since a series of procedures for carrying out transformation from water to steam, and transformation from steam to electricity in the entire power generating unit are complex, the configuration corresponding thereto is not included for avoiding such a complexity in FIG. 1.
The power generating unit started and operated in accordance with the above-described procedure is subject to supervisory control by a plurality of operators by using respective dedicated control devices in connection with the control ranges classified as follows.
(i) Control of the condensate system from the condenser 100 to the deaerator 103, and the sea water system used for cooling condensed water.
(ii) Control of the feed water system from the exit side of the deaerator 103 to the high pressure heater 105.
(iii) Control of the system from the feed water at the entrance of the boiler 106 to the steam line 106b on the exit side, the fuel system of the burner for carrying out combustion, and the air draft system.
(iv) Control of the system including the steam control valve 107 for controlling the main steam flow for rotating the turbine 109, the main steam stop valve 108, the turbine 109, and the condenser 100.
(v) Control for exciting the power generator 110 to take out a predetermined electric power to send it to the transmission line 114.
The configuration of a conventional control system including respective dedicated control devices used for operating the above-mentioned power generating unit is shown in FIG. 2.
An operator observes CRT display devices 11, 12 and 13 of an operator console board 1 to give an instruction to a process computer 2 from an operator input device 14 thus to send control signals to respective control devices 6 to 10 of the power generating unit through an input/output processing device 3 of the computer 2.
Further, the operator selects the control or operating switches and push buttons of instruments and/or display devices of the control board 4 while monitoring the state of the power generating unit, thus making it possible to similarly send operation signals for the respective control devices 6 to 10.
In order to start the power generating unit to operate or manipulate it as stated above on the basis of a system instrument or command so that a target load is provided, and to carry out a necessary stop operation depending upon circumstances, a plurality of operators share the manipulation of a large number of operation switches and/or push-buttons by using the control board 4 shown in FIG. 2. Alternatively, an operator gives operation instructions from the operator console board 1 to the process computer 2 while monitoring the plant by means of the CRT display devices provided in the operator console board 1. Thus, control signals are sent to the respective control devices 6 to 10 through the input/output control board 5 or the input/output processing device 3, and inputs for the supervisory control of the plant are taken into the system.
However, with respect to the starting of the power generating unit, there are several kinds of starting patterns in accordance with how many days the power generating unit is stopped. Accordingly, in correspondence with these starting patterns, the power generating unit must be controlled by different operation procedures, respectively.
Furthermore, controls based on various different procedures are conducted in order to optimize the efficiencies of the fuel and the power in correspondence with four kinds of starting modes (very hot, hot, warm and cold) scheduled in advance so as to optimize the starting time.
If an attempt is made to operate the power generating plant by using a conventional control system as stated above, a large scale control system and a plurality of operators for controlling that system are required. As a result, the equipment required therefor and the expense for ensuring the personnel requirement become costly.
In order to operate a plurality of units of the power generating plant by using such a large number of operators and large scale automatic system, a large amount of equipment investment and expenses for educating a large number of operators and maintaining them are required.
It is to be noted that while the invention of the distributed control system is applied to the different type of a power generating plant which is the combined cycle plant being consisted of a gas turbine, a heat recovery boiler and a steam turbine, the technology for collectively operating and controlling relatively small amount of power generated by the combined cycle plant having a plurality of generating units is already disclosed by the inventor of this application which has been issued as U.S. Pat. No. 4,550,379.

System for controlling power generating plant having a plurality of units in accordance with distributed computer system


A scheme for enabling a roaming call termination connection for a mobile subscriber between mobile communication networks adopting different roaming number allocation schemes is disclosed. A first mobile communication network in which a visited location register of a visited network temporarily allocates a roaming number at a time of call termination connection and a second mobile communication network in which a gateway location register of a visited network allocates a roaming number at a time of position registration are connected through an interworking location register, which functions as a visited location register from a viewpoint of the first mobile communication network and as a home location register from a viewpoint of the second mobile communication network when a mobile subscriber of the first mobile communication network roams to the second mobile communication network, and functions as a home location register from a viewpoint of the first mobile communication network and as a gateway location register from a viewpoint of the second mobile communication network when a mobile subscriber of the second mobile communication network roams to the first mobile communication network, in a position registration and call termination connection control operation at a time of roaming of a mobile subscriber.

