An electronic throttle control device of an internal-combustion engine includes an electronic control unit (ECU) having a judgment function portion that judges whether an engine control system and an engine driving condition are normal, and plural kinds of pre-set characteristic conversion coefficient maps used to compute a command value of a target throttle opening degree from a manipulation quantity of the accelerator pedal. The command value of the target throttle opening degree is computed using a specific map selected from the plural kinds of characteristic conversion coefficient maps depending on the judgment result of the judgment function portion.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic throttle control device of an internal-combustion engine configured to control a quantity of intake air to the engine by means of a specific actuator instead of driver's direct control by means of the accelerator pedal, and more particularly, to an electronic throttle control device of an internal-combustion engine suitably used as an electronic throttle control device of an engine or an outboard engine of an water eject propulsion ship that sails on water using thrust produced by ejecting water backwards.
2. Background Art
There has been an engine output control device having an electronic throttle valve provided in an intake channel of the engine and driven by an electric actuator to open/close the intake channel. This engine output control device adjusts a quantity of intake air to the engine by controlling the opening/closing of the electronic throttle value, and thereby controls an output torque of the engine. An example of the engine output control device of this kind in the related art is disclosed, for example, in JP-A-1-177431. The cited document discloses a technique to automatically switch the engine torque characteristics in response to a manipulation quantity of the accelerator pedal to suit the driver's tendency for driving manipulations. This allows the driver to drive the vehicle always with the most comfortable driving feeling.
A quantity of intake air to control the engine output is determined on the basis of a throttle opening degree. The throttle opening degree is determined on the basis of an accelerator opening degree. Hence, when the accelerator opening is increased to the fullest extent, so is the throttle opening degree, and the engine output reaches the maximum output.
However, in a case where the maintenance of the hydraulic system or the cooling system of the engine is poor, when the engine output control is performed in response to the accelerator opening degree adjusted by the driver, the engine may be damaged by overheating. Also, when an inexperienced driver starts a small jet propulsion ship by carelessly manipulating the accelerator pedal to the fullest extent, the ship may be accelerated abruptly, which possibly makes the driving condition unstable.

Electronic throttle control device of internal-combustion engine


To make it possible to comprehensively predict the movement of people by associating an elevator control system in a facility such as a building and an external system other than this system with each other and thereby provide a new service that has not existed before. There is provided an elevator operation management system for controlling and managing multiple elevator devices in a facility, the system including: a reception unit that acquires information on the number of users to use the elevator devices and elevator car destination information; a learning unit that stores and learns, as past experience data, the information on the number of users and the elevator car destination information acquired from the reception unit; a per-floor number-of-people estimation unit that estimates the number of users getting off at each elevator hall floor using storage information of the learning unit; and a request information output unit that outputs the number of people getting off thus estimated in the facility to a system other than the elevator operation management system.

Heretofore, various proposals have been made on operation management of elevator devices. However, actually, many of these proposals are made while assuming a scene where users of an elevator device gets on an elevator car and are transported to their destination floors, and relatively few proposals take into account a scene where users get off an elevator car or a scene after users get off an elevator car.
PTL 1 and PTL 2 are examples proposing improvement in a scene where users get off an elevator car.
For example, PTL 1 proposes a system in which: a time period needed for passengers, who are expected to get off at each floor at which an elevator car is to stop, to get off the elevator car is set as a get-off period; after this get-off period is over, a time period needed for at least one passenger to get on the elevator car is set as a get-on period and this get-on period is updated and newly set every time a passenger gets on the elevator car; and, after this get-on period is over, a door close command is issued to close a door.
Meanwhile, in a get-off state prediction presentation system of PTL 1, an image processing device 6: recognizes the number of users and the number of transportable cars that are included in in-car state information obtained from image information made by subjecting in-car image information from a car-side camera 5 for user recognition to image processing; groups and classifies the various sets of information into groups; recognizes destination floor registration information that indicates which button has been pressed in a car destination floor registration device 2 installed in an elevator car 1 that corresponds to each of the groups thus classified; and calculates and estimates the number of people getting off, indicating how many people are to get off at each floor, and car occupancy of the elevator car 1 based on this number of people by use of the various sets of information, and an elevator control device 7 displays on an elevator hall display 8 a result of judgment on the user's availability at each elevator hall floor based on the calculation result.

Elevator operation management system and elevator operation management method


Methods for controlling crystal size in bulk tungsten layers are disclosed herein. Methods for depositing a bulk tungsten metal layer can include positioning a substrate with a barrier layer in a processing chamber, forming a tungsten nucleation layer, post-treating the nucleation layer with one or more treatment gas cycles including an activating gas and a purging gas, heating the substrate to a deposition temperature, and depositing a bulk tungsten layer with alternating nitrogen flow on the nucleation layer. The post-treatment cycling can be applied optionally to the bulk metal deposition with alternating nitrogen flow.

Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the invention relate generally to methods for processing a substrate during semiconductor manufacturing. Specifically, embodiments of the invention relate to methods of treating a nucleation layer prior to a CVD deposition process.
Description of the Related Art
Reliably producing nanometer-sized features is one of the key technologies for the next generation of semiconductor devices. The shrinking dimensions of circuits and devices have placed additional demands on processing capabilities. The multilevel interconnects that lie at the heart of integrated circuit technology require precise processing of high aspect ratio features, such as vias and other interconnects. Reliable formation of these interconnects is very important to future success and to the continued effort to increase circuit density and quality of individual substrates.
Metallization of features formed on substrates includes CVD deposition of metals such as tungsten. Tungsten can be used for metal fill of source contacts, drain contacts, metal gate fill and gate contacts as well as applications in DRAM and flash memory. With technology node shrinkage, tungsten films are required to have low resistivity and low roughness for device characteristics and for integration with subsequent process steps. Low resistivity in tungsten has been previously achieved by increasing the grain size. However, increased grain size results in increased film roughness. Typical roughness of low resistivity tungsten film is approximately 15% of film thickness.
Therefore, there is much effort in the art to improve the tungsten film morphology while maintaining the low film resistivity.

