A software install management method, and an apparatus for the method, can prevent a greater number of softwares than a contracted license number from being installed in a server-client system. A serve comprises a software management portion for saving a software to be installed in a software storage portion, a table management portion for registering an information representing an install history of the software saved in the software storage portion and an information representing a license number to a history management table and to a license number management table, respectively, and a software transmission portion for transmitting the software to the client, and client comprises a software management portion for judging whether or not the software saved in the server is to be installed, a software reception portion for receiving the software transmitted from the server and storing it in a software storage portion, and a table management portion for registering an information representing the software saved in the software storage portion t a management table.

This invention relates to a method of, and an apparatus for, managing a licensed software. More particularly, this invention relates to a software management method and apparatus for installing a software registered to a computer functioning as a server to a computer functioning as a client through a network.
When a given software is installed to a computer, it has been customary to set a portable storage medium such as an FD (floppy disk), a CD-ROM (compact disk-ROM), etc, to a computer and to execute an install processing.
Recently, the method of installing softwares has been changing from the method described above which sets the portable storage medium such as the FD, the CD-ROM, etc, to the computer and then installs the software to a method which installs the software by transmitting it from a server as a computer to which the software is registered to a client as a computer to which the software is to be installed, through a network.
JP-A-7-146831 (NEC) describes a terminal software automatic and simultaneous updating system which can update automatically and all at once a new software on a designated date and time in each terminal equipment without passing through an operator by storing in advance software updating information and an updating software of a plurality of terminal equipments from a host computer to each terminal equipment.
In a plurality of terminal equipments connected to the host computer through a communication line in this system, each terminal equipment includes updating information registration confirmation means, updating procedure generation means, updating procedure activation means, an updating information table, a software information table, a new software file, a current software file, an updating procedure information file and a system date/time management means.
JP-A-6-309261 (Mitsubishi) describes a software automatic install method and a software automatic version-up method which can install or can version up a software without inviting a security problem for all the client machines inside a system by executing once an install operation from a server machine.
In this method, the server machine generates a command to the client machine to install the software and when the client machine receives the request from the server machine, it installs the software transferred from the server machine, and sends the message of install completion to the server machine after install is completed. When this message arrives from the client machine, the server machine reports that the software is installed to all the client machines.
A software automatic distribution method for easily and reliably accomplishing distribution of a software to a plurality of computers connected to a network is described in JP-A-334436 (Mitsubishi).
According to this method, a load detection portion is provided to each of the host computer as a transmission source of the software and a relay host computer so as to detect a communication loadage, and transmission of the software is executed when the communication loadage of the network is relatively small. Further, after this software is divided into a transmission unit smaller than a predetermined size by a division portion, the possibility of distribution failure due to troubles in the network, etc, is reduced. The software as the distribution object and its set information are put together into one package and are managed so that unitary management of the software can be made.
A program management method which makes it possible to execute version management of a software when the software is used in computers connected by a network is described in JP-A-8-76979 (Toshiba).
In the computers connected by the network, this method comprises a comparison step of comparing a version file saved by a server with a version file saved by a client, a transfer step of automatically transferring the software on the server side to the client side and an updating step of updating the version file on the client side on the basis of the content of the software so transferred.
A network system for allowing a work station used by each user to easily install a software is described in JP-A-8-30441 (Matsushita).
In this system, a write portion for install judges which of the file of a file server and the file of the work station is newer on the basis of the date attribute of the file, and when the file of the work station is judged as newer, this file is written into the file server and the file so written is stored in other work stations.
Nonetheless, the prior art technologies described above are not yet free from the following drawbacks.
In the conventional install method of the software through the network, the server does not manage the information of the software installed to the client. It is therefore not clear to which of the clients the software has been installed, and there is the possibility that the software is installed to a greater number of clients than the contracted license number.
In the conventional software install method through the network, the user can freely install the software through the network. Therefore, it is not clear for the server which software is installed to which clients, so that illegal copy cannot be prevented. Particularly in the case of copy of the software through the internet, copy is made through a proxy server and for this reason, a requester cannot be known.
Further, in the conventional software install method through the network, the server does not have means for supervising uninstall of the software. Therefore, the license number cannot be managed when the client uninstalls the software.
In the conventional software install method through the network, there is no management method which removes a client, which installs a certain software, from the network and installs the software to other clients.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method of, and an apparatus for, managing a software which can prevent a software from being installed to a greater number of clients than a contracted license number.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method of, and an apparatus for, managing a software which can install the newest software to clients.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method of, and an apparatus for, managing a software which can re-install a software, whenever necessary.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method of, and an apparatus for, managing a software which can efficiently manage a contracted license number of the softwares in a serverclient system under a closed environment.
The above and other objects and novel features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description of the specification when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
Among the inventions disclosed in the present application, the following will illustrate some typical embodiments.
(1) In a software management apparatus for managing a software installed from a server to a client through a network, the server stores information representing the history of install of the software and information representing the license number of the software, and manages the license number of the softwares installed to the clients.
(2) The server saves the new software to be installed to the client in a software storage portion by a software management portion and registers the name or names of the clients to which the software is installed, in a history management table.
The software management portion of the server registers a disk capacity occupied by the software and the license number for which install is permitted, to a license number management table.
Next, a software transmission portion of the server registers the software saved in the software storage portion to the history management table or transmits it to the client(s).
The client judges whether or not the software saved in the server should be installed, by the software management portion, receives the software transmitted from the server by its software reception portion, and stores it into its own software storage portion.
The table management portion of the client registers the date and time of install of the software stored in the software storage portion to a management table.
When the install operation in the client is completed, the software management portion of the server stores the install date and time to the history management table and the installed license number to the license number management table. Instead, the software can be stored to the client designated from the server side by a multi-cast method.
According to the software management apparatus described above, the server manages the license number of the software installed to the clients. Therefore, it becomes possible to prevent a greater number of the software than the contacted license number from being installed.
(2) In the software management apparatus of the embodiment (1), the server notifies to the clients, to which install of the software is not yet made, that a new software is saved in the software storage portion.
When the new software is saved in the software storage portion, a server side communication portion of the server examines all the license number, to which install is permitted, and the license number, which is licensed, in the license number management table.
When there is a margin in the license number in the license number management table, the server side communication portion of the server looks up the history management table, searches the clients to which the new software is not yet installed, and notifies to the uninstalled clients searched that the new software is saved.
When a client side communication portion of the client receives the report from the server as described above, an empty capacity of the software storage portion is examined and when a sufficient empty capacity is found existing, a response representing completion of install preparation is transmitted.
Receiving the response representing completion of install preparation from the client, the server transmits the software saved in the software storage portion by its software transmission portion.
When install in the client is completed, the software management portion of the server stores the install date and time in the history management table and at the same time, registers a new installed license number to the license number management table.
According to the software management apparatus described above, the server reports to the client when the software is registered to the server. Therefore, the newest software can be installed to the client.
(3) In the software management apparatus described in the embodiment (1) or (2), the client requests the server to install the software, whenever necessary.
When re-install becomes necessary due to troubles or for other reasons, the client requests the server to install the software by its install request transmission portion.
Receiving the install request report from the client through the install request reception portion, the server examines whether or not the client raising the install request is registered to the history management table.
When this client is registered to the history management table, the software transmission portion of the server transmits the software saved in the software storage portion to the client.
According to the software management apparatus described above, install of the software is executed by the install request from the client. Therefore, reinstall of the software can be made, whenever necessary.
(4) In the software management apparatus described in the embodiments (1) to 93), when the client uninstalls the software installed thereto, the client reports this uninstall of the software to the server.
When uninstall is made in the client by deleting the specific software designated by the user, the software management portion of the client registers the date and time of uninstall to its own management table.
Next, the uninstall reporting portion of the client transmits an uninstall report to the server that the designated software is uninstalled.
Receiving the uninstall report from the client, an uninstall processing portion of the server registers the date and time of uninstall transmitted from the client to the history management table.
Next, the uninstall processing portion of the server instructs a system manager to decrement by xe2x80x9c1xe2x80x9d the installed license number of the corresponding softwares of the license number management table, and to register new clients.
According to the software management apparatus described above, the license number of the contracted softwares can be efficiently managed because the installed license number is decremented when uninstall is made.
(5) In the software management apparatus of the server-client system described in the embodiments (1) to (4), the server deletes registration of the client removed from the network.
When the specific client is removed from the network connecting the server and the clients, the system manager inputs the name of the client removed from the network to the server.
A registration deletion processing portion of the server confirms that the client is not connected to the client and then sets registration information representing that the client is not connected to the network, to the history management table.
Next, the installed license number in the license number management table of the software installed to the client is decremented by xe2x80x9c1xe2x80x9d.
When the client is removed from the network without uninstalling the software in the software management apparatus described above, the computer name is inputted to the server to delete registration in relation to the client removed, and other computer names can be registered. Therefore, the license number of the contracted softwares can be efficiently managed.
Other objects, features and advantage of the present invention will become more apparent from reading the description of the following embodiments of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Method of and apparatus for managing licensed software


A seismic sensor for a downhole tool positionable in a wellbore penetrating a subterranean formation. The seismic sensor includes a sensor housing, a bobbin supported in the sensor housing along an axis thereof, at least one coil wound about the bobbin (the coil movably supportable within the sensor housing by at least one spring), at least one magnet positionable about the bobbin to generate a magnetic field with the at least one coil whereby seismic vibrations are detectable, and a filler fluid disposed in the sensor housing to buoy the at least one coil whereby gravitational effects may be neutralized.

