A data access system has host computers having front-end controllers nFE_SAN connected via a bus or network interconnect to back-end storage controllers nBE_SAN, and physical disk drives connected via network interconnect to the nBE_SANs to provide a distributed, high performance, policy based or dynamically reconfigurable, centrally managed, data storage acceleration system. The hardware and software architectural solutions eliminate BE_SAN controller bottlenecks and improve performance and scalability. In an embodiment, the nBE_SAN (BE_SAN) firmware recognize controller overload conditions, informs Distributed Resource Manager (DRM), and, based on the DRM provided optimal topology information, delegates part of its workload to additional controllers. The nFE_SAN firmware and additional hardware using functionally independent and redundant CPUs and memory that mitigate single points of failure and accelerates write performance. The nFE_SAN and FE_SAN controllers facilitate Converged I/O Interface by simultaneously supporting storage I/O and network traffic.

This document generally relates to the field of storage controllers and Storage Area Network (SAN) systems. The goal for this innovative storage technology is to boost performance by accelerating data access speed while improving overall datacenter efficiency to produce immediate saving in power, cooling costs, and floor space.
According to Moore's law, CPU performance improves about 2× over two years, or approximately 50% per year. Although, historically Hard Disk Drive (HDD) capacity improves at the same rate, data access speed improvements lag behind the CPU performance and HDD capacity improvements. Based on a number of published papers and study reports, the CPU performance improves roughly 50% per year while storage I/O performance improves only about 5% per year. Thus, since 1980, the CPU performance has increased over quarter of a million times while the performance of legacy SAN systems (many of which are Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) systems) has improved only about 12 times. Therefore, it is clear that in a computer system there is a growing I/O performance gap between compute and storage performance, which may limit the maximum achievable utilization of such unbalanced computer systems. Even with new advances in Flash Memory and Solid-State Drive (SSD) technology, the data access speed fails to match performance advances in CPU and memory technologies.
To further improve data storage scalability and performance to be able to meet Big Data and Exascale computational requirements for ultra-high data access speeds and capacity, a new herein-disclosed technology leverages the architecture and methods we have disclosed in our previous U.S. Pat. No. 9,118,698, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. With the world's data more than doubling every two years, there is ever-increasing demand for more storage capacity and performance. Legacy SAN and RAID technologies available today are unable to meet performance requirements and, with prohibitively high cost, are out of reach for the majority of the small and some medium size businesses.
To reduce cost, organizations often utilize large number of disjoint individual physical servers with one or more Virtual Servers (VMs) where each server may be dedicated to one or more specific applications, such as email server, accounting packages, etc. However, such approach introduces other issues such as insufficient storage I/O performance, system and network administration, fault tolerance, fragmented data storage, online storage and backup management problems, as well as system complexity, and so forth. Data access and data sharing could be done at different levels such as block level (shared block storage), multiple hosts accessing the same disk drives or Logical Unit Numbers (LUNs), or for file level access using legacy file systems like Network File System (NFS), Common Internet File System (CIFS), or modern parallel file systems such as Lustre, GPFS, QFS, StorNext, etc.
In addition, TCP/IP protocol overhead together with network latency affects the performance of NFS/CIFS storage systems by significantly increasing access delays for network-attached storage when compared to locally attached disks slowing down applications and lowering overall datacenter utilization that may result in lower employee productivity. However, locally attached disk performance is usually slower than data storage subsystem implementations such as legacy SAN and RAID subsystems. Traditional SAN design and implementation, even though in many cases superior to locally attached disks, tends to significantly underutilize aggregate data rate of all attached disk drives or SSDs by making use of time division multiplexing over, typically, small number of relatively slow I/O ports (network links) between servers and attached SAN subsystem(s).

Scalable data access system and methods of eliminating controller bottlenecks


The present invention realizes configuration management, failure monitoring and control of hardware resources in an open architecture computer on which a plurality of OSs run. A management agent 2111 run on a partition 211 performs communication with a management console 10, management of data on hardware and software failure occurred in the partition 211, and communication with a partitioning control unit 221. The partitioning control unit 221 utilizes partition configuration information 2211 to manage and control hardware allocated to each partition 211, and to intermediate communication between the hardware 231 and the management agents 2111. A hardware data collection unit 23111 manages configuration information of all the hardware in the computer, and monitors status of and failures in the hardware.

The present invention relates to a computing system such as a virtual machine, a logical partitioned computer, a physical partitioned computer, or the like, and, in particular, to configuration management, failure monitoring and control of internal hardware resources in such a computing system.
Conventionally, vital service such as mission-critical service utilizes a mainframe computer. Generally, a mainframe computer comprises particular hardware architecture and a particular operating system oriented to that particular architecture. Configuration management, failure monitoring and control of hardware resources in such a mainframe computer are realized through a special monitoring apparatus or terminal provided separately from the main body of the computer. Usually, an administrator uses a management console, in order to manage, monitor and control internal hardware resource information collected by the special monitoring apparatus etc., to which the management console connects via network.
The reason why thus-described configuration is employed for management, monitoring and control of hardware resources in a mainframe computer is as follows. Namely, a mainframe computer is used for vital service such as mission-critical service, and that computing system is vital, and accordingly it is necessary to prepare a special monitoring apparatus or the like separately from the main body of the computer. Further, it is easy to prepare a special monitoring apparatus, since the number of computers under administration is small.
In the field of mainframe computers, a computing system has been conventionally known, such as a virtual machine, a logical partitioned computer, physical partitioned computer, or the like, in which a plurality of operating systems run in parallel on one computer. Also in such a computing system, configuration management and the like of hardware resources are realized similarly to a computing system on which a single operating system runs. Conventional examples of virtual machine are described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Laid-Open Nos. 9-171475 and 8-227406, etc., for example.
On the other hand, an open architecture computer such as a personal computer, workstation, or the like, comprising open hardware architecture and a multi-purpose operating system oriented to that architecture, has been rarely used for mission-critical service, owing to performance of the computer itself. Further, it is very rare to employ a computing system's configuration on which a plurality of operating systems run. Further, generally, the number of computers in which a system configured with open architecture computers is much greater than that with mainframe computers, and accordingly, it is not easy to provide a special monitoring apparatus or the like for each computer.
Accordingly, in an open architecture computer, usually, a management agent executed on an operating system performs configuration management, failure monitoring and control of hardware resources in a computer, and an administrator uses a management console connected to the computer via network to manage, monitor and control information on the hardware resources in the computer. Further, to cope with a fatal hardware failure, a certain server-type computer is sometimes provided with an apparatus for managing, monitoring and controlling hardware resources in the main body. In many cases, such an apparatus is implemented as a relatively simple add-in board or the like that can be housed in the main body. Such a conventional example is mentioned in Japanese Unexamined Patent Laid-Open No. 9-50386, for example.

Computing system in which a plurality of programs can run on the hardware of one computer


