Methods, systems, and computer-readable media provide for providing contact information at turf level. According to embodiments, a method for providing contact information at turf level is provided. According to the method, a selected turf from a plurality of turfs displayed in a spreadsheet-based graphical user interface (GUI) is received. In response to receiving the selected turf, contact information for field supervisors associated with disciplines of the selected turf is displayed.

Telecommunications networks may provide a number of services, such as plain old telephone service ("POTS"), digital subscriber line ("DSL"), and cable. A telecommunications network may be divided into a plurality of geographic areas known as turfs. Maintenance of the telecommunications network generally involves a proper reallocation of technicians across the turfs such that work orders can be timely filled. For example, when one turf experiences a high volume of work orders, it may be desirable to reallocate available technicians from another, preferably nearby, turf with a low volume of work orders to help with the high volume. The reallocation of technicians may be based on a number of factors, such as the location, skills, schedule, and availability of the technicians, as well as the priority of the work orders and the amount of time to complete the work orders.
A load balance supervisor ("LBS") may be assigned to coordinate the reallocation of technicians within a plurality of turfs (hereinafter referred to as an "assignment group"). In many instances, the LBS may not be familiar with the assignment group, which increases the difficulty of coordinating the reallocation of technicians across the assignment group. For example, the LBS may be assigned to an unfamiliar disaster area after a hurricane or a tornado. Without familiarity with the disaster area, the LBS may conventionally rely on turfs maps and the advice of field supervisors to determine the most optimal locations from where to reallocate available technicians. Contact information for the field supervisors is typically provided by paper copies and spreadsheets containing the contact information.

Methods, systems, and computer-readable media for providing contact information at turf level


A system and method for interactive television (ITV) includes presenting both TV channels and “virtual channels” on an ITV. A virtual channel can be a Web page stored in memory of the ITV (or remote therefrom) and accessed by a microprocessor in the ITV when a user selects the virtual channel number using a conventional TV remote control. The particular Web page can be established based on consumer data, such as demographic data supplied by the consumer or consumer responses to prompts displayed along with a channel. The Web page associated with the virtual channel can be updated or changed by sending data to the ITV through the VBI of a TV signal or via the Internet, through a modem on the ITV.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to television systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
Televisions are ubiquitous, as are Internet computers. Currently, however, consumers typically purchase and use two separate systems to enjoy television and Internet access. Namely, consumers must purchase a television to watch television, and a computer to access the Internet. One result not only is that costs are duplicated and significant space is required, but also that undertaking both activities at once, in one room, can be difficult.
Moreover, the need for two systems burdens some consumers who, while familiar with operating a television and its remote control, might not be familiar with operating an Internet computer. Nonetheless, while perhaps not requiring comprehensive Internet support, such consumers can still benefit from advantages provided by simple, straightforward, intuitive Internet interaction. For example, many consumers might only desire easy access to a weather site or traffic site for obtaining up-to-date information before proceeding to work in the morning, without having to know a great deal about how to operate a Web browser. As recognized herein, it consequently would be advantageous to provide an Internet access appliance that is easy and intuitive to use, for instance one that could be used like a television remote control.
To the extent that attempts have been made to combine television with Internet features, the above-noted consumer needs have remained unfulfilled. For instance, in the system known as "WebTV", preselected Internet pages are loaded once into a television during manufacture and never subsequently updated, with the preselected pages being accessible through the television using a computer keyboard with its attendant complexity. Since the pages are not updated, however, many Internet-related features such as up-to-date traffic, weather, and news, are not immediately available. Instead, the consumer must access a central site using one of the preselected pages, and then be redirected to a desired Web page. In terms of currently expected speeds of Internet access, this consumes an undue amount of time. Furthermore, it requires browser or browser-like operations that must be initiated by a consumer who might only wish to turn on the television and immediately access up-to-date information using the relatively simple TV remote control without further ado.
Still further, current systems provide the same preselected Web pages to all consumers. As understood herein, it would be advantageous to tailor, for each consumer, what Web pages are provided in a television to that particular consumer. In this way, a consumer is much more likely to gain useful and enjoyable Internet access than he or she would be able to gain otherwise.
Additionally, as mentioned above, in the above-mentioned WebTV system, a keyboard is required for user input to access Web sites. For television functions, however, consumers are accustomed to using a much simpler input device, namely, a remote control. Thus, existing systems that attempt to integrate television and Internet computers do not do so seamlessly, but rather require the operation of two separate systems that happen to be housed together and that require two separate input devices. This complicates matters for the consumer, and is confusing. The object of the present invention is to address one or more of the above-noted consumer needs.

System and method for interactive television


A traffic forwarding method includes determining, by a first network device, a first address resolution protocol (ARP) entry of the access device, where the first ARP entry is used to indicate a mapping relationship among a media access control (MAC) address, an Internet Protocol (IP) address, and an egress port, the egress port includes a standby egress port, and the first network device is connected to the protection link through the standby egress port, receiving traffic sent by a network side, determining whether a fault exists in the first multi-chassis link aggregation group (MC-LAG) link, and when the first network device determines that a fault exists in the first MC-LAG link, sending the traffic to the second network device through the protection link based on a standby egress port number in the first ARP entry, where the standby egress port number is used to indicate the standby egress port.

A multi-chassis link aggregation group (MC-LAG) is a layer 2 port virtualization technology across network devices. The two devices have independent control planes but support port binding of the two devices, thereby improving link reliability from a board level to a device level and forming a dual-active system. An MC-LAG paired switch provides an MC-LAG interface to the outside for accessing a layer 2 service. A peer-link is disposed between MC-LAG paired switches for exchanging MC-LAG protocol messages and for traffic forwarding of a horizontal service between devices. From a three-layer perspective, MC-LAG paired devices are two independent devices that may support independent network management and serve as independent routing nodes. During specific networking, the MC-LAG technology may be used to implement network logic acyclicization between an aggregation layer switch and an access layer switch, or the MC-LAG technology may be used to implement an application scenario in which dual-active access is required by dual network interface cards in a server. The MC-LAG technology may be combined with technologies such as a general Ethernet technology, a transparent interconnection of lots of links (TRILL) technology, and a virtual extensible local area network (VXLAN) to implement the dual-active access in the server technology.
In a dual-active system, specifically, a device A and a device B are used as an example. To implement dual-active access of a server C, two network interface cards of the server C may be separately connected to the device A and the device B. In addition, the two network interface cards of the server C are bound into one MC-LAG dual-active member interface such that the server C is connected to the device A and the device B through a first MC-LAG link and a second MC-LAG link in a dual-homing manner, and the device A and the device B each have an MC-LAG dual-active member interface as an access interface. A direct link peer-link exists between the two devices A and B in which the MC-LAG is deployed, and the link is used to control exchanges of packets and to implement traffic bypass. Therefore, the device A and the device B each have a peer-link interface. In addition, through the peer-link, address resolution protocol (ARP) packets may be synchronized between the device A and the device B. An ARP packet synchronized to a peer device is redirected to the access interface, to implement ARP packet synchronization between the device A and the device B.
When the device A receives traffic sent by a network side to the server C, because an outbound interface of an ARP entry of the server C points to the access interface of the device A, the device A may directly forward the traffic from the access interface to the server C. However, if a fault occurs in a link between the device A and the server C, the device A deletes the ARP entry of the server C that is previously learned from the access interface, and re-learns an ARP entry of the server C from the peer-link interface. In this case, an outbound interface of the new ARP entry points to the peer-link interface, and the device A may forward the traffic to the device B through a peer-link channel, and then the device B forwards the traffic to the server C.
Therefore, in the traffic forwarding process, the device A needs to delete the existing ARP entry, the learning of the ARP entry is re-triggered after the traffic arrives, and then traffic bypass is caused, resulting in a relatively long convergence time for the traffic forwarding.

Traffic forwarding method and traffic forwarding apparatus


A method and apparatus for treating a subterranean section surrounding a wellbore with a fluid. In one embodiment, the apparatus comprises a three-dimensional tubular element capable of fluid flow in a wellbore with at least one burst disk with a pre-determined pressure rating positioned at a desired location on the tubular wherein the burst disk ruptures at the pre-determined pressure at the desired location on the tubular in the wellbore. The method provides the ability to choose the order in which the subterranean interval sections surrounding a wellbore are treated with fluid.