In mobile communication which is becoming widely used in recent years, communication schemes with different systems are adopted by a plurality of communication business companies, such as an NTT scheme, J-TACS scheme, N-TACS scheme, GSM scheme, PDC scheme, etc. Then, when a mobile subscriber moves to another business company's service area, the so called roaming operation is provided as a service for enabling calling and call receiving from that service area using a different system.
For this roaming which enables the call termination connection regardless of where the mobile subscriber is located, the following two schemes are conventionally known. Namely, a scheme in which a visited location register of a visited network temporarily allocates a roaming number at a time of call termination connection, and a scheme in which a gateway location register of a visited network allocates a roaming number at a time of position registration.
First, the former one of the conventionally known schemes described above, that is a scheme in which a visited location register of a visited network temporarily allocates a roaming number at a time of call termination connection, will be described. In order to describe this scheme, a configuration of a mobile communication system is shown in FIG. 1, and its control methods are shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3. In each of these figures, VMSC (Visited Mobile Switching Center) is a visited mobile switching center, VLR (Visited Location Register) is a visited location register, HLR (Home Location Register) is a home location register, and GMSC (Gateway Mobile Switching Center) is a gateway mobile switching center. Also, a solid line indicates a communication channel, and a dashed line indicates a control channel.
As shown in FIG. 2, when a mobile subscriber moves (1) to a control area of some visited mobile switching center VMSC2, a position registration request (2) is made with respect to the visited mobile switching center VMSC2. When the position registration request (2) is received, the visited mobile switching center VMSC2 carries out a position registration request (3) with respect to a visited location register VLR2. When the position registration request (3) is received, the visited location register VLR2 normally searches an information of that mobile subscriber and updates a position information. However, the visited location register VLR2 does not store an information of a subscriber who requested the position registration for the first time, so that a region for storing an information of that subscriber is secured, and a position information of that subscriber is stored. In addition, the visited location register VLR2 notifies (4) an ID number of the visited mobile switching center VMSC2 and an ID number of the visited location register VLR2 to a home location register HLR which constantly stores the subscriber information of that subscriber. The home location register HLR stores (5) these visited mobile switching center ID number and visited location register ID number.
Next, when a received call for the mobile subscriber occurs, as shown in FIG. 3, this received call is routed as an IAM (Initial Address Message) to a gateway mobile switching center GMSC of the mobile communication network to which this subscriber is subscribing, according to the subscriber number of that subscriber. The gateway mobile switching center GMSC requests (2) an information for routing the received call to that mobile subscriber, with respect to the home location register HLR. When the routing information request (2) from the gateway mobile switching center GMSC is received, the home location register HLR searches an information of that subscriber, and learns the ID number of the visited mobile switching center VMSC2 and the ID number of the visited location register VLR2. In addition, the home location register HLR requests (3) an allocation of a roaming number for the purpose of routing the received call of that subscriber to the visited mobile switching center, with respect to the visited location register VLR2. When the roaming number allocation request (3) is received, the visited location register VLR2 temporarily allocates (4) a roaming number to that subscriber, and returns (5) it to the home location register HLR. The home location register HLR notifies (6) the roaming number to the gateway mobile switching center GMSC. The gateway mobile switching center GMSC routes (7) the received call as the IAM to the visited mobile switching center VMSC2 according to the roaming number.
Next, the latter one of the conventionally known schemes described above, that is a scheme in which a gateway location register of a visited network allocates a roaming number at a time of position registration, will be described. In order to describe this scheme, a configuration of a mobile communication system is shown in FIG. 4, and its control methods are shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6. In each of these figures, GLR (Gateway Location Register) is a gateway location register.
Note that, as long as the mobile subscriber moves within the subscribed mobile communication network, the position information of that subscriber is updated at each home location register HLR. However, in order for the mobile subscriber to make a communication by moving to the not subscribed mobile communication network, it is necessary for the mobile subscriber to make a roaming contract with that mobile communication network in advance.
As shown in FIG. 5, when a mobile subscriber 60 moves (1) to that roaming contracted mobile communication network 11, a position registration request (2) is made with respect to the visited mobile switching center VMSC44 of that mobile communication network 11. When the position registration request (2) is received, the visited mobile switching center VMSC44 carries out a position registration request (3) with respect to a gateway location register GLR31. When the position registration request (3) is received, the gateway location register GLR31 does not store an information of a subscriber who requested the position registration for the first time, so that a region for storing an information of that subscriber is secured, and a roaming number is allocated (4) to that subscriber. In addition, the gateway location register GLR31 notifies (5) the roaming number to a home location register HLR20 which constantly stores the subscriber information of that subscriber, and the home location register HLR20 stores (6) this roaming number.