Method of reducing tungsten film roughness and resistivity


A source module, a destination module, or both modules, that are used in a data transfer, signal over an internal communication bus to a bus master when the addressed storage location in the data transfer comprises a single point address type memory, the addressed module drives an active signal on an address increment disable line in the control bus. In response to the active signal on the address increment disable line, the bus master inhibits changing the address for the duration of the data transfer. The module also drives an active signal on an expansion address off boundary line in the control bus when an internal expansion address of the module is not aligned with a natural boundary of a data bus of the internal communication bus to allow the bus master to adjust the width of the data transfer.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to interfacing modules in host or device adapters, and in particular to bus structures and methods for interconnecting modules within a multiple I/O bus interface integrated circuit.
2. Description of Related Art
Prior single chip host adapters have included a plurality of modules and an on-chip processor that controls operation of the modules. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,659,690, entitled xe2x80x9cProgrammably Configurable Host Adapter Integrated Circuit Including a RISC Processor,xe2x80x9d issued on Aug. 19, 1997 to Stuber et al., which is incorporated herein by reference, had an internal bus that coupled the various modules to a sequencer that included a RISC processor.
Specifically, a SCSI module 130 (FIG. 1), a sequencer 120, data FIFO memory circuit 160, a memory 140, and a host interface module 110 were interconnected by an internal chip I/O bus CIOBUS, which was used for control of host adapter integrated circuit 100 both by a host microprocessor 170 through a host adapter driver 165 and by sequencer 120. The internal chip I/O bus CIOBUS included (i) a source bus with separate eight bit address and data buses, (ii) a destination bus with separate eight bit address and data buses, and (iii) a plurality of control signal lines, i.e., a chip source read enable line CSREN-, a chip destination write enable line CDWREN-, and a bus busy line CRBUSY. Internal chip I/O bus CIOBUS supported high speed normal operations that were controlled by sequencer 320 as well as slower but extended operations during error recovery that were controlled by the host adapter driver using the host microprocessor.
The splitting of the internal chip I/O bus CIOBUS into source and destination buses allowed each sequencer instruction to be completed in a single sequencer clock cycle, as opposed to the multiple cycles needed on a shared bus. Further, in some cases, a write operation and a read operation were performed simultaneously over internal chip I/O bus CIOBUS.
One problem encountered in implementing such a host adapter with an internal chip I/O bus CIOBUS is including hardware logic on the chip which controls the number of bus clock cycles for a particular module to complete a transaction over the internal bus. The. predicted performance of a particular module is not known until late in the design process because the performance of the module is dependent upon resources on the chip that the module must use. Consequently, the hardware logic necessary to control the number of bus clock cycles cannot be designed until the design of all the modules is complete. This inhibits parallel design efforts of the complete chip and introduces delays in the time to market.
In addition, some circuits may perform somewhat differently from that predicted during design. Consequently, the hardware circuit that controls the number of bus clock cycles may not be adequate. This typically requires either fabrication of a new chip, or alternatively a software design around which permits operation of the module, but results in reduced performance. Typically, the software design around included a sequence of no operation instructions in the firmware for the on-chip sequencer. A method and structure are needed that eliminates the need for a separate centralized hardware circuit for each module to control the number of bus clock cycles required for a transaction over the bus.
A cooperative communication bus structure and method of operation of a cooperative communication bus structure, within an integrated circuit interfacing multiple I/O buses, are utilized to eliminate the prior art method of designing and building a centralized hardware circuit to control the number of bus clock cycles required for data transfers between particular modules. A novel internal communication bus includes a new plurality of control lines that permit each of a plurality of bus masters to control different transactions on the internal communication bus.
In addition, either a source module, a destination module, or both modules, which are used in a data transfer, signal over the internal communication bus to the bus master when additional time is needed to participate in the data transfer.
If either the source module, destination module or both modules require more time, the bus master, in response to the active stretch bus access signal or signals from the module or modules, automatically extends the bus access cycle until all modules requiring additional time signal over the internal communication bus that they are ready to proceed with the data transfer. Moreover, within a module, the lengthening of the bus access cycle may be limited to only those addresses that need more time. Consequently, the source module, destination module, or both modules can re-time a bus access cycle to accommodate the characteristics of that particular module.
This invention eliminates the need for a separate hardware circuit that implements bus delays for transfers between each set of hardware modules. In addition, this invention simplifies the design and enhances the time to market, because the designer of the source module and/or destination module includes logic within the module, as described more completely below, to determine when the module is ready to initiate the data transfer. Consequently, the designer of the bus master circuit and other circuits within the integrated circuit does not have to make any allowances for the performance characteristics for each module that the bus master circuit and other circuits communicate with over the internal communication bus.
Hence, in an integrated circuit having a plurality of modules coupled to each other by an internal communication bus having a control bus, a method of this invention includes:
driving an active signal on a bus access cycle stretch line in the control bus by a module, in the plurality of modules, having a storage location addressed by a bus master during a bus access cycle; and
holding, after the active signal on the bus stretch line, a state of a signal on a data write enable line in the control bus by the bus master until the active signal on the bus access cycle stretch line is driven inactive by the module wherein the active signal on the bus access cycle stretch line causes the bus master to change a duration of the bus access cycle.
The module can be either a source module, or a destination module, and the state of the signal on the data write enable line is an inactive state in a first embodiment. In another embodiment, the state of the signal on the data write enable line is active.
When the addressed storage location comprises a single point address type memory, the module drives an active signal on an address increment disable line in the control bus. In response to the active signal on the address increment disable line, the bus master inhibits changing the address. The module also drives an active signal on an expansion address off boundary line in the control bus when an internal expansion address of the module is not aligned such that the full width of a data bus of the internal communication bus cannot be used in a data transfer, i.e., the internal expansion address is not aligned with a natural boundary of the data bus.
Thus, the method of this invention re-times an internal communication bus access cycle having a first period by generating an active bus re-time signal by a module used in the internal communication bus access cycle, and by changing the bus access cycle to a second period different from the first period by a module controlling the bus access cycle in response to the active bus re-time signal.

Source-destination re-timed cooperative communication bus


A method for operating a fuel metering system of a motor vehicle is provided, in which fuel is delivered by at least one supply pump to at least one high pressure area, the fuel being injected by at least one fuel injector from the high pressure area directly into at least one combustion chamber, at least one sensor detecting the pressure in the high pressure area, and at least one pressure regulating element being provided for adjusting the pressure in the high pressure area.

One of the common fuel metering systems for motor vehicles is known as the common rail system. In this system, fuel is delivered by a first fuel pump from a fuel reservoir to a first pressure area. Starting from this first pressure area, the fuel is transported by a high pressure pump into a common rail which is under very high pressure. In the case of a diesel common rail system, pressures for example may reach 2000 bar, and in the case of a gasoline common rail system, pressures may reach up to 150 bar. The fuel is injected by a fuel injector at predefinable points in time from the common rail directly into a combustion chamber of the combustion engine.
Normally there is a pressure regulating element, for example a pressure control valve or the like, located in the high pressure area, usually directly on the common rail. This pressure regulating element is actuatable by a control unit, usually the engine control unit, in such a way that various pressures are attainable in the common rail. In this case, the various pressures are matched to the various operating situations, in which different pressures make sense for optimizing the combustion process.
A special problem of a common rail system arises in the starting phase, since at the moment the engine starts, the pressure in the common rail in an extreme case corresponds merely to an admission pressure. It is thus necessary for optimal combustion to elevate the pressure in the common rail to normal operating pressure as quickly as possible. To this end, for example, the control unit specifies that a maximum rail pressure be set by the pressure regulating element. During the phase in which the rail pressure is rising to its normal level, there is naturally a very great change in pressure in the rail over time, which makes it difficult to meter fuel as intended. Due to the transient pressure conditions in the common rail, it is very difficult for the control unit to calculate an injection time that corresponds to the fuel injection quantity actually desired. This also sometimes results from the fact that a computation of the fuel injection time is performed first, and only afterward is it possible to actuate the fuel injector accordingly. Thus there is a time difference between the computation of the injection and the actual injection itself. Within this period there is a possibility, that because of the transient pressure conditions in the common rail, a fuel pressure that is different from that intended by the control unit when calculating the injection time will develop.

Method for operating a fuel measurement system in a motor vehicle, computer program, control device and fuel measurement system


Systems and methods for deductively determining a resolution setting for an imaging device based on one or more features of a scene are disclosed. The features may include the size of primary or foreground faces within the scene, a maximum amount of high frequency content within the scene, a lighting condition of the scene, or a battery level of an electronic device.

Field of the Invention
The systems and methods disclosed herein relate generally to automatically and deductively determining an optimal image resolution.
Description of the Related Art
Users often set their cameras to shoot pictures at the highest resolution because they do not know when they may actually need the extra pixels for later zooming or panning. One downside of shooting at maximum resolution is the files are naturally bigger and even on today's mobile phones those pictures and video can fill up storage quickly. The embodiments discussed herein illustrate systems and methods for determining the resolution for each shot deductively, based on one or more of a number of factors.

System and method for determining image resolution


The present technology relates to information processing system and method, and information processing device and method for realizing a system capable of increasing efficiency while reducing load concentration. Each of the information processing system and method and the information processing device and method according to an aspect of the present technology belongs to one or more center servers. One or more gate controllers different from each other are allocated. Acquired is user data that relates to data about a user corresponding to identification data, and is supplied on the basis of prediction data corresponding to the identification data. Acquired is the identification data that is read from a storage device storing the identification data, and is supplied from the gate controller allocated to the corresponding system, method or device. The acquired user data that corresponds to the acquired identification data is processed. For example, the present technology is applicable to an information processing device or an information processing system.

Various types of information processing systems have been currently used in transportation facilities such as railroads. For example, there has been a fare adjustment system which manages entrance and exit of a user at an automatic ticket gate by using an integrated circuit (IC) card on which commutation ticket data, electronic money and the like are registered, and adjusts a fare or the like. There has also been a congestion degree information gathering and distributing system which manages entrance and exit of a user, and recognizes and utilizes a flow of a user, a degree of congestion and the like (for example, see Patent Document 1).

Information processing system and method, and information processing device and method


A disc drive includes a tracking actuator, and determines when the tracking actuator is positioned off a formatted portion of optical media in the disc drive. The optical media includes a pitted premastered area that cannot be overwritten and a grooved user-writeable area that can be overwritten. Tracking control effort is monitored to determine when the tracking actuator is in the off-format condition and whether tracking good or tracking bad is detected within a predetermined time period. An absolute value of the tracking control effort is generated and the absolute value of the tracking control effort is filtered. An off-format condition is indicated if the filtered value of the tracking control effort is not within a predetermined threshold value.

