Methods of optimizing access to a relation queried through a number of predicates. The methods identify one or more candidate predicates of the selection condition that can be used to factorize the selection condition. A gain from using one or more of the candidate predicates to factorize the selection condition is computed. One or more of the candidate predicates that result in a positive gain are factored from the selection condition to produce a rewritten selection condition. The candidate predicates can be predicates that appear exactly in the selection condition more than once and/or merged predicates that may be predicates in the selection condition that overlap.

Modern relational database systems continue to process increasingly complex queries. Several reasons contribute to this trend. Queries submitted to relational database systems are increasingly being generated by applications. These queries tend to be more redundant and complex than human-typed queries. Additionally, a recent focus on extending relational database management systems (DBMS) with advanced functionality, like data warehousing and data mining, places a demand for fast execution of queries with complicated predicates.
A straightforward way to evaluate a complex expression is to use a sequential scan on the table and evaluate the condition as a filter. When the selectivity of some of the predicates is small, a cheaper alternative is to use one or more indexes and combine their record identifiers (RIDs) using index-intersection and union (IIU) operators before fetching the data pages from disk. Thus, for example a condition of the form X AND Y (written as XY) can be evaluated by generating record identifier lists for each of X and Y and then intersecting the two lists. Similarly, a condition X OR Y (written as X+Y) can be evaluated by using the union of the two record identifier lists for X and Y. In general, any multi-predicate selection condition can be evaluated by a series of index intersections and unions (IIU), which eventually leave a list of record identifiers to be fetched from the data table.
There are many possible intersection and union (IIU) plans for a given selection query. For example, a condition C1 may have the form (A+B)(A+C). The evaluation of C1 requires an index access for each of the literals, two index-union operations (for generating record identifiers for A+B and A+C), followed by one intersection operation for merging the record identifiers corresponding to A+B and A+C. An equivalent condition C2 has the form A+BC. The corresponding index-based plan for condition C2 requires one less index access (only access A once), and one less index-union operation.
The preceding paragraph is a straightforward example of how a query plan can be improved if it is slightly restructured. However, the general problem of identifying better plans for an arbitrarily complex boolean expression is not easy. The following example shows that disjunctive normal form (DNF) does not guarantee the best plan. Consider another condition C3: AB+AC in disjunctive normal form. An equivalent conjunctive normal form (CNF) is C4: A(B+C). It is not immediately obvious as to which of C3 and C4 would be better. C4 may be better in several cases since it saves on an index access for A and performs one less index intersection. However, C3 could be better than C4 if the intermediate record identification (RID) size of B+C is considerably larger than that of A. This example establishes that neither of the standard normal forms, CNF and DNF, provide an optimal solution for all queries. The relative merits of different index intersection and union (IIU) plans depend on the selectivities of the different predicates, and the costs of accessing different indexes.
Existing query optimizers approach this problem in three ways. The first approach is to use a sequential scan followed by a filtered evaluation of the condition, particularly when the selection condition is very large and contains several disjuncts and conjuncts. The second approach is to generate an index intersection and union plan directly from the form in which the condition is represented in the query without searching the space of index intersection and union plans for the best plan. The third approach is to rewrite the query in conjunctive normal form or in the disjunct form, neither of which is optimal in all cases.
Minimizing boolean expressions through factorization is a problem in several areas of computer science. In compiler optimization it is useful for generating optimal programs for evaluating boolean expressions, in object-oriented databases for ad hoc evaluation of queries with boolean predicates, in relational database systems for factoring join relations on disjuncts and in VLSI circuit design for reducing floor area of circuits. Of these, the boolean minimization problem has been studied most extensively in the VLSI literature.
Factoring boolean formiae to minimize the total number of literals is an important problem in VLSI design because the area taken up by a circuit for a boolean formula is roughly proportional to the number of literals in the formula. This problem is NP-hard and computing the optimal solution is computationally infeasible even for relatively small functions. However, the practical relevance of the logic minimization problem in VLSI has led to the design of several algorithms with various levels of complexity. These approaches can be grouped into three categories—algebraic, boolean and graph-theoretic. None of these approaches offer any guarantees about the quality of the factorization. Of the three classes of factoring methods, algebraic factoring is the most popular since it provides very good results while being extremely fast. Query optimization is different from the VLSI logic minimization, because every literal a boolean formula that represents a query is associated with a different fixed cost that depends on the literal's selectivity and index. Also, unlike the problem of VLSI logic minimization, the size of intermediate results is also important for query optimization since it affects index-intersection and index-union cost.
Early relational database management systems rewrote query expressions as a conjunctive normal form expressions and exploited only one index per expression. Others rewrote the expressions as a disjunctive normal form expression and union-ed each disjunct evaluated independently. These simple approaches were augmented in later systems to exploit multiple indexes by evaluating them as arbitrary index intersection and union plans. These approaches attempted to choose the best subset of eligible indexes and sequence the record identifier mergings for best performance. However, these approaches operate on the condition as directly expressed in the query and do not explore the space of alternative rewrites.
Techniques for optimization of user-defined predicates with varying costs of evaluation and selectivity have been developed. These techniques attempt to reduce the number of invocations of the user-defined predicates while leveraging its selectivity. These techniques are for non-indexed access and CPU cost minimization. These techniques either concentrate on ANDs alone, are not applicable for indexed access or do not attempt to factorize common predicates across them. In these techniques, the focus is on reducing the number of invocations of the expensive functions.
There is a need for a method that identifies an optimized index intersection and union-based plan for a query, by searching the space of several possible rewrites of the boolean expression. The expression is rewritten using exact and/or relaxed factors to improve the cost of indexed access to a relation.

Optimizing multi-predicate selections on a relation using indexes


Described is a technology by which topics corresponding to web pages are used in relevance ranking of those pages. Topics are extracted from each web page of a set of web pages that are found via a query. For example, text such as nouns may be extracted from the title, anchor texts and URL of a page, and used as the topics. The extracted topics from a page are used to compute a relevance score for that page based on an evaluation of that page's topics against the query. The pages are then ranked relative to one another based at least in part on the relevance score computed for each page, such as by determining a matching level for each page, ranking pages by each level, and ranking pages within each level. Also described is training a model to perform the relevance scoring and/or ranking.

In web searches, a user wants the most relevant results (e.g., a list of links ranked by relevance) returned in response to a query. Traditionally, relevance has been represented by conventional models such as BM25, language modeling for information retrieval, proximity modeling, and so forth.
However, results returned in response to a web search that uses one of these conventional models are not always the most relevant. Even when the most relevant material is returned among a list of URLs, links are often not properly ranked by relevance. Any mechanism that can return more relevant results and/or ranks relevant results relative to one another according to relevance is valuable in web search technology.

Topics in relevance ranking model for web search


A method of configuring a telephone, comprising configuring a plurality of self-labeling Role Keys to represent respective user roles, and configuring a plurality of self-labeling Role Associated Keys associated with respective ones of the self-labeling Role Keys such that upon user selection of one of the self-labeling Role Keys representing a predetermined user role, the plurality of self-labeling Role Associated Keys are presented to the user for invoking respective features associated with the selected user role.

1. Field
This specification relates generally to communication systems, and more particularly to the presentation of information on a telephone appliance.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 6,816,589 (Pinard) sets forth a communication system wherein a plurality of user data files are provided for respective users, each user data file including at least one role identifier; a plurality of communication groups having respective group name identifiers for associating predetermined roles with the groups and respective group phone numbers; and a role list data file for automatically associating respective ones of the users with a predetermined one or more of the communication groups according to their role identifiers.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,075,851 (Pinard) sets forth a communication system with a database representing a plurality of relationships of organization roles, including names of first persons filling the roles, names of temporary persons to fill at least some specific roles, directory numbers associated with respective ones of the first and temporary persons, and call features associated with respective specific roles. In response to a request to complete a call to a particular directory number associated with one of the specific roles, a method is disclosed for looking up in the database an alternative directory number of the person temporarily associated with the specific role, and processing the call to the alternate directory number instead of the particular directory number, but with call features associated with the specific role.
From the foregoing, it is known in the prior art that a telephone set user may perform multiple roles within an organization, and that those roles may change throughout the course of a typical business day. These roles may include: managerial responsibilities; participation in a committee or working group; consultant or subject matter expert; parent/spouse/friend; team organizer; and many other roles.
It is also known in the art for such a person to use programmable keys on their telephone to make/receive calls and invoke related features. However, such making/receiving of calls and invoking of features is done without consideration to which role the user is filling.
Since the number or programmable keys presented on a telephone set is limited, the user typically only configures features, speed dial buttons, etc. that are most often used (or necessary) regardless of what role the user is filling.
It is possible to increase the number of available programmable keys on a telephone set by introducing tabs and other navigation elements to allow paging between groups of programmable keys. It is also possible for the user to decide which features, speed dial, etc. to configure, and then group them logically within the layout of programmable keys supported by the telephone set. Another option often used by secretarial/sub-attendants is to also use an adjunct programmable key module (PKM) to increase the available number of programmable keys.
However, in the context of a user filling multiple roles the increase in number of available programmable keys increases the complexity of user selection of a feature related to a role. For example, important programmable keys may not be available when desired, as a result of having a different tab visible (i.e. managerial DN/line appearance/etc.)
Additionally, a 'Hot Desking' capability can be used to overlay the programmable keys associated with a particular role onto a telephone set (e.g. activated by user login to the phone). However, only programmable keys configured for the logged in user/role are available.


