A system and method of providing site-to-site compatibility of telecommunications stations allow users to transparently relocate among a number of different stations, while the apparent locations of the users remain fixed. Co-ordinator modules of a private branch exchange (PBX) establish peer-to-peer communications with station-based co-ordinator modules to provide automated routing to the station at which the particular individual is located, while leaving the apparent location of the user fixed at a designated station of the PBX. In one embodiment, the compatibility of stations allows the user to operate from a home-based station, while the apparent location of the user to any calling and called parties is an office-based station that is dedicated to the user. In a second embodiment, the compatibility allows the user to operate from any one of a variety of office stations, while the apparent location remains fixed at one of the office stations. These stations preferably include computers or other equipment that support multimedia transmissions. The user logs on at one of the telecommunications stations in order to designate the station as the "primary station" for purposes of routing incoming calls. The co-ordinator module that is dedicated to a particular user acts as a virtual office that has no geographical location with respect to conventional office equipment. In the preferred embodiment, co-ordinator modules may be located on line cards of the PBX.

Persons who perform a significant percentage of their work within their homes may do so for a number of different reasons. For example, a self-employed individual may establish a home office from which all business is conducted. For some businesses, a standard telephone line for incoming and outgoing calls sufficiently enables the necessary communication for the business. However, other forms of business require high-speed and bandwidth-intensive connectivity to a sophisticated telecommunications infrastructure in order to operate efficiently.
In comparison to independent persons who operate solely out of a home, a "telecommuter" will be defined herein as a person who operates within a business-sponsored arrangement that allows an employee to work at home, either on a full-time basis or a split-time basis. There are a number of inventions related to enhancing the efficiency of work-at-home employees. U.S. Pat. No. 5,459,780 to Sand describes an arrangement for providing automatic call distribution (ACD) service for a mixture of at-office ACD agents and at-home ACD agents. Incoming calls are received at a host switch of a distributor that distributes calls to the various agents. An at-home agent may then be contacted via a home switch. The Sand patent describes the station of the agent as being an "intelligent" station, i.e. one that includes a computer or the like. An intelligent workstation receives voice signals from the home switch and transmits and receives data messages over a link that terminates at a home agent server (HAS). The data link carries event messages, such as answer and disconnect, and carries application messages, such as data related to an order placed by the caller. The HAS transmits the applications data to a host processor that may be used to accept order data. The HAS also passes call event data to a management information system, which may be used by supervisors to track the individual work performances of agents and to maintain data relating to the number of calls and the waiting time of calls.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,291,551 to Conn et al. describes a home agent telecommunications technique. When a potential purchaser of a particular product directs a telephone call to a transaction-processing center, the call is re-routed. The call is received at a local exchange carrier (LEC) central office. The call is identified at an exchange of a public switched telephone network to determine the identity of an at-home agent who is designated to receive the customer-initiated call. The call is then routed to an LEC central office that serves the designated at-home agent. From the second LEC central office, the call is directed to the at-home agent across a combined voice and data communications channel, so that a voice link between the customer and the agent is completed. Once the voice link with the customer is initiated, the at-home agent then communicates data across the channel to the transaction-processing center.
While the Sand and Conn et al. inventions provide improvements in connecting an at-home agent to the telecommunications infrastructure of a main office, further improvements are needed, particularly for persons who maintain both an office telecommunications station and a home telecommunications station.
What is needed is a system and method that facilitate maintenance of "duplicate" on-site and off-site telecommunications stations, with a sensitivity to privacy and productivity issues. Further, what is needed is a method that provides station-to-station compatibility with respect to user access.

System and method of co-ordinating communications for telecommuters

Siemens Information and Communication Networks, Inc.


A reordering command queue for reordering memory accesses in a computer system. The reordering command queue may reduce the power that is typically used up in computer systems when performing accesses to main memory by improving the scheduling of memory accesses with a pattern that is optimized for power and which has no (or negligible) impacting on performance. During a compare operation, the address corresponding to the command stored in each of one or more current storage locations of the reordering command queue may be compared to the address corresponding to the command stored in an adjacent storage location to determine whether the commands are in a desired order. In response to one or more of the commands not being in the desired order, a reordering operation may be performed, which may reorder each of the one or more commands from a current storage location to the adjacent storage location.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to memory subsystems and, more particularly, to memory controller design.
2. Description of the Related Art
Computer systems include one or more processors that execute instructions from a memory medium. The memory medium is typically one or more levels of cache and a main memory. The main memory may be made up of one or more memory modules, e.g., Dual In-Line Memory Modules (DIMMs) or Fully-Buffered DIMMs (FB-DIMMs). A memory subsystem of a computer system typically includes a memory controller, which is connected to the main memory. The main function of the memory controller is to schedule and coordinate the execution of read and write requests (i.e., memory accesses) to main memory. The memory controller may include at least one queue to schedule the read and write requests. In most cases, the memory controller includes a queue for the read requests and a separate queue for the write requests.
Memory subsystems are typically configured to place memory modules that are not being used into a low power mode to save power. This is usually the case because in typical systems a large portion of the power dissipation is in the main memory. In most cases, memory accesses are typically executed in the order that they are received at the appropriate queue of the memory controller. The memory controller may receive several read commands in a row and each command may access a different memory module. For example, if the memory subsystem includes eight memory modules, the memory controller may receive eight read commands each accessing a different memory module. In this situation, since typical memory controllers execute the read commands in a row, the powers savings would be minimal if some of the memory modules entered into a low power mode because all the memory modules would be accessed within a short period of time. Since read and write requests are received randomly and are executed in the order they are received, the memory modules may be constantly switching from a normal power mode to a low power mode, which may result in minimal or no power savings in most situations. In some cases, the constant switching from the two different power modes may actually increase the power consumption in the system.

Method and apparatus for reordering memory accesses to reduce power consumption in computer systems


A storage control system acquires, for each of a plurality of power control groups in which a plurality of storage devices which form the basis of a plurality of redundancy configuration groups are classified, an I/O (Input/Output) amount of the power control group. For each of the plurality of power control groups, the storage control system controls power consumption of each of the storage devices belonging to the power control group in power control group units, based on the acquired I/O amount relating to the power control group. None of the plurality of redundancy configuration groups spans two or more power control groups among the plurality of power control groups, all being contained in any of the plurality of power control groups.

The present invention generally relates to storage control of a plurality of storage devices and more particularly to power consumption control.
As technology relating to power consumption control of a plurality of storage devices, the technology disclosed in PTL 1, for example, is known. According to PTL 1, power consumption control is performed in HDD (Hard Disk Drive) units or in RAID (Redundant Array of Independent (or Inexpensive) Disks) group units.    [PTL 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2013-097635

Storage control system and power consumption control method


A waste treatment, pyrolysis and gasification and concerns an apparatus for syngas bio-methanation include a unit for pyrolysis/gasification receiving organic material, the unit for pyrolysis/gasification generating syngas, comprising at least one membrane reactor inside a liquid bath comprising at least one bacteria population, the membrane reactor comprising at least one hollow fiber in contact with the liquid bath, around which a biofilm is formed and into which the syngas from the unit for pyrolysis/gasification flows, so as to convert the syngas into methane. A method for bio-methanation of syngas comprising a step of providing syngas from a unit for pyrolysis/gasification to a membrane reactor inside a liquid bath comprising at least one suitable bacteria population, the membrane reactor comprising at least one hollow fiber in contact with the liquid bath, around which a biofilm is formed and into which the output syngas of the unit for pyrolysis flows, so as to convert the syngas into methane.

Methanation consists in the reaction of hydrogen, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide to generate methane and water and/or carbon dioxide. Various methanation processes are currently being developed, including catalytic conversion or biological methanation (biocatalysis from microorganisms).
Chemical catalysis processes are expensive and usually require high pressures and temperatures. These disadvantages can be avoided by using the biological pathway to convert the syngas compounds to methane at normal temperatures and pressures. Several studies show that microorganisms are able to convert carbon monoxide (CO) to methane (CH4) under anaerobic conditions.
Anaerobic digestion produces biogas as a result of the biological fermentation of organic solids supplied with the feedstock. Digesters treating complex organic substrates achieve generally between 30 and 60% of solids reduction. The digestate may be dewatered to produce a cake with typically 20 to 30% solids.
But some solids supplied with the feedstock may have a low methane potential. This is the case for example of lignin-rich solids. Such organic feedstock have a low biochemical methane potential. Additionally, the organic feedstock may be too dry (>30% of suspended solids) to be digested in an anaerobic digester. In such cases, pyrolysis may be used.
Pyrolysis is a thermochemical decomposition of organic material at elevated temperatures in absence of oxygen. The organic material can be solid or liquid material. In general, pyrolysis of organic substances produces gas and liquid products and leaves a solid residue rich in carbon content called biochar. High temperature pyrolysis is known as gasification and produces primarily synthesis gas.
Synthesis gas, also called syngas, is a gas comprising CO, H2, CO2 and a small amount of CH4 that results from the thermal degradation of biomass without combustion, through pyrolysis or gasification.
Moreover, the organic feedstock may contain inhibitors to anaerobic digestion or regulated compounds like micro-pollutants, PAHs, PCBs, aromatic cycles, etc.). These organic compounds may have a low degradation kinetic leading to a long residence time. Consequently, the digester may have an important volume and have a high footprint.
Moreover if syngas was to be injected in an infinitely mixed digester (also called continuous stirred tank reactor), its mass transfer in the liquid may be limited requiring a gaseous recirculation of the gaseous phase, which adds further complexity into the whole process. Furthermore in a digester treating an organic feedstock, the bacterial population used may not be specific to the conversion of syngas.
Finally, during maintenance or shutdown of the digester, the whole system lacks flexibility since it is impossible to biologically convert the syngas in methane. It results in a reduction of the guarantee of the annual production of bio-CH4 and there is a risk of non-valuation of the produced syngas.

