Techniques and tools for signaling reference frame distances are described. For example, a video encoder signals a code for a reference frame distance for a current field-coded interlaced video frame. The code indicates a count of frames (e.g., bi-directionally predicted frames) between the current frame and a preceding reference frame. The code may be a variable length code signaled in the frame header for the current frame. The encoder may selectively signal the use of a default value for reference frame distances rather than signal a reference frame distance per frame. A video decoder performs corresponding parsing and decoding.

Digital video consumes large amounts of storage and transmission capacity. A typical raw digital video sequence includes 15 or 30 frames per second. Each frame can include tens or hundreds of thousands of pixels (also called pels), where each pixel represents a tiny element of the picture. In raw form, a computer commonly represents a pixel as a set of three samples totaling 24 bits. For instance, a pixel may include an eight-bit luminance sample (also called a luma sample, as the terms "luminance" and "luma" are used interchangeably herein) that defines the grayscale component of the pixel and two eight-bit chrominance samples (also called chroma samples, as the terms "chrominance" and "chroma" are used interchangeably herein) that define the color component of the pixel. Thus, the number of bits per second, or bit rate, of a typical raw digital video sequence may be 5 million bits per second or more.
Many computers and computer networks lack the resources to process raw digital video. For this reason, engineers use compression (also called coding or encoding) to reduce the bit rate of digital video. Compression decreases the cost of storing and transmitting video by converting the video into a lower bit rate form. Decompression (also called decoding) reconstructs a version of the original video from the compressed form. A "codec" is an encoder/decoder system. Compression can be lossless, in which the quality of the video does not suffer, but decreases in bit rate are limited by the inherent amount of variability (sometimes called entropy) of the video data. Or, compression can be lossy, in which the quality of the video suffers, but achievable decreases in bit rate are more dramatic. Lossy compression is often used in conjunction with lossless compression—the lossy compression establishes an approximation of information, and the lossless compression is applied to represent the approximation.
In general, video compression techniques include "intra-picture" compression and "inter-picture" compression, where a picture is, for example, a progressively scanned video frame, a frame-coded interlaced video frame (having alternating lines for video fields), or an interlaced video field. Intra-picture compression techniques compress individual pictures (typically called I-pictures or key pictures), and inter-picture compression techniques compress pictures (typically called predicted pictures, P-pictures, or B-pictures) with reference to preceding and/or following pictures (typically called reference or anchor pictures).
Intra-picture compression techniques often use a frequency transform and quantization to exploit spatial redundancy within a picture. For example, an encoder divides an intra-coded picture into 8×8 pixel blocks. To each 8×8 block, the encoder applies a frequency transform, which generates a set of frequency domain (i.e., spectral) coefficients. The resulting spectral coefficients are quantized and entropy encoded. During decoding, a decoder typically performs the inverse of the encoder operations. For example, the decoder performs entropy decoding, inverse quantization, and an inverse frequency transform.
Inter-picture compression techniques often use motion estimation and motion compensation to exploit temporal redundancy between pictures. For example, for motion estimation an encoder divides a current predicted picture into 16×16 macroblocks. For a macroblock of the current picture, a similar area in a reference picture is found for use as a predictor. A motion vector indicates the location of the predictor in the reference picture. In other words, the motion vector for the macroblock of the current picture indicates the displacement between the spatial location of the macroblock in the current picture and the spatial location of the predictor in the reference picture. The encoder computes the sample-by-sample difference between the current macroblock and the predictor to determine a residual (also called error signal). To blocks of the residual, the encoder applies a frequency transform. The resulting spectral coefficients are quantized and entropy encoded. During decoding, a decoder typically performs the inverse of various encoder operations. For example, for a residual, the decoder performs entropy decoding, an inverse quantization, and an inverse frequency transform. The decoder also performs motion compensation and combines the predictors with reconstructed residuals. If an intra-coded or inter-coded picture is used as a reference for subsequent motion compensation, the encoder also reconstructs the picture.
I. Interlaced Video and Progressive Video
A video frame contains lines of spatial information of a video signal. For progressive video, lines of an entire frame are scanned in raster scan fashion (left to right, top to bottom) starting at a single time instant. The lines are successive and non-alternating.
The raster scan of an interlaced video frame is performed in two passes by scanning alternate lines in each pass. For example, the first scan is made up of the even lines of the frame and the second scan is made up of the odd lines of the scan. So, in an interlaced video frame, the even-numbered lines (top field) may be scanned starting at one time (e.g., time t), with the odd-numbered lines (bottom field) scanned starting at a different (typically later) time (e.g., time t+1). This can create jagged tooth-like features in regions of an interlaced video frame where motion is present when the two fields are scanned starting at different times. For this reason, interlaced video frames can be rearranged according to a field structure, with the odd lines grouped together in one field, and the even lines grouped together in another field. This arrangement, known as field coding, is useful in high-motion pictures for reduction of such jagged edge artifacts. On the other hand, in stationary regions, image detail in the interlaced video frame may be more efficiently preserved without such a rearrangement. Accordingly, frame coding is often used in stationary or low-motion interlaced video frames, in which the original alternating field line arrangement is preserved.
II. Motion Vector Prediction in Windows Media Video, Versions 8 and 9
Microsoft Corporation's Windows Media Video, Version 8 ["WMV8"] includes a video encoder and a video decoder. The WMV8 encoder uses intra- and inter-compression, and the WMV8 decoder uses intra- and inter-decompression. Windows Media Video, Version 9 ["WMV9"] uses a similar architecture for many operations.
The WMV8 and WMV9 codecs use motion vector prediction to reduce the bit rate associated with signaling of motion vector information. The value of a motion vector for a current block or macroblock is often correlated with the values of motion vectors for spatially surrounding blocks or macroblocks. Motion vector compression can be achieved by determining or selecting a motion vector predictor from neighboring macroblocks or blocks, and predicting the motion vector for the current macroblock or block using the motion vector predictor. The encoder then encodes the differential between the motion vector and the motion vector predictor. For example, the encoder computes the difference between the horizontal component of the motion vector and the horizontal component of the motion vector predictor, computes the difference between the vertical component of the motion vector and the vertical component of the motion vector predictor, and encodes the differences.
A corresponding decoder uses motion vector prediction when reconstructing the motion vector. For a motion vector, the decoder determines a motion vector predictor from neighboring macroblocks or blocks (as was done in the encoder, using the same contextual information), decodes a differential for the motion vector, and reconstructs the motion vector from the motion vector predictor and differential.
Motion vector prediction in WMV8 and WMV9 varies depending on the location of the current macroblock (or block) in the current picture (e.g., top row, left column, interior) and whether neighbors have motion vectors for blocks or macroblocks. In WMV9, motion vector prediction also varies depending on video picture type (e.g., progressive frame, interlaced frame). Motion vector prediction in WMV8 and WMV9 provides good performance in many cases. Separate coding of fields of interlaced video frames is not supported in WMV8 and WMV9, however, so the motion vector prediction mechanisms in WMV8 and WMV9 do not address the particular requirements of motion vector prediction for separately coded fields.
III. Motion Vector Prediction in Standards
Aside from previous WMV encoders and decoders, several international standards relate to video compression and decompression. These standards include the Motion Picture Experts Group ["MPEG"] 1, 2, and 4 standards and the H.261, H.262 (another name for MPEG 2), H.263, and H.264 standards from the International Telecommunication Union ["ITU"]. Each of these standards specifies some form of motion vector prediction, although the details of the motion vector prediction vary widely between the standards.
Motion vector prediction is simplest in the H.261 standard, for example, in which the motion vector predictor for the motion vector of a current macroblock is generally the motion vector of the previously coded/decoded macroblock. [H.261 standard, section 18.104.22.168.] Motion vector prediction is similar in the MPEG-1 standard. [MPEG-1 standard, sections 22.214.171.124 and D.6.2.3.]
H.262 specifies more complex motion vector prediction. For a given macroblock, motion vector predictors may be tracked for the forward and backward directions for the whole macroblock or for each of the top and bottom halves of the macroblock. [H.262 standard, section 7.6.3.] For a given motion vector, the motion vector predictor is still typically determined from a single neighbor. Even though separate coding of fields of interlaced video frames is supported in H.262, motion vector prediction for such separately coded fields does not effectively account for polarity changes or changes in distance between a current field and reference field(s).
Other standards (such as H.263, MPEG-4, draft JVT-D157 of H.264) determine a motion vector predictor from multiple different neighbors with different candidate motion vector predictors. [H.263 standard, sections 6.1.1; MPEG-4 standard, sections 7.5.5 and 7.6.2; and F.2; JVT-D157, section 8.4.1.] These are efficient for some kinds of motion. Even when separate coding of fields of interlaced video frames is supported, however, motion vector prediction for separately coded fields does not effectively account for polarity changes or changes in distance between the current field and reference field(s).
Given the critical importance of video compression and decompression to digital video, it is not surprising that video compression and decompression are richly developed fields. Whatever the benefits of previous video compression and decompression techniques, however, they do not have the advantages of the following techniques and tools.