Next, when a received call for the mobile subscriber 60 occurs, as shown in FIG. 6, this received call is routed (1) as an IAM to a gateway mobile switching center GMSC50 of the mobile communication network 10 to which this subscriber is subscribing, according to the subscriber number of that subscriber. The gateway mobile switching center GMSC50 requests (2) an information for routing the received call to that mobile subscriber 60, with respect to the home location register HLR20.
When the routing information request (2) from the gateway mobile switching center GMSC50 is received, the home location register HLR20 searches an information of that subscriber, and when the roaming number is stored, returns (3) this roaming number to the gateway mobile switching center GMSC50. The gateway mobile switching center GMSC50 routes (4) the received call as the IAM to the gateway mobile switching center GMSC51 of the mobile communication network 11 visited by that subscriber, according to this roaming number. The gateway mobile switching center GMSC51 of the mobile communication network 11 visited by that subscriber requests (5) an information for routing the received call to that mobile subscriber, with respect to the gateway location register GLR31. The gateway location register 31 returns (6) the position information of that subscriber to the gateway mobile switching center GMSC 51. The gateway mobile switching center GMSC51 terminates the call to the mobile subscriber 60 by carrying out the paging according to the received position information.
However, in the conventional schemes described with references to FIG. 1 to FIG. 6 described above, when the mobile subscriber roams between a communication network (FIG. 1 to FIG. 3) adopting a scheme in which a visited location register of a visited network (that is a roaming destination mobile communication network) temporarily allocates a roaming number at a time of call termination connection, and a mobile communication network (FIG. 4 to FIG. 6) adopting a scheme in which a gateway location register of a visited network allocates a roaming number at a time of position registration, because the roaming number allocation schemes are different in these mobile communication networks, there is no method for allocating the roaming number to that mobile subscriber, and as a result, there has been a drawback that the mobile subscriber cannot roam.
On the other hand, the conventional roaming includes a personal roaming which is realized only between the mobile communication networks supporting a personal mobile communication in which a subscriber number assigned to a user and a mobile terminal number assigned to a mobile terminal are arbitrarily set in correspondence.
With reference to FIG. 7, a personal roaming control scheme for carrying out the personal roaming in such personal mobile communication networks will be described.
In FIG. 7, a mobile communication network 411 which is supporting the personal mobile communication scheme has a user home location register HLR-P (Home Location Register for Personal mobility) 412 for holding a subscriber information P-data4 which is identified by a subscriber number PID4, and a mobile terminal home location register (Home Location Register for Terminal mobility) 413 for holding a mobile terminal information T-data4 of a mobile terminal which is identified by a mobile terminal number TID4, while a mobile communication network 111 which is supporting the personal mobile communication scheme has a user gateway location register GLR-P (Gateway Location Register for Personal mobility) 112 for holding a subscriber information R-P-data1 for a roaming user which is identified by a subscriber number PID4, and a mobile terminal home location register (Home Location Register for Terminal mobility) 113 for holding a mobile terminal information T-data1 of a mobile terminal which is identified by a mobile terminal number TID1.
In FIG. 7, when a user of the mobile communication network 411 moves (S31) to the mobile communication network 111, in order to realize the roaming to that mobile communication network 111, it is necessary to notify and register (S32) the subscriber number PID4 and the mobile terminal number TID1 of the mobile terminal 115 to the mobile communication network 111 which is the roaming destination network. Note that, in this case, as a means for enabling the user to notify the subscriber number PID4 to the mobile communication network 111 through the mobile terminal 115, it is possible to consider a method in which the user owns a user device which stores the subscriber number PID4, and the subscriber number PID4 is automatically notified to the mobile communication network 111 when that user device is attached to the mobile terminal 115 of the mobile communication network 111 which is the roaming destination network. Alternatively, as another means, a method in which the user explicitly notifies it to the mobile communication network 111 which is the roaming destination network by using dials, etc. is also possible.
By such means, when the user notifies the subscriber number PID4 and the mobile terminal number TID1 through the mobile terminal 115 to the mobile communication network 111 which is the roaming destination network, a combination of the subscriber number PID4 and the mobile terminal number TID1 is registered (S33) in the user gateway location register 112 of the mobile communication network 111. Then, the user gateway location register 112 inquires (S34) the subscriber information to the user home location register 412 of the mobile communication network 411 which is the user's home network, by using the subscriber number PID4 as a key. In response to this inquiry, the user home location register 412 outputs the subscriber information P-data4, and the mobile communication network 111 registers (S35) that subscriber information P-data4 as the roaming subscriber information R-P-data1 into the user gateway location register 112 in correspondence to the subscriber number PID4.
By the above processing, the subscriber information of the user of the mobile communication network 411 is transferred to the mobile communication network 111, so that it becomes possible for that user to make a call in the mobile communication network 111, and the personal roaming is completed.
In this manner, the personal roaming control can be carried out between the mobile communication networks supporting the personal mobile communication scheme, but in a case where the user's home network does not have a personal mobile communication function, even when the gateway location register GLR-P of the roaming destination network directly inquires the home location register HLR of the user's home network, it is impossible to make a response by taking out only the subscriber information because the subscriber information and the mobile terminal information is integrally provided in that home location register, and there has been a problem that the personal roaming cannot be made.