The present disclosure relates generally to wellsite operations. In particular, the present disclosure relates to formation evaluation involving measuring downhole parameters, such as seismic parameters of a subterranean formation.
Wellbores are drilled to locate and produce hydrocarbons. A downhole drilling tool with a bit at an end thereof is advanced into the ground to form a wellbore. As the drilling tool is advanced, drilling mud is pumped through the drilling tool and out the drill bit to cool the drilling tool and carry away cuttings. The fluid exits the drill bit and flows back up to the surface for recirculation through the drilling tool. The drilling mud is also used to form a mudcake to line the wellbore.
During or after a drilling operation, various downhole evaluations may be performed to determine characteristics of the wellbore and surrounding formation. In some cases, the drilling tool may be provided with devices to test the surrounding formation and/or fluid contained in reservoirs therein. In some cases, the drilling tool may be removed and a downhole wireline tool may be deployed into the wellbore to test the formation. These tests may be used, for example, to determine whether valuable hydrocarbons are present. Production equipment may be positioned in the wellbore to draw located hydrocarbons to the surface.
Formation evaluation may involve positioning sensors in the wellbore to take downhole measurements. Downhole tools may be provided with sensors for measuring downhole parameters. Examples of sensors are provided in US Publication Nos. 2012/0063263, 2011/0194375, 2010/0296366, 2009/0238043, and 2010/0020636, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

Downhole seismic sensor with filler fluid and method of using same


A working device of a noncircular workpiece, such as a piston of an internal combustion engine, is improved. A workpiece 10 is held by a work spindle and rotated. A noncircular working device 100 has a noncircular working unit base 110 and is provided with a servo motor 104. A noncircular working unit 120 is positioned along a Y axis, and an arbitrary cutting tool 133 is selected from a cutting tool group 130. A servo motor 112 reciprocates the noncircular working unit 120 on an X2 axis in synchronization with the rotation of the work spindle and performs noncircular working of the workpiece 10.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a working device which is equipped with a tool rest suitable for working a noncircular workpiece, such as a piston of an internal combustion engine.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 7 shows a piston for an internal combustion engine. The piston 10 has a main body 12 formed from an aluminum casting, and the main body 12 has a through hole 13 into which a piston pin pierces. Although a head 15 of the piston main body 12 is also formed from an aluminum casting, a groove portion 14 which receives a piston ring is made of cast iron. That is, the piston 10 is formed from dissimilar metal materials of aluminum casting and cast iron.
In the lathe turning of an outside diameter portion of this piston 10, the piston which is a workpiece is held by a work spindle and rotated and the outside diameter portion is machined by use of a cutting tool T1.
Because the piston 10 has a noncircular (oval) outside diameter profile, noncircular cutting is performed by moving the tool T1 back and forth in synchronization with the rotation of the workpiece 1.
In performing this noncircular working, it is possible to perform noncircular working by reciprocating a usual tool rest in synchronization with the rotation of the work spindle.
However, a tool rest is equipped with a large number of working tools and has a large weight and, therefore, the tool rest has also a large inertial force. Therefore, the tool rest cannot cope with high-speed reciprocal movements.
The Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 5-200601 discloses a working device for noncircular working provided with a tool rest dedicated to noncircular working.
In the noncircular workpiece shown in FIG. 7, which is formed from dissimilar metals, it is necessary to perform groove working for a ring in addition to the cutting of an outside diameter portion.
Therefore, it is preferred that a noncircular working device be equipped with multiple tools suited to different materials and the different working of the materials.
The object of the present invention is to provide a noncircular working device equipped with multiple tools suited to different materials and the different working of the materials.


An electrical contact arrangement for medium to high voltage applications includes a contact arm having a distal end section on which a circular shaped annulus arrangement having several axially and parallel directed contact fingers is arranged. The contact fingers are pressed on the contact arm via respective radially directed connection sections by a spring ring which is peripherally arranged around the contact fingers. The distal end section of the contact arm includes a first ring-shaped surface and an adjacent second ring-shaped surface, so that the connection section of each contact finger is pressed to at least both the first and second ring-shaped surfaces.

Medium voltage circuit breakers interrupt the current by creating and extinguishing the arc in a vacuum container. Vacuum circuit breakers tend to have a longer life expectancy than air or SF6 circuit-breakers. Vacuum circuit breakers replaced air and SF6 circuit breakers at least for indoor applications. However, the present disclosure is directed to all kinds of circuit breakers in the range of medium voltage to high voltage applications, including for electrical connectors in air insulated medium voltage switch gear panels. Such switch gear panels include means or contact systems to connect and disconnect the electrical circuit to busbar terminals and cable terminals of the panel when they are being inserted and removed, respectively. Therefore, special electrical contact arrangements are provided having several contact fingers forming a circular crown-shaped arrangement for electrically connecting a distal end section of a contact arm to the busbar terminal in the panel.
DE 196 48 633 A1 discloses an electrical contact arrangement for high voltage applications including an annulus arrangement having several axially and parallel directed contact fingers which are separated one to another by intermediate slits. The contact fingers are designed as respective sections of a one-piece sleeve part, which is mechanically and electrically connected to the distal end of a contact arm.
According to other known embodiments of electrical contact arrangements, the contact fingers are designed as single pieces. For a sufficient electromechanical contact to the contact arm, these single fingers are pressed with a surrounding spring ring onto a ring-shaped surface on the distal end section of the contact arm. Since the single contact fingers also have to be pressed onto the terminal in the panel, the same spring ring also acts in the axial direction. Therefore, each contact finger is angled. There may be additional means for supporting the structure of the contact fingers and the ring spring in order to form a mechanically stable but elastic electrical contact arrangement. The pressing of the contact fingers onto the contact arm by the ring spring is important both to reduce the electrical resistance for passing the temperature rise typetest, and to obtain the required mechanical stability to pass the short time withstand current typetest.
It is known that only the ring-shaped surface on the end section of the contact arm comes in contact with the corresponding section of the contact fingers.

Electrical contact arrangement and air insulated medium voltage circuit breaker including the electrical contact arrangement


A method of destacking or restacking standardized containers used in poultry hatchery operations using robotic means involves the step of moving a container from a conveyor onto a box transport dolly or vice versa. The box transport dolly is dimensionally secured within a dolly docking station adjacent a robot. A quantity of eggs may be transferred into the destacked container.

