A secure electronic messaging system (SEMS) provides absolute system security and user-defined message security for electronic messaging between two public entities. These messages can be of any kind provided the contents are created using a defined master alphabet of 81 characters or less. The SEMS encrypts and decrypts source message data using a series of message keys that are derived from a private, numeric original key known only by both parties sending and receiving messages. The message key suite absolutely secures the original key from discovery. The secure distribution of these original keys will be under the same methods that the public entities would use to discover each other such as opening an account, making a public inquiry for membership, etc. The system is based on the simple mathematics for secure electronic monetary transactions that translates source numbers into encrypted cipher numbers. The SEMS translates message content characters into numbers based on a message key suite dependent distribution of the master alphabet and then uses a series of equations to encrypt the numbers. The formulas return every possible number value, except the input value, and are completely dependent on the message key suite. Because there are no hidden parts, the architecture of the SEMS is completely available to anyone in the public sector. This openness makes attempting message decryption worthless. The only way to break an individual message is to attempt all user-defined message key possibilities, and even if successful, the original key can not be derived or discovered. The only way to get the key is to physically steal it; which is the constant risk entailed in secure messaging. The total openness and absolute security delivered by the SEMS is what is missing in all other available secure messaging schemes, and it is what is required by the public to have complete confidence in electronic messaging and commerce.

The present invention relates generally to methods and systems for performing secure electronic messaging, and more particularly to a method and system for performing secure electronic messaging between two public entities for any 81 or less character alphabet, to include any character that can be represented and transmitted electronically as unique and individual; e.g. the 26 English alphabet characters, foreign representations of those 26 characters, numbers, special characters such as "&" or "{", representations of a message space (" "), etc. where in total, there are 81 or less unique entries in the alphabet used to create a message content.
The present invention is based on, and extends, the above mentioned patent application for performing secure electronic monetary transactions. This extension allows for performing secure electronic messaging using a private numeric encryption key system identical to that of the monetary system. The mathematics and processes of the messaging system use the fundamental capability of the monetary system, but in distinct and separate manners maintaining the absolute security of the key for both sets of information.
Existing secure messaging systems include private and public key encryption systems. These types of systems rely on creating sufficiently large codewords such that the time required to break the code by simply trying all possibilities ("brute force" decryption) is extremely large.
Securing a message transfer between two public entities can be done in a variety of ways. But no matter the manner chosen, the goal is to positively transfer the message contents through the public sector without the contents being discovered and used or read by anyone other than the intended recipient. This need for positive and secure messaging increases significantly along with the value of the information being passed. Various systems have been developed through the years to perform messaging and the public record is well documented with both success and failure. The major component of almost every system developed is an encryption key that is used to translate information from source text to cipher text and back to source text.
A message content key is just like a physical one--it is used to unlock or, in this case, secure data. All modem secure systems use keys of one type or another. The only difference between a message key and a physical one is that besides losing it or having it stolen, it can also be derived ("broken") or discovered. The major weakness with public transfer of information is key discovery. Not the physical issues with loss or theft, which are faults that cannot be removed from any key-based system but deriving and using a key without authorization.
The current electronic age has ushered in a dramatic increase in the need for secure messaging, and new methodologies have been developed to attempt to meet the demand. The main new capability that has been unveiled is to use systems based on a concept called Public Key Encryption (PKE). These systems were developed to solve the supposed faults of the private key methods used in the past. A private key system is one in which only those who intend to share information will all posses the same key. The private key systems supposedly have a major fault: the secure distribution of the private key to the intended recipients and only to those recipients.
PKE introduced a concept in which there are dual keys--one public and one private. The public key is freely distributed to anyone who wishes to transfer information to the entity holding the single private key. This dual key approach therefore solves the fault by not having to distribute a private key. The entire basis for PKE methods are the mathematically large disparity between decrypting the public key created cipher text with the PKE private key, which is very rapid and simple to do (polynomial time computation), and working through the possibilities without the key, which theoretically takes a very long time (factoring, requiring exponential time computation). The systems are theoretically secure because the combination of the public key and the source information generate this theoretically long time to factor the possibilities without the PKE private key. The reason this is theoretical is that it is possible to develop a unique set of mathematical equations or even a single algorithm for either mimicking or rapidly factoring an integer in polynomial time, although no solution has been published to date. Alternatively, faster computers are always shortening the problem. Proposals have even been made to develop "quantum computers" that would perform these computations in a fraction of the expected time. Consequently, the controversial issue with these methods is that if the math were to be developed, or the shortcut found, then the security of these PKE systems completely and instantly evaporates.
The fundamental problem with these PKE systems is that they have been introduced as saviors of the faults of a private key system; and while supposedly solving this problem, they have introduced uncertainty into the core issue with all encryption systems: unauthorized discovery of the key--now matter how sophisticated the mathematics.
In relation to securing language-based message contents, the PKE systems have several major flaws:
1. The mathematics of the systems can be broken instantly by the theoretical development of algorithms for factoring large relatively prime numbers, which PKE is based on; e.g., message decryption is not solely dependent on "brute force" attempts of every possible key combination; PA0 2. The derivation of a single message key reveals the private key for all messages sent using the corresponding public key, e.g., once the key is discovered, and the discovery kept secret, all messages being sent with a key set can be broken and read; PA0 3. The PKE systems do not account for the single most important factor in secure messaging--authentication, of both the message's sender and the content condition (touched/untouched); e.g., the major benefit of using PKE is to not have any concern for the public distribution of the keys. Yet because the system cannot in and of itself perform any authentication (all send using the same public key), secure messaging using these systems then requires the additional use of another external system to perform the authentication which completely negates the use of PKE for secure messaging.
The present invention is therefore directed to the problem of developing a system for performing secure messaging that does not rely on complicated mathematics that can negate key attempts, separates key discovery from message discovery making even key attempts valueless, provides content and sender authentication, and uses a completely open architecture.

Method and system for performing secure electronic messaging


The invention relates to a method and device for playing a content. The method comprising: reading a pre-stored content which include information relevant to a downloaded content; detecting available bandwidth; sending a request for downloading the downloaded content according to the information relevant to the downloaded content, wherein the request includes the information of the bandwidth; receiving the downloaded content according with the detected bandwidth; and playing the downloaded content combined with the pre-stored content. Because said method and device according to the present invention adopts the automatic real-time detection for the current usable bandwidth of the network playback device connected to, and it changes the quality of content requiring downloading, seamless playback can be realized, while avoiding the trouble due to the quality selection by the user himself.

The invention relates to a method and device for playing content, especially relates to a method and device for detecting the available bandwidth of a network the playing device connected to, downloading content of appropriate quality and playing them.
With the fast development of optical disk and OPTICAL DISK playback technology, more and more content are stored in the network server in order to be downloaded in the player during the playback process and then cooperate with the player in the playback.
The downloaded content can be applications, audio and subtitles. The application is written by JAVA language or other programming languages. The applications written by JAVA language are: advertisement, game, animation and executable applications for controlling the playback process of OPTICAL DISK, which are written by JAVA language.
It is widely used in many OPTICAL DISKs and the corresponding players to store the application, additional audio and subtitles in the network server, then download them to the player anytime for cooperating in the OPTICAL DISK playback, eg. Blue-Disc and corresponding player, eDVD (Enhanced DVD) and corresponding player.
At present, a dialog box offering options to the user usually can be seen in the screen when downloading content from network servers to cooperate in OPTICAL DISK playback. This dialog box requires the user to select a relevant bandwidth (or throughput) based on the current network connection type (dialing-up, ISDN, broadband connection, etc), then it sends the bandwidth option to the network server to request to download information, the quality (bit rate) of which is adaptive to the bandwidth, so as to use the information of appropriate quality to cooperate seamlessly the OPTICAL DISK playback. For example, if selecting the dial-up connection, then the available network connection bandwidth will be relatively small. At this time, the user may select to download audio information of quality that is adaptive to the current bandwidth to cooperate in the OPTICAL DISK playback. If the user is connecting to the broadband network, then the bandwidth of the network connection will be relatively large, thus the user can select to download the audio, animation or game of quality that is adaptive to the current bandwidth to cooperate in the OPTICAL DISK playback.
However, whether the dial-up or broadband connection is selected, both of the network connection bandwidths change dynamically. According to the current using connection type, the user selects a bandwidth to download the information of quality corresponding therewith. However the network connection bandwidth may vary, for example, because more (or less) devices or users connect to the network, the network connection bandwidth becomes more (or less), as a result, the selected quality is not adaptive to the network connection bandwidth, so it is hard to utilize fully the current network connection bandwidth or implement the seamless OPTICAL DISK playback.
Furthermore, the user should know a great deal of technology during the above selecting process, such as what is the maximum bandwidth in dial-up connection and broadband connection. Thus, the user may make an appropriate quality selection to implement seamless playback. However, in fact, not all users know the above technology. If not, he may select the wrong option.
For example, although the user may download the content with better quality to cooperate in the OPTICAL DISK playback according to the current actual bandwidth, because the selected bandwidth is less than the actual bandwidth, it results in that he downloads the content with worse quality to cooperate in the OPTICAL DISK playback. So, it will bring the user the worse playback affecting the user's interests for viewing the OPTICAL DISK information. On the other hand, if in terms of the current actual bandwidth, the user can only download the content of worse quality to cooperate in the OPTICAL DISK playback, but the selected bandwidth is greater than the actual one, the result is that he downloads content with better quality than adaptive to the current bandwidth to cooperate in the OPTICAL DISK playback, so it will result in that the downloaded content are delayed from the content read direct from the OPTICAL DISK easily, so it is hard to achieve the synchronous playback.
Therefore, an improved method and device for downloading content is needed to avoid the above drawbacks.