There is an ever increasing need for data storage devices having greater storage capacity with smaller form factors for multimedia systems utilizing text, video, and audio information. Further, there is a large demand for highly portable, rugged, and robust systems for use as multimedia entertainment, storage systems for PDAs, cell phones, electronic books, and other systems. One of the more promising technologies for rugged, removable, and portable data storage is WORM (write once read many) optical disk drives.
One of the important factors affecting design of an optical system (such as that utilized in a WORM drive) is the optical components utilized in the system and the control of actuators utilized to control the optical system on the disk. The optical system typically includes a laser or other optical source, focusing lenses, reflectors, optical detectors, and other components. Although a wide variety of systems have been used or proposed, typical previous systems have used optical components that were sufficiently large and/or massive that functions such as focus and/or tracking were performed by moving components of the optical system.
Many early optical disks and other optical storage systems provided relatively large format read/write devices including, for example, devices for use in connection with 12 inch (or larger) diameter disks. As optical storage technologies have developed, however, there has been increasing attention toward providing feasible and practical systems which are relatively smaller in size. Generally, a practical read/write device must accommodate numerous items within its form factor, including the media, media cartridge (if any), media spin motor, power supply and/or conditioning, signal processing, focus, tracking or other servo electronics, and components associated or affecting the laser or light beam optics. Accordingly, in order to facilitate a relatively small form-factor, an optical head occupying small volume is desirable. In particular, it is desirable for a small optical head in the direction perpendicular to the surface of the spinning media.
Additionally, a smaller, more compact, optical head provides numerous specific problems for electronics designed to control the position and focus of the optical head including: the need for extensive drive calibration and periodic drive recalibration, time critical servo state machines to compensate for the flexible focus and tracking actuators, nonlinear and cross-coupled tracking and focus position sensors, dynamic crosscoupling between the multiple servo loops, need for low power consumption to conserve battery life, removable and interchangeable media, robust handling of media defects, presence of both pre-mastered and user writeable areas on the same disk, need to operate in wide range of conditions including various physical orientations, wide range of ambient temperatures and humidity levels, and the presence of shock and vibration.
Therefore, there is a need for an optical head with a small form factor and, in addition, a servo system for controlling the head so that data can be reliably read from and written to the optical media.

System and method for detecting and recovering from an off-format state in an optical disc drive


Embodiments of the invention provide systems and methods for composition of elements in a communication session with session sharing. According to one embodiment, a method for composition of elements in a communication session can comprise processing the communication session with a first element participating in the communication session, updating state information for the communication session with the first element based on the processing of the communication session by the first element, and passing the state information from the first element to a second element participating in the communication session. The method can further comprise receiving the state information from the first element at the second element, processing the communication session with the second element based on the state information for the communication session, and updating the state information for the communication session with the second element based on the processing of the communication session by the second element.

Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to methods and systems for processing and routing of messages and information in a computer network and more particularly to composition of elements in a communication session with session sharing.
As computer networks become evermore complex, and are further extended to include functionality for wireless and mobile devices, there is an increasing need to orchestrate interaction between the capabilities of the various components across the network. The Service Capability Interaction Manager (SCIM) was introduced (by the Third Generation Partnership Project, or "3GPP") as a functional architecture for the provisioning of services. A SCIM typically is used to orchestrate the delivery of services among different servers including application server platforms. A SCIM component can be programmed or configured to dictate the sequence of services or operations used to process a communication session.
However, a SCIM performs composition and orchestration of a communication session in a top-down type approach wherein the orchestration and session state are controlled at a high level, i.e., in the application session or service layer, removed from the applications and/or protocol level components participating in the session, i.e., the protocol session layer. That is, session state sharing between components such as various protocol session level components is not performed. As a result, if a protocol session level component or other element participating in a communication session performs some processing that affects the state of the communication session, that change is not shared between other such components. Rather, the change must be propagated back up to the orchestrator which then directs the other elements. In fact, it is generally not possible for protocol session level components to share such communication session state or context information since programming models for the protocol session level do not allow such sharing. Such an approach can be less efficient or desirable than allowing the elements of the architecture to share the session state information and/or context of the communication session and perform composition. Hence, there is a need for improved methods and systems for composition of elements in a communication session with session sharing.

Protocol level communications for protocol level composition with session sharing


A method for providing aerogels, and aerogels produced according to the method, is described. As one aspect, antiperspirant compounds that are in aerogel form, and antiperspirant and deodorant compositions including such salts, are described. The method involves contacting a solution containing material to be processed with a species selected to precipitate the material and selected so as to be miscible with the solvent system of the solution. After the material is precipitated, the material may be washed with the precipitating species until it is substantially free of solvent system. Then, the precipitating species containing the material precipitate is taken above its critical point, and the supercritical fluid is exhausted above its critical temperature. Alternately, a separate isolating species is introduced to displace the precipitating species, or the precipitating species/solvent system mixture. The isolating species then is taken above its critical point, and exhausted above its critical temperature. The invention provides for batch or continuous processes.

The term "supercritical fluid" defines a physical state of a particular species that exists above that particular species' critical point. The critical point of a species is that point on an equilibrium diagram at the intersection of the critical temperature and critical pressure of the species. The critical temperature of a species is defined by that temperature above which the species cannot exist as a liquid. The pressure that must be applied to cause condensation of the species at the critical temperature is the critical pressure, that is, the critical pressure is the vapor pressure of the species at its critical temperature. Thus, a supercritical fluid is defined as a phase existing above the critical temperature and above the critical pressure of a particular species.
Supercritical fluids exhibit unusual characteristics different from certain characteristics exhibited by liquids, solids, or vapors, and these unique characteristics have been exploited in a variety of methods for processing a variety of substances. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,028,363 describes an extraction process using supercritical carbon dioxide. Extraction is particularly aided by the use of supercritical fluids in that the solubility of certain substances in supercritical fluids can be highly sensitive to slight variations in temperature and pressure near the critical point. Often, a chemical reaction may be carried out in a supercritical carbon dioxide medium, followed by extraction to produce a product. U.S. Pat. No. 5,045,289 describes such a process, in which a rare earth-bearing compound is reacted to form a carbonate under supercritical conditions. U.S. Pat. No. 4,748,220 describes a free-radical polymerization reaction carried out in supercritical carbon dioxide, resulting in polymer powder.
Additionally, supercritical fluids find use in silica gel drying. According to a typical procedure a gel of an ethyl oxide of silicon is hydrolyzed in a liquid phase, then subjected to supercritical drying.
The processing of various articles in supercritical fluids has been described. For example, a method of forming a patterned resist film is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,944,837. Microcellular foams have been processed using supercritical fluids, for example as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,066,684; 5,116,883; and 5,158,986. Processing of foods using supercritical fluids is known, for example, the decaffination of coffee as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,879,569.
Supercritical fluids have also found use in so-called "supercritical drying" of organometallics. In a typical supercritical drying procedure, residual solvent is removed from pores of particulate material to be collected, by washing the material with a liquefied gas to remove the residual solvent, and the liquefied gas then is exhausted above its critical temperature.
In many areas of materials processing a need exists for providing materials having a very high surface area, Very high surface area is important in many fields for rapid and efficient chemical reaction, absorption, delivery or analysis of various species, and the like. Additionally, a need exists for the processing of such materials in a way that results in a very fine powder that is easily flowable, and easily transferable from one container to another.
A common procedure for attaining relatively high-surface-area particulate material is spray drying. In a typical spray drying procedure, a material to be collected is dispersed within or dissolved in a solvent, and the solution or dispersion is sprayed as a very fine mist into a chamber within which the solvent is evaporated. The material then is collected. During the evaporation process, the material "collapses". That is, it rapidly agglomerates when the fine droplet within which it is carried evaporates. Thus, in spray drying techniques, the surface area of the material collected is generally not maximized. Additionally, spray drying requires large areas of workspace and solvent is not easily recoverable.
Particles produced by some of these methods have been referred to as aerogels.
Antiperspirant compositions are used to reduce perspiration. The compositions typically are applied to the skin in the form of an aerosol, solid stick, semi-solid stick, gel stick, cream, or roll-on. Antiperspirant compositions typically include a dermatologically acceptable anhydrous carrier and an amount of an antiperspirant compound that is effective to reduce perspiration. Common antiperspirant compounds include aluminum salts, zirconium salts, and aluminum-zirconium salts.
Two antiperspirant compounds commonly used in antiperspirant compositions are aluminum chlorohydrate and aluminum-zirconium tetrachlorohydrex Gly. These compounds typically are non-porous and have a surface area of between about 1 m.sup.2 /g and 6 m.sup.2 /g, an average bulk density of between about 1.4 g/cc and 1.8 g/cc and an average particle size of between 1 micron and 80 microns.