A method and system for creating an article of jewelry that contains an anatomical image using a digital image of an anatomical body part such as a fingerprint, handprint, footprint, or the like to create a computer numeric controlled (CNC) software program that drives a machine for producing a wax model of the anatomical image. The wax model is used in a lost wax casting process to create a casting that is used in an article of jewelry. The present invention further provides an article of jewelry containing a novel bail assembly for attaching the article of jewelry to a chain or the like in an aesthetically pleasing manner that hides the attachment hole of the casting.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to articles of jewelry and methods of manufacturing articles of jewelry, and more particularly to an article of jewelry and a method of manufacturing an article of jewelry where the article of jewelry bears a reproduction of an anatomical part such as a fingerprint, a handprint, a footprint, or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
The related art has disclosed various articles of jewelry that are ornamented with representations of fingerprints. Reference may be had, e.g., to U.S. Pat. No. 964,499 that discloses an impressionable mould used to create a casting of a fingerprint image. Other patents, for example, German Patent 2903728, U.S. Pat. No. 4,993,472, use hot wax to obtain the impression of a fingerprint for the purpose of creating a metal casting. U.S. Pat. No. 6,435,255 also uses wax to obtain the impression of a fingerprint, but improves upon the previous art by using a soft wax bonded to a hard wax substrate to obtain an impression of a fingerprint. U.S. Design Pat. No. 407,660 discloses an ornamental design for an article of jewelry with a textured surface in the form of a fingerprint.
The methods disclosed in the related art create a mirror image wax impression of a fingerprint that are capable of creating only a single casting per impression. Further, the methods previously disclosed in the related art subject an individual to direct contact with wax that may either create a residue on the individual's finger, or may expose the individual to hot wax and the discomfort associated with contacting hot wax. This discomfort is of particular concern to individuals such as young children or the elderly. In addition, often times it may be desirable to create an anatomical reproduction of a deceased family member's fingerprint, footprint, or handprint in an article of jewelry. The methods of the related art are limited in their ability to reproduce additional copies of a deceased individual's fingerprint or the like.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method of manufacturing an article of jewelry that creates a true reproduction of an anatomical part such as a fingerprint, footprint, handprint, or the like. It is another object of the present invention to provide a method of manufacturing an article of jewelry that can produce multiple castings of an image of an anatomical part from a single impression of that anatomical part. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method of manufacturing an article of jewelry that creates a true and accurate reproduction of a fingerprint that is of the same general shape as the fingerprint itself; e.g., an oval reproduction of said fingerprint. It is still another object of the present invention to provide an article of jewelry that contains a novel bail assembly for attaching the article of jewelry to a chain or the like in an aesthetically pleasing manner that hides an attachment hole of the article of jewelry.

Article of jewelry and method of manufacture


An optical coupler is formed of a low index material and exhibits a mode field diameter suitable to provide efficient coupling between a free space optical signal (of large mode field diameter) and a single mode high index waveguide formed on an optical substrate. One embodiment comprises an antiresonant reflecting optical waveguide (ARROW) structure in conjunction with an embedded (high index) nanotaper coupling waveguide. Another embodiment utilizes a low index waveguide structure disposed in an overlapped arrangement with a high index nanotaper coupling waveguide. The low index waveguide itself includes a tapered region that overlies the nanotaper coupling waveguide to facilitate the transfer of the optical energy from the low index waveguide into an associated single mode high index waveguide. Methods of forming these devices using CMOS processes are also disclosed.

Advances in the art of coupling between an external optical signal and an optical waveguide have recently been associated with the use of an optical "nanotaper" structure. A "nanotaper", which is sometimes referred to as an "inverse taper", is generally defined as a terminating portion of a core of a high index waveguide that is used to facilitate efficient coupling between a single mode optical fiber (for example) and a high index waveguide formed along an optical substrate. In a typical device construction, the lateral dimension of the portion of the nanotaper proximate to the core of the high index waveguide approximately matches the width of the core. The lateral dimension of the nanotaper decreases monotonically along the direction of light propagation until it reaches a small value associated with a "tip" (i.e., that portion of the nanotaper distal from the core of the high index waveguide). The tip portion represents the point at which light first enters or exits the nanotaper.
In some prior art nanotapers, the device is cleaved such that the endface of the tip essentially coincides with a cleaved edge of the optical substrate. Light is then launched directly into the tip of an entry nanotaper (or extracted directly from the tip of an exit nanotaper) by aligning the light source/receiver with the cleaved edge of the substrate. However, the presence of the high index nanotaper tip at the junction where the incoming signal couples into the optical substrate has been found to generate back-reflections, presenting problems when attempting to directly couple light from a laser facet into the waveguide. In fact, the back-reflections may cause the laser to become unstable.
Alternatively, in other prior art nanotapers, the position of the tip is recessed from the cleaved edge of the optical substrate. An auxiliary waveguide is then used to transmit light from the cleaved edge to the tip of the nanotaper. The auxiliary waveguide generally comprises larger dimensions and a lower refractive index than the single mode optical waveguide to improve coupling efficiency. The core of the auxiliary waveguide may comprise a polymer-based material with a refractive index on the order of 1.5-1.6.
One particular prior art nanotaper coupler arrangement using an auxiliary waveguide is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The auxiliary waveguide takes the form of a first, larger-dimensioned waveguide section that is generally disposed in an overlap arrangement with respect to a second, smaller-dimensioned waveguide section (which comprises the nanotaper), forming a "mode conversion region". Referring now to FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a single mode waveguide, reference numeral 2 denotes a mode field size conversion region, reference numeral 3 denotes an auxiliary waveguide section, reference numeral 4 denotes a nanotaper, and reference numeral 7 denotes a low index auxiliary waveguide. FIG. 2 best illustrates the geometry of nanotaper 4 along the surface of the optical substrate. Within mode field size conversion region 2, nanotaper 4 has a width that starts at a relatively small value at tip 5 (often 50-150 nm), and then tapers outward to the final desired waveguide dimensions associated with single mode optical waveguide 1. The thickness x of nanotaper 4 remains relatively constant along mode field size conversion region 2, where thickness x is best shown in FIG. 1.
The mode size associated with tip 5 of the nanotaper 4 is "large" (due to the weak confinement of the light) and shrinks as nanotaper 4 expands in size, providing tighter confinement of the light as the effective refractive index increases along the length of the nanotaper. This effect facilitates the required mode conversion into the smaller mode associated with ultrathin single mode waveguide 1.
In use, light is launched into an endface 6 of auxiliary waveguide section 3, where it propagates along unimpeded until it encounters tip 5 of nanotaper 4 in mode conversion region 2. At this point, the light beam is transferred from the relatively low effective index layer 7 of auxiliary waveguide section 3 to the relatively high effective index ultrathin waveguide 1 with low loss, since the mode size is gradually reduced along the extent of the taper.
Even when using such an auxiliary waveguide, coupling loss occurs as a result of mis-alignment between the incoming optical signal and the auxiliary waveguide. The configuration of the auxiliary waveguide also contributes to signal loss, associated with the incomplete mode conversion between the auxiliary waveguide and the nanotaper.

Low index, large mode field diameter optical coupler


The present invention provides a metallic coating having a sheen and having a discontinuous structure at high productivity and low cost by using sputtering. A resin product includes a resin base material, and a metallic coating having a sheen and a discontinuous structure that is deposited on the resin base material so as to include a portion in which a high-formation metal that relatively readily forms a discontinuous structure when using vacuum vapor deposition is sputtered, and thereafter, a low-formation metal that does not relatively readily form a discontinuous structure when using vacuum vapor deposition is sputtered. The high-formation metal and the low-formation metal are selected from at least two species of metals whose crystal structures are identical and whose lattice constant difference is within 10%.

