A feature-vector generation apparatus includes an input unit configured to input content data including at least one of video data and audio data, a generation unit configured to generate a feature vector, based on information indicating a time at which a characterizing state of the content data appears, the characterizing state being characterized by a change of the at least one of the video data and the audio data, and a storage unit configured to store the content data and the feature vector.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a data generation method for generating data used to identify content, and a search apparatus using this method.
2. Description of the Related Art
There is a conventional method for searching for content using an ID assigned thereto. In this method, if desired content is broadcasting one, it is searched for using a broadcasting date or broadcasting station as a key.
Further, a method is disclosed in which each viewing audience takes part in the communities corresponding to respective pieces of content, and each community is determined from content they enjoy (see, for example, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2001-148841). More specifically, each community is determined from the date and channel corresponding to the content.
A technique for using synchronization data embedded in content to synchronize the content with a dialog screen is also disclosed (see, for example, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2001-298431).
However, pieces of broadcasting content do not have content IDs, and the same content may well be broadcasted at different broadcasting times and by different stations between different local areas. Therefore, it is sometimes difficult for the conventional methods to identify content.
As described above, content sometimes cannot be detected based on its broadcasting station or date/hour because the broadcasting date/hour and channel may well differ between local areas or when the content is rebroadcasted.

Feature-vector generation apparatus, search apparatus, feature-vector generation method, search method and program


A lifting and lowering device (31) for a toilet seat or a toilet cover has a swing shaft (17) provided on a swing center line (C) of a toilet seat (3) or a toilet cover (4) that swings around base end portions (3l, 4l), respectively, and rises. The device includes a lifting and lowering control unit (5) indirectly fixed to a toilet bowl main body (30); an output shaft (12) that is provided on the swing center line (C), one end portion of which shaft being removably connected to the swing shaft (17) of the lifting and lowering control unit (5) and the other end portion being detacheably connected to the base end portion (3l) of the toilet seat (3); and a toilet seat transmission unit (9) containing a tortion spring (13) that urges the output shaft (12) in a lifting direction of the toilet seat (3). The lifting and lowering device (31) for the toilet seat of toilet cover is relatively small in size and able to stabely hold the toilet seat or toilet cover in a raised position. Commonality of structural parts can be achieved depending on the magunitude of torque caused by the self weight of the toilet seat or toilet cover.

A conventional Western-style toilet has a simple structure, in which a toilet seat and a toilet cover are pivotally supported so as to rise and fall on the top face of a rim on the back side of a toilet bowl main body. In recent years, however, a toilet seat device with a function of cleansing the bottom with warm water or a heated toilet seat device has been installed in the toilet. In such a toilet, the toilet seat and the toilet cover are pivotally supported by a container case, which is disposed in the top surface of the rim. As the container case contains electrical components and the like for operating and controlling the cleansing function with warm water and the function of heating the toilet seat, the container necessarily protrudes from the top face of the rim. As a result, the pivotally supported positions of the toilet seat and the toilet cover are higher than those of the conventional Western-style toilet.
When the pivotally supported positions of the toilet seat and the toilet cover are high, as described above, it becomes difficult to keep the toilet seat and the toilet cover in raised positions in a case where a man urinates. Thus, there is a possibility that the toilet seat and the toilet cover fall down during urination.
To prevent such inconvenience, in the toilet having the warm-water cleansing toilet seat device, a lifting and lowering control unit is fixed in the container case of the debit toilet seat device. In the lifting and lowering control unit, a torsion spring for urging the toilet seat and the toilet cover in a lifting direction is integrated into an automatic lifting and lowering device or a damper device. The automatic lifting and lowering device automatically lifts and lowers the toilet seat and the toilet cover by a user detection signal, a remote control operation, or the like. The damper device is provided to gently lower the toilet seat and the toilet cover. Such structure makes it possible to lightly lift the toilet seat and the toilet cover, and securely keeps the toilet seat and the toilet cover in a lifted state (a state in which the toilet seat and the toilet cover are raised) while preventing the toilet seat and the toilet cover from being undesirably lowered.
By the way, the scene of product development aims to efficiently produce a product group with wide variations in order to meet various market needs. Therefore, products with several variations are often developed based on, for example, one type of basic specifications in accordance with various requirements of a customer.
Accordingly, also in the automatic lifting and lowering devices and the damper devices for the warm-water cleansing toilet seat device, it is necessary to develop various devices corresponding to different self weight torque properties of a plurality of types of toilet seats and toilet covers in different product variations. Thus, in the automatic lifting and lowering device, products with many variations are developed by, for example, increasing torque of a drive motor, varying a speed reducing ratio of a gear in a drive system, or varying the specifications of the torsion spring. The damper devices are also developed in accordance with the different product variations by, for example, increasing and decreasing the capacity of a damper chamber, or varying the specifications of the torsion spring.
Thus, the types of parts increase in accordance with an increase in the product variations, so that not only huge manufacturing cost and management cost are required, but also a long period of time is needed for the manufacturing of the parts. An increase in the variations also increases assembly cost and management cost during manufacture.
In the conventional warm-water cleansing toilet seat device, the torsion spring for urging the toilet seat and the toilet cover to the lifting direction is provided in the automatic lifting and lowering device or the damper device. Thus, these devices necessarily become large due to space for attaching the torsion spring. This is one of the hindrances to the weight reduction and size reduction of the warm-water cleansing toilet seat device.
The present invention aims to solve the foregoing problems. An object of the present invention is to provide a relatively small lifting and lowering device for a toilet seat or toilet cover which can stably hold the toilet seat or toilet cover in a raised position, and achieve commonality of structural parts in accordance with the magnitude of self weight torque of the toilet seat or toilet cover, and to provide a transmission unit for composing the lifting and lowering device.

Opening/closing device for toilet seat or toilet lid, and transmission unit for the device


An existing table may be read as table data by the position beam of a printer of a wordprocessor, a table may be read by an image input unit such as an image scanner, or may be created using a keyboard. The read or created table data is converted into code data which is stored in a memory. When the stored code data is subsequently read from the memory, the corresponding table can be displayed on an LCD unit, and the user can enter desired data in the displayed table. Thereafter, the entered data can be printed in cells of the table.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a ruled line generating apparatus for use in a printer, a word processor with a printer, or the like, and a sheet for use in such a ruled sheet generating apparatus.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Printers are widely used for printing data from word processors, personal computers, or the like on sheets of paper.
Generally, the printers can be used in two different print modes. In one print mode, data generated and displayed on a display unit is simply printed on a blank sheet of paper by the printer. In the other print mode, a ruled sheet of paper with cells defined as a table by the lines thereon is set in the printer, and data generated and displayed on a display unit is printed in the cells by the printer while the printer carriage is moved under the control of a keyboard or the like so that the desired data can snugly fit in the cells.
The former print mode poses no substantial problem with respect to the positioning of the data on the blank sheet. In the latter print mode, however, it is difficult to position the data generated on the display unit properly in the desired cells on the ruled sheet, and the display unit is unable to display the table cells defined on the ruled sheet.
One solution is for the user to determine and set margins for respective print positions in those cells which are to contain desired data. However, the user will find it tedious and time-consuming to determine and set margins for respective print positions in the cells.
According to another solution, a table is generated on a display unit using a keyboard, or an existing table is read by an image reader, and the table data is stored in a floppy disk, a memory card, or other suitable storage medium. When it is necessary to print a table, the stored table data is read and displayed on the display unit, and desired data is typewritten in cells of the displayed table using the keyboard. Thereafter, the data and the table which are displayed on the display unit are printed on a sheet of paper by a printer. However, it is also cumbersome for the user to generate a table on the display unit with the keyboard or to read an existing table with the image reader. Particularly, if the image reader is used, the entire system required is comparatively expensive. Storing table data into the floppy disk, the memory card, or the like requires the user to handle the storage medium, which is however something extra and undesirable for the user who simply wants to print desired data in a table on a sheet of paper.

Ruled line generating apparatus and sheet for use therein


A fluid guideline with at least two structural elements made of substantially soundproof material has at least one opening for sound damping. An impedance change (in particular in the form of an impedance discontinuity) of the flow resistance of the fluid flowing through the fluid guideline is present between two adjacent structural elements, and the at least one opening is arranged in the region of the impedance change between two adjacent structural elements.

