An apparatus for securing a rope includes a device body having a first width, a first length, and a first height, the first width substantially greater than each of the first height and the first length, the device body having a first end and a second end, the first and second ends at opposing ends of the first width of the device body. The apparatus includes a first rope notch, the first rope notch located at the first end of the device body, the first rope notch extending in a first direction parallel to the first height away from the central body. The apparatus includes a second rope notch, the second rope notch located at the second end of the device body, the second rope notch extending in a second direction parallel to the first height away from the device body, wherein the second direction is opposite the first direction.

1. Field
This application relates to devices used on ropes, specifically devices used to secure ropes or to secure objects using ropes.
2. Background
Ropes are used for many applications that typically require one or both ends of a rope or multiple ropes to be secured in some manner. In such instances, the ropes are often secured by tying a knot or combination of knots. To address the wide range of variability in an even wider range of applications, many kinds of knots have been developed. There are few people who know how to tie sophisticated or complex knots. Lacking that knowledge, often what results when called to the task of tying knots are either knots inadequate to secure a load or knots that are difficult or impossible to untie.
Efforts to solve this dilemma have resulted in a variety of devices. Some of these devices completely circumvent the need for knots but typically are single function devices quite limited in application and often unable to adjust to varying load conditions. An example would be spring-loaded cinching devices for cords such as U.S. Pat. No. 6,038,746 to Anscher et al. (2000). These types of devices are targeted for use on stuff sacks, luggage, and outer wear; and they are not intended to be load-bearing devices. Other single function devices are rope tighteners such as U.S. Pat. No. 3,874,638 to Langlie et al. (1975) and lock-to-line devices such as U.S. Pat. No. 5,463,797 to Laug et al. (1995). These kinds of devices are niche devices targeted for very specific applications.
In rope securing devices that are intended as general usage load-bearing devices, some form of jam cleat, also known as a wedge cleat or boat cleat, often is used. Examples include U.S. Pat. No. 7,428,769 B2 to Fontaine, Maire (2008); U.S. Pat. No. 6,094,783 to Parsons (2000); U.S. Pat. No. 5,519,921 to Templer, Jr. (1996); and U.S. Pat. No. 4,719,668 to Cavanagh (1988). These items are designed for single rope usage or at best a loop device for a single rope, and require either access to the end of the rope on the non load-bearing side of the device or require removal of the load from the rope and the device in order to release the rope from the device.
Another technique often used for knot replacement is the "tortuous path" technique that usually involves a redirecting or rerouting of the rope through a device. Examples of this style would include U.S. Pat. No. 4,414,712 to Beggins (1983); U.S. Pat. No. 5,477,800 to Lawrence (1995); and U.S. Pat. No. 5,193,252 to Svehaug. Again, they require access to one end of the rope or require a fairly involved install process, are bulky in size, and often are intended to be left in place on a rope.
Other devices have been designed that attempt to incorporate more than one technique in terms of rope restraining features. Examples would be U.S. Pat. No. 2,450,358 to Romano (1945); and U.S. Pat. No. 7,464,443 B2 to Lopes Praca (2008). These devices can be awkward, bulky, or can even catch or snag on surrounding elements and, hence, are not suited for storage with the line such as in the case of a rolled up rain fly or back packing tent.
None of the devices truly replicate the multiplicity in function or the compactness in size afforded through the use of knots.

Device for securing rope in multiple configurations and process of using the same


A method of removing pessimism in static timing analysis is described. Delays are expressed as a function of discrete parameter settings allowing for both local and global variation to be taken in to account. Based on a specified target slack, each failing timing test is examined to determine a consistent set of parameter settings which produces the worst possible slack. The analysis is performed on a path basis. By considering only parameters which are in common to a particular data/clock path-pair, the number of process combinations that need to be explored is reduced when compared to analyzing all combinations of the global parameter settings. Further, if parameters are separable and linear, worst-case variable assignments for a particular clock/data path pair can be computed in linear time by independently assigning each parameter value. In addition, if available, the incremental delay change with respect to each physically realizable process variable may be used to project the worst-case variable assignment on a per-path basis without the need for performing explicit corner enumeration.

The invention is related to the field of Electronic Design Automation, and more specifically, to a method of reducing pessimism in static timing analysis when considering variation effects on the circuit delay.
Static timing is used widely in order to verify the timing of digital integrated circuit designs by calculating delays and propagating signal arrival times to determine the interval in which signals will be stable within a single clock cycle. In particular, for internal storage elements, the latest (earliest) arrival time data propagated along a data path is compared against the earliest (latest) arrival time propagated along a clock path to identify potential setup (hold) violations. The difference between the data and clock path arrival times, including the setup or hold time of the sequential element is referred to as 'slack.' This difference is computed so that a negative slack value signals a timing violation. For a setup constraint, if the minimum (or early) clock arrival time minus the maximum (or late) data arrival time is negative, the data may still become unstable following the occurrence of a clock transition, thus preventing the correct data from being stored in the storage element. Similarly, for a hold constraint, if the minimum (or early) data arrival time minus the maximum (or late) clock arrival time is negative, the data may still become unstable before the occurrence of a clock transition, again preventing the correct data from being stored in the storage element. The comparison of two timing values (generally early and late) converging at a circuit element (e.g., a latch) is referred to as a timing test.
Circuit delays may be affected by a wide variety of parameters, broadly categorized as either manufacturing (either front or back end of line), environmental (e.g., voltage, temperature), reliability (e.g., transistor performance degradation over product lifetime), or model uncertainty (e.g., on a cell-type basis). As critical process dimensions continue to shrink, timing variability increases as a fraction of the overall design cycle time. In addition, new technology features, such as the ability to independently scale voltages for different subsections of the design for power management purposes, increase the number of independent parameters that need to be considered to achieve an accurate timing analysis. Also, the increase in the fraction of wire delay along critical paths makes the variability of each metal layer essential to consider.
In general, it is not possible to determine a priori which combination of parameter settings will produce the most critical timing. Furthermore, delays may not be monotonic in all parameters, so that for different paths across a chip, different parameter assignments may be required to generate the latest (earliest) possible path delays. For example, when considering variability in wire thickness, it is assumed that thin wires generally create the latest arrival time for wire-delay dominated paths due to increased wire resistance, whereas paths which are gate-delay dominated will typically exhibit longer delays when thick wiring is considered, due to increased wire capacitance loading of gates.
Existing design automation tools and methodologies require an exhaustive search of all possible parameter combinations in order to guarantee a true worst-case coverage. However, given the increasing number of independent parameters that have a significant impact on delay, such an approach is fast becoming impractical.
One alternative to this exhaustive analysis is to bound the problem by computing late delays/arrival times assuming the slowest possible conditions, and simultaneously assuming the fastest conditions for early delays/arrival times. This is called a "bounding method" or a "bounded timing analysis, and the early and late delays and the parameters used in their computation within the analysis are called "bounded" values. While this guarantees worst-case coverage (i.e., that all potential timing errors will be detected) without the need for multiple analyses, such an approach typically leads to overly pessimistic results since correlation is not properly accounted for. By way of example, for internal timing constraints, it can easily lead to comparing a late mode data path which assumes, for instance, a low supply voltage, against an early mode clock path where a high supply voltage was assumed. If the design only contains a single power supply source, the assumption is deemed to be inconsistent and pessimistic since the circuits cannot operate simultaneously at two different power supply voltages (Note: this example ignores across-chip IR drop effects.) The over-conservative nature of bounding techniques often precludes their practical use, forcing circuit designers to explicitly perform multiple analyses as described above.
In the special case where the clock and data paths share common circuits, a method of removing the common path pessimism is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,636,372 to D. J. Hathaway et al., "Network timing analysis method which eliminates timing variations between signals traversing a common circuit path," which reduces the pessimism of the bounding method by tracing the paths contributing to a failing test, i.e., one having a negative slack, and adding to that slack the difference between the bounding early and late mode delays of cells in the common portion of the path. However, the method described cannot remove pessimism due to paths that do not physically share the same cells, but which are dependent on the same underlying varying parameters.

System and method for correlated process pessimism removal for static timing analysis

International Business Machines Corporation


A method and apparatus are disclosed for reducing transmission of force from a base structure to a supported structure. The method includes mounting a plurality of dampers between the base structure and the supported structure. Each damper includes a single damping element having at least two contact arms affixed to either the base structure or the supported structure. Damping of forces is achieved by each damper in multiple orthogonal directions. The base structure is mounted to a transportation vehicle. The supported structure includes equipment mounted on a floating platform.

