A computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer program product for managing a lesson learned through a client application. A lesson learned is information describing a task associated with a project. A rating value for the lesson learned is identified using a predefined level matrix. A workflow notification process is generated to address the lesson learned using a notification manager. The lesson learned is monitored throughout the duration of a project.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a data processing system and in particular to a method and apparatus for managing projects. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer usable program code for managing and implementing lessons learned associated with a project in a closed loop process.
2. Description of the Related Art
The business environment is becoming increasingly competitive. From a consumer standpoint, this situation results in a quality product at a reasonable price. From a business standpoint, however, a business must continually optimize its processes in order to increase product quality and decrease operating costs.
A business typically incorporates standard processes for each product development stage, such as design, manufacturing, and testing. Each product development stage may include successes and failures in addition to expected results. The lessons learned during product development are often documented at the end of a release. A lesson learned is information regarding a project activity or task gained from experience. Lessons learned may include both positive action items to be repeated in the future, as well as negative action items indicating a need for improvement. Documenting lessons learned in a completed project is useful for application in future projects.
Lessons learned during product development are typically documented at the end of a release. Depending on the number of lessons learned, the complexity of each lesson learned, and any actions that may have been taken to address a lesson learned during product development, recalling all of the lessons learned during a particular release can be challenging. Furthermore, tracking each lesson learned in order to benefit from the lesson in future releases is cumbersome and time-consuming. Oftentimes, lessons learned are addressed as they arise, which leads to inefficient use of resources for some lessons that may be less valuable than other lessons.
Currently, tracking lessons learned is performed manually, with periodic status meetings to update progress and assign action items in order to close out a lesson learned. Tracking and monitoring the lessons to closure for multiple organizations and multiple releases through a manual process is inefficient and time-consuming. As a result, minimal benefit is realized for the amount of time spent seeing the lessons learned to closure.
Current systems for tracking and monitoring lessons learned typically cannot capture lessons learned as they arise throughout a particular release without manually logging the lessons learned and ranking which lessons to address. In addition, current systems for tracking and monitoring lessons learned require manual monitoring to and that a proper resolution is reached and implemented in future releases. Manually capturing, prioritizing, and tracking lessons learned is both cumbersome and inefficient for improved product development.

Issue tracking system using a criteria rating matrix and workflow notification

International Business Machines Corporation


The semiconductor element has an electrode including: a Ni-inclusion metal layer containing nickel formed on a side of at least one surface of the semiconductor-element constituting part; a Ni-barrier metal layer formed outwardly on a side of the Ni-inclusion metal layer opposite to the side toward the semiconductor-element constituting part; and a surface metal layer outwardly formed on a side of the Ni-barrier metal layer opposite to the side toward the semiconductor-element constituting part, to be connected to the metal nanoparticles sintered layer; wherein the Ni-barrier metal layer contains a metal for suppressing diffusion of nickel toward the surface metal layer.

Semiconductor elements operable at a high temperature (high-temperature operation compatible semiconductor elements) are, in some cases other than when packaged as stand-alone elements, put into operation as mounted on mounting boards. There are proposed many electrode structures on back faces of semiconductor elements for joining the high-temperature operable semiconductor elements and the mounting boards together, in order to make the high-temperature operable semiconductor elements and the mounting boards to be stably joined for a long period of time. Meanwhile, when semiconductor elements operable at a normal range temperature are joined to the mounting boards, in order to make a solder Pb(lead)-free or to realize a low-temperature joining, they are in some cases joined by using an Sn (tin)-base solder, a metal-nanoparticles paste and the like. Also for the high-temperature operable semiconductor elements, there are proposed many electrode structures on the back faces of the semiconductor elements for joining the high-temperature operable semiconductor elements and the mounting boards by using an Sn-base solder, a metal-nanoparticles paste and the like.
An Sn-base solder is mainly used for low-temperature joining of a semiconductor element, and is promising as a Pb-free solder. A metal-nanoparticles paste contains metal nanoparticles as main components, and can be lowered in its melting point or sintering temperature to several hundreds degree C. or less.
In Patent Document 1, a structure of a back face electrode of semiconductor element is described, in which a Ni (nickel) silicide layer, a Ti (titanium) layer (first metal layer), a Ni (nickel)) layer (second metal layer) and an Au (gold) layer (third metal layer) are sequentially stacked on a semiconductor substrate consisting mainly of Si(silicon). Patent Document 1 is a document related to a semiconductor substrate for preventing a nickel silicide layer (ohmic electrode) on a back face of a semiconductor element from peeling off, and a method for manufacturing the semiconductor substrate. The structure of the back face electrode in Patent Document 1 is characterized in that, it is achieved by lowering a temperature for forming the Ni silicide layer to from 100 to 300° C. after sequentially stacked a first Ni layer, the Ti layer, the second Ni layer and the Au layer on the semiconductor substrate consisting mainly of silicon, so that a Ni layer portion remains in the Ni silicide layer at a side thereof opposite to the side toward the substrate, and a stress applicable to the stacked metal layers on the remaining Ni layer is reduced, to thereby enhance its adhesion to the substrate.

Semiconductor element, semiconductor device and method for manufacturing semiconductor element


A solid-state imaging apparatus in which heat dissipation and electromagnetic shielding can be efficiently performed is provided.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a solid-state imaging apparatus and a method of producing a solid-state imaging apparatus, and more particularly to a small solid-state imaging apparatus which is formed by using a solid-state imaging element, such as a surveillance camera, a medical camera, an on-vehicle camera, or a camera for an information communication terminal.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, the demand for miniature cameras is rapidly increasing in the fields of a portable telephone, an on-vehicle component, etc. In a miniature camera of this kind, used is a solid-state imaging apparatus in which an image that is supplied through an optical system such as a lens is output by a solid-state imaging element as an electrical signal. In accordance with advancement of miniaturization and higher performance of such a solid-state imaging apparatus, cameras are further miniaturized, their use in various fields is increased, and their market as a video input apparatus is expanding. In a conventional imaging apparatus using a semiconductor imaging element, components such as a lens, the semiconductor imaging element, and an LSI on which a driving circuit therefor, a signal processing circuit, and the like are mounted are formed into cases or structures, respectively, and they are combined with one another.
Moreover, recently, sophistication of a camera is advancing together with the miniaturization. When a camera is sophisticated, the amount of heat generation in components such as an LSI mounted in the camera is increased.
As an apparatus for suppressing such heat generation, an imaging apparatus in which heat generated by an imaging element can be dissipated to the outside of a case is known (for example, see Patent Reference 1). In the imaging apparatus, a first heat dissipating member which butts against a peripheral portion of a light-transmitting area of the imaging element and the inner surface of a shield case is disposed, and a second heat dissipating member which butts against the outer surface of the shield case and the inner surface of a case is disposed. Heat generated by the imaging element is conducted to the shield case through the first heat dissipating member, and further conducted to the case through the second heat dissipating member to be dissipated to the outside.
As another apparatus, known is an imaging apparatus module in which an accurate image can be obtained by reducing electrical interference between an imaging element and electronic components, and external connecting terminals, and heat can be efficiently dissipated through the external connecting terminals, and which can be mounted on a vehicle or like with high positional accuracy (for example, see Patent Reference 2). In the imaging apparatus module, it is easy that heat generated in a signal processing circuit board is conducted to a molding resin, and the heat is conducted through the resin to a lens holding member made of a metal material, and the heat can be dissipated from an exposed portion of the lens holding member to the outside.    Patent Reference 1: JP-A-2008-211378    Patent Reference 2: JP-A-2010-050771

Solid-state imaging apparatus and method of producing a solid-state imaging apparatus

Abstract: The solid-state imaging apparatus includes: an MCM board 41 on which a sensor 42, and a SiP 44 that processes an output signal from the sensor 42 are mounted; a power supply board 61 on which a power supply IC 62 is mounted; and a shielding section 50 which is placed between the MCM board 41 and the power supply board 61 to cover the power supply IC 62, and which has an electrically conductive property and a thermally conductive property.

PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.


A medicament dispenser comprises a housing having opposing first and second walls. A connecting assembly is associated with at least one of the first and second walls to facilitate connection of the first and second walls to one another. A blister pack containing the medicament is pivotally connected to the connecting assembly so as to be rotatable about the connecting assembly and about an axis of rotation substantially orthogonal to the first and second walls to facilitate movement of the blister pack from: i) a closed position in which the blister pack is substantially enclosed within the housing; and ii) an open position in which the blister pack is at least partially rotated from the housing.

A variety of products are packaged, stored and delivered to users or consumers in so-called blister packages (or "blister packs"). Products such as medicines, dietary supplements, chewing gum, etc., are provided in blister packs that generally allow consumers to individually dispense a discrete quantity or unit of the product from the blister pack. In a typical application, each unit of the product contained in the blister pack is held in a separate "blister," isolated from other units and also protected from exposure to adverse environments. To dispense a product, a consumer will generally apply pressure or force to a non-rupturable side of the blister pack, and a unit of product is thereby dispensed outwardly from an opposing side of the pack, the opposing side being ruptured as a result of application of the force. In this manner, a user can dispense one unit of product at a time from the blister pack, without exposing, touching or contaminating other units of product that remain in the blister pack.
One particular application in which blister packs have found widespread use is in the area of medicament storage and packaging. Medicaments ranging from over-the-counter cold remedies to birth control medications have been provided in a variety of blister pack configurations. Blister packs are popular in the field of medicine because they allow controlled dosage of discrete units of a medicament from the blister pack while non-dispensed medicament remaining in the blister pack is maintained in a protected state.
In addition, blister packs have provided a way in which related medicaments, which form part of a common regime but have differing strengths and/or formulations, can be provided to a patient in a simple, comprehendible unit. For example, birth control medication is often prescribed on a 28-day cycle regime, with one group of tablets prescribed for the initial 21 days and another group of similar, but differing tablets, prescribed for the final 7-day increment. As information which distinguishes the groups of tablets one from another can be printed on the blister pack, blister packs are a convenient manner in which such regimes can be accommodated without confusing patients, and while also providing a relatively long-term (e.g., one month or longer) supply of medicament to a patient.
While blister packages provide many benefits, they also include a number of disadvantages. One such problem lies in the fact that blister packages are designed to dispense unit doses with relative ease. Thus, applying force to the non-rupturable side of the blister package should result in the opposing side rupturing relatively easily to dispense the medicament. While this design provides ease of dispensation, the medicament stored in the blister pack can be inadvertently dispensed from the blister pack when the non-rupturable side of the pack contacts other items, undesirably forcing medicament from the blisters of the pack. In addition, the rupturable side of the pack can be compromised by contact with other items, and the medicament thereby exposed within the blister of the pack can become contaminated.
In addition, while "bare" blister packs are relatively easy to transport in a pocket, purse, handbag, briefcase, etc., removal of the blister packs from the original carton or box in which they were provided can result in leaving behind important or necessary information printed on the carton or box. Thus, information such as drug interaction information, accidental ingestion information, dosage instructions, warnings, etc., is often not carried with the blister packs containing the medicament to which the information relates.
Due to these considerations, attempts have been made to develop containers for storing blister packs of medicament that allow users to protectively and conveniently carry the blister packs, with some containers allowing simultaneous storage of information sheets bearing information relating to the medicament. However, containers developed to date have proved over-complicated and bulky, and have dispensing mechanisms that can result in the medicament tablets or capsules becoming crushed, split or otherwise damaged during dispensing of the medication. These problems have increased consumers' unwillingness to be bothered with attempting to utilize such containers, and/or with such an increase in handling and packaging costs that the advantages of using blister packs become negated.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Medicament dispenser and associated methods


The disclosed embodiments relate to a method for operating two or more mobile terminals in an interactive session. The mobile terminals are provided with one or more sensors. The data captured by the sensors is sent via a wireless connection to the other mobile terminals that participate in the interactive session. The data received from the other mobile communication terminals is communicated to the user of the respective mobile communication terminals via the user interface.

1. Field
The present invention relates to interactive operation of at least two mobile communication terminals.
2. Brief Description of the Related Developments
Mobile communication terminals have in the recent past undergone a tremendous increase in the range of features offered by the individual models. Mobile communication terminals are increasingly being used for entertainment, gaming, in sports, etc.
One of the applications is interactive gaming. Previously, this interactive gaming has been relegated to users who are hard-core computer enthusiasts. For instance, online gaming required arcane skills belonging only to computer savvy users. However, online gaming has become easier for the more casual user. In fact, online gaming is rapidly becoming one of the most popular activities on the Internet.
The Nokia N-Gage® and N-Gage QD® provide game and phone functionality and include advanced gaming and phone functionality. The N-Gage terminals provide mobile multiplayer gaming with no cables or wires.
Most of the games available for the terminals include multiplayer options for 2 and/or up to 4 players, either via Bluetooth® wireless technology within a distance of 10 meters or over GPRS, which offers the possibility for gaming over a wide-area network.
EP 1 066 867 discloses a method of connecting a plurality of mobile phones together to a game server through a network for playing a game, setting up a game scenario for each of the plurality of mobile phones and transmitting game signals between the plurality mobile phones across the network. At least two of the plurality of mobile phones are remotely located.
Multiplayer functionality has greatly enhanced the attractiveness of mobile gaming since artificial opponents cannot match human opponents. There is a continuous strive in the field to improve the gaming experience despite the improvements in imagines, sound, gameplay and multiplayer capacity in recent history.
There is thus, a need for an improved gaming experience in mobile terminals.
The Nokia 5140® provides a sports oriented phone that can be used in combination with the POLAR 625X® wrist-worn running computer. The POLAR 625X® running computer records running speed and distance measurement with heart rate and stores the data of a training session in the wrist unit. After completing the training session the data is transferred via IR to the Nokia 5140® mobile phone. The training data can then be reviewed stored and send with the Nokia 5140® mobile phone.
Sports training is often more effective and enjoyable with a partner or in a group. For practical reasons it is however not always possible for the partners to train in one and the same location. There is therefore a need for an interactive system to improve training conditions when partners cannot train in one and the same location.


A gas flow valve is adapted to mimic an existing plumbing arrangement between the gas flow meter 10 and inlet and outlet plumbing at a point of use. By providing a similar arrangement of mating parts and union nuts, the gas flow valve 20 can be easily and quickly installed between the inlet and outlet plumbing and the gas flow meter without having to replumb the plumbing. The gas flow valve 20 can either directly connect between both the inlet and outlet plumbing and the gas flow meter, or could connect between either the inlet or the outlet plumbing and the gas flow meter 10, with the other connection being provided either by the original connection between the gas flow meter and the plumbing or by an additional inserted pipe.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the installation of gas flow valves, such as seismic safety valves, to existing plumbing having a gas meter. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a method and apparatus that enables the installation of a gas flow valve into existing plumbing having a gas meter.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Typical known gas meters have an arrangement as demonstrated in FIG. 1. In this figure, an inlet pipe 11 is connected through plumbing 12 to a gas meter 10 before the gas flows into a point of use of the gas, for example, a residence. The plumbing 12 is connected to the gas meter 10 by a union nut 13. The gas meter 10 is a known device having such a union nut 13, as well as a union nut 14 at the outlet of the gas meter. The union nut 14 is originally connected to a service tee 15. When the meter is replaced, the service tee 15 is used to maintain a continuous flow of gas through the system by removing the plug end of the tee 15 and inserting a device into the end of the tee that is connected to a portable gas tank. This allows service, such as the replacement of the gas meter 10, to be performed without having to stop the flow of gas through the remainder of the gas system.