The charger comprises a circuit which includes a reactance before or after a transformer and includes a rectifier, a pull-off and/or an equalizer, formed of at least one diode/rectifier assembly, being provided between both branches of the circuit; the pull-off circuit may be substituted by a switch-off circuit to cut off the charging when the accumulator is carged. The charge is produced by voltage drop by voltage differential maintaining the amperage.

The sector involved in this parent's technique is that of chargers for electrical accumulators or batteries of the sort that are known as rechargeable as well as the non-rechargeable ones, which accept and keep the recharge by means of this type of charger.
ES P9101267 for a circuit and device for recharging accumulators or batteries and other specific use, by the same applicants as this present one, is made up of a circuit which uses direct current to provide for consumption on one part of the circuit and a charging terminal. The content of this patent was extended with the same essence by PCT ES9200044.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,391,321 for a battery (cell) charger in series consists of a battery holder box linked to a circuit in series, having a resistance and a diode on one branch of the circuit, an operation pilot light and a switch.
DE D9100421 for an electrical device with a direct current low frequency motor, consists of a circuit with two alternative branches connected to one of the poles, provided with a resistance, alternative switch and rectifier.
DE A3810397 for a current supplier for a device is, characterized by having a circuit made up of an external branch connected in series to batteries and an internal circuit provided with diodes in one or two directions.


To enhance the upstream data traffic management in an EPON, a scheme is employed to allocate transmission windows for upstream data transmitted from the subscribers' ONUs to an OLT. The queues of a logical link are grouped into queue containers, and the OLT allocates upstream transmission windows to the queue containers. Logical links assigns the upstream transmission window allocated to a queue container to the queues in the queue containers.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to Ethernet Passive Optical Network (EPON) communications, and in particular to managing upstream data traffic allocations in an EPON.
2. Background of the Invention
As EPON moves into mass deployment, more people rely on this technology for network access. Because network users are using more services relying heavily on network communication, such as voice over IP and video on demand, there is growing demand on the performance of an EPON.
In an EPON, there are multiple Optical Network Units (ONUs) and one Optical Line Termination (OLT). The OLT typically resides at the Central Office (CO) and connects the EPON to one or more external networks. Each of the ONUs typically resides at a subscriber's home and connects the subscriber to the EPON. Alternatively, an ONU can be connected to multiple subscribers.
The OLT controls how data is communicated in the EPON. All data communications through the EPON must go through the OLT, including those between two ONUs of the EPON. The downstream traffic from the OLT is standard Ethernet traffic. An entity that transmits and receives data to and from the OLT within each ONU is called a logical link and is identified by a unique logical link identifier (LLID). A local link can maintain several local queues for different traffic priorities. For example, voice packets should be prioritized ahead of data packets (which may contain lower priority web or peer-to-peer traffic), therefore voice packets are placed in a queue with higher priority than the queue holding data packets. Because there are multiple ONUs in an EPON, two or more logical links from different ONUs may transmit data upstream to the OLT at the same time, causing a collision in the upstream traffic. To prevent collisions from happening, the EPON follows the control protocol described in IEEE 802.3ah.
The control protocol described in IEEE 802.3ah uses a Multi-Point Control Protocol (MPCP) to manage the upstream traffic of an EPON. According to the MPCP, each logical link reports the upstream transmission demands of its local queues to the OLT. The OLT divides the upstream transmission bandwidth into upstream transmission windows and allocates the upstream transmission windows to logical links upon request. To allocate the transmission windows, the OLT uses a Dynamic Bandwidth Allocation (DBA) algorithm. Each of the logical links in turn assigns allocated upstream transmission bandwidth to its local queues based on the demands and priorities of the local queues.
This approach is inadequate in providing quality of service to the EPON subscribers. Quality of service is a measure of performance for a transmission system that reflects its transmission quality and availability of service. The traditional approach can result in inefficient upstream bandwidth allocation, especially when a logical link supports multiple Ethernet ports. For example, when one Ethernet port generates continuous high priority upstream transmission demands, it may take over most of the bandwidth allocated to the logical link. In such a case the lower priority upstream transmission demands of the same Ethernet port and the upstream transmission demands of the other Ethernet ports of the same logical link are left to share the remaining limited transmission window.
Another problem of the traditional approach is that the allocation mechanism cannot guarantee a minimum bandwidth to a particular stream (e.g., guaranteeing the necessarily bandwidth to maintain a quality VOIP connection). Also, because the OLT allocates upstream bandwidth on a per-logical link basis only, leaving the assignment of upstream bandwidth to local queues to the logical link, it is difficult to configure or reconfigure the EPON to provide and maintain a quality of service to the subscribers.
Some applications attempt to improve the quality of service by allocating multiple logical links to one ONU, each associated with an Ethernet port. Because the OLT allocates bandwidth based on logical links, an Ethernet port with its own logical link can be guaranteed a minimum upstream bandwidth by the OLT according to a DBA algorithm. But because each logical link reports transmission demands to the OLT each DBA cycle, a large amount of logical links within an EPON would increase upstream overhead (e.g., the upstream bandwidth used by logical links to transmit REPORT messages to the OLT). This in turn could consume a substantial portion of the upstream traffic, leaving the subscribers with insufficient upstream bandwidth.
Therefore, there is a need for a system and process that provides enhanced upstream data traffic management for an EPON by improving the mechanism for allocating upstream bandwidth to queues of a logical link.

Enhanced upstream data traffic management for EPON


A method and apparatus for maintaining oxygen levels in an isolated volume f fluid (e.g. water) is provided. The method and apparatus are adaptable for use with a benthic flux sampling device and rely upon periodically measuring the oxygen concentration in the isolated volume with an oxygen sensor system, monitoring the oxygen sensor system with a control unit, and automatically dispensing oxygen into the isolated volume of fluid with an oxygenation system to maintain a predetermined constant level of oxygenation that corresponds to the ambient.

This invention relates generally to fluid sampling and more particularly to maintaining oxygen concentrations in a sample of water during benthic flux rate sampling.
Sediment in many bays, harbors and coastal waters is contaminated with metal and organic toxins. These toxins are known to cause extensive biological harm to aquatic environments. As a result of the threat of biological harm, remedies for contamination due to toxins are continually being devised.
In order to effectuate a satisfactory remedy however, the source of contamination must be identified. The remedial urgency (i.e. biological risk) relative to other contaminated sites must also be determined. With toxin sources identified and biological risk assessed, remedial resources can be efficiently allocated.
Historically, industrial discharge, chemical spills, improper waste disposal and urban runoff have been the largest known toxin sources. These sources are easily identifiable so that toxin discharge is controllable. Now, a significant portion of aquatic contamination is believed to come via pore water and particulate bound contaminate exchange in benthic sediment (i.e. soluble toxins are suspended and leached from underwater sediment into the aquatic environment).
Sedimentary (benthic) contamination is particularly troublesome to remedy because, unlike contamination caused by chemical spills and industrial discharge, the toxin source is often difficult to identify. Benthic contamination also creates a high level of biological risk for benthic organisms whose survival depends directly on the condition of the underwater sediment. Additionally, all aquatic organisms are put at risk of contamination as toxins in the underwater sediment migrate across the sediment-water interface and contaminate the aquatic environment. Due to the scope and seriousness of problems associated with benthic contamination, ways of assessing the biological risk associated with toxins in benthic sediments have been developed.
The biological risk is dependent, not only on toxin concentrations, but on the rate at which marine plants and animals uptake and accumulate harmful toxins. This rate must be determined. Direct measurement, however, of uptake and accumulation is extraordinarily difficult. Fortunately, indirect measurement is possible. This is accomplished by measuring the rate at which soluble toxins become suspended, leach through pore water, cross the sediment water boundary and enter the aquatic environment. This is called the benthic flux rate.
The benthic flux rate is the most accurate known indicator of the rate at which toxins are entering an aquatic environment and of associated biological risk. The benthic flux rate also is useful in pin pointing the source of contamination by determining whether toxins are leaching from the sediments into the water or vice versa. Together with traditional monitoring and assessment techniques, benthic flux measurements are useful in remedying contamination of benthic sediments.
At present, the best known approach for measuring the benthic flux rate requires isolating a volume of water against a water body floor and periodically sampling the isolated water. In this way, toxin concentration measurements are periodically made and changes in these concentrations are detected. Importantly, because changes in toxin concentrations are generally very small, other factors which could affect toxin concentration measurements and mislead researchers must be eliminated.
Many biological and geochemical processes are affected by dissolved oxygen contained in water samples. Oxygen conditions must, therefore, be maintained during sampling to obtain results which are accurately reflective of the natural environment. More specifically, respiration and oxidation processes tend to deplete oxygen. In the ocean, this depleted oxygen is normally replaced by oxygen introduced through the water-air interface through wave action and through various biological processes such as photosyntheses. In an isolated sample, however, depleted oxygen is not adequately replaced. As a result, oxygen dependent reactions which affect toxin levels fail to continue in a normal manner and make benthic toxicant flux rate measurements inaccurate.
In view of the inaccuracy caused by oxygen depletion while isolating fluid during sampling, a need has been recognized in accordance with this inventive concept for an improved method and apparatus for introducing oxygen into a closed benthic flux sampling chamber and maintaining appropriate oxygen levels to insure the integrity of the benthic flux sampling process and to allow precise and accurate benthic flux rate determinations.

