A method and apparatus for performing cryptographic computations employing recursive algorithms to accelerate multiplication and squaring operations. Products and squares of long integer values are recursively reduced to a combination of products and squares reduced-length integer values in a host processor. The reduced-length integer values are passed to a co-processor. The values may be randomly ordered to prevent disclosure of secret data.

The present invention relates generally to cryptographic accelerators to accelerate cryptographic computation and, more particularly, to a cryptographic accelerator employing recursive algorithms to accelerate multiplication and squaring operations.
Encryption is the process of disguising intelligible information, called plaintext, to hide its substance from eavesdroppers. Encrypting plaintext produces unintelligible data called cipher text. Decryption is the process of converting ciphered text back to its original plaintext. Using encryption and decryption, two parties can send messages over an insecure channel without revealing the substance of the message to eavesdroppers. A cryptographic algorithm, or cipher, is a mathematical function used in the encryption and decryption of data. A cryptographic algorithm typically works in combination with a key to encrypt and decrypt messages. The key, typically a large random number, controls the encryption of data by the cryptographic algorithm. The same plaintext encrypts to different ciphered text with different keys. In general, it is extremely difficult to recover the plaintext of a message without access to the key, even by an eavesdropper having full knowledge of the cryptographic algorithm.
One commonly used type of cryptographic algorithm is a public key algorithm. Public key cryptographic algorithms are based on the identity:|Xz|N=X  Eq. (1)where N, the modulus, is the product of two secret prime numbers P1 and P2, and Z is equal to M(P1−1) (P2−1)+1. The exponent Z is factored into the product of a private key KPRIV and a public key KPUB. Many key pairs can be found by choosing different values of M. The public key KPUB is published and may be used by another to send messages to the owner of the public key, which can only be deciphered by the recipient using the corresponding private key KPRIV.
One popular public key algorithm is the RSA Algorithm. The RSA Algorithm enciphers blocks of bits at a time, which may be viewed as a binary number X. The binary number X must have an arithmetic value less than the encryption modulus N. Encryption is performed by raising X to the power of the public key KPUB and reducing it modulo N to produce encrypted ciphertext. The ciphertext may also be viewed as a binary number Y having an arithmetic value less than N. Decryption is performed by raising the binary number Y to the power of the private key KPRIV and reducing the result modulo N.
Another use of public key algorithms is for signing messages to authenticate the sending party's identity. The sending party may sign a message by encrypting the message with his private key KPRIV. The receiving party can then use the sender's public key KPUB to decrypt the message. If the message is decrypted successfully, only the sending party in possession of the private key KPRIV could have sent that message. This process of authenticating the message by encryption using the sender's private key KPRIV is referred to as signing.
It is also known to doubly encrypt messages to provide both secure communications and authentication capability. In this case, each party to the communication possesses a public key used for encrypting messages and a private key for decrypting messages. The message is first signed using the sender's private key KPRIV1 and modulus N1 and then encrypted using the recipient's public key KPUB2 and modulus N2. The recipient decrypts the message using the recipient's private key KPRIV2 and modulus N2 to recover the signed message. The signed message is then decrypted using the sender's public key KPUB1 and modulus N1 to obtain the original message. Since the sender is the only person possessing the private key KPRIV1 that can generate the signed message, the sender's identity is authenticated to the recipient.
Another prior art algorithm that involves exponential operations is the Diffie-Hellman Algorithm. The Diffie-Hellman Algorithm is a key exchange algorithm that allows two parties to agree on a secret key over an insecure channel without divulging the secret key. According to the Diffie-Hellman Algorithm, the parties agree on two, non-secret prime numbers P1 and P2. P1 is typically a large prime number. The security of the system is based on the difficulty of factoring numbers the same size as P1. P2 may be a one-digit prime number. Each party generates a large random number, denoted x and y, respectively. The parties then calculate derived numbers X and Y. The first party computes X using the equation X=P2x mod P1. The second party computes Y using the equation Y=P1y mod P1. The first party transmits X to the second party; the second party transmits Y to the first party. The first party computes the secret key K using the equation K=YX mod N. The second party computes the secret key K using the equation K=XY mod N. An eavesdropper cannot compute K with knowledge only of P1, P2, X and Y. Therefore, the value K, which was computed independently by the two parties using information exchanged over the insecure channel, may be used by the parties as the secret key for secure communications.
All of the above-described algorithms involve exponential operations with very large binary numbers. For example, in the RSA Algorithm, the private key KPRIV typically has a length of approximately 2,048 bits. The message block and encryption modulus N are typically in the same order of wordlength. Thus, encryption or decryption with the private key KPRIV involves exponentiating a 2,048 bit message block with a 2,048 bit exponent and reducing the result modulo another 2,048 bit number. These calculations require significant computational power to perform.
A number of algorithms have been devised to reduce the complexity of cryptographic calculations involving exponentiation or modulo reduction. One algorithm, referred to herein as the Successive Squares Algorithm, is used to raise a first large number to the power of a second large number. A second algorithm, referred to herein as the Modulo Reduction Algorithm, is used to reduce a first large number modulo a second large number.
The Successive Squares Algorithm is used to raise a bitstring X to a large power Y. In decryption, the bitstring X is the encrypted ciphertext, and the power Y is the decryption key. In encryption, the bitstring X is the plaintext message, and the power Y is the encryption key. The successive squares of the bitstring X are computed and used to multiply an accumulated value Z, depending on the value of a corresponding bit in the power Y. The accumulated value Z is initialized to a starting value of 1. The successive squares are denoted herein as X1=X1,X2=X2,X3=X4, . . . Xn=Xn−1. In the Successive Squares Algorithm, the least significant bit in the power Y, denoted B1, corresponds to the first power of X, the second bit B2 corresponds to the second power of X, the third bit B3 corresponds to the fourth power of X, and so forth until the last bit BL is reached. Each successive square, X1, X2 . . . Xn, is used to multiply the accumulated value Z, depending on the value of the corresponding bit BN in the power Y. In particular, the accumulated value Z is multiplied by a successive square when the corresponding bit BN in the power Y is 1. Successive squares corresponding to "0" bits in the power Y do not multiply the accumulated value Z. The Successive Squares Algorithm reduces the number of values that need to be multiplied from 22048 to the order of 2,048 where X and Y are 2,048 bits in length.
After each multiplication or squaring operation, the accumulated value Z has a wordlength in the order of 4,096 bits. In encryption and decryption, this accumulated value Z is reduced by modulo reduction to a value in the order of 2,048 bits in length. In particular, the result of each squaring operation is reduced modulo the encryption modulus N of wordlength 2,048. This requires subtracting a large number of multiples of N until the value of the accumulated total Z is less than N. The number of multiples of N which have to be subtracted is in the order of 22048 or 10600 which eliminates the possibility of successive subtraction.
The Modulo Reduction Algorithm is used to reduce a first large number modulo a second large number. According to the Modulo Reduction Algorithm, the approximate reciprocal of N is computed to 2,048 significant bits, ignoring leading zeros after the binary point. Each time a 4,096 bit accumulated value Z is to be reduced modulo N, the approximate number of times T that N would have to be subtracted from Z is calculated using the equation T=Z·1/N, which is a single long multiplication of Z with the approximate reciprocal of N. The product of T·N is then subtracted from the accumulated value Z, which will reduce the accumulated value Z to within one or two times N of the required result. The reduction is then completed by subtracting the encryption modulus N one or two times more from the accumulated value Z until the remainder is less than N but not negative. This Modulo Reduction Algorithm requires two long multiplications and two subtractions instead of 10600 successive subtractions and is vital to render such calculations possible.
It is well known in the art that, since squaring is the same as multiplication with two equal arguments, advantage can be taken of the fact that half of the partial products to be summed are the same as the other half, allowing squaring to be performed twice as fast as multiplication. It is also known in the art that the product of two numbers A and B can be obtained from the difference in squares of (A+B) and (A−B).
In a published paper entitled "Multiplication of Multi Digit Numbers by Automata," by A. Karatsuba and Y. Ofman (Soviet Physics—Docklady 7, page 595–596, 1963), an algorithm, referred to herein as the K-O Multiplication Algorithm, is described for expressing the product of two N-digit numbers in terms of three products of N/2 digit numbers, thereby achieving a reduction to ¾ of the effort compared with four products of N/2 digit numbers needed conventionally. However, the N/2 multiplications are each, in turn, expressible as three N/4 digit multiplications, and so forth, so that the total reduction of effort is to the value (¾)log2N, as shown by D. E. Knuth in "The Art of Computer Programming, Vol. 2, Seminumerical Algorithms," (Addison Wesley, Reading, Mass., 1971). The above references are incorporated herein by reference.
To achieve the maximum reduction of effort using the K-O Multiplication Algorithm, the recursions should preferably stop at some wordlength where multiplication is more efficiently performed in the conventional manner or by special purpose hardware. Such a stage exists because the effort of multiplication reduces as the square of N while the overhead of the K-O Multiplication Algorithm reduces only linearly, so that at some wordlength, conventional multiplication becomes preferable.
The K-O Multiplication Algorithm has been used in software applications to perform long multiplication in public key cryptographic algorithms. Implementing the K-O Multiplication Algorithm in software suggests use of recursive programs. Recursion in this field refers to a program subroutine that is allowed to call itself, as opposed to simple iterations or loops. Recursion also includes the case of a first program calling a second program, which in turn calls the first program. In this case, no program calls itself but a compiler that supports recursion is necessary to give correct results when such recursive calls are used. Not all computer languages or implementations of computer programming languages support recursive subroutines.
Recursively structured hardware circuits for performing calculations are also known. Examples of recursively structured hardware circuits are described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,044,390 to Golnabi et al; U.S. Pat. No. 6,041,340 to Mintzer et al; and in U.S. Pat. No. 5,765,207 to Curran.
It is now common to employ a computer programming-like language known as VHDL to describe logic circuits of a higher complexity as interconnections of logic circuits of a lower complexity, and so forth, until only primitive circuits are required that can be found in an existing library. This hierarchical description of circuits is then translated by the VHDL compiler into a flat interconnection of primitive library elements. Present day VHDL is an example of a language that does not support recursive calls; that is, no circuit block in the hierarchy can include in its description a circuit block which is an instance of itself.