Apparatus and method for syngas bio-methanation


A turbine blade in an industrial gas turbine includes a blade surface to be cooled by a film of cooling fluid, a plurality of cooling holes on the blade surface through which cooling fluid flows, each cooling hole including an inlet portion and an outlet portion, and a trench on the blade surface surrounding at least one outlet portion of the cooling hole, the trench extending in an axial direction and a radial direction from the outlet portion of the cooling hole, wherein the outlet portion of the cooling hole has a shape configured to generate a first stage diffusion of the cooling fluid and a wall of the trench is positioned in the axial direction from the outlet portion of the cooling hole to generate a second stage diffusion of the cooling fluid, thereby forming the film of cooling fluid.

Combustors, such as those used in gas turbines, for example, mix compressed air with fuel and expel high temperature, high pressure gas downstream. The energy stored in the gas is then converted to work as the high temperature, high pressure gas expands in a turbine, for example, thereby turning a shaft to drive attached devices, such as an electric generator to generate electricity. The shaft has a plurality of turbine blades shaped such that the expanding hot gas creates a pressure imbalance as it travels from the leading edge to the trailing edge, thereby turning the turbine blades to rotate the shaft.
FIG. 1 shows a gas turbine 20. Air to be supplied to the combustor 10 is received through air intake section 30 of the gas turbine 20 and is compressed in compression section 40. The compressed air is then supplied to headend 50 through air path 60. The air is mixed with fuel and combusted at the tip of nozzles 70 and the resulting high temperature, high pressure gas is supplied downstream. In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the resulting gas is supplied to turbine section 80 where the energy of the gas is converted to work by turning shaft 90 connected to turbine blades 95.
As shown in FIG. 2, in order to cool the turbine blades 95 where prolonged exposure to high heat can cause deformation and even structural failure, cooling holes 100 are formed on the surface of the turbine blade 95. As cooling fluid, such as cooled air, is forced out through the cooling holes 100 at high velocities, a boundary layer of cooling fluid covers the surface of the turbine blade 95 thereby cooling the turbine blade 95.
A thin steady film of cold air formed on the blade is ideal to keep the blade cool. However, typical round film holes experiences a significant reduction in film effectiveness for high blowing ratios. As shown in FIG. 3, at low (Low M) to moderate (Mod M) blowing ratios, a relatively steady boundary layer is formed from the cooling fluid escaping through the cooling hole 100 to create a cooling film 300. However, at high blowing ratios (High M), the boundary layer is disrupted by turbulence 310 and the cooling effect from the cooling fluid is significantly reduced.
In addition, the typical method of forming and ceramic coating of the film holes leaves a jagged edge around the film holes that disrupt the formation of the boundary layer thereby reducing the cooling effect. Typically, the film holes are drilled into the surface of the turbine blade using electrical discharge machining (EDM) or some form of laser. The turbine blade 95 is then coated with a thermal barrier coating (TBC) material, such as ceramic. Assuming the more common EDM manufacturing process is used and because TBC material is an insulator and EDM is only effective on metal surfaces, the film holes are formed before the coating process. Accordingly, the coating process requires plugging the film holes prior to coating the surface of the turbine blade and removing the plugging materials after the coating process is complete. The plugging material, which is typically a type of polymer, leaves a residue that creates a jagged edge around the film holes thereby reducing performance of the cooling effect.

Doosan Heavy Industries Construction Co., Ltd


A compound torque hinge comprising a first rotating shaft to be mounted on the toilet bowl is rotatably mounted in the case body; the first rotation control mechanism comprising a cam mechanism with a compression spring on one side portion housed in the case body of the first rotating shaft is provided; a second rotation control mechanism comprising a rotation damper is juxtaposed in two stages within the case body in the upper or lower section of the first rotation control mechanism; a driving power transmitting means is mounted between the second rotation control mechanism and the first rotation control mechanism; and on the rotating shaft one of mounting sections of the toilet seat or seat cover is rotatably supported on a bearing, while the other is fixed so as to rotate together with the rotating shaft.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a compound torque hinge suitable for use for opening and closing an opening-closing body especially of a Western style toilet.
2. Description of the Related Art
As an opening-closing hinge of Western style toilet seat and seat cover, there have been known such hinges as a hinge which is used in a cam mechanism with a compression spring on a rotating shaft, a hinge which uses a torsion spring acting in a direction in which a torque in a specific direction of rotation of the rotating shaft is cancelled, and a hinge using a fluid damper acting on the rotating shaft.
The prior art hinge used in the cam mechanism provided with the compression spring on the rotating shaft has the advantage that a torque produced is easily adjustable to the turning moment of the toilet seat and seat cover. Despite of this advantage, however, the hinge has such a drawback that the use of a large-sized device is needed to obtain a great torque.
Also, the hinge using only the prior art torsion spring on the rotating shaft has the advantage that even a small-sized device can produce a great torque. However, the hinge producing a linearly increasing or decreasing torque is not adjustable to the turning moment of the toilet seat and seat cover that draws a sine curve. The device, therefore, has such a drawback that it is hard to make adjustments of details with respect to the turning moment of the seat and seat cover and also to accentuate operation.
Furthermore, a hinge using only a prior art fluid damper has the drawback that it is hard to make fine adjustment or accentuation in opening and closing the toilet seat and seat cover, and particularly for example to provide a function to stop and hold the toilet seat at an intermediate angle or to apply a brake to the toilet seat from a predetermined angle of opening.


A mercury-free ultraviolet (UV) discharge source includes an elongated envelope having a diameter in a preferred range from approximately 2 to 3 cm, containing a rare gas fill (xenon or krypton, including mixtures of these with other rare gases) at a pressure in a range from approximately 10 millitorr to approximately 200 millitorr and a power supply for ionizing the rare gas fill and generating a discharge current in a range from approximately 100 to approximately 500 milliamperes (mA). The UV discharge source has an efficiency and output comparable to existing mercury-based low-pressure discharge sources and is intended for use with a suitable phosphor capable of converting the UV radiation to visible light in a fluorescent lamp.

The two principle figures of merit for a discharge as a source of ultraviolet (UV) radiation are radiant emittance (UV power per unit area at the wall of the discharge tube) and efficiency (UV power output per electric power input). In order to be practicable, a UV discharge source must have a high efficiency and a sufficiently high radiant emittance so that a discharge tube of practical size can produce the desired UV output. Such a UV discharge source which contains mercury is typically applicable to fluorescent lamps. Mercury-based fluorescent lamps provide energy efficient lighting in a broad range of commercial and residential applications. There is increasing concern, however, about the mercury from spent lamps entering the waste stream.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a mercury-free discharge source for UV radiation which exhibits high efficiency and high radiant emittance. Furthermore, it is desirable to provide a fluorescent lamp using such a mercury-free discharge source.

Mercury-free ultraviolet discharge source


The present invention provides methods for the synthesis of ketones involving a Ni/Zr-mediated coupling reaction. The Ni/Zr-mediated ketolization reactions can be used in the synthesis of halichondrins (e.g., halichondrin A, B, C; homohalichondrin A, B, C; norhalichondrin A, B, C), and analogs thereof. Therefore, the present invention also provides synthetic methods useful for the synthesis of halichondrins, and analogs thereof. Also provided herein are compounds (i.e., intermediates) useful in the synthesis of halichondrins, and analogs thereof. In particular, the present invention provides methods and compounds useful in the synthesis of compound of Formula (H3-A).