Feedback-controlled oxygen regulation system for benthic flux chambers and method for maintaining a constant volume of oxygen therefor

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy


A network based processing element for processing audio information improves the understanding of speech or music for intended listeners based on an identifier. The processing involves performing a media enhancement function, where a parameter affecting the utilization or performance aspects of the media enhancement function are dependent upon the identifier. A “media enhancement server” (MES) is included, whereby the audio of a telephone call, video call, multimedia program or other stream to be heard by a specific listener is processed using a personalized audio enhancement parameter to enhance the audio signal such that the listener will enjoy a benefit, such as better comprehension of the information, reduced listening effort, and more listening comfort during the call. The personalized parameters are stored and retrieved based upon the identifier, and used within the MES. The audio portion of the call or stream could be speech, music, or a combination.

Currently, the voice and audio services provided within the telephony networks are designed for a listener with relatively normal hearing. However, the hearing device industry has shown that the customization of hearing devices provides for significant benefit in the understanding of speech and hearing in general. Audio processing techniques used to improve the hearing acuity of a listener are well known in the fields of hearing aids and other devices used for the hearing impaired. It is further well known in the hearing impaired community of the existence of "specialty telephones" designed with features to increase the amplitude of a signal and the clarity of the signal using methods including volume control (gain), tone control (equalization), and other audio processing techniques. These specialty telephones and other related devices are expensive, manually controlled by the user, and have limited features when compared with the mobile and fixed telephones available for normal hearing individuals. Due to the cost, these devices have limited capabilities, and are not manageable or upgradeable. Because of these limitations, the use of such devices is limited to individuals with significant hearing impairment.
In the field of telecommunications networks, network based devices which provide for the enhancement of the quality of audio signals are well known for the processing of signals generically. Such devices are used to perform acoustic echo cancellation, signal amplification, filtering and other such functions generally required to meet the audio quality requirement of certain industry standards and the expectations of the relatively normal hearing individual in relatively quiet environments.
Call routing capabilities for inbound and outbound calls provided by various voice telecommunications networks are well known in the telecommunications industry. The Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) features and services are built around the Intelligent Network (IN) and the Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN) service creation and implementation architectures. In the IN and AIN enabled network, the telephone switch connects to a Service Control Point (SCP) which provides information and logic regarding how to handle incoming and outgoing calls to the telephone switch. AIN services such as "Selective Call Acceptance" allow for forwarding all calls received by a specific customer to another telephone number except calls from a specific telephone number, or groups of numbers, are not forwarded and are routed to the customer's telephone or telephone line. There are many different outbound call routing features possible within the AIN architecture to control the routing of outbound calls including "selective call routing," "automatic call routing," "hotline," etc.
Newer network implementations based on the IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) architectures build on the service creation and control capabilities developed under the AIN and provide more flexibility and control of call routing and call control capabilities.
IMS networks include the ability to implement a specific service using an Application Server (AS) where the service control logic exists. An IMS-AS may include features which control call routing and other call features associated with a voice services subscriber. A well known element in the IMS architecture is the Media Resource Function (MRF) which is a network element designed to provide processing of the digitized media carried in a call, including audio based media. One provider of MRF capability is Radisys, with their Convedia media server product line. It is known in the art that such platforms provide for Voice Quality Enhancement (VQE) capability including compensation for acoustic echo, noise compensation, and packet loss based on specific quality metrics. The PSTN AIN architecture did not include a similar function as the IMS MRF but there are other well known methods for processing audio media in the PSTN including the use of an intermediate gateway, or call relay system.
Network based telecommunications elements as described herein and as known in the art may act as gateways, or provide other network functions, which may include audio processing functions. Currently, network based elements that provide audio processing provide the same audio processing methods to all calls that access the audio processing network element.

Network based media enhancement function based on an identifier


An aircraft location and identification system, including a first position determining portion located aboard a transmitting aircraft for determining a first set of present positional and tracking information is described relative to said transmitting aircraft. A transmitting portion is included for transmitting the first set of present positional and tracking information to a receiving aircraft. A second position determining portion, which is located aboard the receiving aircraft, determines a second set of present positional and tracking information relating to the receiving aircraft. A computing portion is located aboard the receiving aircraft and/or a ground based facility. The computing portion utilizes present and past values of the first set of present positional and tracking information to derive a corresponding first probabilistic future tracking configuration of the transmitting aircraft. The computing portion also utilizes present and past values of the second set of the present positional and tracking information to derive a corresponding second probabilistic future tracking configuration of the receiving aircraft.

The development of aircraft identification and locating systems has often been associated with navigational systems. Originally, and to some degree in today's airspaces, pilots interact with ground based air traffic controllers (hereafter referred to as "ATC") over radio, and relay their position with respect to known navigational aids and their altitude. This works well when there are relatively few aircraft in the airspace. Another consideration is that certain navigational systems and altimeter equipment have inherent navigational inaccuracies. Considering that pilots at certain times cannot precisely provide their position makes aircraft separation (which is a responsibility of air traffic controllers) more difficult and unreliable.
As aircraft navigational equipment has become more precise, pilots have correspondingly become capable of more accurately relaying their position to the ATC. This progression traditionally leads to closer spacings between aircraft. The progression from relatively inaccurate to relatively accurate navigational equipment which pilots have relied upon include, but are not limited to, the systems described in the remainder of this paragraph. Dead reckoning relies heavily upon the pilot being able to see the ground. Automatic direction finders (ADF) are located aboard aircraft which pilots use to determine the relative heading to a fixed non-directional beacon (NDB) (for example, the NDB is presently located at a relative geolocations of 45 degrees off the nose of the aircraft). Pilots use very high frequency omni-directional range (VOR) equipment to determine where the aircraft is located (the aircraft is located on the 090 radial of the VOR). LORAN and GPS systems both provide relative positions of the aircraft relative to the earth (often in a latitude and longitudinal format.) The LORAN and the GPS systems are often associated with a computer system which provides other navigational information, such as the required relative heading to travel to a desired location.
The GPS can provide an aircraft with accurate geolocation and time-of-day (TOD) information. Consequently, GPS is gaining acceptance in the aviation community as a valuable navigation tool. However, during flight aircraft don't generally know the position, speed, and heading of other aircraft. Instead, aircraft rely on computer-coordinated scheduling and the ATC system with its human operators and ground-based radar systems to control congested areas. As the amount of scheduled and un-scheduled air-traffic continues to grow, so does the potential for aircraft collision.
The use of transponders has increased the sophistication and accuracy by which the relative positions of two aircraft can be determined. A transponder is carried aboard each aircraft, and provides a return beam to an interrogatory radar beam produced by a ground based radar facility. The return beam is received by the ground based radar facility and displayed to the ATC (but typically is not displayed to the pilots.) The time of flight from when the interrogatory signal is transmitted from the ground based facility to the time that the return signal is received by the ground based facility provides distance information which can be computed in the ground based facility. The azimuth of the aircraft relative to the ground based facility can be determined by using known techniques. Similarly, altitude encoding transponders are capable of providing the relative altitude of the aircraft above the ground based station.
Transponders provide very accurate information of the aircraft's distance, azimuth, and possibly altitude to the ground based facility. However, transponders are an interrogatory type system (involving interrogation signals and return signals), and as such require relatively complex and expensive fixed radar equipment to be associated with each radar transmitter and receiver (which limits transponder interrogatory transmitters to ground based systems or very sophisticated aircraft.)
Another use of transponders is related to the generation of wingtip vortices by aircraft. Landing aircraft generate wingtip vortices which result in a wake of turbulence. Wingtip vortices can result in rough landings for aircraft following the aircraft producing the wingtip vortices, especially in cases where a relatively light aircraft is landing or taking off soon after a larger aircraft on the same runway. The FAA has established certain requirements for spacing between successive aircraft using the same, or closely aligned, runways.
Transponders are used to provide aircraft spacing information to the ATC relating to wingtip vortices and the to protect against excessive turbulence created thereby. Unfortunately, transponders and the radar associated therewith often do not provide information to the controllers relating to the precise time at which each aircraft takes off or lands, since radar coverage often does not extend to the ground. Under these conditions, the ATC does not know precisely when a plane takes off or land, so the spacing (time at which following aircraft are permitted to take off or land on the same runway) is uncertain.
Overhauling the current ATC system is a costly proposition, so it is desired that any new system rely largely upon existing technology. Besides, it is not clear that a new ATC system of largely the same form as the present system would help to significantly limit confusion. One simple and relatively inexpensive solution is to keep the current ATC system in place, but equip all aircraft with some form of warning system that can alert a pilots of closely positioned aircraft which are following a potentially conflicting trajectory.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,153,823 which issued Oct. 6, 1992 to Fraughton et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,835,537 which issued May 30, 1989 to Manion illustrate systems which present navigational information from a first aircraft to another aircraft. If there is a probability of a collision, an electronic warning will be provided on board the second aircraft. The difficulty with these systems is that they rely upon past and present tracking information only. The tracking velocity used in predicting future collisions in these systems will not take probabilistic future tracking into consideration (there is no change in predicted future aircraft velocity and/or direction based upon changes of velocities of the aircraft.) Considering that collision avoidance is often based upon split second decisions by both the pilot and ATC, more reliable predictions about future aircraft tracking would be highly desirable. In addition, both of these prior art patents utilize only a single receiver.
It would be highly desirable to provide a system by which aircraft and ATC could more accurately determine future projections of paths of travel of other aircraft, relative to their aircraft, in their vicinity. It would be preferably that this system be a non-interrogatory type system. Non-interrogatory type systems are also preferred since the channels required for these transmissions are numerous. In congested airspace, congested channels are capable of providing erroneous or conflicting information.