Roaming mobile communication system and method


In an LCD panel substrate and a manufacturing method thereof, a gate pattern includes a gate line formed on a pixel region and a peripheral region of a transparent insulating substrate and a gate electrode branched from the gate line. A gate insulating film is formed on the substrate having the gate pattern. An active pattern is formed on the gate insulating film and including a first impurity region, a second impurity region, and a channel region therebetween. A data pattern is formed on the active pattern and the gate insulating film. The data pattern includes a first electrode, a second electrode, and a data line. A first insulating interlayer is formed on the data pattern and the gate insulating film. The first insulating interlayer includes a first contact hole for partially exposing the first electrode, a second contact hole for exposing the gate electrode of a first drive transistor of the peripheral region and a third contact hole for exposing the first/second electrode of a second drive transistor of the peripheral region. An electrode pattern part is formed on the first insulating interlayer. The electrode pattern part includes a first electrode pattern coupled to the first electrode of the pixel region through the first contact hole, and a second electrode pattern connecting the partially exposed gate electrode of the first drive transistor with the exposed first/second electrode of the second drive transistor through the second and third contact holes.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a thin film transistor substrate and a manufacturing method thereof, and more particularly, to an amorphous silicon thin film transistor substrate having a gate driver for an LCD panel and a manufacturing method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
A liquid crystal display (LCD) is one of the most popular flat panel displays (FPDs). An LCD generally includes two substrates, each having an electrode formed on an inner surface thereof, and a liquid crystal layer interposed between the two substrates. In an LCD, a voltage is applied to the electrode to re-align liquid crystal molecules and control an amount of light transmitted through the liquid crystal layer.
TFT-LCDs are now the most common type of LCDs. Electrodes are formed on each of the two substrates and thin film transistors (TFTs) are used for switching power supplied to each electrode. The TFT is typically formed on one side of the two substrates.
Generally, an LCD in which TFTs are respectively formed in unit pixel regions is classified as an amorphous type TFT-LCD and a polycrystalline type TFT-LCD. The polycrystalline type TFT-LCD has advantages in that it is capable of speedier operation at low power consumption. It has also an advantage in that TFTs for pixels and semiconductor devices for drive-circuits can be formed together.
On the other hand, the driving circuit for the polycrystalline type TFT-LCD further needs an annealing process for transforming an amorphous silicon into polycrystalline silicon after the amorphous silicon is deposited. In other words, in case that a glass substrate is used, a deformation in the glass substrate may occur during the annealing process. Also, since the gate driver has a structure of complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS), both of n-channel transistor and p-channel transistor are formed on the same substrate. Thus, as compared with a manufacturing process of the amorphous type TFT-LCD in which a single channel type transistor is formed, a manufacturing process of the polycrystalline type TFT-LCD is more complicated and difficult.
In general, a substrate on which TFTs for an LCD are formed is manufactured by a photolithography process using a plurality of masks, and five or six photolithography process steps are used. Since the photolithography process is expensive, it is desirable to reduce the number of photolithography steps.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Thin film transistor substrate for liquid crystal display panel and manufacturing method thereof


An application runs on an electronic device having a touch surface, with one or more virtual controls on the touch surface. An overlay panel is attached to the electronic device, with one or more physical actuators mounted within a nonconductive frame. Each physical actuator has one or more conductive elements configured to create a conductive path through the physical actuator. Each physical actuator is aligned with and makes contact with one or more associated virtual controls on the touch surface, such that a user can operate the virtual control(s) by actuating the associated physical actuator(s).