The invention concerns a fluid guideline with at least two structural elements made of substantially soundproof material and at least one opening for noise damping, whereby an impedance change (in particular in the form of an impedance discontinuity) of the flow resistance of the fluid flowing through the fluid guideline is present between two adjacent structural elements.
In tubes for untreated air that are installed in engine compartments of motor vehicles in order to take up or, respectively, to guide surrounding air from the radiator to an air filter, one makes an effort on the production side to reduce the prevalent sound level during the motor operation. In the automobile industry, for this purpose one follows primarily two methods. Either resonators are attached to the tubes for untreated air, or tubes for untreated air are equipped with what is known as a bypass tube, whereby specific frequencies can be filtered out. Technically refined resonators should filter out as broad a spectrum of noise as possible and can be detuned, while bypass paths can optionally be connected or, respectively, separated by valve controls. However, resonators require some space (in places they comprise a volume of some liters) and bypass tubes also increase the amount of material due to a length of up to 30 cm. In the continuous search for simple and effective noise-reducing tubes for untreated air, the use of porous materials in the processing of untreated air is also under discussion.
Thus, from JP 60050265, a sintered, porous pipe socket made of aluminum powder is known that is connected via a tube piece with an air filter. The porous, permeable pipe socket thereby characterizes itself by a substantially reduced sound level with consistent air supply efficiency. However, the pipe socket has the disadvantage of higher material costs.
EP 0 837 238 A2 discloses the use of a porous, malleable, sound-absorbing material with which the air filter or its supply line can be lined internally. An additionally lined inner wall likewise leads to an increased expenditure of additional costs.
The use of a porous band material to produce a tube is known from EP 818 648 B1. A band is thereby coiled in the shape of a tube as well as glued in the form of a tube and used for sound damping in the air tube in the engine compartment. In practice, a woven synthetic is used as a porous material, whereby in addition to the actual shaping treatment process, the production of the woven band is additionally expensive.
Openings for noise damping used with impedance changes are known in the prior art. Thus, for example, a line section is known from WO 00/45044 that is assembled from two shells connected with one another, whereby gaps are arranged in the interstices between the shells for damping. In addition, the line section exhibits a diffuser effect and the tube wall can be provided with bores. Overall, the known line section is very complex in assembly.
According to DE 196 29 368 A1, a constriction reducing the diameter of a tube is provided at a perforation of the tubes to suppress the generation of harmonic tones by sound damping for pulsing gases, in particular for exhaust gas from internal combustion engines, with separation from the perforation. This leads to a relatively complicated assembly.
A fluid guideline according to species is known from GB 2 364 352. In the known fluid guideline, straight, stiff elements are perforated with openings and respectively arranged between flexible elements, whereby the flexible elements can be fashioned as a type of corrugated tube section. The introduction of openings in the straight elements must thereby ensue in adaptation with the geometry of aforesaid elements (which is relatively time-consuming and expensive) in order to generate a desired sound damping.

Fluid guideline, especially in the form of a tube for taking up untreated air in an air filter of a motor vehicle


A diesel engine includes an exhaust system having a particulate filter made from a porous material having a mean pore diameter of from 5 μm to 40 μm, a porosity of at least 40% and a bulk volumetric heat capacity of at least 0.50 J cm−3 K−1 at 500° C. The filter includes a diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC) located in a first catalyst zone on the front end of the filter and at least one catalyst zone located downstream thereof, for oxidizing carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons and nitrogen monoxide. The engine includes engine management means, in use, to provide continuously or intermittently an exhaust gas having sufficient nitrogen oxides or hydrocarbon and/or an exhaust gas of sufficiently high temperature to combust particulate matter. The platinum group metal (PGM) loading in the first catalyst zone is greater than the total PGM loading in the at least one downstream catalyst zone.

Permitted emissions from internal combustion engines, such as diesel engines, are legislated by governments. Amongst the legislated exhaust gas species are nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons (HC) and particulate matter (PM). The levels of permitted emissions of these species are being progressively reduced over the next 10 to 15 years. Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are seeking to meet these legislated requirements through a combination of engine design and exhaust gas aftertreatment.
In order to meet existing and future legislated requirements for diesel PM, one device proposed for exhaust gas aftertreatment is the particulate filter. By "filter" herein we mean devices that remove a solid particle from an exhaust gas and also devices that intentionally delay the progress of the particle through the exhaust system. An example of the latter group of devices is described in EP 1057519 (incorporated herein by reference).
One example of a particulate filter is a wall-flow filter in which the filter is in the form of a honeycomb. The honeycomb has an inlet end and an outlet end, and a plurality of cells extending from the inlet end to the outlet end, the cells having porous walls wherein part of the total number of cells at the inlet end are plugged, e.g. to a depth of about 5 to 20 mm, along a portion of their lengths, and the remaining part of the cells that are open at the inlet end are plugged at the outlet end along a portion of their lengths, so that a flowing exhaust gas stream passing through the cells of the honeycomb from the inlet end flows into the open cells, through the cell walls, and out of the filter through the open cells at the outlet end. A composition for plugging the cells is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,329,162 (incorporated herein by reference). A typical arrangement is to have every other cell on a given face plugged, as in a chequered pattern.
It is known to catalyse such filters in order to lower the soot combustion temperature to facilitate regeneration of the filter passively by oxidation of PM under exhaust temperatures experienced during regular operation of the engine/vehicle, typically in the 300-400° C. range. In the absence of the catalyst, PM can be oxidized at appreciable rates at temperatures in excess of 500° C., which are rarely seen in diesel engines during real-life operation. Such catalysed filters are often called catalysed soot filters (or CSFs).
A common problem with passive filter regeneration is that driving conditions can prevent exhaust gas temperatures achieving even the lower temperatures facilitated by catalysing the filter frequently enough to reliably prevent PM from building up on the filter. Such driving conditions include extended periods of engine idling or slow urban driving and the problem is particularly acute for exhaust gas from light-duty diesel engines. One solution to this problem which has been adopted by OEMs is to use active techniques to regenerate the filter either at regular intervals or when a predetermined filter backpressure is detected in addition to passive regeneration. A typical arrangement in a light-duty diesel vehicle is to position a diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC) on a separate monolith upstream of the CSF and to regulate in-cylinder fuel combustion by various engine management techniques in order to introduce increased amounts of unburned fuel into the exhaust gas. The additional fuel is combusted on the DOC, increasing the temperature in the downstream CSF sufficiently to promote combustion of PM thereon.
EP-A-0341382 or U.S. Pat. No. 4,902,487 (both incorporated herein by reference) describes a method of treating diesel exhaust gas including PM and NOx unfiltered over an oxidation catalyst to convert NO to NO2, collecting the PM on a filter downstream of the oxidation catalyst and combusting trapped PM in the NO2. This technology is commercially available as Johnson Matthey's CRT®. An advantage of this process is that the combustion of PM in NO2 occurs at temperatures of up to 400° C., i.e. closer to the normal operating window for diesel exhaust gases, whereas combustion of PM in oxygen occurs at 550-600° C.
Our WO 01/12320 (incorporated herein by reference) describes a reactor especially suitable for treating exhaust gases to remove pollutants including PM and comprises a wall-flow filter structure with porous walls and alternate blocked ends, wherein a washcoat carrying a catalyst coats a zone at an upstream end of open channels at an upstream end of the filter.
We have now devised a CSF for use in a passive-active filter regeneration regime that makes more efficient use of the more limited exhaust gas temperatures and variation of exhaust gas temperatures from diesel engines, especially light-duty diesel engines.
According to one aspect the invention provides a diesel engine comprising an exhaust system, which exhaust system comprising: a particulate filter made from a porous material having a mean pore diameter of from 5 μm to 40 μm, and a porosity of at least 40%, e.g. 50% to 70%, and a bulk volumetric heat capacity of at least 0.50 J cm−3 K−1 at 500° C., which filter comprising a diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC) located in a zone on the front end of the filter for oxidising carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons (HC) and nitrogen monoxide (NO), the engine comprising engine management means, in use, to provide continuously or intermittently an exhaust gas comprising sufficient nitrogen oxides (NOx) or HC and/or an exhaust gas of sufficiently high temperature to combust particulate matter (PM) in the filter.
The catalysed soot filter of the present invention combines a number of very useful functions: it collects soot from the exhaust gas; it promotes passive oxidation of the collected soot in oxygen; it promotes NO oxidation to promote the passive combustion of collected soot in NO2 according to the process described in EP 0341832; and it converts CO and HC in the exhaust gas at relatively low temperatures. Additionally, by positioning the DOC on the front of the filter, active regeneration of the filter is promoted, because the exotherm from combusting additional HC contributes to heating the filter directly, i.e. there is no temperature loss between an upstream DOC and the downstream CSF. Accordingly, active regeneration is more efficient, requiring less fuel to raise the filter temperature to effect regeneration.

Diesel engine and a catalysed filter therefor


Disclosed is a sanitary sleeve for an electronic device. The sanitary sleeve comprising a top flexible member, wherein one or more edges of the top flexible member may be joined with one or more edges of a bottom flexible member to provide a housing between the top flexible member and the bottom flexible member. Further, the housing may be configured to retain the electronic device. Further, the top flexible member may include two panels separated by a slit-like aperture to allow insertion of the electronic device within the housing.

In spite of the proliferation of cellphones, the receiver of a conventional wired telephone is still the most frequent vector for many types of diseases, including the common cold. Pay telephones, desk telephones in shared offices, and telephones made available at such locations as county jails and homeless shelters are particularly problematic.
Therefore, there is a need for an improved sanitary sleeve for electronic devices that may overcome one or more of the above-mentioned problems and/or limitations.

