A method and a system for updating software stored in a flash memory, which enables a user to resume a suspended updating process even when log data stored in a journaling area is lost. According to the present invention, log data indicating the results of implementation of each step of the updating process is stored in a journaling area allocated in a flash memory to update the software. The data stored in the journaling area is copied into a first backup journaling area allocated in the flash memory whenever each step is completed. Concurrently, log data indicating the copying results is stored in a second backup journaling area.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a method and a system for updating software, and more particularly to a method and a system for updating software stored in a flash memory.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the rapid development of portable devices, such as mobile communication terminals and PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants), digital convergence has driven a new trend to combine a variety of functions and shorten the model replacement cycle. Accordingly, it becomes more likely that new portable devices are supplied on the market with undesired functional defects that have not been detected during the development stage. Also, after completion of the development of a portable device, an additional function may need to be released in a patch form.
In such cases, the software of already-sold portable devices must be updated to correct or upgrade the software defects. Qualified service engineers from the device supplier or after-sales service centers may directly visit all the users of the defective portable devices. Alternatively, the users can visit the after-sales service centers to update the software of their portable devices.
To eliminate such trouble, an OTA-SD (Over The Air-Software Download) has been suggested for portable devices capable of mobile communications. The OTA-SD is a download scheme that accesses a predetermined server through the Internet, and selects an update file to be downloaded and downloads the update file onto a portable device. It is also possible to primarily download an update file onto a PC through the Internet and then transfer the same update file from the PC to a portable device using an USB (Universal Serial Bus) cable.
After downloading an update file, usually, the user reboots the portable device being updated. The updating process is implemented by erasing a area storing a software code to be updated in a non-volatile memory where software is generally stored, and storing a downloaded update software code in the area to be updated. Commonly, a flash memory is used as a non-volatile memory that stores software in a portable device. The flash memory stores software, such as boot codes, application programs, font binaries, and content binaries.
However, the process of updating a portable device by downloading update software may be interrupted by an abnormal cause, for example, when the portable device is suddenly turned off by the separation of a battery. To prepare for the sudden interruption of the updating process, journaling can be implemented. When journaling is utilized, a backup area and a journaling area are allocated in a flash memory so that data stored in a area to be updated can be copied into the backup area and log data indicating the results of implementation of each step of the updating process can be stored in the journaling area. The updating process comprises the steps of copying the data stored in a area to be updated into the backup area, erasing the area to be updated, and storing an update software code in the area to be updated. By having a backup copy of the data stored in the area to be updated before erasing it, it is possible to minimize the chance of losing the data without being updated, when an unexpected power loss occurs after erasure of the area to be updated. Also, upon completion of each of the copying, erasing, and storing steps, log data indicating the results of implementation of each step is stored in the journaling area. Accordingly, when rebooting a device after a temporary power loss during the updating process, the user can refer to the stored log data to resume the updating process from a proper point.
Either an NOR-type flash memory or an NAND-type flash memory can be used as a flash memory storing software in a portable device. Unlike the NOR flash memory, the NAND flash memory often loses all the log data stored in the journaling area when implementing an updating process including a journaling step. The NOR flash memory continuously stores new log data generated during the updating process in an erased journaling area. In other words, after storing one log data in the journaling area, the NOR flash memory stores additional log data next to the previous log data in the journaling area, without erasing the previous log data. The operation of storing log data continues until the journaling area is filled with log data.
Unlike the NOR flash memory, the NAND flash memory has a limitation in the NOP (Number of Program). The NAND flash memory always executes the erase operation before attempting to store data. In the NAND flash memory, the erase operation is executed in 16-Kbyte blocks, while the program and read operations are executed in 512-byte pages. The NOP refers to the number of programming and storing operations, which can be executed without erasing data in a once-erased page. The NOP of the main memory area is defined differently according to NAND flash memory device suppliers.
If the programming and storing operations in the NAND flash memory exceeds the defined NOP, it cannot be guaranteed to correct bit errors due to the physical properties of the NAND flash memory. Because the NAND flash memory operates in pages while programming, a high voltage is supplied to a bit to be programmed and to the other bits within the same page. Accordingly, if the NAND flash memory is programmed to store additional data next to the previous data in the same page without erasure, the previous data will likely be overwritten to be replaced by the new additional data. Then, single bit errors will be repeatedly caused, which may lead to an incorrectable double or multiple bit errors in the NAND flash memory. Because of the double or multiple bit error, the NAND flash memory will have incorrect data. Therefore, if a program operation is executed to store data in an erased NAND flash memory area, the NAND flash memory, unlike the NOR flash memory, cannot keep storing log data without erasure until the journaling area is filled.
If journaling is applied to update software of a portable device because of the physical properties of the NAND flash memory, it will be necessary to first erase the journaling area and then execute a program operation whenever storing log data. However, when an unexpected power loss occurs after erasure of the journaling area, there may be a possibility of losing all the log data previously stored in the journaling area. Accordingly, log data stored in the Journaling area is moved into a RAM (Random Access Memory) before erasing the journaling area. However, if a power loss occurs after erasing the journaling area and before storing new log data from the RAM in addition to the previous log data in the journaling area, all the log data will likely be lost. Therefore, the journaling step for preventing data loss that may be caused by an unexpected power loss during an updating process will be useless in the NAND flash memory.
As stated above, the NAND-type flash memory is required to repeat the erase and program operations to store data. Therefore, journaling may be useless when updating software in a portable device that stores software in the NAND flash memory.


A method and system for performing injects of halogen gas into the chambers of a two chamber gas discharge laser such as a MOPA excimer laser for allowing operation of the laser within acceptable parameters and compensating for ageing effects without the necessity of performing refills is described. A parameter reflecting efficiency of the laser is measured, and the change in the parameter with respect to the length of laser operation is estimated. The change in the parameter with respect to the pressure in one of the chambers is also measured. At a given time, the total change in the value of the parameter is estimated, and from this change in pressure that is needed to reverse the change in the value of the parameter is calculated. The pressure in the chamber is then changed to correct for the amount of time that the laser has been in operation.