Interface apparatus for adapting a gas flow valve to a gas meter


A device for stacking sheets includes a layboy, a transfer conveyor, a main conveyor, a diverting apparatus, and an accumulator. The main conveyor is pivotably mounted to a base to that it may be pivoted between an upper position and a lower position. The diverting apparatus has a plurality of diverting slats pivotably mounted to a support shaft so that the slats may be raised and lowered. When the main conveyor is in the upper position, the diverting slats are not activated, that is, they are not raised. Accordingly, when sheets are transferred along and discharged from the main conveyor, the trajectory of the sheets is basically the same as the angle of the conveyor. In contrast, when the main conveyor is in a lower position, the slats are raised. Accordingly, discharged sheets are diverted so that the trajectory of the sheets is different than the angle of the conveyor. The slats may be placed at any chosen angle. By adjusting the angle of discharge of sheets with respect to the main conveyor, interlock jamming is minimized in the accumulator. The sheet stacking device, including the diverting apparatus, is controlled by a programmable logic controller interfaced with a touch screen.

Devices for stacking sheets of material, such as sheets of corrugated material, are well known. One example of a commercially available device is the AGS2000 Rotary Die Cut Stacker made by the assignee of the present invention, A.G. Machine, Inc., Weyers Cave, Va. Further examples of such devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,321,202 to Martin and U.S. Pat. No. 3,419,266 to Martin, each of which is expressly incorporated by reference in its entirety.
FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a conventional apparatus for stacking corrugated blanks. As seen there, the stacking machine 100 generally comprises a layboy section 102 which receives corrugated blanks, such as those produced by a rotary die cut machine (not illustrated), and discharges the corrugated blanks onto a transfer conveyor 104. The transfer conveyor 104 receives the blanks and transports them to a main conveyor 106. The main conveyor 106 has an intake end 108 and a discharge end 110. At its intake end 108, the main conveyor 106 is mounted to a base 112 at a pivot point 114 so that the conveyor may be pivoted to raise the discharge end 110 of the conveyor 106. At the discharge end 110 of the conveyor 106, an accumulator section 116 receives discharged blanks.
In operation, the main conveyor 106 is pivoted about the pivot point to lower the discharge end 110 of the conveyor to an initial position. (The illustrated position illustrates the conveyor raised to an upper position.) Sheets are fed onto the main conveyor 106 at its intake end 108, transported along the distance of the conveyor to its discharge end 110, and discharged from the conveyor. The sheets are discharged with sufficient momentum to strike a backstop 118 in the accumulator section 116 that stops the forward momentum of the sheets. The stopped sheets settle down, typically onto a discharge conveyor, to form a stack of sheets. As additional sheets are placed on the stack, the main conveyor 106 is pivoted to raise the discharge end vertically so that the discharged sheets are stacked one by one.
Once a stack of sheets is completed, to permit time to carry the stack of sheets away without stopping the machine, the accumulator section 116 is activated by activating catcher elements 120. The catcher elements 120 hold sheets in the accumulator section while the previously formed stack is removed. After the stack is removed, the main conveyor 106 is lowered and the accumulator section 116 is deactivated by withdrawing the catcher elements 120. The accumulated sheets are dropped to form a new stack of sheets.
One drawback to conventional stackers such as this is that the discharged sheets sometimes become interlocked and jammed in the accumulator. This occurs partially because the angle of discharge of the conveyor varies. When the main conveyor is placed at the position shown in FIG. 1, that is, an upper position, the conveyor has an angle θ1 with respect to horizontal. Sheets are discharged from the conveyor at the same angle as the angle of the conveyor, and, therefore, in the upper position, sheets are discharged with some upward momentum. On the other hand, when the main conveyor is lowered to the initial position described above, the angle θ1 is 0°, or even negative, with the conveyor 106 angled down with respect to horizontal. Discharged sheets therefore have either no upward momentum, or may even have downward momentum. This variation in the momentum of discharged sheets affects the seating of sheets into the accumulator section.
There have been attempts to address this issue, and one common method is the use of forced air. Forced air is blown underneath a discharged sheet to form a cushion so that discharged sheets settle more uniformly. Forced air has proven to be useful, yet it also has drawbacks. The forced air can vary in intensity and location, thereby preventing blanks from being adequately diverted. Furthermore, the trajectory and force of the air is not always sufficient to assure that sheets are properly seated into the accumulator.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved apparatus for stacking sheets that guides corrugated blanks into an accumulator in a manner that minimizes, or prevents, interlock jamming in the accumulator.

Automatic angle adjustment mechanism for stacking apparatus


A factor blocks kit having a plurality of cubic, rectangular and triangular prisms and rectangular mats. These prisms have edges (sides) that measure either 1 unit or a 1-digit prime number of units in length. These prisms are scored with unit markings on some of their sides. The bases of the triangular prisms form a 3-4-5 unit right triangle. The kit also includes a number of rectangular mats with sides being a one digit number of units in length. The mats are divided into unit squares. The kit includes teachers guides and student work books in both print and electronic form on the World Wide Web or the Internet.

