A new method to form CMOS image sensors in the manufacture of an integrated circuit device is achieved. The method comprises providing a semiconductor substrate. Sensor diodes are formed in the semiconductor substrate each comprising a first terminal and a second terminal. Gates are formed for transistors in the CMOS image sensors. The gates comprise a conductor layer overlying the semiconductor substrate with an insulating layer therebetween. The transistors include reset transistors. Ions are implanted into the semiconductor substrate to form source/drain regions for the transistors. The source regions of the reset transistors are formed in the first terminals of the sensor diodes. Ions are implanted into the reset transistor sources to form double diffused sources. The implanting is blocked from other source/drain regions.

(1) Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a CMOS image sensor device and, more particularly, to a method to form an improved CMOS image sensor with a double-diffused source on the reset transistor.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
CMOS image sensors have many advantages over CCD sensors. For example, CMOS image sensors demonstrate low voltage operation, low power consumption, compatibility with logic circuits, random access, and low cost. As device dimensions shrink to 0.25 microns, shallow trench isolations (STI) are widely used for device isolation. However, crystal defects located at STI corners can create leaky pixels.
Referring now to FIG. 1, a conventional CMOS pixel cell 400 is shown in schematic form. The pixel cell 400 comprises a photodiode sensor 408. The photodiode sensor 408 is reverse biased between the power supply VDD 404 and GROUND 430 such that it will conduct only a small leakage current. However, the photodiode 408 is sensitive to incident light. Light will cause the reverse current to increase.
The CMOS sensor pixel 400 comprises three additional transistors N1 412, N2 416, and N3 420. The first transistor N1 412 is the reset transistor for the cell 400. The cell is operated in a cycle. First, the reset transistor N1 412 is turned ON as shown by the high state of VRST. The node between the photodiode 408 and the reset transistor N1 412 is the floating node (FN). When the reset transistor N1 is ON, FN is pulled up to VDD 404. The photodiode 408 is then fully reverse biased and has the maximum depletion region.
The reset control signal VRST is next forced low to turn OFF the reset transistor N1. The photodiode sensor 408 will now react to incident light by generating reverse leakage current. The leakage current will discharge the floating node (FN) as shown. If the pixel is in the presence of a bright light, a large current will be generated by the photo effect. This current will discharge FN at a rate of, for example, about 200 mV/second or more. If the pixel is in the dark, the leakage current generated will discharge FN at a rate of only about 20 mV/second or less.
The FN voltage is coupled to the gate of the source follower transistor N2 416. The source of N2 416 follows the gate voltage FN with a voltage drop. For example, the FN node during reset may be forced to about 2.5 V if VDD is about 3.3 V. In this case, the source of N2 416 will be about 2.2 V during reset. After the reset transistor N1 412 is turned OFF, FN begins to drop at a rate that reflects the relative light intensity incident on the pixel 400 photodiode 408 as described above. This voltage is reflected on the source follower node but with a low output resistance such that any additional loading does not affect the operation of the diode. The row selector transistor N3 420 is used to select a particular row of pixels 400 for sampling. The row selector transistor N3 420 is turn ON by the VDI signal that is controlled by the sampling circuit, not shown.
In this example case, a constant load ILOAD 424 is coupled to the pixel output VOUT. If the row selector transistor N3 420 for this pixel 400 is turned ON, then the constant load is coupled to the source follower output such that the FN signal is effectively coupled to the output node VOUT. The difference between a dark condition and a bright light condition on the photodiode 408 can be easily seen. During a sampling operation, the VOUT signal is sampled at a fixed number of milliseconds after the reset transistor N1 is turned OFF. The sampled voltage VOUT corresponds to the relative light intensity. It may be used, therefore, to scan an image by combining the samples of a large array of pixels.
Referring now to FIG. 2, a cross sectional view of a part of the pixel structure is shown. The photodiode is formed by the n-well (NW) region 16 and the p-substrate (PSUB) 10. The NW 16 forms a first terminal of the p-n diode while the PSUB 10 forms a second terminal. Under reverse bias, a depletion region forms between NW 16 and PSUB 10. The photoelectric current is generated as light photons interact within this depletion region. Two MOS transistors 66 and 70 are also shown in the cross section. One transistor 66 has the source region 38 formed in the NW 16 terminal of the photodiode. This transistor 66 is the reset transistor for the pixel cell.
Shallow trench isolation (STI) regions 18 are used in this technology to enable very small dimensions as described above. A particular problem may occur in the STI 18. Defects 62 may form in the STI-semiconductor substrate interface due to manufacturing problems, such as crystal defects, material stress, poor trench etching or filling, or planarization damage. These defects 62 may occur at the STI interface with the heavily doped source junction 38 of the reset transistor as shown. This will induce leakage current to flow from the source node (FN) to ground.
As discussed above, the current flow from the FN node to ground is used to measure the intensity of incident light. Any additional source of leakage current will adversely affect the performance of the CMOS image sensor. Further, since the STI defects 62 are somewhat random, this leakage current will occur on some pixels but not others. Therefore, the leakage current effect cannot be cancelled out. As a result, pixels that contain a defect 62 will appear to be in the presence of a large, light source even when the pixel is exposed to darkness. Such pixels are called "white pixels" since these locations in the CMOS image pixel array always appear to be "white" regardless of the actual incident image. It is a primary object of the present invention to address the problem of white pixels caused by STI-induced leakage.
Several prior art inventions relate to U.S. Pat. No. 6,347,054 to Wang et al discloses a flash memory cell having a double-diffused region and a single-diffused region. U.S. Pat. No. 6,323,054 to Yaung et al teaches a method to form an image sensor cell. The photo diode comprises a lateral p-n diode with a space between the p-n regions. Conventional, single-diffused source/drain regions are used in the reset transistor. U.S. Pat. No. 6,306,678 to Chiang et al describes a method to form a CMOS image sensor. A photoresist layer is used to protect a previously formed, photodiode element during the sidewall spacer etch on the transfer transistor gate. Conventional, single-diffused sources and drains having lightly doped drain (LDD) extensions are taught. U.S. Pat. No. 6,194,258 to Wuu teaches a method to selectively form silicide in a CMOS image sensor process. Silicide is formed on the logic-type CMOS transistors. However, a layer blocks formation of silicide in the image cell. The reset transistor uses conventional, single-diffused source/drain regions with LDD.

Asymmetrical reset transistor with double-diffused source for CMOS image sensor

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.


A method for localizing a tag includes activating an antenna to transmit an RF signal and monitoring for a responsive signal transmitted by the tag. The signal range of the RF signal transmitted by the antenna may be altered if a responsive signal from the tag is not received. The method further includes detecting the responsive signal transmitted by the tag after the tag receives the RF signal transmitted at the altered signal range.

Radio frequency identification (RFID) readers are commonly used to determine the presence or absence of an asset having an RFID tag affixed thereto. Typically, an RFID reader powers an antenna, which emits an RF signal and thereby creates an RF field throughout the signal range of the antenna. An RFID tag within this RF field receives the RF signal emitted by the antenna and returns its own signal in response. The signal emitted by the RFID tag is, in turn, received by the antenna to allow the RFID reader to confirm the presence of the RFID tag and, correspondingly, the asset affixed thereto.
However, this system does not provide an indication of the physical position of the RFID tag. In order to localize the asset, or determine its relative position in relation to the RFID reader, multiple antennas have been used to create a plurality of overlapping RF fields. This increases the ability to localize RFID tags, but introduces a number of new problems.
First, the use of multiple antennas often creates misreads, which occur when an RFID tag does not receive a sufficiently strong RF signal to return a responsive signal of its own. This is because, RFID tags, particularly passive RFID tags, which utilize the RF signal transmitted by antennas for power, will not emit a responsive signal unless the RFID tags receive a sufficiently powerful RF signal from the antennas. Thus, even though an RFID tag is located within the RF field created by an antenna. The RFID tag may not respond to the received RF signal, because the received RF signal lacks the power required to elicit a response from the RFID tag. Therefore, the RFID reader registers the RFID tag as not being present, even though the RFID tag is, in fact, within the RF field of the antenna.
Second, the use of multiple antennas often creates cross-reads, which occur when the RF fields of multiple antennas interfere with each other and telegraph the RF signals sent by RFID readers and emitted from RFID tags into adjacent RF fields. Thus, a responding signal sent by an RFID tag may be received by two different antennas, thereby causing a reader to determine that the same RFID tag is located in two different positions. As such, it is often difficult to accurately determine the location of the RFID tag when multiple antennas are used.

Localizing a tag using variable signal range

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L. P.