In order to warn a driver that the automobile is approaching an object in its vicinity, providing a millimeter wave radar apparatus for measuring distance on each part of an automobile, for example, behind the radiator grill, the side moldings, the back panels, and the like, is under study. However, in the case in which the radiator grill and the like are provided with a sheen by using a metallic coating, this metallic coating blocks or greatly attenuates the millimeter waves. Thus, the path of the millimeter waves of the radar apparatus must be covered by a radar apparatus cover that has a sheen and has millimeter wave transparency. In order for the metallic coating to be transparent to millimeter waves, a discontinuous structure is necessary. In this discontinuous structure, the metallic coating does not form one continuous surface, but instead it has a structure (sea-island structure) in which many fine metal films are spread over the surface in a state in which they are slightly separated from each other or have portions thereof in contact so as to coalesce into islands.
In the case of the conventional millimeter wave radar apparatus cover, the metallic coating having a sheen and discontinuous structure is formed by depositing a single metal such as In or Sn by using a vacuum vapor deposition method. This is because metals such as In, Sn and the like have the quality of readily forming a discontinuous structure. Most metals do not exhibit this quality significantly, and if they are deposited by using vacuum vapor deposition, the metal becomes continuous at the point in time when enough of the metal has been deposited to obtain a region of a coating thickness that attains a sheen that is adequate in terms of external appearance. Consequently, the electrical resistance becomes low, and the millimeter wave transparency becomes insufficient.
(1) However, there are problems in that In in particular is expensive and the product cost becomes high. Thus, reducing the amount of In that is used and using metals other than In are being pursued.
(2) In addition, when metals such as In and Sn, which readily form a discontinuous structure by using vacuum vapor deposition, are deposited by using sputtering, it has not been possible to form a sufficiently distinct discontinuous structure, and as a result, a substantially continuous structure is acquired, the electrical resistance becomes low, and the millimeter wave transparency becomes insufficient. In addition, when a continuous structure has been acquired, corrosion of the metallic coating spreads easily and the corrosion resistance is thereby reduced. Thus, corrosion may occur, for example, due to the heat applied during the insert injection molding of an AES resin or the like that is carried out during the manufacturing process of the millimeter wave radar apparatus cover, and defects in the external appearance may thereby be caused. However, because sputtering is characterized in having both a superior productivity and a lower cost compared to vacuum vapor deposition, establishing a manufacturing method for a metallic coating having a sheen and a discontinuous structure by using sputtering is being pursued.
The following patent documents are examples of prior art that relates to the present invention.
Japanese Examined Patent Application Publication No. JP-B-S59-40105 discloses a metallic thin film made by sputtering a stainless steel or a nickel-chrome alloy being provided on a pliable and shiny product such as a front grill.
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. JP-A-2005-249773 discloses a molded product disposed in a radar apparatus beam path that provides a shiny decorative layer made by vacuum vapor depositing or sputtering In, an In alloy, Sn, or a Sn alloy, on a base material surface made of a cyclic polyolefin.
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. JP-A-H10-193549 discloses a decorative trim and laminated film in which a metallic thin film is formed on a transparent film layer by subjecting Pb, Al, Sn, In or an alloy thereof to a vacuum metallization treatment such as sputtering, resistance heating vacuum vapor deposition, or an electron beam method.


A shelf assembly for use with a display rack is provided. The display rack has two lateral posts, each of which has a plurality of vertically spaced openings. The shelf assembly includes a shelf, a pair of braces and a clip corresponding to each brace. The braces and clips are capable of supporting the shelf at a predetermined height above the uppermost vertical spaced opening in the lateral post such that the shelf assembly is able to display articles higher than typical shelf assemblies. The braces may also be lowered such that the braces overlaps the shelving structure below thereto.

The present invention relates to a merchandise shelving display and more particularly to a shelving assembly that utilizes space above the prior art shelving displays to provide extra shelving space that was not previously available.
Various types of merchandise displays have been available. Some of these prior art merchandise displays further relate to extending the area of display in order to stack more merchandise. U.S. Pat. No. 4,620,489 discloses an extendible merchandise shelving display that includes a shelf that extends to increase the overall width (or direction from the display rack). Other merchandise displays are simply drawn to different overall structures or mounting brackets (brackets used to mount the shelf to the display rack). U.S. Pat. No. 3,730,108 discloses an adjustable shelving structure that includes vertical upright posts with a peg board placed in between the vertical upright posts. The shelves are mounted directed to the upright posts. U.S. Pat. No. 3,294,351 similarly discloses a shelf mounted directly to upright posts. U.S. Pat. No. 6,315,258, however, utilizes the peg board to mount brackets, wherein the merchandise or shelves are mounted directly to the peg board.
Close review of these and other prior art references finds that the shelf or basket are always leveled with or held relatively even with the bracket. As such, the shelf or basket holding the merchandise cannot extend higher than the shelving structure that includes the vertical upright posts nor higher then the peg board. There is thus a large area of the shelving display above the uppermost shelf that is not been used in the industry. Since each additional shelf provides a greater display area that allows the merchant to sell more goods, it is extremely beneficial to increase the area. The invention should also be adaptable to fit into existing shelving displays without compromising the existing display area.


The present invention relates to a process for preparing alkylate comprising the subsequent steps (a), (b) and (c):    (a) an alkylation step, wherein in a reaction zone a hydrocarbon mixture comprising at least an isoparaffin and an olefin is reacted with an ionic liquid catalyst to obtain an effluent comprising alkylate and solids, which latter are formed as side products in the alkylation step;    (b) a separation step, wherein at least part of the alkylate-comprising effluent coming from the reaction zone is separated in a separator unit into a hydrocarbon-rich phase and an ionic liquid catalyst-rich phase which latter phase also comprises solids formed as side products during the alkylation reaction; and    (c) a solids removal step, wherein the solids in ionic liquid catalyst-rich phase are separated from the ionic liquid catalyst using a suitable separating device;    wherein the process further comprises a step following the separation step (b) and prior to the solids removal step (c).

There is an increasing demand for alkylate fuel blending feedstock. As a fuel-blending component alkylate combines a low vapour pressure, no sulfur, olefins or aromatics with high octane properties. The most desirable components in the alkylate are trimethylpentanes (TMPs), which have research octane numbers (RONs) of greater than 100. Such an alkylate component may be produced by reacting isobutane with a butene or a mixture of butenes in the presence of a suitable acidic catalyst, e.g. HF or sulfuric acid, although other catalysts such a solid acid catalyst have been reported. Recently, the alkylation of isoparaffins with olefins using an acidic ionic liquid catalyst has been proposed as an alternative to HF and sulfuric acid catalysed alkylation processes.
For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 7,285,698 discloses a process for manufacturing an alkylate oil, which uses a composite ionic liquid catalyst to react isobutane with a butene. In the process of U.S. Pat. No. 7,285,698, isobutane and a butene are supplied to a reactor and the alkylate is formed by contacting the reactants with a composite ionic liquid under alkylation conditions. The reactor effluent is separated and the ionic liquid phase is recycled to the reactor while the hydrocarbon phase is treated to retrieve the alkylate. However, during operation of such an ionic liquid alkylation process solids are formed. As the reaction progresses, these solids accumulate in the reaction zone and may lead to blockage of pathways and/or valves. In WO2011/015639 a process is described for removal of the solids formed during the ionic liquid alkylation process. According to that process, a solids-comprising effluent comprising hydrocarbons and acidic ionic liquid is withdrawn from the reaction zone and at least part of the solids-comprising effluent is treated to remove at least part of the solids to obtain a solids-depleted effluent. It has however been found that solids removal according to the process of WO2011/015639 is difficult because of high viscosity of the ionic liquid. Centrifugation of the solids-comprising effluent is therefore complex and is accompanied by high energy consumption. Filtration is not very practical because it is time consuming and requires high pressures. Finally, settling is even more time consuming and therefore not a desirable solution.