One type of gas discharge laser used in photolithography is known as an excimer laser. An excimer laser typically uses a combination of a noble gas, such as argon, krypton, or xenon, and a reactive halogen gas such as fluorine or chlorine. The excimer laser derives its name from the fact that under the appropriate conditions of electrical stimulation and high pressure, a pseudo-molecule called an excimer (or in the case of noble gas halides, an exciplex) is created, which can only exist in an energized state and can give rise to laser light in the ultraviolet range.
Excimer lasers are widely used in high-resolution photolithography machines, and are thus one of the critical technologies required for microelectronic chip manufacturing. Current state-of-the-art lithography tools use deep ultraviolet (DUV) light from the KrF and ArF excimer lasers with nominal wavelengths of 248 and 193 nanometers respectively.
While excimer lasers may be built with a single chamber light source, the conflicting design demands for more power and reduced spectral bandwidth have meant a compromise in performance in such single chamber designs. One way of avoiding this design compromise and improving performance is by utilizing two chambers. This allows for separation of the functions of spectral bandwidth and pulse energy generation; each chamber is optimized for one of the two performance parameters.
Such dual-gas-discharge-chamber excimer lasers are often called Master Oscillator-Power Amplifier, or "MOPA," lasers. In addition to improving the spectral bandwidth and pulse energy, the efficiency of the dual chamber architecture can enable the consumable modules in MOPA lasers to reach longer operational lifetimes than their counterpart modules in single chamber light sources.
In each chamber, as the light source discharges energy across its electrodes to produce light, the halogen gas, fluorine in the case of ArF or KrF lasers, is depleted. This causes a decrease in the laser efficiency which is seen, for example, as an increase in discharge voltage required to create a given desired pulse energy. Since the discharge voltage has an upper limit determined by physical constraints of the hardware, steps must be taken to replenish the lost fluorine so that the voltage remains below this limit and the laser continues to function properly.
One way to do this is with a full replenishment of the gas in the chambers, called a refill, where all of the gas is replaced while the laser is not firing to return the gas content in the chamber to the desired mix, concentration and pressure. However, refills are extremely disruptive as the laser must be shut off during the refill process, and thus the lithographic exposure of semiconductor wafers must also be paused in a controlled manner at the same time and then restarted when the laser is again operational to avoid improper processing of the wafers. For this reason, it is typical to refill both chambers at once to save time, although this is not necessary.
The need for a refill can depend on several complex and often unpredictable variables, including the light source firing pattern and energy, the age of the light source modules, and others that will be familiar to those of skill in the art. For this reason, refills are typically done on a regular schedule, which ensures that the light source operation will never suffer unanticipated interruption due to the light source reaching its operational limit. Such a regular schedule generally yields very conservative upper limits on the time between refills, such that some users of the light source operating at low pulse usages might be able to wait for a much longer period of time between refills than is provided by the simple schedule.
Given the demands of increased throughput and light source availability, efforts have been made to minimize light source stoppage for refills. One way of doing this is by performing a partial replenishment of the gas in the chambers, known as an inject, rather than a full refill. As long as the laser is able to continue to operate within certain parameters, it is not necessary to shut the laser down for the inject, and thus processing may continue during the inject process.
Another factor that decreases efficiency is the ageing of the laser; older excimer lasers are in general less efficient than newer ones. However, it can be difficult to separate the effects of ageing from the effects of fluorine concentration that is not optimal, particularly when the control of the fluorine is not precise.
A number of prior methods and systems have been described for managing injects, including, for example, how to determine when an inject should occur and the amount of halogen gas to be provided by the inject. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,741,639 and 7,835,414, owned by the assignee of the present application. However, such prior art still requires that a refill be done at some point to keep the laser within operating parameters.
Further, many of these prior art techniques do not have adequate control of the fluorine concentration to be able to tell whether a given loss of efficiency is due to the fluorine level or to the ageing of the laser. As a result, those using such prior art techniques generally assume that any loss of efficiency is due to a fluorine problem and attempt to adjust the fluorine to compensate, and thus do not compensate for the ageing of the laser in any way.
It would be desirable to have a method that allows a laser to operate within acceptable parameters for a longer period of time using only injects rather than refills to replenish the gas in the chambers, so that the laser need not be shut off during the refill procedures. It would also be desirable to be able to compensate for the ageing of the laser as part of such a method using only injects rather than refills.

System and method for extending gas life in a two chamber gas discharge laser system


Vegetables or macerated vegetables were washed with water passed through ion-exchange resins capable of removing NO.sub.3 - and NO.sub.2 -ions to remove nitrate nitrogen harmful to human body, then pulverized by freeze-drying. Then, powdered vegetable juice is obtained by adding components effective for healthy life thereto.

Recently, water pollution with nitrate nitrogen is becoming serious social concern year by year together with ground water contamination with organochlorine compounds such as trichloroethylene. Nitrate nitrogen which are contaminants of said ground water and also derive from nitrogen fertilizers and pesticides also exist as nitrates and nitrites in organisms.
That is, organic nitrogen contained in debris will penetrate into soil, become decomposed into ammonia nitrogen therein and subsequently oxidized to nitrate through nitrite.
Therefore, nitrate nitrogen is widely distributing in many plants, particularly in vegetables since nitrate nitrogen in ground water, although mainly exist as nitrates in ground water, after easily translocated together with ground water, or nitrate nitrogen derived from fertilizers or pesticides again are taken up by plants and incorporated into organisms.
Toxicity of said nitrates to human is believed due to reduction of nitrate by microorganisms in the body to nitrites. It is well known that said nitrites not only oxidizes hemoglobin having an important rule as an oxygen transporter in blood to methemoglobin which lacks the oxygen transport ability, resulting in oxygen deficiency in various organs, but also causes adverse effect such as senescence of blood vessels. Further, it is known that nitrites reacts in stomach with secondary amines, non-carcinogens, to form nitrosoamines, carcinogens.
As ordinary methods to obtain powdered vegetable juice or powdered vegetables as food supplements, several methods are proposed; a method to freeze-dry fresh vegetables followed by pulverization using a mill, a method to dry fresh vegetables using a dryer followed by pulverization using a mill, another method to squeeze fresh vegetables avoiding decomposition of components, freeze-drying the resulting liquid followed by further pulverization using a mill. But, there are no methods referring nitrate nitrogen harmful to human body, contained in or deposited on vegetables.

Powdered vegetable and/or fruit juice and manufacturing process thereof


The invention provides a liquid crystal display element and a light-modulating material each containing at least one low molecular weight gelling agent, at least one dichroic dye having a substituent represented by formula (1) and at least one host liquid crystal between a pair of electrodes at least one of which is a transparent electrode. Representations in formula (1) are: Het, O or S; B1 and B2, divalent arylene, heteroarylene or alicyclic hydrocarbon group; Q1, divalent linking group; C1, alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkoxy, alkoxycarbonyl, acyl or acyloxy group; j, 0 or 1; p, q and r, an integer 0 to 5; n, an integer 1 to 3; and (p+r)×n is an integer 3 to 10.-(Het)j-[(B1)p-(Q1)q-(B2)r]n-C1  Formula (1)

1. Technical Field
The invention relates to a liquid crystal display element and a light-modulating material. In particular, the invention belongs to technical fields of a guest-host liquid crystal display element and a light-modulating material.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the spread of the digital technology, the importance of a display for displaying digital information (hereinafter referred to as "electronic paper") has been increasing. The performance required for the electronic paper includes a high visual recognition and low electric power consumption. High visual recognition means white background similar to paper, and hence a display method based on light-scattering white background similar to paper is suited. On the other hand, as to the electric power consumption, the reflection type display system has lower power consumption as compared with that of self light-emission display system. Many systems have been proposed so far for the electronic paper. Examples include a reflection type liquid crystal display system, electrophoresis display system, magnetophoresis display system, dichroic ball rotation system, electrochromic display system, and leucothermal system. Any of these methods is not satisfactory from the viewpoint of high visual recognition, and improvement therefore has been demanded.
The importance of light-modulating materials as environment-friendly materials has increased. Regarding the light-modulating materials, while light-modulating methods that have been investigated include, in addition to light and heat, modulation by stimulating with electrical modulation methods, but these methods are not yet at a satisfactory level, and further improvements are required.
While many display methods have been proposed for the liquid crystal display element, among the various methods a guest-host liquid crystal display element looks promising since bright display is possible with such an element and it is applicable to reflection display methods. A guest-host liquid crystal display element displays by placing a liquid crystal composition including a dichroic dye dissolved in a nematic liquid crystal into a cell and sealing it, applying an electric field, and changing the orientation of the dichroic dye in accordance with the movement of the liquid crystal by the electric field thereby changing the light absorption state of the cell. In guest-host liquid crystal display elements, different from in conventional liquid crystal display methods, since a driving method requiring no polarizer is possible, brighter displays may be expected. Examples of proposed guest-host methods using no polarizer, that is to say methods for realizing a light absorption state that are not dependent on polarized light, include a method taking advantage of a chiral nematic phase by a combination of a liquid crystal and a chiral reagent, and a polymer dispersion method (PDLC) taking advantage of complexing a liquid crystal with a polymer matrix. However, display performance of these methods is not at a satisfactory level, and improvements of the methods are required.
A liquid crystal composition to which a low molecular weight gelling agent is added has been disclosed for a liquid crystal display element comprising a nematic liquid crystal (for example, see J. Mater, Chem. Vol. 12, p 2197-2201, 2002). The patent publication describes that switching between scattering/transmission states is possible by gelling the nematic liquid crystal.
While a host-guest method using the low molecular weight gelling agent has been disclosed (for example, see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 2001-21924), display performance thereof is not at a satisfactory level yet.