Aircraft location and identification system


An attachment system for pickup bed covers as well as a tonneau cover construction and a collapsible canopy for pickup beds are disclosed. The attachment system includes attachment rails which are affixed to a top of the sidewalls of the pickup bed. The attachment rails have a depending lip which defines a narrow bight that extends along one edge of the rail. A narrow thin resilient fastener strip sewn along an edge of the pickup bed covers is folded inwardly and inserted in the bight to secure the covers to the rail. The front edge of each cover is attached to the pickup bed with a hook and loop fastener, and the rear edge is attached to the tailgate with a rubberized magnetic strip. The tonneau cover incorporates the attachment system. The collapsible canopy is supported by a foldable framework that includes first and second X-shaped frames having two U-shaped ribs pivotably connected by a scissor-type joint. The frames fold forwardly to a front of the pickup bed to permit unobstructed access to the sides and rear of the bed.

Vehicles having open topped bed such as pickup trucks and the like provide a versatile means for transporting and storing a variety of goods. The disadvantage of an open topped bed is that it is exposed to the elements. It has long been recognized as desirable to provide a cover for the bed of such vehicles to prevent the intrusion of rain and snow and protect goods being transported or stored in the vehicle. Many different covers have been invented to satisfy this need. The following patents are known to relate to covers and cover attachment systems for pickup beds:
U.S. Pat. No. 3,727,972-Belk PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 3,857,601-Robbins PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 4,036,521-Clenet PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 4,252,362-Campbell PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 4,273,377-Alexander PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 4,479,677-Gulette et al. PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 4,573,730-Gondert et al. PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 4,639,033-Wheatley PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 4,709,956-Bowman PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 4,730,866-Nett PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 4,792,179-Stevens PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 4,792,178-Kokx PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 4,838,602-Nett PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 4,861,092-Bogard PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 4,833,305-Horton PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 4,979,776-Schweickert PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 4,991,640-Verkindt et al. PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 5,058,652-Wheatley et al.
Cargo bed covers can be divided into two general categories: the rigid canopy and the flexible cover. The rigid canopy is generally made of fiberglass, plywood or some other durable rigid material. While such canopies have become widely accepted, they have certain drawbacks in that they are heavy and therefore difficult to install and remove. Once installed on a vehicle they are rarely removed. Rigid canopies therefore limit the carrying capacity of a vehicle on which they are installed. Articles taller than the distance between the bed and the top wall of the canopy cannot be transported. Rigid canopies also limit the load access to the vehicle since goods can only be loaded through the rear of the canopy.
It is therefore desirable to have a flexible cover which can be removed or collapsed as the need arises. Flexible covers include tonneau covers, a flat flexible cover attached to a perimeter of the top edge of the cargo bed, and flexible canopies which may or may not be collapsible.
The attachment of a flexible cover to a pickup bed is recognized as a difficult engineering exercise. Manufacturing tolerances permit variations in the size of pickup beds, which variations must be compensated for by the attachment system. In addition, the dimensions of a pickup bed change slightly with fluctuations in temperature, as do the dimensions of a flexible cover for the pickup bed. A good attachment system must therefore compensate for such variations so that the cover for the pickup bed remains taut under a variety of conditions which change with time. The covers must also be securely fastened, especially covers for vehicles used in the northern regions where snow accumulations are common. Snow loads can exert significant loads on a cargo bed cover and the attachment system must be able to resist those loads without damaging the cover or attachments.
Many tonneau covers are attached to pickup beds using snap or button fasteners that are affixed directly to the sidewalls of the pickup bed. Such attachment systems have certain drawbacks. Snap fasteners tend to freeze and/or corrode and the resultant stress induced when removing the cover can damage it. Button fasteners, while more reliable, may provide a path for the intrusion of water into the bed and the grommets required in the cover form weak points which tend to tear under stress. In addition, unless snap or button fasteners are affixed to adjustable rails, such fasteners provide no means of compensating for fluctuation in the dimensions of the box or of the cover as a result of temperature changes and/or aging of the cover fabric.
Furthermore, attachments which require the drilling of holes in a vehicle depreciate the value of the vehicle and accelerate corrosion. It is desirable to provide an attachment for a flexible cover which obviates a requirement for piercing the vehicle body. Such systems have been invented and generally comprise a rail which is clamped or glued to the sidewalls of the pickup bed. Some rails include an outwardly extending edge for receiving a J-shaped fastener, or for engaging a bight formed by a strip sewn along an edge of the cover. A system of the first type is taught by Wheatley et al. in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,639,033 and 5,058,652. A system of the second type is taught by Stevens in U.S. Pat. No. 4,792,179.
Wheatley et al. teaches a mounting system for a tonneau cover which uses a J-shaped extruded fastener that is sewn along the edge of the cover for fastening it to outwardly extending longitudinal edges of rails clamped on the vehicle sidewalls. The J-shaped fasteners is said to compensate for dimensional changes in the cover due to temperature fluctuations or manufacturing tolerances, etc. One disadvantage of this system is that the stress on the cover is concentrated at the seams which affix the cover to the fastener. In addition, the J-shaped fastener is designed to unfurl under tension to compensate for variations in distance between tile cargo box sidewalls, and variations in the flexibility of the cover. It is assumed that under significant load, such as snow load, the cover could unfurl from the rail and collapse into the bed of the vehicle.
Stevens teaches a flexible truck bed cover which is attached to the truck bed by means of a plastic strip sewn onto the cover so that a sewn edge of the strip is adjacent an edge of the cover and a free edge of the strip is spaced inwardly from the edge of the cover. The plastic strip fits inside a gap at the top of the bed created between an attachment rail and a supporting frame or a bed liner. A disadvantage of this system is that pressure on the cover is applied directly to the seam which attaches the plastic strip to the cover. The attachment rail acts as a wedge which acts to separate the cover from the plastic strip. Although increased tension on the cover, such as snow load, tends to lock the cover more firmly in it's attachment to the truck bed, increased pressure tends to damage the cover because of pressure on the seam.
It is therefore apparent that there still exists a need for an attachment system which securely yet removably attaches a cover to the vehicle while compensating for dimensional changes and minimizing points of stress and wear.
There also exists a need for an attractive, lightweight, reliable, collapsible canopy for a pickup bed. Horton in U.S. Pat. No. 4,833,305 discloses a collapsible canopy for pickup trucks which includes a pair of channel members for mounting on the top sidewalls of the pickup box, slide members for reciprocal movement in the channels and rigid stays affixed to the slide members for supporting a flexible canopy. The canopy is collapsed by sliding the rigid stays to a front of the pickup bed. This canopy has certain drawbacks. The channel members are difficult to keep clean, especially if materials such as earth or crushed rock are hauled. Accumulations of dirt and debris interfere with the reciprocal motion of the slide members and make operation of the canopy difficult. Besides, moving a rigid stay in parallel channels is generally difficult as one side or the other tends to jamb. A lack of a continuous attachment for the side edges of the canopy is also a disadvantage since snow and rain can be blown under the edges.
There exists a need for a collapsible canopy for a pickup bed which covers the entire bed, is substantially weathertight along all edges and readily collapses to permit free access to substantially the entire bed.

Pickup truck bed covers and attachment system therefore


The invention relates to a coating composition comprising an oxidatively drying binder and an anti-skinning agent, the anti-skinning agent comprising: a) a diketone of formula (I) (b) an aldoxime or ketoxime of formula (II) wherein R1, R2, R3, R4 and n have the same meaning as that defined by the present application.

