An authentication system facilitates a transfer of enrollment in authentication services between client devices. The authentication system enrolls a client device in authentication services to enable the client device to be used for authenticating requests to access one or more services. As part of enrolling the client device, the authentication system receives authentication enrollment information for the client device that is associated with one or more authentication credentials securely stored on the client device (e.g., a multi-factor authentication (MFA) certificate). The authentication system facilitates one or more processes for transferring the enrollment from an enrolled client device to a non-enrolled client device that limit the number and complexity of actions performed by the user. In particular, the authentication system facilitates transfer of enrollment based on receiving enrollment transfer requests authorized by the enrolled client device using one or more authentication credentials associated with the enrollment of the enrolled client device.

Authentication systems often use authentication techniques that rely on client devices enrolled in authentication services to authenticate requests for access to services, such as to provide authentication factors for multi-factor authentication (MFA). These authentication systems may exchange information corresponding to authentication credentials with the client devices during an authentication enrollment process that can be used to authenticate access requests. In order to mitigate security risks, some or all of the authentication credentials may be securely stored on enrolled client devices and inaccessible to other systems (e.g., the authentication systems), such as using a trusted platform module (TPM) or other cryptographic storage techniques. This secure storage prevents the authentication credentials from being accessed by users of the enrolled client device or by other devices or systems.
However, users of client devices enrolled in authentication services with authentication systems routinely acquire new client devices, such as new mobile devices, which they desire to use for authentication through the same authentication systems. Because the authentication credentials are securely stored on the enrolled client devices, enrolling new client devices is a difficult and inefficient process. For instance, enrolling a new device in place of an enrolled device may involve many manual steps that can be time-consuming, error-prone, or necessitate human intervention. These manual steps may include a user accessing an online interface (e.g., using a separate computing device) by authenticating via the enrolled device and manually unenrolling the enrolled client device through the online interface. As another example, enrolling the new device may require an administrator of the authentication system unenrolling the enrolled client device so that the new device can be subsequently enrolled. As such, improved techniques for enrolling a new device in authentication services in place of a previously enrolled device are needed.

Efficient transfer of authentication credentials between client devices


A portable tool includes a motive power section, a mechanical section driven by the motive power section, and an outer frame covering the motive power section and the mechanical section. A label or a sticker is affixed to an outer peripheral surface of the outer frame. The label contains specific pattern or specific color or specific character representing a specific user of the portable tool. The cover is made from a transparent resin and is removably disposed to the outer frame for protectingly covering the label. A sheet containing a plurality of labels having colors or pattern different from each other is provided. A user can select one of the labels.

The present invention relates to a cover or a protector for a portable tool, a combination of a portable tool and a cover, and a combination of a portable tool, a cover and a label or a sticker to be stuck on the tool for identification. More particularly, the present invention relates to a cover and a sticker to be stuck on an outer frame of a portable tool, such as an electric drill, an electric miter saw, and a pneumatically driven tool, such as pneumatic nail gun. The present invention also relates to a supplying method for supplying the sticker or the label and a printing method for printing the sticker or the label that can be observed through an internet and can be downloaded for printing. Here, the sticker or the label is adapted to be inserted between the outer frame of the tool and the cover disposed thereover.
Conventional portable tools include electric drills, electric round saws, pneumatic nail guns, cordless impact drivers that can be used for screw driving operations on building sites as described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2000-337328 and electric hammers as described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. Hei 8-229850.
As shown in FIG. 18, a conventional cordless impact driver 501 has a substantially T-shaped overall profile, and includes a motive power section, a mechanical section and a front-end tool section, those being installed in an outer frame 514. The front-end tool section is positioned close to a front end of the impact driver 501. The cordless impact driver is additionally provided with a battery pack 520 accommodating therein a battery such as NiCd cells or nickel/hydrogen cells. The battery pack 520 is covered by an outer frame 522. The motive power section includes a drive motor (not shown), and the mechanical section includes gears (not shown). The front-end tool section includes a drive shaft (not shown) and a hammer (not shown). The drive force from the motive power section is decelerated by the mechanical section and the decelerated rotation is transmitted to the drive shaft to cause the hammer to perform repeated rotation and impacting operation so as to fasten a screw by a bit provided at a front end of an anvil (not shown).
The outer frame 514 includes a resin section 514A made of nylon resin and a hammer case 514B which is a die-casting product made of aluminum alloy for ensuring mechanical strength. The power source, the motive power section and the mechanical section are covered by the resin section 514A, whereas the front-end tool section is covered by the hammer case 514B. The resin section 514A and the hammer case 514B have respective pairs of screw seats 514C, 514D that protrude radially outwardly from the outer frame 514, so that the resin section 514A and the hammer case 514B are secured to each other as screws are fastened into the screw seats 514C, 514D.
A plurality of workers often use impact drivers of the same kind on the same building site. Here, sizes and external designs of the portable tools resemble to each other in spite of the difference in manufacturers. Therefore workers may feel it difficult to accurately identify his own tool. Particularly, it will be extremely difficult to identify his tool among tools those being produced by the identical manufacturer. Therefore, it is a general practice that users of tools working on building sites paint the outer frames 514 of their own tools and/or write their own names on the outer frames 514 as precautionary measure for preventing the tools from being mistakenly used by others or from being stolen.
However, if the outer frame 514 of a tool is painted and the screw fastening work is performed near a white colored wall, for instance, the painted outer frame 514 can be rubbed against the white wall and the paint can be scraped off to stain the white wall. Particularly, in the case of the cordless impact driver 501 in which the screw seats 514C, 514D protrude radially outwardly from the outer frame 514, the screw seats 514C, 514D are prone to be rubbed against a wall on the building site as shown in FIG. 19. Then, if the outer surface of the screw seats 514 are painted, the paint can easily be transferred to the wall. Additionally, the screw seats 514C, 514D may damage to the wall due to the rubbing contact therewith.
Besides, portable tools are often handled coarsely on building sites and, therefore, they may often be scarred and/or stained. Then, the paint or the name put on the outer frame may come off. As a result, users may feel it difficult to identify their own tools. Additionally, such scarred and/or stained tools may degrade external appearance of the tools.
Further, when a portable tool is used for years, a user may be tired of the design of the paint. However, repainting is painstaking, so that the user may not positively remake the paint design.
When a portable tool is used for years, a user may be tired of seeing the drawing of the paint. However, it is a painstaking operation to repaint the outer frame so that the user may not positively remake the drawing.
This problem may be dissolved if the manufactures provide portable tools of the same sort whose outer frames are painted in different colors. Then, however, the manufacturing cost may be increased and delivery or distribution control to such tools may become difficult. As a matter of fact, some manufactures market portable tools of the same sort that are painted in different colors but the number of colors used for painting outer frames is limited to two or three because of the above described problems.
To overcome the above-described drawbacks, one conceivable way is to supply a cover to be covered over the outer frame. The cover is subjected to painting or printing for easy identification of a portable tool. However, the ink on the cover may adhere to and stain the wall as in the case of conventional portable tools.
In an alternative way, manufactures produce various types of covers with a number of different colors and patterns so that each user can select color and/or pattern of the cover. However, supplying such covers will be costly unless there is a strong demand for covers of each color and each pattern.

Portable tool having cover and label to be stuck on the portable tool for identification


Disclosed are an automatic media editing apparatus, an editing method, a media broadcasting method and a broadcasting system thereof. The media editing apparatus edits or labels the media clips in accordance with specified features according to the analysis of the received multimedia. A new multimedia clip can be created after reproducing the media clips. The sources of the multimedia may be the contents which are side-recorded by a plurality of area servers located at multiple areas. Followed on, the edited multimedia as required can be broadcasted to clients. The automatic media editing technology may be applied to a media broadcasting system across multiple areas. The system may include a main server and a plurality of area servers. The area server may integrate and clip the content in accordance with the specified features.

1. Field of the Invention
The instant disclosure relates to an automatic media editing apparatus, an editing method, a media broadcasting method and a broadcasting system thereof; in particular, to an apparatus and the method thereof which uses the method of editing or labeling to reproduce and broadcast the video and sound clips in accordance with specified media features obtained in different areas.
2. Description of Related Art
Watching television program conventionally uses the cable television or the broadcast television, wherein the broadcast television receives signals through the antennas sent from the television station and the cable television receives cable channel signals from the operators through the cables linked to the users.
The popularity of the internet and the increasing bandwidth of the client end allows the content providers to provide users with television programs though the internet instantly, users can even watch their desired programs in all time, at all places by using the video on demand (VOD).
In this time where media information explodes, viewers require more time to search and integrate the received contents as too much information is transmitted on the internet. If there is a demand for editing, reuse and abstract the content of the information, it can only be performed through artificial means. Thus, a large amount of time and human resource is required in each procedure beginning from content-retrieving, editing, categorizing, grouping to reproducing a new content.

Automatic media editing apparatus, editing method, broadcasting method and system for broadcasting the same


A communications system and method, which may be used, for example, within a conferencing communication system, is provided. A plurality of communicators may transmit, via a network, audio streams bound from any other communicator. A server receives from the plurality of communicators a plurality of incoming streams and for each communicator transmits any mixed combination of the incoming streams. The system also may control any of the mixers to independently control a volume level of any of the incoming streams being mixed at any of the mixers to create the required mixed combination of the incoming streams. Various conference call features may be effected using such mix capacities.