This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art, which may be associated with exemplary embodiments of the present invention, which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with information to facilitate a better understanding of particular techniques of the present invention. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not necessarily as admissions of prior art.
Oil companies have been drilling and completing horizontal wells for over a decade. Many of these wells include long horizontal carbonate pay sections that require acid stimulation treatments to produce commercial rates.
Acid fracturing is a common method of well stimulation in which acid, typically hydrochloric acid, is injected into a reservoir with sufficient pressure to either fracture the formation or open existing natural fractures. Portions of the fracture face are dissolved by the acid flowing through the fracture. Effectiveness of the stimulation is determined by the length of the fracture which is influenced by the volume of acid used, its reaction rates, and the acid fluid loss from the fracture into the formation.
These horizontal wells typically require pre-drilled holes in the liners to facilitate fluid interval stimulation. The acid or simulation fluid needs to be diverted away from the holes after the interval is treated to additional sections that are intended to be treated.
Some wells are completed by spacing out pre-drilled holes along the un-cemented liner section. Effective placement of the acid treatment along the long horizontal section is operationally challenging. Currently, ball sealers along with the limited-entry perforating technique are used to divert the stimulation fluids. Conventional means of increasing stimulation interval coverage include dividing the lateral into smaller sections through use of bridge plugs and packers which increases completion cost and mechanical complexity.
One common prior art completion technique is often referred to as the open hole "Sprinkler System." The system consists of running a pre-perforated, un-cemented liner in open hole and stimulating down the casing at the highest rate possible while remaining within the pressure ratings of the casing. Acid diversion along the entire lateral length is achieved by a combination of limited entry perforating, high injection rates and the use of ball sealers to plug off a portion of existing perforations and divert flow through other perforations. This technique is limited by the inability to select which perforations the ball sealers will seal. Subsequent production logs such as, radioactive tracer and temperature logs indicate that the entire lateral may only be partially treated with this technique with questionable true fracture extension away from the wellbore. This can present a challenge in maximizing recovery in a reservoir.
A method to improve the fracture geometry involves reducing the length of the lateral being treated while maintaining similar injection rates. This can be achieved by drilling shorter laterals or by dividing a long lateral into several sections and treating each independently. Treating smaller lateral sections effectively increases the rate per foot of reservoir being stimulated and can significantly increase the fracture geometry and improve ultimate performance. While drilling shorter laterals typically improves stimulation performance, it also typically increases costs as additional wells may be required to effectively deplete the reservoir. Therefore, segmenting longer laterals for stimulation purposes is a logical next step.
Recent improvements in open-hole packer technology provide the ability to mechanically isolate long laterals into separate shorter intervals and selectively stimulate each section. This "packer plus technology" is a mechanical diversion technique utilizing packers and bull plugs (kobes) to seal off perforations, and the travelling sub to knock off the bull plugs. This technique limits the treatment from the bottom up or from toe to heel in a horizontal interval.
To accomplish this, an open-hole anchor packer and a series of open hole mechanical set packers are run into the lateral section on drill pipe as part of the liner. The system is then spaced out as required to separate the targeted stimulation intervals. On top of the assembly, a hydraulic set liner top packer and setting tool is run and spaced out to land in the casing. Each packer is pinned to set at increasing hydraulic pressures starting from the bottom up. A pump out plug or ball seat is consecutively run downstream of the deepest packer to provide the seal necessary to induce internal pressure.
When on bottom, an open-hole anchor is set with hydraulic pressure down the drill pipe. The anchor is pinned to shear and set at a predetermined pressure which can be detected on the surface monitoring equipment. After setting the anchor, the down-hole pressure is bled off and compression pressure is slacked off onto the anchor before the remaining packers are set. This locks the liner in compression and prevents movement of the isolation packers while pumping the stimulation fluid due to temperature shrinkage. Each subsequent packer is consecutively set with increasing hydraulic pressures. Typical setting ranges for example, may be 8,620 Kilo Pascal (KPa) (1250 pressure per square inch (psi)), 10,300 KPa (1500 psi), 12,100 KPa (1750 psi) and 13,800 KPa (2000 psi). After all the packers have been successfully set and the annulus tested, right hand torque releases the setting tool and the drill pipe is recovered from the well. After recovery of the drill pipe, the drilling rig may be rigged down and moved off location in preparation for the stimulation.
The toe section of the liner system may be pre-perforated with holes spaced out as in the typical "Sprinkler System" design. Between the packers are a series of ported subs that are blanked off with small bull plugs (or kobes) that intrude into the internal diameter of the liner. A sub is a short length of pipe that is threaded on both ends with special features described above. These subs may be spaced out every 2nd or 3rd casing joint to cover the entire section. A traveling sub containing a ball seat is pinned just downstream of each open hole packer and is activated during the stimulation by dropping a large composite ball. This ball is pumped down the casing and into the liner until it reaches the corresponding seat. After seating, the pressure begins to rise until the traveling sub shears from the packer and begins sliding concentrically down the casing. This sub then knocks off each of the kobes in order exposing the frac ports. When the sub reaches the other end, it latches into the top of the lower packer and creates an inner and outer seal to prevent continued stimulation of the lower interval. The well is now configured to stimulate the middle interval without ever stopping the pumps. When this second stage treatment has been pumped, a slightly larger ball is dropped to expose the frac ports in the upper section and isolate from the middle interval. After clearing the frac equipment, the well is put on test and the balls flowed off seat and recovered at the surface.
A potential economic benefit exists from improving the acid frac stimulation effectiveness in some horizontal completions. Typical completion techniques span a wide range of cost and complexity and can have a significant impact on the economics of the project. As discussed above, one method to maximize the benefit of high treating rates to create fracture geometry involves mechanically separating open-hole laterals into several sections and treating each zone independently. Unfortunately, this technique has proven costly, slow and subject to high mechanical risk.
Further, other methods may involve coupling burst disk assemblies together along intervals of a wellbore and treating the intervals in a sequential manner from the toe to the heel or heel to the toe. See Intl. Appl. Pub. No. WO 03/056131. In the method, burst disk assemblies are utilized to treat individual intervals in a sequential manner from the toe to the heel or heel to the toe to allow pressure to build up for the following intervals. However, this method does not describe treating the production intervals with the most potential with the first treatment.
Accordingly there is a need to improve stimulation coverage while maximizing completion value. Preferably, this method would comprise an open hole mechanical isolation system and methodology to selectively stimulate separate intervals within a single lateral. This invention satisfies that need.
Other related material may be found in at least U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,637,020; 4,949,788; 5,005,649; 5,145,005; 5,156,207; 5,320,178; 5,355,956; 5,392,862; 5,950,733; 6,173,795; 6,189,618; U.S. Patent App. Pub. No. 2003/0070809; U.S. Patent App. Pub. No. 2003/0075324; and Intl. Appl. Pub. No. WO 03/056131. Further, additional information may also be found in Economides et al., Reservoir Simulation, Second Edition, 15-1 to 17-12 (1989); Dees et al., "Horizontal Well Stimulations Results in the Austin Chalk Formation, Pearsall Field, Tex.", SPE 20683 (1990); Nelson et al., "Multiple Pad-Acid Fracs in a Deep Horizontal Well", SPE 39943 (1998); Krawletz et al., "Horizontal Well Acidizing of a Carbonate Formation: A Case History of Lisburne Treatments Prudhoe Bay, Ala.", SPE Production & Facilities 238-243 (1996).

Hydraulically controlled burst disk subs and methods for their use


A control circuit operable to control the switching of switching elements in a switched mode power supply. The control circuit comprises a switching control signal generator operable to generate control signals for switching the switching elements such that the switched mode power supply converts an input voltage (Vin) to an output voltage Vout). The control circuit further comprises an operation mode setting module which is operable to receive a signal (I) indicative of a current flowing to a load that is connected to an output of the switched mode power supply, and operable to cause the switching control signal generator to generate the control signals so as to operate the switched mode power supply in a continuous conduction mode or a pulse skipping mode in dependence upon the current.