The present invention allows multiple bar or c-clamps to be connected by one or more bars, the bars passing through the head and/or feet of the clamps, with provisions for locking the angles of the clamps about the bars joining them. This allows temporary jigs to be quickly assembled, with the angles of the workpieces held by the clamps to be fixed relative to one another at specified angles. In addition, parallelism of clamps holding a single workpiece may be maintained through the use of two or more connecting bars.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention pertains to the field of bar and c-clamp type tools used for holding two or more workpieces at fixed angles to each other. More particularly, the invention pertains to an improvement to clamps to allow two or more clamps to be joined at fixed angles to each other while they hold a workpiece or workpieces.
2. Description of Related Art
Bar clamps, C-clamps, and related tools, typically exert their force along one line. While much prior art has been devoted to immobilization of workpieces and clamps relative to the plane of the workpieces, there has been little work done in joining bar or c-clamps rigidly in a manner that allows them to exert force on a joint along multiple lines. Clamping at right angles to another bar clamp is usually done with the geometry of the second clamp being unfixed relative to the first clamp. Further, special jigs are needed to maintain multiple clamps parallel to each other in situations where such precision is desired.
Numerous systems have been developed to create "universal" clamps that allow clamping along more than one axis (U.S. Pat. No. 4,125,251), to clamp at right angles to a frame (U.S. Pat. No. 6,491,294), and to interconnect c-clamps for building complex clamping jigs (U.S. Pat. No. 4,747,590). Miter clamps and strap clamps have been developed to allow additional clamping geometries. Each approach has a weakness. Some do not allow assembly of interconnecting clamps on more than one plane, or require threaded bar stock to do so, with commensurately longer setup time. Some systems are comprised of specially made clamping blocks that are not useful without other components. Some are specialized for one joint type and are useless for clamping other joints. Many of these specialized clamps are not useful for basic clamping tasks that bar and c-clamps are used for.
In addition to variations on bar and c-clamps, there are a large number of clamping "systems" that are designed to be used for a wide variety of clamping situations. These systems may be for 2-dimensional clamping tasks, such as U.S. Pat. No. 4,125,251, which fixes clamped objects on a table, or complicated 3-dimensional clamping tasks, such as U.S. Pat. No. 3,883,128 and U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,747,590 and 4,753,425. Some clamp systems such as the latter use threaded connectors between clamps, which have the advantage of strongly fixing the distance between clamps at the cost of time-consuming setup.
To allow clamps to be quickly used in unison with one another while maintaining their individual usefulness, c-clamps have been developed that join at the bar connecting their jaws, as in U.S. Pat. No. 2,636,527, miter clamps have been developed that can pivot on a rod through the bar connecting their jaws, as in U.S. Pat. No. 994630, and clamps that can pivot on a rod through the bar connecting their jaws, capable of maintaining fixed angles, as in U.S. Pat. No. 1,352,647. These designs generally cannot interlock the component clamps in such a way as to permit multiple clamps to act in parallel on a large, flat workpieces, such as is often required in cabinetmaking.
This defect is not shared by U.S. Pat. No. 4,607,829 which comprises c-clamps with two holes on each jaw as well as the (fixed) bar that connects the jaws. These holes are aligned so as to allow the clamps to be fastened together in a variety of configurations, including in parallel and at fixed 90 or 45 degree angles to a flat workpiece. U.S. Pat. No. 4,607,829 does not, however, include any mechanism to lock or vary the angle of the clamping axes other than that provided by the two fasteners joining adjacent clamps and the fixed geometry of the clamp bodies, and requires a spacer or shim to join clamps in parallel at a distance from each other along the connecting bolts. In addition, there is no provision for the use of f-clamps with this mechanism.


A vascular graft includes a main portion and a branch portion that is coupled to the main portion by an articulating joint. The vascular graft may be inserted into the thoracic aorta with the branch portion positioned within a branch vessel and the main portion positioned within the thoracic aorta. The graft may be deployed within a deployment apparatus comprising an outer member and an inner member and a pusher. The main graft portion may be housed within the inner member while the branch graft portion is housed within the space between the inner and outer members. The inner member may have a longitudinal groove for allowing the articulating joint to pass by when the branch graft portion is deployed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to medical devices and methods and, more particularly, to vascular grafts and vascular graft deployment systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
The aorta is the largest artery in the body and is responsible for delivering blood from the heart to the organs of the body. The aorta includes the thoracic aorta, which arises from the left ventricle of the heart, passes upward, bends over and passes down towards the thorax, and the abdominal aorta which passes through the thorax and through the abdomen to about the level of the fourth lumbar vertebra, where it divides into the two common iliac arteries. The thoracic aorta is divided into the (i) ascending aorta, which arises from the left ventricle of the heart, (ii) the aorta arch, which arches from the ascending aorta and (iii) the descending aorta which descends from the aorta arch towards the abdominal aortic.
A thoracic aortic aneurysm ("TAA") is a widening, bulge, or ballooning out of a portion of the thoracic aorta, usually at a weak spot in the aortic wall. If left untreated, the aneurysm may progressively expand until the vessel dissects or ruptures. This may lead to severe and even fatal hemorrhaging. Factors leading to thoracic aorta aneurysms include hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis), hypertension, congenital disorders such as Marfan's syndrome, trauma, or less commonly syphilis. Thoracic aorta aneurysms occur in the ascending aorta about 25% of the time, the aortic arch about 25% of the time and in the descending aorta about 50% of the time.
Treatment of thoracic aorta aneurysms depends upon the location of the aneurysm. For aneurysms in the ascending aorta or aortic arch, surgery is typically required to replace the aorta with an artificial vessel. This surgical procedure typically requires exposure of the aorta and the use of a heart-lung machine. If the aortic arch is involved, a specialized technique called "circulatory arrest" (i.e., a period without blood circulation while on life support) may be necessary. For aneurysms in the descending aorta, the vessel may also be replaced with an artificial vessel through surgery. In some circumstances, an endoluminal vascular graft may be used eliminating the need for open surgery.
As compared to, for example, the abdominal aorta artery, the thoracic aorta is a particularly difficult environment for endovascular grafts. For example, the anatomy and physiology of the thoracic aorta is more complicated than the abdominal aorta. High pulse volumes and challenging pressure dynamics further complicate endovascular procedures. Accordingly, endovascular grafts and surgery are used to treat thoracic aorta aneurysms by only the most experienced and skilled surgeons.
Accordingly, there is a general need for an endovascular graft and deployment systems for treating thoracic aorta aneurysms.


A multimedia network (1) with connected customer stations (2), merchant servers (3), and a payment server (5). Secure electronic transactions are performed using a secure electronic transactions protocol (SET), including exchange of digital certificates, managed by a Trusted Third Party Server (9). The customer stations comprise transactions management means (10), fit for performing said SET protocol and for managing said certificates for the customer station. A remote customer agent (13) represents the customer station in the negotiation and payment process. The customer station (2) comprises an agent interface (12), fit for transmission of codes, parameters and certificates between the customer agent (13) and the transactions management means (10). A remote merchant agent (14) represents the merchant station (3) in the negotiation and payment process with the customer agent (13) or the customer station (3), to have paid for the selected products in a secure way, under control of SET protocol.

The invention relates to a system for the execution of secure transactions in a multimedia network.
Multimedia networks like the Internet offer a wide variety of new possibilities, which will have a great impact on the business environment of the future. Various vendors will start to exploit the Internet as a marketplace. For a customer not to get lost within the vast amount of information that is provided, in the near future agent-based services shall be implemented. Agents are autonomous pieces of software, which may perform tasks for users on the Internet. Based on the user's preferences, they may assist the user in making a selection within the vast range of offered poducts. Complementary to this, the agent may assist in the actual purchase of such a product. As part of this process, the agent will have to be able to perform payments.
One of the biggest inhibitors on Electronic Commerce today is security. Consumers demand that their private information be kept private. When using agent technology within an E-Commerce service, adequate security precautions must be taken. At present, however, agent security is still in its infancy. Therefore, delegating payments to agents is not possible at this moment in time.


A high-density control circuit for an auxiliary resonant commutation pole (ARCP) circuit is internal to the ARCP package and includes a state machine sequencer for providing control and timing signals to achieve high-efficiency, zero-voltage, and fault-tolerant switching converter operation. The phase leg controller receives as inputs a phase enable signal and a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal from a system controller and gate drive feedback signals from main and auxiliary gate drivers. There are four paths the state machine sequencer can take when making a transition from one dc rail to the other, depending on whether the main diode or main switch is conducting and the magnitude and polarity of the inverter pole output current.