Touch-sensitive electronics can include a wide array of devices such as: tablet and notebook computers, netbooks, ATMs, POS or information kiosks, ticket-dispensing machines, portable media players, personal digital assistants, monitors, televisions, tablets, i-devices and Mobile Internet Devices or MIDs such as multi-media and Internet-enabled smart phones. Touch surfaces allow users of these devices to input commands, engage in data entry or otherwise control an actionable object or on-screen graphic through touch—typically by finger, thumb or stylus contact. The touch surface senses the coordinates of the "touch," through any of the varying means of touch-sensitive technologies, including those that are capacitive and resistive governed. The coordinate data registered via "touch-sensing" can then be relayed to the device's controller (or processor) for processing and can further be utilized by software associated with applications running on an electronic device with a touch surface to initiate a desired action.
In a capacitive-sensor system, the touch surface, typically glass coated with a material such as indium tin oxide to enhance conductivity across a sensor device, acts as a sensor. The capacitive-sensor system utilizes a conductive input, usually a user's finger, to register touch. Finger contact with the capacitive-based touch surface alters the electrostatic field, which is then interpreted by the processor and device's software, translating this touch into a gesture or command. Respective capacitive touch surfaces feature electrostatic-field monitoring circuitry, with points that can be arranged in the form of a grid. Each point on the grid is designed to register changes in electrostatic fields and process them accordingly, making multi-touch and multi-gestures possible.
Touch-sensitive devices, such as tablet computers, can run a wide variety of applications, including simulator applications intended to emulate the appearance and functionality of a physical control panel, such as a flight management computer (FMC) panel found in the cockpit of an aircraft. Indeed, numerous flight simulator applications have been developed for touch-sensitive devices, and such applications are widely used by recreational pilots and other aircraft enthusiasts. Despite their popularity, flight simulator applications running on touch-sensitive devices frequently cannot provide adequate tactile feedback to a user desiring to simulate actual operation of a physical control panel, such as an FMC panel. The same is true of a wide variety of other touch-sensitive applications, especially those intended to simulate interaction with a physical control panel of some kind.
Due to the inherent limitations of touch-sensitive devices, flight training for professional commercial or military pilots has often been limited to actual aircraft, fixed-base or full-flight simulators. Training on systems is also available by Computer Based Training (CBT), technical manuals or classroom instruction. Such flight simulation and training systems can provide users with the requisite tactile feedback to simulate actual flight deck operations. However, such simulation systems are often quite expensive and large, making them impractical for implementation on portable touch-sensitive devices.