An interpolation processor interpolates reference correction data stored in a ROM according to the level (gray scale) to generate correction data DHr which correspond to gray scales available for image data, for each of a plurality of reference coordinates. The correction data DHr are stored in a correction table. From the correction data DHr stored in the correction table, an address generator specifies storage locations at which correction data DHr1 to DHr4 are stored, which correspond to four reference coordinates surrounding the coordinates, based on X-coordinate data, Y-coordinate data, and the image data. An arithmetic unit interpolates the correction data DHr1 to DHr4, which are read from the correction table, according to the coordinates and generates correction data Dh. An adder adds the correction data Dh to the image data to generate corrected image data. It is thus possible to remove nonuniformity of luminance and nonuniformity of color in a display screen.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to electro-optical apparatuses, image processing circuits, image data correction methods, and electronic apparatuses, in which nonuniformity of luminance, nonuniformity of color, and the like are suppressed.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional electro-optical apparatus is, for example, an active matrix liquid crystal display apparatus primarily formed of a liquid crystal panel, an image signal processing circuit, and a timing generating circuit. Among these elements, the liquid crystal panel is formed of a pair of substrates with a liquid crystal provided therebetween. Specifically, of the pair of substrates, one substrate is provided with a plurality of scanning lines and a plurality of data lines, in which the scanning lines and the data lines intersect each other and are electrically insulated from each other. At each of these intersections, a pair of a thin film transistor (hereinafter referred to as a "TFT"), which is an example of a switching device, and a pixel electrode is provided. The other substrate is provided with transparent counter electrodes (common electrodes) opposing the pixel electrodes. Hence, the liquid crystal display panel is maintained at a constant potential.
Opposing surfaces of the two substrates are provided with alignment layers, which are rubbed so that liquid crystal molecules are continuously twisted approximately 90 degrees in the major axis direction between the two substrates. Back surfaces of the two substrates are provided with polarizers in accordance with the alignment direction. With this arrangement, light passing through the pixel electrode and the counter electrode is rotated approximately 90 degrees along the twisting of the liquid crystal molecules when the effective value of a voltage applied across the two electrodes is zero. In contrast, as the voltage effective value increases, the liquid crystal molecules become tilted in the electric field direction, and hence the optical activity is lost. For example, in the transmissive type, when polarizers, in which their polarization axes meet at right angles in accordance with the alignment direction, are arranged on the incidence side and on the back side (in the case of a normally white mode), and when the effective value of the voltage applied across the electrodes is zero, the transmissivity reaches a maximum (white is displayed). In contrast, as the effective value of the voltage applied across the two electrodes increases, light is blocked and the transmissivity reaches a minimum (black is displayed).
In addition, the timing generating circuit outputs timing signals used by each component. The image signal processing circuit performs gamma correction processing, which is performed by converting image data input to a liquid crystal display device into voltage information corresponding to the gray scale value of the image data in accordance with transmissivity (or reflectivity) characteristics relative to the effective value of the voltage applied across the pixel electrode and the counter electrode. In general, the gamma correction processing is often performed by using a table storing a relationship between the input image data and the corrected image data.
Concerning an actual liquid crystal panel, liquid crystal layers are not uniform in thickness, and operating characteristics of the TFTs on the surfaces vary widely. For these reasons, nonuniformity of luminance occurs. Concerning techniques to decrease the nonuniformity of luminance, there is a technique in which a display region is appropriately divided into blocks, and tables are switched for the block units (for example, see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 3-18822).
Concerning such a technique, there is a technique in which, instead of preparing tables for all blocks, tables are prepared for predetermined blocks. For a block for which a table is not prepared, interpolation processing is performed based on tables for the neighboring blocks, and a table for that block is thus generated. Accordingly, the memory capacity required for the tables is reduced (for example, see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 5-64110).

Electro-optical apparatus, image processing circuit, image data correction method, and electronic apparatus


Methods, systems, and computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for binding service credentials to an application. One example system receives a service bind request for an application in a cloud application platform. The service bind request includes a request to bind a service provided by a service host in the cloud application platform. The service bind request specifies (i) an identifier for the service and (ii) a unique identifier for the application. The system receives, from the service host, credentials for the application to access the service. The system provides the credentials to a secure credential hub installed on the cloud application platform. The secure credential hub stores the credentials in association with a credential location identifier. The system grants, to the unique identifier for the application, read access to the credential location identifier. The system stores the credential location identifier as application metadata for the application.

This specification relates to computing platforms.
Computing platforms are services that provide organizations a virtual space in which to develop, deploy, run, and manage their user-provided processes. One example of a computing platform is a cloud application platform that facilitates the development of mobile and web applications. Generally, a cloud application platform includes an application programming interface (API) that provides developers access to the platform. Through the API, developers can upload their application code to the platform, connect to services that the support their applications, and compile and run their applications. The API can also define spaces and user roles for organizations. Spaces are shared locations where applications are developed, deployed, or maintained. User roles define developers' access to those spaces.
Cloud application platforms keep track of application code, application versions, and application instances. They can also provide access to services that simplify the development and management of applications, allowing developers to focus on the logic in their application code. Services are external resources necessary for applications to serve their intended function. Services provide resources such as middleware, databases, message queues, email, and more.
Generally, an application on a cloud application platform accesses a respective service using service credentials, e.g., a username and password of a user account, generated by the respective service. The service credentials can be stored as metadata of the application in a centralized database on the cloud application platform. Storing service credentials as metadata has a few security drawbacks. For example, the service credentials may need to transit opaquely through certain components of the system, potentially exposing services to a broader range of vulnerabilities and exploits than is necessary. In addition, the service credentials may be visible to computing resources that host an application instance.


The production of a mat of wood chips and/or fibers, hereafter called wood particles, by a spreading station and a weighing device, is controlled in a closed loop circuit for uniformity, directly during the spreading of the wood particles. Several spreading devices form a spreading station. Electrical signals emanating from a tared weighing device which is arranged downstream of a first spreading device as viewed in the direction of travel of a conveyor belt, are used to control the output of the first spreading device. If desired, the output of one or more spreading devices located downstream of a weighing device may also be controlled in a closed loop circuit, whereby the weight of the partially formed mat moving over the weighing device produces the electrical control signal which is compared to a predetermined reference signal for controlling the production of the finished mat having one or several layers.

The invention relates to a method for the production of a mat of wood chips or fibers, generally referred to as wood particles, by means of a spreading station and a weighing device.
It is an important consideration in the manufacture of particle boards to achieve a uniform weight distribution of the finished mat. For this purpose it has been proposed in German Patent Publication (DAS) 1,156,219 to use as the basis for determining the specific gravity or density, particle material which is cut out in a known manner from the mat between sections to be pressed. The length and width of such sections correspond to the capacity of a particle board press.
This method of cutting out portions of the mat is involved and hence expensive. In addition, due to the long dead time between spreading and weighing stations, a very slow flow control is obtained. Such slow control can follow only very slow changes in the mat. If a multilayer mat is spread, it is impossible to correct the individual layers in this known manner.
In the present context the term "mat" simply means one or several layers of wood particles prior to subjecting the mat to pressure in a particle board press.

Method for producing a mat especially in the manufacture of particle boards


To equalize current flow through a pair of chokes supplying a d-c load from a d-c source, and, if desired, to limit current flow through either a single choke or both to a predetermined maximum value, without using measuring shunts, the voltage drop through the choke itself is being measured by summing circuits, which may form the algebraic sum or difference, respectively, of the voltages across the chokes, the sum or difference signals then being passed through low-pass filters to form signals representative of inductive voltage difference of two chokes, or of the voltage drop through one or both of them, which signals are then applied to respective regulators which, in turn, control the duty cycle of one or two semiconductor switches, respectively connected in series with the respective chokes.

Current supplies in which a d-c source is serially connected to a load through a choke and a controlled switch are known; the choke has a free-wheeling diode conected in advance thereof--with respect to the load--and a capacitor is located between the choke and the load. A pulse control source controls the ON and OFF cycling of the serially connected controlled switch to control current flow through the load. To determine the actual current flow through the choke, for example in order to limit the current-time integral to a predetermined maximum level, it was previously necessary to provide a measuring shunting circuit across the choke. Such circuits require not only the shunt, but additional circuit components which are comparatively costly and complex.

Controlled d-c current supply system, with controlled current flow through a choke


Communication stations select the channel which as many communication stations as possible can receive as a beacon sending channel based on interference information of each channel specified in a beacon signal. When there is a communication station which cannot receive a beacon, the beacon sending channel is changed. The communication stations can receive a beacon from all other communication stations by performing beacon receiving operation over a particular channel, avoiding the deadlock state.