De Doncker et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,047,913, which is assigned to the present assignee and is incorporated by reference herein, describes auxiliary circuitry known as the auxiliary resonant commutation pole, or phase leg, (ARCP) circuit for achieving soft-switching of the switching devices of a power converter. The ARCP circuit comprises auxiliary switching devices connected in series with an inductor and snubber capacitors. U.S. Pat. No. 5,047,913 describes a control method whereby the gating and conduction times of the converter's switching devices, in addition to those of the auxiliary devices, are controlled to ensure that the output voltage attempts to overshoot the positive and negative converter rail voltages during each resonant commutation cycle in order to achieve soft-switching of all the converter's switching devices.
Disadvantageously, ARCP control circuits are typically complex and hardware intensive. In addition, the control state sequencing in these circuits is external to the ARCP package, resulting in less-than-robust and bulky designs. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a robust, high-efficiency, high-density control for the ARCP which involves a simple control method. Furthermore, it is desirable that such a control require less signal processing circuitry and exhibit fault tolerance.

Robust, high-density, high-efficiency state sequence controller for an auxiliary resonant commutation pole power converter


This device enables the distance between a central computer and a peripheral device to be increased without encountering data loss from a buffer in the interconnecting channel unit. Data retrieval from the computer is initiated by the channel unit immediately after the issuance of a data retrieve instruction. The data retrieve instruction is made in response to a data write command from the computer. At the same time, the channel unit initiates connection with a peripheral device into which the data is to be written.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to data transfer between a central computer (CPU) and peripheral device(s). More specifically, the present invention relates to the interconnecting channel units, or buffer units, which are configured between the CPU and the peripheral devices. More specifically, the present invention relates to a technique which enables effective data buffering of the channel unit, allowing for an extension of the distance between the CPU and the peripheral devices.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In order to improve data transfer efficiency between a central computer and a plurality of peripheral devices, it is a current practice to provide a plurality of channel units between the central computer and the corresponding peripherals. Each of the channel units carries out buffering wherein data is gathered when it is not necessarily needed, thereby making the stored data readily available when it is required.
The present invention is directed to transferring data from the central computer to the peripheral. The following discussion will focus on this aspect of the present invention.
When a channel unit receives a command to write data to the peripheral device from the central computer, the channel unit initiates a connection with the peripheral device into which data is to be written. That is, the channel unit applies an "address out" (ADO) signal and a "select out" (SLO) signal to a peripheral device controller. The channel unit is able to confirm the connection with the peripheral device when it receives an "operational in" (OPI) signal therefrom. After establishing the channel connection, the channel unit issues a data transfer request to the central computer, after which the channel unit acquires data from the central computer. At this time, the data is located in a data buffer within the channel unit.
Data acquisition by the channel unit is initiated after a connection is established between the channel unit and the peripheral device controller. Therefore, during the initial stage of the data transfer (prior to the establishment of the connection), insufficient data is stored in the buffer. In more specific terms, if the peripheral device takes the form of a high speed device, such as a hard disk, the data transfer into the buffer of the channel unit is slower than the speed of the peripheral. Thus, the peripheral is apt to be forced to wait idle during a period of time when data is accumulated in the buffer of the channel unit. Accordingly, in order to avoid such a problem, the prior art undesirably limits the distance between the central computer and the peripheral devices.

Method of controlling data transfer between main memory of central computer and input/output device and arrangement therefor


An electronic ignition system for an internal combustion engine is described herein. The ignition system includes a sensor assembly provided with two sensing elements configured and sized to detect teeth mounted on an outer cylindrical surface of the rotor of the voltage generator and to supply trigger signals to a controller. For each piston of the combustion engine, two teeth are provided onto the rotor. A first tooth is positioned to be detected before the piston reaches its top dead center when the rotor rotates in a forward direction and a second tooth is positioned to be detected before the piston reaches its top dead center when the rotor rotates in a reverse direction.

Two-stroke internal combustion engines have a structure which does not vary substantially with respect to the rotational direction of the engine. The direction of rotation of the engine is largely dictated by the ignition timing signals which must be suitably advanced with respect to the top dead center of the cylinders of the engine.
In some applications of two-stroke internal combustion engines, it is advantageous to enable the operation of the engine in both rotation directions, for example in order to reverse the travel direction of a vehicle.
Of course, it is possible to circumvent this problem by providing a mechanical solution, for example, by mounting a gearbox downstream from the engine's rotatable shaft to determine the direction of travel. This way, the direction of rotation of the combustion engine does not change.
The drawbacks with these mechanical solutions regard the cost and the weight increases caused by the supplementary gearbox.
An electronic solution has also been proposed to allow the direction of rotation of two-stroke internal combustion engines to be reversed. Generally stated, the electronic solution concerns the management of the ignition procedure to cause the reversal of the rotation direction by means of suitable control signals picked up from the voltage generated by the same voltage generator which is powering the electronic ignition system of the engine.
An example of an electronic ignition system allowing the reversal of the rotation direction of a two-stroke internal combustion engine may be found in Canadian Patent Application No. 2,179,351 published on Dec. 22, 1996 and naming Venturoli et al. as inventors. This system uses two angularly spaced signal pickup devices to detect teeth provided on the rotor of the voltage generator. The signals generated by these devices are supplied to a microprocessor. Since the two pickup devices detect the same tooth when the rotor is at different angular positions, the rotation direction of the engine may be deduced by the microprocessor and the signals supplied by the two pickup devices may be used to control the ignition of the engine to keep the direction of rotation or to reverse this direction.
A drawback with the system described by Venturoli et al. is that two signal pickup devices must be provided in the combustion engine and that these two devices must be angularly spaced from one another.

Electronic ignition system for an internal combustion engine


Provided is an electrical junction box which can easily attach a block to an inner side of a frame without the need for visual positioning of a lock portion of the block and a lock receive portion of the frame. An electrical junction box includes a frame and a block to be attached to an inner side of the frame. The block includes a lock portion, and the frame includes a lock receive portion to which the lock portion engages. Four faces of the frame arranged to surround the block include a tapered face for guiding the block to a proper attachment position. The frame includes a double wall including an outer wall and an inner wall, and a rib connecting the outer wall and the inner wall. The rib is extended above the inner wall, and the tapered face is provided to an extended portion of the rib.

There are various types of electrical junctions boxes to be mounted on an automobile. One example of such electrical junction box includes a frame and a block to be attached to an inner side of the frame, as shown in FIGS. 7, 8 (refer to Patent Literature 1). FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a conventional electrical junction box in the middle of attaching the block to the frame. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the frame shown in FIG. 7.
An electrical junction box 301 shown in FIG. 7 includes a frame 302, a block 103 arranged to be attached to an inner side of the frame 302, and various components such as a relay, fuse, bus bar or the like to be attached to the block 103.
The block 103 is made of synthetic resin and formed into a block-like shape, and is provided with a plurality of component attachment portions to which the various components mentioned above are attached. Also, a plurality of lock portions 104 is provided to a side face of the block 103. Each lock portion 104 includes a pair of rails 141 arranged parallel to each other and a projection 142 provided between the pair of rails 141.
The frame 302 is made of synthetic resin and formed into a frame-like shape. A plurality of lock receive portions 105 to which the lock portion 104 engages is provided to an inner face of the frame 302. As shown in FIG. 8, each lock receive portion 105 includes a pair of rails 151 arranged parallel to each other and a projection 152 provided between the pair of rails 151.
The lock portion 104 is engaged to the lock receive portion 105 by the pair of rails 141 being inserted between the pair of rails 151 of the lock receive portion 105 and the projection 142 being moved over the projection 152 of the lock receive portion 105 and caught to the projection 152. The block 103 is attached to the frame 302 by making the plurality of lock portions 104 engaged to the corresponding plurality of lock receive portion 105.


A connector assembly for interconnecting a vehicle and a trailer having a hitch element includes a gripper assembly which is operable to engage the hitch element. The gripper assembly includes a plurality of jaws which are pivotally connected with and are disposed in a circular array on a base. A rotatable ring circumscribes the circular array of jaws. A motor is connected with the ring and is operable to rotate the ring in a first direction to pivot the jaws toward each other. The motor is operable to rotate the ring in a second direction, which is opposite to the first direction, to pivot the jaws away from each other. The ring and jaws are interconnected by a plurality of links. The motor is connected with the ring by a drive chain. A hitch element detector detects when the hitch element is positioned in the gripper assembly. A ring position detector detects when the ring is in predetermined positions relative to the base.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for interconnecting a vehicle and a trailer.
A known apparatus for interconnecting a vehicle and a trailer is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,109,940 issued May 5, 1992 and entitled "Automated Guided Vehicle Top Disposed Towing Apparatus". The apparatus disclosed in this patent includes an automated guided vehicle having a lift assembly upon which a ball type hitch element is mounted. When the automated guided vehicle has moved the ball type hitch element into vertical alignment with a socket type hitch element connected with a trailer tow bar, the lift assembly moves the ball type hitch element upwardly into engagement with the socket type hitch element to interconnect the trailer and the vehicle.