Process for preparing alkylate comprising an improved solids removal step


To allow any image to be viewed naturally and to determine a scene structure as close to a real object as possible, frame memories store therein three types of basic depth models indicating the depth values of three basic types of scene structures, one basic depth model for each scene structure. A composition ratio is determined according to the high frequency component estimation values or activity values of the luminance signal of a received non-3D image that are received from a top activity unit and a bottom activity unit and, based on the composition ratio, the three types of basic depth models are composed. The R signal of the non-3D image is superimposed on the composed basic depth model in an adder to produce final depth estimation data.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pseudo 3D image creation device, a pseudo 3D image creation method, and a pseudo 3D image display system. More particularly, the present invention relates to a pseudo 3D image creation device and a pseudo 3D image creation method for creating a pseudo 3D image from a regular still image or moving image, that is, an image (a non-3D image) having depth information supplied neither explicitly nor, unlike a stereo image, implicitly, and to a pseudo 3D image display system that displays a created pseudo 3D image.
2. Description of the Related Art
To allow a non-3D image to be viewed as a 3D image in a 3D display system, a pseudo 3D image is created from a regular still image or moving image, that is, an image (a non-3D image) having depth information supplied neither explicitly nor, unlike a stereo image, implicitly. In addition to making an image to be viewed as a 3D image, many approaches are now under research and investigation to estimate the three-dimensional structure of a scene from a two dimensional image for composing an image or carrying out virtual viewpoint movement (for example, see Y. Horry, K. Anjyo, K. Arai: "Tour Into the Picture: Using a Spidery Mesh Interface to Make Animation from a Single Image", SIGGRAPH' 97 Proceedings, pp. 225–232 (1997)). The method called "Tour Into the Picture" described in this document allows the user to remove foreground objects from a photographed image, to specify a vanishing point in the perspective and, based on the specified vanishing point, to estimate the general configuration of a scene for carrying out viewpoint movement.
In contrast to the "Tour Into the Picture" described above in which the depth structure has a tube-like shape whose cross section is a rectangle, a pseudo 3D image creation device and a pseudo 3D image creation method using a perspective-based approach, in which the depth structure has a tube shape whose cross section is a border line according to the depth, are also conventionally known (for example, see Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. Hei9(1997)-185712). According to the invention described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. Hei9(1997)-185712, border line distance information is added to mesh image data to produce three-dimensional polygon 3D data and, by applying color image data, obtained from photograph images, to this three-dimensional polygon 3D data, the three-dimensional polygon 3D object composed of the three-dimensional polygon 3D data is rendered such that the color image data is pasted on the inside of the three-dimensional polygon 3D object, thereby to produce three-dimensional image data.
As a classical way to convert a two-dimensional image to a three-dimensional image, the so-called "shape from motion" is known (for example, see C. Tomasi and T. Kanada: "Shape and Motion from Image Streams under Orthography: A Factorization Method", Int. Journal of Computer Vision. Vo). As its name implies, this method estimates a depth from motion information and configures a 3D image using the motion information on a moving image. However, because it is difficult to automatically estimate a reliable depth without editing and only from the motion, a pseudo 3D image creation device and a pseudo 3D image creation method for making this editing easy are also known (for example, see Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. Hei7(1997)-222201). Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. Hei7(1997)-222201 discloses a conversion method for converting a two-dimensional image to a three-dimensional image. According to this method, an original two-dimensional image is divided into a plurality of scenes and then, depending upon whether each scene is to be used directly as a two-dimensional image or to be converted to a three-dimensional image, the conversion ratio of a three-dimensional image, which will be generated from the two-dimensional image, to the two-dimensional image is adjusted.
However, there are problems with the conventional pseudo 3D image creation devices and the pseudo 3D image creation methods described above in that it is difficult to automatically determine a vanishing point for various images, in that perspective structure estimation is not always suitable for all received scenes, and in that, even if perspective structure estimation is suitable, it is difficult to automatically compose a correct depth structure model for making the image to be viewed naturally as a 3D object.
Another problem with the method ("shape from motion") described in C. Tomasi and T. Kanada: "Shape and Motion from Image Streams under Orthography: A Factorization Method", Int. Journal of Computer Vision. Vo is that it is difficult to automatically estimate the depth reliably as described above and, fundamentally, creating a 3D object is impossible for a still image or a relatively-stopped part. In addition, it is difficult to perform processing, which involves motion estimation, at a high speed and this problem tends to prevent an image from being processed in real time.

Pseudo 3D image creation device, pseudo 3D image creation method, and pseudo 3D image display system


A system and method for performance monitoring of transactions which involve an application which normally operates in exception response mode. A network performance monitor sets information in memory regarding applications and resources for which performance data is sought. The applications are modified so that they check the appropriate locations in memory during the processing for each transaction to check whether the mode should be switched to definite response mode for that transaction. If so, the application switches to definite response mode, thereby causing a definite response path information unit to be sent by the resource following the resource's reception of the outbound path information unit from the application. The network performance monitor monitors the passage of these messages through a communication access means which operates the network. The network performance monitor uses the passage time of each message to obtain performance time for the given transaction relative to the given resource and at the application. Following the completion of each transaction, the application can return to exception response mode so that the definite response message will only be sent from the resource when performance monitoring is occurring, thereby reducing network overhead.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system and a method for obtaining response times for exception response applications. More particularly, the present invention relates to a system and a method by which a network performance monitor is able to collect response times for transactions on a network which involve an exception response application without creating protocol violations in the network.
2. Description of the Related Art
Today, networks are commonplace tools which are employed to permit users of the network to access to a wide variety of information and computer resources. Commonly, a powerful computer, such as a mainframe, lies at the heart of a network. A communication access means (CAM), such as VTAM, which is a trademark of the IBM Corporation, is employed to operate the network. The CAM harnesses the power of the mainframe for multiple users, and the CAM permits each user to access the resources associated with the mainframe, such as terminals, printers, applications running on the mainframe and numerous other peripheral devices.
Networks can be employed in many different environments. Accordingly, the needs and requirements of users, owners or operators of each given network may be quite different. In this regard, a need developed to modify each CAM to meet the needs of the users of the particular network. In response to this need, network performance monitors (NPMs) were introduced to monitor the performance of CAMs in order to provide a means for determining whether the CAM is controlling the network in a manner which is most expedient for the users, as determined by the users. NPMs obtain transit time and volume statistics from CAMs for given resources and/or applications associated with the CAM and process this data to provide performance data, which is used for many purposes. For example, a CAM operator may use the performance data to modify the CAM so as to better serve the requirements of the users. Based on this data, the operator can speed up certain functions, change priorities, provide more equitable access to certain resources, etc.
However, one major drawback to the use of NPMs is that CAMs and applications and resources were not designed with NPMs in mind. NPMs were designed, therefore, to tap into CAMs in order to obtain statistics which can be processed to obtain appropriate data regarding the operation of the CAM and the interaction between the computer, the applications, the users (terminals) and the various resources of the network. For example, when a user at a terminal is using a CAM to access and run an application on the network, the total time or operator time involved is calculated by an NPM by summing host and network times for a given transaction involving the terminal and the application. However, this technique does not readily work when an application is running in exception response mode. The technique works effectively when the application is running in definite response mode. When in definite response mode, a user at a terminal initiates a transaction by sending a request or message (an inbound request path information unit or inbound PIU) to the application (via the CAM). The application processes the request and responds by sending a message (outbound PIU) to the terminal (via the CAM). The terminal notes its reception of the message by sending an appropriate message (inbound definite response PIU) to the application (via the CAM). The passage of each message through the CAM is detected and data associated therewith noted by the NPM. The NPM then processes the data to calculate response times including the host time, which is the time between the passage of the first and second messages, and the network time, which is the time between the passage of the second and third messages.
However, the sending of the definite response PIU adds no additional transfer of real data when the second message was received without error by the terminal, which occurs most of the time. Further, the sending of this third message means that about 33% more CAM, bus, and network time is used than would be used if just the first two messages were sent. On busy networks, use of the third message tends to slow the network significantly. Accordingly, applications were developed that run in what is known as exception response mode. In exception response mode, a third message from the terminal back to the application is sent only if a problem exists with the second message as received by the terminal from the application. However, when an NPM is gathering statistics for a transaction and an application running in exception response mode is involved in the transaction, the NPM is unable to obtain the data necessary to calculate the network time and thus the operator time.
To date, NPMs have attempted to resolve the problem caused by the lack of a third message for transactions processed by exception response mode applications by creating a third message in the network itself. Typically, the NPM intercepts the second message in the CAM and alters the second message so that it appears to the terminal that the application is running in definite response mode. Accordingly, the terminal generates and sends the third message. The NPM then intercepts the third message in the CAM, records the time it was received (and any other desired data) and discards the third message within the CAM before it reaches the application. However, significant problems exist with this technique. A significant percentage of these changes result in the protocol violation in the network which causes a session between the application and the user whose session is being monitored to hang or drop entirely. These protocol violations occur when, for example, the NPM loses track of which PIU was altered. Thus, the created PIU will not be intercepted and discarded, and, when such a PIU is received by an application in exception response mode, a protocol violation occurs. Further, it is not uncommon for the NPM to alter the wrong PIU or intercept and discard the wrong PIU, both of which will also result in protocol violations. Additionally, even on networks, the time it takes for a message to travel may not be insignificant, particularly if satellites are used to send messages. And, it is not uncommon for the application to send out a number of outbound PIUs over a short period of time. However, if a second outbound PIU is sent over the network prior to the created inbound definite response PIU being received and discarded by the network, a protocol violation occurs. Protocol violations can also result for a number of other reasons when the above technique is employed.
This technique also involves the use of table look-ups. When a PIU is detected in the CAM by the NPM, the PIU and thus the session are interrupted until the PIU header can be read and a determination made as to whether or not the PIU should be intercepted and deleted or whether a new table entry should be created based on the source or destination of the PIU. Since this process involves looking through relatively large tables, throughput speeds and thus response times are subject to being significantly slowed.
For some users, the slower speeds and the occasionally lost sessions are merely annoyances. However, for other users, such as those in financial or military fields, the loss of an individual session may not be tolerable.

System and method for collecting response times for exception response applications

International Business Machines Corporation


Base stations of a communication system belong to a sub-network, which is connected to the Internet by way of a gateway. Base stations of another communication system belong to sub-network, which is connected to the Internet by way of another gateway. A mobile terminal communicates with a server by using one of the communication systems. In this case, the mobile terminal includes mobile station network interfaces which can access to the communication systems, and is designed to switch communication systems by means of a communication system switching unit.