Sharing of information such as files, data, and the like, sharing of peripheral equipment such as a printer, and the like, or exchange of information such as transfer of E-mails, data contents, and the like, can be realized by connecting multiple computers to form a LAN.
Heretofore, LAN connection has been generally made by a cable such as an optical fiber, coaxial cable, or a twist pair cable, but this case needs a line laid-down construction, which prevents a network from simple establishment, and also complicates lead wiring of cables. Also, even following establishment of a LAN, the movement range of equipment is restricted due to a cable length, which is inconvenient.
Wireless LANs have attracted a great deal of attention as a system for liberating users from LAN cables of the wired method. According to a wireless LAN, the most part of cables in the work space such as an office can be omitted, so communication terminals such as personal computers (PC) can be moved with relative ease.
In recent years, the demand thereof has been markedly increased along with speeding up and price-reduction of a wireless LAN system. Particularly, in these days, implementation of a personal area network (PAN) has been studied for establishing a small-scale wireless network between multiple electronic apparatuses present around a personal environment to perform information communication. For example, different wireless communication systems and wireless communication apparatuses have been stipulated by using frequency bands not requiring the authorization of a competent authority, such as THE 2.4-GHz band, 5-GHz band, or the like.
Examples of the standard specifications relating to a wireless network include IEEE (The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) 802.11 (e.g., see Non-patent Document No. 1), HiperLAN/2 (e.g., see Non-patent Document No. 2 and Non-patent Document No. 3), IEEE802.15.3, and Bluetooth communication. As for the IEEE802.11 standard, various types of wireless communication method such as the IEEE802.11a standard, IEEE802.11b standard, and the like are available according to the differences of wireless communication methods and frequency bands to be used.
In general, in order to form a local area network using wireless technology, a method is employed wherein one apparatus serving as a control station called an "access point" or "coordinator" is provided within the area, and then a network is formed under totalized control of this control station.
With a wireless network in which an access point is disposed, in the event that information transmission is performed from a certain communication apparatus, an access control method based on a band reservation has been widely employed wherein a band necessary for information transmission thereof is reserved for the access point first, and a transmission path is utilized so as not to collide with information transmission in one of the other communication apparatuses. That is to say, wireless communication is performed synchronously such that communication apparatuses within the wireless network are synchronized one another by disposing the access point.
However, with a wireless communication system including an access point, in the event that asynchronous communication is performed between the communication apparatuses of the transmission side and the reception side, wireless communication always needs to be performed via the access point, and consequently, a problem wherein utility efficiency of a transmission path is reduced by half is caused.
On the other hand, "Ad-hoc" communication wherein wireless communication is performed direct-asynchronously between terminals has been devised as another method for forming a wireless network. In particular, with a small-scale wireless network made up of relatively few clients positioned nearby, the AD-hoc communication is appropriate wherein wireless communication of direct synchronization can be performed between arbitrary terminals without utilizing a particular access point.
An Ad-hoc wireless communication system includes no central control station, so is appropriate for forming a home network made up of domestic electric appliances, for example. An Ad-hoc network has characteristics wherein routing is automatically changed even if one terminal fails to operate properly, or becomes power-off, so is hardly collapsed, and accordingly, data can be transmitted relatively away while maintaining a high-speed data rate by hopping a packet multiple times between mobile stations. As for an Ad-hoc system, various development cases have been known (e.g., see Non-patent Document 4).
Incidentally, under a work environment wherein information devices such as a personal computer (PC) and the like have become widely used, and a great number of devices are mixed within an office, it is assumed that communication stations are scattered, and multiple networks are established in overlapped manner. Under such a situation, in the case of a wireless network employing a single channel, there is no room for retrieving the situation even if another system interrupts during communication, or communication quality deteriorates due to interference or the like.
To this end, with a conventional wireless network system, a method has been generally employed wherein multiple frequency channels are prepared for coexistence with another network beforehand, and one frequency channel to be used in a wireless communication apparatus serving as an access point is selected to start operation.
According to such a multi-channel communication method, when another system interrupts during communication, or communication quality is deteriorated due to interference or the like, network operation is maintained, and coexistence with another network can be realized by switching a frequency channel to be used.
For example, with a high-speed wireless PAN system of IEEE802.15.3 as well, multiple frequency channels available for the system are prepared, a wireless communication device confirms existence of a device which is sending a beacon signal as a piconet coordinator (PNC) to the surrounding area following power being turned on, and accordingly, an algorism is employed wherein a frequency channel to be used is selected by performing scan operation as to all available channels.
With an autonomous decentralized Ad-hoc network in which a control station is not disposed, resource management regarding frequency channels is important to suppress interference with a different wireless network which is running in the vicinity as much as possible. However, in order to switch a frequency channel to be used for the system all at once, a representative station called an access point needs to instruct each terminal station regarding a utility channel. In other words, it is difficult to switch a frequency channel with an Ad-hoc network.
In order to switch between multiple frequency channels, upon HiperLAN/2 being taken as an example, a method for switching the channels all at once has been conceived. For example, an AP (base station) serving as a central control station repeatedly informs MTs (mobile stations) connected to the AP that frequency channels are changed, and the AP and MTs switch the utility channels all at once. Determination regarding whether or not switching should be done is made on the initiative of the AP. Information necessary for this determination can be acquired through the following processing procedures, for example.
(1) According to the instructions of the AP, the MTs which are connecting therewith suspend communication temporarily, scan another frequency channel to perform channel quality evaluation, and inform the AP of the result thereof.
(2) According to the instructions of the AP, the AP suspends transmission of an annunciation channel temporarily, and the MTs now connecting to the AP scan the current frequency channel in use, also perform channel quality evaluation, and inform the AP of the result thereof, and the information is collected by following such procedures.
Also, with Bluetooth communication, a method has been employed wherein each frequency channel is fairly utilized by hopping frequencies with a central control station called a master serving as the basis. In order to form a network, the existence of the master serving as the basis of synchronization between the hopping pattern of a frequency channel and the time axial direction is indispensable. In the event of the master disappearing, the network formed so far once becomes a disconnected state, and the processing for selecting a new master becomes necessary.
Also, with a wireless LAN system of the IEEE802.11 series, a network is formed using the frequency channel set by an access point first, and accordingly, it is difficult to establish an Ad-hoc network without disposing a base station. In the event of performing communication with a wireless communication apparatus (terminal) accommodated in an AP which runs with another frequency channel, between the APs needs to be connected with a wired LAN cable, for example. That is to say, unless between the APs which are accommodated is connected, communication cannot be performed even if wireless communication apparatuses (terminals) which physically adjacently exist are accommodated in a different AP.
Also, with a high-speed wireless PAN system of IEEE802.15.3 as well, it is possible to perform scan of all frequency channels first, and search of coordinators existing in the vicinity, but once implementation using a particular frequency channel is started, the utility situations of other frequency channels cannot be comprehended. Accordingly, even if a piconet using a different frequency channel exists in the vicinity, communication with a wireless communication apparatus connected to the piconet cannot be performed.
Thus, with a conventional wireless communication method, a complex mechanism is necessary, such as timing of switching frequency channels, set-up processing realized by message exchange and the like for terminals, which participate in a network, starting frequency channel switching operation in sync with one another, arbitration processing for determining frequency channel switching, and the like. Also, the existence of a central control station is necessary, such as an AP in IEEE802.11 and HiperLAN/2, or a master in Bluetooth communication, which performs control independently. If the central control station such as an AP, master, or the like disappears, some kind of protocol processing or human-induced setting modification work becomes necessary for selecting a new central control station instead of that central control station, which causes a problem wherein communication is disconnected during that processing.
Also, a wireless communication system has been proposed wherein a frequency channel is determined by measuring not only the interference of the local station channel but also interference using an adjacent channel (see Patent Document 1), but this is a system in which multi-channels are realized by intervening of a base station, so cannot be applied to an autonomous decentralized system.
For example, a method can be conceived wherein a traffic receiving channel is specified by a communication station sending a beacon over the channel most appropriate for the local station. However, even if that channel is most appropriate for the local station, that channel may be a channel which provides interference to a communication station receiving the beacon. It is needless to say that the beacon sending channel which a communication station selected on the basis of the local station is not always a channel which all peripheral communication stations can receive.
Also, in the event that the beacon sending channel of one station is the channel which cannot be used in the other station due to a interference channel or deterioration of communication quality, even if these communication stations can communicate with each other over another channel, these communication stations get trapped in a deadlock state in which they cannot acknowledge one another's existence eternally.
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 6-37762
[Non-patent Document 1]
International Standard ISO/IEC 8802-11: 1999(E) ANSI/IEEE Std 802.11, 1999 Edition, Part11: Wireless LAN Medium Access Control (MAC) and Physical Layer (PHY) Specifications
[Non-Patent Document 2]
ETSI Standard ETSI TS 101 761-1 V1.3.1 Broadband Radio Access Networks (BRAN); HIPERLAN Type 2; Data Link Control (DLC) Layer; Part1: Basic Data Transport Functions
[Non-Patent Document 3]
ETSI TS 101 761-2 V1.3.1 Broadband Radio Access Networks (BRAN); HIPERLAN Type 2; Data Link Control (DLC) Layer; Part2: Radio Link Control (RLC) sublayer
[Non-Patent Document 4]
C. K. Tho; Ad Hoc Mobile Wireless Network (Prentice Hall PTR)
It is an object of the present invention to provide an excellent wireless communication system, wireless communication apparatus and wireless communication method, and computer program, which can preferably form a network by between communication stations mutually operating in an autonomous decentralized manner without interference under a communication environment in which multiple channels are prepared.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an excellent wireless communication system, wireless communication apparatus and wireless communication method, and computer program, which can perform channel access using multiple frequency channels effectively in an autonomous decentralized wireless network which requires no particular control station.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an excellent wireless communication system, wireless communication apparatus and wireless communication method, and computer program, which can avoid a deadlock state in which each of communication stations cannot acknowledge one another's existence to form an autonomous decentralized multi-channel wireless network.
The present invention has been made in light of the above problems, and a first aspect thereof is a wireless communication system for forming an autonomous decentralized network using multiple communication stations having no relationship between a control station and controlled stations under a communication environment in which multiple channels are prepared;
wherein each communication station transmits a beacon signal in a certain cycle using the channel which many more peripheral stations can receive.
Note, however, that the term "system" here means a logical group made up of multiple devices (or function modules for realizing a particular function), and whether or not each device or each function module is accommodated in a single casing is irrelevant.
With an autonomous decentralized wireless network, each of communication stations can acknowledge the network configuration thereof by informing beacon information within a transmission frame cycle, and performing scan operation of a beacon signal from one of the other stations. However, in the event of an autonomous decentralized network utilizing multi-channels, transmission frames are configured so as to be overlapped over the frequency axis for the amount of the number of utility channels, so the communication stations cannot receive a beacon unless they make the transition to over the same channel at the beacon sending timing of another communication, and accordingly, it is hard for a new participating station to determine the beacon sending timing and sending channel of the local station.
Also, even if the communication station is most appropriate for the local station, that channel may be the channel which provides interference to one of the other stations serving as an other communication party. It is needless to say that the beacon sending channel which a communication station selected on the basis of the local station is not always the channel which all peripheral communication stations can receive. For example, in the event that the beacon sending channel of one station is the channel which cannot be used in the other station due to a interference channel or deterioration of communication quality, even if these communication stations can communicate with each other over another channel, these communication stations get trapped in a deadlock state in which they cannot acknowledge one another's existence eternally.
With the present invention, an arrangement is made wherein the communication stations describe the level information of interference which the local station receives in a beacon signal which is periodically transmitted by each communication station (or some kind of signal for informing interference information), and transmit this. Consequently, the communication stations determine a communication channel following comprehending interference situations based on the received beacon information from peripheral stations. Accordingly, with the present invention, the communication channels can be controlled in an autonomous decentralized manner by avoiding that the channel which terribly provides interference to the peripheral stations is utilized as a communication channel.
The communication stations select the channel which many more communication stations can receive as a beacon sending channel based on the interference information of each channel described in a beacon signal when new participation or refresh. Also, in the event that there is a peripheral station which cannot receive a beacon, the beacon sending channel is attempted to be changed.
Thus, according to the present invention, in light of the interference levels of peripheral stations over each channel, an arrangement is made by selecting the channel which many more communication stations can receive as a beacon sending channel, so becoming trapped in a deadlock state in which they cannot acknowledge one another's existence eternally can be avoided as much as possible. Also, each communication station does not need to switch the channel during a period in which there is no sending data, and only reception of a beacon is being performed.
The communication stations can reduce overhead necessary for exchange of (RTS/CTS) packets, and channel transition by utilizing the same communication channel as that of a peripheral communication station as much as possible if the interference which the local station receives is an acceptable level.
Also, the communication stations may perform data sending operation using a channel other than a beacon sending channel. For example, based on the interference information obtained from the beacon signal of an other communication party, a traffic may be transmitted using the most appropriate channel having a low interference level between the communication stations.
The communication stations may determine a beacon sending channel according to regarding whether or not the local station needs a wideband, for example. For example, in the event that the local station needs a wideband, the channel which is preferably not used by other communication stations, and has a low interference level for the local station is selected, and transmission of a beacon is started. The same operation is performed regardless of whether the local station is the transmission side or the reception side.
On the other hand, the communication station which does not need a wideband, upon considering overhead and the like when changing a channel, preferably transmits a beacon over the same channel as a peripheral communication station, so focuses on the channel which the most communication stations transmit a beacon (most frequent channel).
In the event that peripheral stations including the local station do not receive great interference over the most frequent channel, transmission of a beacon is started using this channel. Also, in the event that the multiple communication stations receive so great interference that they cannot receive a beacon transmitted at the lowest rate, the channel which causes the average interference level to the lowest is selected, and transmission of a beacon is started there.
Also, according to a wireless communication system according to the present invention, following transmission of a beacon, comings and goings of traffics can be managed in an autonomous decentralized manner by giving a preferential communication right to the beacon sending station thereof. At this time, following transmission of a beacon, the channel preferentially utilized may be changed to the channel most appropriate for traffic transmission other than the beacon sending channel according to the interference situation on the reception side.