A global zone executing on a host OS that includes a multilevel filesystem (MLFS) associated with a label range, where the MLFS includes files and directories, where each of the files is associated with its own label and where each of the directories is associated with its own label. The global zone further includes a first non-global zone, where the MLFS is mounted in the first non-global zone as a first loopback file system. The host OS is configured to receive, from a process executing on the host OS, a request to access a first file in the MLFS, make a first determination that a process label dominates a first file label, based on the first determination, make a second determination that the first file label is equal to the process label, and in response to the second determination, provide read and write access to the first file.

Computer systems typically include access control mechanisms to control access to the data stored in the computer system. The granularity of the access control on a given computer system may vary based upon the implementation of the computer system and/or the file system operating on the computer system. When resources on a computer system are virtualized, the ability to maintain fine grained access to the data on the computer system while taking full advantage of the virtualization features may become more challenging. In particular, traditional approaches to this problem had to compromise by either limiting the virtualization features that could be implemented or by limiting the granularity of the access control.

Method and system for implementing a multilevel file system in a virtualized environment


Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for automating responses to expressions from an executing computer program. An automation object includes a plurality of expressions and corresponding responses, wherein at least one of the responses includes a response variable. A configuration object provides machine specific values for the response variables in the responses for a target computer on which the target computer program will execute. Compiled responses are generated by replacing the response variables in the responses with the machine specific values for the response variables provided in the configuration object for the target computer on which the target computer program will execute. The expressions in the automation object are processed to provide compiled responses for expressions received from the executing target computer program.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a computer program product, system, and method for automating responses to expressions from an executing computer program.
2. Description of the Related Art
During testing within the development cycle of a software product, there are tasks that often become repetitive and require user intervention in order to proceed. Such tasks are typically performed by a test team that familiarizes themselves with the product and test process. Due to this, the time period during which testing can occur is limited by the availability of the testing team. Within the human element of testing other problems exist, such as when one person who has expertise in a certain component or section of the testing leaves the project/team, then new team members be brought up to speed and become familiar all over again. The software development team may document tester operations and procedures for later use.
Automation programs are one method currently used to automate the testing process and reduce reliance on testers. Automation programs record the sequences of actions that need to be performed in order to execute a process successfully, while removing the possibility of error introduction. Automation tools are mainly composed of large and complex systems that are in charge of not only the execution of the jobs, but also monitoring them, recording the results, and documenting each specific run period.

Automating responses to expressions from an executing computer program

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION


The invention relates to a method for treating storage or product preparation tanks, tanks of the type which regularly undergo a hot aseptic washing step, followed by a cold water rinsing step, the method being characterized in that an inert gas is injected into the tank during all or part of the rinsing step.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the area of methods for inerting tanks used for the storage or also for the preparation of products and is concerned particularly with tanks described as "aseptic".
2. Related Art
Document WO03/070024 illustrates this technical area.
More generally, in numerous industries, it is necessary to prepare or to hold products in storage in tanks or containers under controlled atmospheres with a low residual oxygen content. This requirement may result in variable stresses depending on the nature of the products in storage, and associated in particular with reasons of safety and with the desire to preserve the quality of the product, because of the susceptibility of the products in storage to oxidation, etc.
This holding of such stocks under an atmosphere with a low concentration of oxygen is commonly referred to as "inerting".
Inerting thus consists of replacing a volume of air present inside the tank to be inerted by a volume of a gas considered to be inert under the conditions of use in question. The gases that are used most frequently in such operations are nitrogen, argon or carbon dioxide, or mixtures thereof.
The techniques most commonly used to inert such tanks, and thus to replace air by inert gas, include:                Purging by a piston effect. This technique involves introducing the inert gas at a point opposite the outlet for the purged (evacuated) gas. This technique is used in particular for small cross sections, and very rarely for tanks, due to obvious constraints relating to the dispersion of the gas. The quantity of inert gas consumed is close to one volume of gas per volume of gas to be purged.        Inerting by dilution. This technique is widely used, and it is suitable for capacities of all sizes. It involves injecting the inert gas through an orifice and then proceeding with the successive dilution of the air that is present inside the tank. The said dilution is maintained until the desired concentration of residual oxygen is reached.
The quantity of inert gas consumed by this technique is close to 3 volumes of gas per volume of capacity to be inerted, in order to achieve a concentration of residual oxygen typically between 2 and 5%.                Inerting by compression and expansion. This technique is very rarely used to inert a tank. In fact, this technique requires either the pressure of the tank to be lowered in order to eliminate a proportion of the air that is present, or the pressure of the tank to be increased in order to facilitate the dilution. However, tanks are very rarely suitable for the required working pressures.
The quantity of inert gas consumed by this technique depends on the number of cycles used. It is often in the order of between 1 and 2 volumes of inert gas per volume of the tank.
Let us now consider the particular case of tanks described as "aseptic".
Certain industries, such as the agri-food or pharmaceutical industry (for obvious reasons that we will not explore in greater detail here), are obliged to undertake regular washing of their tanks in the context of the aseptisization of these tanks.
In the majority of cases, aseptic washing involves washing the tank with a hot alkaline solution at a temperature close to 80° C. This is followed immediately afterwards, and without waiting for the tank to cool down, by rinsing the tank with cold water. This cold water (10 to 25° C.) is injected through the same projection elements (of the washing balls type) that are situated at the top of the tank and were previously used to supply the hot washing solution.
It will be appreciated that this thermal cycling brings about a reduction in the pressure of the tank, which reduction in pressure sucks in external air.
More precisely, during the hot washing step, the atmosphere of the vessel is filled with a gaseous mixture comprising the gas that is initially present inside the vessel, this being either air or an inert gas if the tank had been inerted initially, and with water vapor, of which the percentage depends on the temperature (this can be appreciated more readily below from the curves).
Subsequent rinsing of the vessel with cold water causes the water vapor to condense, thereby bringing about a reduction in pressure if the tank is closed, or the aspiration of a gas, in this case air, if the vessel is open to the atmosphere.
In the case of tanks of which the atmosphere is controlled (inerted), this venting is often effected by opening a vent permitting the admission of air during the rinsing phase, the consequence of which is to cause the admission of a large volume of air, which it is necessary to eliminate at a later stage by one of the conventional inerting techniques already mentioned above.
The use of conventional inerting techniques require:                A significant down time for the vessel to bring the concentration of oxygen down to a sufficiently low value.        A significant consumption of gas.        Haphazard management of the inerting process without the excessive consumption of inert gas, except for controlling the atmosphere by analysis of the residual oxygen, which represents a costly solution, in particular in the case of a plurality of vessels requiring to be inerted.

L'Air Liquide Société Anonyme Pour L'Étude Et L'Exploitation Des Procedes Georges Claude


A method and a device for monitoring a service usage amount includes: determining, according to one of quintuple information, protocol information, and URL information in received service request information, whether the service request information is the same as specified service stream information in one or multiple session level service monitoring tasks, where the session level service monitoring task includes a session level service monitoring class identity, a monitoring task identity, and the specified service stream information; the monitoring class identity indicates that the monitoring task is used to monitor a usage amount of a specified service stream in a session; when determining yes, accumulating a usage amount of the service request information in the one or multiple session level service monitoring tasks; and reporting the monitoring task identity and an accumulated usage amount of the service request information in the session level service monitoring task to a PCRF.

An IP network may provide more types of services, such as multimedia call, file downloading, and web page browsing, and therefore the network needs to be capable of detecting different service streams and measuring and reporting charging information such as traffic volume and duration to the charging center. Organizations such as 3GPP and worldwide interoperability for microwave access (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access, WiMAX for short) forum have defined policy and charging control based on a policy charging control (Policy Charging Control, PCC for short) architecture. The PCC architecture allows a network to detect different service streams and meet requirements such as quality of service (QoS) control and charging measurement for service streams.
The PCC architecture includes functional entities such as a policy charging enforcement function (Policy Charging Enforcement Function, PCEF for short) and a policy charging rules function (Policy Charging Rules Function, PCRF for short). The PCEF supports interception for a single service stream, a group of service streams, or all service streams in a session. The PCRF supports usage amount management based on the rule level and session level, and may dynamically control bandwidth or charging rules by using the usage amount reported by the PCEF. A Gx interface is used between the PCRF and the PCEF for policy delivery and usage amount reporting: The PCEF requests the PCRF for PCC rules through the GX interface, the PCRF provides PCC rules for the PCEF through the GX interface, and the PCEF reports a service usage amount monitored according to the PCC rules to the PCRF through the GX interface.
However, the existing usage amount monitoring mechanism cannot meet the following requirements: For example, the usage amount of a specific website such as www.sina.com needs to be intercepted, and at the same time all HTTP protocol usage amounts of users in a session need to be further intercepted so as to control the quality of service when the access volume of Sina reaches a certain threshold and to control the quality of service of the specific website when the HTTP service reaches a certain threshold. If the rule level monitoring is used, the PCEF only preferably accumulates the service stream of www.sina.com to a certain rule during identification, and the usage amount for the service stream is reported to the rule corresponding to the HTTP protocol or to the rule corresponding to www.sina.com. In this way, the usage amount for another rule is not the complete usage amount. If session level monitoring is used, as session level monitoring is aimed for monitoring all service usage amounts of users in a session, service streams of users in the session accessing any website by using any protocol are accumulated to a rule and reported to the PCRF. As such, the usage amount of users accessing www.sina.com cannot be distinguished from the usage amount by using the HTTP protocol. Therefore, currently the service usage amount reported by the PCEF to the PCRF is not accurate, resulting in failure to accurately control the quality of service for other services subsequently.