Liquid crystal display element and light-modulating material


The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for pouring molten material, such as molten metal, into a casting mold so that the amount of melt can be weighed in connection with the pouring. In order to keep the pouring height of the molten material low and its motion as smooth as possible during the pouring step, the bottom of the ladle containing molten material is designed to be essentially curved, with such a radius of curvature that the thickness of the molten layer located in the ladle is, even at its thickest, only a fraction of the length of the radius of curvature of the bottom. The casting method of the invention is advantageously realized by means of a cradle arrangement of the ladle according to the invention.

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for pouring molten material, such as molten metal, into a casting mold so that the amount of molten material can be weighed in connection with the pouring. In order to keep the pouring height of the molten material low and its motion as even as possible during the casting operation, the bottom of the ladle containing the molten material is designed to be essentially curved, having such a radius of curvature that the thickness of the molten layer located in the ladle is, even at maximum, only a fraction of the radius of curvature of the bottom. The casting method of the invention is advantageously realized by means of a ladle bearing apparatus according to the invention.
The casting of molten metal and its weighing in the same connection is essential for instance when casting metal anodes, because the next process step after casting is electrolysis, where one prerequisite for achieving a high efficiency is a uniform quality of the anodes, with respect to both shape and weight. In most known methods, anodes are nowadays cast in open molds.
Anode casting is generally accomplished by inclining the ladle by means of a hydraulic cylinder, which tilts the cradle on top of which the ladle is arranged. The cradle and the other end of the hydraulic cylinder are attached with bearings to a bridge. The cradle, the hydraulic cylinder and the bridge float on top of a complex leverage, which transforms the vertical forces directed to the ladle to a force which can be measured by one or several traction sensors.
In the prior art there is known a method and apparatus described in the Canadian patent 924,477 for weighing molten material in connection with pouring. This patent introduces a ladle with a curved bottom, wherein the height of the molten layer at the beginning of the casting process is of the same magnitude as the radius of curvature of the bottom. When the height of the ladle is of the order of the radius of curvature, the ladle must, during casting, be shifted on top of the mold. This type of solution is difficult to construct, if the ladle is supported from underneath, as is customary with ladles at present. It is also clear that the pouring height of the molten material becomes remarkably great, and this makes it splash. The U.S. Pat. No. 3,659,644 describes a similar type of ladle where the height of the ladle is of the same order as the radius of curvature.
In the prior art there are also known other arrangements which combine the pouring and weighing of molten material, and where the bottom of the ladle is essentially flat. In these arrangements, the pouring height of molten material is low. In some cases, the accelerating of molten material into motion from the flat bottom of the ladle may cause an erroneous impression of increased mass in the weighing sensor.

Method and apparatus for pouring molten material


A steering assembly (10) for turning steerable wheels of a vehicle in response to rotation of a steering wheel (12) includes a pinion (30). A steering member (14) is movable axially to effect turning movement of the steerable wheels of the vehicle. The steering member (14) has a rack portion (34) for engagement with the pinion (30) and an externally threaded screw portion (38). A ball nut (140) extends around the screw portion (38) of the steering member (14) and has an internal thread (144). A plurality of balls (200) are disposed between the internal thread (144) on the ball nut (140) and an external thread (40) on the steering member (14) for transmitting force between the ball nut and the screw portion (38) of the steering member. An electric motor (50) includes a rotor (132) drivingly connected to the ball nut (140) and a stator (70). The stator (70) when energized effects rotation of the rotor (132) and, thereby, rotation of the ball nut (140). The steering assembly includes a one-piece molded plastic member (60) having a first axial portion (62) disposed adjacent to the pinion (30), a second axial portion (66) encapsulating and supporting the stator core (72) and the stator windings (82), and a third axial portion (110) supporting the ball nut (140) for rotation with the rotor (132).

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a vehicle power assist steering system. In particular, the present invention relates to an electric power assist steering system which includes an electric assist motor for applying force to a steering member, such as a rack.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A known type of vehicle power assist steering system includes a ball nut for transmitting force between a steering member and an electric assist motor. Upon actuation of the electric motor, the ball nut is driven to rotate relative to the steering member. The rotational force of the ball nut is transmitted to the steering member to drive the steering member axially. Axial movement of the steering member effects turning movement of the steerable wheels of the vehicle.
The housing of the assist motor is made from metal. The metal housing weighs up to about five pounds or more. This becomes a substantial portion of the weight of an electric assist steering system.

Electric steering system with plastic motor tube


A vacuum fluorescent display driver and method for driving a vacuum display device includes a segment selecting circuit which selectively applies a potential of a particular polarity to a segment to illuminate that segment and a grid driver circuit which applies a potential of that polarity to the grid in order to illuminate the device. A filament supply supplies a current to the filament during a first portion of a duty cycle in order to heat the filament and applies a potential of polarity opposite to that applied to the filament during a second portion of the duty cycle in order to produce a potential between the filament, the grid, and any segment which is selected sufficient to illuminate the selected segments. The driver is especially adapted for use with a microcomputer particularly in a vehicle display mirror, such as a compass mirror.