Recursive cryptoaccelerator and recursive VHDL design of logic circuits


Small mobile computing devices place stringent requirements on the electronic modules integrated within. High temperatures inside these mobile computing devices are unavoidable; therefore good thermal management is important to insure proper module operation. Here a heat-dissipation structure for an indicia-reading module integrated within a mobile computing device is disclosed.

Over the past forty years, businesses have sought to maximize efficiency by using various devices to automate data entry. In the important area of inventory management, in particular, the indicia-reading device (e.g., barcode reader or barcode scanner) has greatly reduced the time and errors inherent to manual data entry.
Indicia-reading devices are often employed to decode barcodes. A barcode is a machine-readable representation of information in graphic format. Traditionally, a barcode is a series of parallel bars and spaces of varying widths (e.g., a linear barcode or 1D barcode). More recently, there has been an increase in the use of alternatives to the linear barcode. For example, matrix codes (e.g., 2D barcodes or QR Code) and Optical Character Recognition (i.e., OCR) have enjoyed increasing popularity as the technology advances. As used herein, the terms barcode, indicia, and code-symbol are intended in their broadest sense to include linear barcodes, matrix barcodes, and OCR-enabled labels.
Indicia readers (e.g., barcode readers) tend to fall into one of three categories: wand readers, laser-scan-engine readers, and image-sensor readers. Wand readers generally include a single light source and single photodetector housed in a pen shaped housing. A user drags the wand reader across a barcode and a signal is generated representative of the bar-space pattern of the barcode.
Laser-scan-engine readers typically include a laser diode for generating a light beam and a moving mirror for sweeping the light beam across a code symbol. A signal from the reflected light corresponds to the barcode.
Image-sensor readers include a multi-element image sensor, such as a complementary-metal-oxide semiconductor (i.e., CMOS) image sensor, for generating an electronic signal representing an image formed on the image sensor. These readers include an imaging optic for focusing an image onto the image sensor. Image-sensor readers capture a digital picture of a target (e.g., barcode) and use software algorithms running on a processor to find and decode the symbol into useful information. Image-sensor readers offer more features than other types of readers. These features result from the versatility of the image processing algorithms. The limits of these algorithms are based on the processing resources available from the device.
Virtually all thin-profile, hand-held, mobile computing devices now have integrated cameras. As a result, applications capable of utilizing the integrated camera as an image sensor for indicia reading have been developed. While these applications perform reasonably well for the casual user, they lack the features and functions present in a dedicated image-sensor reader. Illumination, aiming, stabilization, and focusing could all suffer when using the integrated camera for indicia reading.
Carrying a single mobile computing device is desirable to most users. These users will be reluctant to trade their mobile computing device (i.e., MCD) for a dedicated indicia-reading device. Fortunately, an indicia-reading module, with all of the features of a dedicated indicia-reading device, can be integrated with an MCD without being bulky. Such a module must be small to allow for seamless integration with the MCD. The module must integrate with the MCD in such a way as to allow for imaging. These integration requirements place severe limitations on the design of the indicia-reading module. Unique design approaches and construction methods must be combined to facilitate the consequences of the integration within the body of a slim MCD.
The image sensor used in an indicia-reading module is especially sensitive to temperature, and its performance quickly degrades as the module temperature rises. High temperatures within an MCD are unavoidable. Thermal management, therefore, is an important design consideration for an indicia-reading module that is to be integrated within an MCD. The indicia-reading module must dissipate heat in spite of its small volume and surface area and do so in a space where heat transfer through convection is greatly limited. A need, therefore, exists for a conductive module heat-dissipation structure to insure module temperatures for proper operation.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Heat-dissipation structure for an indicia reading module


A semiconductor chip 36 is mounted on a package substrate 30 with its circuit side facing to a board 38. Heat is dissipated from an upper side of the semiconductor chip 36 opposite to the circuit side. A sealing resin 32 seals around the periphery of the semiconductor chip 36 so that the upper side of the semiconductor chip 36 is exposed to atmosphere. A fixing member 34 is buried in the sealing resin 32 so that a hook 40 formed on the tip of the fixing member 34 extends above the upper side of the semiconductor chip 36. A spreader 10 dissipates heat emitted from the semiconductor chip 36. A guiding slot 12 is formed on the side facing to the package substrate 30 of the spreader 10. The hooks 40 of the fixing members 34 are inserted into the guiding slots 12 respectively, and then the spreader 10 is rotated by predetermined angle against the package substrate 30. Then, the hooks 40 travel along the slots 12. Through such process, the spreader 10 is pulled to come into contact with the upper side of the semiconductor chip 36.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to technology for attaching a heat radiator or the like to a package substrate.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various types of semiconductor chips, such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), which controls electronic equipments, are constructed of various electronic components including active elements, such as transistors and passive elements, such as capacitors. Part of electric energy for driving these electronic components is converted into thermal energy and dissipated as heat. The performance of the electronic components typically has temperature dependence. Then, the dissipated heat has an inverse effect on the performance of the electronic components, and by extension that of the semiconductor chips. Thus, technologies for cooling the semiconductor chips are of significant importance in controlling the electronic devices properly.
To cool the semiconductor chips, some conventional arts provide a heat radiator, such as a heat sink on the semiconductor chip, which is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 8-46100. Heat emitted from the semiconductor chip is transferred to the heat radiator, and the heat is dissipated from the heat exchange surface of the heat radiator. Typically, the heat radiator is designed to have large heat exchange surface so as to transfer the heat from the semiconductor chip to cool fluid or gas surrounding the semiconductor chip efficiently. In order to cool the semiconductor chip regularly, it is necessary to equalize the heat resistance between the heat radiator and the semiconductor chip by pressurizing the heat radiator against the semiconductor chip.
In the conventional art, a back plate is attached on a back side of the package substrate to prevent deformation of the package substrate, thereby equalizing the heat resistance between the heat radiator and the semiconductor chip. Thus, stable cooling with the heat radiator is realized. However, this method increases the number of components and tasks for assembling the semiconductor device. Furthermore, increasing the area of the heat exchange face of the heat radiator makes the attachment of the heat radiator on the package substrate more difficult.

Semiconductor package involving a rotary lock that connects a package substrate and a separate component


Apparatus for voltage monitoring of a dual-channel device which implements or monitors a safety function of a machine or technical installation. The apparatus comprises an input for receiving an input voltage, a voltage regulator for generating a defined output voltage, and an output for providing the defined output voltage for the operation of the device. A voltage monitor compares a voltage present at the output with the defined output voltage and switches off the output in case the present voltage at the output deviates from the defined output voltage. A first interface and a second interface connect the voltage regulator to the dual-channels of the device, wherein the first interface and the second interface connect to a first processing channel and a second processing channel of the device separately so that the first processing channel and the second processing channel of the device can detune the voltage regulator independently.

This disclosure relates to an apparatus and a method for monitoring the voltage of a device which implements or monitors a safety function of a machine or technical installation and has at least two processing channels, and the corresponding device.
In industrial automation or process technology, devices must be provided which serve to reduce the risk posed by technical installations to people and the environment. For this purpose, safety functions are implemented that bring a technical installation or a safety-critical process into a safe state in the event of a danger. Under the term safety function, the relevant standards DIN EN ISO 13849-1 and DIN EN ISO 12100 define a safety-related control function of a machine that reduces a risk emanating from the machine to an acceptable level. A safety function, for example, is the shutdown of a machine after pressing an emergency stop button.
Originally, safety functions were initially implemented by individual safety components, for example in the form of safety switching devices with relay technology. These were and are still used today independently of a control system for the system to be monitored. They essentially act automatically and independently of any controller and, in the event of danger, switch off the technical installation by disconnecting a power supply. In further development, safety switching devices were then logically linked to each other in order to implement even more complex safety functions. Today, safety controllers are used for even more complex tasks. Similar to a programmable logic controller (PLC), safety controllers can be interconnected by programming. A safety controller regularly differs from a PLC control system by having two separate channels, a diverse structure with different hardware, continuous testing of inputs and outputs, continuous comparison of user data, voltage and time monitoring and safe shutdown in the event of a fault or danger.
In the sense of this disclosure, safety relays, configurable safety relays and safety controllers are commonly understood as safety devices. To power the electrical components of these safety devices, in particular to power the processing units, most of which are designed as microcontrollers, the safety devices have voltage regulators which convert an externally provided supply voltage, e.g. 24 volts, into smaller operating voltages, e.g. 3.3 volts, 5 volts, 12 volts or 24 volts, depending on which operating voltage is required for the operation of the electrical components.
For digital systems such as microcomputers and microprocessors, it is important that they are only activated when their operating voltage has reached a defined level. A drop or collapse of the operating voltage can lead to faulty operation of these systems and thus impair the safety function provided.
Safe voltage monitoring is therefore an essential part of all safety devices and must always be integrated into a safety concept. This makes it all the more important to provide a voltage monitoring concept that is very simple, cost-effective to implement and highly reliable.