Method of playing content and device for playing content


A network device includes a plurality of ports and at least one packet processor separate from a central processing unit (CPU). The packet processor is configured to forward a received packet based on a look-up of a destination address of the received packet in a table of learned entries that associate first addresses checked by the CPU to the ports of the network device, to add a new provisional entry that associates a source address with an ingress port of the received packet based on a look-up of the source address in both the learned entries and provisional entries that associate second addresses to be checked by the CPU to the ports of the network device, and to upgrade the new provisional entry to a learned entry with a delay time (e.g., a pre-determined time period) to allow the CPU to check the source address.

The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent the work is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure.
Generally, an Ethernet switching device makes decisions for packet forwarding based on a forwarding database. In an example, the forwarding database includes a table storing media access control (MAC) addresses in association with ports of the Ethernet switching device. When the Ethernet switching device receives a packet, the Ethernet switching device extracts a MAC address in a destination field of the packet, and performs a lookup to find a port associated with the MAC address in the table. Then, via the port, the packet is sent out of the Ethernet switching device.


A machine and method for automatically unloading a cassette from a loaded security package of the type having a storage compartment and an access opening providing access into the compartment, and further having a lock plate movable over the access opening and into a locked position to block removal of the cassette from the security package. The security package is fed into an unload station by a pressure-actuated slide plate. Thereafter, a pressure-actuated unlock cylinder will automatically insert a plurality of pins into engagement with locking projections on the security package to disengage the lock plate from the locking projections. A pressure-actuated cylinder then will move the lock plate away from the access opening allowing free access to the storage compartment within the security package. A pressure-actuated pusher pad mounted vertically above the load package, will force one end of the cassette through the access opening, permitting the remainder of the cassette to fall through the access opening and into a collection hopper or conveyor. The empty security package then is discharged from the unload station as the next loaded security package is moved into position for unloading at the unload station.

1. Technical Field
The invention relates to a machine and related method for automatically unloading a cassette from a security package. More particularly, the invention relates to a machine and method which brings an audiocassette locked within a security package to a work station whereat a locking slide plate is automatically unlocked and removed from a storage compartment of the security package and the cassette is subsequently automatically unloaded from the storage compartment of the security package to enable the package to be reused.
2. Background Information
In recent years, audiocassettes have becomes increasingly popular and outsell the heretofore LP record discs and 8 track audio tapes. The introduction of these cassettes into the audio market presented a problem to the retail sellers in that the cassettes, which are smaller than the heretofore used 8 track tapes and record discs, had to be displayed so that perspective purchasers could inspect the tapes to determine the artist, songs, etc. on the cassettes. This presented a security problem due to the extremely small size of the audiocassettes and the corresponding ease of shoplifting.
Therefore, to reduce this shoplifting problem, the cassettes were placed in larger security packages of the type shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,384,238, and 4,865,190. Although these security packages perform satisfactorily, they require that the cassette be locked into the storage compartment of the security package. When the patron purchases the cassette, the security package is removed via a key employed to unlock the security package thereby releasing the cassette. However, often cassettes are placed within the security package that do not sell and the retailer wishes to return them to the wholesaler. Heretofore, the only option for removing the unsold cassette from the security package was by manually unlocking each security package by work personnel which substantially increased the cost of the final distributed products, especially since these audio tapes are packaged and returned and subsequently separated from the security packages into millions.
The alternative to separating the security packages from the cassette is to discard the entire unit which presents not only an increase in final product distribution costs, but also creates unnecessary waste of which todays environmentally conscious society is so aware.
There is no known machine or method for automatically unloading cassettes from the storage compartment within a security package of which we are aware which will move the security package with a retained cassette to an unloading station whereat the security package is automatically unlocked and the cassette unloaded from the storage compartment of the security package with the cassette and empty security package placed in hoppers for subsequent reuse.

Audiocassette automatic unloading machine


The present invention defines a tool for lifting bulk materials, boxes and cartons. The tool has a pair of grips actuating a set of jaws which are pivotally linked together. The jaws contain arrays of projections that squeeze against the corner of an object when actuated. The projections are of a design allowing the carton to be secured without damage. The carton, in the secured state, may be lifted and easily manipulated with only one hand.

Anyone who has ever handled parcels, packages, or cartons of a variety of materials, for example cardboard or some other paper or fibrous shipping material, knows how awkward lifting and carrying such cartons can be. In particular, when one attempts to carry a carton and try to do anything else by freeing up a hand, one is at great risk of dropping the carton. In addition, the amount of bending or body English normally required in handling cartons of an awkward size subjects one to the danger of back, neck or shoulder injury.
A prime example of the phenomenon described above is demonstrated by a postal carrier, leaving his or her truck with one or more packages and who must get through a door. To accomplish this basic task, the carrier may do the following or some variation: lean the package against the wall next to the door, either balancing the package on a knee, or seizing it with the weight of his or her body, holding the package against the wall; with the package held temporarily in this fashion, the carrier opens the door with his or her free hand; once the door is open, the carrier quickly re-grabs the package and juts into the open space, getting hit in the back by the closing door. The preceding scenario is only one of a variety of machinations performed by carriers of cartons and packages. Pitfalls of such activities include the dropping of the carton, damaging the packed article or materials, getting hit hard in the back by an automatically closing door, dropping a heavy carton onto oneself, and the like.
What is needed then, is an aid for postal workers, for example, allowing an easier method of carrying boxes or cartons.
Another example which illustrates common problems among materialmen is the movement of boxes or cubes of material from conveyor belts. Standard cubic materials, such as cork, styrofoam, or boxes and cartons require the use of two hands, limiting the ability of workers to perform more than just the single function of moving or transferring the object.
Often, the size or girth of an object or carton is such that while liftable in terms of weight, it takes two persons to manage the piece. This requires both persons to use each of their hands to lift or transport the piece. If a device existed which could allow the manipulation of such pieces such as oversized cartons, then the labor requirement for some handling tasks would be cut in half.
Prior art, for the most part, has concerned itself with scissor-like lifting devices which span a carton in order to pick it up. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,109,952 to Monzain, issued Aug. 29, 1978, a scissor operated tong device was for use in lifting packages. The claws of the device span the carton; thereby requiring a device at least the size of the piece to be lifted. The ends of the claws provide a stable gripping function at the corner of the package. The Monzain device may be operated with only one hand, but the position of the device is such that the carried load typically hangs vertically. Such a vertical positioning of the load is essentially driven by the design of the device, especially when the package to be lifted is of significant weight. No practical provision is made to manipulate the package; only basic lifting and setting of a load is capable with such a device.
Another example of such a scissor-like device is the kind of carrier tool employed to lift car batteries and other heavy objects which are dangerous to touch by hand. Again, the user is limited to simply picking up and putting down whatever load is being carried. Such a device is U.S. Pat. No. 4,678,217, issued to Viola et al. Jul. 7, 1987. In this case, the device simply clamps two parallel sides of a battery or other load. Limited manipulation is possible with a device having such a handle configuration and contacting a box or carton in such a way. In Viola, and other similar devices, the weight of the carton provides the force to close the clamps. Only firm boxes may be lifted when the load is heavy. What is needed is a better way of picking up and manipulating packages, cartons, bulk material and boxes, providing a capability to manipulate and maneuver a load without damage, even when the load is heavy.
Prior art showing a more manipulative way of picking up objects exists as U.S. Pat. No. 4,225,174, issued Sep. 30, 1980 to Hennessy et al. This device uses a trigger actuated set of jaws to collect refuse. Such a device is not designed, however, for picking up large or heavy items. The long distance between the operator's hand and the piece to be picked up or manipulated is too long, allowing too great a moment of force acting on the hand and wrist, making manipulation of heavy or large objects impractical.
Another consideration in the design of such carrying tools is the effect handling cardboard boxes or other objects have on the hands of the worker. Because the outer surface of a carton is relatively slick, and the properties of paper products is such that continued handling removes the moisture and oil out of a worker's hand, continued handling becomes less safe.
What is needed in order to manipulate cartons and boxes then, is a device which will allow the operator to grab an object in such a way to allow the object to be easily manipulated, without the limitation of just vertically lifting and setting the object. The tool must allow some rotation of the object, without the contacting portions of the device getting in the way of placing or shelving said object as desired.
Further, the manipulation of the object must be accomplished with one hand, allowing the handling of larger and heavier loads, and the device should provide a reliable and steady grip on the piece, with care not to damage the object, or in the case of a carton or box, the container or the goods inside. Such a device would provide a significant improvement for warehouse persons, delivery persons and stock workers. No such device as just described is known to presently exist.