Method of forming particles using a supercritical fluid


The invention concerns a communication device (20) forming an interface between an electrically coupled reader (10), in particular with contact, and at least a radioelectrically coupled contactless device (30). The interface (20) comprises electronic coupling pads (24), in particular resistive contact pads, with corresponding coupling elements of the reader (10), and transmitting and/or receiving means for electromagnetic waves (26), in particular an antenna, designed to enable communication with the contactless electronic device (20). The interface (20) comprises in particular means (28) for managing data transfer between the contacts (24) and the antenna (26) so as to enable communication between the electrically coupled reader (10), requiring the insertion of a device with electrically coupled contacts, and the contactless electronic device (30). Preferably, the device (30) is arranged in a portable object capable of being fixed on part of the bearer, in particular a watch.

The present invention concerns the field of communication between an electrically coupled read head, in particular resistive or possibly capacitive, and an electromagnetically coupled contactless device, particularly in the field of radio waves or light waves.
Numerous readers, in particular of the banking type or those for purchasing products or services, are electrically coupled, i.e. with coupling in proximity and especially resistive coupling. These readers are associated with electronic devices with contact pads, in particular smart cards with contacts, intended to be introduced through an opening into these readers.
However, such electronic contact devices are generally of reduced dimensions, and particularly of small thickness. This poses a first problem since the integration of data entry means or data display means is limited, so that such devices are often limited to a simple identification and sometimes to modification by readers of data comprised in memories of these contact devices. Thus, the communication of instructions or data to a reader by the contact device carrier generally occurs by means of additional units, particularly using a screen and a keyboard.
Next, such contact devices, in particular in the form of a card, can be difficult to fix to the carrier to prevent them being lost or stolen. This poses a second problem that the present invention proposes to resolve.

Communication device forming an interface between an electrically coupled read head in particular with contact, and an electromagnetically coupled contactless device


A system for adjusting the representation of a device's color gamut in color appearance space, comprising performing forward mapping of sample colors from a device-dependent space to a device-independent color appearance space to obtain forward-mapped device-independent values, obtaining mismatch values for perceived device-neutrals, each mismatch value being a difference between a forward mapped value for the device-neutral and a neutral axis of the color appearance space, and adjusting each forward-mapped device-independent value by utilizing the obtained mismatch value for each corresponding lightness level of device-neutrals in order to obtain an adjusted forward mapping. The adjusting of each forward-mapped device-independent value may be a full adjustment of each value, or a partial adjustment that is performed in either a linear or non-linear manner and that may be based on chroma, lightness, or both. The adjusted forward-mapping may be inverted with both the adjusted forward-mapping and the inverted adjusted forward-mapping being inserted into a color management module.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns adjustment, or modification, of the representation of a device's color gamut when that color gamut is expressed in a color appearance space. More particularly, the present invention relates to adjusting a device's color gamut by adjusting the color gamut, in color appearance space, so as to match the appearance of the device's color-neutral axis.
2. Description of the Related Art
A color appearance space defines color coordinates that attempt to describe how colors appear to a viewer, or how such colors are perceived by the viewer. One popular color appearance space is CIECAM97s, whose color coordinates are JCh (cylindrical). These coordinates can also be expressed in rectangular coordinates, called Jab.
One way in which a color appearance space differs from other spaces such as device-independent color spaces (examples of device-independent color spaces include CIEXYZ and CIELAB) is that a color appearance space will attempt to model how a viewer perceives color, taking into account viewing conditions, surround, and background. For example, the same color sample might appear black if seen against a white background or merely dark gray if seen against a black background. A color appearance space would take the difference in background into account, while a device-independent space such as CIEXYZ does not.
Consider a color printer that prints a black color onto a white sheet by a three-color composite process in which cyan, magenta and yellow are simultaneously deposited into the same print area. Current color appearance spaces are flawed in the sense that they would most likely represent the resulting color as being somewhat chromatic. Depending on the hue, current color appearance spaces would indicate that the color was a very dark green or a very dark blue. However, under most viewing conditions and given the white background of the surrounding sheet, most viewers would agree that the resulting color is actually black; accordingly, in an ideal color appearance space the resulting color would register as black exactly.
Moreover, a problem results when measurements of a device's actual output are used to obtain a representation of the device's color gamut in color appearance space. Specifically, actual measurements of the device's output often yield colors in the color appearance space that do not match a viewer's perceptual judgment. Again considering the above example, the actually-measured value of the composite black color, when expressed in color appearance space, is not an exact black value, even though most viewers would perceive the color as black exactly.
As a result of this situation a problem arises during gamut mapping. Specifically, because black colors expressed in color appearance are not black exactly, bizarre color effects arise during gamut mapping since most gamut mapping is performed in color appearance space. If, for example, gamut mapping compresses colors toward the color-neutral axis (as is the case in most gamut mapping techniques), then the aforementioned black color might be mapped out the back end of the color-neutral axis, resulting in a situation where a perceptual black color would reproduce as dark red.


A process for generating SQL queries to retrieve requested information from a database, whilst applying requested search filters, involving defining a “base” query, which is the simplest SQL query that can be executed to retrieve the information requested by the user (i.e. without applying any search filter), and then use a separate module for each search filter to detect the existence of the table that is required to apply that filter, and possibly add a “WHERE” condition that includes the required table using a sub-query. For each module, if the table required to filter a particular attribute exists in the current query, the “WHERE” condition is added on that table, without adding any sub-query. If on the other hand the required table does not exist in the current query, a sub-query that navigates associations from the tables involved in the current query to the required on is added, and the “WHERE” condition is added to the required table within the sub-query.

Software applications that make use of relational databases to implement persistence of data often use a wide set of SQL queries to retrieve filtered information based on search criteria. This happens because queries on objects that have meaning in the application domain often allow the definition of many search filters, which can be used by application users to restrict the set of resulting objects based on the values of attributes defined on the objects itself or on associated ones.
In this context, a major problem consists in defining a strategy for generating an SQL query to retrieve all the information requested, while at the same time applying all the requested search filters. In general, this problem is typically resolved by choosing one of the following strategies:    1. Use a general-purpose SQL query, including all the tables that may be required to filter results. If a filter that requires joining with a specific table is specified, a "WHERE" clause is added on the appropriate column of that table to implement the search, otherwise the table is included in the definition of the query, but no "WHERE" clause is added. Performance is affected by this solution, since the set of tables included in the definition of the query is always the largest possible.    2. Use a different SQL query for every combination of filters that can be specified, in order to use for each set of search attributes the best performing query, including only those tables that are required to create "WHERE" conditions for that set of attributes. The drawback of this solution is that the number of ad-hoc SQL queries to be created and maintained becomes very high, and grows exponentially with the number of search attributes that can be specified.    3. Implement only a subset of all possible queries, based on most frequently used combinations of search attributes and on performance considerations, and associate each combination of search filters to the most appropriate query within this subset. This is a "mixed" approach, which tries to balance benefits and drawbacks of the previous ones, but turns out to be technically challenging and tends to fall short if the number of attributes that can be specified in the search starts to grow.
For each entity type in the database, the number of possible search queries that can be executed against entities of that type is exponential in the number of available search filters on other linked entities that the user may want to specify in a request e.g. the application could provide the ability to search for "employees" by associated "managers" and/or assigned "projects": in this case, depending on whether or not the user chooses to specify each of the two filters, we end up with 4 possible queries.
Thus prior art approaches tend to maintain in the application code: 1) either each possible query separately, or 2) a single query, which corresponds to the most complex one and can be easily adapted to become a replacement for every other query. If solution 1) is selected, a very high number of queries may be required to maintain in the application code, which turns out to be a mess; if solution 2) is selected, there is only one query to maintain but it is the worst one for all cases when you don't need to join the information of some entities because search criteria are not applied to them.

Database query generation method and system

International Business Machines Corporation


An aircraft seat includes infinitely adjustable, lateral tilt control within a specified range. The aircraft seat includes a stationary support, a tilting frame rotatably or translatably attached to the stationary base, and a tilt control mechanism to adjust the tilt within the defined range and positively lock the frame without back-driving. The tilt control mechanism may include a plurality of linkages connected to the stationary support and the tilting frame, and to each other via a threaded block; a threaded shaft adjusts the linkages and thereby adjust the tilt. Alternatively, the tilt control mechanism comprises a curved rack and a pinion. The threaded block and threaded shaft, or the rack and pinion define ACME threads to prevent back-driving.