Apparatus and method for monitoring a safety function of a machine or technical installation


A double upright knee brace for treating knee flexion contracture includes upper and lower sections, each section having a pair of leg members and an anteriorly disposed integral thigh and shin cuff. A pair of hinges is intermediately positioned to the upper and lower sections. Notches formed in the upper and lower sections provide a catch for a pair of elastic bands, one each deployed on opposed sides of the knee brace, which provide a gait swing assist mechanism for the brace. A multitude of adjustable straps are deployed on both the anterior and posterior sides of the brace. A pair of air bladders, one deployed posteriorly below the knee and one deployed anteriorly above the knee, provide posterior-anterior mobilization when a patient wears the brace, stands up and ambulates. A pair of inner air bladders mounted on inner surfaces of the hinges stabilizes the knee joint.

Orthotic devices and appliances are well known in the prior art for treating a multitude of inflictions in the joints of human patients. The typical joints treated are the wrists, elbows, shoulders, hips, ankles and knees. All types of inflictions can be treated with various known orthotic devices in all of these critical joints. The inflictions include traumatic injury by blunt force, arthritis, abnormal contracture due to stroke, infections in the bones and surrounding tissue, deterioration through old age, excessive use and a myriad of other known medical conditions. All of these inflictions have things in common. They all result in moderate to severe pain in the stricken joint and the inability for the joint to flex and extend without proper treatment and medical intervention. And even in the case of treatment, of which is currently used in the prior art, it still does not return the patient to anywhere near a normal life. Further, the lack of proper flexion and extension inevitably leads to a bevy of secondary problems, such as loss of muscle strength surrounding the stricken joint and lack of use of the stricken joint. In the case of the hips, ankles and knees, many times the patient cannot walk. Or, if the ability to walk still exists, it is done with an improper gait, many times with the use of walker and usually with excruciating pain, which is then typically treated with strong and addictive pain medication therapy.
Nowhere are these problems more prevalent than with the knee joint, and in particular the inability for the leg with the inflicted knee joint to properly extend after it has contracted ("a flexion deformity") due to whatever infliction has been experienced by the patient. This is known has "knee flexion contracture" or the inability for the patient to fully straighten or extend the knee. Normal active range of motion of the knee for a healthy person is 0° extension and 140° flexion. Patients having a flexion deformity, either one or both of them (extension and flexion) are reduced, sometimes severally. Normally, this occurs as a result of failure of knee flexors to lengthen in tandem with the bone, especially when there is inadequate physical therapy to provide active and passive mobilization of the inflicted knee joint.
Prior art devices and methods of treatment (i.e., physical therapy), best used in tandem, do exist to treat knee flexion contracture, but such devices and methods are typically used while the patient lies on bed or sits in a chair. The devices typically employ casting of the knee to employ a custom made brace to affect stretching of the knee flexors. Pressure is applied, just as is done in physical therapy ("PT") when the brace is not employed, by utilizing strapping to affect posterior-anterior mobilization. Or in other words, pressure is applied on top of the thigh (anterior) downward and upon the back of the calf (posterior) upward with strapping while attempting to flex the knee and straighten the leg. These same exercises can be done when not employing the brace by the hands of a physical therapist. However, as stated above, both the known knee braces and the PT are done while the patient lies in bed or sits in a chair. Nowhere in the prior art does a knee brace or other orthotic device exist, which permits the patient to apply posterior-anterior mobilization while the patient stands up, let along while he ambulates.
Accordingly, an improved knee brace is clearly needed to affect posterior-anterior mobilization, which does not regulate the patient to a bed or chair during treatment. Such improved knee brace could be used with continued PT, but would not necessarily be required since the improved knee brace would imitate the PT while the patient ambulates.
Such an improved knee brace would have increased benefits since if the patient is ambulating, then he is also strengthening his muscles above, around and below the knee joint, something that is thought impossible to achieve while employing known flexion contracture knee braces in conjunction with physical therapy.

Orthotic device for treating knee flexion contracture


A sample and hold circuit includes an op-amp, inverting-side capacitors, and non-inverting-side capacitors paired with the inverting-side capacitors. At least one capacitor pair serves as a feedback capacitor in a holding phase. A total capacitance of the inverting-side capacitors to which an input voltage is applied in a sampling phase is α, a total capacitance of the non-inverting-side capacitors to which the input voltage is applied in the sampling phase is β, a total capacitance of the inverting-side capacitors to which the input voltage is applied in a holding phase is γ, and a total capacitance of the non-inverting-side capacitors to which the input voltage is applied in the holding phase is η. α is substantially different from β. A total capacitance of a feedback capacitor pair is substantially equal to (α−β−γ+η)·(N/2), where N is a positive number.

A multiplying digital-to-analog (D/A) converter is used in, for example, a cyclic A/D converter and each stage of a pipeline A/D converter. In a multiplying D/A converter disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,397,287 corresponding to JP-A-2007-159087, an input voltage is subtracted by a reference voltage and then doubled. Then, a residue voltage is generated by subtracting a voltage depending on an A/D conversion value of the input voltage from the doubled voltage.
A single-ended input sample and hold circuit used in the multiplying D/A converter disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,397,287 is constructed with an operational amplifier (op-amp), inverting-side capacitors connected to an inverting input terminal of the op-amp, and non-inverting-side capacitors paired with the inverting-side capacitors and connected to a non-inverting input terminal of the op-amp. In a sampling phase, at least one capacitor is charged by the input voltage, and each of the other capacitors is charged by a predetermined voltage. In a holding phase, the inverting-side and non-inverting-side capacitors of at least one capacitor pair are respectively connected between input and output terminals of the op-amp, and the input voltage is applied to at least one capacitor.
In the sample and hold circuit disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,397,287, when predetermined conditions are met, an input voltage (i.e., common mode input voltage) of the op-amp in the holding phase does not depend on the input voltage of the op-amp in the sampling phase, and the sampled voltage accurately remains held even when the input voltage changes in the holding phase. In this way, the op-amp is supplied with a sufficient common mode input voltage that allows the op-amp to work at a desired gain and slew rate. In the sample and hold circuit and the multiplying D/A converter disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,397,287, the input voltage range (input dynamic range) is limited to from 0 volts (V) to a power supply voltage. Therefore, for example, when the multiplying D/A converter is used in the initial stage of the pipeline A/D converter, a voltage outside the input voltage range cannot be inputted.
An A/D converter disclosed in JP-A-2006-024975 and U.S. Pat. No. 7,312,733 corresponding to JP-A-2006-115027 is configured to process a voltage outside an input voltage range. In the A/D converter disclosed in JP-A-2006-024975, an input voltage is divided by a voltage divider and then inputted to an A/D conversion section. In the A/D converter disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,312,733, when it is detected that an A/D conversion value reaches the maximum or minimum value representable by A/D conversion bits, a bias voltage of an amplification circuit is switched by a bias control circuit to shift an output voltage of the amplifier circuit. An outputted digital value is corrected by correction data depending on the bias voltage.
As disclosed in JP-A-2006-024975 and U.S. Pat. No. 7,312,733, the input voltage range may be increased by using a voltage divider constructed with resistors or a bias control circuit. However, the addition of the voltage divider or the bias control circuit may result in a reduction in accuracy of A/D conversion, an increase in size, and an increase in the number of parts.

Sample and hold circuit, multiplying D/A converter having the same, and A/D converter having the same


A voice animation system decomposes pre-recorded samples of actual speech into basic segments to derive speech patterns of a particular speaker to provide parameters and coefficients for use in a text-to-speech synthesizer to artificially synthesize human quality speech with unlimited vocabulary in the voice of the person who provided the pre-recorded samples. The pre-recorded speech samples are further processed to add desired inflection and other auditory effects to create high-quality animated or artificial voices.

