The invention is a computerized mobile robotic router with an onboard internet web server, and a capability of establishing a first connection to a remote web browser on the internet for robotic control purposes, and a capability of establishing a second short range bi-directional digital radio connection to one or more nearby computerized digital radio equipped computers or devices external to the robot. The short-range bi-directional digital radio connection will typically have a maximum range of about 300 feet. In a preferred embodiment, this short-range wireless digital connection will use the 2.4 gHz band and digital protocols following the IEEE 802.11, 802.15, or other digital communications protocol. By employing the proper set of external short-range digital radio devices capable of interfacing with the robot (such as sensors, mechanical actuators, appliances, and the like), a remote user on the internet may direct the robot to move within range of the external devices or computers, and connect these devices or computers to the internet.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to means by which mobile robots, equipped with computer operated onboard internet web serves, short range digital radio transceivers, and routers may be locally or remotely teleoperated over the internet, and directed to connect other external computers and computer controlled devices, also equipped with short range digital radio transceivers, to the internet.
2. Description of the Related Art
Although self-propelled mobile robots have been the subject of speculative literature and experimentation for a number of years, the field is still in its infancy. With the partial exception of industrial automation for highly repetitive situations, educational purposes, and toys, mobile robots are not widely used. This is because the problems of coping with machine vision, artificial intelligence, general purpose robotic "arm" and "hand" like actuation systems, limited battery life, and the like make it difficult to devise flexible and general purpose systems suitable for widespread use.
Because robotic artificial intelligence is particularly difficult to achieve, human operators often remotely control robots. A number of techniques for robotic remote control (teleoperation) are known in the art, and these are discussed in the book: "Remote Control Robotics" by Craig Sayers, published by Springer-Verlag, New York, (1998) and incorporated herein by reference.
Other prior are includes U.S. Pat. No. 4,964,062 which teaches a type of robotic arm that may be controlled by radio from a remote location, and may be programmed by radio from a remote location. U.S. Pat. No. 5,331,413 describes an external camera used to view a robot. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,231,693 and 5,046,022 describe methods of semi-automating telerobotic control. U.S. Pat. No. 6,144,844 describes methods to compensate for variable teleoperation delay.
Recently, programming techniques used to increase the power and flexibility of the Internet have matured, and a number of these newer programming techniques can also be adapted to robotic control methods. In particular, this includes programming languages, interfaces, and protocols used to generate (serve) and interpret (browse) World Wide Web pages on the Internet.
World wide web (also called "Web" or "Net") servers are computer programs, such as "Apache", and the like, that communicate over the internet in the form of variants of Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML), such as Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), Extensible Markup Language (XML), Extensible HTML (XHTML), and the like. These servers accept commands from a remote user, and respond by returning SGML variant "web pages" or forms that can be read and interpreted by the remote user's browser.
Data is transferred over the Internet through a series of "routers", where each router acts to receive a data packet from one part of the network that the router is connected to. The router examines the destination address of the data packet, consults the router's memory to determine the router's current understanding of the network configuration, and then sends the data packet along to another router that will normally bring the data closer to the final destination address. Alternatively, if the router is directly connected to the final destination, the router will send the data packet directly to the final destination.
For purposes of this discussion, "web page" is defined as an HTML, XML, or XTML electronic document on the World Wide Web, identified by a unique Universal Resource Identifier (URI) or unique Universal Resource Locator (URL), and transmitted over the Internet using the (HTTP) Hypertext Transfer Protocol, and usually the TCP/IP protocol. Also for purposes of this discussion, "web server" is defined as computer program functionality (either stand alone, or part of an operating system) that, in response to an internet URL or URI request, sends back a "web page" file to the internet address that made the request, or alternatively passes the URL or URI request through a "Common Gateway Interface" or CGI protocol to a CGI compliant program, and when the CGI compliant program has output, and passes the output back to the internet address that made the original URL or URI request.
Use of the CGI interface greatly enhances the flexibility and power of web/server—SGML variant web form technology. Here, the HTML or SMGL variant web form can be instructed to pass data of any sort to and from the user to programs, executable scripts, or software processes that are distinct (external) from the main web server program. This non-web server software may be a database, image manipulation program, robot control program, or any other independently running process. Data submitted from a web browser to a web server's CGI interface is generally submitted either appended to a CGI URL address (GET method, limited to 255 maximum characters of data) or through a STDIN standard input method (POST method, no data size limitation). Data from a web server to a web browser may be of any sort, as long as it complies with the Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (MIME) format.
Prior art on the GCI interface includes U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,041,362; 5,961,594; 5,905,908; and 5,742,845. A more complete CGI discussion is given in Dwight, Erwin and Niles book: "Using CGI, Second Edition", 1997, published by Que corporation, and incorporated herein by reference.
In addition to SGML variant files (HTML, XML, XHTML, etc.), programming languages such as Java are also frequently transmitted by servers on the word wide web. Java (and Java-like languages such as C#), is a general purpose, object oriented, high level programming language, commonly used on the world wide web to deliver enhanced functionality to web pages. Typically Java commands are embedded in SGML variant files that frequently sent out (and occasionally also received) by web servers. Such Java "applets" can then perform many specialized functions. In particular, Java applets may be used to extend the basic SGML functionality, and can translate user commands to other languages, display video, display interactive graphics, and other useful functions.
Web browsers are likewise commonly known in the art. For the purposes of this patent, a "web browser" is considered to be a program that can read and interpret the SGML variant files sent out by web servers, (primarily HTML files) and optionally execute Java and/or additional plug-in module commands. Examples of modern web browsers include Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 or greater, Netscape Navigator 5.0 or greater, and the like.
For robotics control purposes, in order to take advantage of the wide variety of "off-the-shelf" software, originally written for internet or other purposes, for robotics control, it is preferable to use software (programs) that run on standard operating systems, rather than software that attempts to run directly on the underlying robotic computer hardware. Standard operating systems, such as Windows, Linux, Unix, and the like, manage much of the software burden of a computational system by controlling access to underlying hardware, memory management, and the like, relieving the programmer of much complexity. Popular (e.g. widely used) multi-tasking operating systems are particularly advantageous, since thousands of programs are available that have previously been written for them. By use of a popular operating system, a robotics programmer may leverage his or her limited time and energy by using standard programs to handle most of the robotics system, and only writing robot specific software when absolutely necessary. The one drawback of this approach from a robotics control standpoint is some potential loss or degradation of precise real-time determinism and control, which can be overcome by the use of real-time modifications or patches to such operating systems. An example of a popular operating system (Linux), modified to enhance real-time determinism and control, is taught by U.S. Pat. No. 5,995,745 for "real time Linux". Other such real-time operating system enhancements also exist.
Previous art teaches that both mobile and non-mobile robots may have their movement and video functions controlled remotely by using web browser/web server technology. For example, the Intelligent Autonomous Systems Engineering Laboratory of the University of the West of England, Briston teaches that web server technology may be used in mobile robotic systems. They have developed in "LinuxBot". This is a mobile robot, intended as an educational project, that performs a number of functions, including movement and wall avoidance, as well as serving web pages, using an on-board multitasking embedded Linux operating system environment with a wireless link to a local area network. The robot has no "arms" or other actuators, nor other means to control other external computer controlled devices. Its primary purpose is as an academic training device.
iRobot Corporation of Somerville, Mass. produces the "iRobot-LE", a mobile robot containing an onboard computer running an "apache" web server under the Linux operating system. Users may remotely control this system over the Internet using standard web browsers. Because the device contains neither robotic "arms" other actuators, or means to control other external computer controlled devices, it has limited practical utility.
A number of examples of non-mobile robotic systems, such as robotic arms controlled by remote web browsers over the Internet, also exist. Some of these are documented in Chapter 4 of the previously discuss "Remote Control Robotics" reference. Typically these are demonstration systems that can move a few test items, or perform some other limited chore. Other examples include different types of robotic telescopes. In one implementation, a remote viewer using a standard Internet browser positions a robot telescope. The telescope is commanded by a version of XML called AMIL (Astronomical Instrument Markup Language), which is interpreted by a Java program running locally on the robotic telescope.
Although such prior art is useful for situations in which self-mobile robots are used to directly interact with their local environment, or in which peripheral devices attached to non-mobile robots are remotely controlled over the internet, there exist situations in which it is desirable to extend the functionality of a web browser/server controlled mobile robotic system beyond those peripherals that are directly connected to the robot. In particular, there are situations where it is desirable to bring a capable mobile robot close to a particular location, use the sensors onboard the robot to observe local conditions, and then manipulate one or more additional devices in the location that would otherwise be impractical to control by direct manipulation by the robots onboard arms, manipulations, etc.
For example, there may be situations where it is desirable to employ a mobile robot for indoor or outdoor security guard functions. Here, the robot may be given a general route to travel by a remote Internet operator, as well as standing orders to observe its surroundings by its onboard camera, and as check and adjust the status of various external robotic cooperative monitors. The remote internet operator may also wish to leave standing orders for the robot to travel different routes, open robotic cooperative doors, sound robotic cooperative alarms, etc., depending upon the data that is received from the external monitors.
As a second example, there may be situations where it is desirable to employ a mobile robot to monitor and adjust robotic cooperative equipment in an industrial or laboratory facility. Here, the robot would be given general routes to travel by one or more workers over the Internet. The robot would travel the specified routes, check the status of external equipment monitors, and additionally modify the state of the external equipment, using various standing orders that the remote operators may have left. Such a system would be particularly useful in a flexible manufacturing industrial setting, or laboratory, where many operators, residing in many remote locations, have a desire to use the equipment on a time-share basis.
In a third example, the mobile robot of this invention might be used in a home situation to travel throughout the home and observe pets, children, or elderly people, and perform service functions such as fetching food from specially modified robotic cooperative refrigerators, cook food in robotic cooperative ovens, or process utensils or dishes in specially modified, robotic cooperative, dishwashers, garbage compactors, etc. Other home functions where such a robot could interact with specially modified, robotic cooperative, appliances include sprinklers to water plants, equipment to care for pets, cleaning equipment, heating and air conditioning equipment, security equipment, and the like.
In a fourth example, the mobile robot of this invention might be used as a mobile Internet router. Here the robot may be directed to move in such a way as to connect an isolated part of the internet, such as a single computer, single device, local network of computers, or local network of devices with the main body of the internet. Here the commands to move the robot may issue from either the robot's internal programming, the robot's response to environmental stimuli, from the local computer or device, or from a computer or device connected to the main body of the internet.
For the purposes of this discussion, a "mobile" robot is considered to be a robot that moves on solid surfaces, water, or air due to the controlled action of onboard motors or mechanical actuators, such as motorized wheels, tracks, legs, propellers, jets, and the like.
A robot that moves only by the application of outside force, even if portable and easily carried, is not considered to be "mobile".
Because it is difficult to design a mobile robot with sufficient visual acuity or dexterity to work with a wide variety of human operated equipment, the problem may be considerably simplified if the requirement that the robot directly observe external sensors or directly manipulate external equipment is reduced or dropped. This may be done by modifying the external sensors or equipment to be "robotic cooperative" by having an ability to report their status, and be operated by, short range, bi-directional, digital radio links (abbreviated here as "SBDRL" for Short-range Bi-directional Digital Radio Link). If this is done, then the robot need only get close enough to the sensor or equipment to make radio contact with the external device. Once this is done, the robot may then ascertain the other device's status by short-range digital radio link, and optionally make additional observations or manipulations using the robot's own on-board equipment. The robot can then transmit its findings and receive commands from operators from any location throughout the world using inexpensive and commonly used Internet (web) browser systems to relay to the external device.
To achieve these objectives, it is desirable to give a web browser/server controlled mobile robot an additional capability to manipulate its local environment by sending and receiving bi-directional short-range digital radio signals that can be used to control local devices that are external to the robot. In this context, "local" and "short-range" are defined to be distances between about 0 and 300 feet.
Means to control various computerized devices by local digital radio links are known in the art. Although many different radio frequencies and digital encoding schemes can be used for these purposes, use of the 2.4 gigahertz (gHz) industrial-scientific-medical frequency band, which is internationally reserved for local digital links, and does not require a license, is particularly advantageous. It is also advantageous to use standard digital-encoding schemes, as this increases the variety of devices that the robot can communicate with.
There are a number of standard protocols for communicating digital information in the 2.4 gHz frequency, such as the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) standards 802.11, and the IEEE 802.15 and 802.15b standard for personal area networks (PAN). The disclosures for these standards are incorporated herein by reference.
IEEE standard 802.11 discloses a set of local digital radio link protocols compatible with the HomeRF specification. The HomeRF standard, in conjunction with the Shared Wireless Access Protocol (SWAP), enables local low power digital 2.4 gigahertz radio communication with a range of up to 150 feet between devices. Up to 10 different devices may be networked within this radius.
IEEE standard 802.15 discloses a set of local digital radio link protocols compatible with the Bluetooth™ specification. (Bluetooth is a trademark of the Bluetooth special interest group). Bluetooth compliant low power digital radio systems can automatically establish very short range (0–30 feet) or longer short range (0–30 feet) wireless digital radio linkages with other Bluetooth compliant devices. Further discussion of the Bluetooth standard may be found in the book: "Bluetooth revealed" by Miller and Bisdikian, Prentice Hall PTR publisher (2000), and incorporated herein by reference.
Previous examples of remotely controlled robotic systems that use short-range digital radio links to control local peripherals include the 1996–1997 NASA Mars "Pathfinder" and "Sojourner" robotic system. In this system, a stationary robot (the Pathfinder) was controlled by unique NASA protocol using a long-range radio link to earth. The stationary Pathfinder robotic system then established a short-range digital link at 459 MHz with the mobile Sojourner rover, and controlled its movement and sensors. The results were communicated back to earth using unique NASA transmission schemes. Because these techniques used nonstandard, non-SGML variant, non-HTTP protocols, complex, customized and expensive equipment and programs were required in order to correctly control the Sojourner robotic rover. The techniques and software used were not general purpose, and thus could not be used for purposes beyond controlling the specific system at hand.
There appears to no prior art teaching the use of mobile, Internet capable, web browser/server controlled robots to travel to nearby devices, and subsequently monitor and/or control the devices by use of bi-directional short-range digital radio links. Nonetheless, such devices would enable remote users to control sophisticated robotic systems using inexpensive and readily available equipment and software, and thus would be of significant practical utility.