Carton, box and bulk material lifting device


The invention includes methods of forming metal-containing layers. The layers can, in particular aspects, consist essentially of metal, or consist of metal. The desired layers can be formed by initially depositing a metal-containing layer which comprises metal and halogen atoms. Subsequently, trialkylaluminum is utilized to remove the halogen atoms from the layer. The layer remaining after removal of the halogen atoms can comprise, consist essentially, or consist of any suitable metal, and in particular aspects can consist essentially of, or consist of, titanium or titanium/aluminum.

Metal-containing layers have numerous applications for fabrication of semiconductor devices. It is frequently desired to precisely control the composition of the metal-containing layers in order to obtain desired operating parameters of devices formed from the layers. One type of metal-containing layer that can be particularly useful, and yet which can also be particularly difficult to form, is a layer having a very high concentration of metal, such as, for example, a layer consisting essentially of metal, or a layer consisting of metal. Accordingly, it is desired to develop improved methodologies for forming layers consisting essentially of metal, and layers consisting of metal.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Methods of forming metal-containing structures


A fluid processor, suitable for the production of sterile water for injection, having a processor assembly and a process control system comprising a pump, a flow splitter, flow restrictors and a pressure relief valve. In a preferred embodiment, the processor assembly comprises a heat exchanger, a reactor and a heater arranged in a nested configuration. The preferred embodiment of the present invention also include a treatment assembly having a combination of filter, reverse osmosis and ion exchange devices and further incorporates an assembly and method allowing for the in situ sanitization of the fluid processor during cold start and shutdown to prevent bacteria growth during storage of the fluid processor. The fluid processor may include an electronic control system comprising a touch screen operator interface, a programmable logic controller and sensors for measuring temperature, pressure, flow rate, conductivity and endotoxin level.

Sterile water for injection (SWFI) is an essential component in reconstituting freeze-dried blood products and in the preparation of "parenteral solutions" (i.e., solutions introduced into the human body such as intravenous fluids). The production of SWFI is a significant problem for medical personnel operating under field conditions such as in combat or during disaster relief operations. The solution of this problem requires a compact, reliable, and automatic system that can continuously produce SWFI from available water sources under field conditions. For example, an efficient and compact fluid processor is essential to meet the field deployment requirements for a system to produce SWFI as set forth in the United States Navy's requirements for a SWFI generator. See, RFP Navy STTR N99-T008. Such a fluid processor should also incorporate a heat sterilization operation as the final processing step as preferred by the United States Food and Drug Administration ("FDA"). See, Inspectors Technical Reference No. 40, FDA (1985). This thermal treatment feature would have a positive impact on obtaining FDA approval of such a device. In addition, such a system must be easy to maintain and operate, and have low energy requirements for operation.
In order to meet regulatory requirements, (see, United States Pharmacopoeia XXIV) SWFI must be sterile (i.e., free of all living micro-organisms) and free of particulate matter, oxidizable substances, dissolved gases, metals and electrolytes. In addition, SWFI must be rendered free of pyrogens ("depyrogenated"). Also known as bacterial endotoxins, pyrogens are metabolic products of living micro-organisms or dead micro-organisms. Chemically, pyrogens are lipopolysaccharides ("LPS"). The term "pyrogen" (i.e., fever-producing agent) is derived from the fact that if a parenteral product containing pyrogens is injected into a patient, a rapid rise in body temperature occurs after a latent period of about one hour, followed by chills, headache, and malaise. Pyrogens lose little of their potency over the years and effective depyrogenation requires high temperatures and long holding times.
Sterilization and depyrogenation of water can be accomplished by physical methods (e.g., heat), chemical agents (e.g., ethylene oxide, formaldehyde, alcohol, and ozone), radiation (e.g., ultraviolet radiation) or mechanical methods (e.g., filtration). Present systems for manufacturing SWFI generally employ distillation or reverse osmosis ("RO") methods for depyrogenation in combination with additional treatment steps, typically involving active carbon filters, deionizers, and ultrafiltration filters. However, distillation and RO systems only separate pyrogens from water. Pyrogen residues remain in these systems in the form of distillation still residue or reverse osmosis retentate. Thus, these systems must be continually or periodically purged in order to remove these pyrogen residues. This requirement makes these systems unsuitable for use under field conditions. These systems also have other disadvantages that make them unsuitable for use in the field.
Distillation systems are generally highly energy intensive and require a number of system components such as heat exchangers, evaporators, condensers, and vapor compressors. These components are either bulky or difficult to use or maintain in the field. Also, recuperating thermal energy is the most critical factor in a practical distillation system. Consequently, distillation systems generally use vapor compression and plate-and-frame heat exchangers since this combination is effective in improving the thermal efficiency of conventional distillation processes. However, plate-and-frame heat exchangers do not comply with the heat exchanger design guidelines established by the FDA for continuous production of SWFI. See, Inspectors Technical Guide No. 34, FDA (1979). Therefore, the product water produced using heat exchangers other than those recommended by FDA must be collected and batch validated before use. See, Inspectors Technical Guide No. 34, FDA (1979).
As for RO systems, these require periodic changing of the filters in order to remain effective. Moreover, RO filters are not entirely satisfactory. In particular, RO systems lack a final heat sterilization capability that is currently required for approval by the FDA. Generally, RO systems are water for injection ("WFI") systems that operate at ambient temperatures. Such relatively low temperature systems present a problem because many objectionable micro-organisms that are good sources of endotoxins grow well in cold WFI. See, Inspectors Technical Guide No. 40, FDA (1985). Thus, to prevent microbial growth WFI is usually produced in a continuously circulating system maintained at an elevated temperature that must be at least 80° C. to be considered as acceptable. See, Inspectors Technical Guide No. 46, FDA (1986). Other RO systems require the use of special filters. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,810,388 to Trasen and U.S. Pat. No. 5,032,265 to Jha, et al. both disclose depyrogenating water using RO and then passing the water through a sterilizing filter instead of using heat in order to sterilize the water. Current practice in the U.S. to produce SWFI by the RO method requires a two-stage RO separation process (in series) followed by ultra-violet ("UV") sterilization. The foregoing limitations make RO systems unsuitable for a SWFI production system to be used in the field.
Other depyrogenation methods require adding substances (i.e., "depyrogenating agents") to water in order to depyrogenate the water. However, these depyrogenating agents have to be removed from the water after completion of the depyrogenation process. This makes this method more complicated and not easy to use in the field. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,935,150 to Iida, et al. discloses adding calcium salt to water to remove pyrogens and then later removing the resulting precipitate. U.S. Pat. No. 4,648,978 to Makinen, et al. discloses depyrogenating water by adding an oxidant selected from the group consisting of hydrogen peroxide and ozone and heating the solution. The resulting solution requires further processing to remove the oxidant.
Another method of depyrogenation involves passing water through materials that adsorb pyrogens. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,498,409 to Hirayama, et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 5,166,123 to Agui, et al. However, this method has the same disadvantage as apparatus that use distillation and RO methods in that the use of adsorbents only separates pyrogens from water. The concentrated pyrogen (hereafter, "isolated pyrogen") that has adhered to the adsorbents still has to be disposed, purged, or destroyed (i.e., chemically altered or degraded to permanently lose their potency as pyrogens).
Pyrogens in water can also be destroyed by subjecting the water to high temperature under pressure. This method of water treatment is called hydrothermal processing ("HTP"). U.S. Pat. No. 4,070,289 to Akcasu discloses a method of depyrogenation by heating water in a sealed, pressurized container. However, Akcasu does not allow for the continuous production of depyrogenated water. At most, the process disclosed in Akcasu can be operated as a "semi-batch process". That is, two containers are operated in parallel wherein external cooling water flows between the two containers in series, cooling down the treated water in the first container and subsequently pre-heating the water to be treated in the next container. In addition to being unable to continuously produce depyrogenated water, the foregoing configuration of containers results in a fluid processor that is bulky and not suitable for use in the field. U.S. Pat. No. 6,167,951 to Couch et al. discloses a depyrogenation process involving heating water followed by catalytic wet air oxidation. However, the heating step requires a specially designed heat exchanger rather than a standard heat exchanger. This makes the process more complicated and expensive. Further, the oxidizing step requires exposing the heated water to a wet oxidation catalyst in a reactor with sufficient air or oxygen. However, contacting water with the catalyst could result in the dissolution of certain components of the catalyst into the water being processed, and hence increasing the risk of contaminating the resulting product water. This is of particular concern if the intention is to produce SWFI. Furthermore, the wet air oxidation process requires high-pressure air or oxygen that must be generated by a compressor or other similar source. This would increase the complexity of an SWFI production system to be used in the field.
There are other depyrogenation methods involving high-temperature processing steps. However, these require additional treatment of the heated water in order to remove pyrogens. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 6,485,649 to Tereva, et al. discloses a process involving sterilization of water by heating water and the passing the heated water through a thermally stable filter to remove pyrogens. Such apparatus are not satisfactory for field use since they require multiple steps to depyrogenate water or require frequent changing of filters to ensure depyrogenation. This makes them more complicated and difficult to maintain in the field.
Apparatus used for producing SWFI must also be sanitized on startup to eliminate any micro-organisms that may have developed in the apparatus during storage. These apparatus must also be properly shut down and sealed after use in order to prevent contamination and the growth of micro-organisms during storage. Steam and dry heat are widely used means of for sterilizing SWFI equipment. Generally, present systems for producing SWFI require disassembly and sanitization of the individual components to ensure proper sanitization. This makes it difficult to use these apparatus under field conditions where proper sanitizing equipment or facilities are not readily available.
The processing of fluids (e.g., depyrogenating water) also requires a process control system. This is because any chemical or physical process, particularly the ones used in the field, is ideally operated in a convergingly stable domain such that minimum operator intervention is required. The stability of a fluid process is commonly characterized by four basic variables: temperature, pressure, flow rate, and level of the fluid being processed. In general, the critical process parameters for a high-pressure fluid processor are pressure, flow rate and temperature.
Current process control systems fall into two categories. In the first category are process control systems such as the system shown in FIG. I which are precise, but which require elaborate and complex sensors 10 and control valves 12, 14. The final control element for flow rate and pressure is generally an automatic control valve 14 having a throttling action operated electrically or pneumatically in response to readings from a sensor 10. Automatic control valves are relatively bulky, complex, and prone to mechanical failure. Thus, a system equipped with automatic control valves is not compact, robust, simple to operate or maintain. In the second category are process control systems that use simple mechanisms but which are not precise or reliable and which require frequent adjustment. For example, FIG. 2 shows a simple pressure-control system that does not have pressure sensor feedback and which uses a pressure-relief valve 16 (typically a spring-loaded type) in place of an automatic control valve. This system often shows pressure fluctuation and/or drifting, and requires frequent adjustment of the pressure relief valve.
In order to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art, it is the principal object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and related method for hydrothermal production of SWFI that is compact, reliable, easy to maintain and operate and which has low energy requirements. In particular, it is a specific object to obtain an SWFI fluid processor having a reliable, simple and compact process control system that is suitable for the continuous depyrogenation and production of SWFI using HTP without producing isolated pyrogen or requiring additional steps for depyrogenation. It is the further object to obtain an SWFI fluid processor that has built-in features and simple procedures for both sanitizing the system during a cold start, and for maintaining system sterility during shutdown, storage, and restart.