Learning mathematical skills such as geometry, algebra, and fractions are an essential part of the educational process. These skills are regularly taught by rote memorization and other methods.
In light of the importance of a person's mathematical abilities, instructors are faced with the daunting task of teaching children as well as adults effective mathematic skills. Over the years many techniques have been devised to teaching mathematical skills. The majority of these techniques utilize game pieces such as cubic and rectangular prisms which represent integers, fractions, and variables. Most of these games, however, are limited in the manner and scope of their teachings. For example, some games only teach addition and subtraction, while other games teach only multiplication. The majority of these games are limited to a certain base number which are not capable of being used for alternate base numbers.
Several inventors have attempted to devise methods for teaching these mathematical skills in a more fun-filled environment. Creative Publications Catalog (1994) discloses "Diene's Multi-base Blocks" which utilize base ten blocks. Diene's Multi Base Blocks are also produced for base units of three, four, five, and six.
Creative Publications Catalog (1994) also discloses "The Cuisenaire Rods" and "The Algebra Lab Gear." The Cuisenaire Rods consist of a unit cube (1.times.1.times.1) and nine other rods with a base of one by one square and lengths of two, three, . . . , and 10 units. The Algebra Lab Gear consists of a unit square (1.times.1.times.1), a five rod (1.times.1.times.5), a 25 flat rectangular prism (1.times.5.times.5), and other cubic and rectangular prisms. The cubic and rectangular prisms of the Algebra Lab Gear have either none, one or two sides equal to one unit and the other sides equal to two non-integer lengths that are used to represent x and y.
Several U.S. patents also disclose kits and puzzles that utilize blocks and other geometric shapes for the teaching of mathematical skills. U.S. Pat. No. 4,548,585 to Kelly discloses ten shapes each distinctive of an integer from one to ten and each being distinctively colored. The shapes of at least some of the integers are placed together in a composite shape which is the same as the shape of a larger integer to which the smaller integer equals.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,585,419 to Rinaldelli discloses an aid for teaching number systems of any base utilizing a series of containers and a number of pieces each representing a numerical unit. For example, the base 10 unit cubes are used to fill up a first box, and 10 such filled boxes are used to make up a larger box, etc.
A method of teaching addition and subtraction is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 234,247 to Classen. The '247 patent discloses an apparatus for teaching arithmetic having three blocks of three orders of magnitude (in the base 10). Blocks are positioned directly above or below associated numbered spaces which are provided in a partitioned box. The blocks in the spaces below the second number are then placed in the spaces above the first number to illustrate the addition of the units. Subtraction is also accomplished using a similar technique.
An error control technique for teaching rudimentary mathematics is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,663,096 to McCurdy. McCurdy teaches an educational toy consisting of blocks made in various lengths from a size one unit long to a size 10 units long. These blocks are stacked next to an error control blueprint, i.e., a sheet marked with squares or rectangles which correspond exactly in size with the unit sizes of the blocks, thereby indicating the correct pattern for stacking the blocks.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,002,295 to Armstrong discloses a device for teaching number concepts which includes an arithmetic answer board lineated into a plurality of square spaces which define a plurality of vertically extending rows. The spaces are numbered from bottom to top such that the number in each space represents the number of spaces below that space. The elements in each row of spaces are a different color from the first to the tenth row, with the color cycle repeating itself from the eleventh to the twentieth row. Subtraction, multiplication, and division can also be taught using this device.
Teaching slightly more complex mathematics is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,504,234 to Jarvis (the "'234 patent"). The '234 patent discloses an aid for learning roots which includes a flat surface with a number of unit squares inscribed inside a larger square surrounded by a border.
Others references which utilize blocks and puzzle games for teaching mathematic skills include U.S. Pat. No. 846,485 to Leitch; U.S. Pat. No. 5,108,291 to Kuo; U.S. Pat. No. 2,394,864 to Lutton; U.S. Pat. No. 3,229,388 to Smith; U.S. Pat. No. 4,772,208 to Tsokas; U.S. Pat. No. 1,305,724 to Kennedy; and the "Mortonensen more than Math Material." All of these references use various sized blocks, including squares, rectangles triangles, and techniques for teaching rudimentary and advanced mathematical skills.
In order to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art a new technique for teaching mathematic skills is needed. This technique would comprise a puzzle game having various sized cubic, rectangular, and triangular blocks and colored mats.


Various embodiments of methods and systems for implementing a microprocessor that includes a trace cache and attempts to transition fetching from instruction cache to trace cache only on label boundaries are disclosed. In one embodiment, a microprocessor may include an instruction cache, a branch prediction unit, and a trace cache. The prefetch unit may fetch instructions from the instruction cache until the branch prediction unit outputs a predicted target address for a branch instruction. When the branch prediction unit outputs a predicted target address, the prefetch unit may check for an entry matching the predicted target address in the trace cache. If a match is found, the prefetch unit may fetch one or more traces from the trace cache in lieu of fetching instructions from the instruction cache.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention is related to the field of microprocessors, and more particularly, to microprocessors having trace caches.
2. Description of the Related Art
Instructions processed in a microprocessor are encoded as a sequence of ones and zeros. For some microprocessor architectures, instructions may be encoded with a fixed length, such as a certain number of bytes. For other architectures, such as the x86 architecture, the length of instructions may vary. The x86 microprocessor architecture specifies a variable length instruction set (i.e., an instruction set in which various instructions are each specified by differing numbers of bytes). For example, the 80386 and later versions of x86 microprocessors employ between 1 and 15 bytes to specify a particular instruction. Instructions have an opcode, which may be 1-2 bytes, and additional bytes may be added to specify addressing modes, operands, and additional details regarding the instruction to be executed.
In some microprocessor architectures, each instruction may be decoded into one or more simpler operations prior to execution. Decoding an instruction may also involve accessing a register renaming map in order to determine the physical register to which each logical register in the instruction maps and/or to allocate a physical register to store the result of the instruction.
Typically, instructions are fetched from system memory into instruction cache in contiguous blocks. The instructions included in these blocks are stored in the instruction cache in compiled order. During program execution, instructions are often executed in a different order, such as when a branch is taken within the code. In such cases the instructions following the taken branch cannot generally be fetched from the instruction cache during the same cycle as the branch instruction because they are stored in non-contiguous locations. To attempt to overcome this instruction fetch bandwidth limitation, many superscalar microprocessors incorporate a trace cache.
Trace cache differs from instruction cache in that instructions stored in trace cache are typically stored in execution order as opposed to compiled order. Storing operations in execution order allows an instruction sequence containing a taken branch operation to be accessed during a single cycle from trace cache, whereas accessing the same sequence from instruction cache would require several cycles.
Superscalar microprocessors typically decode multiple instructions per clock cycle. The amount of hardware needed to match the addresses of each instruction within a group being decoded with the starting addresses of traces in the trace cache may be prohibitive. This may greatly increase the difficulty of determining a hit in the trace cache in some cases.

Transitioning from instruction cache to trace cache on label boundaries


An improved crossbar switch in which internal buffering is performed for input signals across the chip and in which an extra input for each output channel of the crossbar switch element is provided.

A major problem in high speed circuits, either digital or analog, is that the loading of the signals off chip is much greater than the loading on chip. This loading is caused in a large part by the capacity of the interconnection wires, cables, or printed circuit tracks and results in reduced bandwidth or the need for more powerful drivers. This bandwidth reduction becomes more severe as the distance the signal must go increases. In a multilevel switching network for a large switching array, minimizing the interconnection distances between widely spaced chips is a major difficulty. A reduction of the distance between chips or a reduction in the number of chips that must be interconnected, makes the network easier to construct and the overall data rate through the network higher.

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


A recombinant natural killer cell activating factor is disclosed, preferably having a peptide of the following amino acid sequence in its molecule. The invention provides a cDNA coding for a recombinant natural killer cell activating factor, a expression plasmid involving the cDNA, a host transformed with the plasmid, an antitumor agent containing the recombinant natural killer cell activating factor and a pharmaceutical composition which comprises a pharmacologically effective amount of the antitumor agent and a pharmacologically acceptable carrier.

This invention relates to a novel polypeptide which enhances the activity of natural killer cells (NK cells) in lysing human tumor cells; to a genetic engineering technique relating to the production thereof; and a drug containing said peptide as an active ingredient. Accordingly, the present invention is useful in the field of drugs.

Recombinant natural killer cell activator


According to one embodiment, an apparatus includes a processor and a memory. The processor performs a learning process of a neural network including a batch normalization layer. The processor sets up the neural network. The processor updates, in the learning process, a weight parameter and a normalization parameter, used in the normalization of the batch normalization layer, alternately or at different timings.

A deep neural network (DNN) represented by a convolutional neural network is optimized by a learning process of updating (adjusting) parameters.
In the DNN, the learning process can be stabilized and the learning speed can be improved by a normalization of a batch normalization layer (BN layer). The mainstream of the learning process of the DNN includes a mini-batch learning process, in which a learning set, a data set to be subjected to the learning process, is divided into subsets of mini-batch size, including the normalization of the BN layer. The mini-batch size is the number of learning samples used for one-time inference process and learning process including parameter updating, and may be about 10 to 100, for example.
As compared with a normal batch learning process, the mini-batch learning process improves the speed of the learning process, but it is preferable that the mini-batch size be smaller in order to reduce a memory capacity necessary for a calculation in the learning process. Where the mini-batch size is relatively small, however, it has been recognized that a learning accuracy is degraded. Although a batch renormalization method has been proposed as a method of suppressing the degradation of the learning accuracy where the mini batch size is small, this method is not necessarily effective.