Mobile robotic router with web server and digital radio links


A laser repair structure and method for TFT panel. A first metal conductor is located in the source-drain layer and having a contact hole to the pixel electrode, and the region of the first metal conductor is within the region of the storage capacitance line. To repair a white defect of a pixel, make extending portions of the first metal conductor to overlap with the gate line of the previous pixel so as to electrically connect them by the laser irradiation. Another choice is setting two second metal conductors located in the gate-electrode layer and partially overlapped with the data line and the first conductor separately, then using laser irradiation to electrically connect one second metal conductor to repair the white defect of a pixel or electrically connect two second metal conductors to repair an open-circuited data line.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a Thin Film Transistor-Liquid Crystal Display (TFT-LCD), and more particularly, to a structure and method for laser repair to enhance the display quality.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally, a TFT-LCD panel has a liquid crystal layer sandwiched by two substrates with electrodes thereof. The light transmittance of the LCD can be controlled by applying voltages to the respect electrodes.
The display region of a TFT panel contains a plurality of pixels arrangcd in a matrix type. A pixel is a rectangle region defined by the crossing of two gate lines and two data lines. In addition to a pixel electrode, there are a TFT element and a storage capacitor contained in the pixel. The TFT is a switching element in which the on-off state is controlled by both the scanning signals from the gate line and the data signals from the data line. A storage capacitance line is provided in the pixel to form a capacitor that can maintain the present pixel signal of the pixel electrode until the subsequent signal is applied thereto.
It is known that the TFT-LCD has been developed towards the television application in recent years, so the display panel has been promoted to the large-scale design. Consequently, the fabrication process is more and more complex and difficult. It is hard to consider the influences of both the constraint conditions and the process errors on the display quality at the same time for the TFT-LCD design, although they are the key factors to affect the productivity and the yield.
During the procedures of fabricating the TFT panel, the pixel is liable to be damaged by several factors such as the unexpected particle pollution and the static electricity. A line defect means a broken signal line, and a pixel defect means the abnormal short or open circuits of TFT.
The pixel defects can be distinguished as several kinds such as the white defect, the black defect, and the dull defect, etc. Since the white defect is always bright that is very easy to be recognized by a human's eyes, it is preferable that the white defect is repaired to be a black defect that is always dark. Or at least, the white defect needs to be shifted into a dull defect that is always slightly bright.
Generally, a laser repair method will be executed when just a few white defects occur.
A top-view schematic diagram of a pixel with the conventional laser repair structure in the TFT panel is illustrated in FIG. 1. Data line 114 transmits the data signal to the source electrode 100, and the gate signal is transmitted by the gate line 104 that is located in the gate-electrode layer on the upper surface of a transparent glass substrate. A storage capacitance line 110, which is located in the gate-electrode layer, is provided in the pixel to transmit the common voltage. The semiconductor electrode 102 is partially covered by the source electrode 100 and the drain electrode 106, and the contact hole 108 is to electrically connect the pixel electrode 112 and the drain electrode 106. One additional metal conductor 116, which is located in the source-drain layer under the pixel electrode 112 and is electrically connected to the pixel electrode 112 through the contact hole 120, is prepared for the required laser repair. Another additional metal conductor 118, which is located in the gate-electrode layer and is normally floating, is also prepared for the required laser repair. The metal conductor 118 is partially overlapped with the data line 114 and the metal conductor 116 at the portions 124 and 122 separately.
Once the white defect of the pixel has been found, the laser beams can be used to irradiate the overlapped portions 124 and 122 from the lower surface side of the transparent glass substrate to electrically connect the data line 114 and the metal conductor 116. Then, the data signal can directly transmit to the pixel electrode 112 through the contact hole 120 so as to convert the white defect into a dull defect.
However, this laser repair structure for repairing white defect needs an additional metal conductor with a contact hole located in the source-drain layer under the pixel electrode. Thus, the additional metal conductor will decrease the aperture ratio of the pixel.
Except for the pixel defect of the TFT panel, line defect is also happened in the manufacturing procedures. It needs to be repaired, too.
FIG. 2 is a top-view schematic diagram of a pixel in the TFT panel, which shows a conventional laser repair structure for a pixel having an open-circuited portion 216 in the data line 214. The gate signal is transmitted by the gate line 204 that is located in the gate-elcetrode layer onto upper surface of a transparent glass substrate. Because the data line 214 has an open-circuited portion 216, it fails to transmit the data signal to all the source electrodes connected to it including the source electrode 200 of this pixel. A storage capacitance line 210, which is located in the gate-electrode layer, is provided in the pixel to transmit the common voltage. The semiconductor electrode 202 is partially covered by the source electrode 200 and the drain electrode 206, and the contact hole 208 is to electrically connect the pixel electrode 212 and the drain electrode 206. Two repair members 218, 220 are extended front the storage capacitance line 210 and overlapped with the data line 214 at the extending portions 222, 224 separately, which are prepared for the required laser repair.
Once an open-circuited portion 216 of the data line 214 has been found, the laser beams can be used to irradiate the overlapped portions 222 and 224 from the lower surface side of the transparent glass substrate to electrically connect the data line 214 and the storage capacitance line 210. Then, using a low-energy laser to irradiate the location 226 to evaporate some portion of the pixel electrode 212. Thereafter, using a high-energy laser to irradiate the location 226 to evaporate some portion of the storage capacitance line 210 until the storage capacitance line 210 is open circuit in the location 226. Therefore, the data line 214 is repaired by using some portion of the storage capacitance line 210 and the data signal can be transmitted to all the source electrodes connected to it.
However, it is not easy to control in melting the pixel electrode by the laser because the pixel electrode is normally constituted by the indium tin oxide (ITO) or the indium zinc oxide (IZO). This kind of laser repair structure and method for line defect needs to use a low-energy laser to evaporate some portion of the pixel electrode, so it's very hard to control.
Consequently, such a laser repair structure and method for line defect is very complicated and risky. Furthermore, it is easy to cause a bad short-circuit between the data line and the storage capacitance line when doing the laser repairing because it use the storage capacitance line as a lead, and so as to result in a low repair yield.