Air drying solvent based alkyds are generally prepared by transesterification and condensation reactions of three types of monomers: polyalcohols, polybasic acids and unsaturated fatty acids or the corresponding oils. In the chemical curing process of alkyd binders, the presence of unsaturated fatty acid chains is essential. Polymeric network formation takes place by the crosslinking of the fatty acids moieties of the resin. The number of unsaturated bonds in the fatty acids determines whether the oils are classified as non-drying, semi-drying or drying oils. The architecture of the fatty acids, such as whether or not the double bonds are conjugated and the configuration of the double bonds, has also an effect on the drying speed.
The chemical curing of air-drying systems is a rather complex process composed of oxidation reactions, radical formation and crosslinking leading to a polymeric network.
Since the drying process proceeds slowly, metal based driers are added to catalyze the reaction. Driers are typically metal soaps of either transition metals or alkaline-earth metals. Driers are classified by function, specifically: surface driers, through driers and auxiliary driers. Surface driers are characterized by having at least two accessible valence states and catalyze the autoxidative curing process. Through driers promote curing beneath the surface of the coating film and auxiliary driers interact with the surface driers.
A liquid coating composition containing unsaturated fatty acids and metal driers, when exposed to air, will rapidly convert into a drying polymeric matrix. The formation of surface skin on air-drying coatings results from the same drier catalyzed oxidative polymerization processes. Even in a closed container, in which the ullage between the product surface and the closed lid is sufficiently large, a tough rubber-like skin on the surface of the liquid coating material will develop. To prevent untimely oxidative drying leading to skinning of the alkyd paint and to improve the stability during storage, anti-skinning agents are included in the formulation.
Skinning in the paint container during storage results in loss of quality and quantity of the coating product. Removal of the skin is both awkward and time consuming and results in a waste of a substantial amount of paint. Moreover, the concentration of driers found in the skin is disproportionate and removal will lead to a prolongation of drying time of the remaining coating material.
Anti-skinning agents prevent early oxidative drying by binding oxygen, acting as radical scavengers or by complexing to and thereby inactivating the metal drier. The different types of anti-skinning agents described in the literature include substituted phenols, hydroquinones, aliphatic and aromatic amines, tin compounds, azones, α-hydroxyketones, hydroxylamines, β-dicarbonyl compounds, natural antioxidants such as tocopherol and isoascorbates, solvents as dipentene and oximes.
The choice of the anti-skinning agent is always a compromise between preventing skin formation and retaining an adequate drying potential of the coating after application but also odour, toxicity profile and the effect on the coloristic film properties should be taken into account.
For decades, the class of oximes has been the most widely applied group of anti-skinning agents in the coating industry as a result of well-balanced properties. Particularly methyl ethyl ketoxime (MEKO) is widely used in coating formulations because of having no adverse effect on the drying time by virtue of the high volatility, long-lasting anti-skinning control in a closed container, no discoloration of the paint film, high compatibility with a wide range of coating materials and a mild odour. The mechanism associated with the anti-skinning performance of oximes is still not accepted unanimously. One of the widely encountered hypotheses concerns the association of the oxime to the free coordination sites of the metal carboxylate thereby suppressing the activity of the catalyst. During storage in a closed container the weak metal-oxime complex will stay intact. However, after opening of the can or paint application, the complex will dissociate and the relative volatile oxime will be released into the surrounding atmosphere. The equilibrium of the metal-oxime complex is shifted and the inactive oxime-drier complex is disintegrated thereby restoring the catalytic functionality of the primary drier. Alternative mechanisms suggested for the mode of actions of oximes as anti-skinning agents include the scavenging of radicals formed in the autoxidation reaction or binding free oxygen. A recent study suggests that the free radicals formed in the autoxidation reaction may readily add to the C═N double bond of the oxime, producing stable radical addition products that could inhibit further free radical chain reactions. After application and exposition of the paint to air, the addition products decompose by reaction with oxygen releasing the free radicals and the oxime evaporates.
In addition, volatile oximes vaporized in the headspace of a paint container contribute to the anti-skinning performance by providing a blanketing vapor at the paint-air interface.
Because of the volatility of MEKO, a high concentration of vapor is formed covering the liquid paint in a closed container, preventing the ingress of oxygen and the autoxidation reaction.
Discussions are ongoing to reduce the workplace exposure limit (OEL) of methyl ethyl ketoxime substantially which would impose the reduction of the concentration in a coating formulation below a technical successful level.
In the patent literature, examples of oxime-free anti-skinning agents have been described. These typically result in a poorer drying performance and reduced film hardness values.
Thus, there still exists a need for an oxime-free or strongly reduced oxime containing anti-skinning agents which in term of properties profile as long-lasting resistance to undesirable skinning, effect on drying performance, odour and tendency of discoloration of the final film is comparable to methyl ethyl ketoxime.

Coating composition comprising anti-skinning agent


Methods, systems, and computer readable media can be operable to facilitate dynamic wireless coverage through adaptive use of a rectangular array of antenna elements. A rectangular array of elements may be adaptively utilized to create a customized transmission/reception pattern that is based upon wireless device placement, premise layout, and other characteristics associated with a subscriber premise within which an access point is located.

One or more access points located within a subscriber premise may provide wireless communications and/or services to one or more stations configured to communicate with the one or more access points. Stations may include WLAN (wireless local area network) systems configured to transmit and receive wireless communications from an access point or other wireless device. The WLAN systems may include a plurality of antennas, wherein each of the antennas may include a receiver and/or transmitter for facilitating the receiving and/or transmitting of wireless communications over a wireless communication medium. With multiple antennas, a station may be configured to communicate over a plurality of spatial streams by utilizing a plurality of transmit and receive chains.
Devices using millimeter wave frequencies, such as in the 60 GHz unlicensed band, face a tradeoff problem with antenna arrays. If an array is used with a high number of elements, a high level of gain can be achieved, essentially focusing the transmissions in a small area (the same focusing effect occurs for receive operations as well). If an antenna array with a small number of elements is used, the antenna's main beam width is wider, though providing a lesser amount of gain.
Another challenging aspect is that the most commonly used arrays are square, with the same number of elements in rows and columns. While this arrangement is straightforward, it tends to produce an antenna transmission (or reception) pattern that is roughly circular, but within most rooms in a home, an oval pattern is more desirable. Further, energy that is sent into the ceiling or floor for 60 GHz is often wasted since the most likely arrangement of target devices is within a few degrees above and below the wireless access point.
Therefore, it is desirable to improve upon methods and systems for providing dynamic wireless coverage.
Like reference numbers and designations in the various drawings indicate like elements.

Rectangular element array providing dynamic wireless coverage


A PET bottle sterilization apparatus is for consecutively sterilizing multiple PET bottles (B) while conveying them, and includes a hydrogen peroxide introducing means (5) for introducing hydrogen peroxide into a PET bottle (B) so as to sterilize its interior and a hot air supplying means (6) for introducing hot air into the sterilized PET bottle (B) so as to eliminate hydrogen peroxide remaining inside it. This apparatus includes a plasma introducing means (P) for introducing plasma into a PET bottle (B) by injecting plasma through a nozzle at at least one time point among a time point before hydrogen peroxide is introduced into the PET bottle (B), a time point after hydrogen peroxide was introduced into the PET bottle (B) and furthermore before hot air is introduced into the PET bottle (B), and a time point after hot air was introduced into the PET bottle (B).

The apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1 below is known as an example of a conventional sterilization apparatus applied in a PET bottle (bottle made of polyethylene terephthalate) aseptic filling system. The disclosed apparatus is configured such that hydrogen peroxide mist is introduced into a PET bottle to sterilize the interior faces of the PET bottle, hot air is then pumped into the PET bottle such that the hydrogen peroxide mist floating inside the PET bottle is discharged to the outside, and then aseptic warm water is introduced into the PET bottle to clean it.

Pet bottle sterilization apparatus and sterilization method


A hydraulic excavator drive system includes: a boom cylinder; a boom first control valve connected to the boom cylinder by a boom raising supply line and a boom lowering supply line, and connected to a first pump by a first boom distribution line; a boom second control valve connected to the boom raising supply line by a boom replenishment line, and connected to a second pump by a second boom distribution line; an arm cylinder; an arm control valve connected to the arm cylinder by an arm crowding supply line and an arm pushing supply line, and connected to the second pump by an arm distribution line; a regenerative line connecting between the boom replenishment line and the arm distribution line; and an openable and closeable regenerative valve provided on the regenerative line.

Generally speaking, a hydraulic excavator includes: a boom that is raised and lowered relative to a turning unit; an arm swingably coupled to the distal end of the boom; and a bucket swingably coupled to the distal end of the arm. A drive system installed in such a hydraulic excavator includes, for example, a boom cylinder driving the boom, an arm cylinder driving the arm, and a bucket cylinder driving the bucket. These hydraulic actuators are supplied with hydraulic oil from pumps via control valves.
For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses a hydraulic excavator drive system 100 as shown in FIG. 11. In the drive system 100, boom raising is performed by extension of boom cylinders 101 and 102, and arm pushing is performed by extension of an arm cylinder 103.
To be specific, the boom cylinder 101 and the boom cylinder 102 are connected to a boom first control valve 121 and a boom second control valve 122 by a boom raising supply line 123 and a boom lowering supply line 124. The arm cylinder 103 is connected to an arm first control valve 131 and an arm second control valve 132 by an arm pushing supply line 133 and an arm crowding supply line 134.
The boom first control valve 121 and the arm first control valve 131 are disposed on a first center bleed line 112, which extends from a first pump 111 to a tank. The boom second control valve 122 and the arm second control valve 132 are disposed on a second center bleed line 114, which extends from a second pump 113 to the tank.
At the time of boom lowering operation, the boom cylinders 101 and 102 are retracted by the weight of, for example, the boom. Therefore, at the time of boom lowering operation, it is desired to efficiently utilize the hydraulic oil discharged from the boom cylinders 101 and 102.
In this respect, in the drive system 100, the boom raising supply line 123 and the arm pushing supply line 133 are connected to each other by an acceleration line 140. The acceleration line 140 is provided with an acceleration valve 141. When a boom lowering operation and an arm pushing operation are performed concurrently, the acceleration valve 141 is opened, and thereby the operating speed of the arm cylinder 103 is increased.