This invention relates generally to drivers for electronic display devices and, in particular, to a display driver for a vacuum fluorescent display. The invention finds application in vehicle electronic systems, such as display mirrors, as well as non-automotive applications. Advantageously, the present invention facilitates the use of vacuum fluorescent displays in battery operated devices.
A vacuum fluorescent display is similar in structure to a triode vacuum tube. The display includes a filament which must be kept hot in order to emit electrons and a grid which controls the flow of electrons from the filament to one or more phosphorous-coated segments. When a voltage differential of sufficient magnitude exists between the filament and a particular segment, the segment phosphors thereby emitting light. The grid typically determines whether an entire digit is ON or OFF and may also provide an intensity control in order to control the intensity of the digit. Alternatively, the intensity level of the digit may be controlled by Pulse-Width Modulation (PWM) of the signal turning on particular segments of the display.
One particular type of driver 10 for a vacuum display 12 (one digit only of which is shown in FIG. 1) requires a power supply 14 which produces both a positive polarity voltage, such as +5 volts, and an opposite polarity voltage, such as -7 volts. A microcomputer 16 having a built-in driver has output lines 18 connected directly with individual segments 20a-20g of display 12. Microcomputer 16 additionally produces an output 22 in order to operate grid 24. Filament 26 of display 12 is supplied with approximately 1 volt from the negative terminal of power supply 14. This is accomplished by supplying -7 volts to one terminal of the filament and -8 volts to the opposite terminal for a voltage drop of 1 volt. As long as grid 24 is maintained at +5 volts, any segment 20a-20g driven to +5 volts by microcomputer 16 is lit because of approximately a 12-volt differential between each such segment and filament 26. Non-lit segments are driven to -7 volts which produces no voltage differential between that segment and the filament. When grid 24 is at +5 volts, the digit is operable. When microcomputer 16 drives grid 24 to -7 volts, the entire digit is dark.
The difficulty with display driver 10 is that it requires a complex bipolar (3 output) power supply. Many systems, such as vehicular electrical supply systems, supply power at a single polarity typically between +9 volts DC and +18 volts DC (+12 volts DC nominal). Accordingly, circuitry to convert a unipolar power source to bipolar power supply adds extra cost and complexity to the system.
An alternative prior art vacuum fluorescent display driver circuit 30 is provided which is compatible with the unipolar nature of a vehicle power source. Display driver circuit 30 includes a microcomputer 32 which is operable from a +5 volt source and a separate driver circuit 34 which receives a coded output 36 from microcomputer 32 and decodes the output to provide appropriate signals via output lines 38 to display 12. Driver circuit 34 is operated from +12 volts which is of the same polarity as the source for microcomputer 32. Accordingly, both microcomputer 32 and display driver 30 are compatible with vehicular electrical supply systems. In order to produce the necessary voltage differentials to illuminate the various segments, driver circuit 34 switches output lines 38 to +12 volts in order to light a segment and to zero volts in order to cause a segment to remain dark. Grid 24 is supplied with +12 volts in order to switch the digit ON and at zero volts in order to turn the digit OFF. Driver circuit 34 supplies a +12 volt output which is used to heat filament 26. In order to supply the appropriate power to the filament, it is necessary to drop the 12 volts to 1 volt using a resistor R in series with filament 26. The other terminal of filament 26 is connected to ground. Therefore, filament 26 is close to zero volts. When a particular segment is supplied with +12 volts, a 12-volt differential exists between that segment and the filament in order to light the segment.
Although display driver 30 is compatible with vehicular supply voltages, it is not without its difficulties. A separate driver circuit is required in order to convert output voltages of the microcomputer to voltage levels sufficient to operate the vacuum display device. This adds cost and complexity to the circuit. Also, the necessity for a resistor to drop the supply voltage for the filament from +12 volts to +1 volt dissipates a significant amount of power resulting in a significant power consumption for the display driver. For example, display driver 30 requires approximately 150 milliamps at 12 volts DC.


A switching system includes an interrupt notification unit which enables a first telephone, when a dial tone is being sent to the first telephone prior to dialing of a phone number of a second telephone, to notify its user of an incoming call from a third telephone. An interrupt call control unit enables a connection between the first telephone and the third telephone to be established when a predetermined number for accepting the incoming call is dialed on the first telephone after the notification of the incoming call.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a switching system which provides a call waiting service for a terminal equipment.
The call waiting service, provided by a switching system, enables a terminal equipment, which is already active in a communication, to notify its user of an incoming call from a third party. The switching system of this type acts to interrupt the existing communication and establish a connection between the terminal equipment and the third party""s terminal equipment.
(2) Description of the Related Art
As disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 9-270855, a switching system which provides a call waiting service for telephones is known. Suppose that a conventional switching system of this type interconnects a first telephone, a second telephone and a third telephone through circuit switching. When the first telephone is already active to start communication or talk with the second telephone and an incoming call from the third telephone to the first telephone occurs, the conventional switching system acts to enable the first telephone to notify its user, at a start of the communication or talk, of the incoming call from the third telephone. Further, when the first telephone is placed in an on-hook condition after the notification of the incoming call, the conventional switching system acts to establish a connection between the first telephone and the third telephone, so as to allow the user of the first telephone to communicate with a user of the third telephone.
In the above-described switching system, an incoming call from a third party is notified to the user of the first telephone at the start of the talk with the second telephone. The user of the third telephone has to wait for a reply from the first telephone until the talk with the second telephone starts and then the user takes any action. In other words, the third party will not have an answer from the first telephone so long as the communication between the first telephone and the second telephone does not start. This has been inconvenient to the user of the third telephone.
Further, in a case of an incoming call from the third telephone to the first telephone occurring in the above-described switching system when the switching system is in a state that a ringing tone is being sent to the first telephone while a ring-back tone is being sent to the second telephone after a phone number of the first telephone is dialed on the second telephone. In this case, it is impossible for the above-described switching system to provide the call waiting service for the first telephone. The user of the third telephone has to redial the number to call the first telephone again after the communication between the first telephone and the second telephone is terminated. This has been inconvenient to the user of the third telephone.
An object of the present invention is to provide an improved switching system in which the above-mentioned problems are eliminated.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a switching system which provides an improved call waiting service for a terminal equipment and is effective in speedily processing the notification of an incoming call from a third party to a user of the terminal equipment.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a switching system which provides an improved call waiting service for a terminal equipment even when a ringing tone is being sent to the terminal equipment after the phone number of the terminal equipment is dialed on a second terminal equipment, and which is effective in speedily processing the notification of an incoming call from a third party to a user of the terminal equipment.
The above-mentioned objects of the present invention are achieved by a switching system which interconnects a first telephone, a second telephone and a third telephone through circuit switching, the switching system including: an interrupt notification unit which enables the first telephone, when a dial tone is being sent to the first telephone prior to dialing of a phone number of the second telephone, to notify its user of an incoming call from the third telephone; and an interrupt call control unit which enables a connection between the first telephone and the third telephone to be established when a predetermined number for accepting the incoming call is dialed on the first telephone after the notification of the incoming call.
The above-mentioned objects of the present invention are achieved by a switching system which interconnects a first telephone, a second telephone and a third telephone through circuit switching, the switching system including: an interrupt notification unit which enables the first telephone, when a phone number of the second telephone is being dialed on the first telephone, to notify its user, at an end of the dialing, of an incoming call from the third telephone; and an interrupt call control unit which enables a connection between the first telephone and the third telephone to be established when the first telephone is placed in an on-hook condition after the notification of the incoming call.
The above-mentioned objects of the present invention are achieved by a switching system which interconnects a first telephone, a second telephone and a third telephone through circuit switching, the switching system including: an interrupt notification unit which enables the first telephone, when a ring-back tone is being sent to the first telephone after a phone number of the second telephone is dialed on the first telephone, to notify its user of an incoming call from the third telephone; and an interrupt call control unit which enables a connection between the first telephone and the third telephone to be established when the first telephone is placed in an on-hook condition after the notification of the incoming call.
The above-mentioned objects of the present invention are achieved by a switching system which interconnects a first telephone, a second telephone and a third telephone through circuit switching, the switching system including: an interrupt detection unit which detects an incoming call from the third telephone to the first telephone when a ringing tone is being sent to the first telephone while a ring-back tone is being sent to the second telephone after a phone number of the first telephone is dialed on the second telephone; and an interrupt notification unit which enables the first telephone, which is active in a communication with the second telephone by placing the first telephone into an off-hook condition in response to the ringing tone, to notify its user, at a start of the communication, of the incoming call from the third telephone.
In a preferred embodiment of the switching system of the present invention, when a dial tone is being sent to the first telephone prior to dialing of a phone number of the second telephone and an incoming call from the third telephone occurs, the notification of the incoming call from the third telephone can be speedily made to the user of the first telephone. Further, the switching system of the present invention acts to establish a connection between the first telephone and the third telephone when a predetermined number for accepting the incoming call is dialed on the first telephone after the notification of the incoming call. Hence, the switching system of the present invention is effective in providing an increased convenience to the user of the third telephone.
In a preferred embodiment of the switching system of the present invention, when a phone number of the second telephone is being dialed on the first telephone and an incoming call from the third telephone occurs, the notification of the incoming call can be speedily made to the user of the first telephone at the end of the dialing. Further, the switching system of the present invention acts to establish a connection between the first telephone and the third telephone when the first telephone is placed in an on-hook condition after the notification of the incoming call. Hence, the switching system of the present invention is effective in providing an increased convenience to the user of the third telephone.
In a preferred embodiment of the switching system of the present invention, when a ring-back tone is being sent to the first telephone after a phone number of the second telephone is dialed on the first telephone and an incoming call from the third telephone occurs, the notification of the incoming call can be speedily made to the user of the first telephone. Further, the switching system of the present invention acts to establish a connection between the first telephone and the third telephone when the first telephone is placed in an on-hook condition after the notification of the incoming call. Hence, the switching system of the present invention is effective in providing an increased convenience to the user of the third telephone.
In a preferred embodiment of the switching system of the present invention, an incoming call from the third telephone to the first telephone is detected when a ringing tone is being sent to the first telephone while a ring-back tone is being sent to the second telephone after a phone number of the first telephone is dialed on the second telephone. Further, the switching system of the present invention enables the first telephone, which is active in a communication with the second telephone by placing the first telephone into an off-hook condition in response to the ringing tone, to notify its user, at a start of the communication, of the incoming call from the third telephone. Hence, the switching system of the present invention is effective in providing an increased convenience to the user of the third telephone.