Method and device for monitoring service usage amount


A system and method for transmitting a signal in a communication system are provided. In the signal transmitting method, a multi-FA signal is generated by combining single FA signals to be transmitted by N FAs. An operation mode is determined for N MMPAs according to a used FA strategy and adjustment of amplification characteristics of the N MMPAs is controlled according to the operation mode. The power of the multi-FA signal is divided by N, the N divided signals are amplified according to the adjusted amplification characteristics, and the power of the amplified N signals is combined.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a signal transmitting system and method in a mobile communication system, and in particular, to a system and method for transmitting a signal using a Multi-Mode Power Amplifier (MMPA) in a communication system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Provisioning of services having a variety of Quality of Service (QoS) levels at a high rate is an active study area for future-generation communication systems. Particularly, studies are actively being conducted on provisioning of high-speed services with mobility and QoS guaranteed in Broadband Wireless Access (BWA) systems including Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) and Metropolitan Area Network (MAN), for future-generation communications. In this context, the 4th Generation (4G) mobile communication system is being developed toward the use of multiple carriers for high-speed service while guaranteeing mobility and QoS.
Regarding a signal transmitting system in a typical communication system, there are two types of signal transmitting systems: one uses a Single Carrier Power Amplifier (SCPA) and the other uses a Multi-Carrier Power Amplifier (MCPA). Both kinds of signal transmitting systems may use a single Frequency Assignment (FA) or multiple FAs. With reference to FIG. 1, the structure of an SCPA-type signal transmitting system using a single FA will be described.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an SCPA-using signal transmitting system operating under a single FA in a typical communication system. Referring to FIG. 1, the signal transmitting system includes a Single-FA input Signal Generation Block (SGB) 111, an SCPA 113, a Front-End Block (FEB) 115, and an antenna (ANT) 117.
For the input of an information signal to be transmitted, the SGB 111 generates a single FA input signal corresponding to a single FA, f1. The SCPA 113 amplifies the single FA signal f1 by a predetermined gain. The FEB 115 performs Radio Frequency (RF) preprocessing on the amplified signal and sends the RF preprocessed signal through the ANT 117.
The signal transmitting system, which operates using a single FA as illustrated in FIG. 1, may also use multiple FAs, which will be described below.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an SCPA-type signal transmitting system operating under multiple FAs in the typical communication system.
It is assumed herein that the signal transmitting system uses N FAs, f1 to fN. Referring to FIG. 2, the signal transmitting system includes N SGBs 211-1 to 211-N, N SCPAs 213-1 to 213-N, a Channel Combiner Block (CCB) 215, an FEB 217, and an ANT 219.
Information signals to be transmitted by the respective FAs are provided to corresponding SGBs. Specifically, an information signal for f1 is provided to the SGB 211-1 and in the same manner, an information signal for fN is provided to the SGB 211-N.
For the input of the information signal, the SGB 211-1 generates a single FA input signal corresponding to f1. In the same manner, the SGB 211-N generates a single FA input signal corresponding to fN, for the input of the corresponding information signal. The SCPA 213-1 amplifies the single FA signal received form the SGB 211-1 by a predetermined gain and in the same manner, the SCPA 213-N amplifies the single FA signal received form the SGB 211-N by a predetermined gain.
The CCB 215 channel-combines the amplified signals received from the SCPAs 213-1 to 213-N. The FEB 217 RF-preprocesses the combined signal and sends the preprocessed signal through the ANT 219.
Because the CCB 215 suffers a significant insertion loss, channel-combining of adjacent FAs is very difficult. Therefore, in case where multi-FAs are used, the SCPAs 213-1 to 213-N are designed to have a higher gain due to the insertion loss, for ensuring the same transmit power as that of a signal transmitted from the ANT in the SCPA-using signal transmitting system operating with a single FA. That is, the gain of the SCPAs 213-1 to 213-N must be increased due to the insertion loss, compared to the use of an MCPA.
Consequently, when the SCPA-type signal transmitting system uses more FAs, it is equipped with as many SCPAs as the number of the FAs. Considering the antenna transmit power, more power is consumed due to the insertion loss of the CCB 215, compared to the case of using an MCPA. The resulting requirement of cooling capacity in the signal transmitting system increases the overall system operation cost.
With reference to FIG. 3, a description will be made of the structure of an MCPA-type signal transmitting system operating with a single FA. FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an MCPA-type signal transmitting system operating under a single FA in the typical communication system. Referring to FIG. 3, the signal transmitting system includes an SGB 311, an MCPA 313, an FEB 315, and an ANT 317.
For the input of an information signal to be transmitted, the SGB 311 generates a single FA input signal corresponding to a single FA, f1. The MCPA 313 amplifies the single FA signal f1 by a predetermined gain. The FEB 315 performs RF preprocessing on the amplified signal and sends the RF preprocessed signal through the ANT 317.
While it can amplify in the single FA case as illustrated in FIG. 3, the MCPA 313 is optimized for multi-FA amplification. Therefore, the operation of the MCPA 313 with the single FA leads to unnecessary power consumption. In addition, since the MCPA 313 is expensive relative to an SCPA, the initial installation cost of the whole system is increased.
FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an MCPA-type signal transmitting system operating under multiple FAs in the typical communication system.
It is assumed herein that the signal transmitting system uses N FAs, f1 to fN. Referring to FIG. 4, the signal transmitting system includes N SGBs 411-1 to 411-N, an FA Combiner Block (FCB) 413, an MCPA 415, an FEB 417, and an ANT 419.
Information signals to be transmitted by the respective FAs are provided to corresponding SGBs. Specifically, an information signal for f1 is provided to the SGB 411-1 and in the same manner, an information signal for fN is provided to the SGB 411-N.
For the input of the information signal, the SGB 411-1 generates a single FA input signal corresponding to f1. In the same manner, the SB 411-N generates a single FA input signal corresponding to fN, for the input of the corresponding information signal. The FCB 413 FA-combines the N single FA signals received from the SGBs 411-1 to 411-N, thereby creating a multi-FA signal.
The MCPA 415 amplifies the multi-FA signal received from the FCB 413 by a predetermined gain. The FEB 417 RF-preprocesses the amplified signal and sends the preprocessed signal through the ANT 419.
Compared to the use of the SCPA, the use of the MCPA obviates the need for a CCB even in the case of using multiple FAs. Therefore, a power consumption increase caused by the insertion loss of the CCB is avoided. However, the manufacturing cost of the MCPA is typically higher than that of the SCPA. In addition, when a small number of FAs are used, the capacity of the MCPA is only partially utilized, thereby unnecessarily increasing the initial installation cost of the system. If an SCPA operates under too a small number of FAs to need a CCB, the signal transmitting system using the MCPA is less efficient than that using the SCPA in terms of structural complexity.

System and method for transmitting signal in a communication system


A database system includes an enhanced technique for performing sorts in which removals of duplicate records are performed to compact the size of segments being sorted. To enhance a query plan, the duplicate record removal is performed as early in the query plan as possible. By removing duplicate records early in the query plan, the number of input/output (I/O) operations is reduced, resulting in more efficient usage of database system resources. In example implementations, two type of sorts are performed: a heap sort (to sort successive segments of an input file, with the sorting associated with concurrent removal of duplicate records to compact each segment so that a smaller number of I/O accesses is needed); and a merge sort (in which output files from prior sorting passes are merged and sorted, with the merge sort process also associated with the removal of duplicate records to further compact the data segments and reduce the number of I/O accesses).