The invention relates to a lithographic projection assembly, having at least two load locks for transferring substrates between a first environment and a lower pressure second environment, a substrate handler with a handler chamber within the second environment and a lithographic projection apparatus including a projection chamber. The handler chamber and the projection chamber communicate via a load position for entering a substrate from the handler chanter into the projection chamber and an unload position for removing the substrate from the projection chamber into the handler chamber. The handler chamber also includes pre-processing means for pre-processing of the substrates and transport means for transferring substrates between the load locks and pre-processing means.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lithographic apparatus, and in particular, to a lithographic projection assembly comprising a substrate handler and an associated substrate handling method.
2. Description of the Related Art
Lithographic apparatus can be used, for example, in the manufacture of integrated circuits (ICs). In such a case, a patterning device may be used to generate a desired circuit pattern corresponding to an individual layer of the IC, and this pattern can be imaged onto a target portion (e.g. comprising one or more dies) on a substrate (silicon wafer) that has been coated with a layer of radiation-sensitive material (resist).
The term "patterning device" as here employed should be broadly interpreted as referring to means that can be used to endow an incoming radiation beam with a patterned cross-section, corresponding to a pattern that is to be created in a target portion of the substrate; the term "light valve" can also be used in this context. Generally, the said pattern will correspond to a particular functional layer in a device being created in the target portion, such as an integrated circuit or other device (see below). Examples of such patterning device include:
a mask: the concept of a mask is well known in lithography, and it includes mask types such as binary, alternating phase-shift, and attenuated phase-shift, as well as various hybrid mask types. Placement of such a mask in the radiation beam causes selective transmission (in the case of a transmission mask) or reflection (in the case of a reflective mask) of the radiation impinging on the mask, according to the pattern on the mask. In the case of a mask, the support structure will generally be a mask table, which ensures that the mask can be held at a desired position in the incoming radiation beam, and that it can be moved relative to the beam if so desired;
a programmable mirror array: one example of such a device is a matrix-addressable surface having a visco-elastic control layer and a reflective surface. The basic principle behind such an apparatus is that (for example) addressed areas of the reflective surface reflect incident light as diffracted light, whereas unaddressed areas reflect incident light as non-diffracted light. Using an appropriate filter, the said non-diffracted light can be filtered out of the reflected beam, leaving only the diffracted light behind; in this manner, the beam becomes patterned according to the addressing pattern of the matrix-addressable surface. An alternative embodiment of a programmable mirror array employs a matrix arrangement of tiny mirrors, each of which can be individually tilted about an axis by applying a suitable localized electric field, or by employing piezoelectric actuation mechanism. Once again, the mirrors are matrix-addressable, such that addressed mirrors will reflect an incoming radiation beam in a different direction to unaddressed mirrors; in this manner, the reflected beam is patterned according to the addressing pattern of the matrix-addressable mirrors. The required matrix addressing can be performed using suitable electronic means. In both of the situations described here above, the patterning device can comprise one or more programmable mirror arrays. More information on mirror arrays as here referred to can be gleaned, for example, from United States Patents U.S. Pat. No. 5,296,891 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,523,193, and PCT patent applications WO 98/38597 and WO 98/33096, which are incorporated herein by reference. In the case of a programmable mirror array, the said support structure may be embodied as a frame or table, for example, which may be fixed or movable as required; and                a programmable LCD array: an example of such a construction is given in U.S. Pat. No. 5,229,872, which is incorporated herein by reference. As above, the support structure in this case may be embodied as a frame or table, for example, which may be fixed or movable as required.
For purposes of simplicity, the rest of this text may, at certain locations, specifically direct itself to examples involving a mask and mask table; however, the general principles discussed in such instances should be seen in the broader context of the patterning device as set forth here above.
In a manufacturing process using a lithographic projection apparatus, a pattern (e.g. in a mask) is imaged onto a substrate that is at least partially covered by a layer of radiation-sensitive material (resist). Prior to this imaging step, the substrate may undergo various procedures, such as priming, resist coating and a soft bake. After exposure, the substrate may be subjected to other procedures, such as a post-exposure bake (PEB), development, a hard bake and measurement/inspection of the imaged features.
This array of procedures is used as a basis to pattern an individual layer of a device, e.g. an IC. Such a patterned layer may then undergo various processes such as etching, ion-implantation (doping), metallization, oxidation, chemical-mechanical polishing, etc., all intended to finish off an individual layer. If several layers are required, then the whole procedure, or a variant thereof, will have to be repeated for each new layer. Eventually, an array of devices will be present on the substrate (wafer). These devices are then separated from one another by a technique such as dicing or sawing, whence the individual devices can be mounted on a carrier, connected to pins, etc. Further information regarding such processes can be obtained, for example, from the book "Microchip Fabrication: A Practical Guide to Semiconductor Processing", Third Edition, by Peter van Zant, McGraw Hill Publishing Co., 1997, ISBN 0-07-067250-4, incorporated herein by reference.
For the sake of simplicity, the projection system may hereinafter be referred to as the "lens"; however, this term should be broadly interpreted as encompassing various types of projection system, including refractive optics, reflective optics, and catadioptric systems, for example. The radiation system may also include components operating according to any of these design types for directing, shaping or controlling the projection beam of radiation, and such components may also be referred to below, collectively or singularly, as a "lens".
Further, the lithographic apparatus may be of a type having two or more substrate tables (and/or two or more mask tables). In such "multiple stage" devices the additional tables may be used in parallel, or preparatory steps may be carried out on one or more tables while one or more other tables are being used for exposures. Dual stage lithographic apparatus are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,969,441 and WO 98/40791, both incorporated herein by reference.
In a typical lithography arrangement, substrates are transported to the substrate table of a lithographic projection apparatus via a substrate track and a substrate handler. In the substrate track the surface of the substrate is pre-treated. The pre-treatment of the substrate typically includes at least partially covering the substrate by a layer of radiation-sensitive material (resist). Further, prior to the imaging step, the substrate may undergo various other pre-treatment procedures, such as priming, and soft bake. After the pre-treatment of the substrate the substrate is transported from the substrate track to the substrate stage via the substrate handler.
The substrate handler typically is adapted to accurately position the substrate on the substrate table and may also control the temperature of the substrate.
For a certain lithographic projection apparatus, such as an apparatus using Extreme Ultra-Violet radiation (in short EUV-radiation), the projection onto a substrate should operate under a vacuum. Therefore the substrate handler should be adapted to transfer the pre-treated substrate into a vacuum. That typically means that at least after the pre-treatment of the substrate in the substrate track, the handling and the temperature control of the substrate has to be accomplished in a vacuum.
For another type of lithographic projection apparatus, such as an apparatus operated in a N2 environment using 157 nm radiation, a specific gas environment, such as a N2-environment, should be maintained. Therefore the substrate handler should be adapted to transfer the pre-treated substrate into a specific gas environment. That typically means that at least after the pre-treatment of the substrate in the substrate track, the handling and the temperature control of the substrate has to be accomplished in a specific gas environment.