Switching system for providing an improved call waiting service


Methods, apparatuses, systems, and computer-readable media for an anonymization service level improvement system (“ALI”) are described. One or more transactions may be generated by a system to be transmitted outside of a secure area. The ALI may anonymize these transactions and anonymization may be measured by reference to one or more anonymization metrics, including, but not limited to, k-anonymity, l-diversity, and t-closeness. The ALI may be configured to determine current values for the metrics and whether current anonymization is sufficient to provide a pre-determined service level. If the service level is not sufficient, then the ALI may generate fake anonymized transactions to be output to satisfy the pre-determined service levels of the one or more anonymization metrics. Results may be received which may include valid and invalid results. The ALI may remove the invalid results before returning the valid results to the system. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.

The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. 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 computing systems deal in transactions involving sensitive data. For example, health care information systems frequently utilize patient data which can only be shared under carefully prescribed, secure circumstances. Similarly, financial systems, including banking, credit, and/or payroll systems, utilize account or balance information that must be secured in order to prevent misuse, such as identity theft.
Despite these security needs, however, many systems must utilize less-secure computing resources, such as cloud-based servers or storage, or even the use of less-secure communication channels in between secure systems, in order to perform necessary activities. In such circumstances, there may exist a tension between the needs for security and the need to use the less-secure resources. One solution to this problem has been to anonymize data that is sent between systems. For example, information identifying a particular patient may be stripped from a transaction request before it is sent from a secure system, while leaving information that is needed to complete a transaction request. In other techniques, information about multiple persons may be combined to generate anonymized transaction requests.
However, not all anonymization techniques always produce desired levels of anonymization. For example, if only one transaction is transmitted from a system in an hour and only one person was known to use the system that hour, user anonymity may effectively be negated for that transaction. In another example a study with data about a group of people with leg fractures may have indications of other medical conditions the people in the study have. If only one of the people in the study has coronary artery disease, and there is only one person over age 70 in the group, that person's identity may be compromised. Thus, simple anonymizing of transactions may not be sufficient to obtain a desired level of anonymity.

Reaching anonymization service levels through added transactions


A can distribution apparatus includes an assembly forming an endless path interconnecting a plurality of distribution locations for support movement of cans to and between distribution locations and an assembly for simultaneously advancing cans of varying degrees of fullness and readiness to a textile machine. The can distribution locations include a textile machine delivery location, a can return location, a full can supply location, and a can receipt location. The advancement of each can is effected simultaneous with the advancement of the other cans in the endless path independent of whether the can is empty, partially loaded or contains a full load and whether the full load is prepared for delivery or not. A detector detects the sliver fullness of each can on the endless path and signals this information to a control device which controls the distribution of cans to the various can distribution locations. A sliver end preparation device prepares full cans for delivery to a textile machine and a detector detects the presence or absence of an end in a preferred position. The control device prevents the distribution of cans having a full load of unprepared sliver to a textile machine in response to a signal from the detector.

The invention relates to a can distribution apparatus between at least one textile machine, which is to be supplied with filled cans and from which empty cans are to be removed and which processes sliver, and a line or temporary can store that receives empty cans and discharges filled cans, having a station for transferring empty cans from a can transport means to the can distribution apparatus and for transferring full cans to the can transport means, and having a station for discharging empty cans and delivering full cans.
German Offenlegungsschrift DE 38 05 203 A discloses a sliver can distribution assembly in which empty cans are reloaded with sliver and disposed on an endless path for travel to locations at which the full cans are transferred to movable carts for subsequent movement to a spinning machine. The movable carts also dispose empty cans on the endless path for movement to the sliver reloading device to receive fresh loads of sliver.
British Patent Specification 910,761 discloses an apparatus for transporting sliver containers between a sliver coiling station in which sliver is coiled into the containers and a draw frame at which sliver is drawn from the sliver containers. An endless path extends between the coiling machine and the draw frame for movement of the sliver containers with full loads of sliver from the coiling device to the draw frame and for movement of empty sliver containers from the draw frame to the coiling device. While these known sliver can transport arrangements are operable to simultaneously transport empty and full sliver containers between a device for reloading sliver into the containers and a location at which containers with a full load of sliver are positioned adjacent a textile machine such as a draw frame or a spinning machine, none of these prior art arrangements provide the capability to transport cans having a full load of sliver but not in a desired readiness condition for transfer to a textile machine for automatic engagement of the sliver in the can. While other prior art arrangements have been proposed for transporting such cans to a textile machine, there is still room for improvement in a sliver can distribution apparatus which efficiently transports cans in various degrees of sliver fullness and in varying degrees of readiness for delivery to a textile machine.

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The inventions relates to crimping pliers with two hand levers (3, 5) and two actuation elements (9, 10) located in the region of a pliers head (4). The actuation elements (9, 10) actuates dies (12) between which a workpiece can be crimped. A toggle lever drive (33) with two toggle levers (34, 35) which build a toggle lever angle (36) acts between the hand levers (3, 5) and the actuation elements (9, 10). One toggle lever (34) is built by a roller (23) which is pivotably mounted to the hand lever (5). The roller (23) rolls along a curved track (24) fixed at the other hand lever (3). A forced locking unit (48) is built with a toothed latching lever (28) which is supported for being rotated relatively to the roller (23).