The present invention relates generally to text-to-speech synthesis and more particularly to a system for synthesizing animated human quality speech having unlimited vocabulary from prerecorded utterances of basic speech segments.
It is well-known in the prior art to provide synthetic speech from a machine. Early attempts to imitate man's speech invariably took the form of mechanical devices. Modern day efforts invariably developed in electrical terms. Good synthetic speech from machines has been possible for at least the last twenty years, but only with the use of complex minicomputers costing tens of thousands of dollars. However, in recent years both the cost and size of the electronic hardware involved have decreased steadily, and in the process have crossed various thresholds of feasibility for commercial applications of speech synthesis. These prior art systems typically have limited flexibility, being handcrafted and hardwired to synthesize a specific voice. Moreover, no prior art system provides mimicry of a particular person's voice.
Speech consists of a continuously changing complex sound wave resulting from constantly changing aerodynamic and resident conditions in the human vocal track appropriate to the generation of different sounds. Speech synthesis depends on the ability to break down the speech wave into component elements and combine these elements to create new messages. A speech synthesis system which is likely to provide human quality speech must be closely based on the human linguistic system underlying speech events.
The human vocal system is a relatively complex structure including the lungs which supply an airflow through the vocal cords and glottis into the larynx through the oral cavity and out through the lips. The human vocal track includes many different places at which it can change its cross-sectional area, either to alter its resonance characteristics or actually to produce acoustic energy. When one considers the variable degrees of narrowing at each of these articulation sites, and the possibilities for their simultaneous combination, it becomes apparent that the number of acoustically different sounds that can be produced is vast.
Sound can be generated in the vocal system in three ways. Voiced sounds are produced by elevating the air pressure in the lungs, forcing a flow through the glottis, the vocal cord orifice, and causing the vocal cords to vibrate. Fricative sounds of speech are generated by forming a constriction at some point in the vocal track and forcing air through the constriction at a sufficiently high Reynold's number to produce turbulence. Plosive sounds result from making a complete closure, usually towards the front of the vocal track, building up pressure behind the closure and abruptly releasing it.
Typically, speech synthesis involves a modeling of the human vocal tract. The cursive digital filters generate quantized samples of the speech signal. The control functions which specify the resonances, anti-resonances and excitation of the filter must be supplied externally. Generally a linear predictive coding (LPC) method is utilized to provide the necessary filter control functions. A basic model utilized in the LPC method has two major components: a flat spectrum excitation source and a spectral shaping filter. For speech synthesis, the parameters of the spectral shaping filter are set on a time varying basis such that its short term spectrum is the same as the short term speech spectral envelope desired. A prediction error function is derived from the difference between the desired speech signal and the actual synthetic speech signal and is used as the excitation signal for the model. A drawback to using the prediction error function as the excitation signal is the large storage requirements. An effective solution to the storage problem has been to model the excitation signal as coming from one of two sources: a pulse source or a noise source. However, the resulting speech quality is mechanical and tinny and is not as natural as using the prediction error function.


A resonant transformer is disposed at a stage following an inverter for inverting the polarity of a voltage applied to a discharge lamp. A parallel resonant circuit is formed by a resonant capacitor and a primary winding of the resonant transformer, and a periodic voltage applying section is connected to the parallel resonant circuit. The periodic voltage applying section is operated at a frequency that causes resonance in the parallel resonant circuit, thereby applying a high AC voltage to the discharge lamp in a period in which discharge is started in the discharge lamp.

A high intensity discharge lamp (HID) is used, for example, in a light source apparatus for use in an optical apparatus for displaying an image such as a liquid crystal projector or a DLP (trademark) projector.
In such a projector, a given original image is separated into three primary color components of R, G, and B by using a dichroic prism or the like, and respective three primary color images are generated by using spatial modulation devices provided for the respective three primary colors. The resultant image paths of respective three primary colors are combined by using a dichroic prism or the like again so that a single full color image may be displayed.
On the other hand, there is a projector, in which light emitted from a light source is passed through a combined three primary colors R, G, and B filter which is rotating, thereby sequentially generating light rays of three primary colors R, G, and B. In synchronization with the generation of the light rays, a spatial modulation device is controlled so as to sequentially generate respective three primary colors thereby displaying a color image.
To start such a lamp while a voltage called a no-load open-circuit voltage is applied to the lamp, a high voltage is applied thereto to cause an electrical breakdown in a discharge space, and discharge first occurs in a glow discharge mode and is then shifted to an arc discharge mode.
As a method of applying the high voltage to the lamp, there is an external triggering method in which an auxiliary electrode is provided in addition to the main discharge electrodes such that the auxiliary electrode is not in contact with a discharge space, and a high voltage is applied to the auxiliary electrode, in addition to a serial triggering method in which the high voltage is superimposed to main discharge electrodes by using an igniter.
The external triggering method has various advantages over the serial triggering method. In particular, where a high voltage generator including a high voltage transformer is separated from a power supply circuit and is disposed close to a discharge lamp, the external triggering method is particularly advantageous such as a reduction in size/weight of the discharge lamp lighting apparatus, a reduction in noise, an improvement in safety, and a reduction in cost.
As driving methods of a discharge lamp in a steady lighting state, there are a DC driving method and an AC driving method. The DC driving method has a great advantage that this method can be applied to both types of projectors since the intensity of light emitted from the lamp does not change according to time. On the other hand, the AC driving method has an advantage over the DC driving method in that there is a possibility that ablation or growth of electrodes of the discharge lamp can be controlled by using a polarity inverting frequency which does not exist in the DC driving method, although the AC driving method also has disadvantages attributing to the polarity inversion.
In general, there is a short break, an overshoot, or an oscillation of light flux emitted from the lamp each time the polarity is inverted to generate the AC voltage by which the lamp is driven. Therefore, if the AC driving method is applied to the above-described type of projector that sequentially generates color image frames in a time dividing manner, the displayed image fluctuates at a beat frequency corresponding to a difference between the timing of generating color image frames and the timing of inverting the polarity to generate the AC voltage by which the lamp is driven. Depending on the beat frequency, the fluctuation deteriorates the quality of the displayed image. Although to prevent the above problem, the polarity of the inverter is usually inverted in synchronization with the rotation of the color filter, the discharge lamp lighting apparatus becomes complicated therefore.
In the case of the DLP-type projector, since the luminance of each color of each pixel of a displayed image is controlled by the duty cycle of an operation of each pixel of the spatial modulation device, when this type of projector is driven by the AC driving method, if the overshoot or the oscillation of the light flux continues for a long period each time the polarity is inverted, it is desirable not only to control the synchronization of timing in the above-described manner but also to control the operation such that the light flux is not used during this period or such that the fluctuation is cancelled out by controlling the operation of each pixel of the spatial modulation device. However, if the light flux is not used during the above-described period, the efficiency of using the light flux is reduced. On the other hand, in the case where the operation of each pixel of the spatial modulation device of the projector is controlled in the above-described manner, very complicated control is necessary.
The disadvantages of the AC driving of the discharge lamp can be overcome by reducing the fluctuation of the light that occurs at polarity transitions. However, this is not easy to achieve, because, in the discharge lamp lighting apparatus, in addition to the reduction in the fluctuation of the light that occurs when the polarity of the voltage applied to the lamp is inverted, high reliability in certainly starting discharge of the discharge lamp is demanded.
It is known that when an electrical breakdown is created in the discharge space by applying the high voltage in the serial triggering method or the external triggering method, in order to achieve high reliability in starting of discharge in the discharge lamp, it is effective to use a high no-load open-circuit voltage applied to the lamp. In the case of the AC driving method, it is effective to increase the no-load open-circuit voltage applied to the lamp. In the AC driving method, in order to achieve the high reliability, a resonance assist is carried out, in which while a high voltage is increased by generating a series resonance to the lamp, an igniter is operated to create an electrical breakdown in the discharge space.
In FIG. 14, the principle of the resonance assist technique using the series resonance is described below.
In this example shown in FIG. 14, a discharge lamp lighting apparatus includes a power supply circuit (Ux′) for supplying electrical power to a discharge lamp (Ld), a full-bridge inverter (Ui′) comprising switch elements (Q1′, Q2′, Q3′, and Q4′) for inverting the polarity of the output voltage of the power supply circuit (Ux′), a resonant coil (Lr), a resonant capacitor (Cr), and a starter circuit (Ut″). In a starting operation, the inverter (Ui′) is operated so as to invert the polarity of the output voltage of the power supply circuit (Ux′) at a frequency equal to or close to the resonant frequency determined by the product of the inductance of the resonant coil (Lr) and the capacitance of the resonant capacitor (Cr), so that LC series resonance occurs and a high voltage is generated between two terminals of the resonant capacitor (Cr). This high voltage is applied to the discharge lamp (Ld) and the starter circuit (Ut″), connected in parallel to the resonant capacitor (Cr).
However, in such a discharge lamp lighting apparatus using the LC series resonance, although high reliability can be achieved in the lamp starting operation, it is difficult to reduce the fluctuation of the intensity of the light flux that occurs when the polarity of the voltage applied to the lamp is inverted, because of the reasons described below.
As described above, since the LC resonant frequency is determined by the product of the inductance of the resonant coil (Lr) and the capacitance of the resonant capacitor (Cr), when it is desirable to reduce the inductance of the resonant coil (Lr), it is necessary to increase the capacitance of the resonant capacitor (Cr). If both the inductance of the resonant coil (Lr) and the capacitance of the resonant capacitor (Cr) are reduced, the resonant frequency becomes too high to properly operate the inverter (Ui′). However, in order to obtain a sufficiently high enough voltage by resonance using the resonant capacitor (Cr) having capacitance set to a large value, it is required to pass a very large current through the series connection of the resonant coil (Lr) and the resonant capacitor (Cr). That is, the increase in the capacitance of the resonant capacitor (Cr) creates a problem that the resonance current becomes very large.
For example, when the switch element (Q1′) and the switch element (Q3′) are in an on-state, the resonance current flows across the whole circuit including the power supply circuit (Ux′) and the inverter (Ui′) along a path (L01) shown within a broken line of FIG. 14. Therefore, each circuit element must be designed to allow the large resonance current to pass therethrough. However, this causes an increase in the apparatus size and an increase in cost.
When the operation is performed in a high-order resonance mode although the resonant frequency is set to be very high, the inverter (Ui′) is allowed to operate at a low frequency, and the resonant capacitor (Cr) is allowed to have low capacitance. However, even in this case, the resonance current also flows through the path (L01) shown in the broken of FIG. 14, and a relatively large on-resistance of each switch element causes the resonant circuit to have a small Q value, thereby resulting in large attenuation of resonance. This makes it difficult to use the high-order resonance mode.
As described above, as long as the LC series resonance is used, it is difficult to reduce the inductance of the resonant coil (Lr), that is, it is necessary to set the inductance of the resonant coil (Lr) to a high value. On the other hand, in an operation phase in which light emitted from the lamp is used in a steady lighting state after the lamp is started, the large inductance of the resonant coil (Lr) causes a great disadvantage in the operation. More specifically, the large inductance of the resonant coil (Lr) causes an increase in an undesirable phenomenon such as an overshoot or a vibration of the light flux at polarity transitions, and thus there is still the unsolved problem that the light flux fluctuates when the polarity of the voltage applied to the lamp is inverted. See Japanese Laid Open Patent Nos. H03-030291, 2003-217888, and 2004-327117.