In today's business world, conferencing and meetings involving multiple participants are commonplace. Moreover, business people are often forced to work in teams, as each team member brings a different skill to the team. This fact, coupled with the globalization of business, necessitates that communications systems be able to accommodate multiple participants who may be at different physical locations, far apart from one another.
Electronic mail, or e-mail, is one solution to this problem. E-mail messages may be sent to one, some, or all members in a work group, allowing the work group dynamic to be customized to the task at hand. However, not all participants read their e-mail diligently or in a timely fashion. This often results in delays, as e-mail messages flow back and forth without immediate responses. Also, the quality of e-mail-based multi-party collaboration may result in an inferior work product as people tend to express their thoughts better orally than through written communications, and because the number of e-mail messages increases exponentially as the number of work group participants increases, as does the time spent writing, sending, receiving, and reading e-mail messages.
Business telephone conference calling systems, including video conferencing systems, do not suffer from the communication delays inherent in e-mail systems, as the conferences are in real time. However, like Internet chat rooms, there are no provisions for selective filtering of incoming communications on a per-user basis within the context of the teleconference, particularly as all communications are managed by a common mixer. Thus all participants may speak at the same time and all participants hear all of what is being said. Should two or more participants wish to conference privately, they must invite each other in front of all other participants, and, thus, participants are sometimes hesitant to do this as this is impolite. Similarly, two participants who are in the same room and wish to talk privately must leave the telephone conference and speak outside the conference or outside the range of the telephone. Again, this maybe seen as impolite.
What is needed is a telephone conferencing system that allows multiple parties to simulate a conference room or work group environment within which each party controls who they speak with and who they listen to while maintaining the cohesiveness of the group dynamic.

Telecommunications and conference calling device, system and method


A developing device includes a developing roller. The developing roller includes a magnetic roller configured to have multiple magnetic poles in a circumferential direction thereof and a roller-shaped developing sleeve sheathed on the magnetic roller, and supplies magnetic toner to a photosensitive drum. Further, the developing sleeve is configured such that a surface of an image region thereof, which is located in an intermediate portion thereof in a rotation axis direction thereof and which supplies the magnetic toner to the photosensitive drum, is coated with a non-magnetic material, and such that surfaces of non-image regions thereof, which are located at opposite ends thereof in the rotation axis direction and which supply no magnetic toner to the photosensitive drum, are coated with a magnetic material.

The present disclosure relates to a developing device that forms a toner image by feeding magnetic toner toward an electrostatic latent image formed on a circumferential surface of a photosensitive drum by electrophotography and an image forming apparatus having the same, and particularly to a technique for suppressing turbulence of a toner layer at opposite ends of a developing sleeve.
In electrophotographic image forming apparatuses, a toner image is formed by feeding magnetic toner from a developing device toward an electrostatic latent image formed on a surface of a photosensitive drum. Such a developing device has a developing roller made up of a magnetic roller and a developing sleeve, forms a toner layer on a circumferential surface of the developing sleeve, and feeds the magnetic toner from the developing sleeve to the surface of the photosensitive drum. In order to prevent toner leakage when the magnetic toner on the circumferential surface of the developing sleeve moves to opposite ends of the developing sleeve in a rotation axis direction of the developing sleeve, technology for disposing seal members formed of a magnetic material at the opposite ends of the developing sleeve in the rotation axis direction of the developing sleeve in a non-contact way is known. Thereby, magnetic brushes are formed between the magnetic roller and the developing sleeve, and inhibit the magnetic toner on the circumferential surface of the developing sleeve from moving to the opposite ends of the developing sleeve in the rotation axis direction of the developing sleeve.

Developing device having magnetic roller and image forming apparatus


A fuel composition for a direct fuel injected diesel engine, a method for improving performance of fuel injectors and a method for cleaning fuel injectors for a diesel engine. The fuel composition includes a major amount of fuel and a minor, effective amount of a quaternary ammonium salt having a thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) weight loss of greater than 50 wt. % at 350° C. The amount of quaternary ammonium salt present in the fuel is sufficient to improve performance of the direct fuel injected diesel engine having combusted the composition compared to the performance of such engine having combusted a fuel composition that does not contain the quaternary ammonium salt.

It has long been desired to maximize fuel economy, power and driveability in diesel fuel powered vehicles while enhancing acceleration, reducing emissions, and preventing hesitation. While it is known to enhance gasoline powered engine performance by employing dispersants to keep valves and fuel injectors clean in port fuel injection engines, such gasoline dispersants are not necessarily effective direct fuel injected diesel engines. The reasons for this unpredictability lie in the many differences between the direct and indirect fuel injected diesel engines and the fuels suitable for such engines.
For example, there is a dramatic difference between indirect fuel injected diesel engines, and more modern high pressure common rail (HPCR), direct fuel injected diesel engines. Also, low sulfur diesel fuels and ultra low sulfur diesel fuels are now common in the marketplace for such engines. A "low sulfur" diesel fuel means a fuel having a sulfur content of 50 ppm by weight or less based on a total weight of the fuel. An "ultra low sulfur" diesel fuel (ULSD) means a fuel having a sulfur content of 15 ppm by weight or less based on a total weight of the fuel. Fuel injectors in an HPCR engine perform at much higher pressures and temperatures compared to older style engines and fuel injection systems. The combination of low sulfur or ULSD and HPCR engines have resulted in a change to the type of injector deposits and frequency of formation of injector deposits now being found in the marketplace.
Over the years, dispersant compositions for diesel fuels have been developed. Dispersant compositions known in the art for use in fuels include compositions that may include polyalkylene succinimides, polyamines and polyalkyl substituted Mannich compounds. Dispersants are suitable for keeping soot and sludge suspended in a fluid, however dispersants are not particularly effective for cleaning surfaces once deposits have formed on the surfaces.
Hence, fuel compositions for direct fuel injected diesel engines often produce undesirable deposits in the engines. Accordingly, improved compositions that can prevent deposit build up, maintaining "as new" cleanliness for the vehicle life are desired. Ideally, the same composition that can clean up dirty fuel injectors restoring performance to the previous "as new" condition would be equally desirable and valuable in the attempt to reduce air borne exhaust emissions and to improve the power performance of the engines.
In accordance with the disclosure, exemplary embodiments provide a diesel fuel composition for an internal combustion engine comprising, a method for improving performance of fuel injectors and a method for cleaning fuel injectors for an internal combustion engine. The fuel composition includes a major amount of diesel fuel and a minor, effective amount of a quaternary ammonium salt having a thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) weight loss of greater than 50 wt. % at 350° C. The amount of quaternary ammonium salt present in the fuel is sufficient to improve performance of a direct fuel injected diesel engine having combusted the composition compared to the performance of such engine having combusted a fuel composition that does not contain the quaternary ammonium salt.
Another embodiment of the disclosure provides a method of improving the injector performance of a direct fuel injected diesel engine. The method includes operating the engine on a fuel composition containing a major amount of fuel and from about 5 to about 200 ppm by weight based on a total weight of the fuel of a quaternary ammonium salt having a thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) weight loss of greater than 50 wt. % at 350° C. The quaternary ammonium salt present in the fuel improves the injector performance of the engine by at least about 80% when measured according to protocol CEC F-98-08 for direct injection.
A further embodiment of the disclosure provides a method of operating a direct fuel injected diesel engine. The method includes combusting in the engine a fuel composition comprising a major amount of fuel and from about 5 to about 200 ppm by weight based on a total weight of the fuel of a quaternary ammonium salt having a thermogravimetrc analysis (TGA) weight loss of greater than 50 wt. % at 350° C. In further embodiments, the TGA weight loss is greater than 70 wt. %, such as greater than 80 wt. %, particularly greater than 90 wt. % weight loss.
Another embodiment of the disclosure provides an additive concentrate for a fuel for use in a direct injected diesel fuel engine. The additive concentrate includes a quaternary ammonium salt having a thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) weight loss of greater than 50 wt. % at 350° C. and at least one component selected from the group consisting of diluents, compatibilizers, corrosion inhibitors, cold flow improvers (CFPP additive), pour point depressants, solvents, demulsifiers, lubricity additives, friction modifiers, amine stabilizers, combustion improvers, dispersants, antioxidants, heat stabilizers, conductivity improvers, metal deactivators, marker dyes, organic nitrate ignition accelerators, and cyclomatic manganese tricarbonyl compounds.
An advantage of the fuel additive described herein is that the additive may not only reduce the amount of deposits forming on direct fuel injectors, but the additive may also be effective to clean up dirty fuel injectors sufficient to provide improved power recovery to the engine.
Additional embodiments and advantages of the disclosure will be set forth in part in the detailed description which follows, and/or can be learned by practice of the disclosure. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the disclosure, as claimed.