The invention relates to improvements in container destacking and restacking operations in poultry hatcheries or the like. The invention is concerned with the handling of standardized containers, such as trays, boxes, baskets and flats used in hatchery operations by robotic means. The robot is equipped with a specially configured end effector to grasp, move, tilt, manipulate and rotate the container as may be required by any particular operation. In the prior art, various destacking and restacking operations involving containers are carried out by special purpose dedicated machines and related equipment which are eliminated by the use of a robot according to this invention.
In general terms, the term destacking refers to the step wherein a container is removed from a like stack of containers and placed on a conveyor or other surface during poultry operations. The term restacking refers to the opposite step wherein a container is removed from a conveyor or other surface and placed on a like container in a stack. In some cases a box transport dolly may be used to hold the stack of containers. In other cases a rack or buggy with shelves could be used. The term poultry hatchery operations refers to the handling and processing of eggs or newly hatched birds such as chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese, pheasant, quail, referred to herein as chicks.
To give several examples of destacking and restacking operations, live chicks are placed into containers called chick boxes which are moved by a conveyor to be vertically stacked and loaded onto a standardized box transport dolly for truck transport to the farm. A Smithway® dolly is one example of a suitable box transport dolly. In these operations, machine and related equipment known as a box turner, box restacker and a dolly loader is installed on the conveyor line to rotate, stack and load chick boxes onto the dolly.
The use of a robot enables the above equipment to be eliminated and all of the operations may be combined and performed by a single robot. The robot picks up the boxes from the end of the conveyor, rotates the box and stacks the box on the dolly all in one continuous motion.
In cases where two conveyor lines are used, the robot may be placed at the end between parallel conveyor lines eliminating the need to converge the conveyors into a single file upstream of the box turner, box restacker and dolly loader machines and related equipment. This simplifies and streamlines the conveyor line resulting in cost savings and minimal footprint for the equipment.
Another example relates to poultry hatchery operations that separate the live chicks from their shells. Hatch trays containing live chicks are delivered on dollies at one end of a conveyor line and are destacked by an destacking machine and placed on the conveyor for the separation step at a downstream location on the conveyor. Once the separation step is complete, the empty tray is conveyed to a washing station and finally conveyed to the end of the conveyor line. At this location, a tray restacker machine loads the empty trays onto dollies.
The use of a robot at each end of the conveyor line to destack and restack the trays eliminates the need for the specialized tray destacker and tray restacker machines and related equipment on the conveyor line. In cases, for example, where two lines are used, the use of a robot eliminates the need for two destackers and two restackers and may also eliminate the need for two dolly conveyors that feed the unloaded dolly to the end of the conveyor to be reused when the trays are restacked thereon.
Yet another example relates to egg transfer operations following, for example, vaccination. Typically the eggs are moved on the conveyor in containers called flats and must be transferred from the flats to trays which are stacked and loaded onto dollies for transport. The prior art egg transfer operations require the use of machines and related equipment known as a tray destacker, egg transfer machine, and tray restacker. All of these operations are simplified by the elimination of the above equipment by the use of a robot that destacks a tray and restacks the tray onto a dolly. In a second sequence the robot transfers the eggs into the tray. The destacking and restacking step is then repeated as required with reference to a restacked container and eggs are again transferred.
Yet another example prior to and post the vaccination process, relates to destacking and restacking flats with reference to a rack or buggy having shelves. In the prior art, destacking and restacking operations involving flat containers are carried out by special purpose dedicated machines and related equipment which are eliminated by the use of a robot according to this invention.
In most operations, the robot must be dimensionally referenced to a flat transport rack or buggy from which the containers are destacked or restacked thereon. Accordingly, a rack docking station is provided at a convenient location adjacent the robot for securing the dolly within. For these purposes, a rack is any wheeled shelved platform specially dimensioned to hold a plurality of flats stacked on shelves such as a Chickmaster Setter Rack. The docking station (not shown) is typically a tall box-like structure with a side opening to permit the entry of a rack. Once the dolly is inside the structure, hydraulic, pneumatic or electromechanical means may be used to clamp and secure the dolly in the dock with reference to a preselected reference point on the dock.

Destacking and restacking of containers using a robot in poultry hatchery operations


A method and device bracket are presented for reconfigurable radiation desensitivity. The method includes: accepting a radiated wave from a source such as a transmitter, antenna, microprocessor, electrical component, integrated circuit, camera, connector, or signal cable; in response to the radiated wave, creating a first current per units square (I/units2) through a groundplane of an electrical circuit such as a printed circuit board (PCB), display, connector, or keypad; accepting a control signal; and, in response to the control signal, creating a second I/units2 through the groundplane. This step couples the groundplane to a bracket having a selectable effective electrical length. Typically, the groundplane is coupled to a bracket with a fixed physical length section to provide a combined effective electrical length responsive to the fixed physical length and the selectable effective electrical length. The coupling mechanism can result from transistor coupling, p/n junction coupling, selectable capacitive coupling, or mechanically bridging.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to wireless communication and, more particularly, to wireless communication antennas.
2. Description of the Related Art
The size of portable wireless communications devices, such as telephones, continues to shrink, even as more functionality is added. As a result, the designers must increase the performance of components or device subsystems and reduce their size, while packaging these components in inconvenient locations. One such critical component is the wireless communications antenna. This antenna may be connected to a telephone transceiver, for example, or a global positioning system (GPS) receiver.
Wireless communications devices are known to use simple cylindrical coil or whip antennas as either the primary or secondary communication antennas. Inverted-F antennas are also popular. Many conventional wireless telephones use a monopole or single-radiator design with an unbalanced signal feed. This type of design is dependent upon the wireless telephone printed circuit boards groundplane and chassis to act as the counterpoise. A single-radiator design acts to reduce the overall form factor of the antenna. However, the counterpoise is susceptible to changes in the design and location of proximate circuitry, and interaction with proximate objects when in use, i.e., a nearby wall or the manner in which the telephone is held. As a result of the susceptibility of the counterpoise, the radiation patterns and communications efficiency can be detrimentally impacted. Even if a balanced antenna is used, so that the groundplanes of proximate circuitry are not required as an antenna counterpoise, radiation pattern and radiation-susceptible circuitry issues remain.
This problem is compounded when an antenna, or a group of antennas operate in a plurality of frequency bands. State-of-the-art wireless telephones are expected to operate in a number of different communication bands. In the US, the cellular band (AMPS), at around 850 megahertz (MHz), and the PCS (Personal Communication System) band, at around 1900 MHz, are used. Other communication bands include the PCN (Personal Communication Network) and DCS at approximately 1800 MHz, the GSM system (Groupe Speciale Mobile) at approximately 900 MHz, and the JDC (Japanese Digital Cellular) at approximately 800 and 1500 MHz. Other bands of interest are GPS signals at approximately 1575 MHz, Bluetooth at approximately 2400 MHz, and wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA) at 1850 to 2200 MHz.
To dampen the effects of radiation upon proximate circuitry it is known to attach so-called bracket, or radiation-parasitic, elements to a groundplane. Typically, these "brackets" are used to evenly distribute current through the groundplane associated with a radiated wave. Alternately stated, the brackets are used to prevent any particular spot on a circuit board, chassis, or keyboard from becoming too sensitive to radiation-induced current. It is difficult, if not impossible, to design a wireless device to minimize the interaction between antenna radiation and susceptible circuitry in every one of its communication bands. As a result, a conventional design must be optimized for one particular communication band, or the design must be compromised to have for some (minimal) effect in every communication band of interest.
It would be advantageous if groundplane sensitivity to radiation-induced current could be minimized for every frequency of operation.
It would be advantageous if groundplane sensitivity to radiation-induced current could be tuned in response to changes in frequency, or in response to one particular area becoming too sensitive.
It would be advantageous if radiation desensitivity brackets could be made reconfigurable, to minimize the sensitivity of proximate circuitry at every frequency of radiation.

Reconfigurable radiation desensitivity bracket systems and methods


A disposable medical device is especially an articulation for the relative positioning of fixation bars or of pins of an external fixator, having at least a clamping means to be introduced into the medical device, the clamping means comprises an element that alters its appearance when being heated over a threshold temperature, thus giving optical or mechanical information that the device should not be used a second time.

The present invention relates to a disposable medical device with a sterilization indicator to prevent its re-use.
Disposable medical devices are designed for single use and should not be used twice or more times. They are very common in the field of medical devices. Usually written or symbolic warnings are applied to the packing of such a device or on the device itself. Such warnings display to the medical personnel that the device is for single-use only. However there is the potential that such warnings may be overlooked. Even though such medical devices may be sterilised, there is a risk of transmitting infectious diseases.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,206,844 relates to a single-use ultrasonic surgical device. This device comprises a hub that becomes irregular upon sterilization in a steam sterilizer or in an autoclave. As a result this device cannot be attached to a handpiece assembly again. U.S. Pat. No. 5,472,415 relates to a trial implant which deforms upon re-sterilization.

Prevention of re-use of a medical device


In a network supporting transactions between clients and servers over a network path having operating characteristics to overcome, data is transported to overcome the operating characteristics using user affinities and dynamic user location information to selectively preload data, or representations, signatures, segments, etc. of data, in order to overcome the one or more operating characteristic. Examples of operating characteristics to overcome include bandwidth limitations, errors and latency. The dynamic location information can be stored in data structures accessible by agents of a data server and the data structures are populated based on user activities with respect to proxies associated with user locations, or the dynamic location information can be obtained implicitly as proxies maintain connections after termination by clients and the use of those maintained connections for preloading of data for the users associated with those clients. The data being preloaded can be protocol-specific data or protocol-independent data.