Laser repair structure and method for TFT-LCD


A method and apparatus for an system and process for sharing a secret over an unsecured channel in conjunction with an authentication system. A client computes a message authentication code based on a hashed password value and a first random string received from the server. The client sends a response to the server that includes authentication data including a second random string. Both the client and server concatenate the first random string, second random string and username. Theses values are processed to generate as a shared master secret to further generate shared secrets or keys to establish a secured communication channel between the client and server. The secured communication can be based on stateless messaging where the decryption key associated with the message is identified by the message authentication code, which is placed within the message.

One means of authentication includes the use of a password on computer systems. For example, on UNIX-type systems, the password for a user account is stored in a hashed form on the computer or at an authentication server. To make it harder for an attacker who has access to the hashed password to perform a brute force attack and potentially gain knowledge of several different systems at once, the stored password is augmented with a small random value specific to a system, also known as a "salt" before the password is hashed. The salt value and the hashed password are then stored in association with other account properties.
Since the salt value is randomly generated, only someone who already has access to the hashed password and salt value can compute what a hashed password value should be. This means that the unhashed password has to be passed to the authentication process in clear text form so that the authentication process can perform the hash and compare it to a stored hashed password. Thus, the password must only be sent over a secure connection or the password can be stolen by an eavesdropper.
Similarly, many secure communication protocols require that two communicating programs or computers have a shared secret or a shared master secret, which is either directly or indirectly utilized to encrypt data between the two communicating programs or computers. The secure communication protocols can only decrypt messages where the shared secret is known. The shared secret cannot be provided to each communicating program or computer in the clear or an eavesdropper would be able to intercept the shared secret and use it to decrypt the communications between the programs or computers.


A crimped terminal for automobiles includes an aluminum electric wire, a connecting terminal made from a copper-based material, and a resin-coated portion. The connecting terminal is crimped onto an end of the wire and includes a crimped member, a crimped portion where the terminal is crimped onto the wire, and the resin-coated portion disposed on the crimped portion, wherein the resin-coated portion is disposed on the crimped portion while an entire periphery of the crimped portion is coated with the resin-coated portion.

In the field of electric power industry, aluminum electric wires, which include conductor wires made from aluminum-based materials that are light in weight and excellent in electrical conductivity, are conventionally used as overhead power lines. Meanwhile, in the field of automobile industry, copper electric wires, which include conductor wires made from copper-based materials that are excellent in electrical conductivity and in cost efficiency, are conventionally used as signal lines and electric power lines.
In these years, electric vehicles and fuel-cell vehicles that can put a reduced burden on the environment have been developed actively in the field of automobile industry. In these kinds of vehicles, electric power lines larger in diameter than conventional signal lines should be used as electric wires connected to batteries and fuel cells because large amounts of electric power need to be transmitted from the batteries and the fuel cells.
Meanwhile, a move to improve fuel efficiency by reducing the weight of automotive vehicles has been accelerated in the field of automobile industry, so that even the total weight of electric wires used in one automotive vehicle cannot be overlooked, and weight reduction of the electric wires is also desired.
Thus, aluminum electric wires, which include conductor wires made from aluminum having a specific gravity (2.70 g/cm3) that is about one third of copper (8.96 g/cm3), have been more often used in automobiles in order to reduce the total weight of electric wires.
Conventionally, connecting terminals arranged to connect electric wires with each other, or connect electric wires with terminals of external electronic appliances are used in routing any kinds of electric wires, i.e., not exclusively to routing aluminum electric wires. Most of the connecting terminals are made from copper-based materials from the viewpoints of electrical conductivity and cost efficiency.
The connecting terminals made from copper-based materials are often used also in routing aluminum electric wires in automotive vehicles, so that crimped terminal portions where the connecting terminals are crimped onto the aluminum electric wires define bimetal contact portions. For example, in using connecting terminals made from copper, the difference between the normal electrode potential of copper, which is +0.34 V, and the normal electrode potential of aluminum, which is −1.66 V, becomes 2.00 V, which is large. In addition, in using connecting terminals made from copper that are coated with tin plating, the difference between the normal electrode potential of tin, which is −0.14 V, and the normal electrode potential of aluminum becomes 1.52 V. Thus, if the crimped terminal portions are exposed to water while the vehicles are moving in the rain or washed, or because of condensation, and an electrolyte solution such as rain water enters to stay in the crimped terminal portions, the three members of aluminum, copper and electrolyte solution, or the three members of aluminum, tin and electrolyte solution form batteries, so that bimetallic corrosion builds up in the aluminum conductors that function as positive electrodes of the batteries.
When ionization of the aluminum electric wires, which are electrically base, proceed to promote the corrosion as described above, the contact states of the crimped terminal portions become worse, which could make the electrical characteristics of the crimped terminal portions unstable, could increase contact resistance, could increase electrical resistance because of the reduced wire diameters, and could break the electric wires. Consequently, the electrical components could malfunction, or could break down.
PTL 1 discloses, in order to prevent corrosion from building up in an aluminum electric wire having the configuration described above, a manner for preventing a factor (corrosion factor) such as water and oxygen that causes the corrosion from entering in a bimetal contact portion by coating a portion where an aluminum conductor wire is exposed in a crimped terminal portion with an anticorrosive resin.


A catheter which exhibits excellent anti-kinking properties while avoiding interference with respect to an object moving inside the lumen of the catheter includes: an elongated catheter main body having a longitudinally extending lumen; a tubular-shaped guide wire insertion portion on the distal end of the catheter main body through which a guide wire is insertable, and which includes a distal opening portion and a proximal opening portion; and a reinforcement portion having a coil portion in which at least a portion of the reinforcement portion is arranged proximally of the proximal opening portion and is formed by a wound wire element, and an extension portion extending from the wire element of the coil portion in the distal direction away from the proximal opening portion, and wherein the reinforcement portion is positioned between the inner surface and the outer surface of the lumen of the catheter main body.

Catheters to be inserted inside a body lumen such as a blood vessel, a vascular channel and the like are typically so-called "rapid-exchange type" catheters in which it is possible to relatively rapidly carry out the pulling-in and the pulling-out of a guide wire because there is provided, on the distal side of the catheter main body including a working lumen, a guide wire insertion portion having a tubular shape into which the guide wire is insertable. European Application Publication No. 0 925 801 describes an example of a rapid-exchange type balloon catheter. This balloon catheter is provided with a coil in the inside on the distal side of an inflation lumen (working lumen), and an anti-kink property in the vicinity of an opening portion of a guide wire insertion portion is improved by providing an extension portion which extends from the coil to the distal side away from the opening portion on the proximal side of the guide wire insertion portion.
However, the catheter described in European Application Publication No. 0 925 801 is configured such that the coil is exposed inside the working lumen. If this coil is used with a catheter in which a sensor is passed through the working lumen such as a catheter for diagnosis or the like which utilizes ultra-sound image diagnosis technology or optical coherence tomographic image diagnosis technology, there exists a possibility that when the catheter is bent, a portion of the sensor or the like interferes with the coil and is bit into between element wires or windings constituting the coil.


The present invention relates to an alumina support for silver catalyst, a process for preparing said alumina support, a silver catalyst made from said alumina support, and a use of said silver catalyst in the production of ethylene oxide by the oxidization of ethylene. According to the present invention, the silver catalyst made from the support prepared by potassium melt technology can have a high selectivity.