Fuel additive for improved performance of direct fuel injected engines


A diving apparatus includes a support structure (18) that is engageable with a diver's head, the support structure (18) defining a lens opening (262) and an equalization opening (104). A lens (26) is mounted on the support structure (18) to close the lens opening (262) so that the support structure (18) and the lens (26) define a breathing space (30) from which the diver can be supplied with air. A sealing arrangement is positioned on the support structure (18) sealingly to engage the diver's face so that the breathing space (30) is substantially airtight. An equalization assembly (106) is mounted on the support structure (18) to close the equalization opening (104). The equalization assembly (106) includes an access means to permit the diver to gain access to his or her nose so that the diver can carry out an equalization procedure. A gas supply arrangement is in fluid communication with the breathing space (30).

The leisure diving industry has experienced substantial growth. The apparatus used in that industry are specifically designed so that divers do not need to undergo certification before being able to dive.
In particular, such apparatus usually include a one-piece moulding that rests on a diver's shoulders. The principle behind these apparatus is that they trap air in a breathing zone about a diver's head. Air is then pumped into this zone from the surface to permit a diver to breathe. This is an ancient concept and has been used for many years to supply breathable air to a diver.
The breathing zone defined by these apparatus is relatively large and therefore generates a substantial buoyant force. It follows that the apparatus must be of sufficient weight to ensure that the apparatus remains on a diver's shoulders. This has resulted in presently used apparatus weighing as much as 35 Kg. This weight is exerted on the diver's shoulders. It will be appreciated that a combination of the diver and such an apparatus has a high centre of gravity.
These characteristics have led to a number of disadvantages.
The primary disadvantage is that of safety. The high centre of gravity results in a situation where a diver can easily tip over if he or she loses their balance. This can result in the air in the breathing zone being replaced by water, adding even more weight to the apparatus. This extra weight can quickly drag a diver over, resulting in drowning and injury. This tipping over can also occur if the hooker line becomes snagged on an underwater object. It follows that a diver must always be sure to remain erect. This is inconvenient and limits the maneuverability of the diver.
A further problem associated with the weight of the apparatus is that it is not possible for a diver to get to the surface in case of an emergency. This is one of the reasons why such apparatus have not achieved accreditation with the various dive organizations.
The weight of the apparatus often makes it difficult for less robust divers to walk about safely. It follows that they often require a stationary bar to grasp in order to stabilize themselves.
As a result of the weight of the apparatus, it is extremely difficult to manipulate them out of water. In order to place one of them on the shoulders of a diver, it is often necessary to lower the apparatus on to the shoulders using a block and pulley system with a rope or cable attached to the apparatus. If an instructor's hands are wet, the rope or cable could slip, resulting in injury to the diver.
Another disadvantage is that associated with the volume of the breathing zone. The volume is such that it is not feasible to provide the apparatus with an independent back up air supply, such an air supply would require a tank that would be too big to form part of the apparatus. Thus, the apparatus is not supplied with a back up system. This is another reason why the apparatus have not achieved accreditation with the various dive organizations.
The apparatus do not include a regulator and a constant flow of air is supplied to the breathing volume. It follows that exhaust air mixes with fresh air and both often escape. As is known in the industry, it is relatively expensive to pump air to such an apparatus. It follows that such wastage is undesirable. This is exacerbated by the fact that the apparatus requires a high volume output compressor in order to accommodate different depths.
Commercial-type diving rigs are not considered for the leisure and recreational market. The primary reason for this is comfort and the fact that such rigs are not photo-friendly. These rigs fasten rather tightly about a diver's neck. This can lead to substantial discomfort. These rigs include a face piece which engages a diver's mouth and nose. This renders the diver unrecognisable and so reduces the opportunity for photography.
A problem associated with masks that trap a breathing space about a diver's face is that it becomes difficult to equalize, which is a procedure achieved by pinching the nostrils closed and "popping" the eardrums. Clearly, with the rational apparatus described above, this is not a disadvantage, since the diver can simply manoeuvre his or her hand into the helmet to pinch the nostrils closed. With presently available commercial rigs, the diver must allow water to enter the mask with his or her hand and then expel the water. It will be appreciated that this could be too traumatic or difficult for recreational divers who would generally use the recreation apparatus described above.
Applicant has identified the need for a diving apparatus that can address the disadvantages associated with the presently used recreational rig, while providing an easy means for equalization.


An in-water training and rehabilitation device capable of individually training and rehabilitating an objective muscle of forearms at home with ease is provided. The in-water training and rehabilitation device according to the present invention is an in-water training device 10 that is held with a hand and moved in water for the purpose of strengthening a desired muscle of, mainly, forearms, and includes a substantially planar resistance part 14 whose area is variable and a plurality of handles 13 of different kinds. In the present invention, the plurality of handles 13 of different kinds may be constantly fixed to the resistance part 14 as in (d) or may be adapted to be replaceable as appropriate through an attaching and removing mechanism.

In almost all sports using a hand or hands, muscles of forearms (musculus brachioradialis, flexor carpi radialis muscles, long palmar muscles, flexor digitorum superficialis muscles, flexor carpi ulnaris muscles, extensor carpi radialis longus muscles, extensor carpi radialis brevis, and common digital extensor muscles) play critical roles, and it is inevitable to develop pertinent muscles individually in accordance with the purpose in order to improve one's skills in an objective sport. It is well known that developing muscles of the lower part of the body is also quite effective means for most sports.
The only method of developing muscles is so-called strength training of expanding and contracting muscles against loads or resistance. Most of conventional strength training activities typically practiced have no clear purpose. Some of the training activities use a special tool under the guidance of a professional trainer, but a trainee needs to go to special facilities to perform such training activities.
Various tools for easily performing strength training at home have been conventionally proposed, but any of them has no clear purpose as described above and most of them just give temporary ease of mind. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a tool that is held in a hand and moved in water against resistance for developing muscles of arms. This tool includes a plurality of resistance plates and has an advantage that it can vary the resistance in water by adjusting the manner in which these resistance plates are superimposed on each other.    [Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Registration Application Publication No. H3-118766.

In-water training and rehabilitation device


An exemplary ESD protection circuit includes first and second sets of transistors and an ESD discharge transistor. Each of the transistors includes a source electrode, a drain electrode, and a gate electrode. The drain electrodes and gate electrodes of each of the transistors are connected to each other, and the source electrodes of the transistors are respectively connected to the drain electrodes of the next adjacent transistors in both sets of the transistors. The gate electrode of the ESD transistor, the source electrodes of last transistors of the first and second sets of the transistors are connected to each other, the source electrode of the ESD transistor is connected to the drain electrode of a first transistor of the first set of the transistors, and the drain electrode of the ESD transistor is connected to the drain electrode of a first transistor of the second set of the transistors.

ESD damage is a well known phenomenon which can occur during the fabrication of semiconductor devices such as metal-oxide semiconductor structures. In particular, ESD damage can result in gate insulating layer breakdown, large shifts in threshold voltages, and large leakage currents between transistor electrodes.
One important kind of consumer and commercial LCD is the thin film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD). During a typical TFT-LCD fabricating process, static electricity may be generated on the TFT-LCD. If a large amount of electrical charge builds up at any one location on the TFT-LCD, the built up electrical charge is liable to discharge and thereby damage or destroy internal components of the TFT-LCD such as thin film transistors. To avoid the damaging effects of static electricity buildup and discharge during and after forming of the TFT-LCD array, a plurality of ESD protection circuits are employed in a typical TFT-LCD.
FIG. 4 is a schematic, abbreviated diagram of a layout of a conventional TFT LCD having a plurality of ESD protection circuits. The TFT-LCD 100 includes a first substrate (not shown), a second substrate (not shown), and a liquid crystal layer (not shown) sandwiched between the two substrates. The first substrate includes a plurality of gate lines 10 that are parallel to each other and that each extend along a first direction, a plurality of data lines 11 that are parallel to each other and that each extend along a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, a display region 12 (denoted by a broken line), common electrodes 13 formed at a periphery of the TFT-LCD 100, and a plurality of ESD protection circuits 14. The ESD protection circuits 14 are electrically connected between the common electrodes 13 and each of the gate lines 10 as well as between the common electrodes 13 and each of the date lines 11, respectively.
Also referring to FIG. 5, each ESD protection circuit 14 includes a first transistor 15, a second transistor 16, a third transistor 17, a first terminal 18, and a second terminal 19. Each transistor 15, 16 and 17 includes a source electrode 's', a drain electrode 'd', and a gate electrode 'g'. The drain electrode 'd' and gate electrode 'g' of the first transistor 15 are connected to each other. The drain electrode 'd' and gate electrode 'g' of the second transistor 16 are connected to each other. The gate electrode 'g' of the third transistor 17 and the source electrodes 's' of the first and second transistors 15 and 16 are connected to each other. The drain electrode 'd' of the first transistor 15 and the source electrode 's' of the third transistor 17 are connected together to define the first terminal 18. The drain electrodes 'd' of the second and third transistors 16 and 17 are connected together to define the second terminal 19. The first terminal 18 is connected to one of the gate lines 10 or one of the data lines 11, and the second terminal 19 is connected to one of the common electrodes 13. The first and second transistors 15 and 16 are serially connected between the first and second terminals 18 and 19.
Generally, operation of the ESD protection circuit 14 is as follows. When an electric potential difference generated by an ESD is greater than that of the serially connected first and second transistors 15 and 16, the third transistor 17 is turned on and a charge on the first terminal 18 flows to the common electrode 13 via the third transistor 17. Thus the ESD protection circuit 14 can prevent static electricity, generated in the process of fabricating the corresponding gate line 10 or data line 11 of the TFT-LCD 100, from destroying other internal circuits (not shown) of the TFT LCD 100.
However, in general, each of the gate lines 10 and data lines 11 has an operation voltage of 5V, which is greater than the threshold voltage of the corresponding ESD protection circuit 14. Therefore the third transistor 17 is liable to generate leakage current when the ESD protection circuit 14 in an off state. The sum of leakage currents of all the ESD protection circuits 14 causes the TFT-LCD 100 to have unduly high power consumption. In addition, the leakage currents of the ESD protection circuits 14 are liable to cause a voltage of each of the common electrodes 13 to waver. This in turn may lead to flickering occurring on a display screen of the TFT-LCD 100.
Accordingly, what is needed is an ESD protection circuit for a TFT-LCD that can overcome the above-described deficiencies.