Halichondrins are polyether natural products, originally isolated from the marine scavenger Halichondria okadai by Uemura, Hirata, and coworkers. See, e.g., Uemura, D.; Takahashi, K.; Yamamoto, T.; Katayama, C.; Tanaka, J.; Okumura, Y.; Hirata, Y. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1985, 107, 4796; Hirata, Y.; Uemura, D. Pure Appl. Chem. 1986, 58, 701. Several additional members, including halistatin, were isolated from various marine scavengers. This class of natural products displays interesting structural diversity, such as the oxidation state of the carbons of the C8-C14 polycycle, and the length of the carbon backbone. Thus, this class of natural products is sub-grouped into the norhalichondrin series (e.g., norhalichondrin A, B, and C), the halichondrin series (e.g., halichondrin A, B, C), and the homohalichondrin series (e.g., homohalichondrin A, B, C) (see FIG. 1). Except halichondrin A, all the members have been isolated from natural sources. Due to their intriguing structural architecture and extraordinary antitumor activity, halichondrins have received much attention from the scientific community.

President and Fellows of Harvard College


A method and apparatus is provided that pertains to an adjustable foot support of a motorized vehicle. An insert is placed in a bore of the foot support mounting member or the mounting bracket mounting member to enable coupling of a foot support to a mounting bracket attached to the motorized vehicle. The insert can be inserted from either an upper side or a lower side of the mounting member, which will adjust the lateral position of the foot support relative to the mounting bracket, thereby ergonomically accommodating different riders' needs and preferences.

Riders of motorized vehicles, including but not limited to motorcycles, all terrain vehicles and the like, depend on foot supports or foot pegs to generally maintain balance, assist in maneuvering the motorized vehicle, and to shift the rider's weight from side to side. The foot support protrudes laterally from the motorized vehicle and connects to the frame of the motorized vehicle through a mounting bracket attached to the motorized vehicle frame. The mounting bracket typically consists of two spaced apart lobes or bosses.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a foot support that is of a prior art design, and which is adapted for engagement with a mounting bracket on the motorized vehicle (not shown). Foot support 10 has a mounting member 12 that extends from one end of the foot support 10. The mounting member 12 has a protrusion 14, typically cylindrical in shape, that projects outwardly from the mounting member 12, and is adapted for pivotable engagement with the mounting bracket on the motorized vehicle.
A problem with the current design of foot supports exists, however, in that the fixed relationship of mounting member and protrusion result in the foot support being confined to one position laterally relative to the mounting bracket position on the motorized vehicle. Thus, regardless if you are a rider who stands 6 feet 5 inches tall or a rider that stands five feet four inches tall, for example, the rider's feet are confined to the same position relative to the mounting bracket. This results in certain comfort, safety and ergonomic issues for riders, depending on their height and riding preferences. It has been found that even a slight adjustment of the foot support either upward or downward relative to the mounting bracket can dramatically improve the riders comfort, ergonomics and improve the ability to more readily maneuver the motorized vehicle.
One solution to this problem has been to cut off the protrusion 14 from mounting member 12, thereby effectively creating a spacer (not shown) that can be used to consume the gap between the mounting member and the mounting bracket to prevent unnecessary axial movement. The foot support can be raised or lowered relative to the mounting bracket by placement of the spacer on either the bottom side of the mounting member or the top side respectively. Though this solves the problem of allowing for different foot support positions, it has been found that there is a problem with this design in that the pin used to secure the foot support to the mounting bracket is placed under significant stress as and is prone to breaking. The only way to solve this problem has been to use high-tempered hardened steel or other stronger materials for the pin, which results in a higher cost.
It is therefore desirable to take advantage of a foot support that has multiple positions given the same mounting bracket location on the motorized vehicle, without requiring a hardened pin for securing the foot support.


A method of verifying data timeliness with time-based derived cryptographic keys is disclosed. A master key is received. Based on both the master key and a current time, an interval key is derived. Data, which was encrypted with the interval key, is decrypted with the interval key.

The approaches described in this section could be pursued, but are not necessarily approaches that previously have been conceived or pursued. Therefore, unless otherwise indicated herein, the approaches described in this section are not prior art to the claims in this application and are not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.
In an Internet Protocol (IP) multicast group, one group member host can multicast data packets over a computer network to multiple other group member hosts. Each of the other group member hosts receives data packets that have been multicasted to the group address. Data packets may be multicasted to a group according to a multicasting routing protocol such as Protocol Independent Multicast (PIM). PIM is described in the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) Request For Comments (RFC) 2362.
A host may join a group through a mechanism provided by an admission control protocol such as Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP). IGMP is described in IETF RFC 1112. Once a host has joined a group as a group member, the host receives all messages that are multicasted to the group address. Unfortunately, current multicasting routing protocols and admission control protocols do not require that hosts are authorized prior to joining an IP multicast group. As a result, a rogue host can join a group unchallenged, multicast data packets to the group, and receive data packets that have been multicasted to the group.
To prevent rogue hosts from understanding confidential data that has been multicasted to a group, group members may encrypt data prior to multicasting the data to the group. Group members may encrypt data using a symmetric-key encryption algorithm such as that specified by Data Encryption Standard (DES). DES is described in Federal Information Processing Standards Publication (FIPS PUB) 44-2. Data encrypted with a symmetric-key encryption algorithm can only be decrypted with the same key that was used to encrypt the data.
Thus, even though a rogue host may intercept encrypted data that has been multicasted to a group, the rogue host cannot decrypt the encrypted data without the key, which is distributed only to legitimate group member hosts through secure means. Additionally, because rogue hosts lack the key, rogue hosts are unable to encrypt data using the key. Consequently, legitimate group member hosts can identify, as potentially being the forgery of a rogue host, data that has not been encrypted with the key.
Unfortunately, even in an environment in which such encryption is implemented, a rogue host still can perpetrate attacks on legitimate group member hosts by re-multicasting, or "replaying" legitimately encrypted data packets that the rogue host intercepted. Because the data packets are encrypted with the key, legitimate group member hosts are unable to determine that the data packets have been replayed. As a result, legitimate group members accept the replayed data packets as being legitimate and timely.
By replaying data packets, a rogue host can perpetrate attacks that may cause multiple adverse effects. By replaying data packets in massive amounts, a rogue host can overwhelm legitimate group member hosts so as to prevent most, if not all, legitimate data packets from being received by the legitimate group member hosts. Such an attack is called a "denial of service" attack. Furthermore, replayed data packets may contain time-dependent information, such as a stock quote, which is correct only for a relatively short interval of time. Legitimate group member hosts are oblivious to the untimeliness of the information, and, in their ignorance, may allow the "stale" information to be used by applications and/or users as though the information was "fresh," with potentially disastrous results.
Various approaches could be used in an effort to protect against replayed data packets. According to one approach, a sender host adds a different sequence number to each data packet that the sender host will send. A data packet's sequence number indicates the data packet's proper order relative to other data packets sent by a particular host. While two or more different hosts may send different data packets that contain the same sequence number, no host adds the same sequence number to more than one data packet that the host will send. Therefore, if a recipient host receives a data packet that contains a sequence number that was contained in another data packet previously received from the same sender host, then the recipient host may presume that the data packet has been replayed.
Under this approach, a sequence number added to a data packet by a host has no relation to another sequence number added to another data packet by another host. Therefore, under this approach, each recipient host is required to maintain separate sequence number state information for each different sender host. In an environment characterized by a very large number of sender hosts, maintaining separate sequence number state information for each and every sender host can consume a prohibitive amount of storage space. This issue is acute when receivers are packet routers that have limited storage. From a practical standpoint, the sequence number approach is not scalable.
According to another approach, a timestamp is added to each data packet. The timestamp reflects the time of day at which the data packet was sent. By comparing the current time of day to the time of day indicated by the timestamp, a recipient host can determine whether a data packet containing the timestamp is fresh or stale.
However, if a recipient host's clock differs from the sender host's clock, the recipient host may determine, mistakenly, that a data packet is stale when, actually, the data packet is fresh, or that a data packet is fresh when, actually, the data packet is stale. Thus, to be effective, hosts in environments that rely upon timestamps to protect against packet replay are required to have tightly synchronized internal clocks. Network Time Protocol (NTP), described in IETF RFC 1305, may be used to synchronize the times of day of multiple hosts. Typically, absolute inter-host time synchronization involves significant communications overhead, which increases as the number of hosts increases. From a practical standpoint, the timestamp approach is not scalable.
Additionally, some of the most widely used data security protocols, such as IP Security Protocol (IPsec) Encapsulating Security Payload (ESP), do not provide a standard mechanism for the inclusion of a timestamp within a data packet. ESP is described in IETF RFC 2406. Adapting existing systems that currently use such data security protocols to cause data packets to contain timestamps in a standard format would be a potentially expensive and time-consuming task.
Based on the foregoing, there is a clear need for a method of verifying data timeliness in a multiple-sender environment without requiring recipients to maintain separate state information for each sender, without requiring senders and recipients to maintain tightly synchronized time, while also allowing hosts to continue to use existing data security protocols that do not provide a standard mechanism for adding timestamps to data packets.