Information processing apparatus and method


A coal mining operation begins by using directional drilling to bore several horizontal shafts through a coal deposit with its natural overburden still intact. Any methane gas permeating the coal deposit is pumped out and preferably sold as natural gas to commercial and residential customers, or used locally in support of mining operations. The methane gas evacuation continues until the concentrations are reduced to safe levels for mining. But before mining begins, ground penetrating radar equipment is lowered into the boreholes for electronic imaging studies of the coal deposit. One borehole is used for a transmitter and another for a receiver. Many measurements are made at a variety of frequencies and equipment positions within the boreholes. Such studies estimate the electrical conductivity of the surrounding material, and thereby give clues where and how much coal is actually deposited. Assessments of the coal reserve are then developed from this information, and used for business planning and mine engineering.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to coal mining, and more specifically to using directional drilling to bore horizontally through a coal deposit so methane can be drained off to safe levels and electronic imaging with ground penetrating radar to more accurately estimate the true coal reserve.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Natural deposits of coal are sometimes permeated with methane gas, e.g., coalbed methane (CBM). Water seepage is another problem in coal mining, and it needs to be drained off to prevent flooding. In certain concentrations, the methane gas can be explosive and a general hazard to mining operations. So the methane is conventionally vented off until safe concentration levels are reached. Very often this means wasting the gas instead of collecting it and distributing it for sale.
Ventilating furnaces were once used to ventilate mines with chimney drafts. Electric power and fans were yet to be developed. The ventilating furnace was located at the bottom of the mine, and this, of course, posed an ignition hazard for high enough methane concentrations. Explosions caused by the ventilating furnaces were a frequent occurrence.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,934,649, issued Jan. 27, 1976, Pasini and Overby describe a method for removing methane from coalbeds prior to mining the coal. It comprises drilling at least one borehole from the surface into the coalbed. The borehole is started at a slant rather than directly vertically, and as it descends, a gradual curve is followed until a horizontal position is reached where the desired portion of the coalbed is intersected. Approaching the coalbed in this manner and fracturing the coalbed in the major natural fraction direction cause release of large amounts of the trapped methane gas.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,299,295, issued Nov. 10, 1981, to Amzi Gossard, describes a process for drilling spaced horizontal boreholes in coal and other mineral deposits. The boreholes are typically in excess of 1500 feet long, and patterned to maximize gas removal. Directional drilling guidance is provided by a continuous downhole survey tool connected to data display devices by an internal drill rod cable system. Directional drilling control is provided by a positive displacement motor positioned at the end of the drill string and operated by a flow of drilling fluid through the drill string from the drilling rig. The mineral strata surrounding the borehole is periodically hydrofractured to permit effective removal of the gas. The hydrofractionation is effected without removal of the drill string or survey instruments from the borehole. Upon completion of the borehole, the drill string is removed and gas which enters the borehole from the surrounding deposit is withdrawn.
David Summers, et al., describe in U.S. Pat. No. 4,317,492, a method and apparatus for drilling horizontal holes in geological structures from a vertical bore. The geological structures intended to be penetrated in this fashion are coal seams, as for in situ gasification or methane drainage, or in oil-bearing strata for increasing the flow rate from a pre-existing well. Other possible uses for this device might be for use in the leaching of uranium ore from underground deposits or for introducing horizontal channels for water and steam injections.
The present inventor, Larry G. Stolarzyck, has described methods and equipment for imaging coal formations in geologic structures in many United States Patents. Some of those Patents are listed in Table I, and are incorporated herein by reference.
Briefly, a coal mining method embodiment of the present invention begins by using directional drilling to bore several horizontal shafts through a coal deposit with its natural overburden still intact. Any methane gas permeating the coal deposit is pumped out and preferably sold as natural gas to commercial and residential customers, or used locally in support of mining operations. The methane gas evacuation continues until the concentrations are reduced to safe levels for mining. But before mining begins, ground penetrating radar equipment is lowered into the boreholes for electronic imaging studies of the coal deposit. One borehole is used for a transmitter and another for a receiver. Many measurements are made at a variety of frequencies and equipment positions within the boreholes. Such studies estimate the electrical conductivity of the surrounding material, and thereby give clues where and how much coal is actually deposited. More accurate assessments of the coal reserve can then be developed from this information, and the results can be used with much higher confidence than the traditional reserve estimates obtained with conventional methods. The better numbers are preferably used to dictate business planning.
An advantage of the present invention is that a coalbed is first harvested for its methane through a system of boreholes, then the boreholes give access to ground penetrating radar and imaging equipment.
Another advantage of the present invention is that by the time coal mining operations begin, the methane concentrations have been reduced to safe levels and maps of where the coal is deposited have been plotted.
An advantage of the present invention is that a lower cost and higher quality coal mining business can be provided.
Another advantage of the present invention is that paleochannels in the roof of the seam inject water into the coal bed. The horizontal borehole is lined with PVC pipe but not perforated under the channel.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will no doubt become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after having read the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment which is illustrated in the various drawing figures.

Drilling, image, and coal-bed methane production ahead of mining


A GUI evaluation system includes: an expression information extracting section for extracting an expression element on a plurality of evaluation target screens based on information capable of specifying a restriction on input into an input component; a data input expression specifying section for comparing respective expression elements extracted by the expression information extracting section among input components different in restriction on input to specify an expression element indicative of the restriction on input; and a data input expression determining section for determining that a restriction expression indicative of an input restriction is consistent when, among expression elements specified by the data input expression specifying section, there is a common expression element on the same input restriction on the plurality of evaluation target screens, or that a restriction expression indicative of an input restriction is inconsistent when there is no common expression element.

A GUI (graphical user interface) is widely used as an interface used when a user inputs and outputs information into and from a computer system (hereinafter called a system). The GUI may be evaluated to evaluate system usability. An example of evaluating the GUI is to check, on a data entry screen provided by an evaluation target system the usability of which is to be evaluated, whether data input is indispensable or optional, check whether there is notation of restrictions on input characters (input character restrictions) in terms of the character attributes of an input text (such as character type like full-pitch/half-width and the number of characters), and check whether the notational conventions are standardized within the system. The evaluation criteria, including whether data input is indispensable or optional and the input character restrictions, are called "restrictions on data input."
When these evaluations are made manually, an evaluator checks for differences in expressions in input components and around the input components, speculates the expressions of input conditions from the results of giving various inputs, and checks whether the expressions are standardized on all screens to be evaluated. When the evaluation is made manually, its evaluation workload increases. In addition, there is a possibility that problems are overlooked. Note that the text input component is, for example, the display of a shape such as a rectangle displayed on an evaluation target screen, i.e., an area (text box) in which the user is urged to enter a text or the like.
There are known a GUI automatic evaluation device for automatically evaluating a GUI and a test conducting device (for example, see Patent Documents 1 and 2). The GUI automatic evaluation device described in Patent Document 1 inputs a screen designing guide and accumulates guide data as format rules. The device also accumulates, as information on the GUI, attribute information and attribute values for each window in a system to be evaluated. Then, the device checks the information on the GUI against the rules for each window and outputs the checking results. A means for generating the information on the GUI from the product specifications, a source program, a GUI building tool or the like is also described in Patent Document 1.
In the testing device described in Patent Document 2, an operation database (DB), a user sequence designated by a user when executing a test and a complementary sequence executed complementarily to execute the user sequence according to a procedure are stored. Then, when executing the user sequence according to the user sequence execution procedure, the device checks for the state of the GUI. When the user sequence cannot be executed, the operation DB is searched for an appropriate complementary sequence so that the user sequence will be executed after the complementary sequence is executed. The test conducting device described in Patent Document 2 can conduct a test for automatically performing a predetermined operational procedure.
A web screen creating tool, which is capable of checking for the appropriateness of a term or word on a web screen, is described in Patent Document 3. The web screen creating tool checks a source file of the web screen for homonyms, declensional Kana endings and synonyms of terms pre-registered as being likely to be misspelled. Specifically, when a registered term is detected on the web screen to be evaluated, alternatives to the term are displayed as a list.