Electrostatic discharge protection circuit and driving circuit for an LCD using the same


Interference cancellation is implemented for a multiple antenna system. The multiple antenna receiver is provided that includes a whitening filter coupled to receive processed signals corresponding to signals received at respective antennas, and to generate whitened signals corresponding to each of the received signals, having a colored noise component whitened. The whitening filter coupled to determine the whitened signals, at least in part, utilizes symbols corresponding to the signals received by the plurality of antennas. A signal separator is coupled to supply the whitening filter with processed received signals having interference components reduced as compared to received signals.

1. Field of the Invention
This application relates to interference cancellation in a multiple antenna receiver, specifically as such interference cancellation applies to wireless telecommunications.
2. Description of the Related Art
When observing a cocktail party, a few characteristics relating to the sound are readily apparent. One is that individual conversations can be heard by the participants of those individual conversations and by those in close proximity thereto. The second is that to a person not taking part in a conversation and also not within close proximity to any individual conversation, the collective noise of the many conversations can be heard, but no individual conversation can be discerned from the general noise. In the first instance, the conversations can be heard because the signal (i.e., voice) to interference ratio is strong within close proximity to the speaker. In the second instance, the signal to interference ratio is low, and therefore interference from multiple conversations masks the individual conversations. Both observations, however, highlight the role that interference can have on sound quality.
The same phenomenon is applicable to wireless communications. Interference degrades performance, and unless the signal to interference (noise) ratio is sufficiently high, no particular signal can be discerned. In simplistic terms, that means the voice on the other end of a cellular telephone call may not be heard by a receiver of the call if the interference is too strong. Accordingly, cellular and other wireless communications systems have been designed to insure that the signal received by the wireless device is sufficiently strong relative to the interference such that the voice (and data) can be heard and understood.
Mobile telecommunication service providers and vendors are constantly striving to improve the quality and performance of cellular telephone communications. One such area of focus is the reduction of the interference caused from either (1) adjacent frequency carriers of a cellular base station, known by those skilled in the art as "adjacent channel interference," or (2) adjacent cellular base stations operating at the same frequency carrier, known by those skilled in the art as "co-channel interference." The problem of interference is exacerbated when the cellular system is operating within a tight frequency spectrum, especially and including GSM with a high traffic load.
As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, similar to the so-called cocktail party problem, the interference observed by a cellular telephone multiple antenna receiver is a summation of individual interference from each of a variety of sources. Such sources of interference include, inter alia, adjacent channels within a base station and co-channel and adjacent channels from surrounding base stations, and may include interference from other sources as well. Because nothing is known about the individual signals causing the interference, it is difficult to extract the original voice signal; hence the cocktail party problem arises.
There are known techniques for reducing or canceling the noise in certain circumstances. For example, in analyzing the summation of multiple interference signals, it is possible to determine whether one particular interference source is dominant over the others contributing to the summation. A simple measure to capture this is the Dominant to the rest of Interference Ratio (DIR), which is the ratio of the power of the dominant interferer to the sum of the powers of the rest of the interferers plus No. This ratio is defined as:
  DIR  =            I      max                                ∑          k                                  I          k                    -              I        max            +              N        0            where Imax is the average power of the dominant interfering signal (co- or adjacent channel interference) and No is thermal noise of the system. In the case where there is a DIR much greater than one (1), there is typically a dominant interferer. In the case where the DIR is less than or approximately equal to one (1), then there is no dominant interferer.
Manufacturers and others in the telecommunications industry have been addressing the interference problem by designing interference cancellation features into their systems. One way to combat the interference is to use frequency hopping where the interference at a certain frequency will be distributed among multiple frequencies instead of being focused on one frequency. See, for example, "Interference Diversity Gain in Frequency Hopping GSM", VTC 95, Hakan Olofsson, et al. Such interference averaging schemes are marginally helpful, but do not quite reduce or cancel the interference source to acceptable levels. Another example of interference mitigation is to use a technique known in the art as "Interference Rejection Combining" (IRC). See, for example, "A System Performance Evaluation of 2-Branch Interference Rejection Combining", Stephen Craig et al. Each of the above-cited references is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. IRC is marginally effective where there is a dominant interference source, i.e., those systems where the DIR is much greater than one (1). For those situations where there is not a dominant interference source, the interference suppression techniques being developed by those skilled in the art are mostly ineffective and the benefits realized pale in comparison to the cost of implementation.
In various interference suppression techniques outside of the cellular telephone industry, there exist various methodologies relating generally to interference suppression. Using those known techniques, those skilled in the art will appreciate that if there is a series of N antennas forming a system, interference can be suppressed for all but one (N−1) of those antennas. This is because at least two actual signals must be observed for the known suppression algorithms to be applicable.
U.S. Patent Application of Meyer et al., Publication No. U.S. 2002/0141437 (the "Meyer Application") addresses a method for interference suppression for TDMA and/or FDMA transmissions, with an arbitrary number of receive antennas. The Meyer Application discloses a real value modulation technique wherein the real component of a received signal is separated from an imaginary component of the received signal. The measured received signal is phase shifted from the transmit signal due to channel oscillation and other factors. The received signal is then projected back onto the real axis. The methodology assumes signal and part of interference are orthogonal and, as such, the real and imaginary part of the signal can be exploited to cancel the interference. The methodology described in the Meyer application is sensitive to the actual data comprising the signal, including some of the embedded data signals such as the training sequence. Also, the complexity of the calculations appears to be significantly higher than the complexity of the present invention. Because of this, the technique is unreasonable to implement in a large-scale wireless telecommunication system.
Another method of interference cancellation, involving at least two antenna systems, is combining algorithms, including a "switching combining algorithm" wherein one of the signals is ignored at any given point in time, and an "interference ratio combining algorithm wherein each signal is whitened in accordance with its signal-to-interference ratio. Again, the problem with these types of combining algorithms is that they require the observations to be independent in order to provide reasonable gain. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the ability to receive highly independent receive signals within the small footprint of a handset is a very challenging task.

Systems and methods for interference cancellation in a multiple antenna radio receiver system


A cable retainer for a downhole tubing string includes a body; a detent extending from the body; a relief between the detent and the body facilitating deflection of the detent to allow passage of a cable; and a detent lip extending from the detent. A method for securing a cable to a tubular.

In the drilling and completion industry, trends are toward more and more information about real time conditions downhole. Fiber optic and other cables are used to provide such information. In order for cables to be effective and protected however, it is generally necessary to secure the cables to the string being run in the hole using one or more retainers. Sometimes, securement needs to be across a sand screen and as a subset, while some cables are distributed temperature sensing (DTS) others may also monitor sand screen deflection as well. Securement for this subset requires that a retainer more rigidly maintain the cable. While some methodologies and configuration have been tried, the art is always receptive to simpler or more effective configurations.


The printed circuit board assembly includes a printed circuit board having an interior portion upon which a flexible optical circuit is mounted and edge portions surrounding the interior portion. The flexible optical circuit includes a pair of at least partially flexible sheets and a number of optical fibers sandwiched between the flexible sheets. The first ends of the optical fibers extend toward an edge portion of the printed circuit board. In order to conserve space along the edge of the printed circuit board while providing interconnections for each of the optical fibers, a multifiber connector can be mounted upon the respective first ends of a predetermined number of optical fibers. Connectors, such as single fiber connectors, are also mounted to the second ends of the optical fibers. While a number of single fiber connectors occupy more space than a multifiber connector, the single fiber connectors mounted upon the second ends of the optical fibers lie within the less populated interior portion of the printed circuit board, thereby permitting more efficient utilization of the edge portion of the printed circuit board.