Ethylene is oxidized under the action of the silver catalyst to mainly produce ethylene oxide, which is accompanied by the side reaction to produce carbon dioxide and water. The main technical properties of the silver catalyst include activity, selectivity and stability. The activity is reflected by the reaction temperature at which ethylene oxide is produced with a certain reaction load. The lower the reaction temperature is, the higher the catalyst activity is. The selectivity means the ratio of the mole of ethylene that converts to ethylene oxide to the total mole of ethylene that takes part in the reaction. The stability is reflected by the rate at which the activity or selectivity drops. The lower the dropping rate is, the better the catalyst stability is. The silver catalyst having high activity, high selectivity and good stability during the production of ethylene oxide by the oxidization of ethylene can improve the economical benefit remarkably. Thus, it is a main research object of the silver catalyst to make a silver catalyst having high activity, high selectivity and good stability. The property of the silver catalyst has a great relation with the property of the support used in the silver catalyst preparation and the preparation method of the support besides the composition of the catalyst and the preparation method of the catalyst.
The silver catalyst preparation method in the prior art comprises the steps of preparing porous support such as alumina and applying active components and promoters onto said porous support.
It is an important research aspect to add some components to alumina support to modify the support so as to improve the silver catalyst property. In this connection, alkaline-earth metal oxides or other salt compounds are added to the support.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,428,863 discloses a small amount of binder such as barium aluminate or barium silicate is used in the production of the alumina support having a high purity and a low surface area. It is alleged that the crushing strength and the wear resistance of the support can be improved. The prepared support has a specific surface area of less than 0.3 m2/g, as well as low activity and low selectivity.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,384,302 alleges that the pre-treatment of alpha-alumina to reduce Na, K, Ca and Al ion contents in the support can improve the crushing strength and the wear resistance of the support.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,739,075 discloses a promoting-amount of rare-earth metal and a promoting-amount of another metal salt (alkaline-earth metal or Group VIII transition metal) is pre-doped on the surface of alumina support, followed by calcination, and then the treated support is used to produce the silver catalyst. The evaluation result shows that the dropping rate of the catalyst is lower than that of the catalyst without the pre-doping treatment.
Fluoride is a mineralizing agent and widely used in the production of alumina support.
CN Patent Publication No. 1034678A discloses mixing appropriate sizes and amounts of trihydrate alpha-alumina and pseudo-boehmite with carbonaceous material, fluxing agent, fluoride, binder and water, kneading into shape, drying, and calcining to produce the alpha-alumina support. The support has a specific surface area of 0.2-2 m2/g. Pores with the radii of more than 30 μm comprise 25-10% of the total pores. The support is impregnated with silver compound and promoters, dried and activated to be used in the production of ethylene oxide by the oxidation of ethylene with a selectivity as high as 83-84%.
CN Patent Publication No. 101007287A discloses mixing certain sizes of trihydrate alpha-alumina and pseudo-boehmite with certain amounts of burnout carbonaceous material, fluxing agent, fluoride, and optional heavy alkaline-earth metal compound homogenously, followed by adding binder and water, kneading homogenously, extruding into shape, drying, and calcining to produce the alpha-alumina support. The support has a specific surface area of 0.2-2 m2/g, a pore volume of 0.35-0.85 ml/g, water absorption of ≧30%, and a crushing strength of 30-120 N/particle. This support is impregnated with a solution of silver-amine complex, alkali metal compound and alkaline-earth metal compound, dried and activated to produce a silver catalyst useful for the production of ethylene oxide by the oxidation of ethylene.
CN Patent Publication No. 1634652A discloses a process for preparing the support without using a pore-forming agent. In that process, trihydrate alpha-alumina is directly mixed in a certain proportion with pseudo-boehmite, fluxing agent, and fluoride homogenously, added binder and water, kneaded homogenously, extruded into shape, dried, and calcined to produce the alpha-alumina support. The support has a specific surface area of 0.2-2.0 m2/g, a pore volume of 0.35-0.85 ml/g, water absorption of ≧30%, and a crushing strength of 20-90 N/particle. This support is impregnated with a solution of silver-amine complex, alkali metal compound and alkaline-earth metal compound, dried and activated to produce a silver catalyst useful for the production of ethylene oxide by the oxidation of ethylene.
Albeit the above prior arts suggest adding alkaline-earth metal compound and fluoride to alumina starting material so as to modify alumina support and further to produce the catalyst with good activity and selectivity, there is still a continuous demand for the alumina support having better properties. According to the present invention, a potassium melt technology is adopted to prepare an alumina support, from which a silver catalyst with a higher selectivity can be made.

Alumina support for silver catalyst, preparation and use thereof

BEIJING RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF CHEMICAL INDUSTRY, CHINA PETROLEUM & CHEMICAL CORPORATION


The disk array system includes: controller modules, power source modules, and battery modules of a basic chassis; enclosure modules and power source modules of an expanded chassis; and operation levers which are commonly used for operations of insertion/removal and fixation of the modules. The operation lever includes a rotary shaft portion serving as a fulcrum point, a lever main body and a latch portion located on one side of the lever, and a hook portion located on the other side thereof. When a module is inserted and fixed, a user rotates the lever main body. By this means, the latch portion and the hook portion are fixed to a receiving portion and the module is connected and fixed to the backboard with a connector.

In a recent disk array system, mounting density has been increased and performance thereof has been improved. Accordingly, higher cooling performance has been demanded in order to cope with the temperature rise due to the increase in heat generation of component parts and resulting performance deterioration.
For example, in the disk array system of a predetermined method, elements such as boards (circuit boards) corresponding to various functions and power sources are installed in the system chassis by means of the structure and method of a module (also referred to as a unit, package, and assembly) to take the maintainability into consideration. Further, as a structure and method for operations by a maintenance person such as insertion/removal and fixation of the module, the module is provided with a structure (hereinafter, referred to as operating structure) such as a handle and a lever. Conventionally, the structure and method for operation of the module are different depending on the modules (for example, controller module, power source module and the like) because of the difference in the mounting structure of the system chassis and each module. Further, the module is handled mainly by a maintenance person with knowledge.


The invention concerns a multiaxial industrial robot (1), including of a mount (2), a rotatable and swingable rocker (3), a swingable extension arm (6) and a multi-member rotatable and swingable robot hand (8), whose members are driven by motors (10, 11, 12) arranged on extension arm (6). Extension arm (6) is mounted (27) on one side on a one-arm formed rocker (4), whereby at least two motors (10, 11, 12) are arranged next to each other on the extension arm in the direction of extension of its swinging axis (7). With a triangular arrangement, motors (10, 11, 12) are arranged with their motor axes (13) in an isosceles triangle, whose base is oriented to bearing (27) of extension arm (6). Motors (10, 11, 12) are alternatively directed with their driven side (15) to robot hand (8) and are arranged closely next to one another and at a distance behind bearing (27) at the end of extension arm (6 ) or are arranged in reverse position with their driven side (15) pointing away from robot hand (8) at the level of bearing (27).

Such robots are known in practice in a great many embodiments. Usually, three motors are present for driving three hand axes, which are arranged in a row above one another and are thus straddled in a fan-shaped manner. This arrangement causes difficulties with respect to optimizing dimensions and mass balance.


An indexing system in a database comprises plural levels, each representing one digit in a key of a data string and having an instruction for each constituent element at said represented digit of the key. The instruction includes one of: i) moving on to check a next level without specifying a record; ii) specifying one or more records and also moving on to check a next level; iii) specifying one or more records and not moving on to check a next level; iv) not specifying a record and not moving on to check a next level. A database so indexed facilitates an efficient recursive lookup on a best-pattern match basis, such as required in a telephony database for acquiring fast routing instructions based on a telephone number.

When a call is received at a call processing center, switching center, or other point of routing, a telephony application often has to make a decision about how to handle the call based on some information related to the call. Often this decision is made based upon a telephone number provided in the call, such as the calling number provided by an automatic number identifier (ANI) or the called number provided by a dialed number identifier service (DNIS). For example, the telephony application may use the ANI to authenticate the caller for the service being provided by the call center, or it may need to look at the DNIS to figure out how or where to route the call. In each of these cases, the telephony application or routing algorithm will need to use the telephone number as a key to perform a database lookup to acquire a routing instruction or other call processing instructions.
In a traditional database, the telephony application may simply query the database for a record that exactly matches the telephone number. Obviously, the time needed to perform such an exact-matched lookup increases with the number of data entries (telephone numbers) in the database, though it may also depend on how efficiently the database indexes the keys which associate a record with a telephone number. Thus, the telephony system will have a trade off between its performance and the scalability of the database application.
Many telephony applications do not require an exact-matched lookup, but rather they require best-pattern matched lookups. For example, a telephony application may only need to find all records for keys which best match an incoming telephone number of "1-555-1007000", such as "1-555" and "1-555-1", but not "1-505". However, a traditional database is not designed for optimal best-pattern matched lookups, and therefore will not provide an efficient means of looking up these records in a single query. The application will usually be burdened with performing many complex queries in order to figure out the best-pattern that matches the given phone number.
Therefore, there exists a need for a method for indexing keys to specified records with an efficient best-pattern matched lookup capability. In particular, there exists a need for a method for indexing a telephony database in a way that supports an efficient best-pattern matched lookup of a routing instruction based on a telephone number.