Also, with an autonomous decentralized wireless communication system according to the present invention, random access based on (CSMA/CA) can be performed during a period other than a preferential sending period disposed immediately following a beacon sending timing over each channel. At this time, the (RTS/CTS) method can be employed as means for avoiding a collision and improving communication quality. With this communication method, the communication station serving as a data sending source transmits a request to send packet (RTS) over the beacon sending channel of the communication station serving as a data sending destination, and starts data transmission in response to receiving a clear to send packet (CTS) from the communication station serving as the data sending destination.
Now, the communication station serving as the data sending source may transmit a beacon multiplexed with the (RTS) signal over the beacon sending channel prior to transmission of the (RTS) signal, assuming that a communication station serving as a hidden terminal exists from the perspective of the communication station serving as the data sending destination. A peripheral station which received such a beacon attempts to avoid interference by withholding transmission of data for a predetermined period over a channel wherein data transmission is performed based on the (RTS/CTS) procedures.
At this time, in the event that the beacon sending channel of the data sending source is identical to the beacon sending channel of the data sending destination communication station, the beacon multiplexed with the (RTS) signal is regarded as the (RTS) signal itself. Also, the communication station serving as the data sending destination can start data transmission by feeding back the (CTS) signal in response to receiving the relevant beacon. Thus, the overhead of the (RTS/CTS) procedures at multi-channels can be reduced by omitting retransmission of the (RTS) signal.
Also, a second aspect of the present invention is a wireless communication system for forming an autonomous decentralized network using multiple communication stations having no relationship between a control station and controlled stations under a communication environment in which multiple channels are prepared;
wherein each communication station transmits a beacon in a certain transmission frame cycle over the beacon sending channel of the local station, and also in the event that the beacon sending channel set by the other station which does not need to perform communication is different from the channel which the local station now uses, each communication station omits receiving operation of a beacon from the relevant other station so as not to perform channel switching for reception of a beacon.
As described above, the wireless communication system according to the first aspect of the present invention is a multi-channel-type autonomous decentralized network, so the communication stations can set the most appropriate channel to the beacon sending channel of the local station.
Now, each communication station needs to perform notification regarding comprehension for existences of peripheral stations, and a network state by transmitting a beacon in a certain transmission frame cycle, and also receive a beacon from the peripheral stations. With a multi-channel-type network, in order to transmit a beacon, the communication stations need to make the transition to the beacon sending channel in sync with the beacon sending timing of each peripheral station. However, channel switching requires a period of around 300 μsec or so from the perspective of hardware operation. Consequently, in the event that the communication station which is communicating data suspends data communication to receive a beacon from one of the other stations, performs channel transition and reception of a beacon, following which makes the transition to the original channel to resume data communication, overhead becomes great.
To this end, with the second aspect of the present invention, an arrangement is made wherein in the event that the communication stations comprehend that the beacon sending timing of one of the other stations approaches, the communication stations determine regarding whether or not there is the need to communicate with the relevant beacon sending station, and then in the event that there is no need to receive a beacon, and also the current utility channel is different from the beacon sending channel, beacon receiving operation is omitted.
Thus, omitting unnecessary beacon receiving operation enables time necessary for beacon transition and power consumption of an apparatus to be omitted, and also enables communication capacity to be increased.
Now, with a wireless communication system according to the present invention, comings and goings of traffics is managed in an autonomous decentralized manner by providing a preferential communication right to a beacon sending station (described above), but the beacon sending station does not always acquire a preferential transmission right based on a beacon sending channel. That is to say, the beacon sending station may change a channel which can be used preferentially to the channel most appropriate for traffic transmission other than the beacon sending channel depending on the interference situation on the reception side.
The beacon sending station may make the transition to another channel immediately after sending a beacon to start data communication, but upon the communication station omitting beacon receiving operation, such channel transition operation cannot be acknowledged. To this end, the communication station, in the event of omitting beacon receiving operation, estimates the sending timing regarding the (RTS) and (CTS) signals based on the beacon sending timing, performs receiving operation over the current utility channel only for that timing, and detects regarding whether or not the beacon sending station has made the transition to the current utility channel.
Subsequently, in the event that the communication station detects that the beacon sending channel has made the transition to the current utility channel at the sending timing of the (RTS) and (CTS) signals, the communication station avoids a communication collision by withholding data communication operation of the local station. On the other hand, in the event that the communication station does not detect that situation, the communication station acknowledges that the beacon sending station has acquired a preferential transmission right based on another channel, and continuously performs data communication operation of the local station over the current utility channel.
Thus, in the event of omitting beacon receiving operation of one of the other stations, there is no need to perform unnecessary channel transition, and also a communication collision can be avoided by the beacon sending station performing receiving operation for a certain period during the preferential sending period acquired through beacon transmission.
Also, a third aspect of the present invention is a wireless communication system for forming a network based on Ad-hoc communication using multiple communication stations having no relationship between a control station and controlled stations under a communication environment in which multiple channels are prepared;
wherein each communication station transmits a beacon over the beacon sending channel most appropriate for own reception, and also performs transmission of data using the beacon sending channel of the communication station serving as a data sending destination.
With the third aspect of the present invention, an arrangement is made wherein each communication station selects a channel having communication quality most excellent for the local station as a beacon sending channel, and disposes the beacon sending timing of the local station over this channel to perform beacon transmission. In the event that the beacon sending timing of an existing station has been already set over the own beacon sending channel, the own beacon sending timing is determined so as not to overlap temporally. The information of interference from which each channel suffers for example, and so forth are described on beacon information. Also, the communication stations, according to the beacon sending timing of one of the other stations, make the transition to the beacon sending channel of that station to perform beacon reception.
On the other hand, when the communication stations transmit data, the communication stations perform data transmission using the channel having excellent communication quality appropriate for reception in the communication station serving as a data sending destination, regardless of the beacon sending channel of the local station. Regarding which channel communication quality is appropriate for each communication station can be readily determined by which channel the communication station thereof uses to perform beacon transmission.
Thus, each communication station determines a beacon sending channel only depending on the interference situation of the local station, and this is familiarized to the public as a channel for receiving the traffic of the local station, which facilitates control in each communication station under a multi-channel autonomous decentralized communication environment.
Here, each communication station may acquire a preferential sending period along with the beacon sending timing of the local station.
Also, each communication station makes the transition to the beacon sending channel of one of the other stations along with the beacon sending timing of that station, and receives a beacon, following which is allowed to perform data sending operation over a channel other than that beacon sending channel even during a preferential sending period provided to that station over that beacon sending channel.
For example, a certain communication station performs data transmission using the beacon sending channel of the communication station of a sending destination using a preferential sending period acquired following beacon transmission. Subsequently, during the preferential sending period, upon the beacon receiving timing of one of the other stations approaching, the communication station once suspends transmission, and makes the transition to the beacon sending scheduled channel thereof. With the channel serving as the transition destination, one of the other stations utilizes a preferential sending period, but in the event that the channel serving as the transition destination is different from the channel utilized by the local station, the local station can return to the original channel to continue data sending operation.
Therefore, according to the present invention, each communication station can determine a communication channel in an autonomous decentralized manner, and avoid interference effectively, and also improve communication capacity drastically by utilizing multiple channels effectively.
Also, with an autonomous decentralized wireless communication system according to the present invention, random access based on (CSMA/CA) can be performed during a period other than a preferential sending period disposed immediately following a beacon sending timing over each channel. At this time, the (RTS/CTS) method can be employed as means for avoiding a collision and improving communication quality.
In such a case, the communication station serving as a data sending source transmits the request to send packet (RTS) over the beacon sending channel of the communication station serving as a data sending destination, and starts data transmission in response to receiving the clear to send packet (CTS) from the communication station serving as the data sending destination.
Also, the communication station serving as the data sending source may transmit a beacon in which the communication station serving as the data sending destination and the beacon sending channel thereof are specified over the beacon sending channel of the local station prior to transmission of the (RTS) signal, assuming that a communication station serving as a hidden terminal exists from the perspective of the communication station serving as the data sending destination. A peripheral station which received such a beacon attempts to avoid interference by withholding transmission of data for a predetermined period over the beacon sending channel of the communication station serving as the data sending destination, i.e., a channel wherein data transmission is performed based on the (RTS/CTS) procedures.
At this time, in the event that the beacon sending channel of the data sending source is identical to the beacon sending channel of the communication station serving as the data sending destination, the beacon in which the communication station serving as the data sending destination and the beacon sending channel thereof are specified is regarded as a pseudo-RTS signal. Also, the communication station serving as the data sending destination can start data transmission by feeding back the (CTS) signal in response to receiving the beacon in which the communication station serving as the data sending destination and the beacon sending channel thereof are specified. Thus, overhead of the (RTS/CTS) procedures at multi-channels can be reduced by omitting the transmission procedures of the (RTS) signal (retransmission of the (RTS) signal).
Also, a fourth aspect of the present invention is a computer program which is described in a computer-readable format so as to execute on a computer system the processing for operating in an autonomous decentralized manner under a wireless communication environment in which multiple channels are prepared, having no relationship between a control station and controlled stations, the program comprising:
a channel setting step for setting a data sending/receiving channel;
a communication control step for controlling transmission and reception of data;
a beacon generating step for generating a beacon signal including the level information of interference which the local station receives; and
a beacon analyzing step for analyzing the beacon signal received from a peripheral station;
wherein in the channel setting step, a communication channel is determined based on the interference level information included in the beacon received from a peripheral station following comprehending the interference situation of each channel at the peripheral station.
Also, a fifth aspect of the present invention is a computer program which is described in a computer-readable format so as to execute the processing for operating in an autonomous decentralized manner under a wireless communication environment in which multiple channels are prepared, having no relationship between a control station and controlled stations, the program comprising:
a beacon sending step for setting the beacon sending channel of the local station, and sending a beacon;
a beacon receiving control step for controlling beacon receiving operation from a peripheral station;
a beacon analyzing step for analyzing the beacon signal received from a peripheral station; and
a communication control step for setting a data communication channel, and controlling data communication operation;
wherein the beacon receiving control step including:                a sub step for comprehending that the beacon sending timing of the other station approaches;        a sub step for determining regarding whether or not there is the need to perform communication with the relevant beacon sending station; and        a sub step for omitting beacon receiving operation in the event that there is no need to receive a beacon, and also the channel which the local station now uses is different from the beacon sending channel.
Also, a sixth aspect of the present invention is a computer program which is described in a computer-readable format so as to execute the processing for operating in an autonomous decentralized manner under a wireless communication environment in which multiple channels are prepared, having no relationship between a control station and controlled stations, the program comprising:
a channel setting step for setting a data sending/receiving channel;
a communication control step for controlling data sending/receiving timing;
a beacon generating step for generating a beacon signal of the local station; and
a beacon analyzing step for analyzing the beacon signal received from a peripheral station;
wherein in the channel setting step, of the multiple channels, the own beacon sending channel is determined, and also the beacon sending channel of the communication station serving as a data sending destination is determined as a data sending channel when transmitting data.
The computer program according to each of the fourth through sixth aspects of the present invention is defined as a computer program which is described in a computer-readable format so as to realize predetermined processing on a computer system. In other words, by installing the computer program according to each of the fourth through sixth aspects of the present invention on a computer system, collaborative operation is exhibited on the computer system, which operates as a wireless communication apparatus. A wireless network is established by activating a plurality of such wireless communication apparatuses, whereby the same advantages as the wireless communication system according to each of the first through third aspects of the present invention can be obtained.
Advantages
The present invention provides an excellent wireless communication system, wireless communication apparatus and wireless communication method, and computer program, which can preferably form a Ad-hoc network without mutual interference between communication stations under a communication environment in which multiple channels are prepared.
Also, the present invention further provides an excellent wireless communication system, wireless communication apparatus and wireless communication method, and computer program, which can perform channel access using multiple frequency channels effectively in an autonomous decentralized wireless network which requires no particular control station (access point, base station, master, etc.).
Also, the present invention further provides an excellent wireless communication system, wireless communication apparatus and wireless communication method, and computer program, which can avoid a deadlock state in which each of communication stations cannot acknowledge one another's existence to form an autonomous decentralized multi-channel wireless network.
A multi-channel autonomous decentralized wireless communication system according to the present invention can preferably avoid a deadlock state between communication stations, and also improve the throughput of the entire system by effective frequency assignment, and further reduce influence to another system.
Also, the multi-channel autonomous decentralized wireless communication system according to the present invention, by transmitting a beacon, needs to perform comprehending the existence of a peripheral station, and notification of a network status, and also receiving a beacon from peripheral stations, but by omitting unnecessary beacon receiving operation, can omit time necessary for beacon transition and power consumption of an apparatus, and can increase communication capacity.
Also, in the event of omitting beacon receiving operation, by estimating the sending timing of the (RTS) and (CTS) signals based on the beacon sending timing, and performing receiving operation over the current utility channel only for that timing, unnecessary channel transition can be omitted, and also a communication collision can be avoided.
Also, the multi-channel autonomous decentralized wireless communication system according to the present invention can improve the throughput of the entire system, and also can reduce influence to another wireless system in the vicinity by each communication station performing frequency assignment effectively, and performing flexible interference avoidance. Also, multiple channels can be used simultaneously, so even in this point, the throughput of the entire system can be improved.
Other objects, characteristics, and advantages regarding the present invention will be apparent with more detailed description based on later-described embodiments of the present invention and the appended drawings.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Decentralized wireless communication system, apparatus, and associated methodology