A database system stores a collection of logically related data. A popular type of database system is the relational database management system (RDBMS), which stores relational tables made up of rows and columns. Each row represents an occurrence of an entity defined by a table, with an entity being a person, place, or thing about which the table contains information.
To extract data from, or to update, a relational table, queries according to a standard database query language (e.g., Structured Query Language or SQL) are used. Examples of SQL statements include INSERT, SELECT, UPDATE, and DELETE. The SELECT statement is used to retrieve information from the database and to organize information for presentation to a user or to an application program. The INSERT, UPDATE and DELETE statements specify other types of operations in a database system.
In many database operations, sorting is usually performed on records of one or more tables acted upon by a query. In performing such sorts, it is desirable to reduce the number of input/output (I/O) accesses that occur. I/O accesses are typically expensive in terms of the time required to perform each I/O access, and the physical resources that are consumed to perform the I/O access.
This is particularly a concern when large input files have to be sorted. To perform a sort of the records of an input file, the records are usually moved to temporary storage (e.g., cache) in a processing system. The temporary storage is usually much smaller (and faster) than persistent or main storage (e.g., hard disk drives or disk arrays). For sorts of large input files that are many times larger than the size of the temporary storage, a large number of I/O accesses are required to perform the sort (or other operation) by the processing system since records will have to be repeatedly moved between the temporary storage and persistent storage to perform the sort (or other operation). This may result in reduced efficiency and increased processing time of the database system when processing queries.

Sorting of records with duplicate removal in a database system


Technologies are generally described for methods and systems effective to secure process synchronized requests after at least one secure inter-device communication link between the originating and confirming communication devices is established. A method may include forwarding, by the confirming communication device the request and receiving, by a server, a first request from the originating device and at least one second request from the confirming device. The method may also include, by the server, determining a sequence of receiving of the first and the at least one second requests and processing the requests in order to authenticate a communication device, accept or reject a financial transaction, based on the receiving sequence and receiving time difference.

Two or more devices may form a network, such as mobile network, local area network (LAN), virtual private network (VPN), by establishing communication links with each other. The network communication link may be one embodiment of a communication media, which, by way of example and not limitation, may include wired media, such as a wired network or direct-wired connection, and wireless media such as radio frequency (RF), microwave, infrared (IR), acoustic, and other wireless media. The mobile devices may associate themselves with and transmit communications to devices outside of the mobile network establishing different types of communication links with them. A communication may include data, messages, signals transmitted from at least one device to at least another device according to one or more designated standards, formats, or protocols. In a Transmission Control Protocol/Internet protocol (TCP/IP) network, further referred as IP network, each device has its network identification, such as an IPv6 address; it may be also have a unique device identification (UDI), for example for medical devices. An identifier, which may be a code of any length or arbitrary ID of any kind, may be created by device for transmission and device authentication. Based on additional network identification information, such as a network name and password, a device may be authenticated, enabled to establish communication session, and may be issued network credentials, such as a X.509 digital certificate by a specifically dedicated computing devices, i.e. by authentication servers. During the communication session, for security purposes, the identifier, along with other data, may be encoded, encrypted using issued by the authentication server private-public key pair, or otherwise obfuscated when included in the message transmitted within the network.
Within a network, such as a mobile payment network, a social network, a conference network, a vehicular area network (VAN), an Internet-of-Things (IoT) network, or enterprise VPN, etc., some devices may be configured as servers for data collection and processing request from other devices and analysis. Said requests may include authentication requests, such as requests to join the network, as well as authorization requests, such as requests to perform financial transactions, to change device status, to transmit data, etc. The network servers may be configured to accept and/or reject requests of other devices (clients) based on the corresponding device network credentials and/or the location and/or additional information. Mobile devices configured for performing specific evaluation tasks may operate as mobile servers processing other mobile device requests to join the mobile network. If multiple devices, such as IoT devices, are infected by malware, they can send multiple requests staging denial-of-service (DoS) or, in complex networks, distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack on the network servers.
In a wireless communication network, network devices are communicated through networking devices, which may include routers, access points, switches, etc., or, in so-called ad-hoc networks, peer-to-peer (P2P). Ad-hoc networks may be communicatively coupled to other public or private networks. Ad-hoc networks may also include networking devices called beacon points that emit strong signal to facilitate P2P communication and timing synchronization of network devices, which are added or removed devices correspondingly entering or leaving the servicing area. Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) is an authentication framework frequently used in wireless networks and point-to-point connections. EAP-TLS (transport layer security) usually require client-side certificates without giving the option to disable the requirement. This requirement have the potential to dramatically reduce adoption of EAP-TLS and prevent "open" access points for clients currently lacking the network credentials. Without mutual authentication secured by network user credentials, such as a shared password and/or public-private key pairs and/or Protected Access Credential (PAC) and/or Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM) and/or Generic Token Card (GTC), and/or a third-party ECP (Encryption Control Protocol) certified software, the EAP method is vulnerable to man-in-the-middle attacks. However, requirement of pre-requisite user credentials and/or third party encryption software reduce the correspondent protocol adoption and inhibits a network growth, particularly in places lacking developed infrastructure.
Wireless communication devices, such as cell phones participating in a commercial and/or social network, GPS devices, etc. may exchange information with a cloud-based service (server) through IP network (such as 4G or 5G) using wireless application protocol. Numerous solutions have been proposed to facilitate location of persons or assets leveraging cellular and wireless devices and finding new clients for the network. However, schemes that forward wireless information indicating user identities or other unique information through out-of-the network devices may be tracked by unintended parties causing security concerns. For example, snooping device may capture radio messages that include user identities, public keys, etc., determine the origin of the messages by analyzing transmitting data and use this data maliciously (sniffing attack).
The mobile devices may communicate also using short-range communication (wire, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, IR, etc.) that may be used for making transactions allowed exclusively to the members of the network or for limited number of devices in vicinity. Wi-Fi is a local area networking (LAN) wireless computer technology that allows electronic devices to connect to the network, mainly using the 2.4 GHz (gigahertz) UHF and 5 GHz SHF ISM radio band routers. Bluetooth is a wireless technology standard for exchanging data over short distances using short-wavelength UHF radio waves in the band from 2.4 to 2.485 GHz in a typical personal area network (PAN) range of 1, 10, or 100 meters. In vehicular networks, Dedicated Short-Range Communication (DSRC) at 5.8 GHz may be used. Near Field Communication (NFC) standards cover communications protocols and data exchange formats, and are based on existing radio-frequency identification (RFID) standards. A NFC-enabled device communicates with another NFC-enabled device via a RF signal, typically within the 125 kHz and/or the 13.56 MHz frequency band. A NFC-enabled device senses another NFC-enabled device when the two are located within a device's magnetic field, exchanging data between devices over about a small (typically 20 centimeter or less, preferably about 4 cm) distance. The described implementations require pre-established relationships between the user and the merchant within a limited-scale payment network; they are typically tied to a specific platform with preinstalled proprietary software. At that, RFID tags are vulnerable to skimming from greater distance than NFC range. In a larger and/or growing network, the untrusted merchant could redirect the transaction data to the third party, which can use it in a fraudulent transaction at a later time. Large centralized authentication systems are generally vulnerable to sniffing and replay attacks, in which a criminal makes a copy of the real user's features (such as transferred through short-range communication credentials) and later presents them to the authentication server.
Various financial transactions may be performed within secured private networks. Particularly, mobile payments, also referred to as mobile money, mobile money transfer, and mobile wallet generally refer to payment services operated under financial regulation and performed from or via a mobile device. A type of mobile payment known as digital wallet (also known as an e-wallet) allows users to make electronic commerce transactions with established in the payment network point-of-sale (POS) terminals. The term "digital wallet" is increasingly being used to describe applications residing on mobile devices that store a user's credentials (credit card, bank account, driver license, health insurance, travel document, keys and social media information) and online shopping information, utilize wireless technologies such as NFC to carry out transactions. For example, a digital wallet may contain credentials that link to an individual's bank account. Examples of mobile payment offerings include Google Wallet, PayPal OneTouch, Apple Pay, etc. Digital wallet protocol for a mobile device connectable with a secure transaction server (STS) can aggregate the mobile-enabled shopping experience and provide mobile phone authenticable cashless monetary transactions over mobile phone network. The amount of each transaction and RFID of the user's payee device may be forwarded from the POS terminal to the STS that can process the request identifying the particular wireless mobile device as well as the POS terminal participating in the transaction as trusted devices in the specialized payment network and then subsequently perform the requested transaction charging the correspondent user's account. However, the requirement of pre-requisite user credentials reduce the mobile payment adoption and inhibits a network growth. The amount and timing of the transaction may not be timely confirmed by the payee device that may be unacceptable for more complicated financial transactions.
The "handshake" may be proven if both parties (payer and payee in a case of mobile transaction or, more generally, seller and buyer during financial transaction) used issued by the STS public keys on corresponding devices, and their encrypted messages are forwarded to the STS. However, the messages from seller and buyer are unsynchronized. The transaction may become unsecure if the public key is issued only to one transaction participant or another participant may not be trusted. An imposter device intercepting the payee's communications could perform a fraudulent transaction at a later time because the transferred payer's public key can be compromised by deciphering the payee's message content. This problem is compounded if the payee mobile device possessing the payer's data is under the physical control of an unscrupulous or untrusted merchant who can maliciously redirect transaction and/or the payer's bank credentials. The centralized system also implies that the merchant should be pre-registered in the networks of its prospective customers; following this requirement is logistically complicated for small and one-time payments that is hindering spread of commercial networks, especially in rural and underdeveloped areas.