Aircraft seating configurations, such as for certain military aircraft, may be oriented with crew member seats facing the side of the aircraft. In such situations, crew members are oriented with the side of their bodies (left or right) facing the direction of aircraft travel. As the aircraft pitches up and down, crew members may be placed in uncomfortable stress positions of supporting their weight against a lateral force with no or limited support.

Side to side tilting aircraft seat mechanism


An improved retrograde coronary sinus perfusion catheter includes a flexible, tubular catheter body and an inflatable balloon. The catheter body has proximal and distal ends and an interior lumen. The inflatable balloon is located adjacent the distal end of the catheter body and has proximal and distal edges. The improvement includes an echogenicity enhancement embedded within the catheter body. The echogenicity enhancement is adapted to reflect ultrasonic waves at a characteristic different from the catheter body.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to catheters. More particularly, the present invention relates to a cardioplegia catheter having an echogenicity enhancement to aid in detecting the position of the catheter within a body.
2. Description of the Related Art
Catheters have a wide variety of applications during surgical procedures. For example, in cardiac surgery, venous and arterial catheters are used to conduct blood between the body and bypass equipment. Catheters are used to conduct cardioplegic solutions for both antegrade and retrograde solution administration. Cardioplegic solutions, typically containing potassium, magnesium, procaine or a hypocalcemic solution, stop the heart by interfering with the heart's capacity to conduct the natural electric signals which cause beating of the heart. In normal antegrade cardioplegia, a single needle is inserted into the aorta, and cardioplegic solution is administered therethrough. The cardioplegic solution flows through the coronary arteries in the normal direction of blood flow. In retrograde cardioplegia, a balloon catheter is inserted into the coronary sinus. The balloon is then inflated, and the cardioplegic solution is perfused through the coronary veins in the opposite direction of blood flow.
Traditional cardiac surgery involves creating a large incision in the chest cavity to expose the heart. Under these surgical conditions proper placement of a catheter may be determined by either direct visual or sensory cues. However, a recent trend in surgical procedures is to minimize the size of access apertures formed in the chest cavity, thereby making it more difficult to confirm whether a catheter is properly positioned within the body and specifically within the aorta or coronary sinus. In these procedures, generally referred to as "Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery," the size of the aperture in the chest wall is reduced to a size slightly larger than that of the catheter to be inserted therein. As a result, other methods are needed to determine the location of the catheter within the body.
One way of confirming the location of a catheter within a body is with an ultrasonic pulse-echo imaging system. The term "echogenicity" refers to the relative extent that a surface reflects incident ultrasound wave energy directly back to a sensor, which is proximate the source or emitter of the ultrasonic wave energy. The low practical echogenicity of the prior art smooth catheters hampers accurate imaging of the catheter within the body. Typically, a needle or stylet of the catheter, or at least its point or tip, is echogenically enhanced to improve its ultrasound image, in order to more accurately pinpoint its placement during real-time ultrasonic guidance. Once the catheter is in place, the stylet is removed from the catheter. One disadvantage to this arrangement is that a needle or stylet is required in order to accurately determine the position of the catheter within the body. At times it may be desirable to use a catheter without a needle or stylet inserted therein.
There is a need, therefore, for an improved catheter having an echogenicity enhancement provided on the catheter itself. In addition, there is a need for an echogenically enhanced catheter that has smooth exterior and interior surfaces, so as not to interfere with insertion of the catheter into the body or with the transport of liquids therethrough.

Catheter having echogenicity enhancement


A shock absorber including a damper and a valve assembly for throttling fluid flow between a compression damper chamber and a pneumatic spring, with a valve assembly extending from an inner end portion of the damper into the compression damper chamber along a longitudinal central axis of the damper. A piston assembly is provided that includes an inner space which is open to the compression damper chamber and configured to receive and sealingly engage a distal portion of the valve assembly at an inner operational range of stroke and to disengage the valve assembly upon movement outside the inner operational range of stroke. The sealing engagement between the distal portion of the valve assembly and the inner space divides the compression damper chamber into an inner volume within the inner space and an outer volume in front of the piston assembly.

Shock absorbers and damping systems are used for damping of the relative movement between the wheel and the chassis of a vehicle, such as a car, a motorcycle or a bicycle. A conventional shock absorber normally includes a working cylinder filled with a damping fluid, such as hydraulic oil or gas, and a piston arranged on a piston rod movably arranged in the cylinder. The piston is further commonly arranged to divide the cylinder into a first and second working chamber and moves in the cylinder against the resistance of the fluid, which in turn causes damping fluid to move in the damping cylinder. The damper may be arranged between the vehicle chassis and the wheel to move telescopically as the vehicle travels along such that the movement of the wheel and vehicle is thus damped by the piston moving in the cylinder against the resistance of the fluid. In the specific case of a motorcycle, a bicycle, or a mountain bike, dampers may be arranged in a front fork arrangement and/or a rear wheel suspension, in either case damping impacts and vibrations with respect to the driver.
Further, shock absorbers may control the damping force exerted due to the flow of fluid through the damper. Such means may include different types of valve arrangements. One common type of valve used in shock absorber is a check valve, i.e., a valve permitting a flow of fluid in one direction.
A shock absorber typically includes a damper and a spring configured to force the damper towards its extended position such that it can function to dampen impacts over and over again. Some shock absorbers comprise coil springs whilst other shock absorbers comprise pneumatic springs. A pneumatic spring compresses a gaseous medium which is compressed at compression of the damper such that a pressure builds up within the pneumatic spring. However, a problem with shock absorbers including pneumatic springs is to make them small, resistant to dust and dirt, and easily serviceable. A further problem is how to make them user-adjustable. A specific problem is how to prevent bottoming-out of the damper at heavy impact.


A method for making a semiconductor device is described. That method comprises forming a dielectric layer on a substrate, and forming an impurity containing metal layer on the dielectric layer. A metal gate electrode is then formed from the impurity containing metal layer. Also described is a semiconductor device that comprises a metal gate electrode that is formed on a dielectric layer, which is formed on a substrate. The metal gate electrode includes a sufficient amount of an impurity to shift the workfunction of the metal gate electrode by at least about 0.1 eV.

MOS field-effect transistors with very thin gate dielectrics made from silicon dioxide may experience unacceptable gate leakage currents. Forming the gate dielectric from certain high-k dielectric materials, instead of silicon dioxide, can reduce gate leakage. Such a dielectric may not, however, be compatible with polysilicon. For that reason, it may be desirable to replace polysilicon based gate electrodes with metal gate electrodes for devices that include high-k gate dielectrics.
The optimal workfunction for a metal gate electrode will differ depending upon whether it is used to form an NMOS transistor or a PMOS transistor. When the same material is used to make metal gate electrodes for NMOS and PMOS transistors, the gate electrodes cannot demonstrate the desired workfunction for both types of devices. If a material is chosen to ensure an acceptable workfunction for an NMOS transistor's gate electrode, then the workfunction for the PMOS transistor's gate electrode will be unsatisfactory. Similarly, choosing a material that ensures an acceptable workfunction for the PMOS transistor's gate electrode will prevent the NMOS transistor's gate electrode from having a suitable workfunction. Selecting a midgap material (i.e., a material that gives the metal gate electrodes for NMOS and PMOS transistors an intermediate workfunction) will yield a suboptimal workfunction for both transistors.
It may be possible to address this problem by forming the NMOS transistor's metal gate electrode from a first material and the PMOS transistor's metal gate electrode from a second material. The first material may ensure an acceptable workfunction for the NMOS gate electrode, while the second material may ensure an acceptable workfunction for the PMOS gate electrode. Processes for forming such dual metal gate devices may, however, be complex and expensive.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved process for making a semiconductor device that includes a metal gate electrode. There is a need for a relatively inexpensive and uncomplicated process for making a device with metal gate electrodes that demonstrate optimal workfunctions for both NMOS and PMOS transistors. The method of the present invention provides such a process.
Features shown in these figures are not intended to be drawn to scale.