In a kaleidoscope having an object chamber containing a fluid and containing a number of objects, the objects are caused to move by setting in motion the fluid within the object chamber, using energy derived from a source mounted on the kaleidoscope. In a preferred embodiment, the fluid in the object chamber is set in motion by a small electrically powered pump that is powered by a battery mounted on the kaleidoscope under control of a microprocessor that relates the operation of the pump to the production of lighting effects and sound effects produced within the kaleidoscope. The apparatus results in a display of persistently moving patterns, even when the object chamber remains stationary, and requires no intervention by the user.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of optical toys and amusement devices. More specifically, this invention relates to a kaleidoscope wherein the contents of the object cell, viz. a clear transparent viscous liquid and a plurality of colored discrete particles commonly referred to as "objects", are caused to move by the action of a small pump that circulates the liquid through the object cell in controlled directions. Eye-pleasing symmetrical patterns, as observed through the eye-piece of the kaleidoscope, can be attained as the liquid and objects move without the viewer having to rotate or re-orient the object cell with respect to the prism mirror system of the kaleidoscope.
2. The Prior Art
The kaleidoscope is an optical instrument invented and patented by Sir David Brewster circa 1816. In its simplest forms, it comprises two basic systems of mirrors, namely the 2-mirror system, which produces one central image and the 3-mirror system, which produces images reflected throughout the entire field of view. The mirrors in both systems are set up in a triangular configuration in a tube similar to a hollow prism.
In the following discussion, the end of the kaleidoscope housing the eye-piece and therefore nearer the viewer will be referred to as the proximal end. The opposite end, farther away from the viewer, will be referred to as the distal end.
Located at the distal end is an object chamber or cell in the form of a short hollow cylinder containing a plurality of small contrasting colored discrete particles in a clear transparent viscous liquid. These discrete particles are imaged by the prism mirror system onto the field of view of the kaleidoscope. The totality of a kaleidoscope comprises the object chamber, the mirror system and the eye-piece, all housed inside a cylindrical tube, which is usually decorated externally to enhance the appearance of the instrument. It is the design of the object chamber, however, that governs the lighting of the colored objects inside, whose eye-pleasing symmetrical pattern images are seen by the viewer through the eye-piece of the kaleidoscope.
For most hand-held kaleidoscopes, the object chamber has two transparent ends. Light enters the object chamber through its exposed end. Alternatively, the exposed end of the object chamber is blackened to be opaque to light, and the cylindrical side wall of the chamber is made transparent to allow external light to enter the object chamber only from the side. Yet another configuration for this type of hand-held kaleidoscope calls for all surfaces of the object chamber to be transparent so that light can enter the object chamber not only through the exposed end, but also from the cylindrical side wall of the disc as well.
For a long time after the invention of the kaleidoscope, the illumination of the images created by the colored objects inside the object chamber was mostly derived from natural lighting, either directly through the distal face or the periphery of the object chamber, or both. The advent of a new time and intensity variant artificial illumination system, complete with full audio sound effects, is the subject of U.S. application Ser. No. 08/971,092 filed on Nov. 14, 1997 for ILLUMINATION SYSTEM FOR KALEIDOSCOPES, of which the present application is a continuation-in-part. Most of the kaleidoscopes known in the art for many years have fixed object chambers on the interior, which, upon rotation of the entire kaleidoscope tube, change the random distribution of objects inside the object chamber thereby presenting a variety of pleasing and symmetrical images to the viewer. One such kaleidoscope was disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,294,967 issued Feb. 18, 1919 to Anton Stabla. This patent shows an exceedingly simple and elegant construction of the kaleidoscope using an inexpensive tube made from a single piece of material. The object chamber is formed by a pair of transparent plates, separated by a spacer, with a plurality of colored objects disposed between them. Natural lighting is used to illuminate the object chamber through the transparent plate that closes the end of the tube. Although the object chamber is fixed, upon rotating the entire kaleidoscope tube, the colored objects inside the object chamber tumble and thereby create different images for the viewer of the kaleidoscope.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,020,796 issued Feb. 13, 1962, Kaplan advanced the idea of incorporating a single electric lamp under the translucent object chamber of a stationary or table kaleidoscope as a means of illumination in lieu of natural light. A disk, which bears a variety of colorful patterns and figures, is interposed between the object chamber and the electric lamp and is rotated to produce the desirable visual effects to be viewed. Although this idea of an effectively rotating object chamber for a table kaleidoscope by Kaplan is not applicable to hand-held kaleidoscopes, it did nevertheless represent the first rotating object chamber on record.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,990,772 issued Nov. 9, 1976, Knott was the first to introduce an effective rotating object chamber for a hand-held kaleidoscope in the form of a rotating carriage retained at the distal end of the kaleidoscope tube and carrying with it a color disc and an opaque object box. As the carriage is made to rotate about the axis of the kaleidoscope tube, the colorful objects inside the object box are caused to tumble, thereby producing a progression of continuously changing colorful patterns for the viewer.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,131,734 issued Jul. 21, 1992, Hausner describes an improved objective illumination assembly for the hand-held kaleidoscope. Hausner includes an electric light source within the kaleidoscope tube body between the viewing end (eye-piece) and the object chamber. Furthermore, to rotate the object chamber, he devised a special mechanical assembly including a small electric motor, a drive shaft and a rubber band harness. Hausner's invention represents the first power-assisted hand-held kaleidoscope on record not only to provide an artificial illumination system for the object chamber in lieu of natural lighting, but also a motorized mechanical assembly for producing an ever-changing display of symmetrical images for the viewer. Unfortunately, the device was relatively fragile and yet very complicated to build. Furthermore, it was very costly to build. This assessment of Hausner's invention is borne out by the fact that to date it remains only as a curiosity piece and has never been widely adopted and copied in the industry.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,740,046 issued Apr. 26, 1988, MacCarthy introduced a so-called "liquid" kaleidoscope wherein the object chamber consists of one or more tubular sections in which a liquid and colored solids flow in spatially confined volumes and in controlled directions. The object chamber which contains the assembly of closed tubes can be rotated in a clockwise or a counterclockwise direction. The resultant motion of the liquid and the solid particles in this particular configuration of the object cell generates an endless display of pleasing static and dynamic symmetrical images as seen by the viewer.
In 1993, Eilrich and Baker in U.S. Pat. No. B1-5,029,954 (originally issued Jul. 9, 1991 as U.S. Pat. No. 5,029,954 and reexamined in 1993) advanced the idea of a kaleidoscope having a removable object tube in lieu of a stationary object chamber. The length of this object tube, whose mid section acts as the object chamber for the hand-held kaleidoscope, can be many times the diameter of the kaleidoscope tube itself The extent of the object tube's diameter, on the other hand, is not critical as long as it is larger than the aperture of the prism mirror system of the kaleidoscope. The object tube is filled with a clear transparent fluid having a plurality of discrete contrasting colored elements whose movements are subjected to the force of gravity. When the object tube is swung to a vertical direction, all the discrete contrasting colored elements tend to drift downwards in the fluid towards its bottom. As these particles drift down through the aperture of the prism mirror system of the kaleidoscope, the effect created is equivalent to that of an object cell with its contents changing as a function of time. In this manner the viewer is presented with a variety of changing colorful symmetrical images as if the object cell of the kaleidoscope is being rotated.
However, after a certain period of time has elapsed, typically one to two minutes, all the particles have drifted downwards to the bottom of the object tube. At this point the object tube will cease to function as the object cell for the kaleidoscope because there are no more particles in the field of view of the prism mirror system. The viewer would have to turn the object tube with the kaleidoscope from end to end in order that the particles inside the tube can once again drift downwards towards its bottom. In this way the "rotating object cell" effects of the object tube will once again be re-created.
It is clear from the discussion of the prior art presented above that several attempts had been made to simulate the visual effects of a rotating object cell for a hand-held kaleidoscope with the use of a single removable object tube (U.S. Pat. No. B1-5,029,954 to Eilrich and Baker) or an assembly of fixed ones filled inside with a clear transparent viscous fluid and a plurality of colorful particles (U.S. Pat. No. 4,740,046 to MacCarthy). In both cases the force of gravity is relied upon to act on the particles inside the tube thereby requiring the viewer to physically move or re-orient the kaleidoscope from time to time. Furthermore, in the case of Eilrich and Baker's invention, the very long object tube is very cumbersome since it extends symmetrically and perpendicularly to the kaleidoscope tube at the distal end of the instrument. Thus there exists a need for a kaleidoscope that has a power-propelled mechanism that would eliminate any need at all to rotate or re-orient its object chamber in order to present the viewer an ever-changing display of pleasing and colorful symmetrical images. The present invention with its novel pumping mechanism serves to fill this need.