Method and system for network communication


A method of connecting together two unit elements (4, 4′) of a fluid transport pipe, each unit pipe element being covered in an outer insulating coating (6, 6′) made of a thermoplastic material, with the exception of an end portion that does not have an outer insulating coating. The method includes: a step of welding together two abutting unit pipe elements; a step of positioning an annular sleeve (14) around a cut-back and in part around the outer insulating coatings of the two unit pipe elements, the sleeve being made of a thermoplastic material; a step of fastening the sleeve in sealed manner by weld bonding on the outer insulating coatings; and a step of applying an external pressure on the sleeve to enable it to be deformed elastically and match the shape of the respective end portions of the two unit pipe elements.

The present invention relates to the general field of fluid transport pipes, and in particular undersea pipes, resting on the sea bed or providing a bottom-to-surface connection for transferring hydrocarbons, e.g. oil and gas, coming from undersea production wells. The invention relates more particularly to connecting together two unit elements of such pipes.
These undersea pipes usually comprise a steel alloy tube that is covered in an outer insulating coating, typically a thermoplastic polymer, for limiting heat losses to the surrounding medium. The thickness of the outer coating varies depending on the operating conditions for the fluid that is to be transported (pipe length, fluid temperature, fluid composition, etc.).
In general, these pipes are assembled on land to form elements of unit length (referred to as double, triple, or quadruple joints, with the term "quad-joint", which literally means quadruple sections of tube, being used below for any such unit length). These quad-joints are then transported at sea on a laying ship.
During laying, the quad-joints are connected to one another on board the ship progressively while they are being laid at sea. Laying may be performed using a J-lay or an S-lay tower positioned on the laying ship. With J-laying, the undersea pipe is typically lowered from the laying ship almost vertically (in the range +30° to −10° relative to the vertical). J-laying is simple catenary laying in which the almost vertical angle of inclination of the pipe diminishes progressively as it moves downwards until it matches the slope of the sea bottom. With S-laying, the undersea pipe is typically lowered from the laying ship almost horizontally and it curves subsequently in order to reach the sea bottom.
The J-lay and S-lay techniques require each new quad-joint to be connected on board the laying ship to the undersea pipe prior to being lowered into the sea by moving the laying ship. This step of connecting a new quad-joint to the undersea pipe is performed by butt-welding the free ends made of steel of the respective tubes of the new quad-joint and of the undersea pipe. Connecting together the new quad-joint and the insulated undersea pipe is made possible by a preliminary operation that is performed after the quad-joints have been coated in the factory, this operation consisting in removing the insulating coating at the ends over a defined length that enables welding and non-destructive inspection equipment to be deployed.
Once the ends have been welded together, it is necessary to use a new insulating coating to cover the zone of the pipe that includes the weld together with the portions of the tube of the pipe from which the outer insulating coating has been removed (which zone is referred to as the "cut-back"), and to do so while ensuring that this covering is put into place in a manner that is properly sealed to the remainder of the outer insulating coating of the pipe. For this purpose, the cut-back may be covered in several successive layers of different polymer materials. For example, after preparing the exposed steel surface by shot blasting, a relatively thin first layer forming a corrosion protection primary is applied directly to the cut-back, a thicker second layer of a polymer-based adhesive is applied on the adhesion primary, and a relatively thick third layer is applied on the adhesive out to at least the thickness of the coating that is already applied on the pipe. Alternatively, after depositing an adhesion primary on the cut-back, it is possible to apply the insulating material by injection molding.
That method of applying the outer insulating coating over the cut-back is referred to as "field joint coating". Reference may be made to Document WO 2012/098528, which describes an example of such an application technique.
Nevertheless, that field joint coating technique presents a certain number of drawbacks. In particular, the time it takes is relatively long, and is thus constraining (typically of the order of 20 minutes (min) to 30 min per operation). When it involves injection molding of the material, that technique presents a problem of ensuring the molding adheres to the cut-back on the pipe, specifically the durability of the system depends on the success with which the molded joint adheres on the existing coating. Finally, it is an application technique that provides little flexibility.

Method for connecting two unitary elements of a conduit for transporting fluids by means of a sleeve


A programmable logic device in which macrocell register reset time, T.sub.clear, and set time, T.sub.set, are comparable in speed to the combinatorial propagation delay time, T.sub.pd. In setting or resetting the macrocell register, the Set (Reset) signal is applied simultaneously to a clocked master latch in the macrocell register and to an output node. During the Set (Reset) period the slave latch of the macrocell register is disconnected from the output node.

This invention relates generally to integrated circuits (IC) such as programmable logic devices (PLD), and more particularly the invention relates to a look-ahead macrocell register set/reset circuit having improved response time.
The programmable logic device, or PLD, is an integrated circuit which can be configured by the end user at his location to perform a specific unique logic function. Typically, the PLD comprises an array of programmable logic elements such as AND gates which combines the logistical advantages of standard fixed integrated circuits with the architectural flexibility of custom devices.
The combinatorial outputs of a PLD array can be connected through registers to an output driver and pad for registered configuration or directly to the output driver for combinatorial configuration to increase speed. Heretofore, much effort has been directed to optimizing the combinatorial propagation speed or propagation delay time, T.sub.pd, by providing the direct connection of the combinatorial logic to the output. However, the reset/set for the output is transmitted through the macrocell register without consideration for the reset/set times, T.sub.clear or T.sub.set, for the macrocell register. Thus, T.sub.clear is normally slower than T.sub.pd by at least 1 nanosecond and sometimes as much as 3 nanoseconds.

Look-ahead asynchronous register set/reset in programmable logic device


A transimpedance amplifier is provided which includes a feedback path. The feedback path includes a feedback resistor and a voltage generator. The feedback resistor has a parasitic capacitance associated therewith. The feedback resistor also has a first node at a first voltage. The voltage generator can be capacitively coupled to the feedback resistor at a second node via the parasitic capacitance. The voltage generator is configured to generate a second voltage at the second node which is substantially equal to the first voltage. This prevents a current from flowing through the parasitic capacitance thereby reducing and/or eliminating the effect of the parasitic capacitance on the transimpedance amplifier.