Sanitary sleeve for an electronic device


Disclosed are methods and apparatuses for determining an impedance of an energy-output device using a random noise stimulus applied to the energy-output device. A random noise signal is generated and converted to a random noise stimulus as a current source correlated to the random noise signal. A bias-reduced response of the energy-output device to the random noise stimulus is generated by comparing a voltage at the energy-output device terminal to an average voltage signal. The random noise stimulus and bias-reduced response may be periodically sampled to generate a time-varying current stimulus and a time-varying voltage response, which may be correlated to generate an autocorrelated stimulus, an autocorrelated response, and a cross-correlated response. Finally, the autocorrelated stimulus, the autocorrelated response, and the cross-correlated response may be combined to determine at least one of impedance amplitude, impedance phase, and complex impedance.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to determining energy-output device parameters and, more specifically, to determining energy-output device impedance.
2. State of the Art
A battery converts stored chemical energy to electrical energy, which may be conveyed as a voltage source. As with any non-ideal voltage source, the battery will have an internal impedance including a combination of resistance and reactance. The internal impedance produces power loss in a system by consuming power as a voltage drop across the source impedance. Ideally, a perfect battery would have no source impedance and deliver any power to the extent of its stored energy, but this is not physically reasonable. Thus, within physical limits, a reduction in source impedance will increase deliverable power.
As a battery ages the internal impedance generally tends to become larger. A brand new battery will have a Beginning Of Life (BOL) impedance much smaller than the End Of Life (EOL) impedance. Similarly, storage capacity of the battery will decrease from BOL to EOL. Therefore, observations of battery parameters such as internal impedance and storage capacity may be used to determine the overall State Of Health (SOH) of a battery. When the internal impedance becomes too large and the battery capacity can no longer reliably deliver energy at the specified power the battery has effectively reached EOL. Furthermore, the rate of change of a battery's internal impedance may be closely related to the state of health of the battery. This is especially true when considering rechargeable or secondary cells. While different secondary battery chemistries undoubtedly perform differently throughout their lives, increases in internal impedance over life at certain frequencies show promise as a uniform method to classify SOH in most chemistries.
Battery impedance also may vary with the relative charge of the battery and temperature. In other words, a battery at half of its rated capacity will have different impedance than a battery at its full rated capacity. Similarly, a battery at different temperatures will exhibit different internal impedance characteristics.
Battery fuel gauges, battery capacity monitors, and battery status monitors attempt to predict battery capacities and give the user an idea of remaining capacity. Conventionally, battery capacity is estimated by current integration, voltage monitoring, or combinations thereof.
Current integration, or coulomb counting as it is commonly called, monitors the battery's available stored charge by measuring the amount of charge that enters and exits the battery through normal cycling. The basis for this approach is, that if all charge and discharge currents are known, the amount of coulometric capacity will be known.
Voltage monitoring methods are based on the recognized relationship between the battery terminal voltage and the remaining capacity. All that is required is voltage measurement of the battery terminals to acquire a rough idea of the State Of Charge (SOC) of the battery.
Both of these methods have limits when applied to actual conditions. Current integration requires a rigorous amount of external current tracking to remain accurate. SOC determination obtained from measurement and integration of external current suffers from errors caused by internal self-discharge currents. If the battery is not used for several days, this self-discharge current dissipates the charge within the battery and can affect the current integration approximation for battery charge.
Voltage monitoring may show errors when measurements are taken with load on the battery. When a load is applied, the voltage drop due to the internal impedance of the battery distorts battery voltage. For many batteries, such as lithium-ion batteries, even after the load is removed, slow time constants and relaxation processes may continue to change the battery voltage for hours. Also, some battery chemistries (e.g., nickel metal-hydride) exhibit a strong voltaic hysteresis, which hinders the possibility of using voltage to track capacity.
Usually, these two methods are combined to operate together under varying conditions. For example, current integration may monitor the SOC while under discharging and charging currents. Whereas, while the battery is at rest voltage monitoring may be employed to monitor self-discharge.
SOC algorithms and measurement techniques are well known, but methods to predict battery life, or state of health (SOH), are less common. As mentioned earlier, SOH is also very dependent on cell impedance. If the cell impedance dependencies on SOC and temperature are known, or closely approximated, it is possible to employ modeling techniques to determine when a discharged voltage threshold will be reached at the currently observed load and temperature. Cell impedance analysis for SOH may be enhanced even more if the battery impedance estimation process were fast enough to eliminate the impedance dependencies on comparatively slow changes like SOC variations and temperature variations. Therefore, a way to monitor battery impedance in-situ at near real time would greatly enhance SOC and SOH predictions due to aging cells.
Conventionally, Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) is a popular method for analyzing battery impedance. EIS generates a sine excitation waveform at a specific frequency that is applied to the battery. The voltage and current responses are monitored and analyzed to arrive at battery impedance for that particular frequency. Then, the frequency of the sine excitation signal is modified over a range of frequencies to arrive at a frequency spectrum of the battery impedance. This process provides stable, accurate measurements of battery impedance, but is most practical for laboratory conditions, not during in-situ operation. In other words, EIS may not work well when the battery is under changing loads as changes imposed upon the sine wave excitation may skew the results. Also, the methodology of the EIS system is inherently serial (i.e., a single frequency for each step), making its application time consuming (often several hours) and inappropriate for a near real-time analysis.
Therefore, to enhance monitoring of life and in-situ charge of a battery or other energy-output device under normal conditions, there is a need for a method and apparatus for determining energy-output device impedance across a frequency spectrum using near real-time measurement and analysis that may be employed during in-situ operation.

Method and apparatus for in-situ characterization of energy storage and energy conversion devices


A portable hardwood floor system of interconnected floor sections supported in spaced relation over a substrate includes a plurality of mounts attached to the bottoms of each of the interconnectable sections. Each mount includes a resilient pad to resiliently support the portable floor system above the base and a glide member located below the pad. The glide members are substantially noncompressible under normal floor loading conditions and have a relatively low coefficient of friction with respect to the base. The glide members are slidable on the base to enhance maneuverability in positioning and aligning the interconnectable floor sections, thereby to facilitate interconnection of the sections to form the floor system. The glide members also protect the portable floor section and/or the base and are also sufficiently durable to withstand frequent handling commonly required of a portable hardwood floor system.