Method and apparatus for verifying data timeliness with time-based derived cryptographic keys


Techniques are disclosed herein for providing guidance for autonomous vehicles in areas of low network connectivity, such as rural areas. According to an embodiment, a guidance system receives a request to exchange data with a vehicle within a specified radius thereof over a wireless connection (e.g., a radio frequency protocol-based connection). The data is stored by the guidance system and is indicative of navigation information within the specified radius. The guidance system transmits the stored data to the vehicle. The guidance system also receives, from the vehicle, data indicative of navigation information for a path previously passed by the vehicle.

An autonomous vehicle is a vehicle that is capable of sensing a surrounding environment and navigating through the environment to reach a predetermined destination, typically without further input from a vehicle operator. To do so, the autonomous vehicle may include various sensors, such as lasers, radar, global positioning system (GPS), and computer vision technologies. A vehicle control system configured with the autonomous vehicle may process sensor data to identify appropriate navigation paths, obstacles, and relevant signage.
The vehicle control system may rely on communications with a remote navigation service (e.g., executing by a cloud service provider) or other vehicles (e.g., via vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications over a 5G or dedicated short-range communications (DSRC) channel) to safely navigate through an area. For example, the vehicle control system may receive up-to-date information from the navigation service regarding conditions of upcoming road segments reported by other vehicles (e.g., traffic conditions, signage, road closures, safety hazards, and the like). However, such communications often require that the autonomous vehicle is connected with a network, such as the Internet or a cellular network. In some cases, an autonomous vehicle may traverse through an area having limited network coverage, such as rural areas. Thus, the autonomous vehicle might not be able to communicate with a remote navigation service or other vehicles. Instead, the autonomous vehicle navigates through the area using predefined map data (which might not be up-to-date) relative to data obtained from on-board sensors of the vehicle control system.

Technologies for providing guidance for autonomous vehicles in areas of low network connectivity


A damping structure configured for connecting a gimbal with a carrier includes a first connecting member connectable with the gimbal, a second connecting member connectable with the carrier, and a damper elastically disposed between the first connecting member and the second connecting member. The damper includes a damper body, a first fixed portion, and a second fixed portion. The first fixed portion and the second fixed portion are configured to connect with two opposite sides of the damper body, respectively. The first fixed portion includes an elastic ring sleeve configured to sleeve couple with the first connecting member. The second fixed portion is connected with the second connecting member.

In conventional designs of gimbals, damping structures such as damping balls are typically adopted to suppress the vibration of the gimbals, thereby providing a stable gimbal for photographing. A damping ball is typically connected to a connecting member through a snap fit coupling structure. However, because the damping ball is made of an elastic material, the damping ball can separate from the connecting member when the damping ball deforms under a large force. As a result, the gimbal may lose the damping effect and the photographing devices may be damaged.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Damping structure, gimbal assembly, and unmanned aerial vehicle


A display apparatus and a control method are provided in which a size menu item is changed, when the menu item is directed by a user. A display apparatus includes a user input part; a menu generator generating a user menu including at least one or more items; a display part displayed with the user menu generated from the menu generator; and a controller controlling the menu generator so that a size of a directed item according to an operation of the user input part among the items of the user menu displayed at the display part is reduced into a predetermined size and then is returned to an original size.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a display apparatus and a control method thereof, and more particularly, to a display apparatus and a control method thereof for displaying a user menu.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a display apparatus includes a display part which displays a video and may be a television, a monitor, Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a cellular phone and the like.
Such a display apparatus displays a user menu, including items for performing various functions, on the display part.
For example, the display apparatus displays the user menu for controlling a condition of the display apparatus through On Screen Display (OSD). Therefore, a user can control the condition of the display apparatus by directing and selecting the items included in the user menu, while watching the user menu.
When a user directs any one among various items while watching the user menu displayed at the display part, there should be a difference between the directed item and other items visually so that the user can recognize correctly what is the directed item.
If there is no difference between the directed item and the other items, the user cannot properly select the item, thereby causing confusion.
Therefore, if a size of the directed item is changed so as to be distinguished visually from the other items, the user can recognize correctly the position of the directed item.

Display apparatus and control method for displaying user menu


A switch includes a body and a switch member is pivotably engaged with the top opening of the body. A resilient member is connected between an inside of the body and a first end of the switch member. The switch member further has an extension extending from a second end of an underside thereof and a push member extends from the first end of the underside of the switch member. A bi-metallic contact plate has a first end fixed to one of two terminals and a contact portion splits from the contact plate and a first contact point is connected to an underside of the contact portion. A second contact point is connected to the other terminal. A free end of the contact portion is connected with a free fist end of a spring member that has an extension portion extending from a top thereof and a second end of the spring member is connected to the contact plate. The second end of the contact plate is deformed downward and the free end of the contact portion is deformed upward to separate the two contact point when overload. The resilient member pivots the switch member to “OFF” position after the circuit is overload.

A conventional switch device, especially for those switches using bimetallic plate to prevent from being burn when an overload is happened, generally includes a bimetallic plate which is deformed when overload so as to separate the two contact points respectively located on the bimetallic plate and one of the two terminals. Some inherent shortcomings for these conventional safety switch devices are found. There are too many parts involved in the safety switch device and a longer period of time is required when assembling the switch device, this increases the cost of the products. The parts might be arranged inaccurately and affects the deformation of the bimetallic plate. Once the bimetallic plate is deformed to cut off the circuit, because of the improper arrangement of the parts as mentioned above, the bimetallic plate could deform to re-connect the two contact points to connect the circuit again. Because the inaccuracy of the deformation of the bimetallic plate, the switch member does not set the "OFF" position after the bimetallic plate is deformed to cut off the circuit.
Therefore, it is desired to have a safety device that allows the bimetallic plate to deform toward a desired direction and there is enough space to prevent the bimetallic plate from bouncing back to connect the circuit again.


A modular tool system includes a tool head, a handle, and an intermediate piece disposed therebetween. The handle includes a first pin for coupling the handle to the intermediate piece and the intermediate piece includes a second pin for coupling the intermediate piece to the tool head. The first and second pins each include a splined portion for engaging splined orifices in the handle and intermediate pieces, respectively, and a shank for removably engaging shank-receiving orifices in the intermediate piece and the tool head, respectively. When the shanks are engaged with their respective shank-receiving orifices, the handle can be moved along the first pin to selectively lock the handle to the intermediate piece and the intermediate piece can be moved along the second pin to selectively lock the intermediate piece to the tool head. The handle can also be moved along the first pin to selectively unlock the handle for rotational movement about the pin relative to the intermediate piece and the intermediate piece can be moved along the second pin to unlock the intermediate piece for rotational movement about the pin relative to the to the tool head. If desired, the intermediate piece can be removed and the handle can be coupled directly to the tool head by inserting the first pin into the tool head's shank-receiving orifice.

A tool including a preferred embodiment of the invention comprises a tool head, an intermediate piece, a plurality of connecting pins, and a handle. The tool head can include a conventional ratchet system for rotating a shank about an axis. A conventional socket or an open-end or closed-end crowfoot-type wrench can be connected to the shank.
The generally cylindrical connecting pin is aligned along an axis parallel to the shank axis and attached to the ratchet head. The connecting pins extend through splined orifices in the handle and intermediate piece, thereby connecting the handle to the intermediate piece and connecting the intermediate piece to the tool head. A portion of each connecting pin includes splines adapted to engage the orifice splines in a complementary manner to prevent rotation of the handle and intermediate piece about their respective connecting pin axis; and an indented portion adapted to allow the handle and intermediate piece to rotate freely about their respective connecting pin axis.
The handle and intermediate piece are slideable between a locked position and an unlocked position on their respective connecting pins. In the locked position, the splined orifice is disposed about the splined portion of the connecting pin, the orifice splines engage the connecting pin splines, and the ratchet wrench can be used to rotate a nut or bolt in a conventional manner. In the unlocked position, the orifice is disposed about the indented portion of the connecting pin and the ratchet head and intermediate piece can rotate in a full circle about the connecting pin axis. When the ratchet head and intermediate piece are in the desired position, the splined orifice is moved downwardly to engage the connecting pin splines, thereby allowing the ratchet head, intermediate piece and handle to be locked in any of a plurality of positions relative to each other.
When a nut or bolt to be rotated by the ratchet wrench is near an obstruction, the handle and/or the intermediate piece can be unlocked, rotated about its connecting pin axis, then locked, thereby adjusting the angle between the longitudinal axis of the handle and the longitudinal axis of the ratchet head. In many instances, such angular adjustment allows the ratchet wrench to be used to rotate the nut or bolt in the conventional manner while avoiding contact between the handle and the obstruction.
The construction of a ratchet wrench including a second embodiment of the invention is quite similar to that of the ratchet wrench described above. However, in the second embodiment, the handle and the intermediate piece orifices are smooth; that is, they lack the splines of the previous embodiment. Also, the portions of the connecting pin on which the orifices are disposed in the locked and unlocked positions are smooth. Splines are provided on a generally circular surface at the end of the handle and intermediate piece. In the locked position, the handle and intermediate piece splines engage complimentary splines on a rear surface of the intermediate piece and ratchet head, respectively, and the ratchet wrench can be used in a conventional manner. In the unlocked position, the handle and intermediate piece are free to rotate about their respective connecting pins. As with the ratchet wrench of the previous embodiment, the handle of the ratchet wrench can be adjusted relative to the longitudinal axis of the ratchet head to allow the ratchet wrench to be used to tighten or loosen a nut or bolt near an obstruction while avoiding contact between the wrench and the obstruction.
A breaker bar including a third embodiment of the invention comprises a handle and a connecting pin. As with the previous embodiment of the invention, the handle of the breaker bar includes a splined orifice at one end. The connecting pin includes a smooth portion, a splined portion, and a conventional shank. When the handle orifice is positioned about the smooth portion of the connecting pin (the "unlocked position"), the handle is free to rotate about the connecting pin. When the handle orifice is positioned about the splined portion of the connecting pin (the "locked position"), the handle orifice splines and connecting pin splines engage, thereby preventing rotation of the connecting pin. When a crowfoot-type wrench is connected to the shank, the handle can be moved to the unlocked position to allow the angular relationship between the crowfoot-type wrench and the handle to be adjusted.