The switched mode power supply (SMPS) is a well-known type of power converter having a diverse range of applications by virtue of its small size and weight, and high efficiency. For example, SMPSs are widely used in personal computers and portable electronic devices such as cell phones. An SMPS achieves these advantages by switching a switching element such as a power MOSFET at a high frequency (usually tens to hundreds of kHz), with the frequency or duty cycle of the switching defining the efficiency with which an input voltage is converted to a desired output voltage. Switched mode power supplies have for many years been designed for highpower efficiency in the load range of 50 to 100%. This has led to the adoption of techniques such as synchronous rectification, which yield high efficiency at higher current levels.
FIG. 1 shows a background example of a known hard-switched, isolated SMPS, i.e. an SMPS which converts an input voltage Vin to an output voltage Vout whilst isolating the input from the output through an isolation transformer. The SMPS 100 is provided in the form of a full-bridge (DC-to-DC) converter which has on its primary side a primary side drive circuit having transistors Q1, Q2, Q3 and Q4 (which may, for example, be field-effect transistors such as MOSFETs or IGBTs) which are connected between the power supply's inputs and to the primary winding 111 of the isolation transformer 110 in a full-bridge arrangement, as shown. The transistors Q1-Q4 are thus configured to drive the primary winding 111 in response to switching control signals applied thereto.
The switching of the transistors is controlled by a switching control circuit comprising a switch driving circuit 120, a pulse width modulation (PWM) controller, and an error signal generator 140. The driving circuit 120 and PWM controller 130 together function as a switching control signal generator. More specifically, the driving circuit 120 generates respective drive pulses to be applied to the gates of transistors Q1-Q4 in order to turn the transistors ON or OFF, the drive pulses being generated in accordance with switching control signals provided to the drive circuit 120 by the PWM controller 130. In turn, the PWM controller 130 is arranged to receive an error signal generated by the error signal generator 140. The error signal provides a measure of the difference between the output of the SMPS 100 (here, the output voltage Vout) and a reference for the output, which is a reference voltage Vref in the present example. In the present example, the error signal from the error signal generator 140 passes through an electrical isolation barrier 150 (e.g. one or more opto-electric converters) provided between the primary and secondary side circuits of the SMPS 100.
FIG. 1 also shows a standard topology on the secondary side of the isolated SMPS 100, which includes a rectifying circuit and an LC filter connected to a load 160. The inductor 170 of the LC filter is connected to the secondary winding 112 of the transformer 110. A centre-tap (or "mid-tap") 113 is provided in the secondary winding 112. In the present example, the rectifying network in the secondary side circuit employs two transistors, Q5 and Q6, to yield full-wave rectification of the voltage induced in the secondary winding 112. Each of the switching devices Q5 and Q6 can take any suitable or desirable form, and are preferably field-effect transistors in the form of a MOSFET or an IGBT, for example. The switching of these transistors is controlled by the same switching control signal generator that controls the switching of transistors Q1-Q4, namely that comprising the drive circuit 120 and the PWM controller 130. The portion of the SMPS 100 circuit identified at 180 in FIG. 1 constitutes the so-called "power train" of the SMPS 100.
As with most SMPS topologies, the output voltage Vout in this example is proportional to the input voltage Vin. More specifically, Vout∝nDVin, where D is the switching duty cycle ratio and n is the transformer turns ratio.
The timings according to which the transistors Q1-Q6 of the SMPS 100 of FIG. 1 are switched are illustrated by timing diagrams A-D of FIG. 2 for the case where the SMPS 100 operates with a relatively large duty cycle of about 85%. Switching the transistors Q1-Q6 in accordance with timing diagrams A-D causes the SMPS 100 to operate in the well-known "Continuous Conduction Mode" (CCM), with the current IL through the inductor 170 oscillating in the manner shown in trace E of FIG. 2 while remaining greater than zero throughout each switching period Ts. As can be appreciated from timing diagrams C and D, when the SMPS 100 operates in CCM, at least one of the transistors in the secondary side circuit is configured to be in a conductive state (i.e. turned ON) at any given point in time. In other words, during operation in CCM, at no stage of the SMPS switching cycle is the conduction path for the inductor current IL blocked by all of the transistors in the secondary side circuit.
The amplitude of the oscillation in the inductor current, Iripple/2 (shown in trace E of FIG. 2) is a function of the input voltage Vin to the SMPS 100, the switching duty cycle D, the switching period Ts employed by the switching controller 130, and the inductance L of the inductor 170. Accordingly, when the SMPS 100 is operated with a lower duty cycle, as illustrated by timing diagrams A-D of FIG. 3, the amplitude of the ripple current is reduced, as shown in trace E of FIG. 3.
However, the size of the ripple current is not dependent on the SMPS load resistance R and will therefore not change when the load resistance R increases and the output current Iout of the SMPS consequently decreases. Thus, when the value of R increases while the remaining operational parameters of the SMPS 100 (such as D and Ts) stay unchanged, the dc component, ILdc, of the inductor current IL will eventually decrease to below Iripple/2, and the inductor current IL will become negative during a portion of each switching period, as illustrated in trace F of FIG. 3.
At such low output current levels, an SMPS employing synchronous rectification on the secondary side in accordance with the switching scheme shown in FIG. 3 will usually be less efficient than a similar SMPS that employs diode rectification on the secondary side. In order to improve the light load efficiency, it is therefore known to use diode emulation to cause the synchronous secondary side circuit to mimic diode rectification. In this case, transistors Q5 and Q6 are controlled to behave like current-unidirectional switches (such as diodes) that conduct current only when the inductor current IL is above a threshold.
Examples of switch timing diagrams which may be used to emulate diode rectification on the secondary side of the SMPS 100 are shown in FIG. 4. Although the timing diagrams for transistors pairs Q1/Q4 and Q2/Q3 on the primary side are the same as those in diagrams A and B in FIG. 3, the timings for the secondary side transistors Q5 and Q6 are adjusted such that the inductor current IL is not allowed to fall below zero at any stage of the switching cycle. In this way, transistors Q5 and Q6 are controlled to behave like diodes, which become reverse biased and thus block current flow when the inductor current IL falls to zero. The inductor current IL is thus held at zero for a portion of each switching cycle, as shown in trace E of FIG. 4, and the SMPS 100 operates in the well-known "Discontinuous Conduction Mode" (DCM). In the DCM, while the inductor current IL is zero, energy is supplied to the SMPS load circuit by the filter capacitor 190. However, diode emulation leads to certain problems with the compensator design, which will now be discussed.
When operating an SMPS in a diode emulation mode, the current in the inductor 170 becomes discontinuous when the dc component of the inductor current falls below Iripple/2. This makes the duty cycle D dependent on the current, as explained insection 5.1 in Chapter 5 of "Fundamentals of Power Electronics" by R. W. Erickson and D. Maksimović (Second Edition, ISBN: 0-7923-7270-0). In brief, it can be shown from a consideration of the inductor volt-second balance and capacitor charge balance that the output voltage Vout of the SMPS 100 takes the following forms in CCM and DCM:
                              V          out                =                  {                                                                      nDV                  in                                                                              K                  >                                                            K                      crit                                                                                i                      .                      e                      .                                                                                CCM                                                                                2                                                                                nV                      in                                                                            1                    +                                                                  1                        +                                                  4                                                                                K                            /                                                          D                              2                                                                                K                  <                                                            K                      crit                                                                                i                      .                      e                      .                                                                                DCM                                                                                Equation                                                  1
In Eqn. 1, the dimensionless parameter K=2L/RTs and Kcrit=1−D. In order to keep the output voltage Vout constant in DCM, the factor K/D2 must be held constant. Solving for the duty cycle we obtain:
                    D        ∝                  1                      R                          ∝                              I            0                                              Equation                                                  2
Hence, with decreasing load current, i.e. increasing value of R, the duty cycle D is required to decrease. This means that the duty cycle D has to change by a large amount when SMPS operation changes between CCM and DCM. In other words, the gain in the system varies strongly with the load current and this requires substantial changes to the duty cycle D to be made as the load current changes.
In conventional SMPS controllers, a gain scheduling approach is usually adopted and different compensators are provided for the different working regions, which increases the complexity of the controller. Moreover, as will be demonstrated by way of experimental results in the following, the large changes to the duty cycle D that are required as the SMPS 100 transitions between operating in CCM and DCM cause large transients to appear in the output voltage of the SMPS 100. It is therefore highly desirable to maximise light load efficiency of an SMPS whilst improving its output transient performance.

Switched mode power supply with improved light load efficiency


A system and method for the treatment of a skin comprising. The system comprises an applicator having a cavity and one or more light sources configured to irradiate the cavity with optical energy simultaneously from at least two directions. The applicator is applied to the skin and a region of skin is made to protrude into the cavity. The protruding region of skin is then irradiated with optical energy from the one or more light sources simultaneously from at least two directions.

The most popular cosmetic treatments involving irradiation of the skin with optical energy are hair removal, and the removal of vascular and pigmented lesions. These treatments are based on selective light absorption by the target in comparison to the surrounding skin tissue so as to heat the target to a temperature that is sufficiently high to cause thermal destruction of the target without raising the surrounding skin to damaging levels. Two types of devices are common in these treatments: one uses laser radiation, while the other uses filtered light from a light source. U.S. Pat. No. 5,405,368 describes a device for skin treatment comprising an incoherent light source. U.S. Pat. No. 5,669,916 describes use of a laser for hair removal. The main limitation of these methods is the high absorption of optical energy by the epidermis and the attenuation of the energy with increasing penetration depth due to light absorption and scattering.