Apparatus and method for continuous depyrogenation and production of sterile water for injection


One embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus comprising a thermoelectric generator thermally coupled to an assembly having a member, wherein the thermoelectric generator is configured to convert heat from the assembly to an electrical energy. The apparatus further comprises a mechanism comprising a motor configured to actuate the member using the electrical energy.

Electrophotographic imaging devices, such as laser printers, fax machines, and photocopiers, are designed to produce a desired image on a print media, such as a sheet of copy paper. Electrostatic imaging devices generally include a photoconductive element that is selectively illuminated by a scanned laser beam or a light emitting diode array in response to data representative of the desired image that is to be produced, wherein the incident light generates an electrostatic copy of the desired image on the photoconductive element. The photoconductive element is then exposed to toner powder that adheres to the electrostatic copy of the desired image and is subsequently transferred from the photoconductive element to the print media. A fuser unit then fuses the "loose" toner powder to the print media.
Fuser units typically employ a combination of heat and pressure to fuse the toner powder to the print media. A fusing unit may employ a pair of opposing rollers that form a fusing nip, with one roller serving as a fuser roller and the other roller serving as a pressure roller. The fuser roller generally contacts the un-fused toner, while the pressure roller applies a pressure, or nip force, at the fusing nip to hold the print media in contact with the fuser roller. The fuser roller is generally heated while the pressure roller may or may not be heated. To fuse the looser toner to the print media, a fuser motor rotates the fuser and pressure rollers in a forward direction causing the print media to be drawn through the fusing nip, at which point the combination of pressure and heat from the rollers melts the loose toner and permanently affixes it to the print media.
The fusing nip force can significantly impact print quality. For example, if the pressure between the fuser and pressure rollers is too light, heat transfer from the fuser roller to the toner powder will be poor and the toner power will not adequately bond to the print media and cause the printed image to deteriorate. Therefore, to improve heat transfer to the toner powder, fuser units may maintain high pressure between the pressure and fuser rollers and utilize pressure rollers made of a compliant material or having an elastomeric outer layer. Unfortunately, the surfaces of these types of pressure rollers are susceptible to potentially deforming thermal sets if allowed to stay in contact with the fuser roller when an imaging device loses power and the fuser unit cools down from normal operating temperatures ranging between 150° C. to 200° C. Such thermal sets are often in the form of a flat spot on the surface of the pressure roller that can thereafter generate print defects and, thus, reduce print quality.

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


An illumination device comprises a light source like a halogen lamp, a light guide, a round rod-shaped transparent radiation member having a proximal end and a distal end, and a transparent radiation plate. The light guide is a plastic optical fiber comprising a single core of silicon rubber and a cladding layer of tetrafluoroethylene/hexafluoropropylene copolymer. The radiation member is a transparent circular cylinder made of acrylic resin, and has a predetermined pattern of light scattering regions on its surface oppose the directions where the light is radiated. The radiation plate is placed such a position that one side plane of the radiation plate oppose to he radiation member, and also has a predetermined pattern of light scattering regions on the back. The light scattering regions are provided along said radiation member in such a way that a ratio of an tea of one region to that of adjacent region becomes larger as the one region becomes distant from the proximal and of the radiation member.

A relatively thin plane illumirnation device has been extensively used such as for a backlight of a liquid crystal display, an interior illuminator, a signboard, and other various types of displays.
One conventional illumination device comprises a light source for generating a strip of light like a fluorescent tube, and a radiation plate for diffusing the light coupled into one edge thereof and radiating the diffused light from the surface thereof. The first conventional illumination device, however, there is a disadvantage in that many factors, such as a dealing with heat generated by the fluorescent tube, a mechanical protection against the fluorescent tube, must be considered. Especially, since a high-luminescent light source which generated more heat value is easy to break and needs to be mechanically protected, it may not be applicable to an illumination in such a place as no electricity is preferable, or explosion-proof devices are required.
In order to overcome these shortcomings, a use of bundled optical fibers for guiding light from a light source to an edge of a radiation plate has been studied. The second conventional illumination device, however, requires an optical fiber cable having a substantially complicated structure comprising bundled optical fibers, one ends of which are bundled together and optically connected to a light source, and another ends of which are separated with each other and optically connected to one edge of a radiation plate at distributed positions along the edge. Therefore, there are disadvantage in that;
(a) a complicated optical fiber cable and complicated connections between the light source and the radiation plate are necessary. It makes the cost high. PA1 (b) a large space in which the bundled optical fibers are bent and connected to the radiation plate is necessary in the vicinity of interface. As a result, the illumination device becomes bigger and heavier, and a relatively large volume of the illumination device other than an illuminating plane makes it less aesthetic.


The present invention relates to a modular loudspeaker, primarily intended to be used as a studio monitor and comprising a broadband module for radiating a first frequency range with a lower limiting frequency sufficiently low to provide a fully acceptable reproduction in many situations and furthermore provided with a high frequency radiating unit (and possibly also a mid frequency radiating unit), the directional characteristics of which relative to the cabinet of the module can be controlled. The modular loudspeaker according to the invention furthermore comprises one or more low frequency module(s) for radiating a second frequency range which may at least partially overlap said first frequency range for either increasing the acoustical output at the lower end of the frequency range radiated by the broadband module or for extending the lower limiting frequency of the complete modular loudspeaker below the lower limiting frequency of the broadband module. The modular loudspeaker according to the invention is furthermore provided with means for transmission of information about the presence—and number—of low frequency modules applied in order to automatically change appropriate signal processing parameters in order to obtain a given target response of the complete modular loudspeaker.