A hollow first accommodating case (28) is provided on a front part of a revolving frame (5) at a position on a front side of a fuel tank (23), and a fuel supply pump (34) for supplying a fuel stored in an external fuel storage source to the fuel tank (23) is provided on the fuel tank (23) by being connected. A fuel suction port (35) for sucking the fuel toward the fuel supply pump (34) is provided in the first accommodating case (28) by being opened to an outside, and a urea water tank (25) is provided by being accommodated in the first accommodating case (28). A water supply port (25G) of a urea water is provided in the urea water tank (25) by being opened to the outside, and the fuel suction port (35) and the water supply port (25G) of the urea water are juxtaposed and arranged in the first accommodating case (28).

In general, a hydraulic excavator as a typical example of a construction machine is constituted by a lower traveling structure, an upper revolving structure rotatably mounted on the lower traveling structure, and a working mechanism tiltably provided on a front part of the upper revolving structure.
The upper revolving structure includes a revolving frame constituting a support structural body, an engine mounted on a rear side of the revolving frame and driving a hydraulic pump, a hydraulic oil tank provided on the revolving frame at a position on a front side of the engine and storing a hydraulic oil to be supplied to the hydraulic pump, a fuel tank provided on the revolving frame, adjacent to the front side of the hydraulic oil tank, and storing a fuel to be supplied to the engine, a NOx purifying device provided by being connected to an exhaust pipe of the engine and removing nitrogen oxides (hereinafter referred to as NOx) contained in an exhaust gas, and a urea water tank storing urea water to be supplied to the NOx purifying device.
Here, in a case where the urea water tank is to be provided on a hydraulic excavator, such constitution is known that the urea water tank is installed by using a tool box provided on the front side of the fuel tank, and a supply work of the urea water is performed from front of the tool box. (see Patent Document 1, for example).

Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd.


This invention relates to single-tool surgical instruments, such as scissors or forceps which do not pass through a channel in an operating laparoscope, which contain moving actuator parts at the end of a long slender shaft comprising a tube and a yoke. The actuator is operated by means of a handle assembly, which either forces or retracts an interior rod through a hollow shaft tube. These instruments can be disassembled to remove the interior rod from inside the shaft tube. This allows improved cleaning and removal of blood or tissue residues from the interior rod and shaft tube prior to sterilization, to provide for more effective and reliable sterilization of the components. The assembly includes a union coupling near the handle which allows the shaft tube to be disengaged from the handle without rotating either the interior rod or the shaft tube. After the shaft tube has been disengaged and pulled away slightly, the shaft and actuator assembly are rotated relative to the handle assembly. This unscrews the actuator assembly from the end of the interior rod. After the interior rod disengages from the actuator assembly, the shaft and actuator are pulled away from the handle assembly and interior rod. This exposes the interior rod and provides open access to the interior of the shaft tube, so that both components can be cleaned to remove any blood or tissue residue prior to sterilization. If desired, the actuator assembly can be removed from the end of the shaft tube, by removing a pivot screw, or by installing the actuator assembly in a shaft yoke device which can be removed from the end of the shaft tube.

This invention is in the field of surgical instruments, and more particularly relates to "minimally invasive" surgical instruments such as laparoscopes and endoscopes.
As used herein, "minimally invasive surgery" (MIS) refers to surgery which utilizes instruments that penetrate the skin through a puncture or incision which is kept as small as possible given the needs of the operation. MIS devices include laparoscopic devices (which penetrate the peritoneal wall and enter the abdominal cavity; this includes instruments used in gynecology, and in sterlization procedures, and arthroscopic devices (which are used to operate on joints such as knees). Minimally invasive approaches and instruments have also been developed for thoracic surgery, including some types of cardiac surgery; although those uses are not as widespread as laparoscopic or arthroscopic surgery, such devices are gaining acceptance.
Minimally invasive surgery, as used herein, does not refer to endoscopic procedures, which normally do not puncture the skin. Endoscopic tools enter the body through a natural orifice; for example, bronchioscopes enter the chest through the nose or mouth, and proctoscopes enter the colon through the anus. In addition, as used herein, "minimally invasive surgery" excludes angioscopic devices pass through blood vessels. Endoscopic and angioscopic devices typically have flexible assemblies between the handle and the operating end, to allow the operating end to be pointed or twisted in any desired direction as it passes through channels or tunnels inside the body. Any such devices which have flexible shafts are not covered by the subject invention.
One class of devices which are used to manipulate tissue or bone during minimally invasive surgery have rigid shafts with a hand-operated handle at one end and an actuator (such as scissor blades or forceps jaws) at the other end. The rigid shaft allows the surgeon who is gripping the handle to have positive, firm control over the tissue that is being cut, pulled, sutured, or otherwise manipulated. Various rigid-shaft MIS devices are commercially available from companies such as Elmed (Addison, Ill.), Snowden-Pencer (Tucker, Ga.), and Wolf Medical Instruments (Rosemont, Ill.); these companies all publish catalogs showing photographs and other illustrations.
In general, rigid-shaft instruments used in MIS procedures can be grouped into either of two categories. In one category, which is not involved in this invention, an operating instrument (such as scissors or grasping forceps) with a very slender shaft is inserted through a channel (often called a probe channel) in a larger shaft which also carries a light source and/or a fiber optic cable for viewing. For example, a typical operating laparoscope has a shaft with an outside diameter of 10 millimeters (mm), and a probe channel with an inside diameter of 5 mm for insertion of an operating tool. These devices, which allow certain types of surgical procedures to be carried out through a single skin puncture, are sometimes called "operating laparoscopes," since they include both the scopic (viewing) components and the operating instrument. These devices are not covered by the subject invention.
The second category, covered by the subject invention, involves simpler operating tools which do not pass through the same shaft with a light source or viewing component. These are sometimes called "double puncture" instruments, since they normally can be used only in an operation that involves at least two skin punctures (i.e., the operating instrument passes through one skin incision, while the light source and a viewing instrument must pass through a second incision). As used herein, these devices are referred to as "single-tool rigid-shaft" (STRS) instruments; the phrase "single tool" distinguishes them from operating laparoscopes and other devices having more than one tool or function, while the phrase "rigid shaft" distinguishes them from endoscopes and other devices that are flexible rather than rigid.
A typical STRS device will have a shaft diameter of 3, 5, or 10 millimeters (mm), and an overall length of somewhere between 30 to 50 cm. The handles of most such devices usually fall into either of two categories; one category is usually called "scissor" or "ring" handles, while the other category is referred to herein as "plunger" handles. As implied by the name, scissor handles resemble the handles of a pair of scissors, where the two pieces of the handle are connected by a single pivot point. The pivot (usually a screw or rivet) effectively creates a lever system, with handle components (usually shaped as rings, so that a finger and a thumb can be inserted through the rings without risk of slippage) on one side of the pivot and lever components on the other side of the pivot. Plunger handles involve an internal component which slides through the shaft of a second external component, comparable to a large syringe. In one type of scissor handle arrangement, shown in FIG. xxx, closure of the ring portions causes closure of the lever components. In a different scissor handle arrangement, shown in FIG. xxx, closure of the ring portions causes the lever portions to open rather than close. In a plunger handle, an internal component slides through the shaft of an external component, in a manner comparable to a syringe. Specialized handles are available with devices such as rachets to hold the actuators firmly closed (or open), and spring-loaded arrangements that cause the actuators to remain closed until opened by the surgeon.
As used herein, "actuator" refers to the portion of a surgical instrument that actually contacts and manipulates tissue in a patient (or animal). Several types of common actuators are scissors, grasping forceps, and biopsy forceps. Scissors use sharpened blades to cut tissue in roughly the same manner as conventional scissors, although blade shapes vary. Grasping forceps include devices which grasp but do not intentionally cut or puncture tissue; for example, forceps with broad jaws (resembling pliers) are used for tasks such as pulling out gall bladders that have been surgically cut away from the liver, while forceps with narrow jaws can be used to manipulate a needle during suturing. Biopsy forceps use blade, scraper, hook, or punch arrangements to remove a small piece of tissue from a patient's body for analysis. These actuators are shown in catalogs published by suppliers such as Elmed, Snowden-Pencer, or Wolf.
The shaft of a typical single-channel rigid-shaft (STRS) instruments includes a hollow cylindrical shaft, which encloses a solid bar. The solid bar is connected at the forward or operating end to the actuator device (i.e., the scissor blades or forcep jaws), and at the rear or handle end to one piece of the handle assembly. When the handle is operated, the solid bar slides through the shaft tube and operates the actuator assembly. Various types of actuator assemblies are used. For example, the solid bar that passes through the shaft tube can be coupled, via a pivot, to one of the blades or jaws in a scissors or forceps assembly; the other blade, jaw, or anvil of the scissors remains rigidly attached to the end of the shaft tube, and the single movable blade or jaw interacts with the fixed component to create the desired result. Alternately, more complex arrangements are also available to cause symmetric (or non-symmetric) movement of both blades or jaws.
One of the most important problems facing endoscopic surgery involves contaminated and inadequately sterilized instruments, which can infect patients. Various articles and patents which discuss the various techniques used for sterilizing laparoscopes (and endoscopes) include Marshburn et al, J. of Reproductive Medicine 36: 483-487 (1991), U. Frank and F. Daschner, Endoscopy 21: 276-279 (1989), and G. Gorse and R. Messner, Infect. Control Hosp. Epidemiol. 12: 289-296 (1991). Although various techniques (such as steam sterilization, and chemicals such as glutaraldehyde) are widely used, they are inadequate to reliably kill all the bacteria, bacterial spores, and viruses that can be present in blood and tissue residues that infiltrate into surgical devices.
Bacterial spores deserve particular attention, since they pose a major threat of infection. In general, spores are dehydrated bacterial particles that are enclosed in a relatively hard casing. They are analogous to hard-shell plant seeds that can pass through the entire digestive tract of a bird or animal and emerge still capable of sprouting and growing a healthy plant. In the same way, bacterial spores have evolved in a way that allows them to resist and survive hostile conditions. This often enables substantial numbers of spores to survive sterilization using chemicals such as glutaraldehyde, or brief autoclaving, if the spores are coated by blood or tissue residues that shelter and protect the spores. If prolonged heating is used, it can damage the temper and weaken the steel used in surgical instruments.
In an effort to provide better sterilization of laparoscopes, several techniques have been developed. For example, so-called operating laparascopes (which have multiple channels in a single shaft) are designed in a way that allows a surgical instrument (such as scissors or forceps) to be removed from the probe channel. This allows the exterior of the instrument to be thoroughly wiped off, and it allows the probe channel in the large laparoscopic shaft to be rinsed out with high-pressure water. However, this technique is not available for single-channel rigid-shaft (STRS) instruments as defined above, since such devices are not inserted through a probe channel in a larger device.
Some rigid-shaft instruments have been developed which provide a rinsing channel through the shaft of the device. The rinsing channel is opened by removing inlet and outlet plugs or other devices at each end; water is then forced into the inlet end, and it passes through the interior of the shaft tube while the solid actuator bar remains inside the tube. This is partially but not completely effective in removing blood and tissue residues from inside the shaft of the device. It also suffers from various other problems; for example, in the often hurried and crowded environment of a hospital, any small components that are temporarily removed from a larger instrument can be misplaced and lost.
The subject invention discloses an improved method of constructing single-channel rigid-shaft (STRS) instruments for minimally invasive surgery. In this invention, a method is provided for disassembling the instrument so that the interior rod can be removed from inside the shaft tube. This allows all surfaces of both the interior rod and the hollow shaft tube to be rinsed, wiped, or brushed until they are completely clean. This removes all blood and tissue residue from the disassembled components, so that when the components are sterilized (either assembled or disassembled), the sterilization is much more effective and reliable.
Accordingly, one object of this invention is to disclose a single-channel rigid-shaft minimally invasive surgical instrument which can be disassembled for improved cleaning and sterilization. Another object of this invention is to disclose a method of sterilizing a single-channel rigid-shaft instrument which can be disassembled to remove the interior rod from the outer shaft tube.