During the crimping process of a workpiece the increasing plastical deformation of the workpiece between the dies requires a crimping force which increases during the crimping process. For known crimping pliers the hand forces manually applied upon hand levers of the crimping pliers are transmitted to the dies by a drive mechanism such that it is possible to generate the required maximal crimping forces by manual actuation of the hand levers.
The publications DE 197 13 580 C2, DE 197 09 639 A1, DE 199 24 086 C2, DE 199 24 087 C2, DE 199 63 097 C1, DE 103 46 241 B3, DE 10 2007 001 235 B4, DE 10 2008 007 303 B4 disclose embodiments of crimping pliers wherein the drive mechanism is built with a toggle lever drive. Here, the crimping pliers are built with a C-shaped pliers head in which crimping jaws are moved with a translational movement towards each other by the toggle lever drive. It is also possible that the pliers head has a "scissors-like" design with crimping jaws being pivot-mounted at each other. Here, a toggle lever of the toggle lever drive is linked to one of the crimping jaws. During the working stroke from an open position into a closed position of the crimping pliers the toggle lever angle built between the toggle levers in the region of the toggle lever joint changes. When approaching the closed position, the toggle lever angle approximates an angle of 180°. This kinematic of the toggle lever drive has the consequence that at the beginning of the working strokes small crimping forces are produced with a comparatively large closing movement of the pliers jaws during a part of the stroke of the hand levers, and at the end of the working stroke large crimping forces are produced with a small closing movement of the pliers jaws in the corresponding part of the stroke of the hand levers. Here, the chosen lengths of the toggle levers and the linking points of the toggle levers at the hand levers and pliers jaws and accordingly the angular setting determine the characteristic of the closing movement of the pliers jaws and the produced crimping forces dependent on the closing movement of the hand levers.
The publication of the design U.S. 341,303 discloses crimping pliers for crimping fittings for tube connections. For these crimping pliers it is possible to pivot the pliers jaws about a common rotational joint. A pliers jaw is rigidly connected with a fixed hand lever, whereas the other pliers jaw is coupled by a pivoting joint with a movable hand lever. Here, a toggle lever drive is built according to the principle "roller-curve" as follows: A roller is mounted for pivoting about a roller axis at the fixed hand lever. The movable hand lever carries a guiding part which forms a curved track. For a movement of the hand levers towards each other the movable hand lever is supported with the curved track at the roller which is pivot-mounted at the fixed hand lever. In this case, one toggle lever is built by the roller, namely the material region of the roller extending between the contact point of the roller at the curved track and the roller axis. Instead, the other toggle lever is built between the contact point between the roller and the curved track and the pivot axis at which the movable hand lever is linked to the movable pliers jaw. The "toggle lever joint" is for this embodiment built by the rolling contact of the roller with the curved track so that there is no "joint" in the classical sense. If during the closing movement of the hand levers the roller rolls along the curved track, dependent on the contact point of the roller with the curved track the length of the last mentioned toggle lever changes and the position of the toggle lever joint at the curved track changes. Accordingly, by the choice of the geometry of the curved track, it is possible to additionally affect the characteristic of the crimping pliers.
For crimping pliers so-called forced locking units are used which serve for the following purposes:
a) By use of a forced locking unit it is intended to provide that it is only possible to open the hand levers and accordingly to open the crimping pliers when having completely run through the whole working stroke of the crimping pliers so that the crimping process has completely been terminated.
b) It is possible that during travel through the working stroke after a part of the stroke the actuating forces applied by the user to the hand levers are reduced. This might e.g. be the case for an interruption of the crimping process or if the user intends to change the gripping of the crimping pliers so that the user changes his grip. If there was a reduction of the crimping force, this might result in a dislocation of the workpiece relative to the die which is undesired. Once a partial crimping step is reached, by use of the forced locking unit it is possible to secure the reached partial crimping step so that also for a reduction or removal of actuating forces applied upon the hand levers the crimping jaws are not able to perform an opening movement or are only able to perform an opening movement of reduced extent.
Crimping pliers having a forced locking unit are e.g. known from DE 20 2012 102 561 U1, DE 10 2013 100 891 A1, DE 299 14 764 U1 and EP 1 820 607 A2.
DE 10 2007 056 262 A1 discloses crimping pliers wherein a toggle lever drive is built according to the above explained principle roller-curve. In these crimping pliers a forced locking unit is used. Here, a toothing of the forced locking unit is located at the end region of the movable pliers jaw facing away from the die, whereas a spring-biased latching pawl of the forced locking unit is pivot-mounted to the movable hand lever.
For the formation of the drive mechanism with a toggle lever drive without use of the principle roller-curve, usually a toothing of a forced locking unit is built by a protrusion of a toggle lever which is also denoted as a pressure lever. This toothing cooperates with a latching pawl which is pivot-mounted to the movable hand lever under the bias of a spring (cp. EP 0 732 779 B1).

Abstract: A lever part (30) of the toothed latching lever (28) is coupled by a sliding guide to the hand lever (3), whereas the other lever part (29) of the toothed latching lever (28) forms a toothing (31) for latching of the forced locking unit (48).


Apparatus permitting adjustment of the length of a section of an illuminated sign such as is used to provide a visual indication of a particular service provided by a given vendor, such as a vendor of service station products and services, the invention provides for fitting of a last section of a succession of sections to a particular lengthwise dimension mandated by the structure to which the illuminated sign is mounted. Illumination sources, particularly sets of light emitting diodes, cause both forwardly and rearwardly directed light to be respectively diffused through a diffuser or reflected from a surface to which the sign is mounted to provide a glow yielding the intended visual affect. At least certain of the light emitting diodes are mounted by sliding elements movable along an elongated track to permit location of said light emitting diodes in an appropriate location within a section which has been trimmed to an appropriate length, thereby providing a desired illumination along the length of the trimmed section or along the length of a section which does not require adjustment of its lengthwise dimension.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to visual displays such as are used about upper portions of a periphery of building structure such as a service station to provide a degree of illumination and a visual indication assocaited with a particular vendor or the like, the invention particularly relating to an illuminated fascia of a canopy or the like having light emitting diodes as the illumination source mounted by sections at least one of which can be trimmed to length as necessary to fit within a succession of sections intended to accommodate particular dimensions of an installation.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Buildings are commonly provided with illuminated fascia intended primarily to provide a visual indication of a commercial service associated with a particular vendor, such illuminated fascia typically being disposed about upper peripheral portions of a building with which commercial activity is associated. In particular, service station installations which include pumps for dispensing gasoline and the like are typically provided with building structure which surmounts and effectively shelters the pumps. As an identification of the particular vendor providing products and services at a particular location, illuminated fascia having particular coloration is disposed about the upper periphery of the building so that a potential user of such products and services can identify the source of the products and services and be guided to the location. In the prior art, various illumination sources, particularly incandescent and fluorescent illumination sources, have been used to produce light at least some of which is diffused through a colored diffuser and some of which is reflected from surfaces to which the diffuser and the light sources are mounted with the result being that a visual signal of at least one color is produced. The illumination so provided is intended to be attractive and part of an architectural statement made by the overall design of the service station or the like. Considerable practical problems exist with prior art illuminated fascia of this kind since incandescent and fluorescent light sources frequently require replacement due to the relatively short operational life thereof, it being necessary for a worker to scale a ladder to reach the elevated location of the illuminated fascia for changeout of a burned out lamp. Further, during installation of such illuminated fascia, it is often necessary to trim at least one section of a succession of sections of such illuminated fascia to a particular lengthwise dimension so that the length of the overall fascia can be caused to fit the lengthwise dimension of the building to which the fascia is mounted. In such situations, it is desirable to enable utilization of a single section both for fascia sections which can remain a full given length and for that section which must be trimmed to a particular lengthwise dimension in order to result in a desired fully installed length. Such a standard section which is capable of use with or without trimming must be configured so that the illumination provided in both the trimmed and untrimmed conditions is relatively constant along the full length of such sections. Existing illuminated fascia are presently produced commercially by entities such as Marketing Displays, Inc., a number of patents being assigned to this corporation such as U.S. Pat. No. RE 36,039 to Hillstrom et al, this patent disclosing a colored translucent body functioning as a light dispersion member such that light produced by illumination sources within the translucent body is diffused through said body to provide a visual signal of at least one color. Such illuminated fascia systems used at service stations and the like also typically provide backlighting which is reflected from fascia panels formed on surfaces of a building per se, the fascia panels reflecting light which can be the same or a different color from the colored light diffused through the translucent body forming a portion of the illuminated fascia. While the prior art has provided illuminated fascia useful in the manner so described, a long-felt need has been experienced in this field for advancements in the art which would reduce the need for frequent replacement of light sources and for improved installation of such illuminated fascia so that differing lengths of overall installations can be readily accommodated with desired illumination levels along full lengths of such installations. The present invention intends improvement of the art to the end of providing solutions to such long-felt needs.