Certain embodiments of the present invention relate to reducing forces transmitted from one structure to another. More particularly, certain embodiments of the present invention relate to reducing forces transmitted to a diagnostic medical system during shipment.
Diagnostic medical systems, such as a diagnostic X-ray system having a large C-arm, are complex, large, heavy, and expensive systems that need to be protected from damage due to shock and vibration during shipment. Units are typically shipped all around the world in vehicles experiencing various road conditions.
Various packaging systems and methods have been used in shipping medical systems. For example, one method includes mounting the medical system directly onto a wooden base with the chassis of the system elevated and supported on wooden strips. Another method includes sandwiching expanded polyurethane (EP) foam between two layers of plywood and mounting the system on the top layer. The two methods typically do not provide the required isolation from shock and vibration. Other methods include using a high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pallet with the system mounted on the pallet. The tooling cost and per unit production cost of the HDPE pallet often prove to be prohibitive, however.
Some methods include using relatively sophisticated isolators incorporated into relatively sophisticated configurations. For example, a method described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,808,866 to Porter describes having isolators mounted between a case and a card cage within the case. U.S. Pat. No. 5,149,066 Snaith, et al. describes an isolator having a plurality of arched elements arranged circumferentially about an axis between two structures. U.S. Pat. No. 4,269,400 to Jensen describes an isolator having a plurality of concentrically-arranged, nested, bell-shaped components stacked in parallel about a common axis. U.S. Pat. No. 4,783,038 to Gilbert, et al. describes an isolator with flexural support element pairs being located and offset in planes at acute angles from the horizontal defined by a base means.
The methods and systems described above tend to be complex, expensive, and/or inadequate for reducing shock and vibration. For example, the isolators described above have multiple damping elements arranged in complex configurations.
A need exists for a simple damper with a single damping element capable of providing resistance to shock and vibration forces in multiple orthogonal spatial directions. A need also exists for a relatively simple packaging system that uses a plurality of the simple dampers in a simple configuration.

Method and apparatus for reducing force transmitted from a base structure to a supported structure

GE Medical Systems Global Technology Company, LLC


An object of the invention is to provide a heat exchanger (radiator) or a cooling module having the radiator and a condenser, which has a higher rigidity against vibration in the vertical direction. To the end, the radiator or the cooling module is mounted to a vehicle by mounting brackets, which are fixed to the radiator tanks at their vertical ends. The mounting brackets have mounting pins, with which the radiator or the cooling module is mounted to the vehicle.

It is known in the art, for example, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 2003-65694, that a heat exchanger comprises a core portion having multiple tubes and fins, which are alternately stacked in a vertical direction, a pair of reinforcing elements (side plates) provided at both vertical sides of the core portion, and mounting brackets fixed to the reinforcing elements for mounting the heat exchanger into an engine compartment of a vehicle.
In the above prior art, the mounting bracket has a U-shape in its cross-section and opening to the reinforcing elements. A projection is formed on a flat bottom portion (first wall portion) of the mounting bracket. The mounting bracket has a pair of downwardly bent wall portions (second wall portions) formed with multiple mounting holes. Multiple mounting bolts are inserted through the mounting holes and fixing holes formed in the reinforcing elements, to fix the mounting brackets to the reinforcing elements by screwing the mounting bolts.
In this prior art, a lower rigidity portion (thin-walled portion) is formed in the mounting bracket adjacent to the mounting holes, so that the pair of the second wall portions are easily bent inwardly toward the reinforcing elements without a large screwing force. As a result, the second wall portions become in contact with the reinforcing elements and the mounting brackets are firmly fixed to the reinforcing elements.
When a vibration in the vertical direction is applied to the heat exchanger from the vehicle, the reinforcing elements as well as tubes and fins (which are horizontally extending) of the prior art are likely to be bent in the vertical direction. And stress generating at the reinforcing elements, at which the mounting brackets are fixed, becomes larger. As a result, it is necessary in the prior art, to form the reinforcing elements having a higher rigidity.

Heat exchanger and cooling module having the same


Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for optimizing a plan for one or more robots using a process definition graph. One of the methods includes receiving a process definition graph for a robot, the process definition graph having a plurality of action nodes. One or more of the action nodes are motion nodes that represent a motion to be taken by the robot from a respective start location to an end location. It is determined that a motion node satisfies one or more splitting criteria, and in response to determining that the motion node satisfies the one or more splitting criteria, the process definition graph is modified. Modifying the process definition graph includes splitting the motion node into two or more separate motion nodes whose respective paths can be scheduled independently.

This specification relates to robotics, and more particularly for planning robotic movements.
Robotics planning refers to scheduling the physical movements of robots in order to perform a particular task. For example, an industrial robot that builds cars can be programmed to first pick up a car part and then weld the car part onto the frame of the car. Each of these actions can themselves include dozens or hundreds of individual movements by robot motors and actuators.
Robotics planning has traditionally required immense amounts of manual programming in order to meticulously dictate how the robotic components should move in order to accomplish a particular task. Manual programming is tedious, time-consuming, and error prone. In addition, a schedule that is manually generated for one workcell can generally not be used for other workcells. In this specification, a workcell is the physical environment in which a robot will operate. Workcells have particular physical properties, e.g., physical dimensions, that impose constraints on how robots can move within the workcell. Thus, a manually programmed schedule for one workcell may be incompatible with a workcell having different robots, a different number of robots, or different physical dimensions.
In many industrial robotics applications, the primary success or failure criteria of a schedule is the time it takes to complete a task. For example, at a welding station in a car assembly line, the time it takes for robots to complete welds on each car is a critical aspect of overall throughput of the factory. When using manual programming, it is often difficult or impossible to predict how long the resulting schedule will take to complete the task.

Splitting transformers for robotics planning


A system and method is disclosed for updating the universal time within a GPS enable device in real-time and utilizing that corrected time to improve upon pseudorange calculations in the GPS devices. A time shim is introduced to correct outlier time values and provide improved pseudorange calculations to the device operating system, as well as draw upon various predictive smoothing methods of timestamp and position data to improve GPS location values. The improved GPS data is then provided to a location services process running on the device in an expected format and timing such that the operating system is unaware that the prior application interface of the system has been circumvented.

The Global Positioning System ("GPS") is a U.S.-owned utility that provides users with positioning, navigation, and timing services. This system consists of three segments: the space segment, the control segment, and the user segment. The U.S. Air Force develops, maintains, and operates the space and control segments.
As with the Internet, GPS has emerged as an essential element of the global information infrastructure. Thousands of applications affecting every aspect of modern life utilize GPS technology, from cell phones and PDA's, to bulldozers, shipping containers, and ATM's. In particular, hand-held PDA based tools have emerged as economical location and navigation tools available to everyday consumers, making accurate geo-positioning common place. And, GPS remains critical to U.S. national security with GPS devices integrated into virtually every facet of U.S. military operations. Nearly all new military assets—from vehicles to munitions—come equipped with GPS capability. Hence, GPS remains critical to U.S. national security.
GPS consists of three primary segments: a space segment, a control segment, and a user segment. The U.S. Air Force develops, maintains, and operates the space and control segments. The user segment is essentially the users of the GPS system. GPS satellites broadcast signals from space, and each GPS receiver (e.g. a cell phone or PDA) uses these signals to calculate its three-dimensional location (latitude, longitude, and altitude) and the current time. The space segment is composed of 24 to 32 satellites in medium Earth orbit and also includes the payload adapters to the boosters required to launch them into orbit. The control segment includes a master control station, an alternate master control station, and a host of dedicated and shared ground antennas and monitor stations.
The user segment is composed of hundreds of thousands of U.S. and allied military users of the secure GPS Precise Positioning Service ("PPS") and tens of millions of civil, commercial, and scientific users of the Standard Positioning Service. The Standard Positioning Service is less precise than the military PPS, but the PPS has limited accessibility.
A critical hardware component in utilizing GPS is a GPS receiver. The receiver calculates its position on the Earth by precisely timing signals sent by GPS satellites positioned in their orbits above and around the Earth. Each satellite continually transmits messages that include (1) the time the message was transmitted; and (2) satellite position at time of message transmission. The receiver hardware uses the messages it receives to determine the transit time of each message and computes the distance to each satellite using the speed of light. Each of these distances and satellite locations define a sphere. The receiver is on the surface of each of these spheres when the distances and the satellite locations are correct. These distances and satellite locations are used to compute the location of the receiver using well known navigation equations. This location information is then provided to a location services application which, in turn, provides this information to any other applications running on the device that is (typically) physically combined with the receiver that have a need for the location information. For example, the location information might be utilized by a simple display application to display the location in terms of latitude and longitude coordinates on the device's display, or an application might display a location icon on a moving map display, or an application might provide elevation information to a user of the device. Many GPS devices, such as cell phones and PDAs, use the location information to calculate and show more refined information such as compass heading and speed of the device which can be calculated from position changes over time of the device. Banking ATMs also rely on GPS information for providing accurate time-stamps of financial transactions, such as the dispensing of cash. So, as can be understood, a myriad of applications running a plethora of devices would be requesting and obtaining location information from the receiver at any moment during the operation of the device.
GPS receivers operate on a "line-of-sight" methodology, and at least four or more satellites must be visible to the device to obtain accurate location results. Four sphere surfaces typically do not intersect, but provide enough information to solve the navigation equations with fairly high level of confidence to calculate the position of the receiver and the current time. Most applications only use the location information, and bypass the time information.
For a complete understanding of the hereto-be-described invention, some additional knowledge of how GPS works is necessary. The navigational signals transmitted by GPS satellites are transmitted on two separate carrier frequencies that are common to all satellites in the network. Two different encodings are used: (1) a public encoding that enables lower resolution navigation, and (2) an encrypted encoding used by the U.S. military (i.e. the PPS mentioned above). GPS satellites generate "messages" having a number of "subframes", containing the following information: (1) a clock timestamp, (2) an "ephemeris" (the precise satellite orbit from the transmitting satellite), and (3) an "almanac" (satellite network synopsis and error correction information). Each GPS satellite continuously broadcasts a navigation message on a channel referred to as L1—C/A, L2—P/Y, each transmitted at a rate of 50 bits per second. Each complete message is transmitted in 1500 bits and takes 750 seconds to transmit a complete message. Each message is tied to specific timing of the satellite clock as well as transmitting the exact time as part of the message. In order to obtain an accurate satellite location from the transmitted message, the receiver must demodulate the message for at least 18 to 30 seconds. In order to collect all the transmitted almanacs the receiver must demodulate the message for 732 to 750 seconds or 121/2 minutes.
All satellites broadcast at the same frequencies and are encoded using code division multiple access or "CDMA," which allows for messages from individual satellites to be distinguished from each other based on unique encodings for each satellite. Five frequencies are used in GPS, but for most consumers of GPS only the first, L1, is used. The frequency of L1 is 1575.42 MHz and L2 is 1227.60 MHz. Another signal L3 is broadcast at 1381.05 MHz and is used for nuclear detonation detection; a further signal L4 is broadcast at 1379.913 MHz and is used to assist with ionospheric correction; and the last L5 broadcasts at 1176.45 MHz and is used for civilian safety-of-life signal. The satellite network uses a CDMA spread-spectrum technique where the low-bitrate message data is encoded with a high-rate pseudo-random ("PRN") sequence that is different for each satellite. Every GPS receiver is built with knowledge of the PRN codes for each satellite in order to complete its location calculations.
As mentioned above, a GPS receiver uses messages received from satellites to determine the satellite positions and time sent. The x, y, and z components of satellite position and the time sent are designated as [xi, yi, zi, ti] where the subscript i denotes the satellite and has the value 1, 2, . . . , n, where n≧4. When the time of message reception indicated by the on-board clock is tr, the true reception time is tr+b where b is receiver's clock bias (i.e., clock delay). The message's transit time is tr+b−ti. Assuming the message traveled at the speed of light, c, the distance traveled is (tr+b−ti)c. Knowing the distance from receiver to satellite and the satellite's position implies that the receiver is on the surface of a sphere centered at the satellite's position. Thus the receiver is at or near the intersection of the surfaces of the spheres. In the ideal case of no errors, the receiver is at the intersection of the surfaces of the spheres. The clock error or bias, b, is the amount that the receiver's clock is off. The receiver has four unknowns, the three components of GPS receiver position and the clock bias [x, y, z, b]. As are known, the equations of the sphere surfaces are given by:(x−xi)2+(y−yi)2+(z−zi)2=([tr+b−ti]c)2, i=1,2, . . . ,n
or in terms of "pseudoranges," pi=(tr−ti)c, aspi=√{square root over ((x−xi)2+(y−yi)2+(z−zi)2)}{square root over ((x−xi)2+(y−yi)2+(z−zi)2)}{square root over ((x−xi)2+(y−yi)2+(z−zi)2)}−bc, i=1,2, . . . ,n. These equations can be solved by algebraic or numerical methods, such as Bancroft's method, trilateration, or Multidimensional Newton-Raphson calculations.
UTC or "Universal Time Coordinated," referred to in English speaking countries as Coordinated Universal Time, is the accepted standard by which most of the world regulates timestamps, clocks, and network computing. For example, Network Time Protocol ("NTP") was designed to synchronize the clocks of computers over the Internet and encodes times using the UTC system. The UTC standard was officially adopted in 1961 by the International Radio Consultative Committee with the efforts of several national time laboratories. UTC is based on International Atomic Time (TAI), a time standard calculated using a weighted average of signals from atomic clocks located in national laboratories around the world. UTC differs from TAI only in that leap seconds are added to the time to match Earth's orbital rotation. Almost all time zones around the world are expressed as positive or negative offsets from UTC, and GPS satellites set their precise internal clocks derived from UTC.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology ("NIST") develops technologies, measurement methods and standards that help U.S. companies compete in the global marketplace. Congress created NIST in 1901 at the start of the industrial revolution to provide the measurement and standards needed to resolve and prevent disputes over trade and to encourage standardization. NIST also maintains the official US time as UTC(NIST), which is the coordinated universal time scale maintained at NIST. The UTC-(NIST) time scale comprises an ensemble of cesium beam and hydrogen maser atomic clocks, which are regularly calibrated by the NIST primary frequency standard. The number of clocks in the time scale varies, but is typically around ten. The outputs of the clocks are combined into a single signal by using a weighted average. The most stable clocks are assigned the most weight. The clocks in the UTC-(NIST) time scale also contribute to the TAI and UTC as part of the world average, upon which GPS satellites rely. UTC-(NIST) serves as a national standard for frequency, time interval, and time-of-day. It is distributed through the NIST time and frequency services and continuously compared to the time and frequency standards located around the world.
While most clocks are synchronized directly to UTC, the atomic clocks on the satellites are set to GPS time. The difference is that GPS time is not corrected to match the rotation of the Earth, so it does not contain leap seconds or other corrections that are periodically added to UTC. GPS time was set to match UTC in 1980, but has since diverged. The lack of corrections means that GPS time remains at a constant offset with TAI (e.g. TAI−GPS=19 seconds), and the GPS navigation message includes the difference between GPS time and UTC.
Periodic corrections are performed on the satellite on-board clocks to keep them synchronized with ground clocks. As of July 2012, GPS time is 16 seconds ahead of UTC because of the leap second added to UTC Jun. 30, 2012. GPS receivers subtract this offset from GPS time to calculate UTC and specific time zone values. The GPS-UTC offset field can accommodate 255 leap seconds (eight bits) that, given the current period of the Earth's rotation (with one leap second introduced approximately every 18 months), should be sufficient to last until approximately the year 2300.
Since the advent of GPS, relatively precise time stamps are available from commercial GPS receivers. Since GPS receiver functions by precisely measuring the transit time of signals received from several satellites, precise timing is fundamental to an accurate GPS location. As indicated above, the time from an atomic clock on board each satellite is encoded into the radio signal, and the receiver determines the time transit for each received the signal. To do this, a local clock in a GPS device is corrected to the GPS atomic clock time by solving for three dimensions and time based on four or more satellite signals and updating its own clock time. Improvements in GPS processing algorithms lead many modern low cost GPS receivers to achieve better than 10 meter accuracy, which implies a timing accuracy of about 30 ns, and GPS-based laboratory time references routinely achieve 10 ns precision. Hence, GPS enabled devices have access to precise time and can, therefore, generate their own accurate timestamps for processing transactions.
As accurate as GPS can be, many factors exist to degrade the accuracy of GPS calculations. For example, atmospheric variances (temperature and pressure variances at differing altitudes and locations) can cause inaccuracies in the signal reception time, and objects may interrupt message transmissions since GPS reception is line-of-sight dependent. So, GPS receivers use a plethora of techniques, to improve on the accuracy of its location calculations. One technique is receiver autonomous integrity monitoring or "RAIM." RAIM detects faults within GPS pseudorange measurements, specifically, when more satellites are available than needed to produce a position fix, some pseudoranges that differ significantly from a statistically expected value, referred to by the statistical label of an "outlier," are excluded from the position calculations in the receiver to improve location precision. In some instances these outlier situations are caused by satellite signal integrity problems, like ionospheric dispersion, or signal interference, or errors in orbital path expectations. Traditional RAIM uses fault detection to provide a notice of a fault to the user, or provide exclusion situations to the receiver to enable the receiver to continue to operate in the presence of a GPS failure. The exclusion test is a statistic function of the pseudorange measurement residual (i.e. the difference between the expected measurement and the observed measurement). The statistic is compared with an error threshold value to determine if an actual fault has occurred and then position calculations are adjusted based upon curtained time limited exclusion rules. Hence, when RAIM is integrated into a GPS receiver, GPS satellite availability is based upon performance factors in calculating a position of the receiver.
Another technique is "differential correction." Differential correction techniques are used to enhance the quality of location data gathered to determine the receiver's position. The differential correction can be applied in real-time directly in the receiver's location processing or, after the fact, with post processing in a laboratory of office environment. The underlying idea of differential GPS is that any two receivers that are relatively close together will experience similar atmospheric errors. If a second GPS receiver is set up on a precisely known location that GPS receiver can act as a base or reference station to the first GPS receiver (aka the "roving" receiver). The base station receives the same GPS signals as the roving receiver but instead of working like a normal GPS receiver it uses its known position to calculate timing with the equations backwards. The base station calculates the travel time of the GPS signals to what they should be, and compares it with what they actually are. The difference is an "error correction" factor, and the receiver transmits this error information to the roving receiver so it can use it to correct its measurements, which allows the roving receiver to correct its own calculations in real-time. By this process, virtually any GPS receiver with a known precise location can be utilized as a base station, as long as a high-speed broadband Internet connection is available between the receivers so that the error correction information can be transmitted. For example, a cell tower, a Wi-Fi access point, or a radio beacon call all be used as base station for a GPS enabled device.
Satellite orbital geometry can also affect the accuracy of GPS positioning and can magnify or lessen other GPS errors. This effect is called Geometric Dilution of Precision (GDOP). GDOP refers to where the satellites are in relation to one another, and is a measure of the quality of the satellite position. The wider the angle between satellites, the better the measurement. Many GPS receivers have the ability to selectively utilize signals from satellites that provide the best certainty of information based upon this idea.
GPS receivers usually report the quality of satellite geometry in terms of Position Dilution of Precision, or PDOP. PDOP refers to horizontal (HDOP) and vertical (VDOP) measurements (latitude, longitude and altitude). A low DOP indicates a higher probability of accuracy, and a high DOP indicates a lower probability of accuracy. A PDOP of 4 or less is excellent, a PDOP between 5 AND 8 is acceptable, and a PDOP of 9 or greater is poor. Another term you may encounter is TDOP, or Time Dilution of Precision. TDOP refers to satellite clock offset. On some GPS receivers you can set a parameter known as the PDOP mask. This will cause the receiver to ignore satellite configurations that have a PDOP higher than the limit you specify and, in theory, improve position accuracy.
Another method used to improve location accuracy is carrier phase tracking. A GPS receiver determines the travel time of a signal from a satellite by comparing the "pseudo random code" it generates, with an identical code in the signal from the satellite. The receiver translates this code pattern back in time until the pattern becomes synchronized with the transmitted satellite code. The amount of translation time required to synchronize the two codes equals the signal's travel time, which is done for each satellite continuously. However, bits (or cycles) of the pseudo random code are relatively wide apart so that even when the codes are synchronized several meters of inaccuracy can remain in calculating a position.
A solution to this inaccuracy is called carrier phase tracking. The period of the GPS carrier frequency multiplied by the speed of light gives the wavelength, which is about 0.19 meters for the L1 carrier. Carrier phase tracking enabled receivers enhance the accuracy of time calculations between the receiver and the satellite by using pseudo random code synchronization to a point and then make further refined measurements based on phase variances using the carrier frequency for that code. The L1 carrier frequency is much higher than the random code frequency so its pulses are much closer together and therefore more accurate. Accuracy within 1% of wavelength in detecting the leading edge of the carrier will reduce the pseudorange code error to as little as 2 millimeters.
However, even given all of the augmentation technology and sophistication of GPS, many conventional geo-positioning systems still suffer from inaccuracy because, their onboard chipset clocks are not accurate enough to be able provide precise geo-positioning calculations. Even when these chipsets are corrected using calculations from signals received from the GPS satellites, their accuracy inhibits the level of precision required by many emerging software applications. Further, the same situation can occur with base stations as discussed above and limit the value of differential error data. Moreover, without sufficient timestamp precision, variations in GPS satellite time data cannot be verified and inaccurate satellite GPS data cannot be excluded as per a RAIM technique.
Hence, what is needed is a process for updating a universal timestamp in a GPS enabled device in real-time and utilize that time stamp to enhance the precision of GPS calculations in the GPS enable device while utilizing commercially standard clock hardware.

System and method for improving GPS accuracy in a device by utilizing increased time stamp accuracy


Automatically notifying, in response to an event associated with a particular server and/or application on a network, only appropriate person(s) such as, for example, only the IT member(s) responsible for supporting the server and/or application. The work schedules and the work schedule exceptions of one or more persons may be taken into account when determining whom to notify of an event on a network. Event information may be received. In response, subscription information for a plurality of subscribers may be accessed, which may include any of: one or more applications for which the subscriber is responsible; one or more servers for which the subscriber is responsible; a work schedule of the subscriber for receiving notifications, and one or more exceptions to this schedule. At least one subscriber may be selected by comparing this information to the event information, and a notification may be sent to the at least one subscriber.

Efficiently utilizing Information Technology (IT) resources (e.g., personnel) of a business enterprise is becoming increasingly difficult, as the organizational structure of enterprises and supporting network infrastructures become more complex. As used herein, a "network" is a group of two or more network elements interconnected by one or more segments of transmission media on which communications may be exchanged between the elements. Each segment may be any of a plurality of types of transmission media, including one or more electrical or optical wires or cables made of metal and/or optical fiber, air (e.g., using wireless transmission over carrier waves) or any combination of these transmission media. As used herein, "plurality" means two or more. It should be appreciated that a network may be as simple as two network elements connected by a single wire, bus, wireless connection or other type of segments. Further, it should be appreciated that when a network is illustrated in a drawing herein as being connected to an element in the drawing, the connected element itself is considered part of the network.
Business enterprises often have several business units such as, for example, finance, accounting, sales, human resources, research and development (R&D), customer support, etc., and each business unit may have its own server(s) on the enterprise's network. Each business unit also may have one or more proprietary applications (e.g., that run on it's own servers), including monitoring applications residing at different layers of the server architecture such as, for example, hardware, firmware, and software applications. Further, one or more of the business units may employ their own IT group (e.g., operations staff), where each group member has technical expertise with respect to the servers and/or applications of the business unit.
When problems arise with a business unit's application or server such as, for example, software errors and/or hardware errors or failures, the appropriate IT member needs to be notified so the problem can be addressed. Some enterprises still rely, at least in part, on manual notification of problems, where a user contacts one or more IT group members by telephone, e-mail, pager or otherwise. Obvious drawbacks to manual notification are the unreliability of users to learn of a problem and/or report it to the IT group, and the inherent delays and consumption of user resources in relying on users to do so.
For these reasons, many enterprises have turned to automated notification systems that automatically detect problems as "events" and notify IT members of these events. However, known automated notification systems typically do not account for the complexities of today's business enterprises and the networks that support them. For example, when a problem with a server or an application running on a server is discovered, known systems do not consider the business unit(s) responsible for the application or server when generating notifications. As a result, notifications are generated and sent to IT personnel irrespective of whether the IT personnel are responsible for supporting (or have expertise with respect to) the server or application. For example, in response to a sales group's SQL server crashing, a notification system may send notifications of the failure to IT personnel (e.g., members of the R&D, accounting and human resources IT groups) other than those employed by and/or responsible for the sales department (e.g., the sales department's IT group). These other IT personnel may disregard the notification (e.g., treat it as a sort of "spam") or perhaps coordinate with the appropriate IT group members to respond to the notification. In either case, IT personnel time is wasted, such that the Enterprise's IT resources are inefficiently utilized.

Automatically targeting notifications about events on a network to appropriate persons


A method of removing a noise artifact from a video frame captured from a composite NTSC video signal is disclosed. The captured video frame is stored in a first buffer and includes a first plurality of pixels forming a first interlaced video field and a second plurality of pixels forming a second interlaced video field. For each interlaced field, a first pixel element is accessed from the first buffer, it is then determined whether the first pixel element is associated with an artifact in the video frame based on values of a first number of pixel elements including a value of the first pixel element. An adjusted value of the first pixel element is calculated based on values of a second plurality of pixel elements including the value of the first pixel element when the first pixel element is associated with an artifact in the video frame. The adjusted value of the first pixel element is stored in a second buffer when the first pixel element is associated with an artifact in the video frame to generate a filtered video frame. Otherwise, the value of the first pixel element is stored in the second buffer. Thereafter, the filtered video frame can be accessed from the second buffer and then displayed on a progressive monitor, printed on a printer, or inserted into an electronic document, etc.

The present invention relates to the video processing system art. It finds particular application in conjunction with a method and apparatus for removing a checkerboard-like noise artifact from a captured composite NTSC video frame. However, it should be appreciated that the present invention may also find application in conjunction with other types of video processing systems and applications that input composite NTSC video signals.
The NTSC video standard is used in the United States and Japan. This standard specifies a signal transmission at 525 scanning lines per video frame transmitted at a rate of 30 frames per second. Each video frame consists of two interlaced fields F1 and F2 that alternate at 60 times per second. The composite NTSC video signal can be represented as:
u(x,y,t)=Y(x,y,t)+I(x,y,t) cos(2xcfx80fsx+"PHgr") cos[xcfx80(frtxe2x88x92f1y)]+Q(x,y,t) sin(2xcfx80fsx+"PHgr")cos[xcfx80(frtxe2x88x92f1y)],xe2x80x83xe2x80x83Eq. 1
where Y and (I, Q) are the luminance and the chrominance components, respectively; fs is the color subcarrier frequency; and f1 an fr are the scan line and the frame frequencies, respectively.
Capturing still or freeze-frame pictures from a composite NTSC video signal for viewing on a progressive monitor, printing on a printer, inserting into an electronic document, etc. is a challenging problem in the area of video processing. Artifacts that may go unnoticed when looking at a moving video signal become extremely objectionable when viewing as a still picture.
In particular, when a composite NTSC video signal is captured, such as with a SUN Parallax video capture board, a checkerboard-like noise artifact can be observed on the vertical and diagonal edges in the captured video frame. The checkerboard-like artifact occurs in each of the interlaced fields (F1, F2) of the captured video frame. It is suggested that the checkerboard-like noise artifact may be a result of the quadrature demodulation and the corresponding chrominance shifts due to phase detection errors combined with the aliasing caused by the sampling of the color components during the process of A/D conversion.
Accordingly, it has been considered desirable to develop a new and improved method and apparatus for removing checkerboard-like noise artifact from a captured composite NTSC video frame that meets the above-stated needs and overcomes the foregoing difficulties and others while providing better and more advantageous results.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a method of removing an artifact from a video frame captured from a moving video signal is disclosed. The video frame includes of a plurality of pixel elements stored in a buffer. The method includes the steps of a) determining whether a first pixel element is associated with an artifact in the video frame; and b) adjusting the first pixel element based on at least a second pixel element if it is determined that the first pixel element is associated with an artifact in the video frame.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a method of processing a video frame captured from a moving video signal is disclosed. The video frame includes a plurality of pixel elements stored in a first buffer. The method includes the steps of a) accessing a first pixel element from the first buffer; b) determining whether the first pixel element is associated with an artifact in the video frame based on values of a first plurality of pixel elements including a value of the first pixel element; c) determining an adjusted value of the first pixel element based on values of a second plurality of pixel elements including the value of the first pixel element when the first pixel element is associated with an artifact in the video frame; d) storing the adjusted value of the first pixel element in a second buffer when the first pixel element is associated with an artifact in the video frame, otherwise storing the value of the first pixel element in the second buffer; and e) repeating steps a)-d) for a plurality of pixel elements associated with the video frame to generate a filtered video frame in the second buffer.
In yet another embodiment of the present invention a method of processing a video frame captured from a moving video signal is disclosed. The video frame includes a first plurality of pixels forming a first interlaced video field and a second plurality of pixels forming a second interlaced video field. The method includes the steps of a) determining whether a first pixel of the first field is associated with an artifact in the video frame; b) adjusting the first pixel of the first field based on at least a second pixel of the first field if it is determined that the first pixel of the first field is associated with an artifact in the video frame; c) determining whether a first pixel of the second field is associated with an artifact in the video frame; and d) adjusting the first pixel of the second field based on at least a second pixel of the second field if it is determined that the first pixel of the second field is associated with an artifact in the video frame.
One advantage of the present invention is the provision of a new method for removing a checkerboard-like noise artifact from a captured composite NTSC video frame without blurring the edges of images within the video frame.
Another advantage of the present invention is the provision of an improved method for removing a checkerboard-like noise artifact from a captured composite NTSC video frame without blurring the edges of images within the video frame.
Yet another advantage of the present invention is the provision of a new apparatus for removing a checkerboard-like noise artifact from a captured composite NTSC video frame without blurring the edges of images within the video frame.
Still another advantage of the present invention is the provision of an improved apparatus for removing a checkerboard-like noise artifact from a captured composite NTSC video frame without blurring the edges of images within the video frame.
Still further advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading and understanding the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment.

Method for removing a checkerboard-like noise artifact from a captured composite NTSC video frame


A predictive architecture system and method that supports predicting likely future evolutions by aggregating and analyzing large amounts of data. The invented system includes a multi-level architecture, along with one or more feedback functions that drive search and discovery for information in support of a “hypothesis” or discovery of significant information in advance of clear hypothesis formation and passing on higher-level predictive support or lack of support for existing and/or new hypotheses.

The present invention relates generally to the field of predictive analysis ("PA"). Specifically, the present invention relates to a predictive architecture system and method for predicting likely future evolutions by aggregating and analyzing large amounts of data.
Predictive analysis capabilities are those that support an analyst's or organization's ability to generate hypotheses and create forward-looking predictions at both the strategic and tactical levels of analysis. The realm of predictive analysis requires a set of capabilities that go beyond straightforward search, data mining, and knowledge extraction methods. This is because predictive analysis seeks to model how persons (either individuals or organizations) act over time to accomplish a desired goal.
Predictive Analytics is a term used for analytical methods, typically operating on either structured or streaming data, generating next-state estimations. These methods could range from state vector estimation (e.g., Kalman filtering) to trend analysis and other forecasting methods.

System and method for predictive analysis and predictive analysis markup language


An optical modulator includes a rib; and a slab interconnected to both sides of the rib; wherein the rib is dimensioned relative to the slab to support guiding of a Transverse Magnetic (TM) mode with a main lobe that propagates orthogonal to the slab and with the main lobe substantially excluded from the slab. The rib guides wavelengths in an infrared range in the TM mode. A height of the rib, relative to the slab, is about half of a width of the rib, between the slab.

As known in the art, SiP utilizes silicon as an optical medium with silicon patterned, with sub-μm precision, into photonic components. The operation is at wavelengths in the infrared range, usually around 1550 nm which is used by most optical communication systems. Silicon-based modulators are widely used in optical communication systems. It is well known in the art that silicon modulators can be based on the use of a PN junction in a rib waveguide. Such a waveguide is formed by providing a thick silicon waveguide core region (200 to 250 nm thick, for example) surrounded by a thin slab (around 100 nm thick, for example). The PN junction is typically formed laterally by doping one side of the waveguide with an N-type dopant, and the other side with a P-type dopant. The P and N regions are electrically connected on respective sides to electrodes.
In general, the design of a silicon-based modulator is a balancing of tradeoffs between phase efficiency, speed, and loss. A rib waveguide is a waveguide in which the guiding layer basically includes a slab with a strip (or several strips) superimposed onto it. Rib waveguides also provide confinement of the wave in two dimensions. Existing approaches for SiP modulators, including rib waveguides, do not meet the requirements for next-generation devices. For example, the requirements for next-generation devices include low Vπ, high bandwidth (BW), and low Optical Losses (OL). Vertical and U-shaped PN junctions, for example, have good Vπ but have very low modulation BW (typically below 15 GHz). Also, the access resistance of such a structure is too high. Typically, most known solutions improve one figure-of-merit of the modulator (low Vπ, high bandwidth (BW), or low Optical Losses (OL)) at the expense of the others.

Silicon photonics modulator using TM mode and with a modified rib geometry


A mold assembly and sprue configuration for dental investment casting includes a ring shaped casing, a base and a cover all made of resilient plastic material and fictionally engaged with each other. The base includes a raised neck having a top surface with a sighting bead for use in mounting wax forms on the sprue, positioned within the casing. The sprue includes a post for engaging a blind bore in a hub of the base. The cover includes a downwardly extending plug which extends into the body of the casing, and a curved lip with recess for facilitating the pouring of investment solution into the mold. The sprue has three spokes and a ring which are all triangular in cross-section to reduce the amount of metal needed in the precision casting to be made with the invention and also to provide a convenient flat upper surface for mounting wax forms to the sprue.

The present invention relates, in general, to plastic molds or castings for making investment molds and, more particularly, to a new and useful round ringless mold and spoked sprue for making investment molds for precision casting of dental prostheses.
In the dental field, it is common to use lost wax methods for producing dental castings Lost wax methods utilize investment solution which is at least partly cured in a vessel in order to produce a dental casting.
In many known casting devices, a metal or plastic ring is force fit into a groove in a base to form the mold or vessel for investing the investment solution.
The use of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or other elastomer, in the construction of both the base and ring is desirable, among other reasons, because such materials can accommodate expansion of the investment casting as it cures and such materials are more readily cleaned after the hardened investment is removed.
Molds and sprues in this field are illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,573,921; Des. Pat. No. 329,900; 5,406,999 and 5,469,908.
Various patents in this field disclose various sprue plus mold structures. See for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,458,835; 1,939,479; 2,274,186; 3,648,760; 3,939,898 and 4,558,841.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,962,909 discloses a mold for dentistry which includes a lower funnel shaper for shaping the funnel portion of an investment, and an upper blind funnel for displacing a core portion of the investment from within a pattern of dental forms, to reduce distortion in the forms which would have been caused by an expansion of the investment as it cured.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,183,095 discloses a mold for precision casting made of thermoplastic material.
The advantage of using thermoplastic material for a mold in the field of dental casting has been described in Materials and Materials Science, No. 3 Report 303, March 1981, "The Equi-Spansion Technique for Castings Without Metal Rings" by Engelmann and Blechner. The advantages of maintaining uniform investment wall thickness around a wax form set by using an oval mold for making a precision casting has been disclosed in Trends & Techniques in the Contemporary Dental Laboratory, Volume 8, No. 3, "The Effects of Shape and Size of Investment Heating and Cooling Rates", by Berger and Benson.
A wax sprue for dental casting is also currently being marketed by American Diversified Dental Systems, known as The Spiroloop. This product comprises a central post or hub, meant to be attached to the base of a mold. Three spokes extend outwardly from the hub and are curved helically. A ring connects the outer ends of the spokes and forms a support for wax forms to be attached to the top of the sprue. The spokes and ring all have circular cross-sections. Accordingly, after the lost wax process is completed, the metal casting includes thick cylindrical and helical spoke segments and a thick ring with cylindrical cross-section. This represents the use of a large quantity of metal. The advantages of the spiral wound spokes are said to include a more quick and smooth flow of metal without the creation of restrictions that cause turbulence.
A need remains for an improved mold with sprue that reduces distortion of the wax forms in the investment casting, reduces the amount of wasted investment casting and reduces the amount of excess metal in the sprue pattern of the precision casting.


Provided are systems and methods for convergent error vector indexing and retransmission in wireless data verifications. An example method includes transmitting a network packet to a receiver; receiving a further network packet being a copy of the network packet as received by the receiver, determining, based on the network packet and the further network packet, an error vector and locations of errors in the further network packet; sending, to the receiver, a first indexing packet including the locations of the errors; receiving a second indexing packet being a copy of the first indexing packet as received by the receiver; determining, based on the error vector and the second indexing packet, the locations of the errors in the second indexing packet; and sending a third indexing packet including the locations of the errors to the receiver, where the receiver corrects the further network packet using the third indexing packet.

In wireless data transmission, data received by a receiver from a transmitter can be corrupted due to interference and signal attenuation. Conventional methods of transmission of network packets include re-transmitting an entire network packet from the transmitter to the receiver if the network packet is corrupted during the initial transmission. However, re-transmission of the entire network packet consumes a considerable portion of bandwidth of a wireless communication channel, thus making the conventional methods resource-consuming and inefficient.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Systems and methods of convergent multi-bit feedback


When data written into a volume (source volume) in a parity group in a storage apparatus is written into a volume (destination volume) in a parity group in a storage apparatus using a remote copy function, it is determined during the copy whether or not one or both of the following two specified conditions are satisfied for this set of volumes: (1) the performance of the destination volume after a failover is equal to or higher than the performance of the source volume before the failover; and (2) the performance of the destination volume is equal to or higher than the performance of the source volume during the copy. If the condition(s) is not satisfied, the storage apparatus in which the destination volume is defined is changed in configuration to satisfy the condition.

The present invention relates to an adjustment for the performance of a logical volume within a storage apparatus, and more particularly to techniques for use with an inter-logical volume copy function for adjusting the performance of a destination logical volume in accordance with the performance of a source logical volume.
It should be first noted that the "adjustment for the performance of a volume" used herein refers to a modification to the configuration in a storage apparatus in which the volume is defined such that the volume is provided with the performance higher than required performance.
A technique called "RAID" (Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks) is known for organizing two or more physical disks into a group to provide redundancy and improve the performance and reliability (see, for example, Jon William Toigo, "The Holy Grail of Data Storage Management," Prentice Hall, 2000).
For using a storage apparatus which applies the RAID technique, two or more physical disks (physical storage media) within a storage apparatus are collected to define a logical storage apparatus called a "parity group."
Then, logical storage areas called "logical volumes" (hereinafter simply called the "volumes" in this disclosure) are defined in the parity group, such that a client computer uses one of the volumes for utilizing the storage apparatus. In many storage apparatuses, two or more volumes can be defined in a single parity group.
FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary definition for volumes.
In FIG. 1, a physical disk 1000, a physical disk 1010, a physical disk 1020, and a physical disk 1030 make up a single parity group 1100 in which a volume 1110 and a volume 1120 are defined.
In this configuration, the volume 1110 and volume 1120 defined in the parity group 1100 share the physical disk 1000, physical disk 1010, physical disk 1020, and physical disk 1030.
Such a configuration, in which different volumes share the same physical disks, is available not only when a used storage apparatus employs the RAID technique but also when two ore more volumes are defined within a single physical disk.
In a storage apparatus which applies several RAID techniques, storage areas called "logical disks" are defined in the parity group, rather than defining the parity group before volumes are defined in the parity group, so that a combination of the logical disks or a fragmental logical disk area can be defined as a volume. In several other storage apparatuses, physical disks are partially or entirely combined to directly define a volume without defining a parity group.
While there are several methods for forming volumes from physical disks as described above, they are all common in that different volumes share the same physical disks (see, for example, Mark Farley, "Building Storage Networks," Network Professional's Library, Osborne).
In the following, an area comprising a combination of one or more of partial or entire physical disks is collectively called the "parity group," and a logical storage area defined on the parity group is called the "volume."
A certain storage apparatus has a function of copying data between volumes without intervention of a CPU in a computer which utilizes the storage apparatus.
Further, some of the aforementioned storage apparatuses have a function of writing the same data into a destination volume if data is written into a source volume in the inter-volume copy, even after all data has been copied between the volumes, until the two volumes are dissolved from their association. In this disclosure of the present specification, they are collectively expressed as "performing an inter-volume copy."
Among functions of performing an inter-volume copy, a copy between volumes in the same storage apparatus is called a "snapshot" (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,845,295), while a copy between volumes in different storage apparatuses is called a "remote copy" (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5, 155,845).
In another system, while part or entirety of data included in a volume within a storage apparatus is specified, the data is cached in a cache memory within the storage apparatus (see, for example, JP-A-2001-175537).
In a further system, each volume in a storage apparatus is given a processing priority, such that requests from client computers are processed in accordance with the processing priorities (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,157,963).
In a further system, volumes within a storage apparatus are relocated to optimize the performance of each volume (see, for example, JP-A-2001-67187).
There is an approach for combining two or more computers to operate them as a single system to improve the performance and availability of the overall system. This approach is called "clustering," and a system which employs the clustering is called a "clustering system" (see, for example, Richard Barker, Mark Erickson et al., The Resilient Enterprise—Recovering information services from disasters, VERITAS Vision 2002 distributed book, 2002, and Evans Marcus, Hal Stern, Blueprints for High Availability, Wiley Computer Publishing, 200).
Cluster systems are generally classified into a load balance type and a failover type. The load balance type cluster system distributes service applications among all servers so that the servers process the service applications. The failover type cluster system in turn divides a group of servers into a server for processing service applications (active server), and a server (standby server) which is normally in standby and takes over (fails over) the processing if the active server fails in the operation.
The failover type cluster systems include a system which has an active server and a standby server that share volumes, and a system which has servers that mutually mirror volumes (have copies of the same data).
FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary configuration of a failover type cluster system which mirrors volumes.
A computer 2000 and a computer 2100 are connected to a communication device 2400 and a communication device 2500, respectively. The communication device 2400 and communication device 2500 in turn are connected to a storage apparatus 2200 and a storage apparatus 2300, respectively. The storage apparatus 2200 and storage apparatus 2300 are interconnected through a communication path 2600. A volume 2210 is defined in the storage apparatus 2200, while a volume 2310 is defined in the storage apparatus 2300.
The computer 2000 processes service applications using the volume 2210, and utilizes a remote copy function to copy the volume 2210 to the volume 2310 through the communication path 2600. In this state, data written into the volume 2210 is automatically written into the volume 2310.
In the system illustrated in FIG. 2, when the computer 2000 fails, the computer 2100 takes over (fails over) the processing of the service applications. In this event, the computer 2100 uses the volume 2210 or volume 2310.
On the other hand, when the storage apparatus 2200 fails, either the computer 2000 or computer 2100 processes the service applications using the volume 2300.
However, generally, when the computer 2000 and storage apparatus 2200 are installed in a site geographically remote from a site in which the computer 2100 and storage apparatus 2300 are installed, the computer 2100 processes the service applications using the storage apparatus 2300 if the computer 2000 or storage apparatus 2200 fails.
Since the cluster system illustrated in FIG. 2, fully duplicates the computers, communication devices, communication paths, and volumes, the overall system can continue the operation even if any one of the devices fails within the system.
FIG. 3 illustrates an example in which another volume is defined on the same parity group as the volume 2310 in the cluster system illustrated in FIG. 2.
A computer 2000 and a computer 2100 are connected to a communication device 2400 and a communication device 2500, respectively. The communication device 2400 and communication device 2500 in turn are connected to a storage apparatus 2200 and a storage apparatus 2300, respectively. A computer 3000 is connected to a communication device 3600 which in turn is connected to a storage apparatus 2300. The storage apparatus 2200 and storage apparatus 2300 are interconnected through a communication path 2600. A parity group 3400 is defined in the storage apparatus 2200, while a parity group 3300 is defined in the storage apparatus 2300. Further, a volume 2210 is defined in the parity group 3400, while a volume 2310 and a volume 3310 are defined in the parity group 3300.
Here, the computer 2000 processes service applications using the volume 2210 which is copied to the volume 2310 using a remote copy function. The computer 2100 is in standby for processing the service applications using the volume 2310 in the event the computer 2000 fails. The computer 3000 in turn processes service applications using the volume 3310.
In the cluster system illustrated in FIG. 3, when a fault causes computer 2000 to fail over so that the computer 2100 takes over the processing using the volume 2310, the performance of the overall system is degraded if the volume 2310 has the a performance lower than the volume 2210. This may occur when a load is charged on the volume 3310 which shares the physical disk with the volume 2310.
To avoid the problem mentioned above, the volume 2310 may be located on a different parity group from the volume 3310 on which a load is charged when the cluster system of FIG. 3 is built. However, it is not always possible to avoid the degradation in the performance of the overall system after the failover due to the influences exerted by an increase and decrease in a load on each volume resulting from a change in the trend of accesses to the storage apparatuses of the service applications executed by the computer 3000 and the service applications executed by the computer, 2000, a modification in configuration for optimizing the performance of each volume by the relocation of the volumes described in the section of prior art, and the like.

Method and apparatus for adjusting performance of logical volume copy destination


A slot machine of the present invention comprises: a display to which a plurality of symbols are arranged; a BET switch that allows a BET input; an input switch that allows an input of a rank order of the symbols; and a controller, the controller allowing an input of an additional BET from the BET switch for a predetermined period of time after the start of a rearrangement of the plurality of symbols arranged to the display until the rearrangement of symbols, accepting the input of the rank order from the input switch if there has been an input of an additional BET, and generating a predetermined bonus if a quantitative order of the numbers of the respective symbols displayed to the display is same as the rank order inputted from the input switch when the plurality of symbols arranged to the display have been rearranged.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a slot machine in which game media such as coins and bills are used and a playing method thereof.
2. Discussion of the Background
In a conventional slot machine, if a player inserts game media such as coins or bills into an insertion slot of a slot machine and pushes a spin button, a plurality of symbols are displayed in a scrolling manner to a display provided on the front surface of a casing and, thereafter, the respective symbols are automatically stopped.
As such a slot machine, as disclosed in the specification of U.S. Pat. No. 6,093,102, for example, there exists a slot machine having a concept of a winning line such that when a combination of symbols rearranged on the winning line is a predetermined winning combination, a predetermined number of game media are paid out.
In addition, as such a slot machine, as disclosed in the specification of U.S. Pat. No. 6,604,999 and the specification of US 2002-0065124-A1, for example, there exists a slot machine in which, when a combination of symbols rearranged on a winning line is a predetermined winning combination, a predetermined number of game media are paid out, and regardless of the winning line, a predetermined number of game media are paid out according to the number of symbols, called scatter symbols, arranged to a display.
The present invention provides a slot machine and a playing method thereof which have entertainment characteristics which have not been offered by the aforementioned conventional art.
The contents of U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,093,102 and 6,604,999, and US 2002-0065124-A1 are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.


A system for facilitating transactions. In an example embodiment, the system includes a charging terminal capable of charging an account based on an account number. A scanner obtains biometric information. A first mechanism employs the biometric information to automatically provide an account number to the charging terminal. In a specific embodiment, the first mechanism includes a credit card or Automated Teller Machine terminal (ATM), and the account number includes a credit number or ATM number. The first mechanism automatically selects from among plural accounts based on the biometric information. A second mechanism enables a user to control which account number is selected via the biometric information. A third mechanism enables the user to prioritize plural accounts. The highest priority account is selected for automatic charging via the system. In an illustrative embodiment, a seventh mechanism automatically provides transaction information to the charging terminal. The seventh mechanism wirelessly interrogates product tags associated with products to be purchased and computes a total in response thereto and forwards the total to the charging terminal.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to transactions. Specifically, the present invention relates to systems and methods for facilitating purchases or other monetary transactions.
2. Description of the Related Art
Systems for facilitating purchases are employed in various demanding applications including credit card, Automated Teller Machine (ATM), checking account, and brokerage account transactions. Such applications demand efficient and secure systems to facilitate the transactions.
Conventionally, devices such as checks, credit cards, check cards, and ATM cards facilitate monetary transactions. Unfortunately, such devices, called tokens, are susceptible to loss or theft. As identity theft increases, lost or stolen tokens become increasingly problematic.
The proliferation of identity theft and credit card fraud has helped spawn increasingly complicated and expensive smart cards. Smart cards often incorporate additional authentication mechanisms to thwart fraud. Unfortunately, smart cards, which may contain additional user information, such as medical records and user photos, may actually increase user vulnerability to fraud and identity theft, since a successful thief may have access to more information. Furthermore, as users increasingly rely on additional functionality afforded by smart cards, such as accommodating electronic cash, users may be more inconvenienced when the cards are lost or stolen.
Systems and methods for implementing tokenless transactions address some problems associated with token use. An exemplary system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,581,042, by Pare, Jr., et al., entitled TOKENLESS BIOMETRIC ELECTRONIC CHECK TRANSACTIONS. Generally, the system employs an identification apparatus that accepts biometric input from a user. A data processing center, which is part of a third party identicator, then identifies the user and facilitates selecting a checking account associated with the user based on the biometric input. A user then inputs a transaction amount, which is employed by the data processing center to initiate an electronic checking transaction via an automated clearing house to pay the transaction amount.
Unfortunately, the system has various shortcomings. The system is optimized for use with a single registered checking account and does not address credit card or other transaction types. Furthermore, both the payee (seller) and payor (buyer) are authenticated by a third party identicator. Accordingly, the seller must register with the identicator by providing information, such as hardware identification codes, phone numbers, email addresses, payee financial accounts, and so on. Furthermore, the seller must obtain digital certificates or other authentication data for use with the system. This registration step and subsequent seller authentication steps are undesirably time consuming and cumbersome.
Furthermore, the above-referenced system apparently lacks efficient mechanisms to enable a user to alter data maintained by the third party identicator. Altering data maintained by the third party identicator may require cumbersome re-registration. In addition, information such as transaction amounts, seller identities, lists of buyer checking accounts, lists of seller accounts, and/or other transactional information is displayed using a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) screen, which may be vulnerable to eavesdropping by identity thieves.
Furthermore, users with plural checking accounts must provide manual input to enable the system to determine which account to employ for each transaction. Manually selecting from among plural checking accounts is error prone, especially when users are shopping and lack immediate access to account balances and other information that may be required to select the appropriate account. Requiring additional user input via a keypad at the point-of-sale may further delay shopping lines while users decide which checking accounts to employ for the electronic transactions.
To display the list of available buyer and seller checking accounts via the LCD display, an electronic message is sent from a data processing center or other processor back to the personal identification apparatus. This additional signal transmission, which occurs for each transaction, is time consuming and represents inefficient use of network bandwidth, as this extra messaging may further clutter already congested networks.
Alternatively, to select an account, a user employs the keypad to enter a code, corresponding to a desired account. However, requiring users to remember and enter index codes is relatively user-unfriendly, awkward, error-prone, and slow.
Patents related to U.S. Pat. No. 6,581,042 include the following by Pare, Jr., et al.: U.S. Pat. No. 6,269,348, entitled, TOKENLESS BIOMETRIC ELECTRONIC DEBIT AND CREDIT TRANSACTIONS; U.S. Pat. No. 5,838,812, entitled TOKENLESS BIOMETRIC TRANSACTION AUTHORIZATION SYSTEM; U.S. Pat. No. 5,764,789, entitled TOKENLESS BIOMETRIC ATM ACCESS SYSTEM; U.S. Pat. No. 6,192,142, entitled TOKENLESS BIOMETRIC ELECTRONIC STORED VALUE TRANSACTIONS; and associated parent patents. Generally, these systems suffer from many of the aforementioned shortcomings of U.S. Pat. No. 6,581,042 and may further require use of an additional Personal Identification Number (PIN) that is manually entered via a keypad or other data-entry device. Unfortunately, users often forget pin codes, especially when users have several accounts, each having different codes.
Hence, in addition to requiring that users provide biometric samples, existing biometric transaction systems often require buyers and sellers to manually enter input identification codes and to manually select accounts and to approve or cancel transactions. However, such additional user input may be inconvenient and may delay shopping lines.
Furthermore, existing systems may require excessive additional infrastructure, such as processors, devices, and communication lines. The systems often do not maximize use of existing credit and ATM networks, terminals, machines, and other infrastructure. Furthermore, existing authentication and payment systems, ranging from smart cards to tokenless systems, often lack mechanisms to significantly reduce overall time required to transact business. Consequently, implement.
Hence, a need exists in the art for an efficient system and method that facilitates transactions, such as purchases, while minimizing data entry requirements and reducing overall shopping time and effort. There exists a further need for a system that helps minimize identity theft and that efficiently leverages preexisting infrastructure.

System and method for facilitating monetary transactions


A statistical point pattern matching technique is used to match corresponding points selected from two or more views of a roof of a building. The technique entails statistically selecting points from each of orthogonal and oblique aerial views of a roof, generating radial point patterns for each aerial view, calculating the origin of each point pattern, representing the shape of the point pattern as a radial function, and Fourier-transforming the radial function to produce a feature space plot. A feature profile correlation function can then be computed to relate the point match sets. From the correlation results, a vote occupancy table can be generated to help evaluate the variance of the point match sets, indicating, with high probability, which sets of points are most likely to match one another.

1. Field of the Invention
This disclosure relates generally to a computer-based method of rendering an image of a three-dimensional structure from several views of the structure. In particular, the computer-based method for creating a roof model relies upon a statistical method of point pattern matching of an aerial top plan view and one or more aerial perspective views of the roof.
2. Description of the Related Art
The building and insurance industries have historically relied on human beings to evaluate roofs in person, to determine labor and materials needed for repair or replacement. Sending a claims adjuster or a roofing specialist out to each individual property can be time-consuming and costly, especially when many buildings need to be evaluated, for instance, following natural disasters such as hurricanes, floods, hail storms, and the like. If the roof is complex, including multiples of roof features such as hips, gables, dormers, and the like, it may not be feasible for a human being to climb onto the roof to take actual measurements. Consequently, insurance evaluations for such roofs often rely on estimates made by a person standing on the ground, who can only give a rough estimate of the sizes of the roof features.
Recently, imaging and mapping technologies have made possible computer-based calculations of roof dimensions from aerial photographs. A top plan view ("orthogonal") looking straight down from above, together with one or more different perspective views ("oblique") looking at an angle from, for example, the north, south, east, or west directions, can be sufficient to generate a three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction depth model of the roof structure. Such a 3D model can include roof features such as dormers, gables, hips, and the like that can add a significant degree of complexity to a roof. Accurate measurements of roof lines and areas can then be made from the 3D model. Such methods pertaining to roofs are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,088,436 and 8,170,840. Furthermore, there are many techniques known in the art (e.g., in the field of computer vision) for generation of 3D models of structures from multiple perspective images. Such 3D architectural images have many applications in the building industry.
In the generation of a 3D roof model, combining information from orthogonal and oblique views of the roof entails an initial step of point matching. First, a set of points is identified on each view to represent the shape of the roof, and then corresponding points from each view are matched. Usually the points are at locations where the roof lines merge. Human beings can easily recognize and associate points from the orthogonal view that match points on the oblique view. For example, it is easy for a human being to identify which points are the highest points on either view of the roof, and which points are the lowest. However, requiring human intervention to perform the step of point matching precludes achieving a fully computer-generated model. When many roof models need to be processed, it is inefficient and cumbersome to interrupt a computerized process to obtain a human-generated data set, and then resume the computerized process.
Unfortunately, existing computerized point matching algorithms for performing such a task (e.g., geometrical contour matching, or the scale invariant feature transform (SIFT) technique of feature matching) tend to be complex and exhaustive. For example, if N=20 points are identified on an orthogonal view of a roof and M=10 points are identified on an oblique view of the roof, if all possible permutations are considered, nearly 200,000 potential point match sets must be evaluated to complete the step of point matching. Thus, a more efficient method of computer-based point matching is desirable.

Statistical point pattern matching technique


A handle for a paint can suspends the can securely from a ladder rung in a stationary mode in either an upright position with the can full of paint and the bottom resting upon an adjacent lower rung, or in an inclined position for easier access with the can partially full and the front wall resting against an adjacent lower rung, and includes a transverse hand grip member connected between two side supporting members having elongated vertical elements, straight horizontal elements, and dependent vertical elements, forming a hook structure to engage the ladder rung, and being pivotally attached to the can so that the handle may be folded against the can for storage.

The present invention relates generally to handles for lifting and supporting containers and pertains, more specifically, to a handle or bail for a paint can to suspend the can securely from a ladder rung without an intervening S-hook.
The state of the art in hanging a paint can from a ladder consists of engaging the ladder rung with a single accessory hook from which the paint can is hung. Moving the can entails reaching around behind the ladder to hook or unhook the can. This procedure risks dropping the can or the hook, or losing one's balance and falling off the ladder. Another difficulty arises in reaching between the ladder rungs to insert a brush into the can hung behind the ladder. Additionally, striking excess paint from the brush against the rim of the can causes it to gyrate awkwardly about its single point of suspension.
Handles for suspending a paint can directly from a ladder rung without an accessory hook are unknown in the prior art. Handles for suspending a clothespin container from a clothesline are known and have assumed a number of configurations in the past. Some examples of container handles of this type in the prior art are found in the following United States patents:
Ricketts, U.S. Pat. No. 1,567,677; Mabon, U.S. Pat. No. 1,427,219; McRoberts, U.S. Pat. No. 1,461,802; and Costigan, U.S. Pat. No. 1,989,473; all illustrate a handle for a clothespin bag having a horizontal hand grip portion, two inserted U-shaped hooks to engage a clothesline, and side support members attached to the bag.
These inventions are not designed to engage a ladder rung which is much larger than a clothesline and is flat on top. They all feature semicircular inverted hooks to engage a round clothesline, and which would be unstable on a flat ladder rung, allowing the container to swing about. Ricketts describes two "inverted U-shaped loops," which "have a width sufficient for the support to engage the ordinary clothesline," which is about one quarter inch in diameter. None of these prior art devices would fit on an extension ladder rung, which is at least one and one half inches across, or on a step ladder rung, which is four inches across. Also, the side support members must be spaced apart a given distance to engage the side support trunnions of a standard paint can, which are spaced apart the given distance. In none of the above-mentioned references is this critical given distance suggested. Furthermore, as the container is suspended from a ladder rung, is should rest upon or against the next lower rung. In none of the prior art inventions is the combination of handle and container configured to provide additional support and stability from the adjacent lower rung touching the bottom or side of the container. Additionally, the prior art devices show no structure for retaining the hooks on the clothesline against accidental disengagement by bumping.


Disclosed are a display device and a method for manufacturing the same. The display device includes a Thin Film Transistor (TFT) substrate and a color filter substrate opposite to each other. The TFT substrate includes a first TFT element and a second TFT element and a light-transmittance region between the first and second TFT elements is a pixel region; and a pixel unit arranged on a surface of the TFT substrate facing the color filter substrate and located on a surface of the pixel region, where the pixel unit includes a transparent reference potential layer arranged on the surface of the TFT substrate facing the color filter substrate and a nontransparent deformation layer arranged over the reference potential layer, with the deformation layer being insulated from the reference potential layer.

A Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) has become a mainstream display device due to its features such as low power consumption and simple processes of large screen display.
Generally, a conventional LCD includes a Thin Film Transistor (TFT) substrate and a color filter substrate which are arranged opposite to each other, and a liquid crystal layer arranged between the TFT substrate and the color filter substrate. In order to make liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer capable of controlling emitted light, it is necessary to form a common electrode on the inner surface of the color filter substrate and an upper polarizer on the outer surface of the color filter substrate, and form an oriented film on the inner surface of the TFT substrate and a lower polarizer on the outer surface of the TFT substrate. It can be seen that, the structure of the LCD is complex, which leads to a high manufacturing cost.

Display device and method for manufacturing the same

Xiamen Tianma Micro-Electronics Co., Ltd.


An objective lens driver and an optical memory device with the respective polarities of magnetic circuits used for the focusing and tracking operations are set such that a repulsive force works in a direction opposing the gravitational force. Respective differing polarities of a pair of magnetic circuits used for focusing face each other, and respective differing polarities of a pair of magnetic circuits used for tracking also face each other.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to an optical memory device that uses a lens drive mechanism equipped with drive coils and magnetic circuits composed of magnets, etc., in order to drive an objective lens.
2. Description of the Related Art
Previously, well-known forms of magneto-optical memory devices have existed in which a magneto-optical disk equipped with a perpendicular magneto-optical recording film is used as a recording medium. These types of magneto-optical memory devices contain a magneto-optical disk that is rotated by a disk rotation drive mechanism, and the main surface of one side of this disk is equipped with electromagnets that are installed in an opposing fashion for the purpose of applying a bias magnetic field. The main surface of the other side of this disk is equipped with, optical pickup devices, also installed in an opposing fashion, for the purpose of irradiating a light beam.
In order for a writing process to be conducted onto the recording film of this magneto-optical memory device, a light beam strength is raised to an erasure power level, and an erasure field is applied to the magneto-optical disk in the erasure direction (which is nearly perpendicular to the medium and nearly parallel to the optical axis), such that an erasing operation is conducted over the specified area. Then, while the optical beam is modulated in response to the recording data signal that is supposed to be at the recording power level, a recording field, which has a reverse orientation with respect to the erasure field, is applied to the aforementioned specified area. This causes various shifts to occur in the magnetization direction of the magneto-optical disk, resulting in the recording of the data signals onto the aforementioned specified area.
In recent years, 3.5-inch magneto-optical disks have been able to achieve a storage capacity of 2.3 GB. And along with this move toward higher density, there has been a need for smaller recording marks as well as the formation of recording pits. For this reason, there has been a move toward smaller laser beam diameters as well as high numerical aperture ("NA"), resulting in the need for a closer distance between the optical memory medium and the objective lens. The closer distance, however, has resulted in problems due to magnetic effect on the optical memory medium as a result of magnetic flux leakage from the objective lens driver.
Furthermore, a sudden drop in costs, reduction in the number of parts, and greater demand for high-speed access have led to a need for simpler and smaller designs in the lens drivers used to drive objective lenses, as well as the carriage drivers that are used to move the lens drivers in specified directions of the optical memory medium.
Also, in the case of optical memory devices in which a power source is delivered from a host device through an interface, the amount of power that can be delivered is restricted according to the type of interface used, thus increasing the demand for a shift toward lower power consumption.
Accordingly, the objective of this invention is to provide an objective lens driver and an optical memory device that are designed with improved magnetic circuit constructions for the focusing and tracking operations of the objective lens driver, and in such a way as to reduce the level of power consumption.

Objective lens driver and optical memory device