A steering system includes a movable member and a tooth member. The movable member includes first tooth arrangements. The movable member is movable together with a column jacket in a tilt direction. The movable member is movable in a right-left direction. The tooth member is supported by a lateral plate of an upper bracket so that the tooth member is located between the movable member and the lateral plate in the right-left direction. The tooth member includes: second tooth arrangements engageable with the first tooth arrangements; and curved elastic portions supporting the second tooth arrangements, with the second tooth arrangements inclined toward the upper bracket such that the second tooth arrangements are away from the first tooth arrangements. When the elastic portions are sandwiched between the movable member and the lateral plate and elastically deformed, the second tooth arrangements come into engagement with the first tooth arrangements.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to steering systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
Steering systems that have recently been developed include one provided with a tilt adjusting mechanism to adjust the position of a steering column in a tilt direction. US 2009/0013817 A1, for example, discloses a steering column including an adjuster movable in a tilt direction, and a holder whose position in the tilt direction is fixed. The adjuster and holder function as a tilt adjusting mechanism. The holder is provided with teeth aligned in the tilt direction. A clamp bolt of the adjuster is inserted through a tooth plate movable together with the clamp bolt in the tilt direction. The outer portions of the tooth plate in the tilt direction are each provided with an elastic arm that abuts against the holder.
An operating member is attached to the clamp bolt. Moving the operating member in a first direction presses the tooth plate so as to move the tooth plate to the holder, resulting in engagement of the teeth of the tooth plate with the teeth of the holder. This engagement fixes the position of the steering column in the tilt direction. In this case, the elastic arms are elastically deformed. Moving the operating member in a second direction opposite to the first direction releases the pressing of the tooth plate against the holder, resulting in elastic restoration of the elastic arms to their original shapes. This moves the tooth plate away from the holder. Thus, the teeth of the tooth plate are disengaged from the teeth of the holder.
The elastic arms of the steering column disclosed in US 2009/0013817 A1 are provided on the outer portions of the tooth plate in the tilt direction. This may unfortunately result in an increase in the size of the tooth plate. A conceivable solution to this disadvantage is to provide a steering column including elastic member(s) separate from a tooth plate and configured to move the tooth plate away from a holder. Such an arrangement, however, may increase the number of components.


512 clusters included in one segment are distributed into 128 clusters included in each of four storages. A logical/physical address conversion table is formed every segment. Therefore, unless the segment is changed, the logical/physical address conversion table to be referred to or updated does not change, so that a deterioration of the reading performance due to an access to the table or an updating of the table can be prevented. Data can be simultaneously written into continuous logic cluster addresses, for example, 0x0004 to 0x0007, and the high speed writing operation can be realized.

According to an electrically rewritable non-volatile memory called EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM), since one bit is constructed by two transistors, an occupation area per bit is large and there is a limitation in case of raising an integration degree. To solve such a problem, a flash memory in which one bit can be realized by one transistor by an all-bit batch erasing method has been developed. The flash memory is expected as a memory which can be substituted for a recording medium such as magnetic disk, optical disk, or the like.
It is known that a memory card having a flash memory is constructed so as to be detachable to/from an apparatus. By using such a memory card, a digital audio recording and reproducing apparatus using the memory card in place of the conventional disk-shaped medium such as CD (Compact Disc), MD (Minidisc), or the like can be realized. Besides audio data, still image data and motion image data can be also recorded into the memory card and it can be used as a recording medium of a digital still camera or a digital video camera.
According to the flash memory, a data unit called a segment is divided into a predetermined number of clusters (fixed length) and one cluster is divided into a predetermined number of sectors (fixed length). The cluster is also called a block. The sector is also called a page. In the flash memory, an erasure is performed in a lump on a cluster unit basis, and the writing or reading operation is performed in a lump on a sector unit basis.
For example, in case of the flash memory of 4 MB (megabytes), as shown in FIG. 12, one segment is divided into 512 clusters. The segment is a unit for managing a predetermined number of clusters. One cluster is divided into 16 sectors. One cluster has a capacity of 8 kB (kbytes). One sector has a capacity of 512 B. A memory of a capacity of 16 MB can be constructed by using four segments each having a capacity of 4 MB.
As shown in FIG. 13A, logic cluster addresses are allocated to a memory space of 16 MB. The logic cluster address is set to a length of 2 bytes in order to distinguish 512×4=2048 clusters. In FIG. 13A, the logic cluster address is expressed by a hexadecimal number. 0x denotes the hexadecimal notation. A logic address is an address which is logically handled by a data processing apparatus (software). A physical address is added to each cluster in the flash memory. A correspondence relation between the clusters and the physical addresses is unchanged.
According to the flash memory, by rewriting data, an insulating film deteriorates and the number of rewriting times is limited. Therefore, it is necessary to prevent a situation such that accesses are repetitively and concentratedly performed to a certain same memory area (cluster). Therefore, in case of rewriting data in a certain logic address stored in a certain physical address, in a file system of the flash memory, updated data is not rewritten to an unused cluster. Thus, the correspondence relation between the logic addresses and the physical addresses before the data updating changes after the updating. By performing such a swapping process as mentioned above, the situation such that the accesses are repetitively and concentratedly performed to the same cluster is prevented, so that a life of the flash memory can be extended.
Since the logic cluster address is accompanied by the data which has once been written into the cluster, even if physical cluster addresses in which the data before updating and the data after the updating are written are changed, the same address is seen from a file management system and the subsequent accesses can be properly performed. Since the correspondence relation between the logic addresses and the physical addresses is changed by the swapping process, a logical/physical address conversion table showing the correspondence between them is needed. By referring to such a table, the physical cluster address corresponding to the designated logic cluster address is specified, thereby enabling the access to the cluster shown by the specified physical cluster address to be performed.
The logical/physical address conversion table is stored in a memory by the data processing apparatus. If a memory capacity of the data processing apparatus is small, the table can be stored in the flash memory. FIG. 13B shows an example of a logical/physical address conversion table regarding segment 1. As shown in FIG. 13B, in the logical/physical address conversion table, the physical cluster addresses (2 bytes) are made to correspond to the logic cluster addresses (2 bytes) arranged in the ascending order, respectively. The logical/physical address conversion table is managed every segment and its size increases in accordance with the capacity of the flash memory.
There is a case where it is desirable to set a data writing speed to be higher than the ordinary one by making a plurality of storages of the flash memory operative in parallel. For example, an electronic music distribution EMD for distributing music data through a network is being put into practical use. The distributed music data is stored into a hard disk of a personal computer, data of a desired music piece is copied or moved into a memory card by the personal computer, and the memory card is attached into a portable recorder, so that the user can easily listen to the desired music at a place other than his home. Data of a plurality of music pieces is downloaded into the memory card from the hard disk by a parallel writing operation (at a high speed) and, upon reproduction, the music data is read out from the memory card at a normal speed.
FIG. 14 shows a construction of a conventional logic address for four storages. In the example of the diagram, address spaces in the memory are expressed by 11 bits of A0, A1, . . . , and A10. A0 denotes the LSB (least significant bit) and A10 indicates the MSB (most significant bit). The storages each having a capacity of 4 MB are switched by the MSB (A10) and the second MSB (A9). Addresses of 9 bits of A0 to A8 are allocated to a sector and a segment in each storage.
When data is written, the operation is executed at a timing as shown in FIG. 15. First, the data is transferred from the host side to a page buffer of a sector size. Time T is required to transfer. In a next write busy period, the data is transferred from the page buffer into a flash buffer in the flash memory and the data is written into the storage.
Upon reading, as shown in FIG. 16, the data is read out from the flash memory for a read busy period. The read-out data is transferred to a page buffer of a sector size. In the next transfer time T, the data is transferred from the page buffer to the host side.
FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing a flow of processes in case of writing data into continuous logic sectors 0 to 3 belonging to different clusters in a certain segment. In first step S11, a logical/physical conversion table is formed with respect to a segment as a target to be written. In step S12, sector 0 is sent from the host side. The time T is required for this transfer. In step S13, sector 0 is written into the flash memory. In step S14, sector 1 is sent from the host side. In step S15, sector 1 is written into the flash memory. Processes for sending of sector 2 (step S16), writing of sector 2 (step S17), sending of sector 3 (step S18), and writing of sector 3 (step S19) are sequentially performed. Hitherto, for example, even if four storages are provided in parallel, since accesses are concentrated to one storage, a high processing speed cannot be realized.
As for a data construction of one sector on the flash memory, as shown in FIG. 18, an area having a length of 16 bytes in which management information is recorded is added to data of 512 bytes. The management information comprises a logic cluster number, cluster management information, and attribute information. The cluster management information is set to the same information among all sectors in a certain cluster and includes information indicative of "valid/invalid" of the cluster or the like. The attribute information is information of every sector and includes copyright information or the like. For example, when the flash memory is attached into the apparatus, the host side reads the management information and forms a table of the logic cluster and the physical cluster with respect to the segment.
In case of making a plurality of storages operative in parallel, it is necessary to consider a method of accessing to a plurality of storages. FIG. 19 shows a construction of supplying addresses to four storages. FIG. 20 shows addresses in a flash memory of 4 MB×4=16 MB. As described with reference to FIG. 14, the addresses are expressed by 11 bits of A0, A1, . . . , and A10. A0 is the LSB (least significant bit) and A10 is the MSB (most significant bit). The storages each having a capacity of 4 MB are switched by the MSB (A10) and the second MSB (A9). The addresses of 9 bits of A0 to A8 are allocated to the clusters in each storage.
Hitherto, to switch the four storages, the addresses are supplied to the flash memory as shown in FIG. 19. The addresses A0 to A8 of 9 bits on the lower side are allocated in common to the four storages (0 to 3). The addresses A9 and A10 of 2 bits on the upper side are supplied to a 2-to-4 decoder 60. Selection signals CS0, CS1, CS2, and CS3 for selecting the storages are generated from the decoder 60.
In case of (A10, A9)=00, the selection signal CS0 to select the storage 0 is generated from the decoder 60. When (A10, A9)=01, (A10, A9)=10, or (A10, A9)=11, each of the selection signals CS1, CS2, and CS3 for selecting each of the storage 1, storage 2, and storage 3 is generated from the decoder 60.
An address change at the time when the address is increased from a state where all of 11 bits are equal to 0 to a state where they are equal to 1 due to the switching of the storages as mentioned above is shown by arrows in FIG. 20. That is, when the address changes from the head cluster of the storage 0 to the final cluster of the storage 0, the cluster address changes so as to subsequently shift to the head cluster of the storage 1. FIG. 21 shows an arrangement of the segments and the logic cluster addresses.
In the conventional switching of the storages of the flash memory mentioned above, a storage selection signal is formed by using a few bits from the-MSB of the address. Thus, the segments are concentratedly arranged onto one storage and the segments are different every storage. According to such a method, a plurality of clusters of the same segment cannot be simultaneously written in parallel. For example, since four clusters (0x0004, 0x0005, 0x0006, 0x0007) in FIG. 21 are included in the same storage 0, they cannot be simultaneously written.
The clusters of a plurality of segments, for example, four clusters (0x0004, 0x0204, 0x0404, 0x0604) in FIG. 21 can be simultaneously written into the storages 0 to 3. However, according to the flash memory, since a logical/physical address conversion table is constructed every segment, it is necessary to refer to the logical/physical address conversion table upon accessing. Therefore, like an example mentioned above, when four clusters are simultaneously written over four segments, a memory for holding address conversion tables of four segments is needed. Each time the data of one sector is written into each segment, the necessity of referring to the address conversion table is caused. Performance upon writing (or upon reading) is deteriorated due to an overhead which is caused there.
It is, therefore, an object of the invention to provide a data processing system, a data processing apparatus, a memory apparatus, and a data recording method, in which data can be written in parallel into a plurality of storages and performance upon reading can be improved.