Length adjustment device for illuminated fascia


An ink set for ink-jet recording includes a plurality of color inks, wherein the following formulae (a) to (d) are satisfied.Light OD reduction rate (X %)=[(A−B)/A]×100  (a)Ozone OD reduction rate (Y %)=[(C−D)/C]×100  (b)Total OD reduction rate (Z %)=X+Y<about 40%  (c)Zmax−Zmin<about 15%  (d)“A” and “B” are OD values before and after a light fastness test for a first single-color patch, respectively, and “c” and “D” are OD values before and after an ozone resistance test for a second single-color patch, respectively. “Zmax” and “Zmin” are a maximum and a minimum of all the total OD reduction rates (Z), respectively.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ink set for ink-jet recording which contains a plurality of color inks and which has a satisfactory color fading balance in a printout caused by light or ozone in the actual environment.
2. Description of the Related Art
An ink set for ink-jet recording generally includes a plurality of color inks such as a yellow ink, a magenta ink, and a cyan ink. In color printouts obtained by ink-jet recording using these color inks, a problem of color fading is caused by an action of light or ozone in air, because these color inks include organic dyes or organic pigments as colorants.
Consequently, a colorant having good light fastness and a colorant having good ozone resistance have been proposed as colorants used for an ink set for ink-jet recording.
In this situation, in a plurality of color inks constituting a known ink set for ink-jet recording, satisfactory light fastness and satisfactory ozone resistance cannot be realized at the same time. Therefore, after a color printout prepared by using an ink set for ink-jet recording is left to stand for a long time in an actual environment in which light and ozone are present at the same time, a problem of disruption of the color fading balance of the color printout occurs.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A method, apparatus and computer program product for feedback-based online network coding is presented. In one embodiment, a transmitting node determines a linear combination of packets to transmit from a transmit queue. The transmitting node transmits the linear combination of packets. The transmitting node determines whether a packet can be removed from the transmit queue, wherein when a determination is made that a packet can be removed from the transmit queue then removing the packet from the transmit queue, and when a determination is made that a packet cannot be removed from the transmit queue then refraining from removing the packet from the transmit queue.

Reliable communication over a network of packet erasure channels is a well-studied problem. Several solutions have been proposed, especially in the case when there is no feedback. One such solution is known as digital fountain codes. The digital fountain codes constitute a well-known approach to this problem. From a block of k transmit packets, the sender generates random linear combinations in such a way that the receiver can, with high probability, decode the block once it receives any set of slightly more than k linear combinations. This approach has low complexity and requires no feedback, except to signal successful decoding of the block.
Another known solution involves the use of random linear network coding. Random linear network coding was originally introduced for the case of error-free networks with specified link capacities, and was extended to the case of erasure networks. In contrast to fountain codes, the random linear network coding solution does not require decoding at intermediate nodes and can be applied in any network. Each node transmits a random linear combination of all coded packets it has received so far. This solution ensures that with high probability, the transmitted packet will have what is called the innovation guarantee property, i.e., it will be innovative to every receiver that receives it successfully, except if the receiver already knows as much as the sender. An innovative packet is a linear combination of packets which is linearly independent of previously received linear combinations, and thus conveys new information. Thus, every successful reception will bring a unit of new information. This scheme is shown to achieve capacity for the case of a multicast session.
Yet another known solution utilizes priority encoding transmission (PET). PET a works by proposing a code for the erasure channel that ensures that a receiver will receive the first (or highest priority) i messages using the first ki coded packets, where ki increases with decreasing priority. This is extended to systems that perform network coding. A concatenated network coding scheme is known which incorporates a delay-mitigating pre-coding stage. This scheme guarantees that the kth innovative reception will enable the receiver to decode the kth message. In such schemes however, the ability to decode messages in order requires a reduction in throughput because of the pre-coding stage.
Others have studied the queue stability and delay of block-based random linear coding versus uncoded Automatic Retry reQuest (ARQ) for stochastic arrivals in a broadcast setting. However, this work does not consider the combination of coding and feedback in one scheme. In still another related work, others have studies the case of load-dependent variable sized coding blocks with acknowledgements (ACKs) at the end of a block, using a bulk-service queue model. One of the differences in the present invention is that a receiver ACKs packets even before decoding them, and this enables the sender to perform online coding.
Online feedback-based adaptation of the code has been considered, and a coding scheme for the case of two receivers proposed. This work focuses on the maximum possible stable throughput, and does not consider the use feedback to minimize queue size or decoding delay. Still others have studied study the throughput of a block-based coding scheme, where receivers acknowledge the successful decoding of an entire block, allowing the sender to move to the next block. Next, they consider the option of adapting the code based on feedback for the multiple receiver case. They build on the two-receiver case and propose a greedy deterministic coding scheme that may not be throughput optimal, but picks a linear combination such that the number of receivers that immediately decode a packet is maximized. In contrast, embodiments of the present invention incorporate throughput-optimal policies that aim to minimize queue size and delay.
In other work an erasure coding algorithm called Tetrys has been proposed to ensure reliability in spite of losses on the acknowledgment path. While this scheme also employs coding in the presence of feedback, this approach is to make minimal use of the feedback, in order to be robust to feedback losses. As opposed to such an approach, the present invention uses the available feedback to improve the coding scheme and other performance metrics. For instance, in the earlier scheme, packets are acknowledged (if at all) only when they are decoded, and these are then dropped from the coding window.
However, by way of the present invention by dropping packets when they are seen, a smaller coding window is maintained without compromising on reliability and throughput. A packet is considered seen when the receiving node receives a linear combination including the packet and only subsequent packets, with respect to some fixed ordering on the original packet stream. A smaller coding window translates to lower encoding complexity and smaller queue size at the sender in the case of stochastic arrivals.
The use of ACKs and coded retransmissions in a packet erasure broadcast channel has been considered for multiple unicasts and multicast. The main goal of these works however, is to optimize the throughput. Other metrics such as queue management and decoding delay are not considered. In the present invention the focus is on using feedback to optimize these metrics as well, in addition to achieving 100% throughput in a multicast setting. The presently disclosed coding module is specified using the more general framework of seen packets, which allows the derivation of the drop-when-seen queue management algorithm and bring out the connection between the physical queue and virtual queue.