Method and system for skin treatment using light energy and skin deformation


An apparatus and method for a two phase password input mechanism are provided. The method includes resetting a password entry, displaying a password entry screen, inputting a password element of a plurality of password elements, determining whether the entered password is complete, determining whether the entered password is correct when the entered password is complete, and if the entered password is correct, unlocking the mobile device. The plurality of password elements include at least two elements that cannot be observed from a same viewpoint.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for a two phase password input mechanism. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus and method for a password input mechanism including at least a first and second part, where the first and second part cannot both be easily observed from a same viewpoint.
2. Description of the Related Art
Mobile terminals are developed to provide wireless communication between users. As technology has advanced, mobile terminals now provide many additional features beyond simple telephone conversation. For example, mobile terminals are now able to provide additional functions such as an alarm, a Short Messaging Service (SMS), a Multimedia Message Service (MMS), E-mail, games, remote control of short range communication, an image capturing function using a mounted digital camera, a multimedia function for providing audio and video content, a scheduling function, and many more. With the plurality of features now provided, a mobile terminal has effectively become a necessity of daily life.
Mobile terminals are frequently used to access information, applications, or services which are sensitive. Any personal information, for example, can be used to support an identity theft attempt. Similarly, users will often save login and password information for valuable assets such as bank accounts, web-based retailer accounts, etc.
Even if a user does not save sensitive information on a mobile terminal, access to any use of the mobile terminal might still be protected to avoid unauthorized consumption of telephone use minutes, internet data usage, or even goods and services that can be billed directly to the account holder's mobile phone bill.
If a mobile terminal is lost, whoever finds it might be tempted to use it if it can be freely accessed. Similarly, a possible thief may be discouraged from stealing the mobile terminal if he knows that it cannot be freely accessed.
For at least these reasons, it is becoming more common for mobile terminals such as smart phones to include a locking function and password protection. The mobile terminal may be generally locked, individual applications may be locked, or both may be locked to provide greater protection.
FIGS. 1A-1C show a selection of password input mechanisms according to the related art.
Referring to FIG. 1A, a keypad such as a typewriter key arrangement is shown. In this example, a password input may be any combination of words, letters, numbers, etc. The keys may be hard or soft keys. The password may be at least partly visible when entered; for example, a letter may be displayed for a predetermined time or until a next character is entered. Alternatively, a non-revealing indication such as an asterisk ('*') may be displayed on the display for each character entered.
Although people are frequently encouraged to select passwords with a high degree of randomness and to change their passwords frequently, many fail to do so. Users often pick passwords using personal meaningful information, such as a family member's name and birth date. Thus, a thief or other unauthorized user may be able to make a reasonable guess of a user's password if they can observe the display or at least some of the keys selected when the password is entered.
FIG. 1B shows a similar numeric keypad used to input a numeric password. Again, many users fail to use a sufficient degree of randomness when selecting a numeric password. For example, many users will use their birth date or a house number of a street address. The number keys are typically fewer and larger than the character keys of FIG. 1A; thus, it may be easier for an observer to determine at least some of the number keys selected when a numeric password is entered, even if they are not displayed on the screen. Further, many users use weak passwords such as based on birthdays, which significantly narrows the keyspace to be searched, even if no one directly observes the password being input.
FIG. 1C shows a third type of password input, where the "password" is not actually composed of characters but instead consists of touching a series of points in a particular order. If the mobile terminal uses a touchscreen, the finger may touch the first point in the sequence and slide from point to point until the pattern is complete. Such a password input mechanism is usually harder to guess than the letter or number passwords discussed above, because it is less common for people to have standard touch patterns that they use regularly. With this password input mechanism, the points will sometimes be configured to light up or change color as each one is touched. This confirms for the user which of the points were touched or sensed. However, it also makes it much easier for an observer to see which points are touched as the user inputs the password.
In each of the above examples, an observer may easily surreptitiously obtain some or all of the password required to unlock the mobile terminal.
Accordingly, there is a need for an apparatus and method for a two phase password input mechanism, where at least a first and second part of an input password cannot be easily observed from a same viewpoint.


The invention provides compositions and methods for radioprotection and chemoprevention using therapeutic and prophylactics methods of using (S,S)-SDG (R,R)-SDG, (S,R)-SDG (R,S)-SDG, SDG, SECO, EL, ED, analogs thereof, stereoisomers thereof and other related molecules.

Ionizing radiation produces a wide range of deleterious effects in living organisms. Humans are exposed to radiation as an occupational hazard, during diagnostic and therapeutic radiographic procedures, when using electronic devices, from background radiation of nuclear accidents, during air and space travel, as well as from prolonged exposure to the sun (e.g., sun bathers or outdoor workers). Exposure to natural radiation can occur in many forms: natural resources such as air, water, and soil may become contaminated when they come in contact with naturally-occurring, radiation-emitting substances (radionuclides); radon is one such common source of natural radiation. Current global developments have additionally established terrorism as a dangerous means by which potentially large numbers of people can be exposed to lethal amounts of radiation. It is, therefore, of high importance to identify agents that can be administered before and during exposure to radiation (i.e., radioprotective agents), and as treatment after radioactive exposure (i.e., radiation mitigators).
In addition, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer mortality in the United States. Despite novel targeted therapeutic agents, improved staging and surgical techniques, and increased utilization of concomitant chemoradiation therapy for locally advanced lung cancer there has only been a minimal decrease of overall mortality rates (Tan & Spivack (2009) Lung Cancer 65:129-137). Cancer chemoprevention has been defined as the use of dietary and pharmacological intervention with specific natural or synthetic agents designed to prevent, suppress, or reverse the process of carcinogenesis before the development of malignancy (Hong & Sporn, (1997). Science 278:1073-1077). One strategy for lung cancer chemoprevention focuses on the use of agents that modulate the metabolism and disposition of tobacco, environmental and other carcinogens through upregulation of detoxifying phase II enzymes. Many synthetic and naturally occurring compounds are known to induce the expression of phase II enzymes. There have been numerous reports that support the idea that Nrf2/ARE-regulated phase II enzyme induction is a highly effective strategy for reducing susceptibility to carcinogens. We have data to show that flaxseed (FS) and its main lignan SDG, both from enrichment of the natural material and synthetically derived, are effective lung cancer chemoprevention agents in a mouse model of chemical carcinogen-induced lung cancer.
Approximately 85% of lung cancer is caused by smoking. Major lung carcinogens in tobacco smoke are polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, typified by benzo[a]pyrene (BaP). Until better treatments are developed, the best hope for decreasing deaths will be prevention through screening, smoking cessation, or chemoprevention. Chemopreventive agents must be given for prolonged periods of time in large numbers of exposed, but relatively healthy subjects. They must be safe, non-toxic, palatable, and ideally, affordable. A number of chemopreventive agents have been studied in lung cancer, however none have met these criteria. One of the most promising approaches is upregulation of Phase II anti-oxidant and detoxifying enzymes. Unfortunately, the Phase II enzyme activators tested in patients to date, such as Oltipraz or Sulforophane, have proven to be unacceptably toxic (Pendyala et al. (2001). Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 10:269-272.). Safe, non-toxic chemopreventive agents that are effective in preventing the oxidative stress and the DNA damage induced by lung carcinogens in tobacco smoke are thus desperately needed.
Another well-known environmental carcinogen is asbestos, which refers to a group of naturally occurring hydrated fibrous silicate fibers used commercially for insulation. It has now been clearly established in both animal models and in patients that asbestos fiber inhalation can lead to neoplastic diseases such as malignant mesothelioma (MM) and lung cancer (Carbone & Yang (2012). Clin Cancer Res 18:598-604; Neri et al. (2012). Anticancer Res 32:1005-1013), as well as pulmonary fibrosis. MM is a highly aggressive cancer that arises from the mesothelial cells of the pleura and peritoneum with a median survival of about 1 year (Sterman et al. (2005). Clin Cancer Res 11, 7444-7453; Sterman et al. (1999). Chest 116, 504-520; Benard et al. (1999). J Nucl Med 40, 1241-1245). Current therapies, other than surgery in very early disease, are not curative (Sterman & Albelda (2005). Respirology 10, 266-283.). Presently, MM causes about 3,000 deaths per year in the US and an additional 5,000 deaths/year in Western Europe.
Although asbestos use has been restricted in many western countries, it is still used in many countries around the world and it is estimated that more than 2 million tons were mined in 2008 (Survey, B. G. (2010). World Mineral Production 2004-08. Nottingham, UK, British Geological Survey). There will thus likely be a dramatic increase in MM cases in the third world (especially in India) where the use of asbestos has increased with few precautions taken. However, even in the developed world, important exposures still exist. These include many types of occupations that expose workers to pre-existing asbestos (i.e. plumbers, pipefitters, insulators, insulation removal, etc.) as well as superfund asbestos hazardous waste sites. There are also environmental and domestic exposures. For example, there is an increased risk of MM in areas where mining or asbestos factories have closed.
A major issue in the link between asbestos and cancer is that inhaled asbestos fibers can persist in the lung for very long periods of time resulting in continuous damage, even if the patient is removed from the exposure. Because of this long latency period (often up to 30-50 years), individuals exposed in the past remain at increased risk of MM and other cancers throughout their lives.
Chemoprevention of cancer aims to prevent, arrest, or reverse either the initiation phase of carcinogenesis or the progression of neoplastic cells to cancer. Although this definition sounds simple, it has been very difficult to find effective chemopreventive agents. First, the mechanisms by which carcinogens induce cancer usually involve multiple mechanisms, making efficacy challenging and requiring an agent with multiple activities. Second, since the agent will be used to prevent a small number of tumors in a large population of healthy, but at-risk individuals, it must be extraordinarily non-toxic, well-tolerated, and affordable.
It is, therefore, also of high importance to identify agents (i.e., chemopreventive agents) that can be administered before, during, and exposure to carcinogens or other harmful chemical agents, such as chemical warfare agents, chlorine and hypochlorite ions and other harmful toxicants.