Many modern telecommunications systems, computer systems and the like transmit and/or process both electrical signals and optical signals. Typically, optical signals are routed via optical fibers over relatively long distances in order to increase the transmission speed and efficiency relative to the propagation of electrical signals. In contrast, much of the signal processing analysis and storage is performed electrically. Thus, these systems must frequently convert optical signals to electrical signals, and electrical signals to optical signals.
Many modern telecommunications systems, computer systems and the like include a number of printed circuit boards or cards which plug into a back plane or mother board. As known to those skilled in the art, the back plane generally provides power as well as a reference voltage or ground to each of the printed circuit boards. In addition, the back plane provides a pathway by which the printed circuit boards communicate with each other.
Signals can be routed along the back plane either electrically or optically. If optical signals are routed along the back plane, the optical signals must generally be converted to electrical signals upon delivery to the printed circuit boards since the printed circuit boards typically include a number of electrical components for processing electrical signals.
In order for the printed circuit boards to plug into the back plane, at least one edge of each printed circuit board includes a number of electrical contacts for establishing electrical connection with corresponding contacts defined by the back plane. In order to establish optical communication with one or more of the optical fibers routed along the back plane, the printed circuit board can also include one or more optoelectrical converters which as either a transmitter or a receiver. For example, an optoelectrical converter receives optical signals and converts those optical signals into corresponding electrical signals prior to routing the electrical signals about the printed circuit board. Instead, the optoelectrical converter could convert electrical signals into corresponding optical signals prior to routing the optical signals along the back plane.
As will be apparent, however, a separate optoelectrical converter is necessary for each optical fiber which is routed to the printed circuit board. If very many optoelectrical converters are mounted along the edge of the printed circuit board, the optoelectrical converters will consume a significant portion of the edge. As a result, the number of other contacts, such as electrical contacts, that can be established at the edge of the printed circuit board will be reduced as the number of optoelectrical converters positioned along the edge of the printed circuit board increases.
Attempts to interconnect optical fibers to the printed circuit board at locations other than the edge of the printed circuit board that plugs into the back plane have disadvantages. Notably, the interconnection of one or more optical fibers to the printed circuit board at a location other than the edge of the printed circuit board which plugs into the back plane will generally hinder the insertion and removal of the printed circuit board since the optical fibers must typically be separately handled to prevent tangling. In this regard, fiber management is becoming of ever increasing importance to a system designer as the number and lengths of the optical fibers increase. As a result, system designers generally strive to control the routing of the optical fibers so as to prevent the optical fibers from interfering with other components or from otherwise causing congestion.

Printed circuit board assembly having a flexible optical circuit and associated fabrication method


An absorbing layer of a low-E coating is designed to cause the coating to have a more bluish color at normal and/or certain off-axis viewing angles. In certain example embodiments, the metallic or substantially metallic absorbing layer (e.g., NiCr) is located in the middle section of the layer stack and has been found to unexpectedly provide desirable bluish glass side reflective color for the coated article at certain off-axis viewing angles (e.g., at a 45 degree off-axis viewing angle). In certain example embodiments, the absorbing layer is provided between first and second nitride inclusive or based layers in order to reduce or prevent oxidation thereof during heat treatment thereby permitting predictable coloration to be achieved following the heat treatment. Coated articles according to certain example embodiments of this invention may be used in the context of insulating glass (IG) window units, vehicle windows, other types of windows, or in any other suitable application.

Coated articles are known in the art for use in window applications such as insulating glass (IG) window units, vehicle windows, and/or the like. It is known that in certain instances, it is desirable to heat treat (e.g., thermally temper, heat bend and/or heat strengthen) such coated articles for purposes of tempering, bending, or the like in certain example instances.
In certain situations, designers of coated articles often strive for a combination of desirable visible transmission, desirable color(s) at both normal and off-axis viewing angles, low emissivity (or emittance), and low sheet resistance (Rs). High visible transmission for example may permit coated articles to be more desirable in certain window applications, whereas low-emissivity (low-E) and low sheet resistance characteristics permit such coated articles to block significant amounts of IR radiation so as to reduce for example undesirable heating of vehicle or building interiors. However, heat treatment of coated articles typically requires use of temperature(s) of at least 580 degrees C., more preferably of at least about 600 degrees C. and still more preferably of at least 620 degrees C. The use of such high temperatures (e.g., for 5-10 minutes or more) often causes coatings to break down, have undesirable off-axis color values, and/or causes one or more of the aforesaid desirable characteristics to significantly deteriorate in an undesirable manner.
U.S. Patent Document 2005/0202254, commonly owned and hereby incorporated herein by reference, discloses a coated article having the following layers on a glass substrate, from the glass substrate outwardly.
Layer
Glass Substrate
TiO2
Si3N4
ZnO
Ag
NiCrOx
SnO2
Si3N4
SnO2
ZnO
Ag
NiCrOx
SnO2
Si3N4
While the aforesaid coated article is heat treatable, and has many desirable and good characteristics, it does have problems with reddish off-axis coloration at high off-axis viewing angles. For example, the Comparative Example of this discussed in Ser. No. 11/522,512 filed Sep. 18, 2006 (hereby incorporated herein by reference) had a reflective glass side coloration Rga* (45°) value of +5 which is very reddish at this off-axis viewing angle.
U.S. Patent Document 2005/0196622 discloses a coated article including a layer stack of silicon nitride, NiCr, silicon nitride, etc. in a bottom portion of the coating. However, 2005/0196622 does not disclose or suggest that the NiCr layer has any bearing on off-axis coloration. Moreover, it has been found that locating the NiCr absorbing layer below both IR reflecting layers is not desirable for certain off-axis coloration values desired herein.
In view of the above, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that there exists a need in the art for a coated article with more desirable (e.g., less red and/or more green) off axis coloration.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Coated article with low-E coating having absorbing layer designed for desirable bluish color at off-axis viewing angles

Centre Luxembourgeois de Recherches pour le Verre et la Ceramique S.A. (C.R.V.C.)


A disk drive apparatus that performs a positioning of a head based on servo information recorded on a recording medium includes a servo control unit that performs a servo control based on a set of pieces of servo information selected from a plurality of sets of pieces of servo information recorded on the recording medium.

1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a disk drive apparatus and a servo control circuit that perform positioning of a head using servo information recorded on a recording medium, a method of manufacturing a recording medium, a magnetic recording medium, and a method of checking a recording medium, and more particularly, to a disk drive apparatus and a servo control circuit that can improve the quality of servo information used for servo control and can prevent performance degradation and follow-up control failure due to defective servo information, a method of manufacturing a recording medium for disk apparatuses, a magnetic recording medium, and a method of checking a recording medium.
2) Description of the Related Art
In recent years, mass storage volume of a magnetic disk apparatus used as a storage apparatus for computers or audio-visual (AV) equipment is advancing significantly. The mass storage volume is realized owing to increase in data recording density in a magnetic disk, and a recording density of servo information has also been increased along with the increase in data recording density in a magnetic disk.
The term "servo information" means information recorded on a magnetic disk of a magnetic disk apparatus in advance, and it is information read at fixed intervals by a magnetic head to be used for positioning the magnetic head.
While the servo information is written on a track of a magnetic disk at fixed intervals by the same element number as the number of sectors using an exclusive apparatus called "servo writer", after the magnetic disk has been assembled in a magnetic disk apparatus, the time required for writing servo information is increased according to the increase in recording density of servo information. This results in reduction in productivity of the magnetic disk apparatus.
In view of these circumstances, a magnetic transfer technique that collectively records servo information on a magnetic disk using an apparatus called "a magnetic transfer apparatus" has been developed in order to solve the problem about increase in the time for writing servo information.
In the magnetic transfer, the time for writing servo information can be reduced by applying direct magnetization to a master medium recorded with servo information in advance and a slave medium to be written with the servo information that is brought in close contact with each other to perform collective transfer of the servo information (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H4-251440).
Furthermore, techniques for detecting transfer defects before and after magnetic transfer, such as a foreign material check for checking whether foreign material is on a slave medium or a read-write check for writing a signal on a slave medium and reading it therefrom, have been developed (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2002-25054).
In the conventional magnetic transfer system, however, when there is any omission in servo information after being transferred, a sector corresponding to the servo information becomes unusable. Accordingly, there is a problem that performance degradation due to a skip processing to the unusable sector or the like, or follow-up control failure occurs.

Disk drive apparatus, servo control circuit, method of manufacturing recording medium, magnetic recording medium, and method of checking recording medium


An IGBT is disclosed with a high emitter-gate capacitance, wherein an active cell region can include plural emitter and gate regions. A termination edge region can include a varied lateral doping region VLD. Each gate polysilicon layer can be arranged at a surface of the semiconductor substrate in the gate regions, separated from the semiconductor substrate by a first insulating layer. A first SIPOS layer and a covering second insulating layer overlie at least portions of the gate polysilicon layer. In a central area, the gate polysilicon layer is in electrical contact with the overlying first SIPOS layer whereas, in a peripheral area, the gate polysilicon layer is electrically separated from the overlying first SIPOS layer. A substrate surface at the VLD region is in electrical contact with a second SIPOS layer, and an increased gate-emitter capacitance may be achieved by slightly modifying etch masks during manufacturing.

An insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) is a power semiconductor device which may be used as an electronic switch. The IGBT is a three-terminal device having an emitter, a collector and a gate. As IGBTs may combine high efficiency with fast switching, they are frequently used in modern appliances such as electric cars, trains, etc., in order to rapidly turn on and off electric power.
A controllability of an IGBT can strongly depend on capacitances occurring within the IGBT such as a gate-emitter capacitance, a collector-emitter capacitance, and a gate-collector capacitance which is also referred to as Miller capacitance. For high controllability, it may be desirable to have a high gate-emitter capacitance with respect to the Miller capacitance.