The present invention relates to a plurality of different wireless communication systems and a mobile terminal therefor capable of switching communication systems.
Conventional wireless communication systems, which control the data delivery route, i.e., routing, for moving users are disclosed in JP-A No. 2000-183974 and No. 2000-183975. These systems are designed to group several base stations into one domain and control routing by using the technique of mobile IP for access between different domains. These systems can perform the routing efficiently within a domain and between the domains. However, the base stations are part of a single communication system, and existing techniques do not address the case of data delivery routing among different communication systems.
Currently available digital cellular systems provide data communication as well as voice communication. To better meet the demands of data communication, higher rate transmission is under study.
The trend of wireless high-speed data communication is for each communication cell to handle higher bandwidth data transmissions using a proportionately wider radio frequency bandwidth for transmission at higher data rates, and the inevitable use of higher radio carrier frequencies results in a shorter radio signal range. Consequently, the cell size becomes smaller. These high-speed data communication systems will coexist with existing wireless communication systems. Specifically, there will coexist communication systems that are high in speed but short range in service area and allocated in a spot-wise fashion. Other communication systems which are low in speed but wider in range are allocated in overlapping, wide-area coverage fashion.

Wireless communication system having communication system switching function


In one embodiment an apparatus includes a temperature sensor to perform a multiplicity of junction temperature measurements for a component in a platform, a controller comprising logic at least a portion of which is in hardware. The logic may receive from the temperature sensor the multiplicity of junction temperature measurements and may instruct the component to perform a first power down action of the component when a junction temperature measurement exceeds a first threshold, and may instruct the component to perform a second power down action of the component when an average junction temperature based on the multiplicity of junction temperature measurements exceeds a second threshold. Other embodiments are disclosed and claimed.

In present day computing and communications small form factor systems or platforms are enjoying increased popularity, including tablet devices, ultrabook computers, and other portable devices. Due in part to their small size, power in these systems (also referred to herein as "devices") may typically be limited by the so-called skin temperature or chassis skin temperature of the system, such as the housing surface of a tablet device. Accordingly, the temperature limit for operating a semiconductor chip such as a general processor (CPU) within a small form factor system, which is also referred to as the maximum "junction temperature," may not be a limiting factor during normal system operation. For example in typical portable devices in the ultrabook or tablet category, the maximum chassis skin temperature may be in the range of 40° C. or so while the maximum steady state junction temperature may be specified at 100° C.
A major benefit of some modern architectures that have large size of processor core components such as four or eight processor cores, is the ability to rapidly and on-demand boost processor and system performance. Such "turbo burst" capability allows a CPU and/or graphics processor unit (GPU) to burst to very high power for short periods of time, delivering a responsive system with enhanced user experience. Because the junction temperature time constants are much faster than those of the whole system the CPU/GPU junction temperature (also referred to herein generally as "TJ"), can in principle reach a TJ of 100° C. without violating the system skin temperature limit, which may specify a much lower temperature, as noted. However, controlling the CPU junction temperature to its steady state may significantly degrade the benefit provided by so-called turbo operation. On the other hand, some schemes that may permit a relatively higher Tj for operating CPU or GPU components require skin temperature sensors, relays and other components. This, however, adds to manufacturing complexity by creating a need to design CPU specifications based upon external devices such as controllers.
Accordingly, there may be a need for improved techniques and apparatus to solve these and other problems.

Techniques and system for managing platform temperature


Disclosed is a method and an apparatus a zero-knowledge proof and an electronic device. That method comprise the following steps: selecting a data processing relationship, and processing private data and public data to obtain a calculation result; respectively committing the private data and the calculation result according to a commitment parameter to obtain a first commitment value and a second commitment value, wherein the commitment parameter is generated by a trusted third party; generating a non-interactive zero-knowledge proof according to the data processing relationship; wherein the commitment parameter, the first commitment value and the second commitment value are used by a verifier to verify the non-interactive zero-knowledge proof. The present disclosure solves the technical problem that bilinear pairing cannot be used in the scenario where bilinear pairing cannot be used in related technologies.

Zero-knowledge proof is a proof solution that can make the verifier believe that a statement is true without revealing any additional information. Since the concept of zero-knowledge proof was put forward in 1980s, zero-knowledge proof has gradually become an important cryptographic tool and has been widely used. In 1988, the concept of non-interactive zero-knowledge proof was formally put forward, and the present disclosure scope of zero-knowledge proof was further broadened. Compared with interactive proof, non-interactive zero-knowledge proof solution has better properties: (1) better scalability: the interactive zero-knowledge proof solution only supports a pair of provers and verifiers, while the non-interactive zero-knowledge proof solution can support one prover and multiple verifiers; (2) better ease of use: the interactive zero-knowledge proof system requires both the certifier and the verifier to be online at the same time, while the interactive zero-knowledge proof solution allows the certifier to send the proof when the verifier is offline, and then makes verification when the verifier is online; (3) inconsistent initialization conditions: the non-interactive zero-knowledge proof system must have a third party (i.e. Setup) to complete the initialization, such as generating public parameters, but this condition is not necessary in the interactive zero-knowledge proof solution. Therefore, the non-interactive zero-knowledge proof is more widely used in various cryptographic tasks.
It is an important application to apply zero-knowledge proof to private data processing. In today's business environment, data is a major driving force for enterprise development. However, data is mobile and replicable, and can be copied in large quantities in a very short time. Therefore, all kinds of subjects in business activities have very high requirements for the privacy and security of data processing. At present, in view of the challenge of privacy protection data processing, researchers have proposed solutions such as trusted computing and full encryption of data, but there are obvious application bottlenecks. In 2020, in the Full Analysis Report of 3D Zero-knowledge Algorithm published by OneConnect Financial Technology Co. Ltd., a data processing method based on Schnorr Zero-knowledge Proof Protocol was proposed, which can verify the simple four operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division and the size relationship in the state of data ciphertext.
In the process of implementing the present disclosure, the inventor found that there are at least the following problems in the prior art: bilinear pairing is needed to verify multiplication and division operations, which means that this solution has limitations in practical applications, and it is not applicable in situations where bilinear pairing cannot be used; meanwhile, the computational cost of bilinear pairing is large, which means that the performance of this solution has a large room for improvement.

Zero-knowledge proof method and electronic device


A repair line for repairing a closure defect in a metal tube containing at least one transmission optical fiber which includes a repair station having a tube conditioning system for bending and tensioning a portion of the tube including the defect and a laser for welding point by point along the defect with the minimum heat input at each point.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns a method and line for repairing a closure fault of a metal tube containing at least one transmission optical fiber.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Transmission optical fibers, especially in a submarine optical fiber cable, are contained in one or more metal (for example steel) tubes providing sealed mechanical protection around the fibers within the structure of the cable.
The operation of inserting an optical fiber into a metal tube is known in itself and is described in document EP-A-0 299 123, for example. It is carried out continuously on a fiber insertion line. It consists in deforming a flat metal strip into the shape of a longitudinally open tube, guiding the fiber into the open tube and closing the tube lengthwise by laser welding the edges of the opening. An auxiliary tube enters the open metal tube and extends within the latter beyond the laser. It introduces and guides the fiber into the metal tube.
This operation is usually followed by a check on correct closure of the metal tube to achieve the required protection of the fiber. This detects any closure defects along the tube and memorizes their position, so that the defects can be repaired later.
A closure defect in the tube can be repaired by fitting an external sleeve to the defective area. This leads to a localized increase in the overall size of the repaired tube, which is often incompatible with its use, especially Within the structure of a submarine cable.
A repair can instead be effected by cutting the metal tube and the fiber on either side of the defective area, which is removed, and then making a joint.
Document U.S. Pat. No. 5,076,657 describes a joint of this kind, which does not cause any increase in the overall size of the tube at the location of the joint. The joint is made using a sleeve to protect the ends of the cut fiber, which are welded together, and to re-establish the continuity of the cut tube. The sleeve is welded to the end parts to be joined of this tube and its diameter is made the same as the outside diameter of the tube by mechanical means. The joint can instead be made with no sleeve, by reducing the outside diameter of one of the end parts of the cut tube, inserting this end part into the other end part of the cut tube and welding them together. In a joint of this kind the inside dimensions of the repaired tube are reduced where the two cut end parts overlap.
These prior art repair methods are time-consuming and difficult. They entail the risk of damage to the interior fiber. Also, the same metal tube often contains a plurality of transmission optical fibers, which makes repairing the metal tube closure defect even longer and more difficult
An object of the present invention is to avoid the above-mentioned disadvantages, to carry out the repair quickly, easily and reliably, without modifying the outside and/or inside dimensions of the tube, and with the minimum risk of deterioration of the transmission characteristics of the fiber or fibers inside the tube.