Large capacity facilities or arenas are generally used for a variety of entertainment and athletic purposes. When one of these purposes is basketball, a portable hardwood floor must be placed on top of the base floor, which may be concrete, plywood, a synthetic surface or even ice.
Most portable hardwood floors comprise a plurality of interconnected 4'.times.4' or 4'.times.8' rectangularly shaped sections. Typically, each section includes an upper wear surface of elongated, hardwood maple floorboards or a plurality of maple parquet elements arranged in a rectangular configuration. One or more subfloor layers may be used to support the wear surface, with the one or more layers being elongated sleepers which may be either narrow or relatively broad. One or more subfloor layers of panels may be used to simulate one of the desired qualities of a permanent hardwood floor system, i.e., dimensional stability. In either case, the lowermost subfloor layer is supported directly on the base.
One common problem associated with portable floor systems of this type relates to interconnection and disconnection of the rectangular sections before and after an event for which the floor is needed, such as before and after a basketball game. Each section must be connected in flush, perimeter engagement with the other, adjacently situated sections. This requires initial placement and connection of a first row of floor sections, followed by row by row placement, maneuvering and interconnection of the other sections with the already connected sections. During this process, frictional forces between the bottom surfaces of the sections and the arena floor make placement and maneuvering difficult, time consuming and labor intensive. Typically, installers must hit the sides of the floor sections with a large rubber mallet to move them into proper position. Over a period of time, impact from the mallet will cause wear and tear along the edges of the floor sections.
Additionally, the direct contact of a bottommost subfloor layer with the base may cause damage to the base, particularly if the base is wood or synthetic. At the very least, a base of this type must be covered for protection. If the base is ice, direct contact therewith causes some melting and water transfer to the floor sections, thereby making them heavier and accelerating deterioration.
If the sections of the portable floor system are supported on rubber pads to provide resilience for the floor system, friction between the floor sections and the base is further increased, and this increased friction inhibits the lateral maneuverability of the sections. Thus, while some resiliency for the final floor is achieved, installation becomes inconvenient, resulting in higher costs. This increased friction may loosen or knock some of the pads off of the bottoms of the floor sections. Also, the increased friction will necessitate increased use of the mallet to move the floor sections into position, thereby accelerating the wear and tear caused by mallet use. The frequent handling of the portable sections also knocks pads from the bottoms of the sections. With some pads missing, the resiliency will not be uniform. Thus, the increased friction caused by bottom-mounted pads results in inconvenience during installation and a decrease in the uniformity of resiliency for the portable floor.
Koller U.S. Pat. No. 4,860,516 discloses a portable floor system which includes compressible pads located between upper and lower spaced subfloor layers. The spaced subfloor layers protect the pads and prevent them from being rubbed off the bottoms of the sections during lateral movement on the base floor.
However, due to the increased surface contact between the lower surfaces of the bottommost layer of the sections and the base floor, and the increased friction which results therefrom, these sections are difficult to move laterally along the base into alignment with already connected floor sections. Thus, while the pads are protected, this advantage is accompanied by a corresponding increase in the difficulties associated with maneuvering the floor sections into alignment during connection. Moreover, this particular floor has a relatively high vertical dimension, which represents a safety hazard around the edge unless an inclined perimeter is mounted thereto. Such a perimeter represents an added cost in material, labor and storage.
It is an objective of this invention to facilitate the interconnection of a plurality of interconnectable sections of a resilient portable hardwood floor system.
It is another objective of this invention to improve the dimensional stability, the resiliency and the uniformity in resiliency of a portable hardwood floor system, and at the same time to reduce the difficulties presently associated with maneuvering, aligning and interconnecting the floor sections of such a system, and to reduce safety problems and/or higher costs caused by a high vertical dimension.
It is still another objective of the invention to improve the resiliency of a portable hardwood floor system in a manner such that the resilient support means is neither susceptible to excessive wear and tear during frequent handling nor disadvantageous during installation.
The objectives of this invention are achieved by a portable floor system comprising a plurality of interconnectable sections, each of the floor sections supported by a plurality of mounts which include non-compressible, low friction glide members in direct contact with the base.
The non-compressible, low friction glide members enable the floor sections to be relatively easy to maneuver and slide into alignment for interconnection. Thus, because this invention reduces friction between the floor sections and the base, it represents an improvement over portable floors which include a subfloor in direct contact with the base.
Due to the reduced co-efficient of friction of the glide members with respect to the base, and because of their rigidity, the mounts are also substantially less likely to be knocked off the bottom of the sections during lateral movement, compared to unprotected rubber pads. Moreover, the reduced friction reduces the need to hit the sides of the floor sections with a rubber mallet to move them into proper position.
Preferably, the mounts are vertically compressible, and the compressibility of the mounts provides resiliency for the interconnected sections of the portable floor system, regardless of whether the base is concrete, wood, synthetic or even ice. The use of a plurality of mounts to support the floor sections above the base further reduces friction by reducing the surface area of contact with the base. Additionally, if the base is ice, the mounts eliminate water transfer to the floor sections.
According to a first preferred embodiment of the invention, each portable floor section has a wear surface of floorboards, at least one subfloor layer and a plurality of mounts which comprise compressible and deflectable pads secured to the lower surface of the bottommost subfloor. The pads have a truncated conical shape, with a base portion of the conical shape secured to the lower surface of the bottommost subfloor layer and an apex portion extending downwardly therefrom. There is no vertically continuous line of material between the base portion and the apex portion. Also, under no load conditions, the surface area of contact of the base portion with the subfloor is removed laterally from the surface area of contact of the apex portion with the concrete.
A nylon glide member or tip is embedded in the apex portion of each of the pads. The glide member is slidable with respect to the concrete base which is typically used in multi-purpose arenas. Thus, the glide member reduces the co-efficient of friction of the portable floor section with respect to the base.
According to a second preferred embodiment of the invention, each of the interconnected sections of a portable floor system is supported by a plurality of compressible mounts which comprise a compressible and deflectable pad encased within an opposed pair of vertically aligned and interconnected cups. Each pair of cups forms a encasement which encases a respective pad. The upper cups are attached to the lower surface of the bottommost subfloor layer and open downwardly. The lower cups open upwardly and receivably interlock with the upper cups, with a pad held therein. Preferably, the pad has a truncated conical shape.
Once connected, the cups may move toward each other along the axis of connection, upon impact to floorboards above. The amount of movement is determined by the compressible and deflectable characteristics of the pad. Also, the sizing of the cups provides an automatic stop mechanism for limiting vertical deflectability to a predetermined distance, which is preferably about 5/16". When the pad is located inside the two interconnected caps, with no compressive force applied to the cups, the pad is not compressed. Stated another way, the cups move away from each other to a distance which is equal to or slightly greater than the vertical dimension of the pad.
Upon impact to the floorboards thereabove, the pads compress vertically to allow relative vertical movement between the interconnected cups, thereby providing resiliency for the portable floor system. Because of the vertical dimension of the pad with respect to the inside of the cups, deflection is high at impact, but deflection is confined to a relatively small surface area of the floorboards. Perhaps most importantly, the low friction composition of the cups, which are preferably nylon, allows the floor sections to slide relatively easily over the concrete base to facilitate maneuvering and alignment during interconnecting of a plurality of portable floor sections.
In a variation of this embodiment, the upper cups may be partially embedded or countersunk within the lowermost subfloor layer. This reduces the overall height of the floor sections, thereby reducing the volume of space required for storing and reducing safety concerns and/or the cost of an inclined perimeter, both of which are associated with high profile floors.
For each embodiment, compared to portable floor sections equipped with either a planar bottom layer in direct contact with the base, or a plurality of rubber pads in contact with the base, the rigid, low friction glide members reduce the co-efficient of friction between the floor sections with respect to the base. If the glide members are nylon, the floor sections maintain their slidability, due to the somewhat self-lubricating nature of nylon.
With a plurality of compressible mounts supported and carried by the lower surface of the bottommost subfloor, the subfloor of each section of the floor system is raised above the base. Thus, it is easy for individuals to grasp, lift, maneuver and carry the sections during connection and disconnection.
Additionally, for a floor system wherein the floor sections have sleepers on the bottom and in which the mounts are partially countersunk in the floor sections, spacing blocks may be secured between the sleepers, in perpendicular orientation thereto, to assist stacking of sections in a manner which does not apply any compressive load to the mounts.
For each embodiment, to further confine the total surface area of deflection under impact from above, as explained in all of applicant's preceding related applications, kerfs may be provided in one or more of the subfloor surfaces and/or the bottom surface of the floorboards.


A method and system of system-on-chip design that provides the benefits of reduced design time, a smaller die size, lower power consumption, and reduced costs in chip design and production. The process seeks to remove the worst performance and worst power case scenarios from the design and application phases. This is accomplished by planning the power supply voltage in the design phase along with its tolerance with process corner and temperature combinations. The established plan is then applied with communications between power supply integrated circuits and load system-on-chip.

There are many factors to consider in SOC design. However the three most important constraints are the process corner, temperature, and power supply. The conventional SOC design methods use electronic design automation tools which assume a power supply voltage on certain combination or range of supply voltage while working with changing process corner and temperature parameters.
The power supply design is done independently from the SOC process corner and temperature design process. Without the integration of the power supply design, several problems arise in SOC production, including long circuit design times, large silicon area, high power consumption and high material and labor costs.
Additionally, this separate design approach gives rise to the worst-speed and worst-power cases. The worst-speed case or performance bottleneck occurs at the lowest supply voltage, highest temperature, and slowest process corner. From the worst-speed case the following problems arise: a lower supply voltage head room and slower transistor speed, a larger transistor W/L ratio is used to compensate, and a higher die cost. In the opposite scenario, the worst power case or power consumption bottleneck occurs at the point of the highest supply voltage, lowest temperature and fastest process corner. This case creates the following problems: a larger current from higher transistor speed and higher supply voltage, a higher thermal coefficient package or heat sink used, and a higher package cost.
Accordingly it is desirable to reduce the time, size, and cost of circuit design and eliminate the worst case scenarios or bottlenecks that appear in the design phase and during the shift to the application phase.

Method and apparatus for small die low power system-on-chip design with intelligent power supply chip


Electrical timer modules that interact with one another so as to effect random operation of a plurality of electrical devices, creating the appearance that the devices are not operated automatically. The timer modules include circuitry that allows them to wake up from a sleep state or mode within a random time interval. Upon waking from the sleep state or mode, each modular timer initially senses for the presence of a transmitted signal. Upon receipt of a transmitted signal each module returns to its sleep state or mode. If no transmitted signal is received, the first timer module that wakes up transmits a signal to the other modules and activates an electrical device connected thereto.