A method of enhancing positioning of a moving vehicle based on visual identification of visual objects, comprising obtaining from a location sensor a global positioning and a movement vector of a moving vehicle, capturing one or more images using one or more imaging devices mounted on the moving vehicle to depict at least partial view of a surroundings of the moving vehicle, analyzing the image(s) to identify one or more visual objects having a known geographical position obtained according to the global positioning from a visual data record associated with a navigation map, analyzing the image(s) to calculate a relative positioning of the moving vehicle with respect to the identified visual object(s), calculating an enhanced positioning of the moving vehicle based on the relative positioning and applying the enhanced positioning to a navigation system of the moving vehicle.

Some embodiments described herein relate to improving positioning of a moving vehicle and, more specifically, but not exclusively, to improving positioning of a moving vehicle based on visual identification of known visual objects identified by an analysis of one or more images depicting the vehicle's surroundings.
Land navigation for the automotive and transportation markets is widely used by private people, businesses, organizations and governments worldwide. The use of navigation applications and systems either vehicle integrated and/or 3rd party add-ons has become a basic necessity once technological obstacles involved with providing simple, low cost and reliable navigation platforms have been overcome.
The navigation systems may provide guidance, tracking and/or positioning services based on digital maps coupled with one or more positioning systems.
The most common positioning systems may typically be based on sensors receiving a signal from the Global Positioning System (GPS) and/or the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). The signal may be received from several satellites of the GPS and/or the GNSS and using, for example, triangulation the current location may be calculated.
Other positioning systems may rely on dead reckoning techniques in which the position is determined by tracking distance and direction from a known point of origin. The distance and direction may be available from sensors recording time, speed, movement vectors, etc. Using the collected movement parameters, the current location/position may be calculated according to the point of origin is known. The dead reckoning applications and/or systems may correlate between the calculated position and/or track to the digital map.


Systems and methods of venting a cartridge of an infusion pump system are disclosed. The system can be actively vented. A interior volume of the system can be actively vented at times when a drive mechanism of the system is inactive. Such an active venting system can include a valve that seals a volume of the cartridge that can be vented from the ambient when pressure measurements in the cartridge are made by a pressure sensor for greater measurement and calculation accuracy.

There are many applications in academic, industrial, and medical fields, as well as others, that benefit from devices and methods that are capable of accurately and controllably delivering fluids, including liquids and gases that have a beneficial effect when administered in known and controlled quantities. This is particularly true in the medical field where treatments for many patients include the administration of a known amount of a substance at predetermined intervals. The treatment of diabetes involves just such a regimented dosage medicaments such as insulin. In addition, the administration of insulin for a diabetic patient is one of a few medical indications wherein patients routinely administer the medicament to themselves by a subcutaneous modality, such as a hypodermic syringe injection. As such, providing a patient with the means to safely, reliably and comfortably administer required doses of medication may be particularly important in order to facilitate patient compliance and accurate treatment of the condition.
Continuous subcutaneous insulin injection and/or infusion therapy is initiated for the replacement of insulin and thereby the treatment of diabetes. Such therapy may include the regular and/or continuous injection or infusion of insulin into the skin of a person suffering from diabetes, injection is the traditional method for administering insulin. Typically the diabetic will measure his or her blood glucose level and depending on the level thereof may prepare a syringe or injection pen with insulin to be injected transdermally into the body. However, insulin injecting pumps have also been developed for the administration of insulin for those suffering from both type I and II diabetes. Insulin pumps are medical devices used for the administration of insulin in the treatment of diabetes and offer an alternative to multiple daily injections of insulin by an insulin syringe or an insulin pen. They also allow for continuous insulin therapy. Examples of such pumps and various features that can be associated with such pumps include those disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/557,163, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/714,299, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/538,018, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/656,967 and U.S. Pat. No. 8,287,495, each of which is incorporated herein by reference.

Infusion pump system with disposable cartridge having pressure venting and pressure feedback


According to an embodiment, a method receives one or more messages associated with connecting a client and a first host. At least one of the messages comprises an encrypted portion indicating the first host and at least one of the messages comprises a cleartext portion indicating a second host. The method determines first and second sets of links associated with the first and second host, respectively. The first set is determined based on monitoring a result of connecting the client and the first host. The second set is determined based on observing behavior associated with connecting to the second host. The method detects domain fronting in response to determining, based on comparing the first set of links and the second set of links, that the first host differs from the second host.

Network security monitoring may use domain fronting detection to detect domain fronting. Domain fronting refers to an evasive technique that may be used by malware and "censorship circumvention" software, like Tor, to hide the true destination of a Transport Layer Security (TLS) connection. An unauthorized party may use domain fronting to facilitate unauthorized actions, such as exfiltrating sensitive or proprietary data from a computer system. In order to prevent such unauthorized actions, it is desirable for network security monitoring to detect domain fronting. However, existing methods of detecting domain fronting may be inefficient or may fail to adequately detect domain fronting. Certain embodiments of the present disclosure may provide solutions to this problem.

Detecting domain fronting through correlated connections


An optical fiber for Raman amplification amplifies a signal light with a pumping light. A chromatic dispersion at a wavelength of 1,550 nm is in a range between −70 ps/nm/km and −30 ps/nm/km. Raman gain efficiency with a pumping light of 1,450 nm is equal to or more than 5 (W×km)−1. Nonlinear coefficient at the wavelength of 1,550 nm is equal to or less than 5.0×10−9 W−1. Zero-dispersion wavelength is neither at a wavelength of the signal light nor at a wavelength of the pumping light. Cut-off wavelength is equal to or less than the wavelength of the pumping light.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical fiber for Raman amplification that amplifies a signal light with a pumping light, an optical fiber coil formed by winding the optical fiber for Raman amplification around a bobbin, a Raman amplifier including the optical fiber for Raman amplification, and an optical communication system including the Raman amplifier.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, broadband Internet services are steadily spread, from which it is clear that-there is a need for a backbone network having even larger capacity. For the past 10 years, a wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) has become a mainstream technology for increasing a capacity of an optical-fiber communication system. Signal wavelength bands need to be enlarged to expand the limit of the capacity.
From among many elements that form an optical communication system, an optical amplifier is a factor that limits a signal wavelength band. Presently, an optical amplifier used in current optical communication system is an erbium-doped fiber amplifier (EDFA). The gain bandwidth is limited to a wavelength range of approximately 1,530 nm to 1,565 nm, which is called C band, and a wavelength range of approximately 1,570 nm to 1,610 nm, which is called L band. Therefore, application to a band that cannot be amplified by the EDFA is being considered. Meanwhile, a fiber Raman-amplifier using stimulated Raman scattering in an optical fiber is able to amplify an arbitrary wavelength by appropriately selecting a pumping wavelength. Currently, the Raman amplifier is not widely applied to the C band or the L band because conventional Raman amplifier is poor in amplification efficiency compared to the EDFA.
In the Raman amplifier, optical fiber is used as an optical amplifying medium, and signal lights are Raman amplified by supplying-a pumping light to the optical fiber. Specifically, the Raman amplifier employs stimulated Raman scattering that is a nonlinear optical phenomenon in optical fiber.
Therefore, a highly nonlinear optical fiber is preferably used as the optical fiber for Raman amplification. For example, a Raman amplifier disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid Open No. 2002-277911 employs a highly nonlinear optical fiber as the optical fiber for Raman amplification to perform lumped optical amplification. An absolute value of chromatic dispersion at a wavelength of a signal light propagated through the optical fiber for Raman amplification is in a range between 6 ps/km/nm and 20 ps/km/nm.
In designing the conventional Raman amplifier, in addition to gain and noise figure (NF) that are basic parameters of an optical amplifier, multi-path interference (MPI) noise caused by double Rayleigh back scattering (DRBS) and nonlinear phase shift (NLPS) have been particularly attracting an attention. The gain and the NF are basic specifications determined by the system design. Therefore, the object in designing a single amplifier is to reduce the MPI noise and the NLPS as much as possible, with a condition that the characteristics of the gain and the NF are constant. A pumping power required for the amplification is also a guideline in the design of the amplifier, which can be referred to as amplification efficiency.
Generally, as the amplification fiber becomes shorter, the MPI noise and the NLPS become smaller. However, at the same time, amplification efficiency degrades, making a trade off between these factors. To reduce the NLPS, a nonlinear coefficient (n2/Aeff,S) should be decreased, and to increase amplification efficiency, a Raman gain efficiency (gR/Aeff,R) should be increased, where n2 is a nonlinear refractive index, Aeff,s is an effective area for the signal light, gR is a Raman gain coefficient, and Aeff,R is an arithmetic average of effective areas at a signal wavelength and a pumping wavelength. As described above, the effective area is related to both the nonlinear coefficient and the Raman gain efficiency. Therefore, if either one of the nonlinear coefficient and the Raman gain efficiency is increased, the other increases as well, and therefore, there is a trade off between these characteristics as well. Under these conditions, the amplification fiber needs to be designed so that the characteristics, between which a trade off exists, are within tolerance levels.
Generally, nonlinear effects in optical fibers degrade transmission quality of WDM signals in many cases. Specifically, four wave mixing (FWM), self phase modulation (SPM), cross phase modulation (XPM), and stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) can be factors to degrade the transmission quality. In the FWM, a noise light that is similar to amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) is input to a detector with the signal light, thereby generating an intensity noise due to a random interference. The SPM and the XPM are phenomena in which a phase shift is generated according to a pattern of an intensity modulation signal because the refractive index of the glass is dependent on light intensity. Due to a combination of a dispersion of a transmission line and a temporal change of the phase shift (a change in instantaneous frequency), a waveform of the intensity modulation signal is distorted, resulting in an increased bit error rate.
A nonlinear phase shift (NLPS), which is generally used as a parameter for estimating a magnitude of the nonlinear effect, represents a magnitude of the SPM, and with only the NLPS, it is insufficient for estimating the effects of FWM and XPM that are largely affected by a dispersion of the optical fiber. For example, the FWM efficiency is low as long as the phase matching is not achieved. When using a highly nonlinear optical fiber in which an absolute value of chromatic dispersion at a signal light wavelength is in a range between 6 ps/nm/km and 20 ps/nm/km, as an optical fiber for Raman amplification, because the absolute value of the chromatic dispersion is not near zero, even if the NLPS is a relatively large value, it is possible to suppress the degradation of transmission performance of signal lights due to the FWM. Meanwhile, the magnitude of chromatic dispersion necessary for suppressing the XPM is assumed to be somewhat large compared to the case of the FWM, although the value is not confirmed.