Insulated gate bipolar transistor with high emitter gate capacitance


A method and system for use within at least one network. The method and system achieve their objects via computing equipment engineered to do the following: define of one or more subnetworks within the at least one network; define of one or more alternate data paths utilizing different criteria than that utilized by the network protocols controlling the one or more subnetworks; and designate that certain user data travel on the one or more alternate data paths.

1. Technical Field
The present invention is related to a method and system to be utilized in data communications. In particular, the present invention is related to a method and system to be utilized in data communications involving at least one data communications network. Yet still more particularly, the present invention is related to a method and system, to be utilized in data communications involving at least one data communications network wherein bridging and/or routing occurs.
2. Description of the Related Art
Data communications is the transfer of data from one or more sources to one or more sinks that is accomplished (a) via one or more data links between the one or more sources and one or more sinks and (b) according to a protocol. Weik, Communications Standard Dictionary 203 (3rd ed. 1996). A data link is the means of connecting facilities or equipment at one location to facilities or equipment at another location for the purpose of transmitting and receiving data. Weik, Communications Standard Dictionary 206 (3rd ed. 1996). A protocol, in communications, computer, data processing, and control systems, is a set of formal conventions that govern the format and control the interactions between two communicating functional elements in order to achieve efficient and understandable communications. Weik, Communications Standard Dictionary 770 (3rd ed. 1996).
A data communications network is the interconnection of three or more communicating entities (i.e., data sources and/or sinks) over one or more data links. Weik, Communications Standard Dictionary 618 (3rd ed. 1996).
Data communications networks connect and allow communications between multiple data sources and sinks over one or more data links. The concept of a data link includes the media connecting one or more data sources to one or more data sinks, as well as the data communications equipment utilizing the media. The data communications networks utilize protocols to control the interactions between data sources and sinks communicating over the one or more data links. Thus, it follows that such protocols must take into account the data communications requirements of data sources and sinks desiring communication over the one or more data links, and the nature of the underlying,one or more data links themselves, in order to ensure that the requirements of such data sources and sinks are met.
Of necessity, data communication protocols must take into account both the technology of the underlying data links and the data source and sink communications requirements. The underlying data links, data source, and data sink communications requirements give rise to a high degree of complexity.
It has been found that the complexity can be reduced to a manageable level by modularizing the concepts of data communication, as reflected in data communication network protocols. One such well-known modular approach is the International Standards Organization""s Open Systems Interconnections (OSI) 7 layer (or level) model.
Those skilled in the art will recognize that data communication protocols exist which do not follow the OSI model exactly. However, insofar as the OSI model is a conceptual model dealing with the problem of network communications, non-OSI models still provide the same of the OSI model, although the terminology utilized in such protocols may be different from OSI terminology. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the OSI model still provides the most straightforward conceptual approach to the problems involved in network communication, and thus the OSI 7 layer model will be utilized, below, to discuss communications problems which exist in the art. Furthermore, while the OSI model does have seven layers, the first, second, and third levels will be most relevant to the detailed description to follow.
OSI Level 1 is the physical level, and deals with the true electrical signals and electrical circuits that are utilized to carry information. OSI Level 2 is known as the data link layer (or service layer interface/media access control layer when reference is made to a LAN context) and is a conceptual level whereby access to the physical level (OSI Level 1) is actually controlled and coordinated. A good example of OSI Level 2 is LAN protocol, which coordinates and controls access to the physical layer (OSI Level 1), or media over which actual transmission occurs, by use of data frames (packages of binary data) to which are appended headers containing a source address and a destination address. In LAN terminology, these addresses are referred to as media access control (MAC) addresses.
OSI Level 2 deals with access and control of actual media over which data is transmitted. Physical constraints often put an upper limit on the number of stations that can be physically connected (at OSI Level 1). OSI Level 2 defines ways that multiple discontinuous OSI Level 1, or physical, segments can be stitched together to achieve what appears to be one large coherent (or contiguous) network. The OSI Level 2 achieves this by managing xe2x80x9cbridgesxe2x80x9d between physical segments. In Ethernet LAN, these bridges are termed transparent bridges, and in token-ring LAN these bridges are termed source-route bridges.
Conceptually one step removed from OSI Level 2 is OSI Level 3, the network layer. Network designers prefer to work with one large network, with a defined number of homogeneous network addresses. Consequently, OSI Level 3 has been developed. OSI Level 3 allows network designers to treat what may, in fact, be a tremendously large number of non-contiguous network segments strung together by OSI Level 2 entities as one large homogenous network. That is, OSI Level 3 allows network designers to refer to one network level protocol defined set of addresses. OSI Level 3 entities then pass such defined network addresses down to OSI Level 2 entities, which actually figure out where such network addresses are to be located on a true physical network.
OSI Level 2 entities typically achieve this by xe2x80x9cmappingxe2x80x9d the OSI Level 3 network addresses onto OSI Level 2 service layer addresses. Thus, when an OSI Level 3 entity passes a network layer address to an OSI Level 2 entity, the OSI Level 2 entity typically uses a look-up table to convert the OSI Level 3 address into its OSI Level 2 equivalent.
Due to the fact that what appears, from an OSI Level 3 standpoint, to be one large contiguous network, can in fact be many smaller non-contiguous networks stitched together by OSI Level 2 entities, it sometimes happens that an OSI Level 3 address is passed down to an OSI Level 2 entity which does not recognize the OSI Level 3 address. That is, there is no known mapping from the OSI Level 3 address to the OSI Level 2 address.
When this occurs, the typical response of the OSI Level 2 entity is to engage in xe2x80x9cbroadcast (i.e., network exploration is done in order to determine an OSI Level 2 address supporting the OSI Level 3 address in question) Broadcast merely means that the OSI Level 2 entity transmits to every other OSI Level 2 entities with whom it can communicate, and essentially asks if any of those stations support the OSI Level 3 address which is unknown to the OSI Level 2 broadcasting entity. Any such OSI Level 2 entity supporting the OSI Level 3 address can then answer back, and support of the OSI Level 3 address can thereby be established.
When a broadcast occurs, it in effect forces every OSI Level 2 entity, and every OSI Level 3 entity attached to the OSI Level 2 entities, who can xe2x80x9chearxe2x80x9d the OSI Level 2 entity to interrupt what they are doing and determine whether or not they support the OSI Level 3 address in question. For those stations which do not support the address, such interruptions are needless.
In addition, every time that a broadcast message encounters a bridge, the broadcast is retransmitted onto the physical segments which are bridged. Such retransmission loads the network and again interrupts the OSI Level 2 entities connected to the bridged physical segments.
Even given the power of OSI Level 3 to create a large virtual network using disparate physical structures and OSI Level 2 bridges, situations often arise where circumstances or network design factors give rise to the need for more than one OSI Level 3 virtual network. In such cases, OSI Level 3 routers are utilized to seamlessly stitch together the more than one OSI Level 3 virtual networks in a fashion analogous to the way in which OSI Level 2 brides stitch together non-contiguous physical networks to create an OSI Level 3 virtual network.
OSI Level 3 routers usually serve as the interconnection point between at least two OSI Level 3 virtual networks. However, in addition to their function as OSI Level 3 routers, such network nodes also often do xe2x80x9cdouble duty,xe2x80x9d serving as a network point of penetration for one or more users. In practical terms, what this means is that such OSI Level 3 network routers are called upon to both pass data up (e.g. into the OSI Level 4 Transport level) the protocol stack to end users, as well as buffer and retransmit data when data received is to be routed through the OSI Level 3 router, because the network address indicates that the data is destined for another node on another network.
It is not uncommon for a tremendous number of OSI Level 3 virtual networks to be strung together by use of several network routers. It is further not uncommon for the need to arise for communications between data sources and sinks separated from each other by several OSI Level 3 networks and routers. Consequently, in such cases multiple networks must be interconnected by multiple network routers in order for effective communication to take place between the data source and sink.
The type of connection across the multiple network will be dictated by the OSI Level 4 transport layer. The OSI Level 4 transport layer tells the OSI Level 3 what type of connection that the OSI Level 4 transport layer wants established over the network. In some instances, that connection will often need to be such that data units sent through the network will need to arrive at their destination in order. In order to achieve this the OSI Level 3 network layer will generally set up what is known as a virtual circuit.
In a virtual circuit, all data units from source to sink are transmitted through exactly the same network nodes and routers so that the sequencing of the data units is maintained. With respect to the routers and other network nodes in the path, what typically occurs is that received data units are passed upward from OSI Level 2 to OSI Level 3 and the OSI Level 3 network address is examined. Thereafter, if the data unit is destined for the examining node, the data unit is sent upward through the stack. However, if the data unit is to be forwarded, it is passed back down the stack and is retransmitted to the next network node in the path defined by the virtual circuit.
From the standpoint of the OSI Level 3 entities, when the data unit is a virtual circuit data unit and the node merely retransmits the data unit, the processing associated with examining the data unit and passing it on represent (from the standpoint of the examining node) unnecessary overhead. However, the belief under the current state of the art is that such processing is viewed as the price to be paid for the flexibility and power derived from the network communication protocol layeredxe2x80x9d approach, as was discussed above.
As discussed, OSI Level 3 routers interconnect networks. It is common to refer to a network spanned by two routers as a subnetwork. When a virtual circuit path includes transmission through the two routers, communication occurs between the two routers across the subnetwork via transmission through nodes in the subnetwork. Typically, the virtual circuit is set up at initialization and the node-to-node path through each subnetwork spanned by two routers remains constant during the life of the virtual circuit.
The fact that the node-to-node path associated with a virtual circuit remains the same throughout the lifetime of the virtual circuit often gives rise to severe problems. For example, when network traffic becomes inordinately high at one or more nodes within the virtual circuit path the data transmission associated with the virtual circuit is often unduly delayed. However, the current state of the art is that such possible delays have been viewed as the price to be paid for the ability to guarantee that sequencing of data units is preserved, as was discussed above.
New (non-OSI) types of network protocols (such as Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), or Synchronous Optical Network (SONET)) have emerged that do not, in their native form, support the standard well-developed OSI Level 2 and 3 protocols. However, due to the tremendous installed base of OSI-type networks (e.g., Wide Area Networks (WANs), Local Area Networks (LANs), Internet Protocol Networks), such non-OSI networks have been forced to provide emulation of OSI-type networks. Typically, such emulation has been provided by providing an xe2x80x9coverlayxe2x80x9d of software and computational equipment which support the well-defined protocols by accepting data units and doing very fast translations between the disparate protocols. Such operations are virtually always performed at both endpoints of a communication connection as well as at the intermediate nodes between the endpoints. Such emulation overlays merely compound the processing overhead associated with virtual circuits and possible delays associated with network node loading, which were discussed previously.
It is therefore apparent that a need exists for a method and system, to be utilized in data communications involving at least one data communications network wherein broadcast occurs, which decreases processing requirements and the likelihood of communication delay of current communication protocols while preserving the flexibility and power associated with current communications protocols.
It is therefore one object of the present invention to provide a method and system to be utilized in data communications.
It is therefore another object of the present invention to provide a method and system to be utilized in data communications involving at least one data communications network.
It is yet still another object of the present invention to provide a method and system, to be utilized in data communications involving at least one data communications network wherein bridging and/or routing occurs.
The foregoing objects are achieved as is now described. Provided are a method and system for use within at least one network. The method and system achieve their objects via computing equipment engineered to do the following: define one or more subnetworks within the at least one network; define one or more alternate data paths utilizing different criteria than that utilized by the network protocols controlling the one or more defined subnetworks; and designate that certain user data travel on the one or more alternate data paths.
The above as well as additional objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed written description.

Method and system for enhancing communications efficiency in data communications networks


A method for forming a through-silicon via includes the steps of defining a groove in each chip of a wafer which has a plurality of semiconductor chips; applying liquid polymer on the wafer to fill the groove; forming an insulation layer on a sidewall of the groove through patterning the polymer; forming a metal layer to fill the groove which is formed with the insulation layer on the sidewall thereof; and back-grinding a backside of the wafer to expose the metal layer filled in the groove.

The present invention relates to a stack package, and more particularly to a through-silicon via for connection of stacked chips and a method for forming the same.
Packaging technology for an integrated circuit has continuously been developed to meet the demand toward miniaturization and mounting reliability. Recently, as the miniaturization and high functionality of electric/electronic products are required, various techniques have been disclosed in the art.
The term "stack" in the semiconductor industry means a vertical stand or pile of at least two chips or packages, one atop the other. By using a stack, in the case of a memory device for example, it is possible to produce a product having a memory capacity which is two times greater than that obtainable through semiconductor integration processes. Also, a stack package provides advantages not only through an increase in memory capacity but also in view of a mounting density and mounting area utilization efficiency. Due to this fact, researches and development for a stack package have been accelerated.
As an example of a stack package, a through-silicon via (TSV) has been disclosed in the art. The stack package using a TSV has a structure in which the TSV is formed in a chip so that chips are physically and electrically connected with each other through the TSV. A method for forming the TSV is as described below.
A vertical hole is defined through a predetermined portion of each chip at a wafer level. An insulation layer is formed on the surface of the vertical hole. With a seed metal layer formed on the insulation layer, an electrolytic substance, that is, a metal is filled into the vertical hole through an electroplating process to form a TSV. Then, the TSV is exposed through back-grinding of the backside of a wafer.
After the wafer is sawed and is separated into individual chips, at least two chips can be vertically stacked, one atop the other, on one of the substrates using one or more of the TSV. Thereupon, the upper surface of the substrate including the stacked chips is molded, and solder balls are mounted on the lower surface of the substrate, by which the manufacture of a stack package is completed.
In this type of stacked package using a TSV, when filling the vertical hole, in order to prevent the diffusion of the electrolytic substance, the insulation layer is formed on the surface of the vertical hole.
It is the norm that the insulation layer uses an oxide layer, which is formed through a high-temperature dry oxidization and wet oxidization processes or a nitride layer. The oxide layer formed through the high-temperature dry oxidization and wet oxidization processes or the nitride layer is relatively expensive. Also, while a proper thickness is required to secure an insulation characteristic, when considering the size of the vertical hole, it is difficult to secure a thickness for obtaining a satisfactory insulation characteristic. In addition, since the layer must be formed in the vertical hole, it is difficult to obtain uniformity and low roughness.
Moreover, the oxide layer formed through the high temperature dry oxidization and wet oxidization processes or the nitride layer is difficult to compensate for a difference in mechanical characteristic between the electrolytic substance in the vertical hole and silicon. As is known, a semiconductor chips generate heat while operating. Different thermal expansion coefficients between silicon and a metal or metallic substance can causes stresses in a semiconductor chip as its temperature rises and falls during operation, which is a phenomena that can significantly deteriorate the integrity and hence the reliability of silicon/metal junctions in a chip during the operation of the semiconductor chip. As a consequence, if the insulation layer cannot relieve the fatigue caused due to the difference in thermal expansion coefficient, displacements of respective materials vary when operation temperature is changed, and a fatigue is caused, by which fracture of a package may result. In this regard, the oxide layer or the nitride layer cannot appropriately relieve the fatigue caused due to the difference in thermal expansion coefficient between materials, as a result of which the fracture of the package may not be avoided.
Furthermore, in the oxide layer formed through the high temperature dry oxidization and wet oxidization processes or the nitride layer, when a defect is produced therein, a crack starting from the defect can be easily propagated into silicon, thereby causing a defect in a chip.

Through-silicon via and method for forming the same


A suspended architectural structure includes a plurality of fin support members configured to couple with one or more architectural structures, e.g. ceiling structure. A plurality of flexible fins, with each flexible fin including a plurality of attachment points that is configured to be coupled to the plurality of fin support members. The plurality of fin support members includes a rib frame and a plurality of lateral rib members. The flexible fins are coupled to the ribs by the attachment points using removable pins.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to suspended architectural structures, and more particularly to architectural structures suspended from structural components of a ceiling system.
2. Description of Related Art
Suspended architectural structures are widely used in interior constructions for aesthetic and other reasons. Typically, suspended architectural structures include panels spaced below the true or structural ceiling of a room, and carried by horizontal members which are themselves suspended from the true ceiling.
One form of suspended architectural structure employs elongated metal components (e.g. panels) extending horizontally in spaced parallel relation to each other with their major surfaces lying in vertical planes. Such a suspended structure is sometimes termed a vertical ceiling because of the vertical orientation of the major surfaces. These structures have an unusual and attractive decorative appearance, and also serve to conceal structures such as lights, sprinklers, speakers, cameras, ventilation equipment, etc., mounted in the space or plenum above the suspended structure, while permitting passage of illumination, water, sound or air between the panels.