Optical networks use light signals to transmit data over a network. Although light signals are used to carry data, the light signals are typically converted into electrical signals in order to extract and process the data. The conversion of an optical signal into an electrical signal is often achieved utilizing an optical receiver. An optical receiver converts the optical signal received over the optical fiber into an electrical signal, amplifies the electrical signal, and converts the electrical signal into a digital data stream.
Burst-mode Passive Optical Networks (BPON) are widely used in the cable industry for transmission of optical light signals from an optical transmitter at a home to an optical module located at the hub/curb. Typical optical light signals used in BPON applications can have a frequency of a 155 Mbps or greater. The use of burst-mode techniques requires fast and accurate handling of the in-coming signals by the optical line termination and accurate handling of the optical power levels both on the transmitter and the receiver sides. An optical module typically includes an optical receiver that includes a photodiode and a transimpedance amplifier. The transimpedance amplifier amplifies an input current signal from a photodiode into a relatively large amplitude output voltage signal.
FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram of a conventional optical receiver module that includes a photodiode 2 and a transimpedance amplifier 1 which converts an input current (Iin) into an output voltage (Vout). The transimpedance amplifier 1 includes a feedback resistor 6 and a high gain voltage amplifier 8.
The photodiode 2 is typically located outside a chip. A cathode of the photodiode 2 is biased via the amplifier 8. The photodiode 2, coupled between node A (ground) and node B, detects an incoming optical light signal of sufficient strength and converts the light signal into an input current (Iin) by causing the input current (Iin) to flow from the voltage amplifier 8. The input current (In) generated by voltage amplifier 8 is proportional to the optical power which impinges on the photodiode 2. In one implementation, no light generates no input current (Iin) which corresponds to a logic 0, whereas a sufficient digital light signal impinging on the photodiode 2 generates an input current flow (Iin) which corresponds to a logic 1. Node B couples the photodiode 2 to the feedback resistor 6 and the voltage amplifier 8.
The photodiode 2 has diode capacitance 4 associated with it which represents the parasitic capacitance between the photodiode 2 and other components in a chip such as pins and pads from node B to ground.
The voltage amplifier 8 is coupled between node B and node C and in parallel with the feedback resistor 6. The voltage amplifier 8 can be a large gain amplifier in which the gain (-A) ranges from 100 to 1000 or more. The voltage amplifier 8 also has a relatively large impedance on the order of 100 kOhm. The voltage amplifier 8 generates an output voltage (Vout) at node C which is the output of the voltage amplifier 8. The magnitude of the output voltage (Vout) is approximately equal to the product of the input current (Iin) and the value of the feedback resistor 6. The output voltage (Vout) can then be converted into a digital data stream.
A feedback loop in this circuit includes the feedback resistor 6 coupled in parallel across an input terminal (node B) and output terminal (node C) of the voltage amplifier 8. The feedback resistor 6 carries a current to the voltage amplifier 8. The input current (Iin) applied to the voltage amplifier is passed substantially through the feedback resistor 6 because of the high input impedance of the voltage amplifier 8. When the photodiode 2 draws the input current (Iin), the output voltage (Vout) at the feedback resistor 6 rises such that feedback resistor 6 provides the input current (Iin). The input current (Iin) flows from node C to node B across feedback resistor 6. The feedback resistor 6 helps improve the SNR which is approximately proportional to the square root of the value of the feedback resistor 6. The feedback loop must be stable, otherwise the circuit will tend to oscillate. As such, it is desirable to eliminate phase shift contributions from other parts of the loop such as parasitic capacitance associated with the feedback resistor 6.
The light signals received by the transimpedance amplifier 1 can vary significantly in both amplitude and power. The power of the light signal is often related, for example, to the length of the optical fiber over which the light signal was transmitted, the laser source power, the efficiency of the photodiode, etc. These and other factors result in light signals whose incident power at the transimpedance amplifier can vary significantly. Because the current (Iin) generated by the photodiode 2 is approximately proportional to the light which impinges on the cathode of the photodiode 2, in some cases the input signal (Iin) can be weak. Accordingly, it is desirable to minimize or reduce noise in the circuit so that the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is not too low.
The transimpedance amplifier 1 can successfully receive and amplify light signals which fall within a particular power range. Some of the existing standards require that the transimpedance amplifier 1 can detect an incoming optical light signal transmitted from distances up to 20 km away and having an optical power of −33 dBm. To accommodate such a wide range of optical signals, the transimpedance amplifier 1 should be able to detect and amplify very low levels and high levels of optical power. The range of signals that can be successfully amplified is therefore effectively limited by the incident optical power of the light signal. The optical receiver might distort signals whose optical power is too large and might not recognize signals whose optical power is too low. It is desirable to provide a transimpedance amplifier having increased sensitivity to incoming optical signals.
A conventional integrated circuit includes a conductive substrate having a number of metal layers and insulation layers deposited thereon. The layers can be arranged such that the metal layers are separated from one another and the substrate by insulation layers. The insulation layers can be made of a glass such as silicon dioxide. In such an arrangement, the feedback resistor can be made of a tungsten or a polysilicon layer, for example, and is disposed within an insulation layer. Typically, there will be no metal underneath the feedback resistor so a parasitic capacitance develops between the feedback resistor and the conductive substrate. This parasitic capacitance is proportional to the common area between the feedback resistor and the metal layer, and increases as the area or length of the feedback resistor increases. Thus, as the resistance of feedback resistor increases, the parasitic capacitance associated with the feedback resistor 6 also increases.
To achieve greater gain and sensitivity in the transimpedance amplifier 1, the resistance of the feedback resistor 6 is typically increased. Increasing the value of the feedback resistor 6 helps increase the SNR since the output signal (Vout) increases proportionally to the increase in the value of feedback resistor 6. By contrast, the noise generated by feedback resistor 6 increases proportionally to the square root of the feedback resistor 6. However, increasing the resistance of the feedback resistor 6 has several drawbacks.
For example, resistors manufactured utilizing semiconductor technology processes have a parasitic capacitance associated with them. This can introduce an undesirable phase shift to the transimpedance amplifier 1. As such, the larger the semiconductor area of the feedback resistor 6, the larger the associated parasitic capacitance between the feedback resistor 6 and another metal layer. This parasitic capacitance effectively adds poles to the circuit. Additional poles can make the system difficult to control due to consumption of phase margin. A larger parasitic capacitance thus reduces the bandwidth of the transimpedance amplifier. If the parasitic capacitance increases too much, then the circuit can become unstable. Thus, although it is desirable to use a high resistance feedback resistor 6 to increase the SNR, increasing the area of the feedback resistor 6 increases the parasitic capacitance which can consume valuable phase margin and reduce bandwidth of the transimpedance amplifer 1. Techniques are needed to deal with the increasing resistance values of the feedback resistor 6.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a transimpedance amplifier with sufficient signal-to-noise ratio, which is not influenced by the parasitic capacitance associated with the feedback resistor in the transimpedance amplifier. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the foregoing technical field and background.


To provide an arc start method in a consumable electrode type arc welding method capable of firmly executing arc start and capable of executing high quality high speed welding by restraining a welding defect from being brought about therefor, at a portion of a wire projected from a welding tip, a temperature of a front end portion of the wire is made to be at a temperature higher than a temperature of a portion thereof near the welding tip. The front end portion of the wire is preheated to 300° C. or higher, preferably, 450° C. or higher. The front end portion of the wire is preheated by generating arc for preheating. The preheating arc is generated in a spot-like shape at a position near a terminal end portion of a predetermined welding line by constituting a current lower than a welding current.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an arc start method in a consumable electrode type arc welding method and, more particularly relates to an arc start method improving an arc start characteristic.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a related art, there is known a method of automatically carrying out arc welding by using a welding robot or the like. It is important in the automatic welding to firmly execute arc start. Therefore, there have been proposed various arc start methods in order to firmly carry out arc start (refer to, for example, Patent Reference 1, Patent Reference 2, Patent Reference 3, Patent Reference 4).
[Patent Reference 1] JP-A-7-9141
[Patent Reference 2] JP-A-9-253852
[Patent Reference 3] JP-A-7-185816
[Patent Reference 4] JP-A-11-347732
Meanwhile, according to the arc start methods disclosed in the respective patent references, when welding speed is slow, a serious problem is not posed. However, it becomes apparent that when the welding speed becomes a high speed of, for example, about 3 m per minute, a problem resulting from instability of arc start is posed. When investigated on the problem, the following knowledge is acquired. That is, according to an arc start instable state in arc welding, as shown by FIG. 1, there is brought about an arc interrupting phenomenon in which arc is temporarily extinguished within several 100 mS (milliseconds) after arc start and, thereafter, arc is reignited. In arc welding at normal speed, the welding speed is slow, a welding length per second is short (for example, when the welding speed is 60 cm/minute, a welding length per second is 1 cm) and therefore, even when the extinguishing and reigniting phenomenon is brought about, the phenomenon is difficult to emerge as a welding defect of an irregular bead, a deficiency in melting or the like. However, when the welding speed is fast, and the welding length per second is long (for example, when the welding speed is 3 in/minute, the welding length per second is 5 cm), the arc interrupting phenomenon of extinguishing and reigniting is easy to emerge as the welding defect of the irregular bead, the deficiency in melting or the like.
Hence, the inventors have investigated the reason of bringing about the arc interrupting phenomenon of extinguishing and reigniting. Generally, arc start in a consumable electrode type arc welding method is carried out by feeding a welding wire at a low speed and making the welding wire shortcircuit with a base metal. At this occasion, in the welding wire, an excessively large start current resulting from the shortcircuit flows instantaneously. Then, a portion of the welding wire projected from a welding tip is instantaneously and totally heated. When wire feeding thereafter is retarded, the arc length becomes excessively long, thereby extinguishing the arc, or the shortcircuit is not opened and a shortcircuit phenomenon continues over a long period of time and, by excessively heating the welding wire, the welding wire is melted to break at a middle thereof, or totally at the projected portion, a front end side thereof is blown by an arc force and arc is temporarily extinguished. Thereafter, arc is generated again at a new front end portion of the welding wire formed by shortcircuiting the wire again. Further, although in the case of the instantaneous arc interrupting phenomenon, it seems macroscopically as if the arc were continued as a result, depending on arc interrupting time, the phenomenon may emerge as a welding defect. Particularly, the arc interrupting phenomenon in high speed welding is liable to emerge as the welding defect of the irregular bead or the like.

Arc start method in consumable electrode type arc welding method