Optical fiber for Raman amplification, optical fiber coil, Raman amplifier, and optical communication system


A method of transmitting data between a transmitter furnished with M>=1 transmission antenna(s) and a receiver furnished with N>=2 reception antennas, in which said data are coded using an OFDM/OQAM modulation having L>=1 subcarriers. The method combines a specific coding/decoding with a precoding by Time Reversal, which can be used in high speed radio communications.

Relative to SISO (the initials standing for "Single Input Single Output") systems comprising a single transmit antenna and a single receive antenna, the advantage of SIMO/MIMO systems is, by virtue of the spatial diversity of the propagation channel, that of improving the quality of data transmission by reducing the rate of transmission errors for a given transmission power. It is recalled in this regard that the so-called "spatial diversity" technique consists in simultaneously transmitting one and the same message on one or more transmit antennas, and then in appropriately combining the respective signals received on each of the receive antennas.
It is recalled moreover that so-called OFDM modulation (the initials standing for "Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing") efficiently reduces the interference between data symbols. Moreover, OFDM is relatively fairly uncomplex to implement; in particular, OFDM signal modulation can be implemented in an efficient manner by means of an Inverse Fast Fourier Transform (IFFT), and the demodulation of an OFDM signal can be implemented in an efficient manner by means of a direct Fast Fourier Transform (FFT). However, OFDM modulation exhibits the drawback of being rather inefficient spectrally (because of the use of a "cyclic prefix").
Another modulation, called "OFDM/OQAM", has therefore been proposed which exhibits the advantage of being spectrally efficient (since it does not require any cyclic prefix, in contradistinction to OFDM), while circumventing (like OFDM) interference between symbols in a fairly uncomplex manner (the acronym OQAM stands for "Offset Quadrature Amplitude Modulation").
In particular, the article by P. Siohan, C. Siclet, and N. Lacaille entitled "Analysis and Design of OFDM/OQAM Systems Based on Filterbank Theory" (IEEE Transactions on Signal Processing, vol. 50 No. 5, pages 1170 to 1183, May 2002) shows how it is also possible to implement OFDM/OQAM modulation by means of an IFFT and OFDM/OQAM demodulation by means of an FFT. Unfortunately, the technique presented in this article relates specifically to an SISO system, and does not therefore make it possible to benefit from the spatial diversity of SIMO/MIMO systems.

Method of wireless communication with a multi-antenna receiver


A snow tilling implement when mounted on a snowmobile and in operating position with the snowmobile in motion digs into the snow and sprays broken up snow on the heat exchanger, track, and slide rail on the underneath side of the snowmobile to cool and lubricate the same. The tilling implement can be simply an elongate rod, the proximal portion of which is advantageously bent to form a coil spring and catch arm. The catch arm abuts against the snowmobile and causes the coil spring to provide a downward force pressing the distal end of the rod into snow.

1. Field:
The present invention relates to snowmobiles and particularly to snowmobile cooling and track lubricating systems.
2. State of the Art:
Some snowmobiles have water cooled engines and a heat exchanger for dissipating heat from the engine coolant. The heat exchanger is usually located under the snowmobile where loose snow can be sprayed up onto the heat exchanger to cool it as the snowmobile moves through the snow. Also the track and slide rail of a snowmobile is cooled and lubricated by sprayed loose snow. The problem with such cooling and lubricating means is that when the snow is hard packed or icy, such as often occurs late in the snow season, there is no loose snow to be thrown onto the parts that need cooling and lubricating.

Snow tiller to help cool the engine and lubricate the track of a snowmobile


Routes between data planes are partitioned according to the source and destination data planes. Partitions are distributed according to the source data plane associated with the partition. Each data plane is configured to clear and resynchronize its own routes when a data plane fails. Also, the restarted data plane is configured to restore routes by retrieving partitions that have the restarted data plane as the source data plane.

The present invention generally relates to data processing in telecommunications systems and more specifically to separating route tables between data planes in a data structure and distributing different parts of the data structure to different data planes.
A split-plane architecture includes a control plane and one or more data planes. The data planes include virtual or physical circuits that route data for various applications, such as asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) circuits, Internet protocol (IP) route and bridging tables, and point-to-point protocol (PPP) sessions.
Each data plane includes a number of ports. A port on one data plane may exchange data with another port on the same data plane or a port on a different data plane. The control plane maintains a route table that includes the routes from a source data plane to a destination data plane. The routes are used by the data planes to determine where to send data. For example, a source data plane sends data received at a port to another port on the same data plane or a different data plane according to a route in the route table.
When a data plane crashes, data cannot be routed to the failed data plane or else a system failure may occur. Thus, the control plane should clear any routes that route data to the failed data plane in the route table. This may be referred to as "clearing the data plane". When the failed data plane becomes operational again, the control plane should restore the routes from the working data planes (those that did not fail) to the restarted data plane in the route table. Also, the routes from the restarted data plane to the working data planes should be restored. This is referred to as "data plane resynchronization". All of the above changes should also be communicated to the data planes.
Accordingly, when one of the data planes crashes, the control plane updates the routes for the other data planes so data is not transferred to the failed data plane. If the routes are not updated, errors may occur when data is transferred to a failed data plane. Also, when the failure condition is restarted, the control plane should update the routes for the restarted data plane so the restarted data plane can transfer data to the other data planes. Further, when the failure condition is restarted, the control plane restores the routes for the other data planes so that the other data planes transfer data to the restarted data plane. The control plane communicates all the above changes to the data planes.
Having the control plane as the central manager of the route table causes many problems when data planes fail. The route table typically includes a high number of routes. Thus, a lot of messaging between the control plane and other data planes is required in order to clear and resynchronize the data planes. For example, a split-plane architecture may include 16,000 point-to-point sessions distributed across all the data planes. The control plane becomes a bottleneck of the system because a large number of messages are required to clear or resynchronize the data planes. For example, applications running on the control plane may be blocked due to the resynchronization activity performed by the control plane whenever a data plane crashes and whenever a crashed data plane is restarted. The problem increases in complexity with respect to the number of data planes in the system. The more the number of data planes, the more resynchronization the control plane has to do. This in turn means that as the number of data planes increases, the processing the control plane needs to perform to resynchronize the data planes increases. Also, the number of messages the control plane needs to send increases as the number of data planes increases.

Partitioning and categorizing data in a split-plane architecture for fast recovery from data plane failures and fast restarts


Button inserts of a rock drilling bit are ground by positioning a grinding cup against each button insert and rotating the cup while supplying flushing fluid thereto. The flushing fluid is conducted through an axial bore of a spindle on which the grinding cup is mounted. An inner end of the spindle is mounted for rotation in a grinding head, and is rotated by a drive mechanism disposed within the grinding head. Flushing fluid is supplied to the axial bore through a flushing head mounted on the spindle at a location outside of the grinding head. The flushing head has axially spaced parts that are movable axially relative to one another under the force of flushing fluid passing therethrough, in order to establish a fluid seal.