Laser welding line for repairing a closure fault of a metal tube containing at least one transmission optical fiber


A special bridge device provides a level of isolation between two independent but compatible bus environments such that only addresses and transactions directed to the other environment are passed through, together with associated data and control information. The device includes address and transaction remapping between the two environments.. During an initialization phase, this device presents itself to the host system as a simple bus device. In one preferred embodiment, the special bridge presents itself as a mass storage or memory device. The host computer performs the minimal setup for such a device. During initialization of the second bus environment, the special bridge device again presents itself only as a simple device, and preferably is not presented as a bus device to the second system at all.. During system operation, the special bus device passes selected addresses, transactions, and data between the two bus environments but in general allows each bus environment to operate independently of the other.

It is quite common for a system to be designed to include a microprocessor connected directly or indirectly to a bus for auxiliary cards. Typical examples include NuBus devices connected to Motorola 68 k or Motorola or IBM PowerPC microprocessors and ISA bus devices connected to Intel or other x86 microprocessors. Such devices have been used in personal computers since at least about 1983. Recent computers have made increasing use of the PCI bus in combination with a number of different microprocessors. Millions of computers are made each year using the PCI bus.
Design of PCI-based computer systems is described in many documents including, for example, the PCI Local Bus 2.1 specification, PCI Special Interest Group, Jun. 1, 1995 (PO Box 14070, Portland OR 97214). Representative designs and techniques are well known in the art.
By far and away, the most common architecture of a PCI computer system uses a single microprocessor connected to a memory controller and memory and to one or more PCI bridge devices. Each PCI bridge device is typically connected to a local PCI bus with a plurality of PCI slots, often three or more. Devices in these slots can communicate between themselves on the local PCI bus and can communicate with main memory and/or with the microprocessor and other system functions through the PCI bridge chip. System I/O devices such as keyboard, monitor, and disk storage may be connected variously on the processor side or on the PCI side of the bridge chip. Communication between a first PCI device on a first PCI local bus and a second PCI device on a second PCI local bus, not directly connected to the first, can be managed through each bus's respective bridge chips. PCI buses can be arranged in hierarchies as well by inserting a PCI to PCI bridge chip on a first PCI local bus to provide a branch or leaf PCI bus as an adjunct to the first PCI local bus. Such architectures and the manufacture of appropriate bridge chips are well understood in the art.
Part of the initialization sequence of a PCI-based computer involves testing each PCI device installed in the system and allocating a certain address space. Any device in the system that has need to communicate with a given PCI device need only direct instructions to the address space for that device. The initialization sequence is described in more detail in the PCI specification, esp. Chapter 6.
Some systems have been designed with multiple microprocessors. Examples include the Macintosh 9500/180 MP, with two PowerPC processors from Apple Computer (Cupertino, Calif.), and similar offerings from Daystar (Atlanta, Ga.) and Umax (Taiwan). Computers with multiple x86, particularly Pentium Pro, microprocessors are available from other vendors. Taking for example the Apple 9500/180 MP, each of the two microprocessors are connected to have access to the system bus and main memory. Any interaction between either microprocessor and a PCI device must flow through the system bus and an appropriate PCI bridge, and PCI local bus.
Another, much less common, design using multiprocessors is to provide a coprocessor of some sort. While special purpose chips such as DSP or special rendering engines are often included as coprocessors, such devices or usually designed into the main architecture of the computer system or included as cards that can be inserted into the bus, e.g. as a PCI device, and share access with the computer system as would any other PCI device.
Still less common are devices which include a separate microprocessor, to some extent independent of the primary microprocessor. A common form of such a device is a sub-computer, often built on a single card, which includes a microprocessor, memory control, I/O control and bus control as appropriate for the card-microprocessor such that the card-microprocessor is able to function essentially independently of the primary system microprocessor. For example, Apple Computer, Cupertino, Calif., has sold a "DOS Compatibility Card" since about 1994, a card including an x86 or compatible microprocessor and sufficient support chips to allow the x86 to function in a system which is built around a Motorola 680x0 or a PowerPC microprocessor. Early cards were designed to connect to the main system bus with a variety of schemes to share certain system elements, such as keyboard, mouse, display, storage devices and to some extent main memory.
Apple's newest PC Compatibility Cards are built as PCI card devices, to plug into a PCI slot and to interact with primary system resources and, to the extent needed, the main processor, through PCI protocols. However, the PC side of the card has its own PCI bus. This leads to an interesting problem in initializing the overall computer system. When the PowerPC side initializes, each PCI device is examined so appropriate memory spaced can be allocated. When the PC side initializes, it needs to do exactly the same thing. It is preferred that no memory addresses be assigned in these various PCI buses which are in conflict with each other. However, it is undesirable to allow the host computer, the PowerPC in this embodiment, to assign addresses in the PC device's local PCI environment, particularly since the PC will try to initialize its own local PCI environment and assign its own addresses. At a minimum this is likely to require reallocation of at least some PCI addresses. At worst, this could cause some significant system thrashing as the two microprocessors try to arbitrate an addressing scheme, and could even cause the system to hang or freeze.
There is a need for some way to bring up multiple PCI environments within a single system without unnecessary steps in the boot process. This has been provided with the method and apparatus of this invention.

Method and apparatus for providing a PCI bridge between multiple PCI environments


A prosthetic heart valve replacement system and method aim to reduce the time duration of the patient on the heart-lung machine during surgery. In one embodiment, the invention uses a two rings (e.g., of Titanium) comprising a first outer anchoring ring installed in a first step in the patient annulus, e.g., by stapling (e.g., using Nitinol® staples), and a second inner valve ring which has apertures and to which the sewing cuff of prosthetic heart valve (e.g., of Dacron) is sutured around the sewing cuff. The suturing is expediently completed outside of the patient's body, parallel with the stapling of the anchoring ring in the patient annulus. The inner valve ring may have circumferential resiliency. The inner valve ring along with the fastened/sutured prosthetic valve is installed snugly (in a second step) to be captively retained concentrically within the already installed outer anchoring ring, to complete the heart valve replacement.

Heart valve replacement surgeries are very commonly performed all over the world, and presently, at least 90,000 heart valve replacements are performed each year in the United States alone, and more than 500,000 are performed all across the globe. Current surgical heart valve implantation is a highly skilled surgical procedure and invariably takes prolonged time duration. During this procedure the patient is on cardiopulmonary bypass and is subjected to the adverse effects of such prolonged bypass time.
Presently, during heart valve replacements, trauma to blood on the heart lung machine is known to lead to various bleeding complications and also end organ failure. Minimizing the cardio pulmonary bypass time is the main objective of seeking new advances in heart valve implantation procedures. The minimized bypass time should improve clinical outcomes greatly and decrease overall patient mortality.
Ever since the heart lung machine was invented in 1953, various cardiac surgical procedures have been performed, and Hufnagal implanted the first mechanical prosthesis in a descending thoracic aorta to inaugurate the concept of prosthetic valve implantation. The prior art technique of implanting a prosthetic valve (having a Dacron® sewing ring) on the valve annulus basically involved applying a multiplicity of Teflon-pledgeted sutures sequentially around the aortic (or mitral) annulus and passing a plurality of needles (two for each suture) through the Dacron® sewing ring of the prosthetic valve and tying the knots in place to secure the prosthetic valve to the patient's annulus for implantation.
Implantation of sutureless valves using staples only, has been attempted in the past, and, Magovern-Cromie sutureless valves were implanted in 1963. Both Mitral and Aortic prosthetic sutureless valves were clinically implanted with varying results and success. In such installations however, perivalvular leaks were reportedly a problem along with heart blocks.
There are examples of heart valve replacement tools and procedures with differing results and practical limitations. U.S. Pat. No. 5,984,959 to Robertson et al teaches an expandable heart valve installation assembly and an expandable ring installation assembly. U.S. Pat. No. 6,096,074 to Pedros teaches a stapling apparatus and method for heart valve replacement wherein a plurality of staples having sutures attached thereto, are discharged from a surgical stapler into the heart. U.S. Pat. No. 6,203,553 B1 to Robertson et al teaches a stapling apparatus having a first cylindrical portion, and a second concentric cylindrical portion with a camming arm configured to cam a staple assembly outwards in a radial direction. U.S. Pat. No. 6,676,671 B2 to Robertson et al teaches a stapling apparatus with a first cylindrical portion having a cam, a concentric second cylindrical portion and a third cylindrical portion concentric about the second cylindrical portion and having an anvil flange. The heart valve stapling arrangements known hitherto have disadvantages in terms of exposing the patient to prolonged durations on the heart-lung machine during the valve replacement.
There is therefore a need for a system and method for heart valve replacement obviating the disadvantages of prior art and reducing the cardio pulmonary bypass time for the patient.

System and method for heart valve replacement


An object-oriented image representation apparatus using irregular meshes includes an object image extractor for extracting image blocks containing an object contained in a whole image from the whole image represented by received image data. A regular mesh former generates rectangular mesh data including fixed control points, floating control points and pixel data from the extracted object image. The fixed control points and the floating control points are vertex points belonging to an object image among vertex points of a plurality of the rectangular meshes which divide the whole image, and the fixed control points are vertex points located at the corners of the object image. An irregular mesh former receives the rectangular mesh data and repeats an operation for removing the floating control point having image descriptiveness of the lowest degree and an operation for dividing a region of support from which the floating control point is removed into polygonal meshes, until the number of the remaining floating control points reaches a predetermined threshold value.