The present invention relates to electrical timers that are used to activate and/or deactivate electrical devices such as lights. More particularly, the present invention relates to modular electrical timers which interact with one another so as to effect random operation of a plurality of electrical devices, creating the appearance that the devices are not operated automatically.
There presently exists numerous electrical timers which can be plugged into a standard outlet or receptacle and used to control electrical devices such as lights. Such timers are commonly used to turn lights on and off in homes and businesses when no one is on the premises. For example, when people go away on vacation, they often use electrical timers to turn lights in their homes on and off so that it will appear as if someone is home.
One of the problems associated with timers which are used to date is that the timers turn the same lights or other electrical devices on and off at the same time or nearly the same time every night. There are timers which activate lights or other devices on and off at random times. However, such random times are typically within a small preset interval of a selected time setting. For example, there are conventional electrical timers which can be set so that they activate or deactivate electrical devices randomly within a preset interval, e.g. within 15-20 minutes of a preset time. This random operation is suppose to avoid repetitive operation which can be an indication that the controlled electrical devices are in fact controlled by a timer, rather than a present human operator.
Even when using timers which have random intervals of operation, the same electrical devices, e.g. electrical lights, are turned on. Thus, it is not possible to actually operate electrical devices such as electrical lights in a random manner using existing electrical timers.
The present invention provides electrical timers which interact with one another in such a manner to effect random operation of a plurality of electrical devices such as electrical lights.
According to other features, characteristics, embodiments and alternatives of the present invention which will become apparent as the description thereof proceeds below, the present invention provides an electrical activation/timing system having a wide variety of operating parameters.
The present invention further provides a timing system by which a wide variety of electrical devices arranged at different locations can be selectively activate on a seemingly random basis.
The present invention further provides a full programmable activation system for electrical devices using a plurality of separate, independent activation devices.
The present invention also provides electrical timers which interact with one another in such a manner to effect random operation of a plurality of electrical devices such as electrical lights.


A microprocessor is provided which is configured to predict return addresses for return instructions according to a return stack storage included therein. The return stack storage is a stack structure configured to store return addresses associated with previously detected call instructions. Return addresses may be predicted for return instructions early in the instruction processing pipeline of the microprocessor. In one embodiment, the return stack storage additionally stores a call tag and a return tag with each return address. The call tag and return tag respectively identify call and return instructions associated with the return address These tags may be compared to a branch tag conveyed to the return prediction unit upon detection of a branch misprediction. The results of the comparisons may be used to adjust the contents of the return stack storage with respect to the misprediction. The microprocessor may continue to predict return addresses correctly following a mispredicted branch instruction.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention is related to the field of microprocessors and, more particularly, to speculative return address prediction mechanisms for predicting the address of a return instruction within microprocessors.
2. Description of the Relevant Art
Superscalar microprocessors achieve high performance by executing multiple instructions concurrently and by choosing the shortest possible clock cycle consistent with the design. As used herein, the term "clock cycle" refers to an interval of time in which the various stages of the instruction processing pipelines complete their tasks. Instructions and computed values are captured by memory elements (such as registers or arrays) according to a clock signal defining the clock cycle. For example, a memory element may capture a value according to the rising or falling edge of the clock signal.
Many superscalar microprocessor manufacturers design their microprocessors in accordance with the x86 microprocessor architecture. The x86 microprocessor architecture is widely accepted in the computer industry, and therefore a large body of software exists which runs only on microprocessors embodying this architecture. Microprocessors designed in accordance with the x86 architecture advantageously retain compatibility with this body of software. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the x86 architecture includes a "stack" area in memory. The stack is useful for passing information between a program and a subroutine called by that program, among other things. A subroutine performs a function that a program requires, and then returns to the instruction following the call to the subroutine. Therefore, a subroutine may be called from multiple places within a program to perform its function. A "subroutine call instruction" or, more briefly, a "call instruction" is an instruction used to call a subroutine. The address of the instruction subsequent to the call instruction is saved in a storage location. The address of the instruction subsequent to the call instruction is referred to as the "return address". The instruction which causes program execution to resume at the return address is a "return instruction".
In the x86 architecture, the ESP register points to the address in memory which currently forms the top of the stack. A stack structure is a Last-In, First-Out (LIFO) structure in which values are placed on the stack in a certain order and are removed from the stack in the reverse order. Therefore, the top of the stack contains the last item placed on the stack. The action of placing a value on the stack is known as a "push", and requesting that a push be performed is a "push command". The action of removing a value from the stack is referred to as a "pop", and requesting that a pop be performed is a "pop command". When a push command is performed, the ESP register is decremented by the size (in bytes) of the value specified by the push command. The value is then stored at the address pointed to by the decremented ESP register value. When a pop command is performed, a number of bytes specified by the pop command are copied from the top of the stack to a destination specified by the pop command, and then the ESP register is incremented by the number of bytes.
An example of the use of push and pop commands in the x86 microprocessor architecture are the subroutine call and return instructions, as mentioned above. In the x86 microprocessor architecture, a typical subroutine call involves pushing the operands for the subroutine onto the stack, then pushing the return address onto the stack. The subroutine is called and executes, accessing any operands it may need by indexing into the stack. After completing execution, the subroutine pops the next instruction address from the top of the stack and causes that address to be fetched by the microprocessor.
The x86 microprocessor architecture, similar to other microprocessor architectures, contains branch instructions. A branch instruction is an instruction which causes the next instruction to be fetched from one of at least two possible addresses. One address is the address immediately following the branch instruction. This address is referred to as the "next sequential address". The second address is specified by the branch instruction, and is referred to as the "branch target address" or simply the "target address". Branch instructions typically select between the target address and the next sequential address based on a particular condition flag which is set by a previously executed instruction.
Since the next instruction to be executed after the branch instruction is not known until the branch instruction executes, superscalar microprocessors either stall instruction fetching until the branch instruction executes (reducing performance) or predict which address the branch instruction will select when executed. When the prediction method is chosen, the resulting superscalar microprocessor may speculatively fetch and execute instructions residing at the predicted address. If the prediction is incorrect, or "mispredicted" (as determined when the branch instruction executes), then the instructions following the branch instruction are discarded from the instruction processing pipeline and the correct instructions are fetched. Branch instructions are typically predicted when that branch instruction is decoded or when instructions are fetched, depending on the branch prediction scheme and the configuration of the microprocessor. Subroutine call and return instructions may be considered to be branches which always select the target address.
A particularly difficult type of branch instruction to predict in the x86 microprocessor architecture is the RET instruction (the return instruction defined for the x86 microprocessor architecture). The return instruction is a pop command, as described above. This type of branch instruction is difficult to predict because the target address (or return address) is not readily available when the instruction is decoded, unlike some other branch instructions. Instead, the return address is stored on the stack in a location that will be indicated by the value in the ESP register when the return instruction is executed. The value of the ESP register at the time the return instruction is decoded and the value of the ESP register at the time the return instruction is executed may differ. For similar reasons, the return address may be difficult to predict in other microprocessor architectures as well.
Return address prediction is further complicated by the use of "fake return" instructions. Return instructions are normally used in conjunction with the CALL instruction. The CALL instruction is another special type of branch instruction which causes the address of the instruction immediately following the call to be pushed onto the stack, and then instructions are fetched from an address specified by the CALL instruction (i.e. the CALL instruction is the subroutine call instruction defined for the x86 microprocessor architecture). The CALL instruction is therefore a push command, as described above, as well as a branch instruction. The instruction address placed on the stack by the CALL instruction is the address intended to be used by the return instruction as the return address. The CALL instruction can therefore be used to call a subroutine in a program, and the subroutine typically ends with a return instruction which causes instruction execution to resume at the instruction immediately following the CALL instruction.
"Fake return" instructions are return instructions which are executed when a return address other than a return address provided by a CALL instruction is at the top of the stack. This address may be placed on the stack by executing a PUSH instruction, for example. A mechanism for predicting the target address of a return instruction is desired.

Superscalar microprocessor configured to predict return addresses from a return stack storage


A media element library includes two linear arrays of media elements. Positioned between the two media element arrays is a linearly extending track on which a media element transfer carriage is mounted. The track is split into two segments, with one of the segments being rotatable. The rotatable segment pivots through 180 degrees so that the media element transfer carriage can access both arrays of media elements as well as tape drives provided within the library.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to media element libraries for data storage.
2. Description of the Related Art
Magnetic tape cartridges, magnetic disks, and optical disks are all widely used as peripheral memory storage devices for computer systems. Large computer systems often operate in conjunction with external libraries of dozens of media elements as well as the media element readers used to record and retrieve the data. Although originally such media elements were selected and loaded manually, automated libraries were developed to expedite the handling of the media elements. These systems include robotics for accessing and retrieving media elements from storage locations, and loading the retrieved media element into an appropriate reader.
Some embodiments of such libraries comprise a small number of magnetic tape cartridges, six or ten being typical, and one or two tape drives housed in a single enclosure. Some systems have also been developed which comprise several smaller modules coupled together in a single rack. A system of this type is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,870,245 to Kersey et al. The disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 5,870,245 is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
As data storage requirements for computer systems have increased, the volumetric efficiency of a library, that is, the number of media elements that can be stored per unit volume of the apparatus, has become an important factor in media library design. Maximizing volumetric efficiency requires careful consideration of the arrangement of media elements within the library, as well as the robotic system that retrieves and transports the media elements. Libraries that store media elements in a rotating circular carousel generally need a relatively small volume for media element transport robotics because the rotating carousel allows access to all of the media elements from one stationary position at any one point along the circumference of the carousel. However, the packing density of rectangular media elements such as tape cartridges is limited in a circular arrangement. One embodiment of a library with a carousel media element storage configuration is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,285,333 to Barr et al.
Alternatively, media elements may be stored as linear arrays of adjacent media elements. Storing media elements in linear arrays results in a high media element packing density, but requires more room for transport robotics because the transport robotics needs to travel up and down along the array to retrieve selected media elements. An example of this type of system is provided in the Kersey, et al. patent mentioned above. In addition, if more than one linear array is provided, more complex and expensive robotic transport robotics are needed to access all of them. It would therefore be beneficial to produce media element libraries with a high density of media elements as well as relatively simple and inexpensive robotic transport systems.
In one embodiment, the invention includes a robotic media handling system comprising first and second linear track segments, wherein one of the segments is pivotably mounted on an axis of rotation. A media element transfer carriage comprising a storage location for at least one media element is movably mounted to one of the track segments.