There is provided an electrically activated, multiple orifice rotary fuel injector for injecting gaseous fuel into an internal combustion engine. A rotary electric stepper motor is housed within an injector body which receives both air and compressed gaseous fuel. The stepper motor rotates an annular valve member to selectively permit or block fuel flow into the air stream through a plurality of circumferentially arranged holes in the valve member, and a correspondingly arranged plurality of passages in the injector body. An electronic control module on the engine utilizes pulse-width-height-triggering point modulation techniques for controlling fuel injection intervals and timing.

Internal combustion engines have traditionally been fueled by liquid hydrocarbon fuels, such as gasoline and diesel fuel. However, NO.sub.X and particulate emissions generated by the use of these fuels contributes significantly to air pollution. Environmental concerns therefore require the development of internal combustion engines that operate with cleaner burning fuels. Natural gas and other gaseous fuels have been found to produce significantly lower undesirable emissions than liquid hydrocarbon fuels.
However, because of their much lower densities, gaseous fuels must be delivered to the engine at volume flow rates significantly higher than liquid fuels. In addition, the flow rate of a gaseous fuel must be precisely controlled to achieve proper engine performance, low exhaust emissions, and good fuel economy. Existing carburetors and fuel injectors designed for liquid fuels are not capable of delivering gaseous fuels at the required flow rates, and with the needed degree of precision.
Several attempts have been made to develop a fuel delivery device for delivering gaseous fuels to internal combustion engines. One of such devices is a modified version of an automotive gasoline fuel injector. This modified fuel injector employs a linear solenoid actuated valve, similar in principal to those in gasoline injectors, but the valve orifice is made much larger to accommodate the higher flow rate. Another such device is a mechanical gas mixer.
While these prior devices have been used to a limited degree with gaseous fuels, they suffer from several inherent disadvantages. The linear solenoid actuated injector is incapable of opening and closing its large valve orifice fast enough, and thus of controlling fuel delivery accurately enough, for optimum fuel economy and engine performance. The turn-down ratio of this injector is not wide enough to optimally control the fuel/air ratio over an automotive engine's full operating range. At gaseous fuel pressures higher than approximately 300 psi, instability in the fuel/air ratio delivered by this injector is likely to occur due to rapid close-opening cycles and the high pressure gas. An instability in pressure causes fluctuations in the gas density, which in turn causes fluctuations in fuel/air ratio and high exhaust emissions. It is also difficult to achieve good fuel/air mixing with the large valve in a linear solenoid actuated injector. With mechanical gas mixers, it is very difficult to adjust and control fuel/air ratio, and, thus, to achieve optimum engine performance and fuel economy. Further, there is the potential for explosion in the fuel intake system with a gas mixer.
Consequently, a need exists for an improved apparatus for properly mixing a gaseous fuel with air, and for accurately delivering the fuel/air mixture to an internal combustion engine at the required flow rate.