Use of secoisolariciresinol diglucosides (SDGS) and related compounds for protection against radiation and chemical damage

THE TRUSTEES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA


A method for forming integral extensions on the end of directionally oriented, superalloy articles, such as airfoil blading members or other components used in gas turbine or other turbine engines. An extension is formed directly on an article by dipping a portion or end of the article into a molten bath of a compatible alloy, followed by withdrawal of the end under controlled conditions sufficient to cause an integral extension to solidify on the article. A ceramic mold is utilized over the dipped end of the article with a mold cavity that generally defines the shape of the extension to be formed. The mold may be formed in situ, or preformed and attached to the subject article. Extensions formed by the method of this invention have a microstructure that is continuous and compatible with that of the article. Such microstructures may include epitaxial growth of the extension from the microstructure of the article. The method establishes a temperature gradient within the article during solidification that may be further controlled by auxiliary heating and/or cooling of the article and/or extension during the practice of the method.

The reported technology for growing directionally oriented cast structures from superalloys has evolved from processes suitable for making simple shapes and members to processes that are currently used to form articles having complex shapes, such as the directional solidification of Ni-base superalloy blading members used in the hot sections of gas turbine engines. The published literature, such as Metals Handbook Ninth Edition, Volume 15 Casting, ASM International (1988), pp. 319-323, has many examples of processes for making directionally oriented, superalloy blading members, such as turbine blades and vanes. Most of these processes utilize some form of a withdrawal-type vacuum induction casting furnace with mold susceptor heating.
In the art of casting to produce directionally oriented superalloys, fluid pressure, such as an inert gas or air, has been applied within a closed container to a molten material, such as a metal, to force the molten material upwardly through a tube. A patent which discloses one such method and associated apparatus is U.S. Pat. No. 3,302,252, relating to continuous casting of an article upwardly through a pouring tube into a cooled mold. The cast article is continuously withdrawn from the mold.
Another portion of the casting art sometimes is referred to as the EFG (Edge-defined, Film-fed Growth) process. In that process, no external pressure is applied to a liquid material, but capillary action within a narrow forming tube or die is relied upon to draw the liquid material upwardly for solidification. Frequently, a seed crystal is introduced into the liquid to initiate crystal growth. Typical patents which disclose features of this process include U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,471,266; 4,120,742 and 4,937,053.
In some of the above referenced patents and elsewhere in the casting art relating to the formation of directionally solidified or single crystal articles, seed crystals having selected crystal orientations (primary and/or secondary orientations) have been used. They constitute a means for initiating the solidification of an article having a desired crystal orientation. In the formation of blading members, the seed crystals are also used in conjunction with casting forms, such as ceramic molds, to define the shape and crystal orientation of the member.
Heretofore, the joining of components of single crystal or directionally solidified elongated grain articles, including turbomachinery airfoils, has generally involved the use of separately cast members of selected crystal orientation. Such members are assembled and bonded into an article across an interface between the members. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,967,355 and 4,033,792 are representative of patents relating to this type of bonding, and the '792 patent describes the desirability of matching crystal structures across the bond interface.
By using the casting technology described above, a directionally oriented article, such as a blading member, can be formed as a single crystal or with a directionally solidified crystal structure comprising a plurality of columnar grains. Both single crystal and directionally solidified articles may be formed with preferred crystal orientations, and these orientations may be formed within components so as to produce non-isotropic, orientation-related physical and mechanical properties along certain directions within the component. The desired crystal orientation in nickel-base superalloys frequently used for turbine engine components, such as blading members, is that the <001>crystallographic direction be parallel to the longitudinal axis of the member, in order to minimize the elastic modulus along the length of the member. This orientation is known to provide a good balance of the creep strength, ductility and thermal fatigue resistance of these components. Thus, these members are formed, as described herein, so that the <001>direction is the growth direction and corresponds to the longitudinal axis of the member.
An example of a blading member having a complex shape of the type described above is the turboomachinery blade described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,010,531. Such a blading member comprises an airfoil-shaped outer wall having a complex hollow interior communicating with an end region, such that gases can be circulated from the hollow interior through the outer wall and end region for cooling purposes, wherein the end region comprises a tip that extends from the end of the member.
Airfoil blading members, and other gas turbine engine components, are frequently utilized in extreme environments where they are exposed to a variety of environmentally related damage and wear mechanisms, including: erosion due to impact by high-velocity and/or high temperature airborne particles, high temperature oxidizing and/or corrosive gases, low-cycle fatigue processes and mechanical abrasion caused by rubbing against other members. These mechanisms are known to cause cracking and other damage, particularly in the end regions or tips of the blading members. Because the manufacturing costs for blading members are typically relatively high, it is often desirable to repair rather than to replace them after the tips have been damaged or worn. When superalloy blading members, or other superalloy articles having a directionally oriented microstructure, are damaged in the tip or extended end region, whether in operation or during manufacturing, the problem of their repair becomes more complicated and difficult, because of the necessity of maintaining physical and mechanical properties in the repaired portion that do not degrade the overall performance of the component. This problem of repair becomes particularly acute when a directionally oriented microstructure must be maintained in the repaired portion, as is frequently desirable in directionally oriented articles such as airfoils, because of the difficulty of replicating the original directional orientation in the materials used to make the repairs.
One method that has been used for the repair of turbine blade tips, has been to add material to the damaged or worn portion of the tip by welding, or similar processes. A disadvantage of this method is that the microstructure of the weld is not directionally oriented, and thus the mechanical properties of the tip or extension are diminished as compared to the remainder of the directionally oriented microstructure of the article. Also, most current oxidation resistant materials are difficult to weld, and have been known to crack during the welding process.
Another method has been to add separately formed tips to the end of an airfoil by brazing, welding, diffusion bonding or similar bonding processes. This method is described, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,967,355, 4,010,531 and 4,033,792. Using such methods, it is sometimes desirable to form a crystal structure in the tip that is similar to that of the remainder of the airfoil, and to develop a microstructure in the bond that is compatible with the microstructures of both the tip and the remainder of the airfoil.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,291,937 and 5,304,039, which are both assigned to the assignee of this invention and are hereby incorporated by reference herein, also describe two methods for providing an extension on the end of a directionally solidified article, such as a blading member. These methods both utilize a die and a die extension made from ceramic materials, and involve applying a fluid pressure to force a molten material into the die extension. The article end on which the extension is to be formed is then placed into the die opening and die extension and into contact with the molten material. The article end is held in contact with the molten material for a time sufficient for the article end to interact with the molten material, whereupon the article is withdrawn through the die opening at a rate that permits directional solidification of an extension on the end of the article. A description is given of how these methods may be used to repair blading members, particularly their end regions and extended tips.
However, it is desirable to develop other methods of providing extensions on the ends of directionally solidified articles, such as a blading members, particularly methods that do not require the apparatus described in the referenced patents, such as the ceramic die and die extension, and the means for applying fluid pressure to force the molten material into the die.

Solidification of an article extension from a melt using a ceramic mold


Compositions comprising a liquid and fumed silica may be applied to fabric and other textile materials as a sealant, e.g., to protect against damage or deterioration. The composition may comprise liquid droplets at least partially or completely surrounded by fumed silica. The liquid may comprise water and one or more polymers, such as anionic polymers, anionic copolymers, fluoropolymers, fluorocopolymers, acrylic polymers, and/or acrylic copolymers. Methods of treating a textile surface with the composition may include depositing the composition on the surface and brushing the particles against the surface, for example. The composition may be in the form of a powder, such that the particles remain intact on the surface upon deposition and release liquid onto the surface upon brushing, for example.

Sealants can provide protection to fabrics against various substances that may degrade and/or stain the fabric material in order to extend the life of fabrics, carpets, and other like materials. Such substances that can damage fabrics include water and organic substances (e.g., oil-based liquids or aerosols). Fabric sealants also may contain inhibitors to retain color or retard fading.
Current fabric sealants used for automotive upholstery are generally available in liquid form (e.g., solvent-based or water-based), and may be applied by means of a hand-held sprayer or tank sprayer with a wand, for instance. The application process may take several minutes to deposit a sufficient amount of sealant to cover and treat all of the fabric and carpeting in a vehicle. Typical dry times for such sprayed-on fabric sealants can range, for example, from 30 minutes to several hours, depending on various factors such as the amount of sealant applied and uniformity of coverage, the nature of the upholstery (e.g., product construction, types of materials used, etc.), and environmental conditions including the temperature and the relative humidity. Unless the fabric sealant is pre-applied, the application process will, in many cases, require the customer to bring the vehicle back to the dealership for sealant application and proper drying. Thus, the application process may inconvenience both customers and dealerships.
Moreover, because the typical application process involves spraying, a substantial amount of aerosolized fabric sealant can be wasted and lost to the surrounding air and never reach the fabric surface. This can present a potential health and/or environmental hazard. In addition, spraying and the resulting fabric sealant aeration may lead to unintended and/or undesirable deposit of fabric sealant onto non-fabric surfaces.