The present invention relates to an object-oriented image representation method and apparatus using irregular meshes, and more particularly, to a method for representing an object contained in an image using an irregular mesh and an apparatus thereof.
An international standardization endeavor with respect to a moving image compression technology, such as an MPEG IV (Moving Picture Experts Group), for coding a moving image at a low bit rate for the purpose of application in a videophone or a video conference system, is in progress. To encode a moving image at a very low bit rate, various object-oriented motion image coding methods, each of which encodes a significant object in the motion image and transmits the encoded result, are widely under study. Also, to accomplish a motion compensation for removing a temporal correlation of a motion image, certain motion compensation methods are being widely studied. According to these motion compensation methods a spatial transformation, such as an image warping capable of more effectively representing an actual movement of an object, is applied to an image represented in the form of a mesh.
In the image representation, it can be seen that an irregular mesh can reflect the local features of an image very well and can represent the image features well using only a small number of control points.

Object-oriented image representation method and apparatus using irregular meshes


A surveillance system includes an infrared sensor system coupled to output an infrared signal in response to receiving infrared light, and an audio recording system coupled to output an audio signal in response to recording sound. An image sensor is system coupled to output an image signal in response to receiving image light. A controller is coupled to the infrared sensor system, the audio recording system, and the image sensor system. The controller includes logic that when executed by the controller causes the surveillance system to perform operations including receiving the infrared signal from the infrared sensor system, activating the audio recording system to record the sound, and activating the image sensor system to output the image signal.

Cameras for the home and business are becoming popular consumer products. Cameras may be a cost-effective way to have a surveillance system at a relatively low price.
Existing camera systems may suffer from undesirable technological shortcomings. Some camera systems may turn on to record insignificant events based on false positives or the like. For example, motion activated cameras may turn on when there is no person or thing moving. This may cause the camera system to waste power.
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding components throughout the several views of the drawings. Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of various embodiments of the present invention. Also, common but well-understood elements that are useful or necessary in a commercially feasible embodiment are often not depicted in order to facilitate a less obstructed view of these various embodiments of the present invention.

Reducing false alarms in surveillance systems


A database having information which the consumer desires to know, a database containing attributes of the consumer, and a database of advertising messages that an interactive voice response system can deliver to a the consumer are made responsive to telephone calls placed to an interactive voice response (IVR) system. The database of consumer attributes contains information that is already known about the consumer that can be used to decide on which advertising message to play. The consumer initiates activity by calling the interactive voice response system. Software identifies the consumer via the consumer inputted identification and plays an advertising message that, preferably, has been predetermined to have likely appeal to the consumer. The interactive voice response system is then used to disseminate the information sought by the customer (such as student grades) after first disseminating the advertising message. The advertising message can include an offer to purchase a product or service. The offer can be taken during the advertising period and recorded so as to be sent to a sponsor.

Interactive voice response (IVR) systems are answering machines that can interact with a caller and provide information 24 hours a day. Interactive voice response systems have found particular favor with large corporations that engage in large numbers of telephone transactions that involve disseminating essentially the same types of information to each caller. These systems can be updated frequently and automatically.
The technology employed by interactive voice response systems is often not economical for small institutions that do not maintain a high volume of telephone calls seeking a particular type of information. One example is a school or a university that seeks to use interactive voice response systems to report grades to their students. Reporting grades by telephone is extremely convenient for students. Students usually leave their campus at the end of each semester or quarter as quickly as possible--and often before professors have graded their final exams and reported them to their respective schools and universities. Telephone grade reporting allows students to know their grades without having to physically review posted grade sheets at the university or to wait, perhaps for months, for the university to mail the grades.
A problem that schools and universities encounter in using interactive voice response systems is how infrequently they are used intensively. Students need to find their grades by telephone only at the end of a quarter or semester. This message traffic can be quite heavy, but only for a few weeks of the year, schools and universities make no other use of their interactive voice response systems. The interactive voice response system still must be robust enough to support a high volume of phone calls. The equipment required to be purchased by a school or university to conduct grade reporting using interactive voice response system is therefore high. Furthermore, the interactive voice response industry is prone to rapid technological improvements such that interactive voice response systems quickly become obsolete.
Considerable economies of scale can be realized by combining the grade reporting requirements of several schools using a single set of interactive voice response equipment. However, different schools and universities often have automated grade reporting systems that are incompatible with each other as well as with interactive voice response systems. This system incompatibility presents a major problem in realizing significant economies of each scale since different schools and universities cannot share the use of the same interactive voice response equipment without extensive and expensive modifications.
It is known that the ability to target particular advertisements and offers to those consumers who are most apt to be interested in receiving such messages have great value to advertisers and marketers. Advertisers and marketers are often willing to pay a premium to reach consumers with advertisements and offers that are directed to their individual anticipated needs and interests. Direct advertisers and marketers have learned that consumers share particular attributes and often have comparable needs and interests based on certain demographic variables. Even more important, advertisers and marketers are willing to pay to have their offers and advertisements directed to the individuals who are most receptive.
It is a part of the present invention to recognize that the well known predispositions of advertisers and marketers to pay for well directed advertisements and offers can be used to offset the costs associated with providing interactive voice response systems to institutions, such as schools and universities, who use such systems intensively but infrequently. The advertisements and offers from multiple sponsors can be pooled at a common ADs server. Likewise, grades from a number of different schools can be mapped into a common format that is suitable for use by interactive voice response equipment. In addition to grades, other demographic and sociological indications (collectively herein referred to as "attributes") can be supplied in addition to the grades. These student attributes can then be utilized to direct advertisements and offers to particular students. The advertising and offering process can be enhanced over time by using information derived from some students to enhance the advertisements and offers played to later students.
Further economies of scale can be realized by employing a single set of interactive voice response systems which can then be recycled among a number of different schools. In this way, individual schools are freed of the necessity to purchase their own interactive voice response equipment while advertisers and marketers are permitted access to the tastes and interests of individual students. Hence, schools, universities, and even individuals can offer interactive voice response technology where such offerings previously would not have been economically feasible.
One advantage of interactive voice response systems is that they can deliver information that consumers desire at any time and at low cost. Reporting course grades to students is only one example of the capability of the technology; each student desiring to know his or her grades for a semester can call a toll-free number that is connected to the interactive voice response system. Utilizing passwords or other forms of identification, the information can be delivered to a particular student quickly and with confidentiality. Students appreciate the ability to learn their grades from a remote location in advance of a formal grade report. Students and other consumers often do not object to having advertisers and marketers pay the cost of being able to access their grades. Indeed, students often enjoy the often creative advertisements and offers for products and services. Other forms of information dissemination in addition to grade reporting are also possible.
The ability to target particular advertisements and offers to those consumers who are apt to be interested in the messages has great value to advertisers and marketers. Advertisers and marketers are often willing to pay a premium to reach these consumers with advertisements and offers that are directed to their anticipated needs and interests. Direct advertisers and marketers have learned that consumers that share particular attributes often have comparable needs and interests. Even more important, interactive voice response equipment allows advertisers and marketers to adapt their messages to consumers. The revenue that these advertisers and marketers can be expected to be willing to pay could be used to offset the cost of disseminating information.
There is a need in the art to establish a way to direct advertising (the spoken word) and offers (the taking of orders) (herein collectively referred to as "advertising messages") to consumers using interactive voice response systems to particular target markets e.g., those individuals who are or are most likely to be most receptive to the information. There is also a need for a way to defer the expenses associated with interactive voice response systems. Among the objectives of the present invention are to solve these two problems. It is a further objective of the present invention to solve these problems together. It is also an objective of the present invention to start with a database of information about various consumer characteristics, demographic and other characteristics and to direct advertising messages to these consumers based on these known attributes. The present invention also rewards vendors of goods or services for disseminating information, while allowing these vendors to direct their advertisements to those consumers whom they believe are most apt to have an interest in their products or services. It is also an objective of the present invention to convey information and advertising messages to consumers based on information that is already known about the consumer.
The present invention achieves these objectives, and others, by applying a database having information which the consumer desires to know, a database containing attributes of the consumer, and a database of advertisements that an interactive voice response system can deliver to a the consumer. The database of consumer attributes can contain information that is already known about the consumer. The consumer initiates activity by calling the interactive voice response system. Software identifies the consumer via the consumer inputted identification and plays an advertising message that, preferably, has been predetermined to have likely appeal to the consumer. The interactive voice response system is then used to disseminate the information sought by the customer (such as student grades) after first disseminating the advertising message.
The present invention has the particular advantage of individuals, schools and universities to disseminate grade information using interactive voice response technology which otherwise may be too expensive to maintain. Advertisers and marketers wanting to target advertising messages to the consumer using the interactive voice response system pay part or all of the cost of reporting the student's grades. The ability of advertisers and marketers to better direct advertisements to those customers who are most interested in the product or service being sold has great value to advertisers and marketers. Similarly consumers benefit because they perceive value in receiving advertisements or offers for the products or services which they may reasonably be expected to have an interest in purchasing. And consumers can avoid the advertising messages entirely simply by not calling.
One particularly efficient application of the present invention is in distributing grade reports to students. Students generally want to know their grades promptly at the end of every semester. Universities have the problems and costs associated with getting this information to students. Interactive voice response systems are a natural vehicle for disseminating grade information. Universities know many attributes of their students that have value to advertisers and marketers. For example, a university will know the sex, age, year in school, major course of study, address and additional attributes. Advertisers and marketers can direct advertising messages to students based on these known attributes without knowing the true identity of the person. For example, a consumer electronics company can market to engineering majors only, by advertising the price or opportunity to order, a specialized engineering calculator. Also, female oriented products can be marketed to females only. Advertising revenues can be used to offset the price of disseminating the grade reports.
The features necessary to implement the present invention include a database of attributes of particular individuals. Attributes can be supplied by the schools and mapped into a database so that the identity, and privacy, of the student is never known to an individual advertiser. The consumer can be assigned a password or similar identification which identifies his or her attributes. The consumers attributes, however derived, must then be used to quickly and accurately select an advertisement of interest to the individual consumer. The sorting process needs to be flexible so as to accommodate the different interests of particular advertisers and marketers fast enough that consumers are not annoyed by any delay. One way of achieving this objective is to determine in advance of a call which advertising message to play, and in what order to play multiple messages, based on the consumer's known attributes.
It is advantageous to maintain a record of the attributes of consumers who access a particular database so that advertisers and marketers have assurance that their advertising messages are being targeted to those consumers who are most apt to have an interest in the particular goods or services. It is also advantageous to record how many times a particular advertising message meets the desired target audience. These advantages are easily obtained with the present invention by maintaining a network between the interactive voice response equipment and a separate server that stores which advertising message to play and then transmits its instructions.
The foregoing objectives, features and advantages of the present invention, and others in addition, are illustrated below with the aid of the drawings and detailed description.