Indexing technique for an efficient best-pattern matched lookup


An apparatus, system and method for directionally degrading a paved surface. A substantially cylindrical rotary tool may include cutting inserts embedded within its cylindrical surface. The tool may be rotated about a rotational axis extending from a top end of the tool to its cutting head and may contact a paved surface such that the tool degrades the surface in a direction substantially normal thereto. The tool may be mounted to a motorized vehicle and adapted for independent movement to limit degradation to an isolated area, extend degradation beyond the width of the motorized vehicle, and/or avoid obstacles in the pavement.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus, system and method for excavating a paved surface and, more particularly, to an apparatus, system and method for degrading a paved surface while avoiding surface obstacles.
2. Background
Modem road surfaces typically comprise asphalt, macadam, or other bituminous material processed and applied to form a smooth paved surface. Where low quality pavement components are used, or where pavement components are improperly implemented or combined, the paved surface may deteriorate quickly, necessitating frequent maintenance and repair. Even under normal conditions, temperature fluctuations, weather, and vehicular traffic over the paved surface may result in cracks and other surface irregularities over time. Road salts and other corrosive chemicals applied to the paved surface, as well as accumulation of water in surface cracks, may accelerate pavement deterioration.
Road resurfacing equipment may be used to degrade, remove, and/or recondition deteriorated pavement. Typically, heat generating equipment is used to soften the pavement, followed by equipment to degrade and plane the surface. New pavement materials may be worked into the degraded surface to recondition the pavement. The mixture may then be compacted to restore a smooth paved surface.
Conventional road cutting machines, however, are generally only capable of degrading an entire surface area corresponding to the width of the machine. Indeed, road cutting machines generally employ a cutting bit mounted to a cylindrical drum to contact and degrade pavement as the machine travels. As a result, a deteriorated pavement area must be large enough to accommodate the road cutting machine, and the area must be cleared of surface obstacles that may otherwise interfere with the cylindrical drum. Because the cylindrical drum extends the width of the machine and is dependent on the machine for its direction of travel, conventional road cutting machines are ill-equipped to maneuver around obstacles such as utility easements and boxes, manholes and manhole covers, culverts, rails, curbs, gutters, and other obstacles found in modern road ways.
Often, however, it is not desirable or cost effective to remove surface obstacles and resurface an entire road, especially in cases where only portions of the pavement have deteriorated. A paved surface may thus be allowed to continue to deteriorate until use of a conventional road cutting machine becomes appropriate. Until that time, the road may be patched to provide a temporary solution while delaying costs associated with road resurfacing.
Even where use of a conventional road cutting machine is deemed a cost effective and viable solution to pavement deterioration, peripheral pavement areas such as a shoulder of the road or the periphery of a manhole may be inaccessible to the machine. In such cases, manually operated impact devices such as jack hammers may be required, thereby further increasing the costs and resources associated with resurfacing a paved surface.
Accordingly, what are needed are a road degradation apparatus, system and method adapted to effectively degrade a paved surface while minimizing the costs traditionally associated with pavement resurfacing. Beneficially, such an apparatus would be capable of avoiding surface obstacles and degrading isolated or peripheral pavement areas, as well as being selectively implemented to degrade an entire road surface. Such an apparatus, system and method are disclosed and claimed herein.

Apparatus, system and method for directional degradation of a paved surface


Provided are a method, system, and program for determining whether data has been modified. One node associated with at least one data unit and a last version number is received. A data structure having a plurality of nodes is processed, wherein there is one node associated with each data unit and at least one node that is capable of aggregating one or more nodes, and wherein version numbers are associated with the nodes. A determination is made from the data structure of one node that is associated with the data units associated with the received node. A determination is then made that at least one data unit associated with the received node has been modified if the received last version number is less than a version number of the determined node.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method, system, and program determining whether data has been modified.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a network environment, client systems may maintain a local version of data from a database at a server, where each client may maintain a different subset of the data at the server database. Periodically, the clients may request synchronization of the subset of data at the client local database and corresponding data at the server database. As part of such synchronization, the server may provide a copy of the entire subset of data the client maintains from the server database. This copy may include data that has changed and not changed since the last synchronization. This prior art technique needlessly consumes network resources to transmit data that has not changed and that the client does not need to synchronize.
Another prior art technique is for the server system to scan the entire server database to find any of the subsets of data being synchronized that have changed since the last synchronization, and then send to the client only the data that has changed. This prior art technique requires that the server scan the entire database for data corresponding to the client subset of data that has changed even if some or all of the client subset of data has not changed. This process of scanning the database can consume significant server and database resources if multiple clients are requesting synchronization concurrently. For each requesting client, the server would have to open a connection with the database and scan the entire database for changes to the subset of data being synchronized.
For these reasons, there is a need in the art for improved techniques for detecting changes in data.

Method, system, and program for determining whether data has been modified

International Business Machines Corporation


A pipe manufacturing system and method for producing helically corrugated metal pipe is provided. The system and method utilize controlled profile formation.

The standard production process for producing helically corrugated metal pipe is well known and involves first forming lengthwise corrugations in an elongated strip of sheet metal, with the corrugations extending along the length of the strip. The corrugated strip is then spiraled into a helical form so that opposite edges of the corrugated strip come together and can be either crimped (commonly referred to as lock seaming) or welded to form a helical lock along the pipe.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,791,800 to Alexander describes a roll forming process for making box-shaped ribs in a sheet material, such as steel, utilizing a series of tooling stands through which the sheet material is moved. The system of U.S. Pat. No. 4,791,800 typically includes additional tooling stands to further flatten the curved areas of the strip (shown in FIG. 4 of U.S. Pat. No. 4,791,800) and to form edges for lock seaming.

Apparatus for producing helically corrugated metal pipe and related method


Room temperature vulcanizable coating compositions, useful as anti-fouling coatings for marine structures such as ships, are prepared by a method comprising the steps of first blending a particulate reinforcing filler such as silica with a non-reactive polyorganosiloxane oil under high shear conditions, and subsequently combining the resulting masterbatch with at least one reactive polyorganosiloxane having a relatively low viscosity, a condensation catalyst and a crosslinking agent. The resulting compositions are sprayable in the absence of solvents, although solvents may be added if desired.

This invention relates to foul release coatings and articles coated therewith. More particularly, it relates to sprayable foul release coatings which may be employed without undue environmental harm.
As poetically stated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,861,670, "Marine fouling due to pernicious and pestiferous sessile organisms is a problem which reaches from ancient times to the present." In more simple terms, a perennial major aggravation to shippers and users of marine equipment in contact with water is the tendency of such equipment to become encrusted with various varieties of wildlife, as illustrated by barnacles and zebra mussels.
Said patent goes on to describe in considerable detail the types of treatments that have been employed, starting as early as 1854, to minimize marine fouling. Treatment materials have included compounds of such metals as copper, tin, arsenic, mercury, zinc, lead, antimony, silver and iron, as well as toxic organic materials such as strychnine and atropine. With increasing interest in the state of the environment, the use of such materials has been strongly discouraged.
More recently, polyorganosiloxanes (hereinafter sometimes designated "silicones" for brevity) have been found useful as anti-fouling coatings. They include condensation cured room temperature vulcanizable (hereinafter sometimes "RTV") compositions comprising silica as a filler in combination with silanol-terminated or di- or trialkoxy-terminated silicones, catalysts and crosslinking agents. These condensation cured compositions are typically thixotropic and are thus incapable as prepared of application by spraying. They can generally only be conveniently applied neat by such time-honored but tedious methods as brushing or roller coating.
The only potential way to make such materials sprayable is to dilute them with solvents, typically volatile organic compounds such as hydrocarbons which present their own environmental hazards. In any event, many localities have enacted legislation limiting the proportions of volatile organic compounds in such compositions to values in the parts-per-million range, far below those that would be necessary for them to serve as solvents.
British published application 2,287,248 and copending, commonly owned application Ser. No. 08/646,646 disclose silica-silicone oil masterbatches and their use in the formulation of room temperature vulcanizable silicone compositions. Said compositions as disclosed therein are, however, very viscous, having viscosities under ambient conditions as disclosed of at least 24,000 centipoise and often much higher. Thus, they similarly cannot be applied by spraying without employment of solvents.
Thus, the development of sprayable, environmentally harmless condensation curable silicone foul release coating compositions remains a concern.

Sprayable, condensation curable silicone foul release coatings and articles coated therewith


A lattice of a wiring or terminal pattern is varied at areas on a wiring board. The spacing of the wiring lattice is reduced only in a predetermined area for a device having many terminals. An alignment pattern is provided in the predetermined area. The spacing of the wiring lattice in the central portion of the wiring board may be the finest and may get gradually coarser toward the peripheral portion of the wiring lattice.