Semiconductor device having a metal gate electrode


A space saving institutional bed that is pivoted from a horizontal use position to a vertical non-use position, such that the bed lies flat against the wall upon which it is mounted. The bed includes a body supporting member, two wall mounted brackets, and pivoting assemblies mounted to the brackets and to the body supporting member. A key actuated locking assembly locks the bed in use or non-use positions.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wall mounted bed and, more specifically, to a bed which may be locked in a space saving position, flat against a wall upon which the bed is pivotally mounted.
2. Description of Related Art
In institutions such as state and federal prisons, local and regional jails, adult and juvenile detention centers and the like, beds which may be locked in a non-use position so as to occupy a minimal amount of space are quite desirable. Several space saving beds are disclosed in the related art, including wall mounted beds that may be pivoted from a horizontal use position to a vertical non-use position, in which the bed lies flat against the wall upon which it is mounted. None of the related art, however, discloses a wall mounted bed of the above mentioned type that uses a spring-loaded, locking pin assembly which is actuated by a key so that the position of the bed may be adjusted only by authorized personnel.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,550,599 (Reed) and 4,084,276 (Trexler, Jr. et al.) show wall mounted beds that may be pivoted from a horizontal use position to a vertical non-use position in which the bed lies flat against the wall upon which it is mounted.
Neither of the above mentioned beds, has a spring loaded locking pin assembly or a means to limit the ability of unauthorized persons to change the position of the bed.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,783,717, issued Mar. 5, 1957 to Robert A. Meldrum, shows a railway sleeping car with a folding bed which employs a spring loaded locking pin assembly. The bed of Meldrum differs from the present invention in that the locking pin assembly employed is actuated by an easily accessed handle rather than a key which limits the use of the bed. Additionally, the bed of Meldrum, which is held by supports not attached to the wall on which the bed is mounted, is unlike the present invention which is held entirely by a wall mounted support structure to save space.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 251,489 (Ware), 1,253,549 (Weaver), 2,492,362 (Hopeman, Jr. et al.), and 2,683,883 (Hirst) show beds that may be pivoted from a horizontal use position to a vertical non-use position in which the bed lies flat against the wall upon which it is mounted.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,116,494 (Bennett et al.), 3,851,344 (Zeithammer), and 5,446,932 (Voorhis) show folding beds which have spring loaded pivoting mechanisms that aid in shifting the position of the beds from use positions to non-use positions.
All of the related art beds discussed require additional supports separate from the wall upon which they are mounted, and none of the above mentioned beds has a means to limit the ability of unauthorized persons to adjust the position of the bed. Furthermore, not one of the above mentioned beds is as of uncomplicated construction as is the present invention.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singularly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Thus a space saving institutional bed solving the aforementioned problems is desired.


A method to perform a cycle synchronization between interconnected sub-networks, in which a reference node connected to one of the sub-networks transmits a respective cycle time information to cycle masters of all other sub-networks at recurring time instants, and the cycle masters of all other sub-networks adjust their cycle time accordingly. An adjustment of the cycle time within a cycle master is performed by determining a first time interval (t1, t1′) in-between two receptions of cycle time information from the reference node with an own clock, determining a second time interval (t2, t2′) in-between two corresponding transmissions of cycle time information from the reference node on basis of the received cycle time information, comparing the first time interval (t1, t1′) and the second time interval (t2, t2′), and adjusting the own cycle length according to the comparison result.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method to perform a cycle synchronization between interconnected sub-networks and a cycle synchronizator adapted to perform said method.
2. Discussion of the Background
It is known to interconnect sub-networks, e.g. with long delay bi-directional connections to extend a network to a wider area. In particular, this technique is used to interconnect several IEEE 1394 serial buses to extend an IEEE 1394 network, e.g. through a whole house. The basic topology of such a connection is shown in FIG. 1. A first interface 20 is part of a first IEEE 1394 serial bus 21 which might consist of a number of IEEE 1394 nodes. A second interface 22 is part of a second IEEE 1394 serial bus 23 which might comprise another number of IEEE 1394 nodes. The first interface 21 and the second interface 22 are connected via a long delay bi-directional connection 24 which might be, but is not restricted to a coax cable medium.
Independent IEEE 1394 buses must be synchronized to have the same cycle rate. In particular, the IEEE 1394 standard mandates that for opened isochronous channels an isochronous packet is sent in every isochronous cycle. To ensure that isochronous transfers between the interconnected IEEE 1394 buses work, it must be ensured that all buses have the same frequency of isochronous cycles.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Cycle synchronization between interconnected sub-networks


Embodiments relate to systems and methods including a step of switching between two or more erase operations and/or two or more write operations for erasing of and/or writing to least one memory cell of a nonvolatile memory enabling to select a most suitable erase and/or write operation for a particular erase and/or write operation within the memory.

For nonvolatile memories, two operations need to be enabled by the design that are changing the storage state of the NVM memory cells, namely erasing and writing. In this regard, erasing is typically possible only for larger chunks of data such as words, blocks, wordlines, or sectors. For that purpose, the larger chunk of stored data is reset by the erase operation to the same default value—for example either "all-0" or "all-1". In contrast to that, writing is necessarily possible in a bitwise—i.e. selective—way to enable storage of arbitrary data for each memory cell or bit individually.
Bitwise writing can either be an implementation of a highly parallel but nevertheless slow method such as e.g. "Fowler-Nordheim"-tunneling, or a fast but highly power consuming and therefore low parallel method, such as for example "Hot Electron" injection.
For area-efficient flash memories, the erase granularity or selectivity is currently typically at least a wordline (≧1000 Bits), therefore a selective erasure of single words or even single bits is not possible. Conventionally, an erase operation that is capable of selecting individual words typically requires the implementation of an area-inefficient EEPROM array. This implies that "word switches" need to be integrated in the memory array itself that allow to select the corresponding words for individual erasure.
Under certain circumstances, a fast bitwise erase operation may be highly favorable also for flash memories. For instance, this may be the case when single erased cells are disturbed during writing of a different portion of data. In this case, the whole page would have to be erased again and rewritten, resulting in an unexpected effective write time delay of several orders of magnitude.

Method and system for switchable erase or write operations in nonvolatile memory


A damping unit for offset presses, which damping unit has a tipping roller which is immersed in a damping solution pan, a metering roller associated with the tipping roller, and a form roller which applies the damping solution to a printing plate of a plate cylinder. The rollers of the damping unit can be driven at different speeds and in different directions, whereby the drive can be controlled independently of the press speed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a damping or dampening unit for offset printing presses, the damping unit having a tipping roller which is immersed in a damping solution pan, a metering roller associated with the tipping roller, and a form roller which applies the damping solution to a printing plate of a plate cylinder. The rollers of the damping unit can be driven at different speeds and in different directions.
2. Background Information
To achieve a uniform film of damping solution with known damping units, (i.e. German Patent No. 91 10 345 U1), the respective rollers can be driven at different circumferential speeds or even in different directions so that the outer surfaces of the respective rollers may exhibit opposing directions of motion at the lines of contact. All of these measures can serve to minimize the amount of damping solution applied to prevent excess damping of the printing plate. The problem with these rollers, some of which are frictionally driven, is that the rotation of the printing plate can be transferred to the individual rollers. At higher press speeds, this can result in the application of additional driving force to slower moving rollers, making the precise metering of damping solution more difficult.


Method and apparatus for enabling optimisation of the utilisation of the throughput capacity of a first and a second interface of an eNB, where the first and the second interface alternate in having the lowest throughput capacity, and thereby take turns in limiting the combined data throughput over the two interfaces. In the method, data is received over the first interface and then cached in one of the higher layers of the Internet Protocol stack. The output from the cache of data to be sent over the second interface is controlled, based on the available throughput capacity of the second interface. Thereby, the alternating limiting effect of the interfaces is levelled out.

One key characteristic of mobile radio communication is the typically rapid and significant variations in the instantaneous channel conditions as illustrated for one user in a cell in FIG. 1a. There are several reasons for these variations. Frequency-selective fading will result in rapid and random variations in the channel attenuation. Shadow fading and distance dependent path loss will also affect the average received signal strength significantly. Further, the interference at the receiver due to transmissions in other cells and by other terminals will also impact the interference level. Therefore, radio communication fluctuates in speed (throughput), signal quality and coverage. The fluctuation may become even more pronounced in situations where a user terminal involved in a communication moves around in a cell, perhaps with a considerable velocity, and, as mentioned above, when there are many terminals competing for the available bandwidth in a cell.
The different parts of a transport network, also called the backhaul, which connects for example a base station to the rest of a network, could generally be said to be less variable than a radio interface, although the backhaul also may vary in available bandwidth and signal quality.
The throughput from a content providing server to a user terminal, or from a user terminal to a content server is a function of the throughput of all the involved parts of the communication chain between the server and the user terminal. Therefore, it may occur that one part of the communication chain has a momentary high available bandwidth, which is not fully utilised, since a preceding part of the communication chain has a lower momentary available bandwidth.
It has previously been proposed to use buffers or proxies in different parts of networks. An overview of state-of-the-art proxy solutions are summarised in "Performance Enhancing Proxies Intended to Mitigate Link-Related Degradations" (RFC 3135).
One problem with existing solutions is that it is hard to optimise or at least improve the utilisation of the available bandwidth in different parts of a communication chain. The available capacity of certain parts of a communication chain may be underutilised.