Local Area Network (LAN) communication is characterized by generous bandwidths, low latencies and considerable enterprise control over the network. By contrast, Wide Area Networks (WANs) often have lower bandwidths and higher latencies than LANs and often have a measure of network control that is outside the enterprise for which the WAN is being used. In large distributed enterprises, WANs thus pose a performance bottleneck especially when users in distributed offices attempt to access data or applications that are run from centralized data centers. For example, retrieving electronic email ("e-mail") over the WAN from a mail server in a centralized data center can involve a lengthy data transfer that can interfere with an end user's productivity. In contrast, retrieving e-mail from a local mail server across a LAN provides virtually instantaneous performance to an end-user. Similarly, fetching Web pages from a Web server or files from a file server across a WAN can be difficult in terms of performance compared to fetching such data from a local server across a LAN.
To generalize, users will often need to run applications that are designed with acceptable performance for a particular network configuration, but have to run those applications over a network configuration that has a much lower performance. As a common example is a LAN-based application that must accommodate a WAN, that example is used herein in several places.
Several approaches to overcoming the network performance for the lower performance network that is to handle data for applications designed with higher performance networks in mind. However, most solutions are unsatisfactory in one way or another.
One approach is to replicate servers and deploy systems that automatically mirror or replicate data from origin servers in data centers to replicated servers in distributed locations to, in effect, move copies of the data closer to clients. The replicated servers would then have copies (a mirror) of the data from the origin server, but the replicated servers would be closed to the clients they server than the origin server. Clients would access data from their local replicated server to achieve better performance, since the data would be "closer" in a network sense. This approach suffers from the complexity and expense of deploying duplicate servers and managing the flow and synchronization of data from the origin servers to the replicated servers. With this approach, it is in difficult to predict what data is needed where and when, so the implementation often just duplicates all available data in each location.
Another approach that has been used with Web content and streaming media is to deploy proxy cache devices at distributed locations to enhance the access performance to data that is retrieved at a given location more than once. In such an arrangement with LANs/WANs, caching proxies are situated on LANs near clients. A caching proxy would act as an intermediary between its set of clients and servers that are accessed across a WAN. A caching proxy stores previously transmitted data in the hope that the cached data will be requested sometime in the future. When a client requests data from a Web server, for example, that client's Web connection is intercepted by the proxy cache. If the proxy cache has the requested data, it simply serves the data locally across the LAN. If it does not have the requested data, it retrieves the requested data from the server across the WAN, transmits the data to the requesting client, and stores the retrieved data in its cache, indexed by its uniform resource locator (URL) in hopes that it would be reused for a later request.
In this fashion, data accessed multiple times suffers the performance bottleneck of the WAN only on the first client request, then enjoys the performance benefit of the LAN for all subsequent accesses. However, for data that is only accessed once, there is no performance benefit. Other techniques are used to improve performance for the first client request for data (that is subsequently requested again or is only requested once). For example, network caching systems have been augmented with content delivery capabilities whereby operators can move desired content into the proxy caches before it is requested. In this model, a content publishing system usually interfaces with a content delivery system to allow an operator to publish content to the set of proxy caching servers. Thus, presuming a certain piece of data has been pre-loaded into a proxy cache in this fashion, the first client request for that data will experience high performance. However, such systems are generally complex to create and administer, and often require new business process to be deployed to support this mode of information delivery. Also, relying upon user configuration to place content appropriately is generally expensive, sub-optimal, and prone to error.
Yet another approach to solving the WAN bottleneck is to distribute servers so that servers for a portion of an enterprise are located near clients for that portion of the enterprise. For example, an enterprise with several branch offices might locate an e-mail server, a file server, etc., in each branch office and store a given user's data on the servers in that user's branch office. For instance, when an e-mail message arrives at the enterprise's main mail gateway for a particular user, the mail gateway will identify the e-mail server for the branch office of the particular user and route the e-mail message to the identified server. When the user retrieves their e-mail, it is fetched from the local office's e-mail server and performance is high. Likewise, a user located in a particular office would store and retrieve files from that office's file server, thereby also achieving high performance.
This approach is not always desirable, however, because of the high cost of managing and distributing servers across many locations in a large enterprise. Each such device must be managed, backed up, serviced, and so forth. It is often far less expensive and more desirable to manage as many servers as possible within a centralized data center. Yet, a centralized architecture requires that servers be accessed over the WAN, which as described above, can cause difficult performance problems.
Authentication and security mechanisms might further complicate many of these approaches. Agents that move content, for example, from an origin server to a replicated server must be completely trusted as such an agent has complete access to all data. Entrusting third party devices or software with "super user" access to everyone's data in an enterprise is a deployment barrier in many customer environments.
Therefore, improved techniques for handling data over networks is needed.

Content delivery for client-server protocols with user affinities using connection end-point proxies


Described herein are methods and systems for detection and notification of electrical power outages and power quality. A sensor coupled to a circuit transmits a keepalive packet to a server. The sensor detects an input signal generated by electrical activity. The sensor generates an output signal based upon the input signal. The sensor monitors the output signal. During a clock cycle, the sensor determines whether a rising edge occurred and transmits a fault packet to the server when the rising edge occurred prior to a predetermined clock value or when no rising edge occurred. The server receives the fault packet from the sensor and listens for keepalive packets. The server transmits a power outage notification when no keepalive packets are received for at least a defined time period after the fault packet is received. The server transmits a power restoration notification when one or more keepalive packets are subsequently received.

Consumers continue to rely more heavily on the availability of uninterrupted electricity for a wide variety of activities, such as powering communications devices, computing devices, medical devices, heating and cooling appliances, refrigeration, and the like. However, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), the average U.S. electricity customer was without power for 250 minutes and experienced 1.3 outages of power in 2016. The amount of time a customer was without power nearly doubled in 2017 to an average of 470 minutes (7.8 hours) with an average of 1.4 outages. In 2016 the longest outages were on the order of 20 hours, while in 2017 that number increased to a little higher than 40 hours. Often, these outages are unplanned and in some cases, can go undetected by, e.g., a homeowner who is away from home. These outages can have a significant impact on almost every aspect of daily life—including health and safety—so immediate detection and notification of outages is very important.
Currently available technology for detecting power outages typically relies on the use of a backup battery and/or a generator that can temporarily provide electricity to a power outage detection device and supporting communication equipment. However, batteries have a limited lifetime and add cost to the outage detection device. Replacement of batteries creates an ongoing maintenance burden for the user. In addition, in some cases, activation of a battery backup could result in an undesirable delay between when the outage begins and when the backup electricity supply is activated and able to provide power to the detection device.
Additionally, electrical generation, transmission and distribution systems are getting more complex. The transition to energy sources that produce less carbon dioxide (CO2) means there will be a combination of many different generation methods including wind, solar, nuclear, battery, natural gas and coal. Homes and businesses will increasingly have on-premises methods of generating energy and all of these generation systems are superimposed on an electrical grid with various levels of aging and exposure to the environment. Switching between various generation types can cause surges and sags in voltage, and other power quality concerns. Aging and environmental exposure causes transformers and electrical inter-connections to deteriorate and fail. Surges, sags and deteriorating equipment can cause home electronics and appliances to fail as well as create very dangerous situations where electrocution and electrical fires can occur. In a residential setting, fires often begin in walls or other hidden cavities and gain significant heat and headway before they are detected by home occupants or smoke detectors, leading to significant damage. Electrical malfunctions are one of the leading causes of residential home fires. Because of the hidden nature of the ignition source, electrical fires are also a disproportionate cause of death. Electrical fires are estimated to cause 420 deaths, 1,370 injuries, and $1.4B in residential damages annually.
Current technology does not provide a homeowner with much needed information about the quality of power they receive from the utility. For example, a homeowner may be aware of lights flickering or frequent loss of sensitive electronics equipment without being alerted to very serious issues in the electrical connection to their home or within the home's electrical network. Furthermore, damage to and deterioration of the United States electric grid is increasing risk and liability for the grid's utility owners and their customers. For example, a recent Pacific Gas & Energy (PG&E) Fire Incident Data Report shows that PG&E experienced over 2,400 grid-caused fires from 2014 through 2019. These fires resulted in excess of $13B in liability and precipitated PG&E's filing for bankruptcy. In another example, a Texas Wildfire Mitigation Project study found that 4,000 fires, most local and of little consequence, but also larger conflagrations, were caused by utility transmission or distribution system events taking place in a period of less than four years preceding that study. In addition to wildfires, increases in transformer fires and explosions and other catastrophic grid events are linked to deteriorating utility equipment. In one horrific example, in mid-July of 2019 firefighters were called to downtown Madison, Wis., where a high-voltage transformer had exploded and caught fire. Another recent event was the American Electric Power (AEP) Texas substation transformer explosion and fire at the end of July 2019. Finally, in February 2021, the state of Texas experienced a devastating failure of its power grid due to a severe winter storm, resulting in loss of life and millions of people without electricity in below-freezing temperatures.
As noted above, utility grid-caused fires have resulted in very large economic damage, and often significant mortality, every year. Many power system components (e.g., switches, insulators, transformers) provide trouble-free service for decades, but transmission and distribution components eventually fail. Wildfires and other damage to property and life can be triggered via a number of mechanisms including: downed lines, vegetation contact, conductor slap, arcing of damaged or deteriorating equipment, repetitive faults, and apparatus failures. Therefore, rapid detection and mitigation of these issues is crucial to preventing catastrophic fire events.