GUI evaluation system, GUI evaluation method, and GUI evaluation program


A backup client de-duplicates backup data sets using a locally stored, memory resonant, root tag vector and hash cache. To create a new backup data set, the client queries a backup server to determine which of the root hashes in the root tag vector are available on the backup server. If one or more are no longer available, the backup server re-uses a root tag vector entry corresponding to one of the no longer available root hashes. If all are available, the client ages out a root hash for re-use based on a combination of age and represented size. Data is de-duplicated by chunking and hashing it and comparing the resulting hashes to hashes in the hash cache. To prevent the hash cache from growing too large, entries in the hash cache are aged out based on a combination of age and size of data represented by the entries.

1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to data storage and backup solutions for archiving data. More particularly, embodiments of the invention relate to hardware, software, systems, and methods for aging out entries in a root tag vector and/or hash cache of a backup client.
2. The Relevant Technology
The need for reliable backup and archiving of information is well known. Businesses are devoting large amounts of time and money toward information system (IS) resources that are devoted to providing backup and archive of information resident in computers and servers within their organizations that produce and rely upon digital information. The customers of the data storage industry are more frequently demanding that not only is their data properly backed up but also that such data protection be done in a cost effective manner with a reduced cost per bit for stored data sets.
To address these demands, Content Addressed Storage (CAS) has been developed to provide a more cost effective approach to data backup and archiving. Generally, CAS applications involve a storage technique for content that is in its final form, i.e., fixed content, or that is not changed frequently. CAS assigns an identifier to the data so that it can be accessed no matter where it is located. For example, a hash value may be assigned to each portion or subset of a data set that is to be data protected or backed up. Presently, CAS applications are provided in distributed or networked storage systems designed for CAS, and storage applications use CAS programming interface (API) or the like to store and locate CAS-based files in the distributed system or network.
The usage of CAS enables data protection systems to store, online, multi-year archives of backup data by removing storage of redundant data because complete copies of data sets do not have to be stored as long as that content is stored and available. The use of CAS removes the challenges of maintaining a centralized backup index and also provides a high level of data integrity. CAS-based backup and archive applications have also improved the usage network and data storage resources with better distribution of data throughout a multi-node data storage system.
CAS-based backup and archive applications are also desirable because multi-year or other large backup archives can be stored easily since only a single instance of any particular data object (i.e., content) is stored regardless of how many times the object or content is discovered with the data set being protected or backed up. With CAS, the storage address for any data element or content is generated by an analysis of the contents of the data set itself. Since an exclusive storage address is generated for each unique data element (which is matched with a unique identifier) and the storage address points to the location for the data element, CAS-based architectures have found favor in the storage industry because they reduce the volume of data stored as each unique data object is stored only once within the data storage system.
CAS-based data storage is often used for the storage of de-duplicated backup data sets. To generate a de-duplicated backup data set, data is often chunked into pieces and a hash function is performed on each of the pieces. The resulting hash values can be compared to a database of existing hash values to identify redundant data. In particular, the existing hash values correspond to data pieces that have previously been entered into the CAS system.
De-duplicated backup data sets can be generated by a client or a backup server. When generated by a client, the client may maintain a cache of existing hash values such that the client doesn't have to query the backup server for the presence of every piece of data. When new hash values are encountered, the client may add the new hash values to the cache to aid in the identification of redundant data for future backup data sets. If not controlled, however, the cache can grow to an unmanageable size.
The subject matter claimed herein is not limited to embodiments that solve any disadvantages or that operate only in environments such as those described above. Rather, this background is only provided to illustrate one exemplary technology area where some embodiments described herein may be practiced


A golf putter cover formed from an elastic material such as neoprene is disclosed. The putter cover may be formed from a single piece of material with an opening formed therein and may be constructed by folding the material and joining the opposing sides in a single joining operation. The putter cover is reversible, water resistant and is adapted for maximizing the visibility of printed matter thereon.

It is well known to provide protective covers for the striking heads of golf clubs to prevent damage to or by the club head. Such damage may occur, for example, by the clubs scratching or banging together, through the constant removal and replacement of other clubs, or by oxidation due to exposure to water. While putter covers in general are known, there is a need for an improved putter cover due to the drawbacks and disadvantages of the known putter covers as discussed below.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,119,129 issued to Freiberg discloses a putter cover constructed of a non-elastic material such as leather, vinyl or the like. The putter cover is constructed by joining two pieces of material along a top and side edges 14, 16 and 18)and partially joining the pieces along a bottom edge to form an opening 26. Since the material is non-elastic, a large opening must be formed to accommodate the putter as it is inserted, increasing the susceptibility of the putter to oxidation, e.g. due to the intrusion of water. Moreover, due to the nature of the putter cover construction, the visibility of any printed matter that may have been placed on the cover is reduced. Other embodiments are described (FIGS. 3-4) one of which discloses folding one side edge. However, these embodiments both describe open (unjoined edges) which are contrary to certain aspects of the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,072,167 issued to Banas describes a putter cover formed from a single piece of elastic material which requires multiple folds and multiple stitching steps. By folding and stitching the material, an undesirable double thickness of material is provided in certain regions, resulting in an unnecessary waste of material and space. Moreover, the manufacturing process requires additional steps (folding and stitching) adding time and cost thereto. Like Freiberg, the opening in the putter cover is formed by only partially stitching opposing sides along one edge thereby leaving a relatively large opening. Also like Freiberg, this construction reduces the visibility of any printed matter on the putter cover. Moreover, while the elastic nature of the material may allow the putter cover to be reversed (if desired), such reversal would result in an uneven appearance to the putter cover due to the double thickness regions normally hidden within the cover. Reversal would also interfere with the insertion of the putter due to the tabs or loops (29) normally on the exterior of the putter cover.
Covers for other types of golf clubs are disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/735,915 referenced above.
In view of the foregoing, it is readily apparent that the prior art putter covers have various drawbacks which are obviously undesirable.


The invention relates to a heterogeneous metathesis catalyst containing a support, a metal compound chosen from the group consisting of tungsten, rhenium and molybdenum, and a promoter, the promoter consisting of a niobium compound. The catalyst according to the invention has a high activity at low temperatures. The invention also relates to a process for the metathesis of olefins.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a heterogeneous metathesis catalyst comprising a support, a metal compound the metal of which has been chosen from the group formed by tungsten, rhenium and molybdenum, and a promoter. The invention also relates to a catalytic process for the metathesis of olefins.
2. Description of Related Art
A metathesis is a reaction in which olefins are catalytically converted into other olefins having a different molecular weight through exchange between olefin molecules of groups situated at the double bond of the olefin molecule. An example is the conversion, through metathesis, of 2-pentene into 2-butene and 3-hexene until a reaction equilibrium is attained. In a heterogeneous metathesis catalyst a catalytically active metal compound is attached to the surface of a fixed support, so that the catalyst can readily be separated from the reaction mixture.
Besides the support and the catalytically active metal compound, known heterogeneous metathesis catalysts often contain promoters to improve the activity of the catalyst. Activity here and hereinafter is understood to be the weight of the converted olefins per unit weight of catalyst 5 minutes after the start of the reaction.
EP-A-152,112 discloses such a heterogeneous metathesis catalyst consisting of a tungsten oxide on a silica support containing a titanium-containing compound as promoter to increase the activity of the catalyst.
Drawbacks of the known heterogeneous metathesis catalyst are the low activity and the very high temperature at which the catalyst is only active (300-500.degree. C.).