The present invention relates to transglutaminases and transglutaminase preparations obtained from lower fungi belonging to the class Oomycetes and unprecedented high-level expression is achievable by growing these coenocytium forming organisms, especially the strains Pythium sp., Pythium irregulare, Pythium dissotocum, Pythium periilum (or P. periplocum), Pythium torulosum, Pythium ultimum, Pythium aphanidermatum, Phytophthora cactorum, Phytophthora palmivora, Phytophthora porri, Phytophthora infestans, Phytophthora megasperma, Phytophthora cinnamomi and Phytophthora cryptogea; and a recombinant transglutaminase has been cloned and expressed, the enzyme and enzyme preparations being useful for cross-linking proteins, e.g. in flour, baked products, meat products, fish products, cosmetics, cheese, milk products, gelled food products and leather finishing, or as a glutaminase, e.g. in bread and other baked glutein-containing food products.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to novel transglutaminase preparations derivable from the class Oomycetes, a novel transglutaminase derived from Phytophthora cactorum, CBS 618.94 or IFO 30474, a DNA construct encoding the transglutaminase enzyme, a method of producing the novel transglutaminase and the novel transglutaminase preparation, a method for producing a gel or protein gelation composition, and the use thereof.
2. Description of Related Art
Transglutaminases are enzymes capable of catalyzing an acyl transfer reaction in which a gamma-carboxyamide group of a peptide-bound glutamine residue is the acyl donor. Primary amino groups in a variety of compounds may function as acyl acceptors with the subsequent formation of monosubstituted gamma-amides of peptide-bound glutamic acid. When the ε-amino group of a lysine residue in a peptide-chain serves as the acyl acceptor, the transglutaminases form intramolecular or intermolecular ε-(γ-Glu)-Lys crosslinks.
This peptide crosslinking activity is useful for a variety of industrial purposes, including gelling of proteins, reduction of antigenicity of proteins, improvement of baking quality of flour, producing paste type food materia from protein, fat and water, preparation of cheese from milk concentrate, binding of chopped meat product, improvement of taste and texture of food proteins, producing jelly, gel cosmetics etc.
A wide array of transglutaminases have been isolated and characterized from animals and plants. The animal derived TGases are Ca2+-dependent and often multi-subunit enzymes. The most widely used mammalian transglutaminase, FXIIIa, is product inhibited, difficult to obtain in high amounts and thus expensive, and therefore not useful for all applications.
A few microbial TGases have been described, including the Ca2+-independent TGases from Streptoverticillia disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,156,956 and related species disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,252,469.
The yields of the microbial transglutaminases in shake-flasks and fermentors are far below those seen for other industrial enzymes. Thus, better production methods, including new high-yielding producers are needed. Previously, this goal has been pursued by applying conventional recombinant DNA techniques for cloning and expression in E. coli, S. cerevisiae and S. lividans (Washizu et al.; Tahekana et al.; Takagi et al.) but without success.
Klein et al. found and partially characterized a transglutaminase from the slime mold Physarum polycephalum which is a homodimer having a total molecular weight of 77 kDa. JP 6078783 Kokai relates to the use of this transglutaminase for protein gelation. However, it is well-known that slime molds are unsuited for large-scale industrial fermentation. Further, Physarum is not a fungus; it belongs to the Myxomycetes (Entrez NIH data base, current version January 1996). Taxonomically, the only common feature of Oomycetes, Myxomycetes and Eumycota (fungi) is that they all are mitochondrial eukaryotes.
The object of the invention is to provide a novel transglutaminase, a novel transglutaminase preparation, a method for producing the transglutaminase or transglutaminase preparation in a better yield and higher purity than hitherto possible which transglutaminase can be used either alone or in combination with other enzymes for industrial purposes.


A phase contrast radiation imaging apparatus is includes a radiation source, a diffraction grating, and a radiation image detector. The radiation image detector is equipped with a charge generating layer that generates electric charges when irradiated with radiation, and charge collecting electrodes that collect the electric charges. The charge collecting electrodes are linear electrode groups, constituted by linear electrodes which are arranged at a constant period and are electrically connected to each other, provided to have different phases from each other. Thereby, use of a conventional amplitude diffraction grating is obviated.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a phase contrast radiation imaging apparatus and a phase contrast radiation imaging method that utilize a Talbot interferometer, and a radiation image detector which is employed by the phase contrast radiation imaging apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
The application of Talbot interferometers, in which the Talbot effect is generated by a diffraction grating and another diffraction grating is used to generate Moire fringes, to the field of X ray imaging is being investigated (refer to U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,812,629 and 7,180,979, for example).
U.S. Pat. No. 7,180,979 discloses an X ray imaging apparatus that utilizes a Talbot interferometer constituted by an X ray source, two diffraction gratings, and an X ray image detector.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2006-259264 discloses production of an amplitude diffraction grating by forming deep grooves in resin using X ray lithography.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2007-203063 discloses an X ray apparatus equipped with detection elements which are constituted by a multiplicity of elongate detection strips. This X ray apparatus enables obtainment of phase images by single measurement using each beam, and the number of measurements necessary to obtain phase images can be reduced.
It is necessary to provide two diffraction gratings of sizes equivalent to that of a subject in the X ray imaging apparatus disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,180,979, which is costly. In addition, of the two diffraction gratings, it is desirable for the one toward the X ray image detector to be an amplitude diffraction grating. In this case, it is necessary to produce a diffraction grating having an extremely high aspect ratio and metallic diffraction members at fine pitches. As an example, the width of the diffraction members of such a diffraction grating is 2 μm to 10 μm, and the thickness thereof is 25 μm to 100 μm. It is necessary to employ a special manufacturing method such as that disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2006-259264 in order to produce such a diffraction grating, and it is difficult to produce diffraction gratings having uniform structures.
In the case that a multiplicity of elongate detection strips are provided as in the X ray apparatus disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2007-203063, it is necessary to form the width of each detection strip to be thinner as the number of phase component images taken simultaneously increases. This is also difficult to realize from a manufacturing standpoint.

Radiation image detector and phase contrast radiation imaging apparatus


In the semiconductor memory device which has nonvolatile memory cells, the bit lines which are typified by high capacitances, are isolated from the input/output nodes of the corresponding sense amplifiers during the amplifying operation of the sense amplifier. A flip-flop circuit, such as a CMOS latch circuit, is used for each of the sense amplifiers and a switch circuit is connected between each input/output of each sense amplifier and the data (bit) line associated therewith and is turned OFF immediately before or after commencing of the amplifying operation of the sense amplifier. During the amplifying operation of the sense amplifier, the data (bit) line, having a large parasitic capacitance as a result of being typically connected to a large number of nonvolatile memory cell transistors, such as of the single transistor type having both a floating gate and control gate electrodes, is electrically disconnected (electrically isolated) from the sense amplifier.

The present invention relates to a semiconductor memory device and, more particularly, to a technique which is effective when applied to a technology for increasing the speed and lowering the power consumption of a flash erasable type EEPROM (i.e., Electrically Erasable/Programmable Read Only Memory).
The electric flash erasable type EEPROM is a nonvolatile memory device having a function to electrically erase all memory cells formed on a chip or electrically erase a group including some of the memory cells formed on the chip, in a batch.
This flash erasable type EEPROM is disclosed on pp. 152 to 153 of IEEE INTERNATIONAL SOLID-STATE CIRCUITS CONFERENCE OF 1980, on pp. 76 to 77 of IEEE INTERNATIONAL SOLID-STATE CIRCUITS CONFERENCE of 1987 and on pp. 1,157 to 1,163 of IEEE, J. Solid-State Circuits, vol. 23 (1988).
FIG. 21 is a schematic diagram showing a sectional structure of a memory cell of an electric flash erasable type EEPROM which was disclosed in the International Electron Device Meeting of 1987. The memory cell, as shown, has a structure similar to that of an ordinary EPROM memory cell. Specifically, the memory cell is constructed of an insulated gate type field effect transistor (which will be called the "MOSFET" or merely the "transistor") having a two-layered gate structure. In FIG. 21: reference numeral 8 designates a P-type silicon substrate; numeral 11 a P-type diffusion layer formed over the silicon substrate 8; numeral 10 a lightly doped N-type diffusion layer formed over the silicon substrate 8; and numerals 9 designate N-type diffusion layers individually formed over the P-type diffusion layer 11 and the N-type diffusion layer 10, respectively. Moreover: numeral 4 designates a floating gate formed over the P-type silicon substrate 8 through a thin oxide film 7; numeral 6 a control gate formed over the floating gate 4 through the oxide film 7; numeral 3 designates a drain electrode; and numeral 5 a source electrode. In short, the memory cell, as shown, is constructed of an N-channel type MOSFET having a two-layered structure for storing information. Here, the information is stored substantially as the change in the threshold voltage in the transistor.
In the following, the memory cell will be described in a case in which the transistor for storing the information (as will be called the "memory transistor") is of the N-channel type, unless otherwise specified. The operation of programming the information in the memory cell, as shown in FIG. 21, is similar to that of the EPROM. Specifically, the programming operation is carried out by injecting the hot carriers generated in the vicinity of the drain region 9, connected with the drain electrode 3, into the floating gate 4. As a result of this programming operation, the memory transistor has its threshold voltage, as viewed from its control gate 6, raised to a higher level than that of a memory transistor which is left unprogrammed.
In the erasing operation, on the other hand, a high field is established between the floating gate 4 and the source region 9 connected with the source electrode 5, by grounding the control gate 6 to the earth and by applying a high voltage to the source electrode 5, so that the electrons stored in the floating gate 4 are extracted via the source region 9 to the source electrode 5 by making use of the tunnel phenomenon through the thin oxide film 7. As a result, the stored information is erased. In short, as a result of this erasing operation, the memory transistor has its threshold voltage lowered, as viewed from its control gate 6.
In the reading operation, the voltage to be applied to the drain electrode 3 and the control gate 6 is limited to a relatively low level so as to prevent a weak programming of the aforementioned memory cell, that is, to prevent the undesirable carrier from being injected into the floating gate 4. For example, a voltage as low as about 1 V is applied to the drain electrode 3, and a voltage as low as about 5 V is applied to the control gate 6. By detecting the magnitude of the channel current which is caused to flow through the memory transistor by applying those voltages, the information "0" or "1" stored in the memory cell is judged.

Semiconductor nonvolatile memory device in which high capacitance bit lines are isolated from sense amplifier input/output nodes during amplifying operation of sense amplifier