Rigid-shaft surgical instruments that can be disassembled for improved cleaning


A method for the contactless determination of an electrical potential of an object, involves providing an electrode which is spatially at a distance from the object, connecting the electrode to a reference potential, determining a first temporal change in an electrical state of charge of the electrode at a first value for the electric flux between the electrode and the object, determining a second temporal change in the electrical state of charge of the electrode at a second value for the electric flux between the electrode and the object, and determining the electrical potential of the object at least from the first temporal change in the electrical state of charge and the second temporal change in the electrical state of charge and from a difference between the first value and the second value for the electric flux.

The invention relates to a method and a device for the contactless determination of an electrical potential of an object using one electrode or a first electrode and a second electrode.
It is known practice to contactlessly measure the current flow through an object. This may be effected using inductive coupling, the Hall effect or the GMR (Giant Magneto Resistance) effect. However, in order to be able to contactlessly measure electrical power, a method for contactless potential measurement is also required in addition to the contactless current measurement. Contactless potential measurement, in particular of high voltages, is particularly important, in particular, in the field of smart metering, smart grid and response-demand strategies.
So-called electric field meters provide one possibility for this. Said meters use the effect of electrostatic induction in order to be able to infer the voltage to be determined using the determined electrical field strength. However, for this purpose, the distance between the object, whose potential is intended to be determined, and the measuring electrode of the electric field meter as well as the material (dielectric) between the measuring electrode and the object in the measuring capacitance must be exactly known. In order to be able to use an electric field meter to also measure DC voltages, a shutter (field diaphragm) in the form of a chopper (impeller) is generally used between the measuring electrode and the object.
Capacitive voltage dividers can also be used to determine pure AC voltages, in which case the coupling capacitance between a reference electrode and the potential to be measured must likewise be known here.
Both methods and devices (electric field meter and capacitive voltage divider) presuppose accurate knowledge of the coupling to the voltage to be measured, in particular the distance between the measuring electrode and the measurement object. In this respect, these known methods are unsuitable for only temporary measuring operations or subsequent measuring installations. Electric field meters and capacitive voltage dividers are permanently installed for precise measurements and are calibrated in the installation environment. In the case of handheld measuring devices, exact knowledge of the geometry and material composition (line installation, air, gas, condensation, etc.) of the measuring set-up is required. For this purpose, special spacers, for example, are used in commercially available electric field meters. However, spacers have the disadvantage that, in order to determine the potential of electrically insulated lines in particular, they do not sit directly on the conductive material and therefore set the distance only with inadequate precision. In addition, the type of insulating material cannot be taken into account. If this precision of the known contactless potential measuring methods does not suffice, measurement must usually be carried out using contact.

Method for the contactless determination of an electrical potential of an object using two different values for the electric flux, and device


The present invention is, in one aspect, a radio frequency source, comprising a gyromagnetic precession oscillator. In a second aspect, the gyromagnetic precession oscillator comprises a closed, non-magnetic, cylindrical outer conductor defining a cavity therein; an axial field solenoid wound about the outer conductor; a non-magnetic, cylindrical inner conductor disposed within the cavity and coaxially aligned with the outer conductor; a plurality of cylindrical ferrite precessors, each defining a respective bore through which the inner conductor runs; a plurality of dividers disposed within and defining a resonant chamber in the cavity; and a dielectric material filling the cavity. In a third aspect, the radio frequency source is actively tunable. In a fourth aspect, the radio frequency source that is tunable pulse-to-pulse.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a radio frequency source.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are commercial examples of devices that use the gyromagnetic principle. They utilize spheres of special ferrite material. The spheres are very small and the devices, called Yittrium Iron Garnett (YIG) oscillators, are limited in power output up to a few tens of watts. There are other tunable microwave frequency sources that are based on ferrite materials called Non Linear Transmission Lines ("NLTLs"). NLTLs use a different physical mechanism to produce the microwave radiation. While an NLTL has similar frequency agility, they can not produce frequencies above 2.0 GHz. This is a fundamental limitation of the materials and designs used in NLTLs.
The present invention is directed to resolving, or at least reducing, one or all of the problems mentioned above.