Disclosed are methods of congestion control in transmission of data in packets over a network link using a transport layer protocol, and transmission methods and protocol systems to implement such methods. The number of unacknowledged packets in transit is less than or equal to a congestion window value cwndi which can be varied according to an additive-increase multiplicative-decrease (AIMD) law having an increase parameter αi. In embodiments, αi can be increased during each congestion epoch at a time after the start of a congestion epoch, or based on time since the start of a congestion epoch. In embodiments, a multiplicative decrease parameter βi can be set based on a characteristic(s) of a data flow(s) carried over the network link. For example, the value of βi may be set as the value of the round-trip time of data traversing the link or based on the minimum of the mean inter-packet time.

1. Field
The disclosed methods and systems relate to congestion control in data networks. It has particular but not exclusive application to networks upon which data is communicated using a transport layer protocol that is a modification of and is compatible with the standard transmission control protocol (TCP).
2. Description of Relevant Art
A problem in the design of networks is the development of congestion control algorithms. Congestion control algorithms are deployed for two principal reasons: to ensure avoidance of network congestion collapse, and to ensure a degree of network fairness. Put simply, network fairness refers to the situation whereby a data source receives a fair share of available bandwidth, whereas congestion collapse refers to the situation whereby an increase in network load results in a decrease of useful work done by the network (usually due to retransmission of data).
Note that in this context "fairness" of access to a network does not necessarily mean equality of access. Instead, it means a level of access appropriate to the device in question. Therefore, it may be deemed fair to provide a high-speed device with a greater level of access to a channel than a slow channel because this will make better use of the capacity of the channel.
Past attempts to deal with network congestion resulted in the widely applied transmission control protocol. While the current TCP congestion control algorithm has proved remarkably durable, it is likely to be less effective on forthcoming networks that will feature gigabit-speed links and small buffer sizes. It may also be less effective where data is transmitted over long distances and comprises heterogeneous traffic originating from heterogeneous sources. These considerations have led to widespread acceptance that new congestion control algorithms must be developed to accompany the development of networking systems.
The task of developing such algorithms is not straightforward. In addition to the requirements discussed above, fundamental requirements of congestion control algorithms include efficient use of bandwidth, fair allocation of bandwidth among sources and that the network should be responsive rapidly to reallocate bandwidth as required. These requirements must be met while respecting key constraints including decentralized design (TCP sources have restricted information available to them), scalability (the qualitative properties of networks employing congestion control algorithms should be independent of the size of the network and of a wide variety of network conditions) and suitable backward compatibility with conventional TCP sources.
To place the disclosed methods and systems in context, the existing TCP network model will now be described. The TCP standard defines a variable cwnd that is called the "congestion window". This variable determines the number of unacknowledged packets that can be in transit at any time; that is, the number of packets in the 'pipe' formed by the links and buffers in a transmission path. When the window size is exhausted, the source must wait for an acknowledgement (ACK) before sending a new packet. Congestion control is achieved by dynamically varying cwnd according to an additive-increase multiplicative-decrease (AIMD) law. The aim is for a source to probe the network gently for spare capacity and back-off its send rate rapidly when congestion is detected. A cycle that involves an increase and a subsequent back-off is termed a "congestion epoch". The second part is referred to as the "recovery phase".
In the congestion-avoidance phase, when a source i receives an ACK packet, it increments its window size cwndi according to the additive increase law:cwndi→cwndi+αi/cwndi  (1)where αi=1 for standard TCP. Consequently, the source gradually ramps up its congestion window as the number of packets successfully transmitted grows. By keeping track of the ACK packets received, the source can infer when packets have been lost en route to the destination. Upon detecting such a loss, the source enters the fast recovery phase. The lost packets are retransmitted and the window size cwndi of source i is reduced according to:cwndi→βicwndi,  (2)where βi=0.5 for standard TCP. It is assumed that multiple drops within a single round-trip time lead to a single back-off action. When receipt of the retransmitted lost packets is eventually confirmed by the destination, the source re-enters the congestion avoidance phase, adjusting its window size according to equation (1). In summary, on detecting a dropped packet (which the algorithm assumes is an indication of congestion on the network), the TCP source reduces its send rate. It then begins to gradually increase the send rate again, probing for available bandwidth. A typical window evolution is depicted in FIG. 1 (cwndi at the time of detecting congestion is denoted by wi in FIG. 1).
Over the kth congestion epoch three important events can be discerned from FIG. 1. (A congestion epoch is defined here as a sequence of additive increases ending with one multiplicative decrease of cwnd.) These are indicated by ta(k); tb(k) and tc(k) in FIG. 1. The time ta(k) is the time at which the number of unacknowledged packets in the pipe equals βiwi(k). tb(k) is the time at which the pipe is full so that any packets subsequently added will be dropped at the congested queue. tc(k) is the time at which packet drop is detected by the sources. Time is measured in units of round-trip time (RTT). RTT is the time taken between a source sending a packet and receiving the corresponding acknowledgement, assuming no packet drop. Equation 1 corresponds to an increase in cwndi of αi packets per RTT.
The foregoing discussion relates to AIMD sources where the increase and decrease parameters αi and βi are constant (although they may differ for each source). A number of recent proposals for high-speed networks vary the rate of increase and decrease as functions of window size or other values. The approach is readily extended to these protocols by extending the model to include time varying parameters αi(k) and βi(k) and defining the model increase parameter to be an effective value, for example such thatαi(k)=(wi(k+1)−βiwi(k))/(tc(k)−ta(k))
The current TCP congestion control algorithm described above may be inefficient on modem high-speed and long distance networks. On such links, the window sizes can be very large (perhaps tens of thousands of packets). Following a congestion event, the window size is halved and subsequently only increased by one packet per round-trip time. Thus, it can take a substantial time for the window size to recover, during which time the send rate is well below the capacity of the link. One possible solution is to simply make the TCP increase parameter αi larger, thereby decreasing the time to recover following a congestion event and improving the responsiveness of the TCP flow. Unfortunately, this direct solution is inadmissible because of the requirement on lower speed networks for backward compatibility and fairness with existing TCP traffic. The requirement is thus for αi to be large in high-speed networks but unity in low-speed ones, naturally leading to consideration of some form of mode switch. However, mode switching creates the potential for introducing undesirable dynamic behaviors in otherwise well behaved systems and any re-design of TCP therefore needs to be carried out with due regard to such issues.


A wireless headset having a user interface configured to allow the user to utilize the full functionality of the headset while minimizing the number of physical control inputs necessary is described. The user interface may have a user input control that is configured to control more than one function of the headset. The user interface may also provide audio as well as visual outputs to the user to indicate a particular functionality of the headset being controlled by the user or a particular status of the headset.

Gaming devices in the current market typically will provide the user with the ability to connect to another gaming device, typically through an online website or directly through an IP address. Coordination of activities between connected players is quickly becoming a necessity, as connectivity of game devices allow players to play as a team or compete against one another. One component of the communication is typically the ability to verbally communicate with the other players in the gaming environment. In the past, when connected players wished to communicate with the other players, such as commands or questions, the player needed to type in a question using some interface such as a keyboard.
The gaming industry has advanced to the point that verbal communication is now available to most connected players. For example, a player may connect through a broadband connection and speak into a microphone or headset. The audio is translated to digital signals and are sent through the broadband network to the intended recipient or recipients. The gaming interface of the recipient in turn typically translates the digital signal back to audio and is broadcast through a speaker to be heard.
Realizing the potential, the typical gaming headset has undergone significant improvements in its capabilities. For example, the volume of the headset in the past has been typically controlled at the gaming console is now typically controlled on the headset itself. Further, the headset as used today typically is connected to the gaming console wirelessly, thus allowing the gamer a level of freedom of position and movement. Thus, as the capabilities of the headset has increased, so have the number of control inputs. For example, a headset of today will typically have controls on the headset that allow the user to change the volume, and power on or power off the headset.
Although the increased functionality of the headset may afford the gamer a more robust headset, the increased functionality of typical headsets requires the user to become familiar with an increasing number of physical controls.