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for grinding buttons of a rock drilling bit, and to a flushing head for supplying flushing medium.
From Swedish Patent 460 584 a device for grinding buttons of a rock drilling bit is previously known, said device including a grinding head having a rotatably journalled spindle that receives a grinding cup. Inside the grinding head, means are provided for supplying flushing/cooling medium to a recess of the grinding cup. Said flushing/cooling medium is supplied axially within the rotatable spindle and then axially within the shank of the grinding cup until the flushing/cooling medium reaches the recess of the grinding cup. However, due to the fact that the means for supplying flushing/cooling medium to the grinding cup is located within the grinding head, considerable sealing arrangements for separating the flushing/cooling medium from the lubricating medium must be present. This complicates the design of the grinding head.
The aim of the present invention is to present a method and apparatus for grinding buttons of rock drilling bits, while simplifying the supply of flushing/cooling medium to the grinding cup.

Methods and apparatus for supplying flushing fluid to a grinding head


A time-to-digital converter (TDC) incorporates a resistor-stabilized delay line, a sampling circuit and a processing circuit. The resistor-stabilized delay line operates to limit the variation in delay values for the delay elements in the delay line due to fabrication process variations. In some embodiments, the resistor-stabilized delay line limits the delay variation of each delay element to a fraction of the delay.

As CMOS process technology pushes towards smaller and smaller geometry and faster transistors with greater circuit density become available, the time-domain resolution of a digital signal edge transition becomes superior to the voltage resolution of an analog signal. As a result, digital phase locked loops can achieve same or better performance over analog phase locked loops while bringing benefits of digital approach such as easy programmability, significantly smaller area for loop filter, easy portability between different processes, and scalability with CMOS advanced technology node development.
A digital phase locked loop, sometimes referred to as an all digital phase locked loop (ADPLL), refers to a phase locked loop (PLL) circuit implemented with only digital circuit blocks. In particular, a digital phase locked loop uses a time-to-digital converter (TDC) to replace the phase detector and the charge pump of the conventional analog PLL circuit. A digital phase locked loop is formed by the TDC as a digital phase detector, a digital loop filter, a digitally controlled oscillator (DCO), and appropriate feedback circuit. The time-to-digital converter (TDC) is used to quantize time information of a signal event relative to a reference event. The DCO performs frequency generation in response to the time delay measured by the TDC.
FIG. 1 duplicates FIG. 2 of U.S. Patent Publication 2008/0069292 and illustrates a conventional time-to-digital converter (TDC). FIG. 2 duplicates FIG. 1 of U.S. Patent Publication 2008/0069292 and illustrates the operation of the conventional time-to-digital converter (TDC) of FIG. 1. The conventional TDC is implemented using digital circuit elements including a serial configuration of delay stages and D flip-flops. The event signal is propagated through the serial configuration of delay stages. In time, the event signal edge moves from left to right of the delay chain, from the first stage to the last stage. At the arrival of the reference signal edge, the delayed versions of the event signal edge at all the delay stages are sampled in parallel. For example, D flip flops are used as the sampling element. The sampling of the delayed versions of the event signal edge by the reference signal edge results in a thermometer code at the outputs of the sampling elements. For instance, all delay stages which have been already passed by the event signal edge give a logical High value at the outputs of the sampling elements and all delay stages which have not been passed by the event signal edge yet give a logical Low value, resulting in a thermometer code. The position of the High-Low transition in the thermometer code indicates how far the event signal could propagate during the time interval spanned by the event signal and the reference signal.
In a TDC, the High-Low transition of the thermometer code output is a measure for the time interval (tin) between event signal edge (tevent) and the reference signal edge (tref), with some quantization error. More specifically, the time interval tin to be measured is approximated by the TDC as an output time (tout) with quantization error tq. The thermometer code output of the TDC can be converted to an output time value by computing the product of the number of high transitions and the delay time of a single delay stage.
The minimum resolution of the conventional TDC is limited by the fabrication process technology which determines the time delay for the delay stages. The delay stages of the TDC are typically implemented using buffers or inverters. Thus, the time delay of the buffers or inverters sets the resolution of the TDC. Although the time delay of the buffers is improving steadily with advanced process technology, the resolution that can be provided by these delay elements is still not adequate for low phase noise or low phase jitter ADPLL.
Various techniques have been developed to achieve time resolution smaller than the intrinsic delay of buffers or inverters. U.S. Patent Publication 2014/0201254 proposes using a delay element fabric and a phase generator to construct the delay line in which the phase generator splits the digital input signal in multiple incrementally delayed versions for the fabric inputs and the delay element fabric generates sub inverter delay after phase mixing of incrementally delayed signals. Other techniques have also been proposed.
While the delay line constructed using these techniques can achieve sub inverter delays, the TDCs employing these techniques suffer the "missing code" or "bubbles" problems at the thermometer code output of the TDC. The missing code or bubbles problems are caused by variations in the delay of the delay elements where the delay variations are caused by fabrication process variations. The large delay variations among delay elements represent a major road block to achieve high resolution in time-to-digital conversion.
More specifically, FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b) illustrate the missing code error in a TDC which can result when the delay variations become too large relative to the delay of each delay element in the TDC. FIG. 3(a) illustrates the ideal operation of a TDC. In response to an event signal edge (1), a series of delayed event signals (2-5) are generated by the delay line, each delayed even signal having a signal edge delayed from the previous signal by the delay amount δ. At the arrival of the reference signal edge (8), the delayed event signals are sampled in parallel. In the example shown in FIG. 3(a), an output code of "11000" is generated.
FIG. 3(b) illustrates the operation of a TDC in the presence of large delay variations of the delay elements. For example, due to process variations, the first delay element may have a delay larger than δ while the third delay element may have a delay smaller than δ. At the arrival of the reference signal edge (8) when the delayed event signals are sampled in parallel, the wrong output code "10100" is obtained. The TDC is therefore not able to determine the correct time interval to be measured.
In particular, in older process technologies, the delay element may provide a larger delay of 50 ps. If the delay variation is 10 ps, then the delay variation is not that critical as it is only a percentage of the delay element resolution. However, as process technology improves over the years, delay elements may be made with smaller and smaller delays, such as 1 ps. In that case, the variation of the delay due to process variation becomes a problem as the delay variation becomes larger than the delay itself. For example, a delay element may have a 1 ps delay but a delay variation of 3 ps. Thus, even though the reducing delay of the delay elements improves the TDC resolution by improving the phase noise, the large delay variations in the delay elements limit the practical use of TDC and the practical realization of digital phase locked loops.


In a developing roller having a shaft member, a conductive elastic layer provided on the shaft member, and a conductive resin layer constituting a most-surface layer, the conductive resin layer contains a condensed polycyclic organic pigment as exemplified by at least one selected from the group consisting of a quinacridone pigment, a threne pigment, a perylene pigment and a perinone pigment. The developing roller can effectively keep ghosts from occurring and can achieve high image density in a low-temperature and low-humidity environment.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a developing roller which is used in, e.g., electrophotographic apparatus such as copying machines and laser beam printers, and to an electrophotographic process cartridge and an electrophotographic image forming apparatus which make use of the developing roller.
2. Related Background Art
Conventionally, in electrophotographic apparatus or electrostatic recording apparatus, such as copying machines and laser beam printers, a pressure developing method is known as a developing method in which a non-magnetic one-component developer is fed to, e.g., a photosensitive drum which is holding a latent image thereon and the developer is made to adhere to the latent image (electrostatically charged image) on the photosensitive drum to render the latent image visible. According to this method, any magnetic material is not required, and hence the image forming apparatus can be made simple or compact with ease or toners can be made up as color toners with ease.
In this developing method, a developing roller holding a toner (non-magnetic one-component developer) thereon is brought into contact with a latent image bearing member holding an electrostatic latent image thereon, such as a photosensitive drum, to make the toner adhere to the latent image to perform development. Hence, the developing roller must be formed of a conductive elastic member. In recent years, the performance required of this developing roller has come very rich in variety. For example, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H10-213965, it is proposed to add a charge control agent to an elastic layer of a single-layer roller formed of an elastic material.
However, where the non-magnetic one-component developer is used in conjunction with conventional developing rollers, it is difficult to control the charging of toner on the developing rollers, and problems concerning uniformity of charging and running stability of charging have not completely been solved, where image defects such as ghosts may occur. In this case, it is a difficult subject to obtain high-grade images that can achieve high image density especially in a low-temperature and low-humidity environment (15° C., 10% RH).

Developing roller, electrophotographic process cartridge, and electrophotographic image forming apparatus


Techniques for preventing ransomware from encrypting files on a target machine are disclosed. In some embodiments, a system/process/computer program product for preventing ransomware from encrypting files on a target machine includes monitoring file system activities on a computing device; detecting an unauthorized activity associated with a honeypot file or honeypot folder; and performing an action based on a policy in response to the unauthorized activity associated with the honeypot file or honeypot folder.

Security risks on computing devices are often a result of a bug, design flaw, or other vulnerability in an operating system being exploited by malware, such as ransomware. In the case of ransomware, this can result in encrypted files on a target machine.
Nefarious individuals and organizations are increasingly targeting machines with malicious applications/processes ("malware"), such as ransomware. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to protect against ransomware from encrypting files on a target machine using existing approaches.

Preventing ransomware from encrypting files on a target machine