Lithographic projection assembly, substrate handling apparatus and substrate handling method


The present invention relates to a light stick comprising an electric light source and a light-refracting tubular body. The light-refracting tubular body has a longitudinal axis and is made of a translucent or transparent plastic material. The tubular body tapers from a first open end of larger diameter to a second closed end of smaller diameter. The light source is mounted in the open end of the tubular body with the power source housed in an adjoining cap which may be fitted onto the open end. The light source includes a LED aligned with the longitudinal axis of the tubular body, and a light-refracting network is formed on the internal surface of the body to project light emitted by the LED towards the side and the closed end of the tubular body. This network consists of a generally helicoidal thread. In operation, the light rays are refracted and radiated by the thread and the translucent or transparent plastic material forming the tubular body appears to glow evenly along its entire length. This threaded and tapered surface is particularly relevant and interesting since it allows easy disengagement of the tubular body from the plastic injection mold and works efficiently with many different electrical light sources. Optionally, the external surface of the tubular body includes a plurality of longitudinal projections, triangular or arced in cross section, to improve uniform light distribution along the tubular body.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improved lighting structure that is efficient enough to transmit light from a low power LED along the entire surface of an elongated tubular body. The present invention is also concerned with the fabrication of such a tubular body by injection molding to provide for a water tight and impact resistant housing.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
The use of light-refracting elements is a well known art. Typically designs have revolved around lenses using various prismatic, angular, or rounded engravings or projections and complemented by transparent or translucent materials to either highlight or diffuse light.
Over the years many different versions of these lenses have appeared on a multitude of products ranging from light wands to automotive taillights and including common lighting fixtures. Numerous patents have been granted on these designs. Examples include the following U.S. patents:
______________________________________ 4,740,874 Wylie et al. 1988 5,519,593 Hasness 1996 5,339,225 Wiggerman 1994. ______________________________________


A method is provided for optimizing the operation of an equipment control system having an operating unit. In the method, an operating entity operable to perform a specific function is automatically added to the operating unit when such function is required of the operating unit. When the specific function of the operating entity is no longer required, the operating entity is automatically deleted from the operating unit.

Automated systems have been developed to control various devices or pieces of equipment in a service or production environment, such as an information services center or a manufacturing facility. In one such equipment control system, a variety of software programs or applications are provided for controlling a number of connected devices. Each program or application may support specific control functions which differ from functions supported by other programs and applications. When executed, the programs and applications cooperate to receive, forward, generate, and/or process information to instruct, command, order, manage, or otherwise control the devices. In order to execute these software programs or applications, code associated with the programs and applications must be stored into a hardware memory of the equipment control system.
Typically, the demands placed on such an equipment control system vary over time as the devices being controlled communicate with the system to receive information from and transmit information to the system. For any given moment, it is desirable to execute a sufficient number of programs or applications to support the effective control of the various devices. Previously, this was accomplished by determining the maximum functionality that would be required of the equipment control system during its operation, and storing into memory all of the code necessary to support this maximum functionality. When all code was simultaneously stored into memory, however, such an equipment control system operated inefficiently because less memory was available for other needs of the system.

Optimizing the operation of an equipment control system


A beverage container holder includes first and second beverage container receivers which may be stacked one above the other when stored and also are stacked when positioned in one configuration for use. The container receivers are pivoted about a common upright, most preferably vertical, axis. The upper container receiver includes a rim which defines an opening through which a beverage container may be inserted. The lower receiver defines a recess with a base. The lower receiver may be positioned beneath the upper receiver when in use, in which case the base limits the extent to which a container may be inserted through the rim. The lower receiver includes an upper portion of a first cross-sectional dimension and a lower portion of a smaller cross-sectional dimension, such as sized to receive a standard twelve ounce soda pop container. When in a non-stacked position, the upper receiver is capable of receiving a large beverage container without interference by the lower receiver. When the two receivers are in a stacked container receiving position, a beverage container is supported by the lower receiver.

The present invention relates to beverage container holders for vehicles.
As a matter of convenience, vehicles are commonly equipped with beverage container holders within which a cup or a glass or the like may be positioned to reduce the risk of the container overturning as the vehicle is driven.
One such prior art beverage container holder is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,060,899 to Lorence et al. The Lorence device is understood to be actuated by actuating a push-to-release catch. Upon actuation, a pair of cup holders in Lorence move outwardly in a controlled manner from a housing. The cup holders overlap one another within the housing and may be maintained in the overlapping position. Alternatively, a release mechanism may be activated in Lorence to permit one cup holder to pivot about a vertical axis to a position away from the other cup holder, which does not pivot, so that both cup holders may support different containers. These cup holders are provided with a notch to accommodate a handle of a coffee cup and also include resilient projecting elements for engaging the sides of a beverage container positioned therein. Each of these cup holders has a bottom which limits the depth to which a cup may be inserted into the cup holder.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,330,146 to Spykerman is understood to disclose a pair of nested beverage container holders which, when slid axially out from the console or the like, may then be operated by relative pivoting of one of the container holders away from the other, to provide spaces for receiving two beverage containers. Like the Lorence et al. device, the Spykerman container holders have a floor that would limit the depth of insertion of a large beverage containing cup.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,955,571 to Lorence et al. is understood to disclose a pair of side-by-side beverage container holders which both slide out from and pivot relative to a housing which contains these holders when not in use.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,297,767 to Miller et al., is understood to disclose a pair of nested beverage container holders which slide axially outwardly from a console or the like when in use. That is, a first beverage container holder is slidably received within a second beverage container holder with the two nested beverage container holders being slidably received in the arm rest.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,489,054 to Schiff is understood to disclose an extendable tray for a vehicle with first and second beverage container holders which each pivot about a separate respective vertical axis into position for use when the carrier is slid from a stored position to use position.
Although a number of prior art beverage container holders exist for vehicles, a need exists for an improved beverage container holding apparatus.