User interface for wireless headset on a gaming console


The invention relates to a connection and junction box (1) for a photovoltaic solar module (24), which box in a mounting state, is put on the solar module (24) with open contact clamp(s) (22), and the contact clamps are actively closed for contacting the flexible flat conductor band(s) (28). Preferably, the actuating the contact clamp(s) (22) is automatically carried out by means of a device between two housing parts (2, 50), when putting on.

Over the past years, producing photovoltaic solar modules has literally been booming, inter alia due to the increased demand on environmentally sound energy production. The direct conversion of sunlight into electric current by means of photovoltaic solar modules is entirely emission-free, and no risks for humans and the environment are almost involved. For example, complete roofs of new buildings are therefore recently overlaid with solar modules, and even "solar power plants" are built. Due to the technical development of photovoltaics, using solar modules more and more becomes efficient even in more unfavourable latitudes such as Middle Europe and Northern America so that especially in these regions there is a great demand. Due to the continuous progress of the efficiency of solar modules due to technical further development on the one hand as well as increasing costs of energy production with other energy carriers as fossil fuels or nuclear energy, photovoltaic power generation becomes more and more competitive.
It is apparent that the success of solar modules in economic competition with other energy carriers depends on the costs of producing and mounting the solar modules.
Typically, solar modules consist of a plurality of solar cells based on semiconductor technique, which cells are interconnected to large-scale solar panels. A typical solar module has a glass plate on its side facing the sun, and a transparent plastics layer on the rear side, in which layer the solar cells are embedded. Typically, the rear side of the solar module is covered with a weather-resistant plastics compound foil, for example polyvinyl fluoride and polyester. The mono- or polycrystalline solar cells are electrically interconnected to each other by means of small solder wires. Typically, the solar module is furthermore mounted in a metal profile frame for fixing and stiffening the compound. Therefore, a solar module basically is a two-dimensional entity, similar to a thick glass plate.
Typically, solar modules have thin flexible conductor bands on the side facing away from the sun. These bands are mostly made of copper and vertically protrude from the rear side of the solar module. These flexible conductor bands are very sensitive and therefore difficult to contact. Additionally, a mechanical charge for fixing an electrical connector is also difficult because of the disk-like form of the solar module. Therefore, a special kind of electrical connectors has evolved for such solar modules, which kind is called connection box or connection and junction box. Typically, the connection and junction box is glued on the rearward surface of the solar module, and has electrical connection devices inside for contacting the flexible flat conductor bands of the solar module. Furthermore, if needed, the connection and junction box has an apparatus for connecting an electrical connection cable, which is connected with the flexible flat conductor band of the solar module by means of the connection and junction box for conducting the electrical current generated by the solar module.
Furthermore, several solar modules are typically operated in series connection, wherein a so-called bypass diode or free-wheeling diode is anti-parallel connected to each module. Inside the connection and junction box, the free-wheeling diode is connected to the electrical connection device. If a module is shaded or does not produce electricity because of a defect, this module would lower the power of the solar modules in series connection or even suffers damage without bypass diode. This is avoided by the bypass diode, because the current flows through the diode and is sustained.
It is apparent that due to the mechanical conditions, particularly the form of the solar module and the sensitiveness of the flexible flat conductor bands, a number of difficulties occur, when constructing the connection and junction box.
Up to now, connection boxes are known, which are put over the flexible flat conductor bands. When doing so, the flexible flat conductor band is manually bent and contacted by means of a contact clamp or a soldered connection. The connection box is closed in a further process step. Such connection arrangements or connection boxes respectively are described in DE 10 2005 025 632 A1 and DE 20 2005 018 884 U1. It is apparent that mounting such connection devices or connection boxes respectively is laborious, and is badly suited for automated mass production.
An electrical connection and junction box for a solar module is known from DE 103 58 140 B4, which box has a guiding arrangement at its lower side. The thin conductor band is guided in this guiding arrangement in lateral direction with low slackness in order to avoid buckling or folding the conductor bands, when inserting into the clamp apparatus. At this, it is disadvantageous that the conductor band has to be threaded into the narrow guiding arrangement, and the clamping force of the clamp arrangement may nevertheless be relatively low to be able to insert the thin conductor band into the clamp arrangement.
After all this, there is need for improvements in this regard, due to the high pressure to innovate in producing solar modules.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Connection and junction box for a solar module


An integrated reductant mixer and heater apparatus for an exhaust treatment system is provided. The apparatus includes a housing for an exhaust stream to flow therethrough in an axial flow direction; a reductant injector configured to deliver a spray of reductant into the exhaust stream; at least one mixing fin disposed within the housing interior downstream of the reductant injector, the mixing fin having a primary deflection surface orientated parallel with, or at an acute angle relative to, the axial flow direction; a first heater element within the housing interior and extending within a first plane intersecting the axial flow direction proximate the primary deflection surface of the mixing fin; and a second heater element within the housing interior and extending within a second plane intersecting the axial flow direction proximate the primary deflection surface of the mixing fin and downstream from the first heater element.

Heavy work vehicles, such as used in the construction, agriculture and forestry industries, typically include a power system with an internal combustion engine in the form of a compression ignition engine (i.e., diesel engine) or a spark ignition engine (i.e., gasoline engine). For many heavy work vehicles, the power system includes a diesel engine that may have higher lugging, pull-down, and torque characteristics for associated work operations. Such power systems may further include a treatment system to reduce emission levels of particulates and nitrogen oxides (NOx) in the engine exhaust.

Integrated reductant mixer and heater apparatus for exhaust treatment systems


Disclosed is a remote collection and bagging device for a sanitary and convenient means for collecting and disposing of refuse or fecal matter at a distance from a user. The device comprises a handle and trigger, a foldable extension shaft, a cable attached to the trigger and slide bars, the slide bars also connected to a set of claws which are spring biased in a normally open position and a bag retention mechanism. The claws have teeth that intermesh with each other when in a closed position such that the teeth extend past each other in order to get beneath the refuse or material being collected. Once refuse is collected, the device can be raised to a horizontal position thereby causing the collected material to fall into the attached bag for easy disposal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to collection devices, and more specifically, to collapsible devices for collecting and bagging trash, garbage, debris and animal feces left on the ground without requiring the user to bend over or to manually touch the collected items.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the area of ground and yard maintenance, whether public or private, it is often the case that garbage and debris is left on the ground or blown in by winds. For those individuals with pets or in rural areas, there is often the deposition of fecal matter by pets or wild animals roaming the grounds. As such, in order to maintain a clean and healthy environment for people, someone must periodically pick up, bag and dispose of the garbage, debris, fecal matter and other miscellaneous matter deposited on the ground. In public and business areas, this is typically accomplished by a maintenance crew, whereas in private locations it is done by the property dweller.
To do this task in a sanitary and convenient way, a collection and bagging device that allows a user's hands to be distant and/or separated from the refuse and/or feces when collecting, bagging and disposing of the refuse is desirable. It would be further desirable if the collecting, bagging and disposing device would be collapsible in order to have more efficient storage of the device when not in use or when transporting the device. To respond to such a desire, there are numerous proposed collecting devices.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,328,066, issued on Jun. 27, 1967 to Johnston, discloses a pickup device with curved jaws and an elongated handle for collecting trash but does not provide a means for bagging the collected trash or for collapsing the collecting device when not in use for convenient storage. Nor does the pickup device provide a means to get underneath the feces or trash in order to assure that the material being collected does not get smashed in the jaw teeth. U.S. Pat. No. 3,617,084, issued on Nov. 2, 1971 to Mares, discloses a hand operated shovel for collecting refuse wherein a user rotates a handle in order to open and close the trash collecting clamshell scoops but does not provide a means for bagging the collected trash or for collapsing the collecting device when not in use for convenient storage or for getting underneath the feces or trash in order to assure that the material being collected does not get smashed in the jaw teeth. U.S. Pat. No. 4,248,468 issued on Feb. 3, 1981 to Hastings, discloses a refuse collection device with an elongated handle and clamshell-like scoops that is in a normally closed position but does not provide a means for bagging the collected trash or for collapsing the collecting device when not in use for convenient storage or for getting underneath the feces or trash in order to assure that the material being collected does not get smashed in the clamshell scoops.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,540,470 and 6,796,587 issued on Jul. 30, 1996 to Lu and on Sep. 28, 2004 to Tsou both provide collection devices utilizing a horizontal scooping mechanism utilizing a paddle and an attached collection bag mounted to the side of the collection device. However, in the operation of these devices it is the paddle that must come in contact with the feces or trash in order to push the material into the bag thereby contaminating the paddle which necessitates the constant cleaning of the paddle after every use. U.S. Pat. No. 7,093,869, issued on Aug. 22, 2006 to Jung, discloses an animal waste collection device for use with a bag but the device does not provide a means for collapsing the collecting device when not in use for convenient storage or for getting underneath the feces or trash in order to assure that the material being collected does not get smashed in the jaws.