Continuous arrangement of data clusters across multiple storages


A system and method for visualizing information on a computer system by generating and displaying a number of axes on a computer monitor, selecting points along respective axes which correspond to an information entry using a mouse or any other spatially-based input device, and forming a polygonal shape therefrom, the vertices of the polygon being the respective selected points. Multiple such polygons may be serially displayed or overlaid to facilitate visualization and interpretation of the information. The system and method of the present invention are further directed to facilitating the entry, modification and storage of a record in a computer system by displaying it on a polar chart, selecting a point on the polar chart with a mouse or any other spatially-based input device, and respectively entering, modifying and storing the record.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to systems and methods for the visualization of data having multiple attributes, and specifically to facilitating the creation, alteration and storage of the multiple-attribute data.
2. Background and Objects of the Present Invention
Advances in computers systems have greatly simplified the task of information processing. Computer systems can typically store large amounts of information in a relatively small area of physical space and permit the information stored to be easily accessed and modified. Computer systems also allow large amounts of information to be processed both quickly and accurately.
One of the key drawbacks to the use of computer systems are the non-intuitive procedures and commands that an operator must go through in order to enter and view the information. A user interface is the mechanism by which the user and the computer system communicate. The user interface prompts the user to enter the information when the computer system is ready to take the information. When the user desires for a particular function to be performed, such as displaying recorded information, a request to perform the function can be communicated through the user interface.
Recent user interfaces have led to simpler and more intuitive procedures for operators to enter and view information. For example, programs known in the art as spreadsheets, provide user interfaces where the user enters information as elements in a chart-like format. In general, spreadsheets comprise multiple rows and columns arranged in a chart-like format. Each row comprises one cell for each column, and each column comprises one cell for each row. The columns usually represent a measurable attribute while the rows usually represent, for example, a person, item, event, transaction, or entity (which shall now be referred to herein as an "instance"). The information entered in each cell represents a measurement of the attribute represented by the column containing the cell for the instance represented by the row containing the cell.
Special commands allow the user to perform mathematical and statistical calculations on individual entries, rows, columns, and blocks, and store the results in the chart. Once the information is entered into the chart, the program allows the information to be displayed to the user in a number of different formats such as bar charts, pie charts, and graphs.
The information can also be displayed in a format known by those skilled in the art as a polar chart, which is also known in the art as a spider or star chart. A polar chart is a visual representation of the measurements of the attributes pertaining to an instance. Each attribute is represented by an axis which is formed by a line that forms a radius of a circular region. The axis has one or more hashmarks thereon, each of which represent predetermined measurements of the attribute along the axis. The measurements of the attribute pertaining to the instance represented by the polar chart are represented by a marker placed at or near the hashmark representing the equivalent measurement. In cases where the hashmarks represent numerical or other measurements forming a portion of a continuous spectrum, a marker may be placed proportionally between two hashmarks, said proportion being related to the numerical difference between the predetermined measurements represented by the hashmarks and the measurement of the attribute represented by the marker. A set of lines are drawn connecting each of the markers, and where there are three or more axes, a closed polygon is formed. The polygon is, therefore, a visual representation of three or more information entries.
Those skilled in the art will recognize a number of advantages of representing information in polygonal form. For example, when comparing sets of information entries, a visual comparison of a pair of polygons is likely to be faster than the comparison of rows of purely numerical information.
While the use of polygons presents a more intuitive method of representing information, complications still exist during the process of entering or modifying information. The information that is to be represented using polygons is usually first entered through the use of spreadsheets which are often cumbersome, tedious, and monotonous. Furthermore, in many cases, the information represented by polygons changes over time, necessitating subsequent access and modification using the spreadsheet. Once the information is so modified, the polygon is then regenerated.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved system and method for facilitating the visualization of information.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide an improved system and method for entering information into a computer system, simplifying the data entry process.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved system and method for modifying information stored in a computer system.

System and method for data visualization


A reduced product height/thickness projector includes an illuminator, an electro-optic modulator, a projection system, a collector lens, and associated housing. The illuminator including a light source that emits an illumination light flux, a first lens array having a plurality of first lenslets that divide the illumination light flux from the light source into a plurality of sub-light fluxes, a second lens array having a plurality of second lenslets corresponding to the plurality of first lenslets, and a superimposing lens that superimposes the sub-light fluxes from the second lens array on an illuminated area. The central axis of the image formation area of the electro-optic modulator and the lens optical axis of the superimposing lens is shifted from the light source optical axis of the light source. The lens optical axis of the collector lens is shifted opposite from the central axis of the image formation area of the electro-optic modulator.

Projectors for tilt projection as referred to in Japanese Patent Publication No. JP-A-5-100311 are known. When described with reference to a projector for tilt projection installed on a desk or the like, the light source optical axis of a light source is substantially flush with the central axis of the image formation area of an electro-optic modulator and the projection optical axis of a projection system is shifted upward from the central axis of the image formation area of the electro-optic modulator.
Despite recent increasing demand to reduce the thickness of a projector, the portion of the upper surface of the projector housing in the projector for tilt projection corresponding to the area in which a projection system is disposed and projects from includes the portion of the projector housing corresponding to the area in which other optical systems (e.g., the light source and a superimposing lens) are also disposed. As such, the height of the upper surface of the housing is relatively high, and reducing the thickness of the projector is difficult.
The thickness of the projector may not be reduced by lowering the vertical position of the projection system disposed in the housing as compared to that in related art alone, because tilt projection to the projection surface may not be performed properly by changing the vertical position of the projection system without changing the vertical positions of the other optical systems.
Dimensional design and configuration problems are not limited only to projectors for tilt projection, but similar problems occur in projectors in which the projection optical axis of the projection system is substantially flush with the central axis of the image formation area of the electro-optic modulator. For example, in a projector including a large-diameter projection lens used as the projection system, the upper end of the projection system may be higher than the upper ends of other optical systems (the light source and the superimposing lens, for example) depending on the size of the lens diameter, even when the projection optical axis of the projection system is substantially flush with the central axis of the image formation area of the electro-optic modulator. In this case as well, the resulting portion of the upper surface of the projector housing that corresponds to the area in which the projection system is disposed and projects from includes the portion corresponding to the area in which other optical systems (the light source and the superimposing lens, for example) are disposed, so that the height of the upper surface of the housing is relatively high, and hence it is not easy to reduce the thickness of the projector.
Alternatively, the height of the upper surface of the housing may not be exclusively determined by the vertical position of the projection system disposed in the housing, but rather also by the size of the light source. For example, when a relatively large reflector is used in the light source, the portion of the upper surface of the housing that corresponds to the area in which the light source is disposed and projects from includes the portion corresponding to the area in which other optical systems (the superimposing lens and the projection system, for example) are disposed, so that the height of the upper surface of the housing is relatively high, and hence it is not easy to reduce the thickness of the projector. In this case, the thickness of the projector may be reduced by reducing the size of the reflector. Unfortunately, this approach also decreases the brightness obtained by the projector.