Provided are a method and device for testing the moving speed of a terminal, which are used for testing the moving speed of a terminal according to the pilot and noise power, thereby improving measurement accuracy. The method comprises: a receiving end receiving a signal which comprises a pilot sequence and is sent by a sending end; according to the known pilot sequence and the signal comprising the pilot sequence, the receiving end determining an estimated value of a time-domain channel corresponding to each pilot symbol of the pilot sequence in a transmission process, and selecting a time-delay path according to the estimated value of the time-domain channel; and according to the time-delay path selected in a preset time length, the receiving end determining the moving speed of a terminal.

In a communication system, a terminal may move at a high speed so that a considerable Doppler shift will occur, and the amplitude of a signal may fade rapidly and the phase of the signal may vary rapidly particularly in a multi-path scenario, thus deteriorating the performance of the system. It is thus necessary for a receiving end to adjust adaptively algorithms related to channel estimation and signal detection dependent upon the current moving speed of the terminal, and to this end, an algorithm to measure the speed accurately is required to support such an adaptive adjustment strategy. At present there are the following algorithms to measure the speed:
A. Crossing Rate Algorithm
The crossing rate algorithm is very simple in principle and easy to perform and has been widely applied in real communication systems. The Doppler shift may result in a temporally fluctuating signal so that generally there is a deep fading of the amplitude of the signal once the terminal moves over a distance of half the wavelength. The number of times Le that the level fades per unit time can be counted to thereby estimate the speed. With a carrier frequency fc and the velocity of light c, the speed can be estimated as v=c/fc*Le.
B. Correlation Algorithm
The moving speed may result in the Doppler dispersion of the signal in the frequency-domain, and there is the following relationship between time-domain autocorrelation of the received signal and the Doppler dispersion over a Rayleigh channel:ρx(τ)=σ2J0(2πfmτ)  (1)
Where fm represents the largest Doppler dispersion, τ represents a correlation time, ρx(τ) represents autocorrelation of the signal, σ2 represents noise power, and J0(•) represents a Bessel function of the first kind of order zero with a curve as illustrated in FIG. 1. Thus a statistic of a time-domain autocorrelation value of the signal is made from the time-domain autocorrelation characteristic of the signal, and the Doppler dispersion fm is estimated against a lookup table of Bessel function curves to thereby estimate the moving speed. The equation (1) has to be revised for use in view of a direction of arrival distributed non-uniformly and affected by a Rician factor K over a Rician channel.
A general problem with the crossing rate algorithm is how to count Le accurately. There may be a large number of observable burrs of the signal in time-domain being affected by noise and the channel. The number of times that the level fades can be counted accurately only after the signal is de-noised, de-burred, etc. Moreover the accuracy in estimation of the speed may also be affected by the statistic operation for the level crossing rate. The signal has to be preprocessed in the algorithm nevertheless at low precision.
The count characteristic in the correlation algorithm can only be applicable to the Rayleigh channel but not to the Rician channel, so the algorithm has to be revised by the Rician factor in the other scenarios, but the Rician factor K may not be easy to determine, thus complicating the algorithm. Moreover the Bessel curve is not a monotonic function, and in order to estimate the speed accurately, 2πfmτ<4 shall be guaranteed, and if there is a significant Doppler dispersion fm at a high speed, then the Doppler dispersion can be estimated only if the value of τ is very small, so that the correlation algorithm may be restricted greatly at a high speed. Moreover the statistic operation for autocorrelation may also affect the precision of the algorithm.
Furthermore with both of the methods above, generally after channel estimation is performed on respective received signals, a statistic of derived channel response values throughout the bandwidth has to be made with a considerable effort of calculation, and a current calculation result can only be applicable, at some delay in time, to next channel estimation and channel detection

Method and device for testing moving speed of terminal

CHINA ACADEMY OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY