A position detecting device using a reflection type photosensor, comprising a reflector fitted to a moving target and having reflecting portions and non-reflecting portions arranged alternately in a moving direction of the moving target, a reflection type photosensor having a light emitting element and a light receiving element with plural light receiving portions, and an operation unit for calculating a value indicating the position of the moving target. The light receiving element comprises the first and second light receiving portions outputting signals having different phases, the second light receiving portion is divided into two regions provided at far and near sides from the light emitting element about the first light receiving portion, and the operation unit calculates the value using the one signal calculated from the output signals from the two regions and the output signal from the first light receiving portion.

1. Field
The presently disclosed embodiment relates to a position detecting device using a reflection type photosensor, and particularly to a device for detecting a position and a moving distance of a moving target in an apparatus such as a camera.
2. Brief Description of Related Developments
Various actuators have been used for driving a lens, for example, in a digital still camera, a camcorder, a monitoring camera and the like, and in order to conduct sensing of a position of such a movable lens, etc., a position detecting device is used.
For example, there are, as a device for detecting a position and a moving distance of a focus lens, a device of a type using a pulse generator like a stepping motor system and a device of a type using a photosensor or a magnetic sensor for analogically detecting a moving distance in a piezo motor system. Examples of the former type are described in JP 04-9712 A, and examples of the latter type are described in JP 05-45179 A, JP 2002-357762 A, JP 2006-173306 A, JP 2009-38321 A.
The above-mentioned stepping motor system undergoes rotation for each of rotation angles corresponding to the number of counted pulses generated, and this stepping motor system is usually used for applications requiring long distance position detection. However, since a motor is not rotated continuously, noise during the rotation is large, which leads to generation of an acoustic noise when taking a moving picture image, and moreover, there is a defect such as a delayed response.
For that reason, in a digital still camera, etc., piezo motor systems which are suitable for preventing generation of an acoustic noise when taking a moving picture image, increasing a speed of autofocus and down-sizing of an apparatus are used increasingly instead of the stepping motor system.
FIGS. 4A and 4B show a position detecting device with a reflection type photosensor which can be used for position detection using a piezo motor system. As shown in FIG. 4A, a reflection type photosensor 1 is configured such that a light emitting element 3 is disposed on one concave portion partitioned with a light-shielding wall 2 and a light receiving element 4 is disposed on another concave portion. Also, as shown in FIG. 4B, a reflector 5 is provided at the side of a light-emitting/light-receiving surface SL of the photosensor 1 so as to be in parallel with the light-emitting/light-receiving surface SL and move in a direction where the light emitting element 3 and the light receiving element 4 are arranged in a line. According to the configuration as mentioned above, light from the light emitting element 3 is reflected on the reflector 5 and is inputted into the light receiving element 4, and the position and the moving distance of the reflector 5 (a moving target to which the reflector is attached) are detected by the amount of received light.
In the position detection using such a reflection type photosensor, an example of a technique for improving performance of position detection and moving distance detection is described in JP 2006-173306 A, and an example of improvement in linearity of an output signal is described in JP 2009-38321 A.
Meanwhile, in a digital still camera of high-power or high-end models, a single lens reflex camera, a camcorder, a monitoring camera and the like, for lens position detection of a camera module in which zoom function and long distance detection are necessary, there is a case where long distance detection of not less than 10 mm with high resolution of not more than 5 μm is required, and actually such detection has been difficult in conventional position sensing using a reflection type photosensor.
On the other hand, magnetic sensors are used in position detection of a piezo motor type being designed to prevent an acoustic noise when taking a moving picture image, to achieve high speed autofocus and to down-size an apparatus using a position detecting device. An example of such a magnetic sensor is shown in JP 2006-292396 A. In this magnetic sensor of JP 2006-292396 A, a magnetic field generating member (magnet), in which S-poles and N-poles are arranged alternately, and two magnetic field detecting elements (MR element or hall element) are provided, and the position detection is carried out by amplifying outputs of the magnetic field detecting elements and conducting arithmetic processing thereof.
However, in the use of the above-mentioned magnetic sensor, there are the following problems.
1) A system itself becomes a large size.
2) A system cost becomes high since a magnetic field generating member, in which many S-poles and N-poles are arranged, is used.
3) It is difficult to improve linearity of a signal due to a configuration for detecting strength of a magnetic field.
4) In the case where another magnet is used in a device provided with a magnetic sensor or the like, there is a possibility of causing malfunction of the device due to an influence of interaction between the magnetic fields and the like.
5) Since outputs from the two magnetic field detecting elements are low, they need to be amplified using an operational amplifier, which leads to high cost of components constituting the system.
6) An error of a magnetic force in magnetizing of S-poles and N-poles of a magnetic field generating member easily occurs, an intensity of a magnetic field is hardly kept constant, and performance is deteriorated due to oxidation of a magnet.
In order to solve the problems mentioned above, the applicant of the instant application proposed a position detecting device using a reflection type photosensor (JP 2013-36972 A). The position detecting device using a reflection type photosensor proposed by the applicant of the instant application is shown in FIG. 5. The reflection type photosensor 1 is configured such that a light emitting element (LED) 3 is disposed on one concave portion 6a and a light receiving element (phototransistor) 4 is disposed on another concave portion 6b and the both portions are separated by an outer peripheral wall and a light-shielding wall 2. A reflector 5 is arranged at the side of a light-emitting/light-receiving surface of the reflection type photosensor 1 so as to move in a direction (a direction shown by an arrow) being parallel to the light-emitting/light-receiving surface and being approximately vertical to an arranging direction (longitudinal direction in the figure) of the light emitting element 3 and the light receiving element 4. This reflector 5 is mounted on a moving target such as a lens so as to move together with it. On the reflector 5, reflecting portions "sa" and non-reflecting portions "sb" in the form of extra fine stripes are formed and arranged alternately (in the form of vertical stripes).
As shown in FIG. 5, three light receiving portions 4a, 4b and 4c, into which respective receiving regions are divided to be different light receiving regions in the moving direction of the moving target, are formed on the light receiving element 4 of the reflection type photosensor 1. Regarding three output signals (referred to as A, B and C, respectively) from these three light receiving portions, sizes and arrangement of the reflection type photosensor 1, the light receiving element 4 and the reflector 5 are adjusted so that the signal (output B) phase-shifting forward at 90 degrees to the reference signal (output A) and the signal (output C) further phase-shifting forward at 90 degrees can be obtained.
These outputs from the light receiving portions are inputted to the buffer amplifiers 7a, 7b and 7c, respectively, and then are inputted to an operation means (MPU) 8 where a neutral potential of these outputs is calculated from the output A and the output C, between which there is a phase difference of 180 degrees, and calculation of linear values are carried out to obtain the values having linearity. In the operation means 8, a neutral potential D=(A+C)/2 is calculated from the output A and the output C, between which there is a phase difference of 180 degrees, and (A−B)/(A+B) (=b) and (A+B)/(A−B) (=a) are calculated from the output A and the output B, between which there is a phase difference of 90 degrees.
According to this calculation of linear values, as shown in FIG. 6, by the calculation of the neutral potential D, the neutral potential of the outputs A and B is always set at 0 V, and therefore, the calculation result shows repeated triangular waveforms having high linearity. In FIG. 6, the outputs A and B converted into the values within a range of from −1 to +1 are shown. The results of the calculations are those obtained using the converted values. In the triangular waveforms of FIG. 6, portions falling to the right are obtained by the above-mentioned equation (A+B)/(A−B) (=a), and portions rising to the right are obtained by the above-mentioned equation (A−B)/(A+B) (=b).
In another example of calculation of linear values, a moving distance can be detected by calculating arctan (A/B) to obtain a phase angle θ of the signal. FIGS. 7A and 7B show the configuration such that a moving distance of a movable target can be detected by determining arctan (A/B) by enabling one cycle of the output signal of the reflection type photosensor to be obtained when the movable target moves the sum of the width of the reflecting portion and the width of the non-reflecting portion of the reflector 5 comprising the reflecting portions "sa" and the non-reflecting portions "sb".
Meanwhile, in the position detecting device using a reflection type photosensor proposed by the applicant of the instant application, in order to obtain signals having a phase difference of 90 degrees for the calculation of arctan (A/B), the light receiving portions need to be arranged, as shown in FIG. 8, so that there are a portion where the light receiving portions 4a and 4b are overlapping and a portion where the light receiving portions 4b and 4c are overlapping when viewing from the light emitting element 3 side. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the overlapping portion cut in a longitudinal direction in FIG. 8. In the case where there are overlapping portions, as shown in FIG. 9, the travelling distance (shown by a full line with an arrow head) of light reaching the light receiving portion 4a or 4c after emitted from the light emitting element 3 and reflected on the reflector is not the same as the travelling distance (shown by a dotted line with an arrow head) of light reaching the light receiving portion 4b after emitted from the light emitting element 3 and reflected on the reflector. As a result, as shown in FIG. 10, there was a problem that the output voltages at the respective light receiving portions vary. There is the same problem when in FIG. 8, the light receiving portion 4b is located at the side of the light emitting element 3.
If the calculation of arctan is carried out using signals having varied output voltages, it leads to a problem that the pitch of the triangular waveforms shown in FIG. 7 is not the same and the detection of the position of the moving target cannot be carried out accurately.
Further, as shown in FIG. 10, detected positions indicating peak values of outputs of the light receiving element differ from each other, and curvatures of characteristic curves largely vary. As a result, in an actual application, there is a case where the following problem occurs.
In an application such as a camera lens module, the reflector 5 and the reflection type photosensor 1 are fixed to a movable part or a fixed part of an actuator casing. In this fixing, it is ideal if the reflector 5 and the reflection type photosensor 1 are located opposite to each other and the surfaces thereof are in parallel with each other. However, there is a case where the reflector 5 is fitted inclined with respect to the reflection type photosensor 1 due to poor accuracy in fabrication of the casing, fitting of the movable part, fitting of the reflector or fitting of the reflection type photosensor or from the viewpoint of application.
For example, FIG. 11 shows a configuration where the reflector 5 is fitted inclined with respect to the reflection type photosensor 1. When the reflector 5 fitted so as to be inclined moves, there arises a problem that a difference between the travelling distances of light reaching the light receiving portions 4a and 4c after emitted from the light emitting element 3 and reflected on the reflector 5 and the travelling distance of light reaching the light receiving portion 4b after emitted from the light emitting element 3 and reflected on the reflector 5 becomes larger, and a position detection accuracy is lowered.

Position detecting device using reflection type photosensor


The present sensor chip comprises a substrate. A plurality of electrode elements is arranged at a first level on the substrate with at least one gap between neighboring electrode elements. A metal structure is arranged at a second level on the substrate, wherein the second level is different from the first level. The metal structure at least extends over an area of the second level that is defined by a projection of the at least one gap towards the second level.

The present invention relates to a sensor chip and a method for manufacturing a sensor chip.
Integrated fabrication techniques such as, for example, CMOS processing may be applied not only to manufacture electronic circuits but also to manufacture sensors, also denoted as sensor chips in the following. In such sensor chips, a sensor structure may be built in or on a substrate, such as a semiconductor substrate, and may or may not be integrated with associated electronic circuitry on the same chip.
In EP 1 236 038 B1, a capacitive sensor chip is disclosed containing multiple electrode elements structured on an oxide layer covering a substrate. The electrode elements are covered by insulating material which subsequently is etched. However, while the electrode elements may serve as an etch stop to the etching process, etching the insulating material in gaps between the electrode elements may only be controllable by defining the etching time upfront. This may result in varying depths etched into the insulating material. It was observed that the resulting etch depth may vary across a wafer e.g. with deeper etching results in the centre of the wafer than at its periphery. It was also observed that the resulting etch depth may vary from wafer to wafer.
In particular, when the gaps between the electrode elements will be filled by a measuring material acting, for example, as a dielectric layer between the respective electrode elements for capacitive measurements, a varying volume of the measuring material may impact the measurement results which effect may only be compensated by increased efforts in calibrating such sensor chips.

Sensor chip and method for manufacturing a sensor chip


A new and distinct Malus domestica Borkh. plant that produces apples having an excellent sugar-acid balance and keeping quality, suitable for use as a table and dessert fruit.

The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of apple tree botanically classified as Malus domestica Borkh. and known by the varietal name 'ROHO 3615'. The new variety was discovered in 2000 in Langensendelbach, Germany. The new variety is the result of a natural and stable branch mutation of 'Pinova' (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,601). The new variety exhibits similar disease resistance, fruit storage capacity, tree growth, fruit quality, and fruit size to 'Pinova', but exhibits a full red color. The full red color of 'ROHO 3615', especially of the apples ripened in the shadow of the trees, distinguishes the new variety from other Malus domestica varieties. Further, the fruit of the new variety ripens later than 'Gala' (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 3,637) and the taste of 'Gala' fruit is sweeter. However, 'Gala' is more susceptible to scab.
The new variety has been trial and field tested and has been found to retain its distinctive characteristics and remain true to type through successive propagations.


According to an embodiment of the invention, there is provided a semiconductor device comprising: a semiconductor element having a first main electrode, a second main electrode and a control electrode, a current flowing between the first and second main electrodes being controlled by a control signal which is input between the control electrode and the second main electrode; and a capacitor formed by providing an insulating layer between the second main electrode and the control electrode of the semiconductor element.

The present invention relates to a semiconductor device and a capacitance regulation circuit, and more particularly, to a insulated gate semiconductor device such as MOSFET (Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor), insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT), and injection enhanced gate transistor (IEGT), and to a capacitance regulation circuit which adjusts the capacitance of these semiconductor devices dynamically.
In order to use electric energy effectively, power converters, such as an inverter, are used widely. And as a semiconductor device for electric power control used for these power converters, the insulated gate semiconductor devices which have an excellent controllability are being used mainly. In particular, the loss of the IGBTs has become lower and the blocking voltage thereof has become higher, and their application field has spread even into the fields of higher blocking voltage and the larger current, for which the GTO thyristors were used conventionally.
Since the insulated gate semiconductor devices such as IGBT etc. have a wide safe operating area, they do not need protection circuits, such as a snubber circuit used with the GTO (Gate Turn Off) thyristors conventionally. Moreover, in recent years, further reduction of switching loss has been achieved by reducing the impedance (gate resistance) of a gate drive circuit, and by switching at higher speed.
However, these measures produce a high rate of voltage change (dV/dt) and a high rate of current change (dI/dt). Furthermore, high dI/dt produces a surge voltage and a even higher dV/dt by synergy with the parasitic inductance of a circuit.
As a result, the insulated gate semiconductor device may have a bad influence on peripheral equipment by emitting a noise out of the device, or malfunction may arise because device's own gate voltage is changed. Furthermore, an excessive surge voltage may also cause the destruction of insulated gate semiconductor chip and/or a free wheeling diode (FWD) chip connected in parallel to the insulated gate semiconductor chip.
Particularly, although when the insulated gate semiconductor chip is turned on the FWD which is connected to the turned on chip in series and forms the arm of a bridge circuit will carry out reverse recovery operation, when dV/dt of FWD becomes high there becomes a danger that the gate of the IGBT which is connected in parallel to the FWD and should be in the OFF state may be charged and malfunction (turning into ON state) may occur.
Hereafter, this malfunction will be explained accompanying IGBT as a example, referring to FIG. 29.
That is, the circuit shown in this figure has the arm which consists of a first switching device in which IGBT1 and FWD1 are connected in parallel in opposite directions, and a second switching device in which IGBT2 and FWD2 are connected in parallel in opposite directions. A load is connected to the node of connection of the first switching device and the second switching device. In addition, although only one arm is illustrated in FIG. 29, the bridge circuit including another arm which is not illustrated is formed in an actual circuit.
Now, if turn-on of IGBT2 is carried out from the state where FWD1 is free wheeling the load current, FWD1 performs reverse recovery operation and the voltage Vka1 between cathode-anode of FWD1 rises at the same time IGBT2 becomes in a ON state and the voltage Vce2 between the collector and the emitter of IGBT2 will fall. Then, although IGBT1 is in the OFF state where its gate is reverse biased, dVcg/dt which is almost equivalent to dVka1/dt is applied between the collector and the gate, and then a displacement current occurs in the parasitic capacitance Ccg between them.
This displacement current has an effect of charging the parasitic capacitance Cge between the gate and the emitter of IGBT1 in the direction corresponding to a forward bias of the voltage Vge1 between the gate and the emitter of IGBT1. And if Vge1 exceeds a threshold value Vth, IGBT1 will carry out malfunction (turn-on), and a short circuit will be formed. This malfunction tends to happen, when dVka1/dt is high, or when the Ccg/Cge ratio of IGBT is high. Meanwhile, although another parasitic capacitance also exists between the collector and the emitter of IGBT, it is not illustrated since it is unrelated to the operation mentioned above.
Although high-speed switching obtained by a reduction of gate resistance of the gate drive circuit exactly reduces the turn-on loss Eon of IGBT, since dI/dt and dV/dt become high in connection with it, it will make the reverse recovery loss Err of FWD occurred simultaneously increase. Particularly, when excessive dI/dt and dV/dt occur, a large electric power arises momentarily in FWD and the problem that FWD may breaks occurs. That is, since the problems that Err of FWD increases and that FWD breaks occurred, there was a limit in making the switching speed higher, and consequently, there was a limit in reducing the total loss of the power converter.
In order to solve these problems, as illustrated in FIG. 30, a trial to suppress the generation of a noise or change in the voltage Vge between the gate and the emitter was carried out by connecting a capacitor CGE between the gate terminal and the emitter terminal of the semiconductor device containing an insulated gate semiconductor chips (IGBT is shown in this figure as an example). However, since the switching time and Eon increase because of the capacitor CGE, techniques to make the capacitance between the gate and the emitter inside the semiconductor device small, and to connect the minimum capacitor CGE if needed at the time of operation has been taken.
However, it was difficult to stably suppress the change of Vge of the insulated gate semiconductor chip itself by such conventional techniques, because of the impedance inside the semiconductor device, the impedance up to the connection point of the capacitor CGE connected at the exterior of the semiconductor device, and the inductance of the CGE itself. Especially, in the large-sized package for the large current capacity which includes many insulated gate semiconductor chips, since the gate wiring in a package becomes long, the parasitic inductance cannot be disregarded. Therefore, gate resistances rg need to be provided in each chip in order to suppress the oscillation phenomenon due to the parasitic inductance.
As a result, it was difficult to stably suppress the changes in Vge for every chip with the conventional structure. Moreover, connecting the capacitor outside the device had the problem of not being mechanically reliable.
On the other hand, a semiconductor device to which capacitor CGE is added on the substrate on which the insulated gate semiconductor chip is mounted is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2000-243905. That is, it becomes possible to suppress the change in Vge and to improve the mechanical reliability to some extent by incorporating capacitor CGE on the mounting substrate in the semiconductor device.
However, as a result of original examination by the inventors, it has become clear that there was room for the further improvement in the semiconductor device disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2000-243905. That is, since the generation of heat from the insulated gate semiconductor chip is relatively large, if capacitor CGE is mounted on the same mounting substrate as the insulated gate semiconductor chip, the influence of the rise of temperature cannot be disregarded.
Specifically, the maximum temperature of the substrate on which the insulated gate semiconductor chips, such as IGBT, are mounted may rise up to even about 125 degrees centigrade during operation. As a result, there is a possibility that the thermal fatigue of solder which mounts capacitor CGE may arise. Moreover, since there is "variation" in a temperature coefficient for each capacitor CGE, there is a possibility that the switching operation of two or more chips provided in the same equipment becomes less uniform.
Furthermore, if the insulated gate semiconductor chips which serve as a heat source are separated from the capacitors CGE in order to prevent these problems, it becomes necessary to enlarge the mounting substrate, and as a result, the size of the semiconductor device becomes enlarged.
As mentioned above, when gate resistance is reduced for the reduction of loss in the conventional insulated gate semiconductor device, high dI/dt, high dV/dt, and a high surge voltage may occur, IGBT/FWD may be broken, the noise may be emitted to the environment, and malfunction may be carried out by its own change of Vge.
Moreover, there was a limit in reduction of total loss including IGBT and FWD.
Furthermore, since the impedance from each chip was not able to be disregarded in a large-sized insulated gate semiconductor device by the method of connecting the external capacitor CGE to the exterior of the semiconductor device, it was difficult to stably suppress change in Vge of the semiconductor chips.
Furthermore, when the capacitors CGE are incorporated on the same mounting substrate as the insulated gate semiconductor chips, there is concern about the influence by heat.

Semiconductor device and capacitance regulation circuit


The invention provides isolated nucleic acid molecules encoding PAAD-domain containing polypeptides and functional fragments thereof, including fragments containing PAAD domains, NACHT domains and ARED domains, encoded polypeptides, and antibodies. Also provided are methods of identifying polypeptides and agents that associate with a PAAD-domain containing polypeptide or fragment thereof, or that alter an association of a PAAD domain-containing polypeptides. Further provided are methods of identifying agents that modulate PAAD domain-mediated inhibition of NFKB activity, or modulate an activity of a NACHT domain of a PAAD domain-containing polypeptide. Also provided are methods of modulating NFKB transcriptional activity in a cell, and methods of altering expression of a PAAD domain-containing polypeptide in a cell.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the fields of molecular biology and molecular medicine and more specifically to the identification of proteins involved in innate immunity, programmed cell death, NFKB induction, cytokine processing and inflammation, and associations of these proteins.
2. Background Information
Proteins containing the death domain fold (DDF) play pivotal roles in programmed cell death (apoptosis) and inflammatory responses. The DDF represents a protein interaction motif consisting of a bundle of (usually) six antiparallel α-helices. This core structure is found in at least three families of evolutionarily conserved and closely related domain families, including Death Domain (DD), Death Effector Domain (DED) and Caspase Recruitment Domain (CARD) families.
CARD- and DED-family proteins have been implicated in activation of Caspase-family proteases. Though many of these intracellular cysteine proteases are involved in apoptosis induction, some of these proteases, such as Caspase-1, are chiefly responsible for proteolytic processing and activation of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as Interleukin-1β. Homotypic interactions among CARD- and DED-containing adapter proteins occur with the inactive proforms of those Caspases which possess N-terminal prodomains containing complementary CARDs or DEDs, respectively. The resulting formation of multi-protein complexes leads to protease cleavage and activation by an induced proximity mechanism in which pro-proteases are clustered together, permitting trans-proteolytic cleavage events necessary for generation of active Caspases.
Besides regulating Caspase activation, some DDF proteins are also known to participate in activation of transcription factor NF-KB, a family of dimeric transcription factors containing the Rel-homology domain (RHD). In mammals, NF-KB family members play critical roles in regulating expression of genes involved in inflammatory and immune responses, including certain cytokines, lymphokines, immunoglobulins, and leukocyte adhesion proteins. Among the DDF proteins, DD- and CARD-containing proteins have been shown to participate in NF-KB induction, with certain DD-family proteins linking cytokine receptors to downstream adapter proteins implicated in IKK activation and specific CARD-family proteins linking to adapter proteins that connect to the IKK complex.
The identification of proteins with folds that structurally resemble the Death Domain Fold, determination of molecules with which they interact, and elucidation of their biological function, can form the basis for strategies designed to alter apoptosis, NFKB inductions, immune and inflammatory responses, cytokine production, and other cellular processes mediated by these proteins. Thus, a need exists to identify proteins with structural resemblance to DDF proteins, and to identify functional domains within these proteins. The present invention satisfies this need and provides additional advantages as well.

PAAD domain-containing polypeptides, encoding nucleic acids, and methods of use


A computer implemented method and system for initiating an action uses text converted from a user's speech. A user's speech is converted into text using an automatic speech recognition (ASR) system of a device. A first group of words is determined from the text meeting a first criteria. The text of the first group of words is displayed on a user interface of the device. A first action is initiated in response to the user's selection of a word in the first group. The results of the first action are presented using the user interface of the device.

The present disclosure relates to methods and systems having speech recognition. Computer devices or other devices, for example, hand held devices, can be a source of information for a user. Providing supplemental information to a user, can be beneficial, for example, when a person is having a conversation with others, or in a business meeting. In some situations (e.g., business meeting, group conversation, etc.) it would be desirable to have access to supplemental information without having to manually enter search terms and search a data store or online service.
Typically, a user can use a computer or a mobile device to search for information pertinent to a conversation or meeting the user is simultaneously involved in. In one example, a database or online service or a search service can be used by a user who can input text to provide one or more search terms using a tactile input method (e.g., a keyboard). This method can be distracting to the user, as well as other participants in a conversation, and requires significant time for the user to input search terms and receive information.
Non-tactile input methods, e.g., voice-based input methods, can be distracting to the user and others by requiring the user to speak while participating in a meeting or a conversation with others. Other types of audio-focused tools (e.g., meeting recorders that can be used to create transcripts) do not provide realtime access during the users conversation or meeting with others.

International Business Machines Corporation


An illustrative geophone with tunable resonance frequency includes a first inductive assembly including an inductive coil having a first magnet arranged therein, wherein the first magnet and the first inductive coil move relative to each other, and a second inductive assembly including a second inductive coil having a second magnet arranged therein, wherein the second magnet and the second inductive coil move relative to each other. A coupling element couples a movable element of the first inductive assembly with a moveable element of the second inductive assembly. The first inductive assembly employs tunable damping to modify a resonant frequency of the second inductive assembly.

A geophone is a sensor that is often employed for seismic survey operations, typically as part of an extensive array of such sensors. Geophones normally take the form of a mass-spring system, in which a spring-mounted mass is movable with respect to a housing. The mass may be magnetic in nature or the geophone may be equipped with a magnet that provides a magnetic field, which facilitates monitoring of the mass's relative motion by an inductive coil attached to the housing. As seismic waves encounter the geophone, they displace the mass relative to the housing. So long as the displacement frequency is within the geophone's response range, this displacement causes the spring-mounted mass to move relative to the housing. (An example of a typical geophone response range would be 3-40 Hz. Other illustrative ranges include 20-200 Hz, and 3-13 kHz.) The motion of the magnetic mass relative to the inductive coil generates a voltage at the coil's terminals proportional to the relative velocity of the mass. The resonance frequency or frequencies of the mass-spring system may be chosen to improve the transducer's response to a selected frequency, but such frequencies are often a fixed parameter of the geophone design. Frequencies outside the transducer's range are substantially attenuated.
One approach that may be employed to address this issue in a controlled survey environment is to employ a design that provides a very broad response curve. However, such an approach may be unsuitable for use in a seismic-while-drilling (SWD) application, where the sensor must endure high-intensity shocks and vibrations from the drilling environment. A geophone having a broad response curve may be expected to have frequent high-energy collisions between the spring mounted mass and the sensor housing, with a correspondingly fast degradation in sensor performance, or conversely, may be expected to be so heavily damped that it is unsuitable for use as a seismic sensor. The nature of SWD application requires the geophone to be used in varying depth in the borehole. This results in a trade-off in selecting sensors of suitable resonance frequency. In deeper well, lower frequency seismic waves experiences lower attenuation while in shallower well, high frequency waves provides higher resolution.
It should be understood, however, that the specific embodiments given in the drawings and detailed description thereto do not limit the disclosure. On the contrary, they provide the foundation for one of ordinary skill to discern the alternative forms, equivalents, and modifications that are encompassed together with one or more of the given embodiments in the scope of the appended claims.

Geophone with tunable resonance frequency


A system is provided for data object encryption. The system includes an encryption framework available across a plurality of runtime environments. The system is configured to receive a data object in one of the plurality of runtime environments, wherein the data object is capable of being encrypted using a content encryption key and determine an encryption module implemented in the encryption framework that is compatible with the one of the plurality of runtime environment, wherein the encryption module comprises a key service provider that provides a master key and a key wrapping algorithm for the content encryption key in the runtime environment. The system is further configured to encrypt the data object using the content encryption key, encrypt the content encryption key using the master key and key wrapping algorithm, and write the encrypted data object to networked database storage.

The subject matter discussed in the background section should not be assumed to be prior art merely as a result of its mention in the background section. Similarly, a problem mentioned in the background section or associated with the subject matter of the background section should not be assumed to have been previously recognized in the prior art. The subject matter in the background section merely represents different approaches, which in and of themselves may also be inventions.
A database system can store data or information. In a customer relationship management (CRM) database, for example, this data or information can include records or data for customers. In a database management system for a CRM database, blob data may refer to customer's text, content (e.g., image, multimedia, audio, etc.), attachment, application, or other files and documents that a customer may utilize and store with the system. When a user (e.g., a customer) provides data, the data may be stored to a database. However, the data may be sensitive or confidential, and breaches of data may risk disclosures of important customer information, fraud, and value loss to the CRM system. Existing encryption services may run well if the single key service provider is dependable but does not offer easy extensibility to work with other key service providers. Services provided by a CRM in different computing runtime environments may also require different cryptographic requirements, and thus some key service providers may not be available across all services provided by a particular client. Moreover, an issue with a single key service provider may cause issues in encryption and decryption availability and ease of use. In order to be regulation compliant, all of a CRM services may be required to offer encryption to user blob data when stored in a networked database storage. As such, the CRM system must offer clients a flexible and widely available process to provide data encryption.
In the figures, elements having the same designations have the same or similar functions.

Highly available encryption framework for multiple different computing environments


A stack allocation system and method is described. In one implementation, an attempt is made to allocate N bytes of data to a stack having a fixed depth. A probe size for the stack is determined. Verification is then made to ascertain whether the probe size and the N bytes of data exceed the fixed depth of the stack, prior to allocating the N bytes of data to the stack. In another implementation, the N bytes of data are allocated to a heap; if the probe size and the N bytes of data exceed the fixed depth of the stack.

A stack is a region of memory in which programs store data such as procedure and function call return addresses, passed parameters, local variables and other related status data. Various entities can maintain one or more stacks, including for instance, the processor, programs and the operating system. Some stacks are implemented as a region in virtual memory. A pointer, referred to as the "stack pointer" is used to reference virtual memory locations in the stack when reading and writing data to physical memory locations indicated by the virtual memory locations. The reference pointer is also used when reading and writing data directly to the stack.
An allocate-on-demand stack typically consists of two regions: an allocated region and a guard region. The guard region is not mapped to physical memory. The guard region is a reserved portion of non-committed virtual memory that bounds the outermost limit of the currently allocated stack memory. In other words, it is a range of virtual addresses into which the stack pointer can be advanced, but for which actual physical memory has not yet been committed.
When a program attempts to access a guard region a memory fault is generated, referred to as a "stack overflow exception." The exception is typically handled by some type of exception handling block. Most executing programs will not fail at this point and the overflow exception is handled transparently to a user. However, if the system cannot commit memory for a now-longer stack, the "stack overflow exception" is considered unhandled which causes a catastrophic program failure.
The stack can also be extended programmatically through a high performance memory allocator function called "allocate-a" indicated in source code as "alloca( )." Unfortunately, with fixed sized stacks and robust program threads, the allocate-a function can cause an stack overflow exception due to exhaustion of the stack or exhaustion of memory or page file. Accordingly, because of the limitations noted above, the allocate-a function is unable to prevent stack overflow exceptions from occurring when allocating data to a stack beyond the available depth of the stack.


A method in one example, the method comprising receiving content at a computing server that resides at a first site, where the content is to be synchronized with at least one other site. The method further comprises storing the content to be synchronized in a homing tag, and communicating the homing tag to the at least one other site.

As computer devices become more common, more people store information or content on-line that may be updated or commented upon by any number of users. The information, however, is typically stored at a single site and is not shared or synchronized across sites. At the same time, users may have access to many different sites that typically do not share information. For example, a user may have a computer account at work, and an account with a social networking site such as Facebook, Myspace or some other social networking site. This user may post content at each of the different sites. In some cases, a user may want to synchronize posted content across the different sites, and allow others to comment or add to the content. This is difficult in an environment where a user may have different accounts across the different sites, and where others on one site may not be able to update content on another site.
Typically a problem with sharing information across sites comes up when a user wants to create a blog on one site, but wants the blog synchronized with other sites so that the blog contains the same information on each site even though different users may be commenting from different sites. For example, a user may want to start a blog at a work site, but the user may want others at a social site, such as Facebook, to be able to enter comments on the blog and have the updated blog synchronized with other sites so that the plurality of sites contain the same comments entered at Facebook. Currently, synchronizing a blog may require the user to manually update comments from the plurality of sites. Manually updating a blog may be an error prone and time-consuming exercise.

Method to synchronize content across networks


A method of playing a modified version of blackjack between participants including a dealer and one or more players. The method includes the steps of each player placing a first wager to participate in a standard blackjack game against the dealer, and each player and the dealer placing a side wager into a side wager pot. The dealer then deals a two-card hand to each player and a two-card hand to the dealer and each hand is played out according to standard methods of playing blackjack. The method further includes awarding the side wager pot to the participant, if any, having a final hand count that is higher than all other final hand counts without exceeding twenty-one.

This invention relates generally to card games and more particularly to a modified version of blackjack that involves some or all of the players placing an additional wager at the beginning of a hand.
Blackjack (also known as twenty-one) is a common playing card game in which one or more players play against a dealer. The players play individually against the dealer, not against one another. Each player's objective is to hold a hand of two or more cards having a count closer to 21 (without going over) than the count of the dealer's hand. In determining the count of a hand, cards numbered 2-9 are assigned a rank equal to their respective face value, 10's, jacks, queens, and kings are assigned a rank of 10, and aces are assigned a rank of 1 or 11, at the player's option.
Blackjack is often played in casinos where each player places a wager on the outcome of a hand against the house. Wagers are placed at the beginning of the hand, before any cards are dealt. Play then begins with the dealer dealing two cards to each player and himself. Each player then is given the opportunity to "hit" (take an additional card) in an attempt to achieve a count closer to 21. The player can elect to "stand" (decline to take more cards) at anytime if satisfied with his or her count or concerned that another card will result in a "bust" (i.e., a count exceeding 21). Players can also exercise certain options such as "doubling down," "splitting pairs," and "surrender" in given situations. After all of the players have elected to stand on their hand, the dealer plays out his or her hand based on pre-established rules for the game. Typically, if the dealer has less than 17, the dealer must take a hit. If the dealer has 17 or more, the dealer stands.
A player wins the wager against the house if his or her count is closer to 21 than the dealer's count; the player loses the wager if the dealer's count is closer to 21 than that player's count. Any player that busts loses regardless of the final count of the dealer's hand. If a player's and the dealer's counts are the same (without exceeding 21), no one wins and the hand is called a "push." Any player receiving a "blackjack" (i.e., a two-card hand having a count of 21, also referred to as a natural) wins at once, unless the dealer is also dealt a blackjack. Blackjacks are typically paid off at one and a half times the wager.
While conventional blackjack is considered by many to be an exciting game, all players play against the dealer only and not among themselves. Furthermore, there is only one wagering opportunity during the course of each deal. Thus, if a player busts early in a hand and thus loses automatically, he or she has no further interest in that deal and must wait idly while the other players and the dealer play out their hands. Accordingly, it would be desirable to have a modified version of blackjack in which players could play among themselves as well as against the dealer and place additional wagers that could maintain interest in a deal after a player's hand has played out.


The printer (10) has an ink jet printhead (12) suitable for printing single sheets (14) and a control device (40) adapted to delay expulsion of the same to a collection tray (16), with the purpose of extending the drying time of the ink ejected by the printhead (12) on each sheet, before a following sheet is stacked thereon. The device (40) is suitable for controlling means (17, 25) for feeding of the sheets (14) through the printer (10) so as to temporarily stop the feeding of a first sheet (14a) after it has been printed on, then to feed a second sheet (14b) until it comes to a predetermined minimum distance (D) from the first sheet (14a), and finally to simultaneously feed the first sheet (14a) and the second sheet (14b), so as to expel the first sheet (14a) to the collection tray (16) and to further feed the second sheet (14b) so that it can be printed on. The device (40) preferably comprises a group consisting of a threaded element (61) and a toothed element (62), which are adapted to couple and uncouple by torsional means, rotating with respect to one another, so that pairs of sheet expulsion rollers (42a,42b) are disconnected from a sheet feeding roller (27), during a predetermined relative rotation of the two elements (61,62).

Various solutions are known for producing in an ink jet printer the means described in summary form above, which generally adhere to the concept of keeping the last sheet distinctly separate from the previous one while it is being printed, so that the last sheet is stacked on the previous one only after it has been printed on, or with a delay determined by the amount of ink ejected.
One solution is, for example, described in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,844,633, where arrangement is made for a pair of rotatable tabs suitable for accompanying a sheet as it is fed during printing, in such a way as to support it constantly by its central portion. On completion of printing, the tabs move away from the sheet, so that the latter falls vertically on a previously printed sheet underneath.
This solution implies an accumulation of the printed sheets according to a horizontal or almost horizontal arrangement, since only in this way can the sheets fall vertically and be stacked correctly on top of each other. Accordingly this solution is difficult to apply where it is desired to have the sheets accumulated according to a different arrangement following printing, for example so that they assume an almost vertical arrangement thus enabling a considerable reduction in overall plan dimensions of the printer.
The solution envisaged by U.S. Pat. No. 4,728,963 also has the application limits outlined above.

Ink jet printer for delaying the stacking of the printed sheets and associated method of operation


In one embodiment, a plurality of obstacles is sensed in an environment of an automated driving vehicle (ADV). One or more representations are formed to represent corresponding groupings of the plurality of obstacles. A vehicle route is determined in view of the one or more representations, rather than each and every one of the obstacles individually.

Vehicles operating in an autonomous mode (e.g., driverless) can relieve occupants, especially the driver, from some driving-related responsibilities. When operating in an autonomous mode, the vehicle can navigate to various locations using onboard sensors, allowing the vehicle to travel with minimal human interaction or in some cases without any passengers.
Navigating an autonomous driving vehicle (ADV) can be performed by generating a path that the ADV will follow, and then producing a series of control commands (e.g., throttle, steering, braking) to effect movement of the ADV along the path. Generation of the path can be performed in view of obstacles sensed in an environment of the ADV.
Autonomous driving vehicles treat each obstacle individually in generating the ADV path. Each obstacle adds to the ADV's computational load because the ADV must account for each obstacle in different algorithms. In some cases, an obstacle may be split into multiple obstacles, which can further increase computational load.

Group and combine obstacles for autonomous driving vehicles


A voice recognition apparatus 10, which performs voice recognition of an input voice by referring to a voice recognition dictionary and outputs a voice recognition result, has an external information acquiring section 14 for acquiring from externally connected devices 20-1-20-N connected thereto a type of each externally connected device, and for acquiring data recorded in each externally connected device; a vocabulary extracting analyzing section 15 and 16 for extracting a vocabulary item from the data as an extracted vocabulary item, and for producing analysis data by analyzing the extracted vocabulary item and by providing the extracted vocabulary item with reading; and a dictionary generating section 17 for storing the analysis data in the voice recognition dictionary corresponding to the type. For each type of the externally connected devices, one of the voice recognition dictionaries 13-1-13-N is assigned.

Generally, a speech recognition apparatus performs speech recognition by referring to words (vocabulary items) recorded in a speech recognition dictionary, and a large number of words must be recorded in the speech recognition dictionary to increase a speech recognition rate. Thus, some speech recognition apparatuses have a function of updating the speech recognition dictionary by enabling a user to add and record words into an existing speech recognition dictionary, and/or a function of preparing a speech recognition dictionary for user's personal use.
For example, there is a speech recognition apparatus that reads, when detecting the start of mail preparing processing during the creation of a speech recognition dictionary used for composing an e-mail message in response to a voice input, document data obtained by an application; analyzes the document data; extracts an unknown word not contained in the existing speech recognition dictionary; and creates a speech recognition dictionary including the unknown word extracted (see Patent Document 1, for example).
Furthermore, there is a speech recognition apparatus that stores, when creating/updating a speech recognition dictionary, a first analysis dictionary in which written forms and reading of popular vocabulary items are recorded into a first analysis dictionary storage section; stores a second analysis dictionary in which written forms and reading of special vocabulary items are recorded into a second analysis dictionary storage section; carries out morphological analysis using both the analysis dictionaries with a text analysis section; records in a corresponding table, when giving reading to an input morpheme by a reading providing section 2, pairs of vocabulary/reading of the second analysis dictionary and pairs of other candidates/reading candidates concerning recorded vocabulary in the second analysis dictionary; creates a speech recognition dictionary with a speech recognition dictionary creating section on a basis of the contents of the corresponding table; and creates the speech recognition dictionary on a basis of correspondence between the recognized vocabulary items and the phonemic written form and other phonemic written form candidates of the second analysis dictionary (see Patent Document 2, for example).
Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-233577 (pp. 3-9 and FIGS. 1-9).
Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-271183 (pp. 6-12 and FIGS. 1-7).
In the conventional speech recognition apparatus with the foregoing configuration, a target at the time of creating or updating the speech recognition dictionary is limited to such an application capable of transmitting and receiving document data, and the frequency of using words for the recognition can vary greatly depending on the externally connected devices connected to the speech recognition apparatus, and the words and vocabulary items can differ depending on the externally connected devices. Considering these factors, the conventional speech recognition apparatus has a problem of being unable to carry out the speech recognition efficiently for separate externally connected devices by only creating or updating the speech recognition dictionary for a single application (that is, for a single externally connected device).
In addition, since the conventional speech recognition apparatus records the words passing through the analysis into the single speech recognition dictionary, the time taken for searching the speech recognition dictionary increases with the number of words recorded. This offers a problem of not only hindering the efficient speech recognition, but also reducing the recognition rate because of an increase in similar words.
The present invention is implemented to solve the foregoing problems. Therefore it is an object of the present invention to provide a speech recognition apparatus capable of carrying out the speech recognition efficiently in accordance with the externally connected devices.


Provided are a name service system and a method thereof. The name service system includes: a name service server registering a name and corresponding network information received through a communication network when name registration is requested, and sending network information corresponding to the registered name when a name call is requested; a plurality of monitoring devices collecting information, having respective names, requesting the name registration to the name service server through the communication network, registering the name and the network information corresponding to the name in the name service server, and sending changed network information to the name service server when the registered network information changes; and a plurality of remote control management devices connecting to the name service server through the communication network to request the name call, receiving network information corresponding to the name and sent from the name service server, connecting through the communication network using the network information, and thus receiving collected information. Accordingly, it is possible to communicate in a communication network environment using a dynamic Internet protocol (IP) address with only the name of a communication connection target and no additional information, so that a system making connection easy and effective can be constructed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a name service server, and more specifically, to a name service system and method rendering it possible to communicate in a communication environment using dynamic Internet protocol (IP) addresses with only the name of a communication target required for connection between a monitoring device and a remote control management system or between clients.
2. Discussion of Related Art
For connection between a conventional digital video recorder (DVR) and a remote control management system, or between client computers, a communication network such as a local area network (LAN), a public switched telephone network (PSTN), etc., and an IP address or a port number are required.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating connection of conventional DVRs and remote control management systems.
As shown in FIG. 1, a conventional system comprises a plurality of DVRs 10-1 to 10-n, a communication network connected to the DVRs, and a plurality of remote control management systems 40-1 to 40-m connected to the communication network.
In FIG. 1, the plurality of DVRs 10-1 to 10-n are installed at a remote site to monitor, collect, and store images of the site. When an event occurs, the DVRs send it through the communication network 30 to the remote control management systems 40-1 to 40-m.
The communication network 30 may be at least one of a communication network using a static IP address or a dynamic IP address such as a LAN, a wide area network (WAN), a PSTN, a public switched data network (PSDN), an asymmetric digital subscriber line (ADSL), or an integrated services digital network (ISDN), and connects the plurality of DVRs 10-1 to 10-n with the remote control management systems 40-1 to 40-m.
The remote control management systems 40-1 to 40-m perform various control functions such as connecting the DVRs 10-1 to 10-n through the communication network 30, viewing or searching for images, and detecting events.
Referring to FIG. 1, in order for the remote control management systems 40-1 to 40-m to connect to the DVRs 10-1 to 10-n at a remote site, the DVRs 10-1 to 10-n and the remote control management systems 40-1 to 40-m should use a communication network enabling themselves to connect to each other, and the remote control management systems 40-1 to 40-m should have network information such as an IP address and port number of the DVRs 10-1 to 10-n to be connected.
This is the same for the case where the DVRs 10-1 to 10-n connect to the remote control management systems 40-1 to 40-m.
In FIG. 1, when the DVRs 10-1 to 10-n use static or public IP addresses, the IP address and port information do not change, and thus it is easy to connect thereto. However, when the DVRs 10-1 to 10-n are connected to a dynamic IP environment in which the IP address is variable, like an ADSL environment or a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP), the remote control management systems 40-1 to 40-m wanting connection should know the changed IP address every time the IP address has changed in order to connect the DVRs 10-1 to 10-n, and thus it is considerably difficult to make the connection.
In addition, when a client computer connected to an external communication network connects to a communication device that supports the network address translation (NAT) function, such as an IP sharer or a router, and attempts to connect to another client computer belonging to a private network, network information required for the connection cannot be obtained and thus connection is impossible.
Recently, a dynamic domain name system (DDNS) allowing a dynamic IP address to be used as a static IP address assigned to a leased line has been used. A DDNS server is informed of the IP address assigned to each computer from a specific program installed in the computer, and stores the IP address and a domain name as a pair. When a user requests connection, the DDNS server provides the IP address corresponding to the domain name so that the user need not directly cope with change of the IP address.
However, the DDNS is limited for Internet service such as the world wide web or e-mail utilized mainly by computer terminals and supports the port forwarding function, but the DDNS server does not store port information and only supports the port forwarding function for ports (well-known ports) related to Internet service provided in connection with specific programs installed in the user's computer, and router should be registered to DNS. Therefore, DDNS has the drawback that a side wanting connection has to know the port number of the communication target in a general application such as a DVR control application which is not an Internet service.
In addition, when a plurality of computers are connected to an IP sharer or router having the NAT function to form a private network, and connection is desired between a computer connected to an external communication network and a computer in the private network through a DDNS server, the side wanting connection should know the port number of the other computer.


The invention concerns device control for enabling electrical or electronic devices to be controlled through computer systems. Employing the invention involves the use of one or more control interfaces which are capable of being used to interacting with a computer system or network, each interface typically comprising sheet material such as paper which has coded data disposed on it and which allows it to be used to interact with the computer system by use of a sensing device operated by a user. Through this interaction, data can be forwarded to the computer system from the control interface to effect in that system an operation relating to the functioning of the device.

There are many electrical and electronic devices in the home and office which have some kind of user interface for controlling their operation. These include office equipment, audio and video equipment, kitchen appliances, heating and cooling systems, etc. Even light sockets have on/off switches and sometimes dimmers, and in many countries power outlets have on/off switches.
Office equipment and entertainment equipment is increasingly networkable—i.e. devices come with interfaces to standard local-area networks, allowing their operation to be controlled over a network. The advent of standard wireless networking technologies such as Bluetooth may see an increase in networking support in such devices and appliances.
Some networking futurists predict that even light sockets will one day be networked, allowing their status to be queried and their function to be controlled remotely.
Even today, an increasing number of devices can be controlled via infrared remote control interfaces. Such interfaces are particularly prevalent on audio and video equipment and heating and cooling systems.


A dynamic recovery system for a network comprising: an orchestrator, the orchestrator communicates with at least one mobility management entity in the network to monitor at least one of a key performance and a key capacity indicator; the orchestrator upon detecting that the at least one the key performance and key capacity indicator is above an operator configured threshold: instantiates at least one virtual mobility management entity, disables a communications profile towards the mobility management entity, and provides a communications profile toward at least one virtual mobility management entity.

Mobility networks are susceptible to various outages or other events that can affect network traffic and user service. In one example, a complete long term evolution (LTE) control plane signaling outage caused millions of LTE subscribers to lose voice, packet data and regulatory services for several hours. This outage may have resulted from a packet storm triggered by a transport network anomaly that amplified messages on the control plane S1-MME signaling interface between the evolved node B (eNB) and mobility management entity (MME). The resulting packet storm overloaded the packet handler leading to a node crash followed by a cyclic effect that impacted all MMEs within an MME pool extending across geo-redundant data center locations.
An MME is the LTE core network signaling node, that handles all the LTE signaling traffic associated with millions of UEs; transmitted over S1-MME interface between thousands of eNBs to a serving MME. In LTE/LTE-Advanced network, a MME is a centralized node that handles all signaling procedures of a mobile device. MMEs can be deployed in standalone or pooled configurations and when deployed in regional pools, only specific eNBs in a pre-defined geographic area establish signaling connections to those regional MMEs. MME has Over Load Protection (OLP) control mechanisms for user equipment (UE) signaling/mobility load events and will start selectively shedding UE associated traffic based on loading conditions but this OLP will not cover scenarios where there is an IP traffic storm on MME.
MME is a pure control plane signaling entity and doesn't carry/handle user plane traffic. The bulk of signaling traffic is carried on the S1-MME interface that is designed using SCTP protocol. In such a large carrier network deployment, thousands of eNBs could be served by a single MME pool. Such a single MME pool could comprise of a combination of physical MMEs as well as virtual MMEs in standalone or hybrid design configurations to address the dynamic traffic needs in denser urban regions.
These eNBs are connected to the MMEs via cell site IP backhaul transport networks that could utilize multiple technologies such as microwave, fixed wireless, wireline/fiber, MPLS and others. When a L3 IP outage/packet storm is triggered on the transport network, that manages the S1-MME interface, due to network or man made anomalies, this creates a packet storm headed from the eNBs towards the MME pool where pre-defined S1 connectivity is in place.
Such a packet storm could potentially overwhelm all the MMEs in the pool as they are not designed to handle an unintentional denial of service (DOS) event as all the networks are assumed as trusted networks. The MME nodal CPU gets exhausted processing the SCTP S1-MME packets (INIT, Abort etc.) with same source (src.) and destination (dest.) IP addresses multiple times and causes the MME CPU to crash thereby resulting in an outage.
The cell site backhaul transport network could be impacted as a result of physical fiber cut between two mobile switching office locations that connects and carries traffic from thousands of eNBs to the MMEs. In addition such a fiber cut could also impact the operator's as well as competitor's landline/DSL customers whose traffic could be transported by the same backbone network.
The impacted eNBs will continue to send SCTP Abort messages, as the transport network was impacted and restored, and did not hear back from the serving MMEs in the pool. Lack of adequate feedback mechanism at the signaling interface layer could aggravate such situations based on the eNB-MME interactions in a distributed topology.
Even if a static feedback mechanism existed to take preventive actions within the eNB, lack of dynamic controls to selectively back-off and adjust the critical SCTP profile timing attributes towards the MMEs in the pool region could impact the S1-MME signaling behavior and result in an impending core network outage.
Hence, as the next-generation mobility networks are transformed using NFV/SDN techniques to a cloud based architecture, proactive monitoring and dynamic signaling control enhancements are absolutely essential in designing advanced intelligent networking solutions that are robust in predicting, handling complex unanticipated signaling events and avoiding potential outages.

Dynamic mobility network recovery system


A disk is divided into K angular regions. A log write request is replicated K times and K number of identical log writes are issued to the disk to be written to each of the angular regions of the log. Upon completion of the first write, the application requesting the log write is informed of its completion resulting in a reduction of rotational latency by a factor of K.

1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention relate, in general, to reducing latency experienced in computer logging operations and particularly to reducing rotational latency in log writes.
2. Relevant Background
Durability is a common requirement for all transactional data management systems such as databases or file systems. Durability means that the result (state) of a transaction survives failures and has transactional update semantics (atomicity and consistency). Durable memory is contrasted with volatile memory, which is reset at system restart, and persistent memory, which is not volatile but not necessarily having transactional update semantics. For example, magnetic disk memory is persistent and when combined with a transactional data management software it becomes durable.
In any transactional data management system, when an application requests the system to commit a transaction, all the changes introduced by the transaction have to be made durable, that is they have to be stored in persistent memory (storage). Magnetic disk memory (storage) has a long access time that reflects seek time associated with the platter rotation and movement of the actuator arm to reach a given disk location. In order to lower the time it takes to force all the changes to be written into persistent memory (storage) during a commit operations, most transactional systems use the logging technique. In logging, all changes introduced by a transaction are combined into a single record and appended to a sequential log without any unnecessary seek time. Log information is accessed only during a restart after a crash. Otherwise such log information is later discarded. Typically, this technique allows the transactional system to defer updates to the actual persistent copy of the database or file system data, and to perform such updates in a more optimized way.
Typically, rotating disk memories include one or more disks driven about a spindle axis at approximately, between 5,400 and 15,000 revolutions per minute, or one revolution between every 4 and 11 milliseconds. Each disk has a plurality of concentric tracks, on one or both surfaces from which information is written by a write element. In addition, each track is further divided into a plurality of sectors. A track cylinder is formed by the radially corresponding tracks on the disk memories. In a disk drive system, a disk rotates at a high speed while the read/write element "flies" over the surface of the rotating disk. The write element is positioned over specific areas or sectors of the disk in accordance with commands received from the host computer. It is assumed for purposes of the present application that the read/write element is positioned over the correct track. Thus seek time, the transverse positioning of the read/write element, is not a factor in this application. This application is primarily concerned with the amount of time the disk drive spends waiting for the appropriate position of the disk to rotate under the write element.
Each log entry placed into the log requires processing time by the server. One aspect of this processing time is rotational latency or latency as the result of spinning media. While forms of solid state storage mediums exist, the most common form of storage media is a rotational disk drive. Also called rotational delay, rotational latency is the amount of time it takes for the desired sector of a disk (i.e., the sector from which data is to be read or written) to rotate under the read/write element of the disk drive. The average rotational latency for a disk is half the amount of time it takes for the disk to make one revolution. The term typically is applied to rotating storage devices, such as hard disk drives and floppy drives (and even older magnetic drum systems), but not to tape drives.
Log writes are particularly sensitive to rotational latency. Despite increasing disk drive bandwidth, the average rotational latency in modern enterprise disk drives remains in order of 2 milliseconds. This latency period limits the number of log writes that a file system or database can perform to between 250-400 writes per second. While nonvolatile random access memory (flash) represents a solution to this problem by eliminating mechanical moving parts in the drive entirely, this approach requires special hardware and capital outlay. Disk drives remain the primary storage medium. Typical logging combines requests for a short period of time and writes them off to the disk. On average the writing element of the disk will have to wait for one half of a rotation to arrive at the location on the disk to begin writing, about 2 milliseconds. During this period, the application is idle for it is waiting for a confirmation that the write has occurred due to rotational latency. Thus minimizing rotational latency has broad applicability.
From an application perspective log writes introduce a delay in transaction commit operations. In many cases an application has to stall (remain idle) until the transactional system completes the commit operation, that is until the log write operation finishes. With modern enterprise disk drives an average log write delay, that is time required by a sequential append is about 2 milliseconds (half of a the revolution time), which corresponds to about 2 to 6 million processor cycles. While disk performance is advancing the gap between disk and processor performance increases.


The present invention provides a solid state image pickup device capable of readily discriminating a break between data in a serial output data. The solid state image pickup device includes an image sensor having a plurality of pixels, an analog-to-digital converter for converting analog signals outputted from the plurality of pixels of the image sensor into digital data, the solid state image pickup device serving to output pixel output data after the analog-to-digital conversion in the form of serial data, and discrimination pulse generating means for generating and outputting a discrimination pulse used to discriminate one data time period of the serial data.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to a solid state image pickup device, and more particularly to a solid state image pickup device having an analog-to-digital converter (hereinafter referred to as "an A/D converter" for short when applicable).
2. Related Background Art
In recent years, the importance of a solid state image pickup device used in digital imaging apparatuses has more and more increased along with the spread of a digital still camera, a digital video camera, an image scanner, and a mobile phone with a digital camera.
In many cases, in each of these digital imaging apparatuses, analog signals obtained from the solid state image pickup device are converted into digital signals by an A/D converter which is separately installed in order to execute image processing or the like for the resultant digital signals.
However, in the recent progress in the miniaturization and the promotion of low cost of these digital imaging apparatuses, it has been required to provide the A/D converter in the solid state image pickup device.
Now, heretofore, in the solid state image pickup device with an A/D converter, as described in JP 09-009017 A as Japanese Patent Application Laid-open for example, it is the main processing to output data after the digital conversion in parallel with one another. In this case, output terminals are required corresponding to the number of bits of the data. For example, in case of a solid state image pickup device having an A/D converter for 8 bits, eight output terminals are required, and in case of a solid state image pickup device having an A/D converter for 12 bits, twelve output terminals are required.
For this reason, in the solid state image pickup device having a relatively small image pickup area, a ratio of an area occupied by the output terminals becomes relatively large as compared with the overall chip size. This becomes a factor of increasing a chip cost. In addition, in a package in which a solid state image pickup device is sealed, an increase in the number of output terminals results in an increase in the package size. This is a factor of increasing a package cost.
The above-mentioned tendency becomes more remarkable when an image sensor and an A/D converter, and moreover a timing generator are formed on the same semiconductor substrate.
Furthermore, in recent years, the radiation noises generated by an electric apparatus are questioned with respect to an influence exerted on the human body or other electric apparatuses. These radiation noises are generated by a current which is caused to instantaneously flow through a wiring and the like when a voltage changes from a high level to a low level or from a low level to a high level. In case of the parallel output style, there is a possibility that the data of the bits changes at the same timing. Hence, the peak values of the radiation noises further increase as the number of bits of the A/D converter further increases, i.e., the number of output terminals further increases.
For this reason, an attempt has been made such that the data after the digital conversion is outputted in serial with one another in order to reduce the number of output terminals for digital data.
FIG. 10 is a diagram explaining the processing for serial data outputted by a conventional solid state image pickup device with a built-in A/D converter of a serial data output type. In the figure, reference numeral 510 designates a solid state image pickup device with a built-in A/D converter of a serial data output type, reference numeral 500 designates a start pulse for regulating start of an operation of the solid state image pickup device 510 with a built-in A/D converter, reference numeral 501 designates serial output data of 8 bits into which analog signals outputted from respective pixels are digitally converted, reference numeral 503 designates a clock pulse, reference numeral 521 designates a time period from a time point of input of the start pulse 500 to a time point of output of the effective data, reference numeral 523 designates a time period required to output one data, and reference numeral 505 designates a microprocessor (MPU) for image processing. As can be seen from the figure, in order that the microprocessor 505 for image processing may discriminate a break between the serial data outputted from the solid state image pickup device 510, first of all, the start pulse 500 is detected, and the number of clocks for the predetermined time period 521 is then counted to thereby recognize the head bit of the effective data. Thereafter, the clock pulses for eight periods within the time period 523 required to output one data are counted to thereby recognize the head bit of next one data. Such processing is repeatedly executed to thereby discriminate a break between the serial data two by two. For discriminating the break between the serial data in such a manner, the number of clocks needs to be always counted.
As described above, in case of the serial output style, the digital data is continuously outputted through one terminal. Thus, unlike the case where the data is outputted in parallel with one another, as the processing for discriminating the break between the data two by two, it becomes necessary to always count the number of clock pulses. For this reason, the load imposed on the microprocessor for image processing in a latter stage becomes heavier than that in the case where the parallel output data is processed.


Base stations and Radio Network Controllers, RNCs, and methods in such devices are disclosed. A base station (18) sends access indications to a RNC (20) indicating assignments and/or releases of common uplink resources. The RNC (20) uses the access indications received from the base station (18) to differentiate between successive accesses on the common uplink resources by a same User Equipment, UE (22), and to correspondingly differentiate between the processing of given data frames from the UE (22) as belonging to one or other of the successive accesses.