Multilayer polymeric films and other optical bodies are provided. The films, which have at least three layers of different composition in the optical repeating unit, reflect light in a first portion of the spectrum while transmitting light in a second portion of the spectrum, exhibit improved reflectivities at oblique angles, and can be designed to suppress one or more higher order harmonics of the main reflection band.

The use of multilayer films comprising multiple alternating layers of two or more polymers to reflect light is known and is described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,711,176 (Alfrey, Jr. et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 5,103,337 (Schrenk et al.), WO 96/19347, and WO 95/17303. The reflection and transmission spectra of a particular multilayer film depends primarily on the optical thickness of the individual layers. Optical thickness is defined as the product of the actual thickness of a layer and its refractive index. Accordingly, films can be designed to reflect infrared, visible or ultraviolet wavelengths .lambda..sub.M of light by appropriate choice of optical thickness of the layers in accordance with the following formula: EQU .lambda..sub.M =(2/M)*D.sub.r (Formula I)
wherein M is an integer representing the order of the reflected light, and D.sub.r is the optical thickness of an optical repeating unit (also called multilayer stack) comprising two or more polymeric layers. Accordingly, D.sub.r is the sum of the optical thicknesses of the individual polymer layers that make up the optical repeating unit. By varying the optical thickness of an optical repeating unit along the thickness of the multilayer film, a multilayer film can be designed that reflects light over a wide range of wavelengths.
From Formula I, it can also be seen that a multilayer film or optical body which is designed to reflect light in a first region of the spectrum may have higher order reflections in a second region of the spectrum. For example, a multilayer film designed to reflect infrared light will also have higher order reflections in the visible region of the spectrum. Specifically, a multilayer film designed to have a first order reflection (M=1) at 1500 nm may have higher order reflections at about 750 nm (M=2), 500 nm (M=3), 375 nm (M=4), etc. A film designed to reflect infrared light of even longer wavelengths may have even more higher order reflections in the visible region. Thus, for example, a multilayer film having a first order reflection at 2000 nm will have higher order reflections at 1000 nm, 666 nm, 500 nm, 400 nm, etc. These higher order reflections are undesirable in many applications (e.g., window films) because they impart an iridescent appearance to the film where a transparent, colorless appearance is preferred. Therefore, in order to design a multilayer film that reflects light over a first region of the spectrum (e.g., the infrared region) but does not reflect light over a shorter wavelength region (e.g., the visible region), at least two, and preferably at least three higher order reflections need to be suppressed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,103,337 (Schrenk et al.) teaches that an infrared reflecting multilayer film having an optical repeating unit with polymeric layers A, B and C arranged in an order ABC, is capable of suppressing at least two successive higher order reflections when the index of refraction of polymeric layer B is chosen to be intermediate to that of polymeric layers A and C. In a particular embodiment of the film described therein, the optical repeating unit is formed by arranging layers A, B and C in an ABCB pattern. By selecting polymeric materials A, B and C such that the refractive index of material B equals the square root of the product of the refractive index of materials A and C, and by setting the optical thickness ratio for material A and C to 1/3 and that of material B to 1/6, at least three higher order reflections can be suppressed. Similar teachings are found in Thelen, A., J. Opt. Soc. Am. 53, 1266 (1963). However, one disadvantage of this design is that the amount of reflection of incident light with the first order harmonic decreases with increasing angle of incidence. A further disadvantage of this design is that the suppression of the three higher order reflections also decreases with increasing angle of incidence. This later result is particularly undesirable in applications such as window films where the infrared reflective film is used to shield a room from infrared sunlight, since the sunlight will frequently be incident at angles substantially away from the normal (particularly in the spring and summer when the sun is high in the sky).
U.S. Pat. No. 5,540,978 (Schrenk) teaches a multilayer polymeric film that reflects ultraviolet light. In one embodiment, the film includes first, second, and third diverse polymeric materials arranged in a repeating unit ABCB. In another embodiment, the layers are arranged in the repeating unit ABC.
WO 96/19346 teaches reflective films that are made out of an optical repeating unit of alternating layers A and B, where A is a birefringent polymeric layer and B can be either isotropic or birefringent. The reference notes that, by matching the index of refraction between both layers along an axis that is perpendicular to the surface of the film, the dependency of reflection on angle of incidence can be greatly reduced. However, the reference does not teach how these results can be extended to multilayer optical systems having three or more layer types in the repeating unit (e.g., films with ABC or ABCB repeating units). Such a system would be highly desirably, both because of the improvement in reflectivity at oblique angles it would afford, and because the additional layer or layers in the repeating unit could be used to impart better mechanical properties to the system. For example, one of the additional layers could be an optical adhesive that would reduce the tendency of the other layers to delaminate. Furthermore, while WO 96/19346 mentions infrared reflective films, it does not describe how an IR film can be made that will not suffer from higher order reflections in the visible region of the spectrum (e.g., if the first order reflection is at 1200 nm or more).
There is thus a need in the art for a multilayer film or other optical body that exhibits a first order reflection band for at least one polarization of electromagnetic radiation in a first region of the spectrum (e.g., in the infrared, visible or ultraviolet regions of the spectrum) but can be designed to suppress at least the second, and preferably also at least the third, higher order harmonics of the first reflection band. In particular, there is a need in the art for a multilayer film or optical body that has a first reflection band in the infrared region of the spectrum but that exhibits essentially no higher order reflection peaks in the visible region of the spectrum.
There is also a need in the art for a film or other optical body having three or more layer types in its optical repeating unit, and for which the reflectivity of the film (e.g., toward infrared radiation) remains essentially constant, or increases, at non-normal angles of incidence.
These and other needs are met by the films and optical bodies of the present invention, as hereinafter described.


One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that provides a guaranteed level of availability in a communication network. During operation, the system receives a connection request that includes a specified reliability. Next, the system determines multiple candidate routes through a network to satisfy the connection request, wherein each of these candidate routes passes through a set of links that form a path through the network. The system then examines the candidate routes to identify a route that meets the specified reliability. The system only accepts the connection request if a route that meets the specified reliability is found.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to communication networks. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for providing a guaranteed level of availability in a communication network.
2. Related Art
Network communication technologies provide for a wide range of interconnections and bandwidths. For example, wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) technology enables a single optical fiber to support over one hundred wavelength channels, each of which can operate at a bandwidth of several gigabits per second (Gbps). Providing this amount of capacity through a single optical fiber has significant advantages, such as greatly reduced cost. However, a failure in such an optical network, e.g., a fiber cut or fiber conduit cut, can lead to the loss of a huge amount of data (several terabits per second (Tbps) to several petabits per second (Pbps)), and can result in penalties under a service level agreement.
When a connection through the WDM network is requested, a service provider and a client typically enter into a service level agreement (SLA), which provides a specified service level to the client, and provides penalties on the provider if the service level is not met. The service provider receives compensation based, inter alia, upon the service level requested and the level of penalties specified in the SLA. Upon acceptance of the SLA by both provider and client, the circuit is provisioned.
In the traditional connection-provisioning scheme, a shortest path (based on the link cost) between the source node and the destination node is chosen to route a given connection request. Depending on different traffic-engineering considerations, different cost functions can be applied to network links, such as a constant 1 for each link (to minimize hop distance), the length of the link (to minimize delay), the fraction of the available capacity on the link (to balance network load), etc. However, this traditional connection-provisioning scheme is unaware of any connection-availability requirements. Consequently, the route computed by a shortest-path algorithm may not satisfy the SLA, because the route may not be reliable enough.
FIG. 1 illustrates a shortest path through a WDM network, which does not meet the availability requirement of an SLA. A connection request is made from node 0 to node 5 and this request specifies an availability requirement of 95%. In FIG. 1, the integers next to the links represent the link costs. In this example, the route (0, 3, 4, 5), route 1, is indicated by the dashed lines and is the least-cost path (cost=3).
Unfortunately, this least-cost path does not consider connection availability requirements. Referring to FIG. 1, the percentages next to the links represent the estimated availability of each link. Note that each of the links has an availability of 99%, except for the link between nodes 4 and 5, which has an availability of 90%. This low availability can be the result of a number of factors, such as old fibers, fibers routed through areas of heavy construction, etc. The estimated availability of route 1 is the product of the availabilities of the links that the connection traverses. For route 1, the availability is 88.21%, which is less than the required availability in the SLA.
Hence, what is needed is a method and an apparatus for providing a guaranteed level of availability in a communication network.

Method and apparatus for providing a service level guarantee in a communication network

The Regents of the University of California