A circuit such as a host adapter includes a timer capable of detecting time-outs for multiple pending commands. The timer includes a single free-running counter, a first storage for start counts, a second storage for time-out values, a subtractor, and a comparator. The start counts are counts from the counter that are saved when issuing an associated command. The time-out values indicate the lengths of different types of time-out periods. To check whether a command timed out, a start count associated with the command is selected from the first storage, and the subtractor determines a difference between a current count in the counter and the selected start count. The difference is then compared to a time-out value that is selected from the second storage according to the type of time-out. The command timed out if the difference is greater than the selected time-out value. In one embodiment, the second storage includes count registers for time-out values, a multiplexer, and select register that provides a select signal to the multiplexer. The select register contains a value associated with the command, and the number of count registers matches the number of types of time-outs.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to circuits such as host adapters that determine whether devices respond before the ends of multiple types of time-out periods, and particularly to timers for such circuits.
2. Description of Related Art
Personal computers use host adapters such as SCSI controllers to control communications with peripheral devices. A host adapter is conventionally on a circuit board that attaches to a system bus such as a PCI bus in a host computer, and peripheral devices connect to the host adapter via a peripheral bus such as a fiber channel bus or a SCSI bus. To control a target device on the peripheral bus, the host adapter sends commands (or requests) to the target peripheral device and then waits for the target peripheral devices to respond. The host adapter, while waiting for a response from one peripheral device, can send other commands to other peripheral devices or to the same peripheral device. Accordingly, the host adapter may be waiting for responses from several different pending commands.
Each command can have one or more different types of time-out period during which host adapter expects a particular type of response. If the peripheral does not respond before the end of a time-out period, an error has occurred which the host adapter must handle error according to the type of time out. Typically, the host adapter either retransmits a command or notifies the host computer that a peripheral device is not responding in the event that the peripheral fails to respond before the time-out. Conventionally, host adapters may have several timers for the multiple pending commands that may have different time-out periods. Such timers typically include a counter that is loaded with an appropriate time-out count when the host adapter sends a command to a peripheral. The counter decrements the time-out count while the host adapter waits for a response. A time-out occurs if the counter decrements the count to zero before the peripheral responds. When an instruction times out, the timer typically sets a control bit corresponding to the type of time out, and the host adapter takes appropriate action for the type of time out.
A problem with conventional timers is that each pending command and each type of time out may require a separate timer. With protocols for peripheral buses now permitting greater numbers of pending transfers and with host adapters controlling a broader spectrum of devices, a large number of commands can be pending and several time out periods must be simultaneously monitored. Providing timers for each time out for each pending command requires circuit area in the host adapter and increases the host adapter's complexity and cost. Accordingly, methods and circuits are sought that can time a large number of pending commands with different time out periods without using a proportionally large amount of circuit area.

Timer using a single counter to track multiple time-outs


A method, apparatus and computer program is disclosed for managing a user interface (UI) for an application program in which a plurality of user interface methods are provided for a given application program function, one or more of the more frequently used UI options being maintained in the UI while one or more of the less frequently used UI options are removed.

Computer programs such as application programs are commonly provided with a user interface (UI) to enable user interaction with the computer program. Each function provided by the computer program is represented as an option in the UI for user selection as appropriate. As the complexity and number of functions provided by a program increase, the number of options in the UI can correspondingly increase. Furthermore, a UI may be arranged provide two or more UI options for a user to select a single program function. For example, a UI may provide a drop-down menu option, keyboard shortcut, toolbar option or touch gesture all for selecting a specific program function. Thus, the increased complexity of the UI can make UI options difficult to find, obscure UI options altogether or make UI options difficult to discover.

Managing a user interface for an application program

International Business Machines Corporation


A multiple-access communications downlink uses OFDM and error-correcting codes to send data to multiple terminals from a single access point, in which packets of message information for multiple users are aggregated and encoded into a single error-correction codeword, in which assigned time slots corresponding to specific OFDM symbols are used to separate different users, so that a near-capacity achieving channel coding system constructs a single codeword for use with iterative decoding architectures at the mobile terminals.

The problem addressed by the invention is the design of the downlink of a multi-access wireless network system utilizing full frequency and spatial diversity for each intended user while taking advantage of error correction coding techniques that employ iterative decoding architectures. In particular, the signaling content sent to all users by the Access-Point (AP) occupies the entire physical bandwidth during the same period of transmission (i.e. spread across all sub-carriers of an OFDM symbol).
The term AP is general and applies to many fields. In the particular case of wireless telecommunications, APs are also referred to as base stations.
Previous work has employed wireless network systems based on Code-Division-Multiple-Access (CDMA); in particular, Direct-Sequence CDMA (DS-CDMA) communication systems. FIG. 1 illustrates a typical DS-CDMA system in which each user is assigned a chip sequence (also referred to as a spreading code), wi for i=1, 2, . . . , M (where M is the length of the sequence and also the maximum number of users), that is ideally pair-wise orthogonal to all other spreading codes that may be used by other users, i.e.
            w      i      T                  w      j        =      {                                        1                                                              for                                                                                i                            =              j                                                            0                                                              for                                                                                i                            ≠              j                                          .
Then, the AP based on DS-CDMA modulates each user's data with the corresponding spreading code in a scalar fashion using points from a constellation constructed from the respective user's data and adds chip-by-chip the results prior to transmission to all users included in this operation (see FIG. 1). The AP transmits this sequence of sums one chip period at a time (spreading the users' data over time) in synchronized periodic intervals to all users. Each user then uses a match filter (known by those skilled in the art) based on its assigned chip sequence to remove the modulated spreading codes of all other users. This is possible because each user's signal space exists in an orthogonal dimension. Using the output of the match filter, the user then decodes the information modulated in the transmitted constellation point.
FIG. 1A illustrates in simplified form a typical base station, in which a set of modules 110-1 to 110-M encodes the data being transmitted by the user, using a code such as an LDPC turbo code that has an error-correcting feature that permits the receiving station to correct for errors generated in the channel.
Next in sequence, the codewords that are the output of each encoder are optionally interleaved (on a bit or symbol basis) in units 120-1 to 120-M in order to spread the data out in time and/or space and thereby to increase the diversity of the signals.
The interleaved data are used to modulate frequency domain symbols in units 130-1 to 130-M, the output of which are modulated with the spreading codes w1-wM.
The M data streams are then added in adder 150 and broadcast on one or more antennas 155.
FIG. 1B illustrates graphically that the data for each user is spread over the entire spectrum available for the system, being separated from one another by the orthogonality of the spreading codes.
The plus sign in unit 140 of FIG. 1B indicates that the data for different users is combined and processed at the same time; data for an individual user is transmitted sequentially one chip period at a time.
The result, illustrated graphically on the right of FIG. 1B, is that the contents of a point in the Cartesian frequency-time graph will contain data for all users.
From a temporal viewpoint, the AP sends data to all users at the same time. From a spectral viewpoint, each user's spectral content occupies the entire physical bandwidth (inverse of a chip period) leaving the AP's transmitter. Thus, in DS-CDMA all users assigned a distinct spreading code occupy all frequencies at the exact time during the AP transmission. In existing DS-CDMA systems, the spreading occurs across time for a given carrier frequency.
An alternate prior art application of orthogonal spreading codes is placing the modulated chip sequence across sub-carriers in systems employing OFDM signaling (a.k.a. Multi-Carrier-CDMA (MC-CDMA)). Again, all assigned users exist simultaneously across the same physical frequencies and time epochs but in orthogonal signal spaces. Nevertheless, this prior art and variations of such also separates users using assigned orthogonal spreading codes.
Another prior approach is Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA), illustrated in FIG. 2. This approach partitions sub-carriers of an OFDM signaling system into groups of adjacent (or possibly non-adjacent) sub-carriers where each mobile terminal is assigned a group (or groups) for the purpose of multiple-access. Thus, each user experiences frequency diversity only within its assigned groups and not the entire available frequency bandwidth (unless its group consists of the entire bandwidth).
FIG. 2 shows a set of modules similar to those of FIG. 1. User data enter on separate lines in the left of the Figure and are encoded in a set of modules 210-1,-210-M.
The encoded output is interleaved in modules 220-1-220-M. The interleaved output is used to modulate frequency-domain symbols in modules 230-1,-230-M.
The modulated frequency-domain data pass to a process unit 240 that performs an inverse Fourier transform. The multiple arrows between units 230-I and unit 240 indicate that a number of subchannels separated in frequency are jointly processed with an inverse Fourier transform, resulting in a composite time domain signal output from FT unit 240.
The time domain signal is optionally combined with a cyclic prefix for purposes of utilizing the circular convolution property of the Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) pair (of which the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) pair is a special case) to maintain sub-channel orthogonality in the presence of frequency-selective multipath propagation.
FIG. 2B illustrates graphically the process, in which the available spectrum is divided in frequency with an Nth user having data on one or more subchannels.
As with FIG. 1B, the transmitted signal at a given time contains data for multiple users. On the right side, the diagram differs from that of FIG. 1B indicating that each user has a separate portion of the spectrum.