Remote refuse collection and bagging device and method


An embedded security processor is used in conjunction with a main processor to provide security for a computer system that is accessible via a computer network. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, an expansion board is provided that has an embedded security processor dedicated to network communications security tasks. The embedded security processor is controlled by the main processor and intercepts all communications from external untrusted or unverified network systems (i.e., unsecure networks) and verifies that the attempted communication is permissible before allowing the external network communication traffic to access the main processor, or other networked computer resources accessible via a secure network.

1. Technical Field
This invention generally relates to computer security, and more specifically relates to a computer security system for computers connected to an Intranet, the Internet, the world-wide web, or other computer networks.
2. Background Art
The development of the EDVAC computer system of 1948 is often cited as the beginning of the computer era. Since that time, computer systems have evolved into extremely sophisticated devices, and computer systems may be found in many different settings. Computer systems typically include a combination of hardware (e.g., semiconductors, circuit boards, etc.) and software (e.g., computer programs). As advances in semiconductor processing and computer architecture push the performance of the computer hardware higher, more sophisticated computer software has evolved to take advantage of the higher performance of the hardware, resulting in computer systems today that are much more powerful that just a few years ago.
Other changes in technology have also profoundly affected how we use computers. For example, the widespread proliferation of computers has prompted the development of computer networks that allow computers to communicate quickly and efficiently with each other. With the introduction of the personal computer (PC), computing became accessible to large numbers of people. Networks for personal computers were developed to allow individual users to communicate with each other. In this manner, a large number of people within a company or other organization could communicate at the same time with a software application running on one computer system.
One significant computer network that has become very popular is the Internet. The Internet grew out of the modem proliferation of computers and networks and has currently evolved into a sophisticated worldwide network of computer systems linked together. The Internet is considered an "unsecure" network because anyone with the necessary computer equipment has access to the information that is transmitted on the Internet. If an individual wishes to protect their transmitted information from being received or intercepted by unauthorized individuals, then additional software or hardware must be provided.
In addition to the Internet and other types of public networks, private computer networks presently exist in many different forms and serve many purposes. For example, there are credit card computer networks which direct network traffic to banks for authorizations and transaction posting, there are university computer networks which maintain student or scientific research information, and there are many private company computer networks which contain a variety of proprietary information.
Another recent development in the area of computer networks is the proliferation of "Intranets." Intranets are typically networks of computer workstations, and/or computer resources or systems that belong to a single company, division, or branch of a company. Intranets are considered "secure" networks because they are typically connected to an outside or external network via a security system that restricts access to only authorized users. Intranets are considered to be more secure than other types of public computer networks because they can be isolated from other, outside networks. The rapid expansion of computer networks and the technological advances in communication equipment promises to bring even more connectivity to computer networks through such mechanisms as cable modems, computerized home televisions, and direct access multimedia services.
Along with the explosive growth experienced by computer networks in the past few years, an ever increasing concern is the need to provide enhanced security protection for networked computer systems and resources. In particular, where private computer resources (i.e., software applications, data files, World Wide Web pages, etc.) are accessed using standard Internet communication tools, security must be provided to protect the private resources from unauthorized access. This involves ensuring that access to networked resources is granted only to approved users, whether the users are within a company or external to the company. For example, many companies have remote offices or branches located in various parts of the country. Each office or branch may operate and maintain a computer network and each of these local computer networks may be interconnected in a company-wide computer network or tied together via the Internet. It is often desirable in this type of computer network environment to prevent unauthorized access to one of the local computer networks from another of the local computer networks and also to restrict access by unauthorized Internet users.
This network communication technique is often used on private computer networks as well. Private computer networks are often linked to other private computer networks, such as in a company where multiple user groups exist in the organization with corresponding multiple computer networks. The risk of break-ins and computer misuse in one private network by users of another private network is also present. For example, a disgruntled employee working from a local area network (LAN) in one organization of the company may break into the private computer network of another organization with the company and cause files to be altered or erased. Alternatively, someone may introduce viruses or other illicit and destructive computer programs such as Trojan horses or worms into the network environment.
Another network communication security issue that should be addressed when transmitting sensitive information is the unavoidable problem of an authorized party examining communications in transit whenever a public or unsecure network is used. Data to be sent from one location to another is divided or broken down into "packets." The packets are individually routed or sent over the network and then reassembled at the appropriate destination. As part of the communication transmission process, certain information regarding the origin, destination, and contents of a transmission is packaged and sent along with the actual data packets being transmitted. By examining or "sniffing" the packet and utilizing the packet information, unscrupulous intruders can mimic legitimate network communication traffic and gain access to otherwise secure networks.
One popular solution used to provide computer network security for communication over unsecure networks is known as a "firewall." A firewall is a separate computer system with a dedicated microprocessor that can be used to provide certain types of security. The firewall computer system is usually placed into the computer network so that it is logically located between the protected system and the unsecure network. The firewall can be configured to provide various types of network communication security for the protected system. The use of firewalls is well known in the art and various types of firewalls can be implemented in different ways.
The most common and simplest type of firewall is one that simply does packet filtering. This type of firewall can block undesirable in-coming traffic while allowing outgoing traffic to continue to be processed. Packet filtering firewalls are relatively inexpensive since most network routers currently provide the ability to specify various rules for filtering in-coming packets. Unfortunately, a packet-filtering firewall system suffers from a number of significant drawbacks. These drawbacks include little or no activity logging, exposure of Internet addresses and other network information to public access, and the complex filtering scenarios typically required to handle communications with multiple computer systems.
Another common firewall system is called a dual-homed gateway firewall. A dual-homed gateway consists of a system with two network interfaces that requires that all network communication traffic between the secure network and the unsecure network must pass through the gateway. Normal packet routing and forwarding features are disabled, so an alternative communication mechanism such as proxies or servers must be used. Depending on the availability of proxies and servers, this type of firewall can be very restrictive. In addition, because all network communication traffic must pass through the gateway, overall throughput and system performance may suffer.
While useful, the addition of a firewall computer system generally introduces a significant level of complexity into a network environment. No matter which type of firewall system is utilized, security concerns common to firewall systems in general remain. For example, the firewall computer system must be secured in a protected location where physical access can be controlled. Otherwise, the protected system may be compromised by a direct physical attack on the firewall computer system. Firewall systems must be initially set-up or configured, and occasionally must be reconfigured as the network environment and the nature of the protected systems changes and develops. The initial set-up will typically include installing the operating system, installing the communication software, and customizing the operating system for the specific network environment. The reconfiguration process, whereby the system parameters are changed or otherwise updated, is typically time-consuming and may introduce inadvertent security errors.
In addition, for the sake of convenience, it is often desirable to monitor and control the activity of the firewall system from a remote location. However, remote access capability opens the firewall computer system up to the possibility of tampering or unauthorized access by a system intruder such as a hacker or cracker. After breaking into private computer networks, crackers have been able to erase files or disks, cancel programs, retrieve sensitive information and even introduce computer viruses. Skilled intruders can also disable monitoring and logging facilities so that their presence is undetected. Intruders will then reconfigure the firewall system so as to allow undesirable network communication traffic through the firewall, thereby compromising the security of the protected system.
Without improved methods for providing security and protection for networked computer resources, computer systems will remain less secure and open to potentially devastating attacks, even if protected by a standard firewall system. As businesses increasingly utilize public networks such as the Internet to provide site-to-site connectivity, a common need exists to increase the level of protection available with firewalls, thereby more effectively protecting the networked computer resources. Without a mechanism that is capable of providing increased levels of security between computer systems and resources currently available via networks, network communications and transactions between network users and remote locations will be subject to unnecessary compromise.

International Business Machines Corporation


An adjustable bed frame includes first and second bed frame units. The first bed frame unit includes a first longitudinal rod, a second longitudinal rod, a first transverse rod, and a first vertical rod. The first longitudinal rod, the second longitudinal rod, and the first transverse rod are all pivotally attached to the first vertical rod. A locating hole passes through a side of the first transverse rod. The second bed frame unit includes a third longitudinal rod, a fourth longitudinal rod, a second transverse rod, and a second vertical rod. The third longitudinal rod, the fourth longitudinal rod, and the fourth transverse rod are all pivotally attached to the second vertical rod. A locating pin is disposed on a side of the second transverse rod. In an assembled state, the second transverse rod fits inside the first transverse rod, and the locating pin protrudes out through the locating hole.

A folding bed frame is a simple bed frame that can be folded in different folding ways to achieve the joint goals of convenience and space savings. A folding bed frame is convenient, practical and easy to store.
Existing folding bed frames reduce the amount of occupied space through folding and thereby save on transportation costs and facilitate storage. However, the main parts of the bed frame cannot be folded, so the folded bed frame still occupies a large amount of space.

Adjustable metal bed frame assembleable without using bolts