The present invention relates to a wiring board used in electronic equipment and a method of producing the wiring board, and more particularly to a wiring board for mounting electronic devices with high-density terminals and a method of production thereof.
In a conventional thick-film wiring board fabrication method, inter-layer insulation materials and wiring materials are alternately stacked, and are baked at the same time. For example, a green sheet is used as the inter-layer insulation material and a conductive paste is used as the wiring material.
In a conventional thick-film wiring board, wiring patterns and electrodes cover the entire area of the wiring board according to the same basic wiring lattices.
In the conventional thick-film wiring board, the interlayer insulation material contracts during baking. With such contraction, the wiring material also contracts. Under the current technology, controlling this contraction during fabrication is limited (e.g., an error of approximately 0.2% of the target size).
Because of this error during fabrication, the terminal density of devices to be mounted on the wiring board or the terminal density connecting between the wiring board and an external circuit (i.e., a reduction in the terminal pattern size) is limited. For example, in a square-shaped thick-film wiring board having a side length of 100 mm, if it is assumed that the wiring pattern contains a fabrication error of 0.2% with respect to an expected size, the spacing between a pad provided on one end of the board and a pad provided on a second end will be dislocated (e.g., deviated) from a designed value by up to 0.2 mm. Therefore, when pads for external circuits are arranged on outer regions of a wiring board, the spacing between the pads must be great enough to absorb the fabrication error (e.g., on the order of approximately 0.4 mm for a fabrication error of 0.2 mm).
Similarly, when pads for a square device have a side length of 10 mm are arranged on the wiring board, the terminal spacing likewise contains a fabrication error of up to 0.02 mm and therefore the terminal spacing must be designed to absorb the fabrication error.
As described above, the fabrication error caused by contraction during baking, in a large-size board (e.g., a board having a length of 100 mm), the board wiring lattice must be large (e.g., approximately a 0.4 mm pitch), although the basic wiring lattice is small (e.g., approximately a 0.1 mm pitch). Consequently, in the conventional wiring board, high density wiring patterns (e.g., less than about 0.4 mm) or pads (e.g., more than 200) cannot be obtained.

Wiring board for mounting electronic devices with high-density terminals and method for producing wiring board


A fuel pump module for installation between top and bottom walls of a fuel tank. The housing defines a space accommodating a pump. The fuel pump module includes a mounting component coupled to the housing. The mounting component includes a first surface, a second surface opposite the first surface and facing the housing, a first end, and a second end opposite the first end. The mounting component and the housing are joined with a spring-loaded coupling such that the mounting component is urged away from the housing. The mounting component further includes a U-shaped recess that is concave on the first side of the mounting component. The bottom side of the housing forms a first distal end of the fuel pump module for engaging the bottom wall. The first surface of the mounting component forms a second distal end of the fuel pump module for engaging the top wall.

The present invention relates to in-tank fuel system components, such as fuel pump modules. Fuel pump modules are positionable in fuel tanks and operable to deliver fuel to a fuel burning device, such as an internal combustion engine in a vehicle. More particularly, the invention relates to remote mounted fuel pump modules, which are operably positioned at a location of the fuel tank that is spaced apart from a fuel tank opening, which typically complicates assembly hardware and methods but is often required for certain automotive applications. The shapes of fuel tanks in modern road vehicles have numerous constraints that often lead to difficulty in designing, assembling, and servicing the fuel pump module. Due to low profile tank heights and numerous shaped features to tightly fit the fuel tank to the vehicle, acceptable fuel pump module fitting locations may be very limited and may not be at or near the fuel tank opening for easy access. When a fuel pump module must be located remote from the tank opening, simple conventional mountings which engage the tank opening flange are not feasible.

Spring loaded component mounting within fuel tank


The invention relates to a device for supporting objects (1) so as to be rotatable about an axis of rotation (2), particularly, display devices in motor vehicles.. The object of realizing such a device which is simple and cheap and which enables the object to be removed simply and rapidly, is achieved in that there has been provided a basic body (4) having a recess (14) which is open in a radial. direction, there has been provided a rotary body (3) adapted to be slid into the recess (14) in a radial direction and to be rotatable in the recess (14), PA1 there has been provided a locking bracket (9) by means of which the rotary body (3) can be locked against radial movement in the recess (14), and PA1 the rotary body (3) can be locked in rotation to the object (1) in such a manner that the rotary body (3) is rotated when the object (1) is rotated in the basic body (4).

The invention relates to a device for supporting objects so as to be rotatable about an axis of rotation, particularly, display devices in motor vehicles.
Such devices are used, for example, for rotatably mounting the displays of navigation systems. In the Philips navigation system CARIN the display is mounted on the dashboard by means of a complex holder having two axes of rotation. Other manufacturers of navigation systems use ball-and-socket joints for mounting the display. Both solutions are intricate and expensive. In the case of both solutions it is difficult and troublesome to remove the display from the holder. In order to adjust the position of the display it is necessary to loosen screws or levers, which should be tightened again upon adjustment.
The present invention aims at providing a device of the type defined in the opening paragraph, which is simple and cheap and which enables the object to be removed simply and rapidly.
According to the invention this is achieved in that there has been provided a basic body having a recess which is open in a radial direction, there has been provided a rotary body adapted to be slid into the recess in a radial direction and to be rotatable in the recess, there has been provided a locking bracket by means of which the rotary body can be locked against radial movement in the recess, and the rotary body can be locked in rotation to the object in such a manner that the rotary body is rotated when the object is rotated in the basic body.
Locking in rotation is to be understood to mean that a rotation of the object directly brings about a rotation of the rotary body. This can be achieved, for example, in that the rotary body and the object are fixedly connected, for example screwed, to one another. However, locking in rotation can also be achieved in that, for example, the object comprises guide pins clamped or snapped into guide slots of the rotary body.
For rotatably supporting the object, the user slides the rotary body and the object, which has been locked in rotation to this body, by hand into the recess in the basic body in a radial direction, i.e. perpendicularly to the axis of rotation. Subsequently, the rotary body is locked against radial movement in the recess by means of the locking bracket, the rotary body and the object thus being rotatably held in the basic body.
This device can be manufactured simply and at low cost. The rotary body and the object can be removed from the basic body in a radial direction in that the locking bracket is swivelled away in a radial direction and can just as simply be refitted in the basic body in the reverse sequence.

Device for supporting objects so as to be rotatable about an axis of rotation


A Christmas light arrangement including a central string of wire having a plurality of lights disposed thereon in a spaced relationship. A plurality of supplemental strings of wire are provided with each having a plurality of lights disposed thereon in a spaced relationship. The plurality of supplemental strings are coupled with the central string of wire in a spaced relationship. A plurality of securement mounts are positioned in a spaced relationship with respect to the central string of wire.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a Christmas light arrangement and more particularly pertains to simulating the appearance of icicles on a house with a Christmas light arrangement.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of Christmas lights is known in the prior art. More specifically, Christmas lights heretofore devised and utilized for the purpose of decorating Christmas trees are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
By way of example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,057,976 to DuMong; U.S. Pat. No. 5,422,801 to Sangalli, Jr.; U.S. Pat. No. Des. 358,673 to Thompson; U.S. Pat. No. 5,141,192 to Adams; U.S. Pat. No. 5,024,406 to Ketcham; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,245,519 to Openiano.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objective and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not describe a Christmas light arrangement for simulating the appearance of icicles on a house.
In this respect, the Christmas light arrangement according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of simulating the appearance of icicles on a house.
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for new and improved Christmas light arrangement which can be used for simulating the appearance of icicles on a house. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.


Disclosed is a user authentication system, which is designed to present a presentation pattern to a user subject to authentication, and apply a one-time-password derivation rule serving as a password of the user to certain pattern elements included in the presentation pattern at specific positions so as to create a one-time password. An authentication server is operable to generate a pattern seed value adapted to be combined with a user ID so as to allow a presentation pattern to be uniquely determined, and transmit the generated pattern seed value to an authentication-requesting client. The authentication-requesting client is operable to display a presentation pattern created based on an entered user ID and the received pattern seed value and in accordance with a given pattern-element-sequence creation rule, so as to allow the user to enter therein a one-time password, and transmit the entered one-time password to the authentication server. The authentication server is operable to duplicate the presentation pattern so as to create a verification code, and compare between the received one-time password and the created verification code, so as to carry out user authentication. The present invention provides a matrix authentication scheme capable of reducing the risk of password leakage.