Method for efficient utilisation of the throughput capacity of an eNB by using a cache


A polyester packaging material having a layer formed from a polyester composition as a content contacting layer, wherein the polyester composition comprises 70-95 parts by weight of a polyethylene terephthalate copolymer and 5-30 parts by weight of an ethylene copolymer ionomer. The polyethylene terephthalate copolymer is derived from terephthalic acid (and isophthalic acid, if desired), ethylene glycol and cyclohexanedimethanol (a molar ratio of the ethylene glycol to the cyclohexanedimethanol being within the range of 95/5 to 75/25), and the polyethylene terephthalate copolymer has an endothermic peak of 180.degree. to 240.degree. C. as measured by a differential scanning calorimeter after heated at 130.degree. C. for 5 hours in nitrogen and has an endotherm of 10 to 40 Joule/g at the endothermic peak. The polyester packaging material is excellent in various properties such as odor-keeping properties, ductile properties, heat resistance, impact resistance and heat-sealing properties, so that the polyester packaging material can be used as inner materials of paper containers, inner coating materials of cans, etc.

Packaging materials such as hollow containers, trays, lid materials, inner layer materials of paper containers and inner coating materials of cans are brought into direct contact with foods or drinks such as juice and water. Therefore, the packaging materials are required to be excellent in gas barrier properties, odor-keeping properties, etc. As the packaging materials, polyethylene terephthalates have been paid much attention.
The inner layer materials of paper containers require high heat-sealing properties, high ductile properties and high impact resistance, and the inner coating materials of cans require high ductile properties, high impact resistance and high adhesion to the can materials. However, conventionally known polyethylene terephthalates are not always sufficient in those properties. For example, a polyethylene terephthalate homopolymer derived from terephthalic acid and ethylene glycol is insufficient in heat-sealing properties and impact resistance, and a crystalline polyethylene terephthalate copolymer composed of terephthalic acid and ethylene glycol and a small amount of a copolymerizable component other than ethylene glycol is not always excellent in the ductile properties and impact resistance. Further, an amorphous polyethylene terephthalate copolymer prepared using cyclohexanedimethanol in an amount of about 30% by mol as a diol component (commercially available under the trade name of PETG) is relatively high in the ductile properties and the impact resistance, but the level of the impact resistance is not satisfactory, and the odor-keeping properties thereof are insufficient. Moreover, the heat resistance of the amorphous polyethylene terephthalate copolymer is poor, so that a problem resides when conducting a retort treatment or a hot charging using a product of the copolymer.
The present inventors have studied to solve the above-mentioned problems in the prior art and to obtain packaging materials excellent in odor-keeping properties and also showing sufficient ductile properties and high impact resistance. As a result, they have found that a polyester composition comprising a polyethylene terephthalate copolymer having a specific composition and specific physical properties and a specific ethylene copolymer ionomer is excellent in the above-mentioned various properties, and accomplished the invention.


The present invention provides a semiconductor laser device including a heat sink having one main surface, an n-AlGaAs cladding layer disposed on the main surface of the heat sink, an AlGaAs active layer disposed on the n-AlGaAs cladding layer and a p-AlGaAs cladding layer disposed on the AlGaAs active layer. An effective refractive index and a thermal resistance between a main surface on the heat sink side, of the AlGaAs active layer and a main surface on the heat sink side, of the n-AlGaAs cladding layer are respectively set smaller than those between a main surface on the side opposite to the heat sink, of the AlGaAs active layer and a main surface on the side opposite to the heat sink, of the p-AlGaAs cladding layer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor laser device, and particularly to a semiconductor laser device which is equipped with a radiating body and performs a high-power operation.
2. Description of the Related Art
There has been a demand for a high-power operation in a semiconductor laser device used as a light source for optical information processing, a signal source for optical communication, or a light source for excitation of a fiber amplifier. Even as a solid-state laser used to weld or cut a metal, e.g., an exciting light source for a YAG laser, the semiconductor laser device needs to have a high-power operation. An improvement in kink level and a reduction in aspect ratio are essential to such a high-power operation.
As a well-known example of a conventional semiconductor laser device, there has been shown a configuration wherein a refractive index distribution as viewed in the thickness direction is made asymmetric as viewed from an active layer in a semiconductor laser having a ridge waveguide to thereby prevent the occurrence of high-order modes responsible for kink occurrence, thus enabling a high-speed operation, and a light intensity distribution of light waveguided by making a refractive index of a lower cladding layer greater than that of an upper cladding layer is shifted to the substrate side upon the upper and lower portions of the active layer to distribute lots of light to the lower cladding layer, thus resulting in a reduction in aspect ratio (see, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. Hei 11(1999)-233883, paragraph number [0017] and FIG. 2).
Further, as a well-known example of another semiconductor laser device, there has been disclosed a configuration wherein a high refractive index guide layer is provided on a cladding layer on the reacting body side to thereby pull a light distribution to the cladding layer on the radiating body side on the whole, whereby an optical density in the vicinity of an active layer is reduced, a COD (Catastrophic Optical Damage) level is enhanced and high powering is made (see, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. Hei 7(1995)-38193, paragraph number [0014] and FIG. 1).
Furthermore, as a well-known example of a further semiconductor laser device, there has been disclosed a configuration wherein at least one of cladding layers provided in contact with an active layer of a quaternary semiconductor laser such as AlGaInP that performs short-wavelength oscillations is constituted of a quaternary cladding layer of a superlattice structure based on periodic laminating of thin-film semiconductors of ternary mixed crystals such as AlInP and GaInP, whereby the dimension of each mixed crystal is lowered to reduce scattering due to disordering in the mixed crystals and enhance thermal conductivity (see, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. Hei 7(1995)-170017, paragraph numbers [0011] through [0013] and FIG. 1).
However, a semiconductor laser device with a high-power operation encounters an important problem of how to effectively conduct heat generated in a laser chip to a radiator or radiating body. Therefore, a thermal conductivity distribution of materials constituting a semiconductor laser for conducting the generated heat to the radiating body, as well as a mere improvement in kink level and reduction in aspect ratio become an important problem.
On the other hand, in a compound semiconductor used in the semiconductor laser, its composition is closely related to a refractive index and also even to thermal conductivity.
According to M. A. Afromowitz, "Thermal conductivity of Ga1-xAlxAs alloys", J. Appl. Phys., Vol. 44, NO. 3, March 1973, pp. 1292–1294, the thermal conductivity becomes lower as an Al composition ratio approximates 0.5 in the case of AlGaAs. Therefore, according to how to take or determine refractive indices of a cladding layer disposed on the radiating body side and a cladding layer disposed on the non-radiating body side, this might be a configuration disadvantageous to the transfer of heat to the radiating body.


A gimbal device for supporting an external photographing device includes a depth camera, a control unit and an actuator. The depth camera is configured to obtain spatial coordinates of a subject being photographed. The control unit is configured to determine a direction adjustment value of the gimbal device according to the spatial coordinates. The actuator is configured to receive the direction adjustment value and to adjust spatial orientation of the gimbal device according to the direction adjustment value, so that the external photographing device is able to track the subject being photographed. The control unit is further configured to obtain initial three-axis data of the gimbal device and three-axis data after the gimbal device is set to determine an angle difference between the initial three-axis data and the set three-axis data, and the actuator is further configured to receive the angle difference.

The existing handheld gimbal is to switch a shooting mode required by a user through a button, and it is necessary to install an application in the photographing device, and the photographing device is connected to a three-axis stabilizer using Bluetooth to perform two-dimensional image recognition. However, when a moving speed of a subject is too fast, the existing handheld gimbal is prone to lose track of the subject.