A mount for a bow hunting sight includes a mounting block and an extension arm. The mounting block has a threaded screw hole and at least one elongate groove extending across the block. The extension includes a hole which is alignable with the hole in said mounting block and a projection matable with the groove in the mounting block. The hole has a beveled edge. A screw extends through the extension arm hole into the mounting block screw hole to removably secure the extension arm to the mounting block. The screw having a head having a beveled surface at the bottom thereof mates with the beveled edge of the extension arm hole. The interaction of the beveled surfaces of the screw head with the beveled surface surrounding the arm hole and the interaction of the arm projections with the mounting plate grooves provides that the arm, and hence the sight, can be easily mounted to the bow in an aligned position, i.e., the sight will not have to be aligned once it is secured to the bow.

This invention relates to hunting bows, and, in particular, to a mount for a hunting bow sight.
Hunting bow sights are provided with a number of pins which enable the hunter to aim his bow for a particular distance. A hunter may use several hunting bow sights, each having a different number of pins, or a different configuration of pins corresponding to different distances. Thus, a hunter may use one sight for closer range targets and another sight for longer range targets.
For the hunting sight to operate properly, it must be properly mounted on the bow. However, the sight mount typically does not allow for easy and quick attachment of the sight which is also mounts the sight so that it is substantially aligned. Because the hunter may need to quickly change his sights, the inability to quickly and accurately mount a hunting sight impedes the hunter's ability to hunt efficiently.


2-Cyclohexylpropanal derivatives are disclosed. The derivatives are represented by the following formula (I): ##STR1## wherein P is a hydrogen atom and Q represents a group --CH.dbd.N--OH or a group --CH(OR).sub.2, wherein each R represents a lower alkyl group or two R's together form a lower alkylene group which may have a lower alkyl substituent, or P and Q together form a group ##STR2## wherein R' is a lower alkyl group. The compounds possess floral, fruity, or green odors and are useful for preparing perfume compositions.

1. Field of the Invention:
The present invention relates to novel compounds having odors, and, more particularly, to derivatives of 2-cyclohexylpropanal and a perfumery composition comprising the same.
There are many useful compounds having odors among acetal derivatives of aromatic aldehyde. In contrast, few compounds are known useful as perfume substance among acetal derivatives having a saturated, cyclohexyl group. For instance, Fragrance Chemicals II by O. Okuda, page 1019 (Hirokawa Publishing Co., Tokyo, Japan), outlines, in the chapter of acetal compounds, about 50 acetal compounds having phenyl groups, while the chapter lists only one acetal compound having cyclohexyl group.
Odors of compounds completely differ depending on their chemical structures. Their tenacity and vaporization characteristic also vary depending on the chemical structures. Because of this, synthesizing various compounds and investigating their fragrance is a very important task for the development of new perfume.
In view of the fact that acetal compounds having a cyclohexyl group can readily be synthesized by hydrogenation of the corresponding phenyl acetal compounds and that the hydrogenated acetal compounds can easily be converted into other aldehyde derivatives via an aldehyde, the present inventors have synthesized various aldehyde derivatives having a cyclohexyl group and investigated their odors. As a result the inventors have found that 2-cyclohexyl-propanal derivatives having the formula (I) hereinbelow specified possess floral, fruity, or green odor and are useful as perfume. Such a finding has led to the completion of the present invention.

Derivative of 2-cyclohexylpropanal and perfumery composition comprising the same


The disclosure is directed to tubular bodies for catheters. An inner tubular catheter body has an inner layer, a braided portion over the inner layer and an outer layer. The outer layer is fused to the braided portion for a selected length or lengths of the inner tubular body and is unfused for a selected length or lengths to achieve the desired combination of stiffness and flexibility.

The intraluminal delivery of diagnostic catheters, treatment fluids, expansion devices or stents is commonly used to diagnose or treat defects, such as blockages and stenoses, within the human vasculature. Expansion devices can take a number of forms, including a balloon that is inflated to open the blockage. The use of a balloon may provide only a temporary solution and a stent may be inserted after or instead of the balloon as a more permanent solution.
When treating defects in peripheral, coronary or neural blood vessels, it is usually necessary to pass the treatment or diagnostic device through tortuous paths in the vasculature, and often through narrow constrictions, to reach the desired site. To accomplish this, the devices often are delivered by a catheter. Catheters generally have a tubular shaft with a lumen and may include an inner member. To guide the catheter through the vasculature to the desired site, catheters can be passed over a guidewire.
The parameters of trackability, pushability and crossability are often assessed when discussing catheter performance. An optimal design would allow the catheter to easily follow the path of the vasculature (trackability) and to readily traverse narrow constrictions in the vasculature (crossability) but would not substantially affect the ability to transmit force from the proximal end to the distal end of the catheter (pushability).
Trackability and crossability are improved by the properties of the most distal portion of the catheter: A flexible distal portion improves performance of the catheter with respect to these parameters. However, the catheter body must not be too flexible or pushability will be adversely affected. To attempt to reconcile these differing requirements, catheters have been designed that have a flexible distal portion but a stiffer proximal portion. However, these catheters often require elaborate designs that are difficult to manufacture. For example, Griffin et al., U.S. Pat. No. 7,001,369 describes a device that requires multiple reinforcement layers and the use of several types of materials to achieve the required properties. Other devices having catheter shaft variations are found in Jordan et al. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0288628 and Sherman et al. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0030835. Each patent or publication referred to is herein incorporated by reference.
A need remains for an effective but simple-to-use and easily manufactured catheter structure that allows for flexibility while maintaining adequate stiffness in important areas of the inner tubular body of the catheter. At times it is desired to have a catheter inner tubular body that allows for flexibility or stiffness in selected areas.