A chemical mechanical polishing composition for polishing a substrate includes a liquid carrier and cationic metal oxide abrasive particles dispersed in the liquid carrier. The cationic metal oxide abrasive particles have a surface modified with at least one compound consisting of a silyl group having at least one quaternary ammonium group. A method for chemical mechanical polishing a substrate including a metal layer includes contacting the substrate with the above described polishing composition, moving the polishing composition relative to the substrate, and abrading the substrate to remove a portion of the metal layer from the substrate and thereby polish the substrate.

Tungsten plug and interconnect and copper interconnect and dual damascene processes are back end of line (BEOL) processes that have long been employed to form the network of metal wires that connect the transistors in a conventional semiconductor device. In these processes metal layers are deposited in openings formed in a dielectric material (e.g., TEOS). Chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) is used to remove the excess metal from the dielectric and thereby form conductive plugs and/or interconnects therein. An interlayer dielectric (ILD) material (such as TEOS) is deposited between metal interconnect levels to provide electrical insulation between the levels.
As semiconductor device feature sizes continue to shrink, meeting local and global planarity requirements has become increasingly difficult in CMP operations (particularly in metal CMP operations). Array erosion (also referred to as oxide erosion) and plug and line recessing (also referred to as dishing) are known to compromise planarity and overall device integrity. Moreover, local metal loss may cause electrical contact problems that can degrade electrical performance. There is a need in the industry for metal CMP slurries (or compositions) that provide for improved planarity (particularly reduced metal loss) during metal CMP operations.
Furthermore, cobalt is emerging as a leading candidate to replace the tantalum/tantalum nitride barrier stack in certain copper interconnect applications and is also being investigated as a replacement for tungsten metal in certain BEOL applications. With the potential introduction of cobalt as a copper barrier layer and/or as a tungsten plug and/or tungsten interconnect replacement, there is an emerging need for CMP slurries that are able to efficiently planarize cobalt containing substrates.


A method is disclosed for the production of highly diffusive or absorptive metal surfaces. A dendritic crystal structure surface layer of metal is electrodeposited on a substrate, using a bipolar pulse plating technique. This metal surface layer may then be oxidized to provide a highly anti-reflective surface.

A variety of coating materials exist for optical application where it is desired to maximize absorption while minimizing reflectance of light or electromagnetic radiation. Most of these previous coating materials have certain limitations and faults.
One previous absorption material has been thick black paint, which has a tendency to crack or separate from a metal substance under thermal cycling conditions. Since many infrared instruments are subject to frequent thermal cycles, paint separation can be a significant problem. Paints, or coatings in general which have organic binders, are sometimes unsatisfactory because they are degraded by temperatures above 400.degree. C. For increased absorption at longer wavelengths, thicker layers of paint are needed. An increase in the paint thickness aggravates the cracking or separation problem. Additionally, paints outgas losing up to 10 percent by weight after vacuum exposure. Some of the chemicals which outgas can be highly corrosive to microelectronic components. Furthermore, in a cryogenically cooled optical system, outgassed chemicals may condense onto cooled optical surfaces. Moreover, most infrared absorbing paints contain carbon black, and recent experiments have shown that carbon black reacts with the five electron volt atomic oxygen prevalent at low earth orbits.
Anodized coatings have also been utilized in the context of the present invention, such as those of Wade etal, U.S. Pat. No. 4,111,762 and Porepea et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,589,972, both of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Wade et al teaches a basic anodization method for preparation of light-absorbant materials wherein an anodizable work piece is cleaned, vapor honed, rinsed, masked, etched, anodized, rinsed, surface dyed, rinsed, hot water sealed, and (optionally) vacuum dryed. The surface prepared by this method comprises an oxide layer, e.g., Al.sub.2 O.sub.3, having an outermost dyed region of spire-like surface features.
The anodized optically black surface produced in accordance with U.S. Pat. No. 4,111,762 eliminates the concerns of outgassing and adhesion noted above. Its effectiveness on surfaces for infrared instruments depends largely upon its ability to scatter or diffuse incident radiation. Recently, there has become a need for improved infrared absorption for infrared instruments and detectors, particularly for wavelengths from about 35 microns to about 1,000 microns. If the surfaces on an infrared instrument specularly reflect infrared radiation, the resultant off-axis stray light that hits the detector can reduce the signal-to-noise ratio. Absorption in the far infrared region has become even more important now that certain detectors and instruments have improved sensitivity into the far infrared region up to 1,000 microns.
Pompea et al modify the method of Wade et al in two ways: first by adding a major surface modification step such as photoetching, prior to anodization to produce relatively large surface craters, depressions, and indentations; and second, by using steam sealing rather than hot water sealing. The resultant surface of Porepea et al has improved capability for absorbing and reducing specular reflectance of electromagnetic radiation in the wavelength range of from about 1 micron to about 500 microns or higher. The method, however, is subject to certain restrictions and limitations such as specular reflectance peak values encountered at wavelengths below 6 microns and above 1 micron, and fragility. Also, this procedure is not applicable as a coating process to be used for substrates other than the parent metal of the component.
In addition, various other electrodeposition methods are known, such as taught by Smith, U.S. Pat. No. 2,559,263, incorporated herein by reference, for providing on the surface of silver, copper, or brass plates a highly brilliant polish. This, according to Smith, is done by means of electropolishing the surface anodically in an electrolyte whereby a composite voltage made up of a direct current potential and an alternating current potential is intermittently applied to the electrodes.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,929,563, of Sugiyama et al, incorporated herein by reference, a method is disclosed for providing a colored oxide film on an aluminum material by means of placing the aluminum in an electrolytic bath containing a metallic salt, and applying a voltage of either positive or negative pulse waveform for a period of time to produce an oxide surface layer.
Another pulse plating method is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 4,147,595, of Shigeta et al, incorporated herein by reference. Shigeta et al disclose a method for producing colored oxide films on aluminium materials by dipping the aluminum material having an anodic oxide film thereupon into an electrolytic bath containing boric acid and water soluble nickel salt, and subsequently applying alternating voltage pulses with the negative pulse voltage and duration being longer than the positive pulse voltage and duration. In this manner, Shigeta et al alternately draw coloring metal ions into the pore structures during the negative voltage cycle, and educe the coloring metal ions during the lower voltage and duration positive pulse.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,361,630, of Johnson, incorporated herein by reference, a method is taught for producing an ultra-black surface coating with an extremely high light absorption capability on a variety of substrates, this surface coating being produced by preferential chemical attack on an electroless nickel-phosphorous alloy deposited on the substrate in a bath consisting of aqueous nitric acid solution. This resulting blackness of the surface coating is associated with a multitude of microscopic conical pores etched perpendicularly into the surface. This surface however has less than the desired absorptance of light at low angles of incidence.

Method of forming electrodeposited anti-reflective surface coatings


A hydrostatic transmission vehicle comprises: a fuel adjustment position detection portion (681) which detects an operation position of a fuel adjustment portion (68); a deceleration operation position detection portion (691) which detects an operation quantity of a deceleration operation portion (69); and a controller (9) which controls a displacement of a hydrostatic transmission (7), and the controller (9) comprises: an operation state judgment portion (91) which judges operation states of the fuel adjustment portion (68) and the deceleration operation portion (69) based on detection values acquired by the fuel adjustment position detection portion (681) and the deceleration operation position detection portion (691); and a displacement control command generation portion (94) which generates a displacement control command which differs depending on a case where an engine revolution number is restricted by the fuel adjustment portion (68) and a case where an engine revolution number is restricted by the deceleration operation portion (69).