Sponsored information distribution method and apparatus


A chromatographic assay device for use with immunoassays allows rapid and convenient assays of analytes of biological interest, and permits extractions to be carried out in situ, avoiding the use of separate extraction vessels. The device has a wide dynamic range and avoids interference from particulates or colored components. In one form, the device comprises: (1) a first opposable component comprising a sample preparation zone adapted to receive a sample to be assayed; (2) a second opposable component comprising a chromatographic medium; and (3) a conductive barrier attached to the second opposable component. The first and second opposable components can be brought into opposition so as to cause the sample preparation zone to apply the sample to be tested to the chromatographic medium. Preferably, the analyte is detected with a visually detectable label. Other variations of the device vary the arrangement of components to provide optimal chromatography for a variety of analytes. The devices can be incorporated in test kits, and assay methods, particularly sandwich immunoassays, using the devices are also disclosed.

This invention is directed to test strips for determination of characteristics of samples, unitized housings, and kits incorporating the test strips, and methods of determining the characteristics of samples using the test strips.
Among the many analytical systems used for detection and/or determination of analytes, particularly analytes of biological interest, are chromatographic assay systems. Among the analytes frequently assayed with such systems are:
(1) hormones, such as human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), frequently assayed as a marker of human pregnancy;
(2) antigens, particularly antigens specific to bacterial, viral, and protozoan pathogens, such as Streptococcus, hepatitis virus, and Giardia;
(3) antibodies, particularly antibodies induced as a result of infection with pathogens, such as antibodies to the bacterium Helicobacter pylori and to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV);
(4) other proteins, such as hemoglobin, frequently assayed in determinations of fecal occult blood, an early indicator of gastrointestinal disorders such as colon cancer;
(5) enzymes, such as aspartate aminotransferase, lactate dehydrogenase, alkaline phosphatase, and glutamate dehydrogenase, frequently assayed as indicators of physiological function and tissue damage;
(6) drugs, both therapeutic drugs, such as antibiotics, tranquilizers and anticonvulsants, and illegal drugs of abuse, such as cocaine, heroin, and marijuana; and
(7) vitamins.
Such chromatographic systems are frequently used by physicians and medical technicians for rapid in-office diagnosis and therapeutic monitoring of a variety of conditions and disorders. They are also increasingly used by patients themselves for at-home monitoring of such conditions and disorders.
Among the most important of such systems are the "thin layer" systems in which a solvent moves across a thin, flat absorbent medium.
Among the most important of tests that can be performed with such thin layer systems are immunoassays, which depend on the specific interaction between an antigen or hapten and a corresponding antibody. The use of immunoassays as a means of testing for the presence and/or amount of clinically important molecules has been known for some time. As early as 1956, J. M. Singer reported the use of an immune-based latex agglutination test for detecting a factor associated with rheumatoid arthritis (Singer et al., Am. J. Med. 22:888-892 (1956)).
Among the chromatographic techniques used in conjunction with immunoassays is a procedure known as immunochromatography. In general, this technique uses a disclosing reagent or particle that has been linked to an antibody to the molecule to be assayed, forming a conjugate. This conjugate is then mixed with a specimen and, if the molecule to be assayed is present in the specimen, the disclosing reagent-linked antibodies bind to the molecule to be assayed, thereby giving an indication that the molecule to be assayed is present. The disclosing reagent or particle can be identifiable by color, magnetic properties, radioactivity, specific reactivity with another molecule, or another physical or chemical property. The specific reactions that are employed vary with the nature of the molecule being assayed and the sample to be tested.
Immunochromatographic assays fall into two principal categories: "sandwich" and "competitive," according to the nature of the antigen-antibody complex to be detected and the sequence of reactions required to produce that complex. In general, the sandwich immunochromatographic procedures call for mixing the sample that may contain the analyte to be assayed with antibodies to the analyte. These antibodies are mobile and typically are linked to a label or a disclosing reagent, such as dyed latex, a colloidal metal sol, or a radioisotope. This mixture is then applied to a chromatographic medium containing a band or zone. This band or zone contains immobilized antibodies to the analyte of interest. The chromatographic medium often is in the form of a strip resembling a dipstick. When the complex of the molecule to be assayed and the labeled antibody reaches the zone of the immobilized antibodies on the chromatographic medium, binding occurs and the bound labeled antibodies are localized at the zone. This indicates the presence of the molecule to be assayed. This technique can be used to obtain quantitative or semi-quantitative results.
Examples of sandwich immunoassays performed on test strips are described by U.S. Pat. No. 4,168,146 to Grubb et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 4,366,241 to Tom et al. both of which are incorporated herein by this reference.
In addition to immunochromatographic assays, it is also known to use enzyme-based chromatographic assays. These techniques are roughly analogous to immunochromatographic assays, but use an enzymatically catalyzed reaction instead of an antigen-antibody reaction. The enzymatically catalyzed reaction frequently generates a detectable product. Other analogous chromatographic assays are known.
Although useful, currently available chromatographic techniques using test strips have a number of drawbacks. Many samples, such as fecal samples, contain particulate matter that can clog the pores of the chromatographic medium, greatly hindering the immunochromatographic process. Other samples, such as blood, contain cells and colored components that make it difficult to read the test. Even if the sample does not create interference, it is frequently difficult with existing chromatographic test devices to apply the sample to the chromatographic medium so that the sample front moves uniformly through the chromatographic medium to insure that the sample reaches the area where binding is to occur in a uniform, straight-line manner.
Sample preparation and waste generation are responsible for other problems with currently available devices and techniques for immunochromatography. The increased prevalence of diseases spread by infected blood and blood fractions, such as AIDS and hepatitis, has exacerbated these problems. It is rarely possible to apply a sample (such as feces) or a sampling device (such as a throat swab) directly to the chromatographic medium. Several extraction and pretreatment reactions are usually required before the sample can be applied to the chromatographic medium. These reactions are typically carried out by the physician or technician performing the test in several small vessels, such as test tubes or microfuge tubes, requiring the use of transfer devices such as pipettes. Each of these devices is then contaminated and must be disposed of using special precautions so that workers or people who may inadvertently come into contact with the waste do not become contaminated.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved chromatographic device for the performance of immunochromatographic assays or other analogous assays. Such a device should be capable of receiving a possibly contaminated sample or a sample preparation device directly so as to eliminate the need for extraction vessels and transfer devices. Such a device, preferably in the form of a test strip, should also be capable of performing immunochromatographic assays on colored samples or samples containing particulates without interference and should be able to deliver the sample to the chromatographic medium uniformly and evenly to improve accuracy and precision of the tests. This aspect of an improved assay device is particularly important in avoiding false negatives and false positives.

Opposable-element assay device employing conductive barrier