A problem typically encountered during mixing sessions carried out in a sound studio arises when several persons (for instance one or more sound engineers and one or more artists listening to recordings of a performance) listen to playbacks of recordings over monitor loudspeakers which are typically located above the back edge of the mixing console. During such sessions the persons listening to the recordings may for instance be seated along the front of the mixing console, i.e. at various positions relative to a line extending between a set of loudspeakers in a traditional stereophonic reproduction set-up, and some of the persons may even be moving around in the mixing room. Due to the directional characteristics of the loudspeakers especially at high frequencies, the listeners located at different positions relative to the loudspeakers will perceive undesirable timbral variations and variations in the perceived sound image, such variations possibly also originating from sound reflections from the upper surface of the mixing console, etc. It is hence desirable to devise loudspeakers with radiation characteristics that will at least reduce such problems. It would furthermore be advantageous to be able to adapt the directional characteristics of the loudspeaker to the individual conditions prevailing in a specific mixing room, and to be able to choose between different orientations and locations of the cabinet of the loudspeaker without unwanted changes of the radiating pattern in the listening region of the room.
Especially during the last decade digital sound processing software for personal computers have become widespread, making it relatively simple and economic for instance for a professional artist or producer to set up his own "home studio" or other listening facility making it possible during a sound production to supplement listening sessions carried out in a sound studio with listening sessions carried out at home. It is, however, vitally important that the reproduced sound as far as possible has the same acoustical characteristics during listening sessions at home and in the studio, and at least one of the prerequisites for this is substantially similar characteristics of the monitor loudspeakers in the two places or at least substantially similar reproduction of those sound attributes that are decisive for the attainment of a desired sound image for instance during a mixing session.


A method and apparatus for decoding JVET video, including receiving a bitstream and generating predictor pixels for angular prediction using pixels at projected positions along both a top reference row (main reference line) and a left reference column (side reference line). By combining projected pixel values on the main reference line with projected pixel values on the side reference, a predictor pixel at coordinate (x,y) can be determined. Further weighting the values according to a distance between predictor pixels and projected pixel positions on the main and side references may be included in the combination of pixel values. The weight parameter may be determined from a weighting table. Further, the weights for horizontal and vertical predictors may be computed based on that of a horizontal and vertical predictor, whichever is more accurate.

The technical improvements in evolving video coding standards illustrate the trend of increasing coding efficiency to enable higher bit-rates, higher resolutions, and better video quality. The Joint Video Exploration Team is developing a new video coding scheme referred to as JVET. Similar to other video coding schemes like HEVC (High Efficiency Video Coding), JVET is a block-based hybrid spatial and temporal predictive coding scheme. However, relative to HEVC, JVET includes many modifications to bitstream structure, syntax, constraints, and mapping for the generation of decoded pictures. JVET has been implemented in Joint Exploration Model (JEM) encoders and decoders.

Memory reduction implementation for weighted angular prediction


A generally cylindrical housing supports a pair of rotatable tubing wheels within the housing. Each rotatable tubing wheel supports a quantity of flexible tubing having one end extending outwardly through an aperture in the housing and the remaining end coupled to a rotatable coupler such that gas flow may be produced between the two outer ends of the two flexible tubings. Each rotatable wheel is operatively coupled to a spring-driven ratchet-controlled winding and rewinding mechanism. The rotatable coupler between the interior ends of the two flexible tubes allows for independent rotation of each tubing wheel with respect to the remaining tubing wheel.

In the treatment and care of a variety of medical problems, disorders, illnesses as well as aging effects, practitioner's in the medical arts often apply a flow of relatively pure oxygen or an oxygen enriched mixture to the patient for respiration. Often the patient wears a mask or nasal cannula to facilitate breathing the oxygen or oxygen-rich mixture.
In any event, the patient's breathing attachment is typically coupled by a flexible tube or the like to a source of the therapeutic treatment gas. The gas source may be a wall mounted outlet such as that utilized by centralized distribution systems in hospitals and other patient care facilities or a stationary in-room supply. Some degree of mobility is afforded to the patient through the use of small portable compressed gas supplies. However, for the most part, patient's rely upon the more stationary in-room or hospital outlet supplies for their oxygen or other treatment gases.
The use of such stationary gas supplies substantially limits the mobility of the patient in that, the patient is in effect "tethered" to the stationary supply by the flexible tubing.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,392,808 issued to Pierce sets forth a RETRACTABLE TUBING REEL for utilization in conjunction with an oxygen supply tank and a nasal catheter. The device includes a housing supporting a rotatable reel within which a quantity of flexible tubing is wound. A spring within the housing is operatively coupled to the tubing reel to provide a take-up or return force for rewinding withdrawn flexible tubing.
In a closely related art, several patents such as take-up reels for use with electrical cord or the like. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,230,481 issued to Weeler et al. sets forth a CORD TAKE-UP DEVICE having a housing defining a pair of adjacent compartments separated by a common interior wall. A cord take-up reel is rotatably supported within each compartment and flat wire cable is received in both sides of the compartment through housing apertures and wound upon its respective reel. A spring provides return or take-up tension to the cord reels.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,422,957 issued to Cummins sets forth a CABLE TAKE-UP FOR EARPHONES having a cylindrical case within which a cable is wound upon a rotating spool. A spring biases the spool toward cable retraction. A ratchet prevents the cable from retracting and a release for the ratchet is accessible from outside the case.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,797,558 issued to Peterson et al. sets forth a UNIDIRECTIONAL CORD TAKE-UP DEVICE for use with flat wire cable. The device includes a generally cylindrical case within which a take-up reel is supported. A spring is supported within the case and coupled to the reel for urging the reel toward cable take-up.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,101,082 issued to Simmons et al. sets forth an ELECTRIC POWER CORD TAKE-UP REEL WITH AUTOMATICALLY OPERATED LATCH PAWL ACTUATED SWITCHING MECHANISM having an external housing, a shaft mounted in the housing, and a spool journalled on the shaft for storing a length of electric power cord. A spring biased rewind mechanism returns a length of cord previously withdrawn from the wheel for storage.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,437,624 issued to Rosenberg sets forth a POSITIONING REEL for suspending a body such as a light-weight tool at any vertical position within the limits of the suspension cord. An adjusting screw regulates a clutch-type tensioning break which permits the supporting force of the positioning reel to be set to equalize the weight of the suspended tool. As a result, little effort is required to raise or lower the suspended tool.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,008,791 issued to Shafii-Kahany et al. sets forth a still further variation of take-up reel apparatus for entitled TAKE-UP REEL FOR COMBINED HOSE AND CABLE. U.S. Pat. No. 5,147,265 issued to Pauls et al. sets forth a ROTATION-ACTIVATED RESISTANCE DEVICE while U.S. Pat. No. 4,917,362 issued to Wilson sets forth an AUTOMATIC WIRE PULLER both having structures generally related to the present invention environment.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,488,014 issued to Daniel et al. sets forth an REELING ASSEMBLY for use in an environment such as fabric drying or the like.
While the foregoing described prior art devices have to some extent improved the art and have in some instances enjoyed commercial success, there remains nonetheless a continuing need in the art for a more improved apparatus for managing an increased length of flexible tubing for patients utilizing oxygen.


A method and system for repairing a memory. A test and repair wrapper is operable to be integrated with input/output (I/O) circuitry of a memory instance to form a wrapper I/O (WIO) block that is operable to receive test and repair information from a built-in self-test and repair (BISTR) processor. Logic circuitry associated with the WIO block is operable generate a current error signal that is used locally by the BISTR processor for providing a repair enable control signal in order to repair a faulty memory portion using a redundant memory portion without having to access a post-processing environment for repair signature generation.

1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to semiconductor memories. More particularly, and not by way of any limitation, the present invention is directed to a system and method for repairing a memory instance.
2. Description of Related Art
Typically, memories are tested and repaired by serially transmitting commands from a built-in self-test (BIST) interface that is clocked with a test clock and then allowing the memory to perform a read or write operation. A processor, called a BIST processor, is usually provided for effectuating the testing operations. When several memory instances are interfaced with a single BIST processor, the serial command transfer process is slow and significantly limited by the delays inherent in the long signal paths necessitated by design and layout constraints. Accordingly, the memory testing operations are executed at a slower frequency than the clock frequency associated with the memory. Additionally, the BIST processor has to take a finite number of test clock cycles for each operation in order to send all commands serially, thereby substantially impacting the testing performance.
Furthermore, the conventional BIST processor arrangement is also fraught with several shortcomings and drawbacks with respect to memory repair. For instance, after the BIST processor completes the test algorithm, the failure data is scanned out by the BIST processor and provided to an external tester with additional intelligence. The failure data, which contains location information such as faulty row or faulty column address information, is post-processed by the tester software to create a repair bit signature that is fed back to the BIST processor. It should be appreciated that the whole process of repair bit generation takes several BIST clock cycles, not to mention the requirement of external tester intelligence to post-process the failure data for creating the requisite repair signature based on the memory array size, column MUX options, and the like. If the memory device has more errors than the repair elements, then the external tester needs additional intelligence to determine fatal errors, which can be time-consuming and cumbersome.