A spread illuminating apparatus, in which a bar-like light conductive member brightened by a light emitting diode disposed at an end thereof is disposed close to the side of a transparent substrate made of light-permeable materials. The light conductive member is provided with a row of prism grooves as an optical path conversion means and an optical path conversion plate is disposed between the light conductive member and the transparent substrate. Light from the light emitting diode enters the light conductive member and is directed slantingly at the prism grooves to enter the optical path conversion means. Then, the light enters the transparent substrate straight to illuminate it efficiently.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a spread illuminating apparatus for a display portion of a personal computer or the like, in particular, for using as an illuminating means of a portable type of liquid crystal display apparatus.
2. Conventional Art
For a display of a personal computer, a cathode ray lamp (so called a picture lamp) has been used primarily. However, since it is large in size, heavy in weight and high in electric power consumption, recently a liquid crystal panel has been heavily used. Further, such panels have been used also for information terminal appliances such as a note book type of personal computer or portable telephone.
As mentioned above a demand for a liquid crystal panel has been rapidly increased, but since the liquid crystal panel itself does not emit light, an illuminating apparatus becomes necessary. Particularly, in recent demand for a lower profile, an illuminating apparatus of thin plate-like side light system has been used as an illuminating means.
Conventionally, a cold cathode fluorescent lamp or a hot cathode fluorescent lamp has been used as this illuminating apparatus. In either case, a fluorescent lamp needs a high voltage for discharging between electrodes and electric energy consumption has to be large. In particular for a portable type, the electric power generated from a battery is consumed mostly by this illuminating apparatus.
Therefore, an illuminating apparatus which uses a white emitting diode in place of fluorescent lamp has been developed and the patent application has been filed (see Patent application No. Hei 10-182076) by the inventors of the present invention. This system is explained based on FIG. 3 as an embodiment which is used for a reflection type of liquid crystal panel. A transparent substrate 1 is thin plate-like, along one side of which a bar-like light conductive member 2 is disposed. On one portion of the light conductive member 2, an optical path conversion means is provided as later described.
On at least one end of the light conductive member 2, a light emitting diode 3 (LED) as an emitting body is disposed. This light emitting diode 3 has a white luminescent color, and is adapted to be surrounded with a case having a light reflection function in such a manner as, when it is supplied with electric current and emits light, most of rays of light enter the light conductive member 2. Under this structure, when the light emitting diode 3 emits light, the ray of light proceeds toward the transparent substrate 1 through the light conductive member 2 and the emitted light illuminates a liquid crystal panel 4.
Thus, the light conductive member 2 has a function to convert the direction of the rays of light coming from the light emitting diode 3 at 90 degrees toward the transparent substrate 1, and in order to carry out its conversion well, a light reflection pattern with a plurality of grooves 2a shaped triangular in section and separated at a regular spacing with each other is formed on one of the surfaces. Now, a plane portion 2b is formed between the grooves 2a.
Under this structure, the light emitted from the LED 3 enters the inside of the light conductive member 2 at one end thereof, strikes the groove 2a as a light reflection pattern and proceeds from the light conductive member 2 toward the transparent substrate 1.
Further, between the transparent substrate 1 and the light conductive member 2, a light diffusion plate 5 is provided. when the rays of light emitted from LED 3 enters the light conductive member 2, only the groove 2a is brightened, rendering the groove 2a bright and the plane portion 2b dark, so that, when viewing the transparent substrate 1, a stripe pattern: of light and shade is seen. The diffusion plate 5 is provided to solve the above mentioned problem in such a manner as the rays of light are intermixed for a uniform brightness while travelling through the diffusion plate 5.
By the way, an emitting distribution of the emitted light of the spot-like light source like a light emitting diode has a characteristic with a specific emitting distribution as shown in FIG. 4 in which axis of ordinates represents a relative brightness indicating the intensity level. The emitting distribution from the light conductive member 2 when the light enters the light conductive member 2 as shown in FIG. 5, toward vertical direction, has a characteristic as shown in FIG. 6 which is not different from the one shown in FIG. 4 where the light does not go through the light conductive member 2. Toward the horizontal direction, the emitting distribution becomes as shown in FIG. 6 due to the groove 2a as a light reflection pattern shown in FIG. 5.
Further, by disposing the light diffusion plate 5 as shown in FIG. 7, the light emitting distribution spreads toward both vertical and horizontal directions as shown in FIG. 8. If it is disposed close to the transparent substrate 1 as shown in FIG. 9, the light emitting distribution toward the vertical direction is controlled as shown in FIG. 10 due to the light reflection pattern la formed on the transparent substrate 1, but no change is seen toward the horizontal direction.
Now, the above spread illuminating apparatus as an illuminating means for a liquid crystal display apparatus contains the following problem. That is, the light of large angle portion shown in FIG. 10 is located out of the field of view and is not usable. The present invention was made in the light of this point in a spread illuminating apparatus in which a bar-like light source is disposed close to the side of a transparent substrate made of a transparent material. The purpose is to make usable the unusable light located out of the field of view, in other words, to turn rays of light into the field of view in order to attain a brighter illumination.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, in a spread illuminating apparatus in which a bar-like light source formed with a light conductive member made of a transparent material and a spot-like light source provided at at least one end of the light conductive member is disposed close to a transparent substrate made of a transparent material, the light conductive member is provided with an optical path conversion means and an optical path conversion plate is disposed between the transparent substrate and the light conductive member.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, in a spread illuminating apparatus in the first aspect, the optical path conversion plate is provided with a row of prisms as an optical conversion means disposed on the other side of the optical path conversion plate than a side facing the transparent substrate.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in a spread illuminating apparatus in the first or second aspect, a reflection plate of a white or metal vaporized film or the like is provided on the side of the light conductive member opposite to a side facing the optical path conversion means.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in an illuminating apparatus in any one of the first to third aspects, the optical path conversion means of the light conductive member is formed with prism grooves in such a manner as hypotenuses of triangle are continuously disposed on one surface of the light conductive member.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in a spread illuminating apparatus in any one of the first to third aspects, the optical path conversion means of the light conductive member is formed with the means of light dispersion consisting of minutely rugged surfaces.
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in a spread illuminating apparatus in any one of the first to third aspects, the optical path conversion means of the light conductive member is formed by applying an opaline coating containing light dispersive substances to one surface of the light conductive member.
By such constitution, the light which is emitted from the spot-like light source and enters the light conductive member exits slantingly due to the optical path conversion means.
This light, after entering the optical path conversion plate slantingly, enters the transparent substrate straightly due to the optical path conversion plate to improve the efficiency of the emitting distribution from the transparent substrate for illuminating the liquid crystal panel with a high brightness.

Spread illuminating apparatus with an optical path conversion means


The information reproduction device for reproducing contents information based on license information added to the contents information and required for reproducing the contents information, includes a determining section for determining whether encrypted contents information is the officially copied contents information or privately copied contents information based on the contents of the license information, and a reproduction section configured to reproduce the contents information determined as the privately copied contents information by the determining section under more severe restriction than the officially copied contents information. Thus, the contents copied by the proper route (officially copied contents) can be distributed in a more advantageous form than the contents copied without proper authorization.

The present invention relates to devices for recording and reproducing the contents, including images, voice data and the like.
The digital contents reproduction devices including a CD player are popularly accepted because of clear tone quality and less degradation of tone quality caused by long-term use. However, it has become possible to copy digital contents free of degradation by faithfully duplicating it bit by bit, and in actuality such devices have already been commercialized. The presence of such copying device is a great advantage to the contents user, but for the contents provider, it is not desirable because such device exerts tremendous influence on the sales of contents.
Consequently, the contents provider copes with new digital devices (and media) when they are commercialized by not providing them with the contents. However, this condition causes big interference to popularization of new electronic devices, and prevents not only almost all people from enjoying the convenience but also contents providers from enjoying business chances.
On the other hand, the privately copied contents for the user to enjoy the contents personally is the right authorized by the Copyright Law, and in actuality, for many electronic devices, the privately copied contents has been admitted with some restriction to the duplication system (restriction to the analog recording, etc.). However, when digital recording becomes the mainstream in years to come, it becomes difficult to determine the privately copied contents from officially copied contents, and at the same time, it becomes difficult to determine whether the copy is the privately copied contents or the authorized copied contents.
By the way, in this invention, the privately copied contents means the copy for local use and carried out by the person who has no dealership of the relevant source (digital contents), while the officially copied contents means the copy for global use and carried out by the person who has the dealership to the relevant source. That is, the officially copied contents are only able to be acquired by the means equivalent to the conventional contents sales, which include the sales from an electronic shopping mall on the Internet.

Information recording device and information reproducing device