Methods and systems for detection and notification of power outages and power quality


A laser beam as fundamental waves which is emitted from a distribution Bragg reflection (DBR) semiconductor laser is incident on an optical waveguide of a light wavelength conversion device in which domain-inverted regions and the optical waveguide are formed in an LiTaO3 substrate. The wavelength of the incident laser beam is then converted so as to obtain higher harmonic waves such as blue light. In the conversion, a drive current to be applied to a DBR portion of the DBR semiconductor laser is changed so as to change an oscillating wavelength of the DBR semiconductor laser, thereby matching the oscillating wavelength with a phase-matched wavelength of the light wavelength conversion device. Thus, the generation of the harmonic waves to be output is stably controlled.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for stabilizing an output of higher harmonic waves used in the fields of optical information processing, optical application measurement control, and the like utilizing coherent light, and a short wavelength laser beam source using the method.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the field of optical information processing, short wavelength laser beam sources for optical recording require an output of several mW or more. As blue laser beam sources, the combination of a semiconductor laser emitting fundamental waves and a light wavelength conversion device generating higher harmonic waves of the fundamental waves is promising.
FIG. 22 is a cross-sectional view showing a structure of a conventional short wavelength laser beam source 5000 emitting blue light. Fundamental waves P1 emitted by a semiconductor laser 121 are collimated by a collimator lens 124 and focused onto an optical waveguide 102 formed inside of a light wavelength conversion device 122 by a focus lens 125. The fundamental waves P1 are converted into higher harmonic waves P2 in the optical waveguide 102 and output. Each component of the short wavelength laser beam source 5000 is mounted on a base member 120 made of Al. The light wavelength conversion device 122 is positioned on a quartz plate 123 with its face having the optical waveguide 102 down.
Next, the light wavelength conversion device 122 used in the conventional short wavelength laser beam source 5000 will be described.
FIG. 23A is a perspective view of the conventional light wavelength conversion device 122; FIG. 23B is a cross-sectional view taken along a line 23Bxe2x80x9423B of FIG. 23A. Hereinafter, the operation of the light wavelength conversion device 122 will be described by illustrating the generation of higher harmonic waves (wavelength: 437 nm) from fundamental waves (wavelength: 873 nm) (see K. Yamamoto and K. Mizuuchi, xe2x80x9cBlue light generation by frequency doubling of a laser diode in a periodically-domain inverted LiTaO3 waveguidexe2x80x9d, IEEE Photonics Technology Letters, Vol. 4, No. 5, pp. 435-437, 1992).
As shown in FIGS. 23A and 23B, the light wavelength conversion device 122 includes the optical waveguide 102 formed in a LiTaO3 substrate 101. The optical waveguide 102 is provided with periodically domain-inverted layers (domain-inverted regions) 103. The mismatch in propagation constant between the fundamental waves P1 and the higher harmonic waves P2 to be generated is compensated by a periodic structure composed of the domain-inverted regions 103 and non-domain-inverted regions 104. This allows the fundamental waves P1 to be converted into the higher harmonic waves P2 at high efficiency so as to be output. The arrows in FIG. 23B represents the direction of a domain in each region.
Next, the principle of amplification of the higher harmonic waves in the light wavelength conversion device 122 will be described with reference to FIGS. 24A and 24B.
FIG. 24A schematically shows inner structures, namely, the direction of domains of a device 131 which have no domain-inverted regions and of a device 132 which has domain-inverted regions. The arrows in FIG. 24A represent the direction of a domain in each region.
In the device 131, domain-inverted regions are not formed and the directions of domains are aligned in one direction. When fundamental waves pass through the device 131, the waves are partially converted into higher harmonic waves. However, in the structure of the device 131, an output of higher harmonic waves 131a merely repeats increasing and decreasing along the passing direction of the optical waveguide, as shown in FIG. 24B.
On the other hand, in the device 132 which has first-order periodically domain-inverted regions, an output of higher harmonic waves 132a increases in proportion to the square of length L of the optical wavelength as shown in FIG. 24B. It should be noted that only when a quasi-phase match is established, the output of the higher harmonic waves P2 can be obtained from the incident fundamental waves P1 in the domain-inverted structure. The quasi-phase match is established only when a period xcex91 of the domain-inverted region is identical with xcex/(2(N2xcfx89xe2x88x92Nxcfx89)), where Nxcfx89 is an effective refractive index of the fundamental waves (wavelength: xcex), and N2xcfx89 is an effective refractive index of the higher harmonic waves (wavelength: xcex/2).
A method for producing a conventional light wavelength conversion device 5000 having the above-mentioned domain-inverted structure as a fundamental structure component will be described.
First, a periodic Ta film pattern with a width of several xcexcm is formed on the LiTaO3 substrate 101 made of non-linear optical crystal by vapor deposition and photolithography. The Ta film pattern is subjected to a proton-exchange treatment at 260xc2x0 C., followed by being heat treated at around 550xc2x0 C. Thus, the domain-inverted regions 103 are formed in the LiTaO3 substrate 101. Then, a Ta film slit is formed on the LiTaO3 substrate 101, heat treated in pyrophosphoric acid at 260xc2x0 C. for 12 minutes, and subjected to an anneal treatment at 420xc2x0 C. for one minute. Thus, the optical waveguide 102 is formed.
When the optical waveguide 102 has a length of 10 mm and the fundamental waves P1 having a power of 37 mW with respect to a wavelength of 873 nm is input to the light wavelength conversion device 122 produced as described above, higher harmonic waves P2 having a power of 1.1 mW can be output.
However, allowable width of the light wavelength conversion device 122 with respect to the wavelength of the fundamental waves is generally as small as 0.1 nm. For this reason, the light wavelength conversion device 122 cannot allow mode hopping of a semiconductor laser and spreading of the wavelength of output light.
For example, in the conventional light wavelength conversion device 122 having the above-mentioned domain-inverted regions, the allowance with respect to the wavelength fluctuation of a fundamental wave laser beam at a device length of 10 mm is very narrow; typically, an allowable wavelength half value width of around 0.1 nm. The allowable change with respect to temperature is typically as small as 3xc2x0 C. Because of this, when a light wavelength conversion device is combined with a semiconductor laser, the following problems arise: The output of the semiconductor laser is likely to be affected by the change in temperature and consequently wavelength fluctuation occurs in output light; as a result, fundamental waves are not converted into higher harmonic waves or the output of higher harmonic waves converted from fundamental waves greatly fluctuates.
The above-mentioned problems will be described in detail below.
Typically, when the wavelength of a semiconductor laser shifts by only 0.05 nm, the output of higher harmonic waves to be obtained becomes half of an intended value. The allowability with respect to the change in wavelength of a semiconductor laser is small. For example, when the ambient temperature during the operation of a semiconductor laser shifts from 20xc2x0 C. to 21xc2x0 C., the vertical mode of the semiconductor laser shifts by one and the oscillation wavelength shifts from 820.0 nm to 820.2 nm. Because of this, the output of higher harmonic waves becomes zero.
Regarding the allowable width of the light wavelength conversion device 122 with respect to the change in temperature, when the ambient temperature changes, the output of higher harmonic waves cannot be obtained even if the oscillating wavelength of the semiconductor laser is stable. Furthermore, frequent occurrence of mode hopping causes noise leading to problems in reading from optical disks.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a method for stabilizing an output of higher harmonic waves includes the steps of: converting fundamental waves, emitted from a distribution Bragg reflection (DBR) semiconductor laser having a wavelength variable portion, into higher harmonic waves in a light wavelength conversion device; and controlling a current to be applied to the wavelength variable portion of the DBR semiconductor laser to change an oscillating wavelength of the DBR semiconductor laser, thereby matching the oscillating wavelength with a peak of the higher harmonic waves.
Alternatively, a method for stabilizing an output of higher harmonic waves of the present invention includes the steps of: converting fundamental waves emitted from a semiconductor laser into higher harmonic waves in a light wavelength conversion device; applying an optical feed-back to the semiconductor laser to set an oscillating wavelength of the semiconductor laser at a predetermined value; and controlling a drive current of the semiconductor laser to change the oscillating wavelength, thereby matching the oscillating wavelength with a peak of the higher harmonic waves.
Alternatively, a method for stabilizing an output of higher harmonic waves of the present invention includes the steps of: converting fundamental waves, emitted from a DBR semiconductor laser having a first wavelength variable portion and a second wavelength variable portion, into higher harmonic waves in a light wavelength conversion device; and coarse-controlling an oscillating wavelength of the DBR semiconductor laser by the first wavelength variable portion and fine-controlling the oscillating wavelength by the second wavelength variable portion, thereby matching the oscillating wavelength with a peak of the higher harmonic waves.
Alternatively, a method for stabilizing an output of higher harmonic waves of the present invention includes the steps of: converting fundamental waves emitted from a DBR semiconductor laser having a wavelength variable portion into higher harmonic waves in a light wavelength conversion device; and performing differential detection of the output of the higher harmonic waves, controlling a current to be applied to the wavelength variable portion of the DBR semiconductor laser by using a detection result to change an oscillating wavelength of the DBR semiconductor laser, thereby matching the oscillating wavelength with a peak of the higher harmonic waves.