Unfused catheter body feature and methods of manufacture


A micro-flow controlling pump according to the present invention is used for controlling a micro-flow of a liquid in an experiment using a chemical agent for examining permeability of a membrane, reaction of a flow system, reflux of vital tissues, or the like. The micro-flow controlling pump includes: a pump body formed to have a cylindrical wall and a bottom surface, and be provided with an outflow tube formed at an outer surface of the cylindrical wall; a cover body formed to be detachably attached to the pump body and be provided with an inflow tube; a magnet rotator arranged inside the pulp body having criss-crossing blade parts; and a magnet stirrer arranged outside the pump body, having magnetic force by which the magnet rotator in the pump body can be rotated.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a micro-flow controlling pump to be used for controlling a micro-flow of a liquid in an experiment using a chemical agent for examining permeability of a membrane, reaction of a flow system, reflux of vital tissues, or the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally, an experiment for examining permeability of a flowing membrane, or the like necessitates it to control a micro-flow of a liquid.
For purpose of controlling the micro-flow, what is called an ironing pump or peristaltic pump has conventionally been utilized. According to this peristaltic pump, an elastic tube body made of silicon rubber or the like is subject to an compressing process using a roller, etc.; and a liquid is fed through this elastic tube body. Such an ironing pump has been disclosed in Japanese TOKKYO KOKAI No. 58-101282 for example.
However, such a conventional peristaltic pump has a problem that the liquid inevitably pulses through the tube body, influence of which cannot be neglected for controlling the micro-flow. To overcome the problem, it has been proposed to improve the compressing process using the roller and reduce the degree of pulsation of the liquid. However, this makes the resulting pump complicated in structure and inevitably leads to a high manufacturing cost.
Moreover, in a case of feeding a chemical liquid which is made by diluting a chemical agent to a low concentration, there arises another problem that the chemical liquid may be absorbed by the elastic tube body through the feed, and the thus absorbed chemical liquid may be dissolved again in another chemical liquid, thereby making it impossible to accurately watch behavior of the chemical agent, or the like.


The present invention relates generally to construction line reels used in building construction for layout of true lines between two points and relates in particular to a construction line reel which accommodates more than one gauge of line, which permits line tension control as a means of precluding line tangling and twisting and spool or reel backlash as release or reeling in occurs, permits reeled in line to form tightly and evenly on the spool, increases the ease and speed of reeling in line providing a construction line reel configuration which is easy to hold and control and which may be stored in a nail pouch or coveralls or hooked to a tool belt. This invention also relates to kite flying and will provide storage and control of kite string and control of kites.

Construction line or string is used by construction workers to layout true and straight lines between two points. Such lines are necessary to properly aline structural members. The particular needs for construction line are addressed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,285,477 to Oxendahl which is identified herein as related art and disclosed in accordance with 37 CFR 1.97. Obstacles not addressed by known prior art include 1. need for a construction line reel to accommodate more than one gauge of line, 2. to permit tension control as a principal means of precluding line tangling and twisting and spool or reel backlash as line is released and as it is reeled in, 3. to permit the reeled in line to form on the reel tightly and evenly, 4. to increase the ease and speed of reeling in line, 5. to provide a construction line reel configuration which is easy to hold and control and 6. which fits with ease in a craftsman's nail pouch or coveralls or hang as well from a craftsman's tool belt.
Control of release and reeling in of construction line on prior art reels frequently requires the use of both hands of a construction worker. The construction worker often is positioned in a structure wherein safety requires the worker to maintain a handhold on some element of the structure in order to insure stability. Thus the minimum time during which dedication of both of a construction worker's hands to operation of a construction line reel will increase the likelihood of the worker continuing operation in a safe manner. Likewise, a construction worker's need to maintain a handhold may preclude the ability to utilize a construction line reel requiring the use of both hands.
Kite flying enthusiasts will also recognize problems related in particular to the reeling in of line. Line generally must be hand guided onto a reel to insure its tight and even restoration to the reel. This aspect of the present disclosure is of important interest in construction work as well.
The disclosure herein addresses the ability to employ differing gauges of line, the need of control in releasing and reeling in line, of maintaining tension in line during reeling in to insure tight and even restoration to the reel, of increasing the ease and speed of reeling in line, to provide a configuration which is easy to hold and control and to contain within easy reach of the craftsman.


A method and apparatus of motion vector reconstruction based on one MVP (motion vector predictor) and one MVD (motion vector difference) are disclosed. According to this method, input data associated with a video sequence including a current block in a current picture are received. Candidate reconstructed MV (motion vector) positions corresponding to all candidate sign pairs of the MVD are derived, where each candidate reconstructed MV position is derived as a vector sum of the MVP and the first magnitude and the second magnitude of the MVD with one candidate sign pair of the MVD. Template matching between the template for the current block and a corresponding template for each candidate reconstructed MV position is evaluated. A target candidate MV position among all candidate reconstructed MV positions is selected. The current block is encoded or decoded using a target candidate MV corresponding to the target candidate MV position.

High-Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) is a new international video coding standard developed by the Joint Collaborative Team on Video Coding (JCT-VC). HEVC is based on the hybrid block-based motion-compensated DCT-like transform coding architecture. The basic unit for compression, termed as coding unit (CU), is a 2N×2N square block, and each CU can be recursively split into four smaller CUs until the predefined minimum size is reached. Each CU contains one or multiple prediction units (PUs).
To achieve the best coding efficiency of hybrid coding architecture in HEVC, there are two kinds of prediction modes for each PU, which are Intra prediction and Inter prediction. For Intra prediction modes, the spatial neighbouring reconstructed pixels can be used to generate the directional predictions. There are up to 35 directions in HEVC. For Inter prediction modes, the temporal reconstructed reference frames can be used to generate motion compensated predictions. There are three different modes, including Skip, Merge and Inter Advanced Motion Vector Prediction (AMVP) modes.
When a PU is coded in Inter AMVP mode, motion-compensated prediction is performed with transmitted motion vector differences (MVDs) that can be used together with Motion Vector Predictors (MVPs) for deriving motion vectors (MVs). To decide MVP in Inter AMVP mode, the advanced motion vector prediction (AMVP) scheme is used to select a motion vector predictor among an AMVP candidate set including two spatial MVPs and one temporal MVP. Therefore, in AMVP mode, an MVP index for MVP and the corresponding MVDs are required to be encoded and transmitted. In addition, the Inter prediction direction to specify the prediction directions among bi-prediction, and uni-prediction related to list 0 (L0) and list 1 (L1) along with the reference frame index for each list should also be encoded and transmitted.
When a PU is coded in either Skip or Merge mode, no motion information is transmitted except for the Merge index of the selected candidate. That is because the Skip and Merge modes utilize motion inference methods (i.e., MV=MVP+MVD, where MVD is zero) to obtain the motion information from spatial neighbouring blocks (spatial candidates) or a temporal block (temporal candidate) located in a co-located picture where the co-located picture is the first reference picture in list 0 or list 1, which is signalled in the slice header. In the case of a Skip PU, the residual signal is also omitted. To decide the Merge index for the Skip and Merge modes, the Merge scheme is used to select a motion vector predictor among a Merge candidate set containing four spatial MVPs and one temporal MVP.