In user authentication systems, a one-time password-based system using a single-use password usable only once for user authentication purpose has become popular as one scheme having higher security than fixed password-based schemes. The one-time password-based system includes a token-based scheme using a token for creating a one-time password in accordance with a one-time-password generation rule synchronous with an authentication server, and a challenge/response scheme designed such that an authentication server transmits to a client a so-called "challenge" which is a value to be varied every time, and the client returns to the authentication server a response created by applying a client's fixed password to the challenge in accordance with a given rule. While the token-based scheme has an advantage of being able to reliably identify a user who owns a token, it forces the user to carry around the token, and has problems about cost of the token and security in the event of loss of the token. In this respect, the challenge/response scheme offers the convenience of being not necessary to use a token. On the other hand, due to a process of generating a one-time password using a client's fixed password which is highly likely to be analogized, the challenge/response scheme involves problems about poor protection against stealing during a password input operation and the need for installing dedicated software to allow a client to generate a response.
Late years, a new user authentication system has been developed based on a so-called "matrix authentication" scheme to improve the above problems in the conventional challenge/response scheme, (see, for example, the following Patent Publication 1 and Non-Patent Publication 1). This matrix authentication scheme is designed to arrange a plurality of random numbers in a given pattern format so as to create a matrix-form presentation pattern to be presented to a user subject to authentication, and apply a one-time-password derivation rule serving as a password of the user to certain pattern elements (a part of the random numbers) included in the presentation pattern so as to create a one-time password. Specifically, the presentation pattern is shared in common between a server and a client. Then, instead of a direct comparison of password, the sever carries out user authentication by comparing between a one-time password created on the client side as a result of applying the one-time-password derivation rule or the user's password to the presentation pattern, and a verification code created on the server side as a result of applying the one-time-password derivation rule or the user's password to the presentation pattern. In the matrix authentication scheme, a one-time-password derivation rule serving as a password is information about respective positions of certain pattern elements to be selected on a matrix-form presentation pattern and a selection order of the certain pattern elements, and characterized in that it is easily storable in the form of an image and cannot be figured out as a specific password even if being stolen during a password input operation.
FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing a user authentication system 100 based on a typical conventional matrix authentication scheme. In this conventional matrix authentication scheme, information for creating a presentation pattern 191 is transmitted from an authentication server 101 to an authentication-requesting client 151 in the form of a pattern element sequence 190 (see, for example, the Patent Publication 1). Specifically, the user authentication system 100 generally comprises the authentication server 101 for carrying out user authentication, and the authentication-requesting client 151 serving as a terminal for allowing each user to request authentication. The authentication server 101 includes a one-time-password-derivation-rule storage section 102, user-ID receiving means 103, pattern generation means 104, pattern transmission means 105, verification-code creation means 106, one-time-password receiving means 107 and user authentication means 108. The authentication-requesting client 151 includes user-ID input means 152, user-ID transmission means 153, pattern receiving means 154, pattern display means 155, one-time-password input means 156 and one-time-password transmission means 157.
The authentication-requesting client 151 includes user-ID input means 152, user-ID transmission means 153, pattern receiving means 154, pattern display means 155, one-time-password input means 156 and one-time-password transmission means 157.
In the authentication server 101, the one-time-password-derivation-rule storage section 102 pre-stores respective user IDs 102a and one-time password rules 102b of users in associated relation with each other on a user-by-user basis. The user-ID receiving means 103 is operable to receive the user ID 181 of the user subject to authentication, from the authentication-requesting client 151. The pattern generation means 104 is operable, in accordance with a given generation rule, such as a pseudorandom-number generation rule, to generate a pattern element sequence 190 which is a sequence of pattern elements to be included in a matrix-form presentation pattern 191. The pattern transmission means 105 is operable to transmit the generated pattern element sequence 190 to the authentication-requesting client 151.
In the authentication-requesting client 151, the user-ID input means 152, such as a keyboard, allows the user subject to authentication to enter his/her own user ID 181 therefrom. The user-ID transmission means 153 is operable to transmit the entered user ID 181 to the authentication server 101. Thus, in the authentication server 101, the user-ID receiving means 103 receives the transmitted user ID 181. Then, in accordance with the given generation rule, the pattern generation means 104 generates a pattern element sequence 190 or a sequence of random numbers for forming a matrix-form presentation pattern 191. The pattern transmission means 105 transmits the generated pattern element sequence 190 to the authentication-requesting client 151. In the authentication-requesting client 151, the pattern receiving means 154 is operable to receive the transmitted pattern element sequence 190. The pattern display means 155 is operable to arrange the respective pattern elements included in the received pattern element sequence 190, in a given pattern format 191p, so as to create a presentation pattern 191, and display the presentation pattern 191 on a screen.
FIG. 10 is an explanatory conceptual diagram showing a process of creating a presentation pattern 191 in the conventional user authentication system 100. FIG. 10 shows a presentation pattern 191 as one example in which one-digit numerals of "0 (zero)" to "9" are used as pattern elements, and sixty four of the pattern elements are arranged, respectively, at element positions in a pattern format consisting of four 4×4 matrixes. In this example, the authentication server 101 is operable to generate, in accordance with a random-number generation algorithm, sixty four of the one-digit numerals which are pattern elements to be included in the presentation pattern 191, and then transmit a pattern element sequence 190 created by sequencing the generated pattern elements, to the authentication-requesting client 151. The authentication-requesting client 151 is operable to receive the pattern element sequence 190, and arrange the pattern elements included therein, respectively, at element positions on the given pattern format 191p (consisting of four 4×4 matrixes, in this example) in order in conformity to the order in pattern element sequence 190, so as to create the presentation pattern 191, and display the created presentation pattern 191 on the screen.
FIG. 7 is an explanatory conceptual diagram showing a process of entering a one-time password in the matrix authentication scheme. The user selects certain ones of the numerals displayed at given positions on the matrixes in order by applying the one-time-password derivation rule 102b of the user to the presentation pattern 191, and enters the selected numerals as a one-time password from the one-time-password input means 156. Further, a certain number of numerals may be additionally entered without being based on the presentation pattern 191. Specifically, a fixed password of the user may be included in the one-time password. These numerals are entered using a pointing device, such as a mouse or a touch panel, or a keyboard 196. The arrows and circles indicated by broken lines in FIG. 7 show that the one-time password based on the presentation pattern 191 is entered from the key board 196. Then, the one-time-password transmission means 157 is operable to transmit the entered one-time password 192 to the authentication server 101. In the authentication server 101, the one-time-password receiving means 107 is operable to receive the transmitted one-time password 192. The verification-code creation means 106 is operable to create a verification code as a result of applying the one-time-password derivation rule 102b associated with the received user ID 181, to certain pattern elements of a presentation pattern formed from the transmitted pattern sequence 190 on the server side. The user authentication means 108 is operable to compare the received one-time password 192 with the created verification code, and successfully authenticate the user if they are identical to one another.                [Parent Publication 1] Pamphlet of International Publication WO 03/069490 (lines 2 to 3, page 10)        [Non-Parent Publication 1] Taizu Ohnishi & Associates IT Conference,"Learn from Base Technologies -Mobile Management-", IT SELECT, Mediaselect Inc., Feb. 01, 2002, pp 56 to 60
In the conventional matrix authentication scheme, a pattern element sequence, or a sequence of pattern elements for forming a matrix-form presentation pattern, is transmitted from the authentication server to the authentication-requesting client. In this process, if information about the pattern element sequence is acquired by a malicious third party, through means, for example, of network tapping, the tapped information will bring about the possibility of estimating the presentation pattern based thereon. Only one tapping of a one-time password as a response to this presentation pattern is not enough to figure out the association between the selected pattern elements of the one-time password and the pattern elements of the presentation pattern in a one-to-one correspondence with each other, and therefore a one-time-password derivation rule or a password is never figured out as a specific one. However, if a pattern element sequence and a one-time password corresponding thereto are tapped plural times, respective positions of certain pattern elements to be selected as a one-time password from a presentation pattern can be narrowed down along with increase in tapped information, and finally the one-time-password derivation rule will be undesirably specified. Thus, there is a strong need for a matrix authentication scheme capable of reducing the risk of password leakage arising from the above network tapping by third parties.

System and method for user authentication


A window element having a window shade is provided. The window element has a viewing area, comprising a window shade element. The window shade element includes an electrically darkable element, and the window shade element is movable between a first position and a second position. In the first position, the window shade element is covering a first portion of the viewing area, and in the second position, the window shade element is covering a second portion of the viewing area. The first portion and the second portion are unequal.

Known window elements, in particular for aircraft applications, regularly comprise a transparent pressure proof window pane through which a passenger seated adjacent to the window may look through the same to get information about the surroundings of the aircraft. Regularly, such a window further comprises a window shade, embodied as a manually operated shade element, e.g. a plastic pull down/push up shade. In other words, the passenger is required to manually darken the window by pulling it down or remove the shade by pushing it up. In certain situations, e.g. emergency situations or while takeoff and landing, regulations require the window shades to be fully opened. During the flight however, the passenger may choose whether he/she wants to have an open window or whether to close the shade.
FIG. 1 shows two exemplary embodiments of aircraft windows. Each aircraft window 2 comprises a viewing area, i.e. an area where the passenger may look through to obtain information from the outside of the aircraft. The viewing area may be covered by a shade element 4, and comprises a handle 6 for manually moving up and down the shade element 4. In case the shade element 4 is moved completely downward, the window element/viewing area is darkened while when the shade element 4 is moved completely upwards, the viewing area is substantially free.
Establishing that all shades are open may be a cumbersome task for aircraft personnel during takeoff and landing while manually moving a plastic shade may lack a certain degree of convenience for the passenger.
In addition, other objects, desirable features and characteristics will become apparent from the subsequent summary and detailed description, and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background.