Alternatively, a method for stabilizing an output of higher harmonic waves of the present invention includes the steps of: converting fundamental waves emitted from a wavelength-locked semiconductor laser into higher harmonic waves in a light wavelength conversion device having an allowable wavelength half value width wider than an oscillating vertical mode interval of the semiconductor laser; and controlling a current to be applied to the semiconductor laser to change an oscillating wavelength of the semiconductor laser, thereby matching the oscillating wavelength with a peak of the higher harmonic waves.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the light wavelength conversion device is an optical waveguide type.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the optical wavelength conversion device is a bulk type.
In still another embodiment of the present invention, an output of the fundamental waves is monitored to control the current.
In still another embodiment of the present invention, a reflector is further provided between a cleavage face of the semiconductor laser and a DBR portion so that a vertical mode interval is set to be 1 nm or larger.
In still another embodiment of the present invention, the wavelength variable portion or first wavelength variable portion in the DBR semiconductor laser is positioned on a side far away from the light wavelength conversion device.
In still another embodiment of the present invention, the DBR semiconductor laser or the semiconductor laser as well as the light wavelength conversion device are mounted on a base member, an active layer of the DBR semiconductor laser and an optical waveguide of the light wavelength conversion device are respectively positioned on a side far away from the base member.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a short wavelength laser beam source includes: a light wavelength conversion device having periodically domain-inverted regions formed in non-linear optical crystal; and a DBR semiconductor laser, wherein the DBR semiconductor laser has a wavelength variable portion, fundamental waves emitted from the DBR semiconductor laser are converted into higher harmonic waves in the light wavelength conversion device, and an oscillating wavelength of the DBR semiconductor laser is changed so as to match with a peak of the higher harmonic waves by controlling a current to be applied to the wavelength variable portion of the DBR semiconductor laser, whereby a constant output of the higher harmonic waves is obtained.
Alternatively, a short wavelength laser beam source of the present invention includes: a light wavelength conversion device having periodically domain-inverted regions formed in non-linear optical crystal; and a DBR semiconductor laser, wherein fundamental waves emitted from the DBR semiconductor laser are converted into higher harmonic waves in the light wavelength conversion device.
Alternatively, a short wavelength laser beam source of the present invention includes: a light wavelength conversion device having periodically domain-inverted regions formed in non-linear optical crystal; and a semiconductor laser, wherein fundamental waves emitted from the semiconductor laser are converted into higher harmonic waves in the light wavelength conversion device, and an oscillating wavelength of the semiconductor laser set at a predetermined value by optical feedback is changed by controlling a drive current of the semiconductor laser, thereby matching the oscillating wavelength with a peak of the higher harmonic waves to obtain a constant output of the higher harmonic waves.
Alternatively, a short wavelength laser beam source of the present invention includes: a light wavelength conversion device having periodically domain-inverted regions formed in non-linear optical crystal; and a DBR semiconductor laser having first wavelength variable portion and second wavelength variable portion, wherein fundamental waves emitted from the DBR semiconductor laser are converted into higher harmonic waves in the light wavelength conversion device, the first wavelength variable portion coarse-controls an oscillating wavelength of the DBR semiconductor laser, and the second wavelength variable portion fine-controls the oscillating wavelength, whereby the oscillating wavelength is matched with a peak of the higher harmonic waves to obtain a constant output of the higher harmonic waves.
Alternatively, a short wavelength laser beam source of the present invention includes: a DBR semiconductor laser having first wavelength variable portion; and a light wavelength conversion device having second variable portion and periodically domain-inverted regions formed in non-linear optical crystal, wherein fundamental waves emitted from the DBR semiconductor laser are converted into higher harmonic waves in the light wavelength conversion device, the first wavelength variable portion coarse-controls an oscillating wavelength of the DBR semiconductor laser, and the second wavelength variable portion fine-controls a phase-matched wavelength of the light wavelength conversion device, whereby the oscillating wavelength is matched with a peak of the higher harmonic waves to obtain a constant output of the higher harmonic waves.
Alternatively, a short wavelength laser beam source of the present invention includes: a wavelength-locked semiconductor laser; and a light wavelength conversion device having an allowable wavelength half value width wider than an oscillating vertical mode interval of the semiconductor laser, wherein fundamental waves emitted from the semiconductor laser are converted into higher harmonic waves in the light wavelength conversion device, and an oscillating wavelength of the semiconductor laser is changed by controlling a current to be applied to the semiconductor laser so as to match with a peak of the higher harmonic waves, whereby a constant output of the higher harmonic waves is obtained.
Alternatively, a short wavelength laser beam source of the present invention includes: a light wavelength conversion device having periodically domain-inverted regions formed in non-linear optical crystal; and a DBR semiconductor laser having a wavelength variable portion, wherein a reflector is provided outside the DBR semiconductor laser and a laser oscillation is generated between the reflector and the DBR semiconductor laser, fundamental waves emitted from the DBR semiconductor laser are converted into higher harmonic waves in the light wavelength conversion device, and an oscillating wavelength of the DBR semiconductor laser is changed by controlling a current to be applied to the wavelength variable portion of the semiconductor laser so as to match the oscillating wavelength with a peak of the higher harmonic waves, whereby a constant output of the higher harmonic waves is obtained.
Alternatively, a short wavelength laser beam source of the present invention includes: a light wavelength conversion device having at least three periodically domain-inverted regions formed in non-linear optical crystal; and a semiconductor laser, wherein the at least three periodically domain-inverted regions have a first periodically domain-inverted region having a period of xcex9, a second periodically domain-inverted region having a period of xcex91, and a third periodically domain-inverted region having a period of xcex92, the relationship between the periods is xcex91 less than xcex9 less than xcex92, and higher harmonic waves generated in the second periodically domain-inverted region having a period of xcex91 and higher harmonic waves generated in the third periodically domain-inverted region having a period of xcex92 are detected by different detectors, respectively.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the light wavelength conversion device is an optical waveguide type. Preferably, the optical waveguide is a proton-exchanged optical waveguide.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the light wavelength conversion device is a bulk type.
In still another embodiment of the present invention, the non-linear optical crystal is LiNbxTa1xe2x88x92xO3 (0xe2x89xa6Xxe2x89xa61).
In still another embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned short wavelength laser beam source further includes a detector and a beam splitter.
In still another embodiment of the present invention, an output of the fundamental waves is monitored to control the current.
In still another embodiment of the present invention, a reflector is further provided between a cleavage face of the semiconductor laser and a DBR portion so that a vertical mode interval is set to be 1 nm or larger.
In still another embodiment of the present invention, a reflector is further provided on either of an incident face or an output face of the light wavelength conversion device.
In still another embodiment of the present invention, reflected return light of the fundamental waves in the light wavelength device is 0.2% or less.
In still another embodiment of the present invention, the DBR semiconductor laser is RF-driven.
In still another embodiment of the present invention, temperature of the semiconductor laser is controlled on a first face of a Peltier device, temperature of the light wavelength conversion device is controlled on a second face of the Peltier device, and change in temperature of the first face is opposite to change in temperature of the second face.
In still another embodiment of the present invention, a wavelength of the fundamental waves is shifted from a phase-matched wavelength of the light wavelength conversion device to modulate an output of the higher harmonic waves.
In still another embodiment of the present invention, a wavelength of the fundamental waves is matched with a phase-matched wavelength of the light wavelength conversion device, and thereafter, a drive current of the semiconductor laser is regulated so as to regulate the output of the higher harmonic waves.
In still another embodiment of the present invention, the wavelength variable portion or the first wavelength variable portion in the DBR semiconductor laser is positioned on a side far away from the light wavelength conversion device.
In still another embodiment of the present invention, the DBR semiconductor laser or the semiconductor laser as well as the light wavelength conversion device are mounted on a base member, an active layer of the DBR semiconductor laser and an optical waveguide of the light wavelength conversion device are respectively positioned on a side far away from the base member.
Thus, the invention described herein makes possible the advantages of (1) providing a method for stabilizing an output of higher harmonic waves enabling the stable output of higher harmonic waves to be obtained irrespective of ambient temperature and (2) providing a short wavelength laser beam source using the same.
These and other advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying figures.