Method and apparatus for motion vector sign prediction in video coding


A method for producing a developing agent including heating a dispersion of a toner particle material containing a binder resin fine particle, a coloring agent particle and a dispersion medium at a temperature of a glass transition point of the binder resin or higher and adding a coagulating agent in the heated dispersion of a toner particle material to coagulate a toner material containing the binder resin fine particle and the coloring agent particle, thereby forming a coagulated particle is disclosed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for producing a developing agent for developing an electrostatic charge image or a magnetic latent image in electrophotography, electrostatic printing, magnetic recording and the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the related-art production method of an electrophotographic toner, a kneading pulverization method was the main current. In the case of a toner particle to be produced by the kneading pulverization method, in general, its shape was amorphous, and its surface composition was heterogeneous. Though the shape or surface composition of the toner particle subtly may change depending upon pulverization properties of a material to be used or conditions of a pulverization step, it was difficult to intentionally control the shape. Also, the kneading pulverization method was limited in making the particle size small. Mechanical pulverization of a toner go through steps of pulverization, classification and the like. When the particle size became small, the yield was lowered due to a lowering of the efficiency in the classification, and necessary energy increased.
On the other hand, with the diffusion of a digital color system aiming at a high image quality of these days, needs for realizing a small particle size of a toner have increased. The small-sized toner is able to increase a coverage on a medium such as paper at a low consumption amount and is especially advantageous for colorization of electrophotography.
Also, from the viewpoint of enhancing transfer properties and fixability, it has been demanded to precisely control a toner particle regarding the toner shape, particle size distribution and encapsulation and the like. As a production method which meets these demands, the production of a toner by a polymerization method is exemplified.
As the method for producing a toner by a polymerization method, there are an emulsion polymerization coagulation method, a suspension polymerization method, a solution suspension method and the like. Among these methods, in order to meet the foregoing precise control of a toner particle, an emulsion polymerization coagulation method is advantageous as described in JP-A-2-61650 and JP-A-2-259770. This method is a technology for obtaining a targeted particle size by forming a resin fine particle by emulsion polymerization and then performing coagulation. According to this method, though there is a possibility that a particle having a small particle size and having controlled particle shape and particle size distribution is obtained, a step of coagulating a fine particle is essential.
With respect to the coagulation method, it is general to obtain a particle having desired particle size and particle size distribution by using an inorganic metal salt or the like as a coagulating agent and changing the operation temperature and stirring state in the coagulation step. For example, there is a technology for coagulating a dispersed resin particle at a temperature of not higher than a glass transition point thereof as disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 3141783 and JP-A-2005-62887. Alternatively, for example, there is a technology for controlling a power required for stirring as disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 3610543.
In the case where a styrene based resin is used as a binder resin, it is possible to produce a small-sized toner by employing the foregoing emulsion coagulation method. However, in recent color toners, since fixability is required at a lower temperature, a resin having a low glass transition point is suitable, and polyester based resins are frequently used.
However, coagulation with respect to a polyester based resin was studied. As a result, there were obtained only materials in which the viscosity of a solution increases, whereby stirring becomes impossible, or even when coagulation is possible, the amount of coarse particles is remarkably high. Such became more remarkable as the concentration of solids of the resin at the coagulation increased.
It is thought that this is caused due to the matter that the solution exhibits thixotropy because a resin having a terminal functional group as in polyester based resins has a network structure where the functional group is organically coupled.
Also, for example, there is a method for obtaining a atomized binder resin by dissolving a binder resin in an organic solvent, adding dropwise water in the mixture to achieve inverse emulsification and removing the organic solvent as disclosed in JP-A-2002-6550. Though this method is known as a method for atomizing a resin, and therefore, a step of removing the organic solvent is included, the steps became complicated. Also, this method involved a problem that the organic solvent adversely affects the environment.

Developing agent and method for producing the same


Collapsible light-shielding device (3) for a displaying screen (2), having a number of annular strips (5', 5) concentrically nested and essentially enclosing one another in a tight manner, which strips are suitable to be fixed in front of a displaying screen and in that case surround the screen. Furthermore, the strips are adapted to slide over one another between a pushed-in position, in which they essentially cover one another, and a pushed-out position, in which they are essentially uncovered. Preferably, the strips (5, 5') have a decreasing wall thickness, viewed in the axial direction.

A known shielding device of this kind is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,444,465 and consists of an undeformable U-shaped shaft section of flanged plastic plate material. The shaft section is placed upside down over the housing of the screen, i.e. with the legs of the shaft section pointing downwards. Thus, the body of the shaft section rests on the upper side of the housing, while its legs are on either side of the screen. In the extended position, the shaft section projects from the housing beyond the displaying screen and prevents irritating reflections of natural light and/or artificial light on the glass of the screen, thereby rendering the image shown on the displaying screen clearer. The known shielding device is collapsible by pushing it over the housing into a position in which the shielding device does not project beyond the screen.
This known shielding device has several disadvantages. In order to ensure that the shielding device remains balanced in its operating position, a special fastening device is required which consists of a bracket which has to be attached on top of the housing. As a result thereof, a relatively expensive part is required which greatly affects the outward appearance of the housing. Furthermore, the shielding device is bulky under any circumstance, which can be irritating and may also adversely affect the outward appearance of the housing of the screen. In addition, the user is required to sit straight in front of the displaying screen when the shielding device is extended, as the shielding device is too much of a nuisance when viewing the displaying screen at an angle.


A bit switch for use in a digital-to-analog converter comprises three differential pairs of transistors. The first pair receives a digital input signal and a reference voltage signal. The second pair switches the bit current to either an output bus or to ground depending upon the state of the input signal. A third differential pair of transistors is coupled between the first and second pairs for minimizing adverse effects of fast input transitions and parasitic capacitance.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to digital-to-analog converters and, more particularly, to an improved bit switch for use in conjunction with the ladder network in a digital-to-analog converter (DAC).
2. Description of the Prior Art
Digital to analog converters which include a ladder network may employ a plurality of bit switches for switching a binary scaled bit current (I.sub.Bit) to an output bus or to ground depending upon the state of an input signal. That is, when the bit switch is turned on, it directs a pre-determined binary scaled current onto the output bus. Bit currents from the bit switches are then summed on the output bus to form an analog signal corresponding to the digital input signal.
One known type of bit switch includes a first differential transistor pair which receive an input signal and a reference voltage, and a second differential pair which switches the bit current between the output bus and ground. However, when using this arrangement, a rapid change in the input level is coupled through the base-collector capacitance of the input transistor of the first differential pair and affects the voltage at the base of one of the transistors in the second differential pair. Thus, the voltages at the bases of the second differential pair are not precisely differential voltages. This causes a glitch at the emitters of the second differential pair which, especially in the case of low bit currents, may take a considerable amount of time to settle out.

Fast settling digital to analog converter bit switch


An electronic apparatus operated based on an OS is provided. The electronic apparatus includes a storage to store the OS, a virtual device program capable of generating a virtual device executed based on the OS, and at least one program; and at least one processor to execute the virtual device program to generate the virtual device, and to execute the OS to determine whether a first program having an administration authority assigned by the OS from among the at least one program has access authority to data about the virtual device in response to an attempt to access the data from the first program and to selectively permit the access to the data based on the determined access authority. With this, the electronic apparatus may restrain the access to the virtual device or the data thereabout according to a presence of the access authority, thereby safely protecting the virtual device or the data.

Field
The present disclosure relates generally to protection of a generated virtual device or data related thereto, and for example to an electronic apparatus and a control method thereof, which even if a program with an administration authority assigned from an operating system (OS) attempts to access a generated virtual device or data related thereto, checks an authentication code assigned to the program from a manufacturer or supplier of the electronic apparatus in program building, to permit or deny the access, thereby protecting the generated virtual device from an external hacking attack or the like.
Description of Related Art
A virtual device is not generated physically, but logically in an electronic apparatus, and means a virtualization environment to seem that independent programs are executed. The virtual device is a technology of way, which intactly shares an OS and general program files existing in the electronic apparatus and which redirects only results from programs executed in the virtual device or actions thereof into zones of virtualization.
The virtual device may be established as a virtual driver or system, such as a virtual compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), a virtual desktop computer, and so on, to perform independent operations at a personal computer (PC) or the like, and configured to enable performed results not to have an effect on a main or regular system.
The virtual device may be implemented by a hypervisor structure, which is executed based on a virtual OS different from the OS of the regular system, and a container structure, which uses the OS of the regular system. The container structure has advantages in that there is no need to store or implement additional data in order to implement a separate OS and that since emulating of hardware is not inevitable, a processor occupancy ratio is smaller, as compared to that of the hypervisor structure.
Since it is impossible for programs operated in the virtual device according to related art to access other virtual devices or the regular system, the whole system is not exposed to dangers even if the virtual device is subjected to an external hacking attack or the like. However, in the related art, if the regular system assigns an administration authority to an external hacker or the like due to the external hacking attack, there is a problem in that since there are no restrictions on an access to the virtual device, which is already generated and in operation, there is no method, which can protect data generated based on operations of the virtual device and programs running in the virtual device or other electronic apparatuses connected with the virtual device.

Electronic apparatus and control method thereof