System and method for repairing a memory


The present invention provides an electroless gold plating bath having excellent plating bath stability without containing a cyanide compound under long term plating bath heating time. An electroless gold plating bath of the present invention solving above problems includes: a water-soluble gold salt; a reducing agent; and a phosphine compound represented by a following formula (1)

Gold plating is widely used in component mounting processes such as printed circuit boards and electronic components as a surface treatment method for raising reliability. Conventionally well know electroless plating methods for gold plating film include a displacement gold plating method and a gold plating method of combination of displacement and reduction known as a mixed reaction gold plating method. The displacement gold plating method allows gold to deposit on an underlying metal layer by difference in oxidation-reduction potential between underlying metal such as nickel and a plating bath. However, this method have drawbacks such as limiting the types of underlying metal to be applied or resulting in difficulty to increase the gold plating film thickness because displacement reaction allows gold to oxidize or dissolve the underlying metal which resulted in corrosion of the underlying metal. The displacement gold plating method have another drawbacks such as lowering a wire bonding state because this method diffuses the underlying metal to a surface of gold plating film.
With regard to the mixed reaction gold plating method, the methods promote displacement reaction and reduction reaction concurrently in one plating bath containing a reducing agent. Examples of the mixed reaction gold plating include Electroless Nickel/Immersion Gold (ENIG) having constitution of displacement gold plating film on underlying electroless nickel plating film, Electroless Nickel/Electroless Palladium/Immersion Gold (ENEPIG) having constitution of electroless palladium plating film between underlying electroless nickel plating film and displacement gold plating film, Electroless palladium/displacement gold having constitution of displacement gold plating film on electroless palladium film, Direct Immersion Gold (DIG) having constitution of displacement gold plating film formed directly on copper film. The mixed reaction gold plating method allows to eliminate the corrosion of the underlying metal by the displacement gold plating method and to obtain gold plating film with high coatability. In addition, this method have made possible to form thicker gold plating film allowing the gold plating film to use for solder bonding and wire bonding.
The mixed reaction gold plating method known for reducing underlying layer corrosion are exemplified in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 listed below. Patent Document 1 discloses a reducing agent containing formaldehyde and/or formaldehyde bisulfite adduct, and a predetermined amine compound. Patent Document 2 discloses a reducing agent containing an aldehyde compound and a predetermined amine compound.
Patent Document 3 discloses that "the above-mentioned Patent Document 2 has poor bath stability, and gold is deposited and decomposed in a bath with few hours of heating". Patent Document 3 discloses a method for stably maintaining gold solubility in gold plating solution by supplying a cyanide compound such as sodium cyanide during heating of electroless gold plating solution. Patent Document 4, same as Patent Document 3, discloses to add a cyanide compound ion source such as sodium cyanide as a stabilizer.

Abstract: wherein R1, R2, and R3 represent identically or differently either a phenyl group, or an alkyl group having 1 to 5 carbons, and at least one of the phenyl group or the alkyl group is substituted by a sulfonate group or its salt, a cyano group, or a carboxy group or its salt.


A technique is disclosed to schedule frame transmissions in a wireless network utilizing scheduled TDMA by synchronizing clocks in repeater and backhaul access points.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to wireless networks, and more particularly, to the benefits of scheduling transmissions in such networks.
2. Related Art
Wireless local networks (WLANs) based on the IEEE 802.11 standard have proven to be popular. IEEE 802.11 is a wireless standard related to the IEEE 802.3 standard established for wired Ethernets. In contrast to wired networks, an IEEE 802.11 WLAN must conserve the limited bandwidth presented by a wireless transmission medium. Accordingly, a set of rules in the IEEE 802.11 standard is dedicated to medium access control (MAC), which governs accessing the wireless medium and sending data through it.
The 802.11 rigidity and power allocation limits present severe challenges to users during network deployment and modification. Even if careful network planning is implemented, there may still be loss of bandwidth due to unpredictable circumstances such as a subscriber's movement and activity level. Further, with existing WiFi chipsets, bandwidth may not be fully utilized due to various factors, including unpredictable communication traffic and "hidden node" situations (which will be described below).
For example, FIG. 1A illustrates an ideal situation where each cell 10 has a circular coverage area. However, in reality, the coverage area of each cell 10 is not a circle. For example, in an enterprise application, such as in a building with large numbers of walls and offices, numerous APs and STAs are needed to allow STAs to transfer information between each other. The walls and other barriers result in non-uniform coverage areas for each cell 10.
FIG. 1B shows coverage areas or cells 20 in a practical WLAN environment. As seen, the coverage areas are no longer uniform circles, but are irregular having areas of broader coverage (the peaks) and areas of lower coverage (the nulls). For example, long peaks 25 may correspond to long hallways in the building. Because cells 20 do not have uniform coverage, "holes" 30 exist in the network, where communication is not possible. Holes 30 do not necessarily represent areas where no frames can be sent and received; however, only a small percentage of dropped frames may be enough severely disrupt TCP/IP behavior, thereby effectively ending communication ability within that area.
A possible solution to "fill" holes 30 may be to increase the density of the APs in the WLAN, i.e., move the APs closer to each other, which requires more APs for the same outer coverage area. However, increasing the density of the APs will result in increased interference between APs and STAs, while also increasing the cost of the system. Consequently, in order to reduce interference, the transmit power of the APs must be reduced. But, this may again result in holes in the WLAN coverage due to irregular coverage "footprints" of the APs at an additional cost of a reduction in maximum throughput of the system.
Thus, even if throughput can be increased, the network operator must continually adjust parameters of the WiFi network, such as power, frequency, and location. This increases the complexity in setting up and maintaining an optimal network.
Another challenge in deploying WiFi networks is the need for wiring. Each access point must be fed by a wire through regular network infrastructure. Even when LAN wiring already exists, it seldom fits the specific needs of radio based network, e.g., connecting socket locations are normally at lower sections of the walls while the location of access points is desired to be at the highest places (for better radio coverage). In many cases, people prefer to segregate the radio network from the wire-line network for security reasons. If the radio network could be supported by wireless backhaul instead, deployment could be less expensive and flexible. Significant amount of art has been published relative to this subject, such as mesh networks. However, mesh networks or any wireless backhaul that relies on native 802.11 standards suffers from prohibitive bandwidth loss. When one node in such a network is active, all other nodes around it must be silent, hence unable to communicate. A method to increase the transmission efficiency by overcoming this shortfall is required to implement efficient wireless backhaul. The deficiencies of WiFi in producing multi-hop ("mesh networks") have been described in many papers. An example is "Revealing the Problems of 802.11 Medium Access Control in Multi-hop Wireless Ad Hoc Networks" by Shugong Xu and Tarek Saabdawi, published in "Computer Networks" magazine in 2002, that emphasized particularly the difficulties of TCP/IP in this environment.
In general, ad hoc, distributed control wireless networks, in particular 802.11 based, are not very suitable to multi-hop communications. An example of shared media (point-to-multipoint) based protocol that is used is the cable modem standard (DOCSIS). This protocol is a clear example of centralized control in shared media. Elements of this protocol were adopted by the WWAN industry (802.16).
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for improved techniques for scheduling transmissions in wireless networks, such as WiFi, that avoids the disadvantages of conventional methods discussed above.

Implementing “all wireless” network over WiFi equipment using “scheduled TDMA”

HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.


Disclosed herein are novel damage detection circuitries implemented on the periphery of a semiconductor device. The circuitries disclosed herein enable the easy identification of cracks and deformation, and other types of damage that commonly occur during test and assembly processes of semiconductor devices.

During test and assembly operations, semiconductor devices are subject to large amounts of mechanical and thermal stresses. This is particularly true of devices with increasingly finer feature sizes, as the propensity for intra- and inter-level shorts caused by such operations drastically increases. Devices that have been diced, tested and assembled in packages often show signs of stress-related failures. These may be small microscopic cracks or highly visible stress-relief mechanisms such as film delamination, buckling, cracking, etc. In such cases, devices damage and attendant loss of useful life, leads to increased replacement costs. Moreover, these cracks and deformation-induced defects are difficult to detect, requiring large amounts of exhaustive failure analyses.