Method for stabilizing output of higher harmonic waves and short wavelength laser beam source using the same

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


A gasket for a substrate support assembly may have a top surface having a surface area and a plurality of zones that together define the surface area of the top surface. The plurality of zones may comprise at least a) a first zone comprising a first stack of gasket layers, the first zone having a first average thermal conductivity in a first direction, and b) a second zone comprising one or more gasket layers, the second zone having a second average thermal conductivity in the first direction.

Substrate support assemblies such as electrostatic chucks are widely used to hold substrates (e.g., such as semiconductor wafers) during substrate processing in processing chambers used for various applications. Examples of processes include physical vapor deposition, etching, chemical vapor deposition, atomic layer deposition, cleaning, and so on.
Various processes used in the fabrication of integrated circuits may call for high temperatures and/or wide temperature ranges for substrate processing. However, substrate support assemblies in etch processes typically operate in a temperature range of up to about 120° C. At temperatures above about 120° C., the components of many electrostatic chucks will begin to fail due to various issues such as de-chucking, plasma erosion from corrosive chemistry, bond reliability, and so on.
Substrate support assemblies may include heating elements that have an optimal power setting. However, the heating elements in the substrate support assembly may operate outside of optimal power settings, which may contribute to temperature variation during processing.

Multi-zone gasket for substrate support assembly


A multimedia communication system for transmitting a display responsive multimedia content message to an end user computing device to be rendered on a display device. The multimedia communication system comprises a content packager that assembles a multimedia content package comprising the multimedia content message, and a content renderer that generates a display responsive multimedia content rendering application associated with the multimedia content message, wherein the multimedia content message includes a source artifact having an image, a content artifact having text, and a contextual selector having a hyperlink, and wherein the display responsive multimedia content rendering application includes one or more annotations or instructions to render the multimedia content message to display the source artifact to occupy a substantial portion of a display area for the multimedia content message.

In a computer networked environment such as the Internet, content providers supply content items for display on end-user computing devices. These content items can include logos, images, text, video and/or audio content, and the like. The content items can be linked to web pages associated with the content providers. Frequently, these content items include display messages that are displayable as text only on end-user computing devices, and that have display formats that are incommodious and inefficient when displayed.
FIG. 1A depicts an example of a content item that can be displayed on a desktop computer via the Internet. The content item includes an example of content that is displayed with a heading 2, text 3, a website identifier 4, and a call-to-action arrow 6. The call-to-action arrow 6 can be linked to a web page or a website belonging to the content provider.
FIG. 1B depicts an example of the same content item in FIG. 1A, but this time it is shown as it may appear on a smartphone device.
As seen in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the layout of the displayed content item emphasizes the title and call-to-action, as these are likely to be "clicked" by users. The content item, however, can be difficult to read because of its layout, and the user might not have any idea where s/he will be redirected upon selecting the call-to-action arrow.
An unfulfilled need exists for a communication system and method that can provide display responsive device-agnostic multimedia content to end-user computing devices that is easy to read and that can provide users with an indication of what action is likely to follow with the click of a call-to-action selector, such that each computing device can display the multimedia content in a user-accommodating and efficient format, while displaying the multimedia content so that it meets display requirements of the particular end-user computing device.

System and method that facilitate display responsive message rendering on client device


Correlation value calculation is carried out while a pair of window ranges being shifted using uncorrected AF data, and a pair of window ranges providing the highest correlation value is determined. Then, the difference between the smallest values in the respective window ranges is evaluated. If it is determined that the distance is large, the AF data is corrected so that the smallest values in the respective window ranges are consistent with each other, and the corrected AF data is used to carry out correlation value recalculation. Then, if the highest correlation value after correction is smaller than the highest correlation value before correction, the result of correlation value calculation after correction is employed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a distance measuring apparatus, and particularly to a distance measuring apparatus of, for example, a camera using a passive AF sensor.
2. Description of the Related Art
A distance measuring apparatus of a camera using a passive AF sensor forms images of a distance measurement object on a pair of left and right line sensors, for example, and obtains left and right sensor images (AF data). A pair of window ranges for obtaining a pair of AF data for use in correlation value calculation, of AF data obtained from the pair of left and right line sensors, are determined, and a pair of AF data for use in correlation value calculation are sequentially obtained, with the pair of window ranges being shifted in opposite directions in a pair of predetermined sensor areas (employed sensors). Alternatively, a pair of AF data for use in correlation value calculation are sequentially obtained, with one window range being fixed and the other window range being shifted. The correlation level of a pair of AF data obtained in this way is determined, and the distance from the distance measurement object is calculated according to the shift amount of the pair of window ranges providing the highest correlation level (in which left and right sensor images are consistent with each other).
If the signal amount level of the left AF data and the signal amount level of the right AF data are not consistent with each other, proper correlation cannot be obtained, and as a result erroneous distance measurement may occur. Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 8-285580 discloses that correlation value calculation is carried out after AF data is corrected so that the smallest value of the left AF data and the smallest value of the right AF data are consistent with each other. Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 5-264892 discloses that correlation value calculation is carried out after AF data is corrected so that the average value of the left AF data and the average value of the right AF data are consistent with each other.
However, in the conventional correction of AF data, AF data is corrected so that the smallest values or average values of AF data in the ranges of the employed sensor are consistent with each other, and therefore there may be cases where the signal amount levels of AF data are not consistent with each other if the ranges of distance measurement object imaged by a pair of employed sensors are not consistent with each other, resulting in erroneous distance measurement. Also, there are problems such that AF data is corrected regardless of the fact that the correction of AF data is not necessary, leading to the determination that distance measurement is impossible.


A wheel-type landing gear is disclosed for helicopters with fastening measures on the helicopter which permit a receiving of the wheel-type landing gear on the craft at fittings provided for the fastening of skid-type landing gear without any additional support. The possibility of retrofitting and/or backfitting the helicopter is provided. The main wheels are fastened on rocker arms so that the wheel contact point is situated clearly behind the rearward landing gear fittings.