The term "E-DCH" refers to the Enhanced Dedicated Channel provided in wireless communication networks configured according to 3GPP UMTS standards—where "3GPP" refers to the Third Generation Partnership Project and "UMTS" denotes the Universal Mobile Telecommunications Service, as defined by the relevant 3GPP Technical Specifications.
The E-DCH is a transport uplink channel and, among other things, the E-DCH provides for random access transmissions by User Equipments, "UEs" operating in the CELL_FACH state. In particular, the network uses a pool of common E-DCH resources that can each be temporarily assigned to a UE in CELL_FACH state. In the current standard, there are up to 256 Radio Network Temporary Identifiers or "RNTIs" used for differentiating UEs making random accesses on the E-DCH within a cell, and a maximum of 32 random access preambles defining a maximum of 32 individual common E-DCH resources that can be allocated to respective individual UEs at any given time.
To transmit on a common E-DCH resource, a UE begins transmitting a random access preamble using a transmit power ramping. The NodeB—a base station in the UMTS vernacular—detects the random access preamble and allocates an available common E-DCH resource. The controlling NodeB—a UMTS base station—allocates individual ones of the common E-DCH resources to UEs attempting random access transmissions on the E-DCH, with the allocated resources subsequently being released back into the pool.
Data frames transmitted by UEs on common E-DCH resources are received at the supporting NodeB and passed along to the associated Radio Network Controller or "RNC". Each UE uses Transmission Sequence Numbers, "TSNs", to identify the sequence of data frames transmitted in each access of the common E-DCH resources. The RNC performs data re-ordering as needed based on the TSN of the data frames received from a given UE and it differentiates between the data frames received from different UEs based on the E-RNTI.
According to the 3GPP Technical Specification identified as TS 25.435 (see e.g. version 10.4.0), a UE that has been allocated a common E-DCH resource must reset its MAC-is when releasing that resource, and must also reset its TSN counter to zero for all logical channels mapped to the E-DCH. Here, the term "MAC-is" denotes one of the Medium Access Control entities within the UE that control access to the E-DCH. Accordingly, the UE resets its TSN counter for each access it makes on the common E-DCH resources in the CELL_FACH state, meaning that the TSN of the first MAC-is Protocol Data Unit, "PDU", transmitted in any given access is set to zero and incremented for each successive data frame transmitted in that same access.
The NodeB of the involved cell controls the contention-based accesses of the common E-DCH resources in the cell. In particular, the NodeB assigns one of the common E-DCH resources to a given UE for a given random access by that UE. The allocated resource is subsequently released—either by the UE or based on expiry of an allocation timer—and thus becomes available for a subsequent random access by the same UE or any other UE operating in the cell.
There are several potential challenges arising from the above arrangement and operation. For example, TSN values range from 0 to 63, meaning that a UE transmitting more than sixty-four data frames within the same access will reuse one or more of the TSN values used for data reordering at the RNC. Further, while the RNC can distinguish between data frames from different UEs, based on the different E-RNTIs assigned to those UEs, the RNC cannot necessarily distinguish between the data frames sent from the same UE in two successive accesses.
As a particular example, a given UE is allocated common E-DCH resources for a given random access, referred to as a "first" access, those resources are released by the first UE upon completion of the first access, and the UE makes an immediate or almost immediate second random access on the common E-DCH resources. The E-RNTI seen by the RNC will be the same for the first and second accesses. Moreover, the TSN numbering will start at zero for the data frames received at the RNC for the first access and for those received for the second access.
Thus, because the RNC does not know when common E-DCH resources are allocated or released, it is recognized herein that there is a possibility of the RNC confusing data between successive random accesses by a UE on the common E-DCH resources. Particularly, data reordering at the RNC relies on use of a certain timer, wherein the RNC "waits" on a packet missing from an overall sequence of patents until expiry of a "T1" timer. Now, during the run time of the T1 timer, the UE associated with the missing packet might end its data transmission and release the involved common E-DCH resource. If that same UE makes a subsequent random access within the timing window of T1, the RNC may receive a data frame in the second access that has the same E-RNTI and TSN value of the data frame missing from the prior access.
For example, assume that a UE has sent ten data packets with TSNs of 0 to 9 and then releases the common E-DCH resource used for that access. Further, assume that the RNC has not received the TSN=4 data packet from that access. If the UE initiates another random access data transmission on the E-DCH, data transmissions for that subsequent access will start with TSN=0. If the UE sends five or more data packets, the RNC will see a data frame having TSN=4 from this subsequent access but will not be able to differentiate it from the TSN=4 data frame missing from the immediately prior access by the same UE. The result will be that the RNC mixed up data from two different data transmissions because it cannot distinguish between different accesses by the same UE.

Methods and apparatuses for processing uplink data


Systems and methods for performing cooling airflow analysis of gas turbine engine components are provided. In this regard, a representative system includes an airflow insert operative to form a seal with a component, the airflow insert having a main portion and a removable sacrificial portion, the sacrificial portion being sized and shaped to engage the component, the main portion having a cavity sized and shaped to removably receive the sacrificial portion, the main portion being sized and shaped to form a seal about the sacrificial portion and a corresponding portion of the component.

1. Technical Field
The disclosure generally relates to gas turbine engines.
2. Description of the Related Art
Gas turbine engines typically incorporate turbine blades and vanes that are gas-cooled. To facilitate gas-cooling, the blades and vanes include internal passages that route cooling gas to holes formed through to the exterior surfaces of the blades and vanes. So configured, the passages and holes provide thin films of cooling gas about the exterior of the blades and vanes. Notably, since sizes, shapes and cooling provisioning of blades and vanes are not standardized, each type of blade and vane typically requires a different pressure, volumetric flow and distribution of cooling gas in order to operate properly.


A small watercraft includes an improved exhaust system that reduces the width of the engine and associated exhaust pipes. The watercraft includes a hull having a length in a longitudinal direction, a width in a lateral direction, and a longitudinal center line. A multi-cylinder engine is carried by the hull. The engine includes an exhaust system with multiple exhaust inlet ends and at least one downstream end. The exhaust inlet ends communicate with the respective cylinders of the engine. A flow axis through each inlet end extends in a direction generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the hull. As a result, the exhaust system does not significantly protrude in a lateral direction beyond the sides of the engine. The hull consequently has a smaller width than the prior watercrafts which improves it maneuverability.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to a small watercraft, and in particular to an exhaust system for an engine of a small watercraft.
2. Description of Related Art
Personal watercrafts of the past had a relatively wide lower hulls. A personal watercraft includes an upper deck and a lower hull that form an engine compartment. The engine compartment houses an engine and a variety of related components for operation of the watercraft. The engine typically resides near the center of the watercraft partially disposed within a space between a pair of recessed foot areas of the upper deck. The space between the foot areas is designed to be sufficiently large to accommodate the engine and related components. One of these components is the exhaust manifold of the exhaust system. In the past, the exhaust manifold extended laterally from the engine in the cross direction of the hull. In order to accommodate the laterally extending exhaust manifold and engine, the lateral space between the foot areas had to be sufficiently large. As a result, the lower hull had to be made relatively wide to accommodate the large lateral space provided between the foot areas.
Generally, the wider the hull is, the wider the resulting turning radius of the watercraft will be. Consumers buy personal watercrafts for a number of reasons. One of the main reasons is the sporty nature of the personal watercraft. These watercrafts can be maneuvered much quicker and easier than most other types of watercrafts, contributing to their fun and excitement. In general, a wide lower hull makes it more difficult for an operator to lean the watercraft from side to side. This affects the turning performance because the lower hull includes outer chines that are designed to be dug into the water to facilitate turning. If an operator can not easily and quickly lean the watercraft towards a particular side, the chines do not have the opportunity to assist in the turn. As a result, the operator and watercraft experience long, slow, wide turns or large radius turns.


An additive self-servowriting method that records a servo pattern on a disk surface in a disk drive is disclosed. A servowriting method according to the present invention writes an initial servo pattern with a head moved to the inner circumference of the disk at the initial time. Then, additive servowriting operation is performed to write an additive servo pattern with the head positioned in the outer circumferential direction of the disk. When it is impossible to continue the additive servowriting operation in the middle of the operation, the head is set back to the previous additive servo pattern to resume the additive servowriting operation.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of a disk drive, and more particularly, to a servowriting method for writing a servo pattern to a disk medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a disk drive represented by a hard disk drive is configured to write or read data to/from a disk medium by means of a magnetic head (hereinafter, referred to merely as a "head").
The disk drive incorporates a servo system that moves the head for writing or reading data to a target position (target track) on the disk medium for positioning.
The servo system, in which a microprocessor (CPU) of the disk drive serves as a main component thereof, uses servo information (servo pattern data) that has previously been written to the disk medium to perform head positioning control (servo operation).
In the disk drive, the servo pattern data is written, as a magnetic signal, to servo areas (servo sectors) arranged on the disk medium at regular intervals.
The manufacturing process of the disk drive includes a servowrite process in which the servo pattern data is written to the disk medium. As a servowriting method, a self-servowriting method is available in addition to a method of using a dedicated servowriter (or servo track writer: also referred to as an "STW").
The self-servowriting method, in which the disk drive writes the servo pattern data to the disk medium in a self-reliant manner without using an external positioning mechanism such as a positioner, is advantageous in terms of manufacturing cost. In general, the self-servowriting process is carried out in a state where a top cover is attached to the main body of the disk drive.
Of the self-servowriting methods, in particular, prior art called the additive servowriting method has been disclosed (refer to, for example, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 8-212733).
The additive servowriting method is a method of using a head incorporated in the disk drive to determine the timing of the disk in the disk rotation direction and the head position in the radial direction of the disk medium, thereby writing servo pattern data to the disk medium in a self-reliant manner.
The method described above is advantageous in terms of manufacturing cost. In addition, the method can write servo pattern data while constantly observing relative positions between the disk medium and head in the radial direction of the disk medium, performing the writing operation with high accuracy.
The additive servowriting method positions (performs tracking of) a read head element to the servo pattern data that has been written by a write head element included in the head, then moves the head to the writing position of next servo pattern data, and writes the next servo pattern data by means of the write head element.
In this manner, the servo pattern data are sequentially written from, for example, the innermost to outermost part of the disk medium. The servo pattern data obtained by the additive servowriting operation is referred to as an "additive servo pattern" for convenience in some cases.
In the method described above, the additive servo pattern needs to have signal quality good enough to position the read head element correctly in order to determine the next writing position. However, in a servowriting process, influence of disturbance or the like makes it difficult to write all the additive servo patterns in a good condition.
If an additive servo pattern having quality so bad as to exceed an allowable range has been written, writing accuracy in the additive servo pattern may be adversely affected, which may prevent the subsequent writing operation in practice. If the following additive servowriting operation is started again from the beginning, efficiency in the servowrite process may be decreased.

Method and apparatus for servowriting in a disk drive