A constant potential generating semiconductor device includes: an output circuit having a first channel type first transistor and a second channel type second transistor serially connected between a first power source and a second power source V.sub.ss, a connection point between the first and second transistors being connected to an output terminal; a reference potential generating circuit having a first current limiter, a first channel type third transistor, a second channel type fourth transistor, and a second current limiter serially connected between a first power source and a fourth power source, a first connection point interconnecting the first current limiter and the third transistor being connected to the gate of the first transistor, a second connection point interconnecting the fourth transistor and the second current limiter being connected to the gate of the second transistor, the first connection point being connected to the gate of the third transistor, and the gate of the fourth transistor being connected to the second connection point; an output mode switching circuit having a fifth transistor and a sixth transistor, the fifth transistor interconnecting the gate of the first transistor and a fifth power source at a fourth connection point, the sixth transistor interconnecting the gate of the second transistor and a sixth power source at a fifth connection point, the output mode switching circuit having a switching input terminal, a switching signal for switching an output mode being applied to the switching mode input terminal, the switching input terminal being connected to the gates of the fifth and sixth transistors, during a first output mode with a first level signal being applied to the switching input terminal, both the fifth and sixth transistors turning off to maintain the connection between the gates of the first and second transistors and the first and second connection points, respectively, and during a second output mode with a second level signal being applied to the switching input terminal, both the fifth and sixth transistors turning on to electrically disconnect the gates of the first and second transistors from the first and second connection points, respectively; and a potential difference suppressing circuit for suppressing a potential difference between the gate and back gate of the fourth transistor during the second output mode.

FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram showing a conventional constant potential generating semiconductor device. The operation of this circuit will be described briefly. During a first operation mode while a low "L" (ground potential) level signal is supplied to an input terminal V1, a constant potential having an optional intermediate value between two power source potentials V.sub.CC and V.sub.SS, e.g., (1/2) V.sub.CC is outputted from an output terminal V.sub.out. During a second operation mode while a high "H" level signal is supplied to the input terminal Vl, the output terminal is fixed to the "L" level. During the first operation mode with the output constant potential (1/2) V.sub.CC, if the potential at the output terminal V.sub.out shifts from (1/2) V.sub.CC, the potential at the output terminal V.sub.out is regulated to (1/2) V.sub.CC by turning on and off output transistors N14 and P14.
In the circuit shown in FIG. 1, the N-channel (output) transistor N14 and P-channel (output) transistor P14 are connected serially between the power sources V.sub.CC and V.sub.SS and constitute an output circuit OC. The connection point between these transistors N14 and P14 is connected to the output terminal V.sub.out.
The gates of the two transistors N14 and P14 are connected via nodes 11 and 13 to two output terminals C2 and C4 of a reference potential output circuit ROC. This circuit ROC automatically controls the potential at the output terminal V.sub.out to (1/2) V.sub.CC during the first operation mode. The circuit ROC is constructed of a P-channel transistor P11, an N-channel transistor N11, a P-channel transistor P12 and an N-channel transistor N12, respectively connected between the power sources V.sub.CC and V.sub.SS. A connection point C2 (output terminal) between the transistors P11 and N11 is connected to the gate of the transistor N11. A connection point C3 between the transistors N11 and P12 is connected via a node 12 to the back gate (substrate) of the transistor P12. The gate of the transistor P12 is connected to a connection point C4 (output terminal) between the transistors P12 and N12. The conductance g.sub.m of the transistors P11 and N12 is set considerably smaller than that of the transistors N11 and P12, to set the potential of the node 11 to (V.sub.c3 +V.sub.thN11) and the potential of the node 13 to (V.sub.c3 -V.sub.thP12). The output potential V.sub.out can be set to an optional value in accordance with the potential V.sub.C3 at the connection point C3 which is determined by the ratio of the transistors P11 and N12. In the following, the potential V.sub.C3 is assumed to be set to (1/2) V.sub.CC. During the first operation mode, if the potential at the output terminal V.sub.out is (1/2) V.sub.CC, both the output transistors N14 and P14 are turning on. If the potential at the output terminal V.sub.out shifts from (1/2) V.sub.CC, one of the output transistors N14 and P14 turns on to regulate the output potential to (1/2) V.sub.CC. In order to prevent both the output transistors N14 and P14 from turning on at the same time, the threshold values V.sub.thP12 and V.sub.thP14 of the transistors p12 and P14 are set to satisfy .vertline.V.sub.thP12 .vertline.<.vertline.V.sub.thP14 .vertline. to provide an output dead band. This is accomplished by connecting the back gate of the transistor P12 to the node 12 which is lower in potential than that of the node 11. It is also possible to broaden the dead band by setting the threshold values V.sub.thN11 and V.sub.thN14 of the transistors N11 and N14 to satisfy V.sub.thN14 <V.sub.thN14. This is accomplished by making the channel length of the transistor N14 longer than that of the transistor N11. The dead band of an output therefore becomes V.sub.thd (=V.sub.thdP +V.sub.thdN }where V.sub.thdP =.vertline.V.sub.thP14 .vertline.-.vertline.V.sub.thP12 .vertline., and V.sub.thdN =V.sub.thN14 -V.sub.thN11.
Switching between the first and second operation modes is performed by a control circuit CC. An N-channel transistor N13 is connected between the node 11 and power source V.sub.SS, and a P-channel transistor P13 is connected between the node 13 and power source V.sub.CC. The switching transistors N13 and P13 are turned on and off at the same time. Namely, they are turned off during the first operation mode, and turned on during the second operation mode. To this end, the transistor N13 is connected via an inverter INV to a NOR gate NOR, and the transistor P13 is directly connected to the NOR gate NOR. One of the input terminals of the NOR gate NOR is connected to the input terminal V1, and the other input terminal is connected to the power source V.sub.SS. As will be described later, when the low "L" level (V.sub.SS) is supplied to the input terminal V1, the first operation mode runs, and when the high "H" level (V.sub.CC) is supplied, the second operation mode runs. In order to fix the output terminal V.sub.out to the low "L" level during the second operation mode, an N-channel transistor N15 is connected between the output terminal V.sub.out and power source V.sub.SS, the gate of the transistor N15 being connected to the input terminal V1.
The operation of the circuit shown in FIG. 1 will be described below.
When the input terminal V1 is set to the V.sub.SS level, the first operation mode starts. Specifically, the transistor N15 as well as the control transistors N13 and P13 turn off to disconnect the nodes 11 and 13 from the power sources V.sub.CC and V.sub.SS. The potentials of the nodes 11 and 13 in this condition are determined by an output from the reference potential output circuit ROC. More specifically, as described previously, the potential of the node 11 is set to [(1/2) V.sub.CC +V.sub.thN11 }, and the potential of the node 13 is set to [(1/2) V.sub.CC +V.sub.thdP ]. As a result, if the potential of the output terminal V.sub.out is within the dead band between [(1/2) V.sub.CC +V.sub.thdP ]and [(1/2) V.sub.CC +V.sub.thN11 ], both the output transistors N14 and P14 turn off. If the potential of the output terminal V.sub.out shifts beyond the dead band, one of the transistors N14 and P14 turns on to regulate the output potential within the dead band.
When the input terminal V1 is set to the V.sub.CC level, the second operation mode starts. Specifically, both the control transistors N13 and P13 turn on. Therefore, the node 11 takes the V.sub.SS level to turn off the transistor N14, and the node 13 takes the V.sub.CC level to turn off the transistor P14. As a result, the output terminal V.sub.out will not be influenced by the nodes 11 and 13. Since the transistor N15 has been turned on, the output terminal V.sub.out is fixed to the V.sub.SS level.
FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram of another conventional constant level generating semiconductor device In the circuit shown in FIG. 2, the bias potential of the back gate of the transistor P12 is supplied from the node 11 in order to narrow the dead band at the output terminal V.sub.out. The different points of the circuit shown in FIG. 2 from the circuit shown in FIG. 1 are as follows. A P-channel transistor P25 is additionally provided. An output of the inverter INV is connected to the gate of the P-channel transistor P25, the source of the transistor P25 being connected to the node 11, and the drain thereof being connected via a node 26 to the back gate of the P-channel transistor P12. With such a circuit arrangement, the bias potential level (potential level of the node 26) of the P-channel transistor P12 is raised to the potential level of the node 11. The potential of the node 11 is higher than that of the node 12 by a threshold value of the N-channel transistor N11. By raising the potential of the node 26, the threshold value of the P-channel transistor P12 rises and a difference of threshold values between the P-channel transistors P14 and P12 becomes small. In this manner, the dead band at the output terminal V.sub.out becomes narrower than the circuit shown in FIG. 1.
In the circuits shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the nodes 15 and 11 are fixed to the ground level and the nodes 13 and 14 are fixed to the power source potential level, during the second operation mode. In this state, the bias node 12 of the P-channel transistor P12 enters a floating state because the N-channel transistor N11 and P-channel transistor P12 (P25) become non-conductive. The cross section of the transistor P12 is shown in FIG. 3. During the second operation mode, an N well 1 serving as the bias layer for the node 12 (26) enters a floating state, while a P.sup.+ drain D serving as the node 13 is supplied with the power source potential via the P-channel transistor P13. Assuming that the potential of the node 12 (26) is lower than that of the node 13, electric charges of the power source from the P-channel transistor P13 are injected into a P type layer 3 via the node 13 [P.sup.+ layer (drain D)]and node 12 (26) [N well]. Electric charges from the power source are always injected into the P type layer 3, increasing the standby current.
The P type layer 3 is set to a negative potential by a biasing circuit in most cases. However, if the amount of electric charges via the N well 1 becomes in excess of the biasing ability of the biasing circuit, an ordinary bias potential will not be supplied to the P type layer 3, resulting in operation errors of other devices formed within the P type layer 3.

Semiconductor device for generating constant potential