This application claims the priority of German application P 197 01 404.6-22 filed in Germany on Jan. 17, 1997, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The present invention relates to a wheel-type landing gear for helicopters of the type having skid-type landing gear.
In the case of light helicopters, it is known and customary to use a sled as a landing gear which, for controlling the physical effects inherent to the helicopter, consists of skids and torsion tubes with a defined spring characteristic. This landing gear meets most operating requirements of a light helicopter but has significant disadvantages when the craft is moved on the ground. For improving the handling capabilities of the helicopter on the ground, removable wheels can be attached to the skids. Another possibility consists of providing a fixedly installed wheel-type landing gear which may also be constructed as a retracting landing gear.
However, these solutions have the disadvantage that, on the one hand, the heavy, bulky transport wheels must be available at the site; that is, must be carried along and that, on the other hand, the helicopter must be equipped with a cost-intensive wheel-type landing gear.
It has been implemented on a helicopter design (Bell 412EP) to fasten an undercarriage instead of the skid-type landing gear in the area of the landing gear fittings, in which case several measures must be carried out on the helicopter in order to ensure an additional support of the wheel-type landing gear and in order to provide embarking steps for the cabin crew. In addition, in the case of this known solution, it is required to arrange the main wheels at the level of the rear torsion tube (relative to the longitudinal axis of the helicopter) because otherwise it is not possible to introduce force.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an exchangeable wheel-type landing gear for a light helicopter which can be mounted on its fastening fittings instead of the skid-type landing gear without any special measures, a backfitting being possible at any time.
This object is achieved by providing wheel-type landing gear for helicopters, having fittings for a fastening on the helicopter which permit a receiving of the landing gear on the fittings intended for the fastening of a skid-type landing gear without any additional support of the helicopter, wherein said landing gear has two main wheels which are fastened to two rearward rocker arms which, by way of tube stubs by means of the two ends of a rearward cross tube are rotatably disposed such that the pivots are situated in the axis of the rearward cross tube so that the contact points of the main wheels are situated considerably behind the rearward fastening fittings, and wherein the rearward ends of two elastic embarking steps are fastened on the tube stubs in a torsion-proof manner by way of bearings, forward ends of the embarking steps projecting beyond forward fittings being fastened on the two ends of a cross member on which a rocker arm, which is constructed essentially in a V-shape, is rotatably disposed by means of its ends forming the upper end points of the V, its other end forming a nose wheel bearing and nose wheel.
The wheel-type landing gear further developed according to the invention represents an independent wheel-type landing gear which can be used without any change of the fastening fittings on the helicopter instead of the otherwise customary skid-type landing gear, a backfitting being possible at any time. Because of the further development according to the invention, the wheel-type landing gear has its own embarking step and has a wheel contact point of the main wheels which is clearly arranged behind the rearward cross tube.
This has the important advantage that the wheel-type landing gear according to the invention can be adapted to the respective position of the center of gravity without any change of the basic principle and without changing the fastening fittings on the helicopter, so that the required protection against a tilting beyond the rearward wheel contact point is ensured.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.


Example embodiments relate to methods and apparatuses for aligning a probe for scanning probe microscopy (SPM) to the tip of a pointed sample. One embodiments includes a method for aligning an SPM probe to an apex area of a free-standing tip of a pointed sample. The method includes providing an SPM apparatus that includes the SPM probe; a sample holder; a drive mechanism; and detection, control, and representation tools for acquiring and representing an image of a surface scanned by the SPM probe. The method also includes mounting the sample on the sample holder. Further, the method includes positioning the probe tip of the SPM, determining a 2-dimensional area that includes the pointed sample, performing an SPM acquisition scan, evaluating and acquired image, and placing the SPM probe in a position where it is aligned with an apex area of the free-standing tip of the pointed sample.

APT is a nano-scale 3-dimensional imaging technique in which each atom within the solid of interest that is emitted through field evaporation from a specifically fabricated tip, and that reaches a 2-dimensional position-sensitive detector, is identified. Evaporation is usually triggered by a pulsed laser directed at the tip or by a voltage pulse, while acceleration of the evaporated ions takes place under the influence of a voltage difference between the tip and the detector. Under some conditions, this technique allows to reconstruct nano-scale volumes in 3D to a sub-nanometer resolution. Applying APT to heterogeneous structures however tends to introduce severe distortions to the resulting 3D renditions. These stem primarily from APT tip shape modifications. In the standard 3D data reconstruction algorithms, the apex region of an APT tip is assumed to be, and to remain, semi-hemispherical in shape during the course of the analysis. Any change to this shape results in distortions to the 3D reconstruction of the region that is under analysis by the APT technique.
Deviations of the APT sample tip shape from the semi-hemispherical shape may be the result of differential evaporation rates occurring in heterogeneous structures. Another source of the tip deformation may be the influence of the laser pulses applied for triggering the evaporation. The laser is directed to one side of the sample, which may result in flattening of this side in the course of the APT analysis. Various ways have been suggested for determining the shape of the tip. For example, document EP2434521 is related to a laser atom probe system that includes a probe tip monitor. The monitor may be a transmission electron microscope, a scanning electron microscope, or a scanning probe microscope (SPM). The latter includes a scanning probe mounted on a cantilever. As the tip of the probe is scanned across a surface, the cantilever moves under the influence of the scanning probe's interaction with the surface. A laser-based detection system detects the cantilever movements which are then translated into an image of the surface. SPM variants include Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), conductive AFM (c-AFM), Electric Force Microscopy (EFM) and Magnetic Force Microscopy (MFM). While the principle of using SPM for measuring the shape of a pointed sample tip is thereby not a novel idea in itself, there is a lack of a concrete methodology for effectively realizing this task. As both the sample tip and the SPM probe tip have dimensions on the nanometer scale, the correct alignment of the tips prior to the actual SPM acquisition is difficult to achieve. This problem is not limited to APT samples, but it is relevant for the alignment of an SPM probe to any pointed sample having an apex area with dimensions in the micrometer or nanometer range.

Method and apparatus for aligning a probe for scanning probe microscopy to the tip of a pointed sample

Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, KU Leuven R&D


An apparatus, and a related method, for unwinding reels and for joining a ply between two reels including a first unwinder adapted to unwind a first reel, a second unwinder adapted to unwind a second reel, a joining device adapted to join a first ply belonging to the first reel with a second ply belonging to the second reel, the joining device including a first pulling bar is able to pull a flap of the first ply along a joining path with the second ply, a second pulling bar is adapted to pull a flap of the second ply along a joining path with the first ply, joining means configured to join, in a joining point along the joining path, the flap of the first ply with the second ply or the flap of the second ply with the first ply, first cutting means configured to cut the first ply or the second ply upstream of the joining point where the joint is performed between the first ply and the second ply, and second cutting means configured to cut the flap of the first ply or the flap of the second ply downstream of the joining point.

The present disclosure in general relates to the sector of the transformation of ribbon-like material, such as paper, "tissue' paper and the like, wound in reels, and in particular it relates to the techniques for unwinding the aforesaid reels to feed the ribbon-like material to subsequent processing stations.
Currently, for the production of articles made of so-called "tissue" paper, i.e. toilet paper, paper towels, napkins, handkerchiefs or the like, large-diameter reels are used, obtained by winding one or more plies of paper. These reels are unwound in dedicated unwinders to feed the paper to subsequent processing and transforming stations from which are obtained semi-finished products such as paper rolls known as "logs". From these semi-finished products then, through additional processing and transforming phases, the finished products such as the paper articles listed above are obtained.
When a reel is completely unwound by the unwinder, it must be replaced by a new reel. This replacement operation currently entails interventions to cut the ply of the depleting reel and interventions for connecting it with the initial flap of the new reel, as well as interventions to reposition the new reel in the unwinder.
Currently, there are unwinders that allow to place a new reel in a stand-by position, while the previous reel is finishing being unwound. In this case, the operations for cutting and connecting the two plies of the two reels, generally carried out manually by an operator, can be carried out in a faster manner, because the new reel is already ready to take the position of the depleted reel inside the unwinder.
The reels that are unwound by the aforesaid known unwinders in general have diameters that can change from 1.5 meters to 3 meters. Therefore, for reasons of limiting the bulk of the unwinder itself, it is possible to load a new reel in the stand-by position only when the reel is close to depletion, i.e. it has significantly reduced its diameter. Essentially, known unwinders do not have such dimensions as to be able to house two still new, or otherwise only partially unwound reels.
A drawback that often afflicts known processes for unwinding reels is due to the defects that can be present in the reel itself.
The reel often has paper winding defects, which can consist of ruptures or cuts of the paper, which can also affect the entire width of the ribbon, or in portions of paper that is poorly wound on itself, inside the reel.
These defects can be present in any point of the reel and therefore affect any portion of the longitudinal development of the paper ribbon.
If defects of the reel are present, the procedure for unwinding the reel must necessarily be interrupted, and the operator has to intervene manually to eliminate the section of the paper ribbon that presents the defect and re-join the two flaps of the ribbon, in order to restart the unwinding procedure. Obviously, during the intervention by the operator the unwinder is not active, and this entails interruptions or slow-downs also of the steps of processing and transforming the paper that follow the step of unwinding the reels.
Therefore, although known unwinders allow to replace the depleting reel in a relatively quick manner, above if the replacement operation is at least partially automated, unexpected events due to the winding defects of the paper ribbon of the reel introduce interruptions and critical delays on the paper processing and transformation line.

Apparatus and method for unwinding reels and for joining a ply between two reels