In at least one embodiment, the present invention relates an airbag assembly comprising a panel having a tear seam forming at least one airbag door, and a door chute assembly comprising a laterally extending flange connected to the panel proximate the airbag door. The door chute assembly includes a chute depending from the flange away from the panel and the chute has at least one opening comprising a window portion communicating with an angled channel portion. The airbag assembly further comprises a door panel assembly including at least one door panel disposed within the chute and connected to the airbag door. The door panel has a downwardly depending flange having at least one projection extending laterally through the at least one opening of the chute. The airbag assembly further comprises an inflatable airbag mounted on the door chute.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an airbag assembly, and in particular to a door chute and panel assembly for use with an airbag assembly.
2. Background Art
Airbags are commonly used in motor vehicles, but may also be used in other types of modes of transportation such as trains and airplanes. Specifically, an airbag is stored in a folded condition in a stored receptacle and then rapidly inflates via an inflation fluid, as such with gas from a gas generator or other types of inflators, when an event indicative of a collision of the vehicle is detected by sensors. The airbag then deploys into a position to absorb the impact of the driver or passenger.
Prior airbag assemblies and manufacturing methods are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,769,451; 6,109,645; 6,406,056; and 6,929,280.

International Automotive Components Group North America, Inc.


A vehicle radar system (2) that is arranged to detect a plurality of objects outside a vehicle (1) and that includes a radar detector (3) and a processing unit arrangement (4). The processing unit arrangement (4) is arranged to obtain at least one total detection angle (φdT, φdT′) relative an x-axis (7) and at least one corresponding detected target Doppler velocity (vDoppler) relative the radar detector (3) for each detected object (5, 6; 10, 11). Each detected object is classified as moving or stationary, and a relation is determined between the stationary detections and the total number of detections. The processing unit arrangement (4) further is adapted to determine whether the radar detector (3) is misaligned based on the relation, where the total detection angle (φdT, φdT′) equals the sum of a known mounting angle (φm) between the x-axis (7) and the radar detector's mounting direction (8), and a detection angle (φd, φd′). The present disclosure also relates to a corresponding method.

Today, a radar device may be mounted on a motor vehicle in order to detect reflections from objects in order to implement functions such as speed control and collision prevention, as well as others. In such a radar device it is required to obtain an azimuth angle in the form of a target bearing angle, a distance with respect to the object and a relative speed between the vehicle and the object.
For most vehicle radar applications it is important to measure the target bearing angle with very high precision. The angle accuracy of a radar system depends on fundamental parameters like modulation technique, component tolerances, assembly precision or installation conditions. Furthermore, due to various environmental influences such as mechanical stress or bad weather, the angle estimation performance might suffer additionally. Some of those error sources show a random statistical distribution while others lead to a fixed angle offset. This fixed offset is the so called misalignment angle. Monitoring the misalignment angle is often an essential requirement in vehicle applications.
For small misalignment angles the sensor software is able to detect its new rotated position and correct the measured detections appropriately.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,443,335 discloses angle error estimation where detections that seem to relate to stationary objects are analyzed.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,930,063 discloses analyzing detections of an object while it is in a radar field of view.
For larger misalignment angles, for example due to that the radar sensor loses its original mounting angle when it drops out of its mounting bracket after e.g. a crash or other reasons, state of the art software correction does not work anymore. Such a misalignment should be detected as soon as possible to avoid false positive alarm or any false actions such as automatic braking and/or steering.
There is thus a need for a device and a method for vehicle radar angle error detection that is quick, reliable and uncomplicated.

Misalignment detection for a vehicle radar sensor


In an embodiment, a storage device may include device processing logic. The device processing logic may acquire a command associated with a key-value pair (KVP). The command may be, for example, a get, set, or delete command. The KVP may include a hash value and an item. The hash value may be a key in the KVP and the item may be a value in the KVP. The device processing logic may translate the acquired command into one or more block-oriented commands which may be executed by the device processing logic to perform various operations on the storage device.

Many existing key-value caches, key-value stores, and NoSQL databases use solid-state disks (SSDs) as storage. To overcome the SSD's performance problems with small random writes, these applications typically employ a hash map with an indirection mechanism such as log structured storage which coalesces writes into sequential blocks. Due to periodic compaction of free space, such mechanisms may incur processor and host memory overheads and poor storage capacity utilization


A method and apparatus for high resolution multibeam scanning at constant line intervals is disclosed, wherein simultaneous transfer of image data is achieved via multibeam scanning. According to the present invention, exposure scanning is accomplished a plurality of times relative to a single image surface of n scan lines. Each exposure scan is accomplished simultaneously relative to the total M lines using M individual light beams. Each of M individual beams are positioned such that there is a distance of M lines between adjacent beams. Each individual laser beam is used for exposure scanning of mutually different lines. Therefore, the scan lines of the various beams in a next scan cycle are apart (M-1) lines from the scan lines in the previous scanning cycle. In one embodiment of the invention, an image memory controller reads out image data from an image memory in the scan sequence rather than in the line array sequence. In another embodiment of the invention, the image memory controller reads out image data from an image memory in the line array sequence.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to image writing devices and methods for reproducing electronic images, and more specifically to image writing devices and methods that are less costly to implement and faster than heretofore known imagc forming devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
In image forming apparatuses of the electrophotographic type such as page printers, digital copying machines and the like, print heads of the mechanical scanning type which scan (a "main scan") by deflecting a laser beam via a polygonal mirror are widely used as an image writing means, wherein a photosensitive member is at least partially optically exposed in accordance with image information.
Multibeam scanning, wherein a plurality of laser beams arc used to simultaneously scan a plurality of lines, is effective in shortening the time required to expose a single image surface by laser beam. For example, if two lines are scanned simultaneously, the time required for exposure is theoretically 1/2 the time required when scanning one line at a time.
In multibeam scanning, however, wherein a plurality of adjacent lines are simultaneously scanned, there is a limit to the reduction in line pitch due to restrictions in the dimensions of the light source. That is, it is difficult to attain high resolution.
Heretofore, methods have been proposed for simultaneously scanning a plurality of lines at set line intervals of a constant number of lines (Japanese Unexamined Patent Application No. SHO 56-110960).
In image forming apparatuses such as page printers and the like, an image is hypothetically drawn on an image memory prior to exposure scan. Thus, image data (bitmap data) in pixel units expressing an image are transmitted from image memory to the control unit of the laser light source for each exposure scan, so as to modulate the laser beam in accordance with said image data.
When scanning is accomplished by a single laser beam, image data may be sequentially transmitted from the image memory to the control unit one line at a time from the first line.
When simultaneously scanning M lines at a constant line interval, however, suitable scanning cannot be accomplished only by transmitting image data sequentially from the first line. The above-identified Japanese patent application did not specifically address a suitable method for transferring image data.
There thus exists a need for an image writing device and method that is capable of providing for simultaneous transfer of image data when using multibeam scanning. Moreover, there is a need for an image writing device and method that can accomplish high speed simultaneous transfer of image data at relatively low cost.


A method for selecting and controlling massage functions of a motor vehicle seat having a control system comprising the steps of: switching the system to a selection mode and starting the selection mode; providing a menu list having options for querying the user's requirements during the massage; selection of an option by the user and providing predefined responses to the respective query and selection of the response by the user and if necessary repeating the steps for further queries; and terminating the selection mode and automatically determining suitable massage settings on the basis of the user's selection and controlling the massage actuators in the motor vehicle seat on the basis of determined massage settings to perform the massage function.