1. Field of the Invention
The Present invention relates to a hydrostatic transmission vehicle and a hydrostatic transmission controller.
2. Description of Related Art
There has been conventionally a hydrostatic transmission vehicle which converts an output from an engine by a hydrostatic transmission and travels. The hydrostatic transmission comprises a variable displacement pump driven by an engine, and a variable displacement hydraulic motor which revolves upon receiving a pressure oil from the variable displacement pump. Further, by varying a cam plate angle of the variable displacement pump or the variable displacement hydraulic motor, a displacement of the hydraulic variable transmission can be changed, an engine output which can be absorbed by the hydrostatic transmission can be changed or a vehicle speed of a working vehicle can be changed.
Furthermore, the above-described hydrostatic transmission vehicle include construction machines, and the construction machines includes a vehicle which has a decelerator pedal like a bulldozer so that a vehicle speed can be temporarily reduced by decreasing an engine revolving number by pushing down the decelerator pedal during traveling.
FIG. 7 shows a system configuration of such a conventional vehicle. A fuel injection pump 101 of an engine 100 has a non-illustrated governor lever which adjusts a fuel injection quantity.
This governor lever is connected with a fuel adjustment lever 102 and a decelerator pedal 103 through a push-pull cable and a link mechanism.
An operator of a vehicle can set a revolution number of the engine 100 to a desired revolution number by operating the fuel adjustment lever 102. Moreover, the engine revolution number can be further reduced from the revolution number set by the fuel adjustment lever 102 by stepping on the decelerator pedal 103 so that a vehicle speed can be temporarily decreased. It is to be noted that the decelerator pedal 103 swivels together with the fuel adjustment lever 102 by moving the fuel adjustment lever 102, but a position of the fuel adjustment lever 102 remains unchanged even if the decelerator pedal 103 is pushed down (see, e.g., Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2002-235564).
A potentiometer 104 is provided to the decelerator pedal 103 so that a signal indicative of a position (a swiveling quantity) of the decelerator pedal 103 is transmitted to a controller 105, and an engine revolution sensor 106 is provided to the engine 100 so that a signal indicative of an engine revolution number can be also transmitted to the controller 105.
The controller 105 controls a displacement of a hydrostatic transmission 107 based on signals from the potentiometer 104 and the engine revolution sensor 106.
Here, controlling a displacement of the hydrostatic transmission 107 specifically means controlling a cam plate angle of a variable displacement pump or a variable displacement motor of the hydrostatic transmission 107. That is, changing a displacement of the hydrostatic transmission 107 means varying a torque which can be absorbed by the hydrostatic transmission 107 in torques generated by the engine, and also means varying a ratio of an output revolution number of the hydrostatic transmission 107 to an engine revolution number (i.e., a reduction ratio).
FIG. 8 is a view showing an example of a displacement control of the hydrostatic transmission in the conventional system depicted in FIG. 7.
In FIG. 8, a heavy broken line ET is an engine torque curve representing a relationship between a revolution number of the engine 5 and a torque. Additionally, a heavy solid line HT is an absorption torque curve representing characteristics of a torque which can be absorbed by the hydrostatic transmission 107 in a state where the fuel adjustment lever 102 is set at a maximum position and the decelerator pedal 103 is not pushed down, i.e., the governor lever is moved to a maximum position by the push-pull cable and the engine 100 can revolve at a maximum revolution number (this state will be referred to as a "high-idle" state hereinafter).
More specifically, the absorption torque curve HT is a curve which indicates characteristics representing how a torque with is absorbed by the hydrostatic transmission 107 is varied with respect to an actual change in revolution number of the engine 100 (a horizontal axis in FIG. 8) detected by the engine revolution sensor 106.
As shown in FIG. 8, in the high-idle state, the engine torque curve ET and the absorption torque curve HT are set to cross each other in a revolution number region which is slightly lower than a rated point P0. That is, all of torques generated by the engine 100 are absorbed by the hydrostatic transmission 107 in the vicinity of an engine rated revolution number NH. Further, when a traveling resistance load is increased and an engine revolution number is lowered, a torque to be absorbed by the hydrostatic transmission 107 is rapidly reduced so that an engine stall can be prevented.
With such characteristics, a vehicle can travel by fully using the torque generated by the engine 100 while maintaining a revolution number of the engine 100 in the vicinity of the rated revolution number NH. That is, in the example of a bulldozer mentioned above, a dirt conveying operation can be vigorously and rapidly performed by effectively using an engine output.
When a bulldozer as an example of such a working vehicle performs a dirt conveying operation of pushing dirt as an earthwork, an operator sets a revolution number of the engine 100 to a high idle by operating the fuel adjustment lever 102. As shown in FIG. 8, the engine 100 revolves at the rated revolution number NH and operated at the rated point P0 where a rated torque T0 is generated.
The controller 105 controls the hydrostatic transmission 107 in such a manner that an absorbable torque is set to TK0 which is a value exceeding a torque generated by the engine so that the rated torque T0 can be absorbed. Specifically, a displacement of the variable displacement pump is set to a maximum displacement Q0.
When a load of the dirt with respect to the bulldozer is increased and the revolution number of the engine 100 becomes lower than the high-idle revolution number NH, a revolution number signal of the engine revolution sensor 106 is lowered. Therefore, the controller 105 performs a control of lowering a displacement of the variable displacement pump in accordance with a reduction in the engine revolution number a indicated by a line C in FIG. 8, thereby avoiding an engine stall of the engine 100.
The controller 105 carries out a control of reducing a displacement of the hydrostatic transmission 107 when an engine revolution number becomes lower than the rated revolution number NH in this manner. When a displacement is reduced, a load is decreased and an engine revolution number is increased. Therefore, the hydrostatic transmission 107 eventually maintains a maximum displacement which does not exceed a torque generated by the engine.
Since the engine revolution number is further increased when the load is reduced due to, e.g., an operation of a moldboard by an operator, the controller 105 returns the displacement of the variable displacement pump to the original maximum displacement Q0. Therefore, the bulldozer can always effectively use an output from the engine 100 for the operation.
In case of reducing a speed of the bulldozer, the decelerator pedal 103 is pushed down. Then, the governor lever moves in accordance with a pushing quantity of the decelerator pedal 103, and the revolution number of the engine 100 is reduced. For example, the revolution number is reduced from the rated revolution number NH shown in FIG. 8 to a decelerator revolution number ND.
In this case, since a vehicle speed is not reduced when a displacement of the hydrostatic transmission 107 is left as it is, the controller 105 determines the displacement of the variable displacement pump as a predetermined displacement QD and reduces an absorbable torque to TKD in response to a signal from the potentiometer 104 in order to reduce a vehicle speed.
Again explaining this with reference to FIG. 8, when the decelerator pedal 103 is pushed down in order to temporarily reduce a speed of the vehicle, the governor lever moves in accordance with a pedal pushing quantity, and a fuel injection quantity is restricted. Therefore, the engine revolution number is reduced, and the engine torque curve apparently varies as ET1, ET2 . . . .
Furthermore, at this moment, the controller 105 executes a control of changing the absorption torque curve of the hydrostatic transmission 107 as HT1, HT2 . . . based on a pushing quantity of the decelerator pedal 103 obtained by the potentiometer 104.
As shown in FIG. 8, it is determined that a displacement control pattern of the hydrostatic transmission 107 when the decelerator pedal 103 is pushed down has characteristics of reducing the absorption torque generated by the hydrostatic transmission 107 as a pushing quantity of the decelerator pedal 103 is increased. Therefore, a vehicle speed can be reduced in accordance with a pushing quantity of the decelerator pedal 103.
Meanwhile, in a vehicle such at a construction chine as typified by the above-described bulldozer, a demand for a reduction in noise a working state and a reduction in fuel consumption is increased, and it is often the case that a work is carried out by narrowing down a revolution number of the engine 100 by a manipulation of the fuel adjustment lever 102 in order to effect a partial operation. For example, a work is carried out by reducing a revolution number of the engine 100 to a partial revolution number NP shown in FIG. 8. The engine 100 can generate a partial torque TP with the partial revolution number NP.
When the fuel adjustment lever 102 is operated, however, the decelerator pedal 103 is also moved. Therefore, the controller 105 performs a displacement control (see FIG. 8) of reducing a torque which is absorbed by the hydrostatic transmission 107 based on a detection valve obtained by the potentiometer 104. That is, since a target revolution number of the engine 100 based on a detection value obtained from the potentiometer 104 due to the partial operation is reduced to NP, the controller 105 executes a control by which the absorption torque curve is changed to HT2 so that a displacement of the hydrostatic transmission 107 is reduced. As a result, the absorbable torque of the hydrostatic transmission 107 is reduced to TKP, and hence all of the output torque TP of the engine 100 cannot be absorbed.
A fact that the absorption torque generated by the hydrostatic transmission 107 becomes lower than the torque generated by the engine means that a just small quantity of torque is transmitted to a traveling device irrespective of a fact that the engine torque still has a margin. That is, in the partial operation in this state, engine performances cannot be fully exploited, and the working efficiency is lowered.

Hydrostatic transmission vehicle and hydrostatic transmission controller


The present disclosure relates to a method for manufacturing an EL display apparatus including a light-emitting portion in which a light emitting layer is disposed between a pair of electrodes, a thin film transistor array device for controlling light emission of the light-emitting portion, and an EL display panel in which a plurality of pixels of colors of R, G, and B are disposed. After production of the EL display panel, an inspection step is performed to apply, to each of the pixels, a voltage which is preset for each of the colors of R, G, and B of the pixels, the voltage applied in the inspection step is a potential difference that is a reverse bias voltage opposite to an anode voltage and a cathode voltage during lighting, and the potential difference allows a faulty pixel to turn to a dead dot.

An EL display apparatus including a plurality of EL elements that emit light and are arrayed does not require backlight, and places no limitations on a viewing angle, and therefore is under development as an image display apparatus of the next generation.
In the EL display apparatus, the EL element is a current-driven light-emitting element whose brightness is controlled by an amount of current passed there through. A passive matrix type and an active matrix type are provided as methods for driving the EL elements. Although the passive matrix method has simple pixel circuits, it is difficult to achieve a large-scaled and high-definition display. For this reason, in recent years, an EL display apparatus of an active matrix type provided with a drive transistor for each of the pixel circuits has formed a mainstream.
The drive transistor and a peripheral circuit thereof are formed generally of thin film transistors using poly silicon, amorphous silicon, or the like. The thin-film transistor is suitable for the large-scaled EL display apparatus because it is easy to fit for upsizing and inexpensive, although it has some drawbacks such as poor mobility and large changes in the threshold voltage with time. Further, there have been some studies also conducted for measures to overcome the changes in the threshold voltage with time, which is a drawback of the thin film transistor, by working on the pixel circuits.
When the EL display apparatus of this type is manufactured, the thin film transistor in the pixel may be broken or damaged by electrostatic discharge during the manufacturing process. Therefore, a panel inspection is performed during a manufacturing process as other display apparatuses need it (see Patent Literature 1).