Orthogonal-Frequency-Division-Multiplex-Packet-Aggregation (OFDM-PA) for wireless network systems using error-correcting codes


The invention relates to a method and a device for enabling a validated money transfer between a sending and a receiving person via a sending and a receiving financial institution, where a request to a validation agent for validation of a money transfer replaces normal time consuming cross border security checks. The validation agent, being unaffiliated with the sending financial institution and the receiving financial institution, administers a data base comprising validated transfer agreements, which agreements specifies at least the identity of a sending person and of a receiving person. A validation of a transfer is executed at the validation agent by comparing current transfer data with information specified in the validated transfer agreements.

In order to combat money laundering and terrorist financing the intergovernmental body FATF (Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering) was founded by G7 in 1989. The primary policies issued by the FATF are the Forty Recommendations on money laundering and the Special Recommendations on Terrorist Financing. Related to these is e.g. the Know Your Customer (KYC) due diligence that financial institutions and other regulated companies must perform to identify their clients and ascertain relevant information pertinent to doing financial business with them.
Although improving security issues, requirements in line with the KYC regulations have increased costs and reduced speed especially for cross-border transfer of money, as for each transaction an elaborate scheme of validating sender and receiver relative to identity, address and legal history as well as validating senders and receivers accounts and monitoring the regularity and irregularity of the transfer patterns needs to be performed.
In more detail, one reason why the scheme is time consuming is that a number of requests and confirmations have to be exchanged between the sending and the receiving bank. Further, a consecutive request from the sending bank is normally not sent until a previous one has been confirmed. When the transfer is performed electronically or by electronic means, the first request normally concerns whether the receivers account exist at the receiving bank and if the account may receive money from the sending account. Provided this is confirmed, the funds are transferred to an institution in an International Banking Network before this institution delivers it to the receiving bank. After this has been validly performed, a confirmation that the funds have been received is sent to the sending bank from the receiving bank. The messaging between the sending and receiving banks is normally performed using a communication protocol provided by Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT). There are instances where the receiving bank only empties its batch of incoming request once a day, and sends the confirmations with the same periodicity. Thus the time from initiation until a money transfer has been completed might amount to days.
In summary, the execution of this validation scheme at every transaction is connected with costs and delays, especially when passing country borders and time zones.


Data protection methods and systems for a storage environment are provided. A first-in-first out (FIFO) structure stores a logical representation of a first storage location that retains previous data for a data container, after new data for the data container is stored at a second storage location. The FIFO structure also stores a logical representation of a file system tree structure that is stored in persistent storage, after a consistent point operation. In response to an event, the file system tree structure is selected, based on the file system tree structure being closest to a transaction. A snapshot is generated using the file system tree structure. Thereafter, the data container is restored from the snapshot or from a copy of the snapshot.

Various forms of storage systems are used today. These forms include direct attached storage, network attached storage (NAS) systems, storage area networks (SANs), and others. Storage systems are commonly used for a variety of purposes, such as providing multiple users with access to shared data, backing up data and others. A storage system typically includes at least one computing system (may also be referred to as a "server", "storage server", "storage node", "storage system node" or "storage controller") executing a storage operating system configured to store and retrieve data on behalf of one or more computing systems at one or more storage devices.
Conventional data protection technology to protect stored data involves taking snapshots i.e. a point in time copy of a file system at fixed time intervals. This makes a recovery point objective (RPO) to restore a snapshot coarse grained i.e. one is only able to recover the file system only based on when the snapshot was taken. For example, assume that snapshot S1 was taken at time t1 and snapshot S2 was taken at time t2. S1 and S2 may not be taken at specific transaction boundaries i.e. after completion of a specific write operation. Conventional snapshot technology can mostly restore the file system to t1 or t2 based on S1 and S2. This does not provide continuous data protection where the file system can be efficiently restored at a specific transaction between t1 and t2.
Furthermore, conventional data protection technology for databases has shortcomings. Typically, databases use two components, a log file and a data file to track database write operations or transactions. The log file tracks all transactions, while the data file stores the data. Typically, to restore a database, one selects a snapshot and replays the log file. Because snapshots are coarse grained, one has to replay various transactions of the log file to reach a specific transaction. This may delay the restore operation and may potentially breach a recovery time objective (RTO) that provides a duration during which a database has to be restored. Continuous efforts are being made to improve computing technology for providing continuous data protection in networked storage systems.

Data protection methods and systems for a networked storage environment


An electric linear motor, an elevator and a method for controlling rotation of a mover with respect to a stator beam are presented. The electric linear motor includes a number of stator beams, wherein at least one of them includes stators extending in a longitudinal direction of the beam. The motor also includes a number of movers, wherein at least one them includes armatures, wherein each armature is adapted for establishing an electromagnetic coupling with a corresponding stator for moving the mover. The motor also includes an air gap regulator for regulating movement of the mover with respect to the stator beam, wherein the air gap regulator includes guide element(s) arranged for limiting the rotation of the mover with respect to the stator beam.

Electric linear motors can be utilized in a variety of applications, such as in elevators to move the elevator car in the elevator shaft. Some typical electric linear motors are such that they have a long linear stator beam equipped with controllable electromagnetic components such as coils for generating magnetic field. The rotor, or "mover", typically comprises permanent magnets, magnetic fields of which, when being in electromagnetic engagement with the "traveling" magnetic field of the stator, causes the rotor to move along the linear stator.
However, some electric linear motors can be operated by feeding current to the windings in the mover in order to control the movement of the mover along the stator beam. In such motors, there may not be windings in the stator beam at all. In addition to the control of the movement along the stator beam, the current fed into the windings can be controlled such as to generate an air gap between the stator and the mover, that is, to magnetically levitate the mover with respect to the stator beam.
However, in the known solutions, there are challenges with controlling of the levitation in that the mover tends to rotate with respect to the stator beam, that is around the stator beam, thus in many cases causing mechanical contact between the mover and the stator beam. Therefore, there is still a need to develop electric linear motors utilizing magnetic levitation to generate the air gap of the motor.

Electric linear motor, elevator and method for controlling rotation of a mover with respect to a stator beam of an electric linear motor


A light deflector includes a mirror unit having a light reflection plane, a base, a pair of elastic supporting members each having one end attached to the mirror unit and the other end attached to the base and configured to support the mirror unit in a rotatable and oscillatable manner, and a pair of drive bars each having one end attached to another end of a corresponding one of the elastic supporting members and the other end attached to the base in a cantilevered state. The mirror unit rotates and oscillates about a center of rotation as deformation of the drive bars is transmitted to the mirror unit through the elastic supporting members. The center of rotation of the mirror unit is within a range of −0.05×D to −0.01×D, where D denotes a diameter of the mirror unit.

Technical Field
Embodiments of the present invention relate to a light deflector, and devices such as optical scanner, image forming apparatus, image projector, heads-up display, and a laser radar into each of which the light deflector is incorporated.
Background Art
Light deflectors created through micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) processing using silicon materials are known in the art. In such light deflectors, a mirror unit, a pair of torsion bars, and drive bars are formed as a single integrated unit. The mirror unit has a light reflection plane, and is supported by the pair of torsion bars. Each of the drive bars has a piezoelectric member and its one end is attached to a base. The other ends of the torsion bars that are not attached to the mirror unit are supported by the free ends of the drive bars. The mirror unit enters a moment of rotation where the mirror unit rotates when the bending deformation caused to the drive bars by application of voltage is transmitted to the mirror unit through the torsion bars. When the mirror unit rotates, the torsion bars twist and deform, creating an elastic force that restores the mirror to its original state. As this series of processes is repeated, the mirror unit rotates and oscillates at a constant amplitude.
For example, a configuration is known in the art in which the center of the mirror unit is displaced towards the connecting part of the drive bars and the base with reference to the axis of the torsion bars. Due to such a configuration, the moment generated for the mirror unit by bending deformation of the drive bars increases, and the rotation amplitude (deflection angle) of the mirror unit can be increased. In this known configuration, the center of rotation of the mirror unit is placed at the approximate center of gravity of the mirror unit.
In order to increase diameter of the mirror unit, the angle of the amplitude of the mirror unit, or the resonance frequency, the amount of displacement of the torsion bars (such an amount of displacement may be referred to as an offset amount in the following description) needs to be increased with reference to the center of the mirror unit so as to increase the moment. However, when the offset amount is increased, the asymmetry of the torsion bars increases with reference to the mirror unit. As known in the art, the mirror unit is designed to rotate around the center of the mirror. For this reason, the axis of the torsion bars is offset from the center of rotation of the mirror unit when the offset amount is increased, and extra deformation force (e.g., bending force) is applied to the torsion bars in addition to the torsion around the axis of the torsion bars.
In other words, when the drive frequency of the mirror unit becomes as high as a few kHz to a few tens of kHz, the mirror unit, which is made of silicon material, may deform due to the undesired deforming force caused by the offset amount of the torsion bars, and there are some cases in which the optically-required precision of the plane of the light reflection plane cannot be maintained. If the precision of the plane of the mirror unit is degraded, the beam spot that is formed by the beam reflected at the light reflection plane deforms, and the resolution deteriorates, leading to a low image quality.

Light deflector, and devices incorporating the same