Semiconductor with damage detection circuitry


A printed tone control method for adjusting a printed color tone by comparing image data serving as a reference and image data obtained by reading an image from a print actually made by a printing machine. The method includes a representative point setting step for setting a representative point for use in control of the color tone based on image data, an alternative representative point setting step for setting an alternative representative point that satisfies a predetermined condition when a point inappropriate for tone measurement is selected as the representative point, and a tone adjusting step for adjusting the color tone by using the alternative representative point.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a printed tone control method and a representative point determining apparatus for use in controlling ink feeding rates of a printing machine.
2. Description of the Related Art
In order to perform proper printing with a printing machine, it is necessary to control ink feeding rates properly. For controlling the ink feeding rates, it has been conventional practice to measure densities of control strips with a densitometer and determine from density data whether the ink feeding rates are proper or not. However, the density data from the control strips alone is not necessarily sufficient for attaining a proper color tone and the like for a picture area.
For this reason, a print quality measuring apparatus is used which provides control data for controlling the ink feeding rates of a printing machine. The control data is produced by comparing an image on reference paper and an image on an actual print.
The reference paper is also called proof paper, and serves as a reference indicating a color tone of finished prints to obtain proper prints. Printing paper actually printed is also called sampling paper which is extracted by the operator from a discharge station of a printing machine at certain intervals during a printing operation. The printing is considered proper when the color tone on the sampling paper substantially coincides with the color tone on the reference paper.
It has become conventional in recent years to include a print quality measuring apparatus in a printing machine. This construction enables tone control to be carried out in parallel with a printing operation without requiring the operator to extract sample prints.
Where such a print quality measuring apparatus is used, it is difficult to attain an agreement in color tone and the like in all areas between the image on the reference paper and the image on the actual print. For this reason, use is made of a representative point having a color that characterizes a picture on the print, as disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publications Nos. 2004-50609 and 2004-351814. The representative point is used in order to perform color control of the image, and is set to the image automatically by the apparatus or by the operator.
Although the representative point set in this way has a color that characterizes the picture on the print, this point is not necessarily suitable for color measurement. In time of color measurement, the inks of Y (yellow), M (magenta), C (cyan) and K (black) are measured by R (red), G (green) and B (blue). It is therefore difficult to separate accurately the colors of a point including a large quantity of black ink. It is also difficult to effect accurate color tone control, depending on an overlap of a plurality of colors and a dot percentage.

Method and apparatus controlling printed color tone conditionally using a representative point or alternative representative point


A wire harness includes a connector and a grommet. The connector includes an inner member having an annular plate-shaped flange. The inner member includes a first divided inner part, a second divided inner part, a deformable hinge that connects one end of the first divided inner part and one end of the second divided inner part to each other, and a lock portion that is formed on a fitting portion between the other end of the first divided inner part and the other end of the second divided inner part. The lock portion is formed on a portion where the other end of the first divided inner part and the other end of the second divided inner part are fitted to each other by sliding movement in accordance with a twisting of the hinge about a first axis.

JP-A-2017-191636 discloses a related-art waterproof structure provided on a panel of a door portion of an automobile. In FIG. 9, a related-art waterproof structure 101 includes a panel (not shown) having an attachment hole, a connector 102 that is disposed so as to be aligned with the attachment hole, and a grommet 103 that is assembled to the connector 102 and is in close contact with one opening edge portion of the attachment hole.
The connector 102 includes a connector housing 105 from which a plurality of electric wires 104 are drawn out, and an inner member 106 having a two-divided structure surrounding an outer side of the connector housing 105. A plurality of terminal accommodating chambers 108 that accommodate terminal fittings 107 provided at terminals of the electric wires 104 are formed in the connector housing 105. A lock arm 109 is formed on the connector housing 105 as a portion to be fitted to a mating connector (not shown).
The inner member 106 is formed as an annular member as a whole by including a first divided inner part 110 and a second divided inner part 111, a thin hinge 114 that connects one end 112 of the first divided inner part 110 and one end 113 of the second divided inner part 111 to each other, and a first lock portion 117 and a second lock portion 118 that are formed on a fitting portion between the other end 115 of the first divided inner part 110 and the other end 116 of the second divided inner part 111. In the first divided inner part 110 and the second divided inner part 111, a first holding portion 119 and a second holding portion 120 for a first flange 121 and a second flange 122 having an annular plate shape, to which the grommet 103 is assembled, are respectively formed on the first divided inner part 110 and the second divided inner part 111.
The grommet 103 is formed in a tubular shape by including a one end side tubular portion 123, the other end side tubular portion (not shown), and an intermediate tubular portion 124 disposed therebetween. A flange assembly portion 125 is formed at the one end side tubular portion 123 in a concave shape as an attachment portion with the first flange 121 and the second flange 122. A panel close contact portion 126 that is in close contact with the one opening edge portion is formed at the one end side tubular portion 123.
In the above-described configuration and structure, as shown in FIGS. 10A to 10C, the inner member 106 is attached to the connector housing 105 in a state (a closed state) of surrounding the outer side of the connector housing 105 by assembling the first divided inner part 110 such that the connector housing 105 is accommodated in the first holding portion 119, then rotating the second divided inner part 111 about the hinge 114 (an axis of rotation is in a direction perpendicular to a paper surface of FIGS. 10A to 10C), and finally fitting the first lock portion 117 and the second lock portion 118 to each other. In other words, attachment is performed so as to surround the outer side of the connector housing 105. After such attachment, the grommet 103 is assembled to the first flange 121 and the second flange 122 of the inner member 106.
In the related art described above, when the inner member 106 is attached to the connector housing 105, due to a fitting structure of the first lock portion 117 and the second lock portion 118, a fitting backlash occurs in a direction indicated by an arrow G in FIG. 10C. This fitting backlash is such that the other end 115 of the first divided inner part 110 and the other end 116 of the second divided inner part 111 open about the hinge 114, so that occurrence of the fitting backlash may affect a close contact state of the grommet 103 shown in FIG. 9 with the one opening edge portion of the attachment hole.


A method and computer program product for finding timing critical nets in an integrated circuit design includes steps of: (a) receiving an integrated circuit design as input; (b) calculating an approximate delay for each net in the integrated circuit design wherein the approximate delay includes an estimate of crosstalk delay; (c) identifying timing critical nets from the calculated delay for each net in the integrated circuit design; (d) calculating a corresponding exact delay for each of the timing critical nets; (e) replacing the approximate delay calculated for each of the timing critical nets with the corresponding exact delay to generate a corrected set of net delays for the integrated circuit design; and (f) generating as output the corrected set of net delays for the integrated circuit design.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to integrated circuit design software used in the manufacture of integrated circuits. More specifically, but without limitation thereto, the present invention is directed to estimating net delay with crosstalk delay in an integrated circuit design.
2. Description of Related Art
In a previous design flow used in the manufacture of integrated circuits, path delays are calculated using static timing analysis (STA) to find timing critical nets. A timing critical net is a net that belongs to a timing critical path. A path is timing critical, for example, if it has a timing slack that is less than some positive limit, that is, the propagation delay of the path may not meet setup or hold time specifications due to the effect of crosstalk delay. After placement and detailed routing, a crosstalk analysis is performed to determine the effect of crosstalk interference on net delay, referred to as crosstalk delay. A timing closure step is then performed to detect timing violations in the design, and another placement and detailed routing is performed to resolve the timing violations. The crosstalk analysis is typically based on a transistor level simulation and is highly accurate. A disadvantage of this method is that several iterations may be required to resolve all timing violations. The most time consuming step is timing closure after parasitic analysis, that is, including crosstalk analysis.

Method of finding critical nets in an integrated circuit design


Systems, computer program products, and methods are described herein for detection and classification of intrusion using machine learning techniques. The present invention is configured to electronically receive, from a computing device of a user, an indication that the user has initiated a first resource interaction; retrieve information associated with the first resource interaction, wherein the information comprises at least one or more parameters associated with the first resource interaction; initiate a machine learning model on the one or more parameters associated with the first resource interaction; and classify, using the machine learning model, the first resource interaction into one or more classes, wherein the one or more classes comprises one or more access types.

Detecting unauthorized access has been one of the major challenges for most entities, particularly those in banking, finance, retail, and e-commerce. While existing systems are capable of identifying an unauthorized access, there are still challenges that exist when attempting to identify the type of unauthorized access attempted.
There is a need for a system for detection and classification of intrusion using machine learning techniques.