Method for manufacturing EL display apparatus


A radiofrequency electric current ablation catheter comprising a tip electrode, a means for detecting temperature of the tip electrode, a catheter shaft and a portion for operation at proximal end, wherein the tip electrode has a shape formed by connecting three or more spherical or approximately spherical surfaces having centers on the same straight line to each other with a curved surface. The catheter has the tip electrode which has a small diameter, is brought into excellent contact with organisms, can provide a great output power and is easily cooled with the circulating blood stream.

Arrhythmia takes place mainly due to formation of erethism at the heart and abnormal transfer of the formed erethism. From the standpoint of prognosis, the symptom of arrhythmia includes various cases ranging from cases which can be left without treatments to fatal cases. Arrhythmia causing degradation in the quality of life is treated for curing. Antiarrhythmic drugs such as Na channel blocking agent and K channel blocking agent were mainly used before. In 1982, the myocardial cautery using an ablation catheter was applied to the clinical treatment as a non-medicinal therapy. At present, development of a novel antiarrythmia drug is continued and, at the same time, improvement in the myocardial cautery is also continued.
In the percutaneous myocardial cautery, ablation catheters are inserted into the cardial cavity, and the tissue of the cardial muscle where the arrhythmia originates is destroyed or modified by applying heat between a tip electrode and an opposite electrode plate. This treatment is mainly applied to tachyarrhythmias such as paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia, atrial tachycardia, atrial flutter and paroxysmal venticular tachycardia. As the first step, the cause of arrhythmia and the region of arrhythmia are investigated by the cardiac electrophysiological examination. The type and the circuit of arrhythmia are confirmed, and the optimal region for passing electric current is decided based on the result of the investigation. In the myocardial cautery, the tip electrode is pushed to the region causing the arrhythmia, and heating at 53 to 60° C. for about 60 seconds, for example, is repeated.
The spherical electrode having a single spherical shape shown in FIG. 11 and the cylindrical electrode having a spherical tip shown in FIG. 12, which are used widely at present, have small diameters and exhibit excellent operability. However, these electrodes have drawbacks in that the output power is small, the electrode cannot be brought into contact with or fixed to the organism sufficiently, the degree of cooling with the circulating blood stream is small, and cauterization is limited to the range of about 5 mm around the region pushed by the tip electrode. Therefore, these electrodes can be applied only to the treatment of monophyletic arrhythmias having a single cause the origin of which can be found in a narrow range and to the treatment of a conduction path passing through a very narrow portion. Application to deep regions in the ventricular wall is difficult although regions relatively close to the endocardium in the ventricular wall can be cauterized. Tip electrodes having two electrodes shown in FIGS. 13 and 14 are proposed. However, the effect of improvement in the contact with organisms and the cooling with the circulating blood stream is insufficient. Electrodes having a great dimension which are called large tip electrodes cause a decrease in the operability due to the great diameter of the electrode although the output power is great and the cooling with the circulating blood stream is improved. Therefore, an ablation catheter which has an electrode having a small diameter, exhibits excellent operability and can provide a great output power has been desired.
The present invention has an object of providing an ablation catheter having a tip electrode which has a small diameter, is brought into excellent contact with organisms, can provide a great output power and is easily cooled with the circulating blood stream.


A method and system for notifying an administrator when a user of a document processing device, such as a multifunction peripheral device, requests a change in the configuration of the document processing device. A user accesses the document processing device via a user interface, requesting that the configuration of the device be altered. The user then provides identification information verifying the identity of the user. An authentication server then determines whether or not the identified user is authorized to make the change in the device configuration. Access is denied to unverified or unauthorized users attempting to change the configuration of the document processing device. In the event that the user is verified, but not authorized to make the requested change, the authentication server rejects the requested change and notifies the administrator of the attempt to change the configuration. When the user is both verified and authorized to make a requested change, the device configuration is subsequently altered, conforming to that requested configuration, and a notice is transmitted to the administrator containing information related to the change in configuration.

This invention is directed to a system and method for monitoring configuration changes in a document processing device. More particularly, this invention is directed to a system and method that generates a notification to an administrator or supervisor when a user of a document processing device, such as a multifunctional peripheral device, requests a change in the configuration of the document processing device.
The management and control of a document processing device, such as a multi functional peripheral device, is a major task. Typically setting usage policies, access control to the document processing device, and device configuration is performed via an administrator, supervisor, or other authorized user having access to such features. However, often these functions are performed on document processing devices which do not have acceptable verification or authentication procedures ensuring that only authorized users perform such functions in place to prevent unauthorized users from performing such functions. Certain functions nonetheless must be available for modification by end users of office peripherals. However, if certain changes are made, they may ultimately lead to problems if left in a modified state, or lead to problems if combined with other machine modifications.
The subject invention remedies the afore-noted problems, and provides a mechanism by which modifications to office peripherals may be monitored by a system administrator who may then take any steps deemed advisable to make sure equipment is ready for subsequent use.

System and method for monitoring configuration changes in a document processing device


Example embodiments relate to radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags for liquid monitoring. An example RFID tag includes an antenna configured to communicate with an RFID reader. The antenna includes a radiating plane. The antenna also includes a ground plane. The RFID tag is attachable to a container. A reactance associated with the antenna is modifiable based on a temperature and a volume of a liquid within the container and adjacent to the ground plane. The RFID tag also includes an integrated circuit that includes a memory. The integrated circuit is configured to modulate the antenna in response to an RFID signal from the RFID reader based on the reactance associated with the antenna.

Unless otherwise indicated herein, the materials described in this section are not prior art to the claims in this application and are not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.
Many industries today rely on radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology to identify, track, and authenticate items. For example, RFID systems may be utilized to determine the current location of articles of interest, inventory control and tracking, asset tracking and recovery, and the like. RFID technology can achieve substantial cost-savings and other operational improvements relative to alternative means of tracking, such as human-readable labels or machine-read barcodes.

Radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags for liquid monitoring


A diagnosable seat belt latch system for use in a vehicle seat belt system provides a latch assembly incorporating a force sensitive sensor interposed between a latch housing and a pressure distribution bushing. A pivoting latch arm having a latch tab at one end for engaging an orifice of a seat belt buckle transfers a compressive load to the force distribution bushing and thereby to the force sensor. A signal processor diagnoses the force sensor to determine whether the seat belt is latched and generates a signal to a vehicle safety restraint system based on the determination.

A vehicle may contain several types of safety restraint systems that are activated responsive to a vehicle crash or are employed prior to a vehicle crash for purposes of mitigating occupant injury. Examples of such restraint systems include air bags, seat belt systems including seat belt pretensioners, and deployable knee bolsters.
Since the object of these safety restraint systems is to mitigate occupant injury in the event of a collision, it is desirable that they operate reliably. For this reason, it is generally desirable to be able to sense the operability of vehicle safety systems prior to a collision so that in the event that such a system becomes inoperative corrective action may be taken.
Air bag inflators are designed with a given restraint capacity, as for example, the capacity to protect an unbelted normally seated fiftieth percentile occupant when subjected to a 30 MPH barrier equivalent crash, which results in associated energy and power levels which can be injurious to out-of-position occupants. While relatively infrequent, cases of injury or death caused by air bag inflators in crashes for which the occupants would have otherwise survived relatively unharmed have provided the impetus to reduce or eliminate the potential for air bag inflators to injure the occupants which they are intended to protect.
One technique for mitigating injury to occupants by the air bag inflator is to reduce the power and energy levels of the associated air bag inflator, for example by reducing the amount of gas generant in the air bag inflator, or the inflation rate thereof. This reduces the risk of harm to occupants by the air bag inflator while simultaneously reducing the restraint capacity of the air bag inflator, which places occupants at greater risk for injury when exposed to higher severity crashes.
Generally, occupants who are unbelted or improperly belted are at greater risk of injury in a crash than are properly belted occupants, whether or not the occupant is protected by an air bag inflator, even for relatively mild collisions.
Known mechanisms for sensing the latching of a seat belt buckle to a seat belt latch use a seat belt latch assembly employing one or more mechanical switches to sense proper closure of the latch. However, such mechanical switches are expensive, unreliable, and typically can not be diagnosed by a processor. A mechanical switch employing a set of switch contacts to open or close a circuit thereby indicating the seat belt latch state to a processor operatively connected thereto does not have the ability to inform the processor of whether the switch has malfunctioned in an open or closed state. For example, a set of mechanical switch contacts stuck in an open state appears to the processor as an unlatched seat belt, i.e., an open circuit condition. Conversely, a set of mechanical switch contacts stuck in a closed state appears to the processor as a latched seat belt, i.e., a closed or short circuit condition.