It is generally known to equip seats in motor vehicles with massage functions, for example for the lumbar supports and the actual seating surface. However, it is problematic for the user to operate the control system in a simple and intuitive manner, especially as the driver must perform the method whilst driving. It is usually necessary to reach a compromise between the variety of controls and the level of detail and also the level of simplicity and the model provided. Known systems are frequently complex and laborious to use, which results in the driver averting his or her attention in an undesired manner from steering the vehicle.


A high power FET switch comprises an N− drift layer, in which pairs of trenches are recessed to a predetermined depth; oxide side-walls extend to the trench bottoms, and each trench is filled with a conductive material. N+ and metal layers on opposite sides of the drift layer provide drain and source connections for the FET, and the conductive material in each trench is connected together to provide a gate connection. A shallow P region extends across the bottom and around the corners of each trench's side-walls into the drift layer. The application of a sufficient gate voltage causes holes to be injected from the shallow P regions into the N− drift layer, thereby modulating the drift layer's conductivity and lowering the device's on-resistance, and enabling current to flow between the drain and source connections.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of high power semiconductor switches.
2. Description of the Related Art
Semiconductor devices are increasingly required to accommodate high currents and/or high voltages without failing. Many high power applications call for the use of a semiconductor switch which is required to conduct a large current when turned on, and to block a high voltage when off.
One device used in such applications is the power metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET). As discussed in J. Baliga, Power Semiconductor Devices, PWS Publishing Co. (1996) at p. 426, a power MOSFET exhibits excellent fast switching capability and safe-operating-area. When designed to block relatively low voltages (less than 200 volts), the power MOSFET has a low on-resistance. However, on-resistance increases very rapidly when its breakdown voltage is increased. This makes the on-state power losses unacceptable where high DC supply voltages are used.
Another approach which has been explored to improve blocking voltage while maintaining low on-resistance has been the fabrication of FETs using silicon carbide (SiC). SiC has a wider bandgap than does silicon, giving it a "critical electric field"—i.e., the peak electric field that a material can withstand without breaking down—that is an order of magnitude higher than that of silicon (Si). This allows much higher doping and a much thinner drift layer for a given blocking voltage, resulting in a very low specific on-resistance in SiC-based devices.
Unfortunately, many SiC devices developed to date exhibit severe commercialization constraints. One such device is described in "High-Voltage Accumulation-Layer UMOSFET's in 4H-SiC", IEEE Electron Device Letters, Vol. 19, No. 12 (December 1998), pp. 487–489. This SiC-based device employs a UMOS structure, with an accumulation channel formed on the sidewalls of the trench by epitaxial growth to attain enhancement mode operation. It requires an additional epitaxial layer under the p-base to promote current spreading and achieve low on-resistance. The doping levels and the thicknesses of the sidewall epilayer and the epilayer under the p-base must be tightly controlled to achieve an enhancement mode device with low on-resistance. These demands result in a complex fabrication process which is unsuitable for large-scale manufacturing.
Another high power device is the insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT). An IGBT with a trench gate structure is described, for example, in H.-R. Chang and B. Baliga, "500-V n-Channel Insulated-Gate Bipolar Transistor with a Trench Gate Structure", IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices, Vol. 36, No. 9, September 1989, pp. 1824–1828. In operation, a positive gate voltage forms N-type inversion layers, through which electrons flow to provide the base drive needed to turn on the device's PNP transistor.
However, the IGBT has disadvantages which render it unsuitable for some applications. Because the structure is basically a transistor with gain, there will be some recombination in its N− drift region, causing the device to exhibit a high forward voltage drop (VFD). Another drawback to IGBTs is that they can "latch-up", at which point they are no longer under the control of the gate voltage. When in this mode, conduction through the device can no longer be controlled by the gate voltage.

High voltage FET switch with conductivity modulation


An information processor (program processing unit 1) for managing a data sequence in a fixed order comprises a direction array (reference data storage section 2) for storing a reference to each data item of the data sequence in an element of the index associated with the key to the data, and means (CPU 3) for changing all data keys referenced by elements within an arbitrary range of indexes in the direction array by the same amount, where memory contents within the range of the direction array are shifted by the number of indexes corresponding to the changed amount.

A temporary data saving area reserved in an information device or a communication device for queuing data therein is generally configured to fetch or add data from or to the first or last element, as found in data structures such as FIFO (First-In First-Out) or FILO (First-In Last-Out).
On the other hand, in a packet scheduling mechanism implemented in a communication device having a multiplexing function with the intention to accomplish both suppressed delays and optimized load distribution, data is input/output in an ordered relationship other than FIFO and FILO. Here, a manipulation is required to fetch, from a temporary data saving area, data shifted from the head of a queue by an offset amount of data size which is determined based on the congestion condition of each path. This technique has been proposed by the present applicant (Patent Document 1). A queue in Patent Document 1 must be implemented such that data can be fetched or added from or to any element even other than the first and last ones. Further, a scheme is desired for enabling a high-speed data access using an offset amount of data size from the head as a key. The realization of such a scheme requires data management which allows the key to take an arbitrary possible value as an offset, and enables high-speed data access even if the relationship between the key and data dynamically varies in association with deletion or addition of data.
A known scheme for managing ordered data in which any arbitrary element can be accessible involves a data structure which is configured in the form of a list or array. Out of these structures, in the array structure, a value which can be taken as a key is limited within a range in which identification numbers (indexes) are defined for array elements. Since this range is determined at a stage where a memory is reserved for the array structure, the range of the key is limited by the size of the array structure itself. On the other hand, in the list structure, the value of a key is not limited to the size of a list itself. However, in the list structure, when access is made to data corresponding to an arbitrary key, the key must be searched for on the list. An expected value for this search time is proportional to the number of elements, for example, in a linear search, and proportional to a logarithm of the number of elements in base 2 in a faster two-branch search. This gives rise to a problem in which a larger number of elements results in a longer time required for accessing, as compared with the array structure.
Existing techniques for searching for a corresponding element from a key at high speeds include a hash method, a triple array method (Non-Patent Document 1), and the like. However, these techniques cannot be readily applied, if they employ a key which exhibits dynamical changes due to deletion and insertion of an element, such as a total value or the like of metadata representative of an attribute of a data body (the size of the data body, the number of dropped bits, and the like) from the first data thereof, because of the difficulties in following corresponding changes in data and key, as described, for example, in Patent Document 1.
Also, for correctly maintaining the relationship between a dynamically changing key and elements at all times in a list structure, manipulations such as deletion, insertion, and the like of data must be followed by again setting keys for all elements which have to be updated due to these manipulations. For example, when a key is chosen to be a total value of metadata from the first element, deletion of certain data results in a change in the total value of metadata of all elements subsequent to that data, so that keys must be set again for all elements from the deleted element to the last element. When a larger number of elements must be set again, a longer time is needed to perform processing for again setting the keys.
As described above, the array structure and hash method, which provide fast accesses, are not suited to the management of ordered data which can take a key of an arbitrary value, where a key value for data intended for a manipulation or other data dynamically changes in the event of manipulations such as deletion and change of certain data, addition of new data, and the like. The list structure, on the other hand, has a problem in that excessive time is needed to access and manipulate data.
Patent Document 1: International Publication No. 2007/111331 Pamphlet
Non-Patent Document 1: Iriguchi, Tsuda, Shishibori, Aoe, "Efficient Storage Search Method for Graph Structure," Transactions of the Institute of Electronics, Information and Communication Engineers D-1, Vol. J79-D-1, No. 8, pp. 502-510 (1996).