System for detection and classification of intrusion using machine learning techniques


An interdental foam brush with an elongate non-conductive, galvanic shock free stem having a boss, the stem having a brush support portion extending from the boss in the distal direction to a preferably rounded distal tip and a flexible handle engaging portion extending from the boss in the proximal direction. The brush support portion including its distal tip and the boss being enclosed in resilient, open-cell polymeric foam. The outer surface of the brush is tapered and converging in the distal direction. The boss is a stop means for limiting movement of the brush portion between interdental surfaces, and the brush support portion has a length approximating the width of a rear molar. The brush support portion has a diameter providing a brush support surface for effective cleaning while permitting passage of the brush between interdental surfaces. The foam has a hardness and pore density providing effective cleaning between interdental surfaces is achieved. Another aspect is a combination of the interdental foam brush described above and a handle. The interdental foam brush can be impregnated with a pharmaceutically effective amount of at least one agent for treating the gums or teeth in the form of a coating, solution, paste or gel.

A great number of devices have been developed for oral prophylaxis of teeth and massaging of the gums. Typically, they comprise brushes which are retained on a handle by a removable cap member such as the pivotable cap shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,780,923, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference. In the conventional art such as Schultheiss, the brush is formed by nylon bristles captured between and extending radially from a pair of twisted metal wires which form a stem. The bristles are used to rub or wipe perpendicularly across the gum and tooth surfaces for cleaning the same. A commercial example of such a bristle brush is the interdental brush manufactured by Oral-B Laboratories of Redwood City, California, which is available in both a cylindrical and a tapered shape. Because the twisted wire is conductive and can produce a galvanic shock when contacting conductive restoration amalgams, an impervious coating of non-conductive material is required.
In the United States, most users become acquainted with interdental brushing after periodontal surgery. Most patients receive specific instructions on use after periodontal surgery, primarily to assure that surgical areas remain free of germs. Periodontists typically recommend oral prophylaxis using the existing nylon bristle brush. However, although such brushes satisfactorily perform their cleaning role, many patients are reluctant to use the brushes as instructed because of the pain produced by bristle tips scraping across tinder gum surfaces. A need therefore exists for an interdental brush which does not have bristles. Since electrical contact between wire stems and conductive restoration amalgams can be the source of galvanic shock, a need exists for a brush constructed entirely of materials which are not electrically conductive.
Previously known foam dental brushes have been designed for general oral prophylaxis of tooth surfaces, not interdental applications. Youssef (U.S. Pat. No. 4,628,564) describes a combination of a bristle toothbrush having a foam element on its tip for storing liquid. The device does not have the structure or dimensions permitting insertion into interdental passages.
Youssef (U.S. Pat. No. 4,579,190) describes a tapered foam brush mounted on a stem which can be impregnated with a chemical cleanser, producing a copious foam, and used for cleaning the outer tooth surfaces. The devices shown in this patent are not acceptable for cleaning interdental surfaces for several reasons. The rigid picks 14 and 20 and scrapper tip 22 (col. 3, line 55) do not conform to the interdental surfaces and are not effective for removing food and bacterial films from the gingiva and base of the teeth. Attempts to force the tapered foam element 10 into interdental surfaces are ineffective, since no firm structure is present.
We discovered that a tapered foam device mounted on a central support extending to its end to pull the form between tight spaces presents several serious problems which make it unsuitable for interdental use. Particularly in the molar areas at the rear of the mouth, interdental cleaning is awkward, and precise control of cleaning emblements is difficult. As shown in FIG. 1, the narrow tip of such as device is easily forced through the tooth surfaces to the other side and into contact with the adjoining cheek or tongue, producing trauma to these tissues. The foam which has been pulled through the interdental surface by the support then expands to form a shoulder surface opposed to the tooth, which like a barb, resists retraction. This frustrates vigorous reciprocal brushing action with such a device.
Application of medications to the teeth and gums is often required following periodontal surgery. A need therefore exists for an interdental brush treatment gel applicator to be used to apply needed medicaments to the teeth and gums.

Interdental foam brush and treatment gel combination therewith


New disposable system devises and procedure for circumcision. The new procedure is by using the clamp in the same way of using bone cutter forceps, the penis marked by skin marker below the level of coronal sulcus, the prepuce retracted, a glans protector probe introduced above the glans, the prepuce pulled back over the probe, grasped by fingers on the probe to have painless holding. The modified bone cutter with blind cut end and groove on the upper surface is applied on the level of the skin mark. Light pressure separates the glans protector from its handle, then strong pressure on prepuce applies by this modified bone cutter, a sharp knife cuts the prepuce above the instrument, left a skin tag in the groove of the instrument, a heated oval shape stainless steel coated cupper cautery pass above the grove, the heating is by gas or electricity, but the electrical current must be cut off before application, the temperature between 140-300, glans protector removed no need for any dressing. Another modification is the removable disposable heads of the bone cutter. The result is very rapid circumcision with the lowest complication specially bleeding.

Circumcision is a settled surgical procedure that has been applied for centuries for medical requirements and religious purposes. The procedure that is applied in the known condition of the technique includes the cutting of the foreskin with the use of scissors and clamp and, then the approximation of the cut ends of the foreskin with the use of stitching materials.
Circumcision is a relatively short and inexpensive procedure in the modern operating rooms in the developed countries and, various surgical instruments have been developed to that end, but it still requires an operating room and a general or local anesthesia. Some of the inventions concerning the said apparatus and applications include: the invention "Sheath and retractable surgical tool combination", U.S. Pat. No. 4,491,132; "Disposable circumcision apparatus and method of use", U.S. Pat. No. 5,797,921; the invention "Circumcision device", U.S. Pat. No. 5,860,988; the invention "Circumcision device", U.S. Pat. No. 7,303,567; the invention "Surgical instrument", U.S. Pat. No. 7,591,824; and the invention "Circumcision apparatus and method using the same", publication no. US20060219753A1 from the United States of America.
Use of a central protection device inside the foreskin and of a ring outside the foreskin is the foundation for the following inventions from the United States of America that are applied in the known condition of the technique: "Surgical clamp" U.S. Pat. No. 3,111,124; "Circumcision instrument" U.S. Pat. No. 3,473,533; "Disposable circumcision device" U.S. Pat. No. 4,491,136; "Scavenge pump and accessory drive system" U.S. Pat. No. 3,520,632, "Circumcision device" U.S. Pat. No. 7,303,567, and "Atraumatic circumcision device and method to use same" U.S. Pat. No. 7,879,044.
The following patents, publications and inventions that are applied in the known condition of the technique have been tried, and it was identified that it was hard to cut the foreskin, the cosmetic results are not good, it takes about ten minutes or more to complete the circumcision procedure and, it requires anesthesia in the application thereof: the inventions from the United States of America: "Surgical clamp" U.S. Pat. No. 3,111,124; "Circumcision instrument" U.S. Pat. No. 3,473,533; "Disposable circumcision device" U.S. Pat. No. 4,491,136; "Scavenge pump and accessory drive system" U.S. Pat. No. 3,520,632; "Circumcision device" U.S. Pat. No. 7,303,567 and, "Atraumatic circumcision device and method to use same" U.S. Pat. No. 7,879,044: the publications from the United States of America: "Apparatus for performing circumcision", publication no. U.S. Pat. No. 6,660,012B2; "Clamp for performing circumcisions on newborns and a method of using the same", publication no. US20040215210A1 and US20060122626A1; "Novel implantable lead including sensor", publication no. US20080004681A1 and; "Circumcision clamp and surgical kit", publication no. US20080195116A1; and the publications from China: "Annular cutting anastomat for preputium penis", no. CN201119892Y and, "Posthetomy anastomat" no. CN201227313Y. Dislocation of the ring used in the said inventions causes bleeding, bad appearance, infection and irrigation due to foreign matter and, it may require a second visit to remove the device. Because of these reasons, these inventions are not commonly used.
The Mogen clamp, on which a simple modification is made in the bone cutting clamp in the US patent, "Circumcision clamp", registration no. U.S. Pat. No. 2,747,576A, is considered as not safe. However, use of the bone cutting clamp is easier than use of the Mogen clamp. There is a useful modification that allows us to close it tightly and, easily cut it from the upper side as it is in the bone cutter. A problem with use of the Mogen clamp is the possibility of the cutting of the urinary tract or a part of the penis head especially when it is used by inexperienced people. Bone cutting forceps are currently used by surgeons to ensure a fast, clean and safe circumcision, but it still requires the stitching of the wound and, the controlling of the bleeding. A cutting procedure with a laser or a diathermic knife could reduce the level of bleeding but, it may cause many problems, even disasters. As a result of this use, the burnt may spread the penis skin, gangrene may happen, and penis may need to be amputated. Classic surgical circumcision procedure currently used in a widespread manner requires local or general anesthesia, sterilized operating rooms and tools sterilized at high degrees and, thus is expensive and time-consuming (15-20 minutes), recovery takes too much time, a second visit is required to remove the stitches, and it causes many scars and irregular edges on the section where the stitches are.

Disposable circumcision apparatus and method of use of this apparatus