A stereoscopic display device in accordance with the present invention utilizes a display screen for displaying images for right and left eyes. The display device comprises: a drawing circuit which generates image data for the right and left eyes according to view point data including view point position and light of sight directions, and object data to be displayed; and image processing unit which determines an attention target object from the plurality of objects to be displayed according at least to the shortness of the distance from the view point position to the object position, modifies the line of sight directions for the images for the right and left eyes according at least to the distance of the attention target object, and provides view point data and object data to the drawing circuit, where the drawing circuit performs perspective conversion based on the modified line of sight directions. If the attention target object comes closer, the line of sight directions corresponding to the right and left screens are modified according to the distance between the object and view point position, and perspective conversion is performed based on the modified line of sight directions, therefore images displayed on the display screen can conform to natural human perception.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display device utilizing a head mount display or another stereoscopic display device which generates stereoscopic images by computer graphics utilizing parallax of both eyes of a human being, and a recording media where a program for executing the image processing is recorded.
2. Description of the Related Art
A purpose of computer graphics is providing actual sensations to a user, as if being in the scene, and for ordinary display screens, which are two-dimensional planes, various means are used to represent in the two-dimensional plane an object in a three-dimensional space which actually exists. A head mount display, in particular, intends to give sensations to the user, just like looking at the external world with his/her own eyes by such a display as a liquid crystal display, mounted directly before both eyes of the user.
FIG. 6 shows a schematic diagram depicting the status where a user is looking at images created by computer graphics, on a head mount display. Computer graphics are created based on the view point of the user, indicated by the left eye 30 and the right eye 32 of the user. In the example of FIG. 6, objects A34, B35 and C36 exist in a virtual three-dimensional space of computer graphics. The computer graphic images are created for the left and right eyes, by converting an object in three-dimensional space to perspective views on the two-dimensional planes of the left and right display screens respectively, where view points are positions of the left eye 30 and the right eye 32 respectively, and the lines of sight direction from the right and left view points are the direction toward a point at infinity. Then the user will see three-dimensional stereoscopic images on the head mount display utilizing parallax caused by different view point positions of the left and right eyes 30 and 32.
When three-dimensional stereoscopic images are created by computer graphics and are viewed by a head mount display utilizing parallax of both eyes, as described above, images when an object is approaching the user are sometimes seen as unnatural. This is because when human eyes see an object at close range, the lines of sight move inward according to the distance of the object, but with computer graphics, perspective conversion is performed by fixing the line of sight to a point at infinity, regardless the distance from the human eyes to the attention target object.
Therefore an object of the present invention is to provide a head mount display or another stereoscopic display device that generates natural images, similar to images as a human being actually sees as a moving object, when stereoscopic images created by computer graphics utilizing parallax of both eyes are seen, and a method for generating computer graphic images.
The above objective can be achieved by a display device in accordance with the present invention which utilizes a display screen which displays images for right and left eyes, and comprises: a drawing circuit which generates image data for the right and left eyes by perspective conversion processing according to object data to be displayed and to view point data including view point position and light of sight directions; and image processing unit which determines an attention target object from the plurality of objects to be displayed according to the distance from the view point position to the object position, modifies the line of sight directions for the images for the right and left eyes according to the distance from said view point to the attention target object, and provides view point data including the modified line of sight directions and object data to the drawing circuit.
If the attention target object comes closer, the line of sight directions corresponding to the left and right screens are modified according to the distance between the object and view point position, and perspective conversion is performed based on the modified line of sight directions, therefore images displayed on the head mount display or another stereoscopic display can conform to natural human perception.
The above object can also be achieved by providing a computer-readable recording medium recording a program for generating a view point data and an object data, for a stereoscopic display device including: a display screen which displays images for right and left eyes, and a drawing circuit that generates image data for said right and left eyes by perspective conversion processing according to the view point data including a view point position and line of sight directions, and the object data to be displayed, said program executing image processing procedure of:
determining an attention target object from said plurality of objects to be displayed according to the distance from said view point position to said object position,
modifying the line of sight directions for said images for the right and left eyes according to said distance, and
inputting said view point data and the object data to the drawing circuit.
As a consequence, an object the human being will pay attention to can be forecasted according at least to the distance between the object and the view point direction, and a realistic stereoscopic image can be displayed by changing the line of sight directions dynamically to the direction of the object.
The above stereoscopic display can be applied to not only a head mount display device and also another stereoscopic display device, in which an image for right eye and an image for left eye are displayed frame by frame alternately, and right and left shutters provided between the display and right and left eyes are closed or opened alternately in sync with the images. Further, there has been proposed a stereoscopic display device which includes a lenticular lens or parallax barrier between the display and human beings so that human beings does not necessary to wear any eye glasses or head mount display. This type stereoscopic display device can also employ the present invention.

Stereoscopic display device and recording media recorded program for image processing of the display device


Methods are disclosed for forming subwavelength coatings for use in the UV, visible, or infrared part of the electromagnetic spectrum. A first material and a second material are deposited onto a substrate. The first material may include dielectric spheres of subwavelength size that self-assemble on the substrate to form a template or scaffold with subwavelength size voids between the spheres into which the second material is deposited or filled. First and second materials are heated on the substrate at a preselected temperature to form the subwavelength coating.

Optical coatings such as Low-E coatings are used in windows to block solar heating via infrared electromagnetic radiation in buildings which improves energy efficiency by reducing cooling (HVAC) costs. New coatings and structures referred to as optical subwavelength coatings and structures (defined as acting in the UV, visible, or infrared), plasmonic, photonic, or metamaterials are now being developed by various research groups that are expected to allow tailored scattering of both visible and infrared light in ways not possible with previous coating technologies. The tailored spectral scattering response of new optical subwavelength coatings and structures is expected to go beyond what is currently possible with conventional thin films and coatings that have been limited by material properties that govern classical scattering at interfaces such as, for example, dielectric constants, roughness, and film thickness. For example, new subwavelength structures used as coatings may be expected to deliver substantial energy savings in buildings through spectral control of scattering of both visible and infrared light. One estimate suggests up to 30% of annual heating and cooling may be provided by dynamically controlling infrared transmission using selected window coatings. Additional savings may be possible by selective spectral control of window coatings that allows transmission of visible light while dynamically switching only the infrared light. However, current approaches for making subwavelength structures are not scalable or are prohibitively expensive to produce. Therefore these coatings cannot be applied to cover large areas (e.g., on buildings) or manufactured at a low cost for good market penetration. Accordingly, new processes are needed that enable production of subwavelength coatings that are scalable to very large areas, that have a high throughput, that can be manufactured at a low cost, and that provide spectrally selective properties in the UV, visible, and infrared portions of the electromagnetic spectrum. The present invention addresses these needs.

Subwavelength coatings and methods for making and using same


The present application relates to certain substituted imidazole compounds, pharmaceutical compositions containing them, and methods of using them, including methods for treating pain, musculoskeletal inflammation, neuroinflammatory disorders, airway inflammation, itch, dermatitis, colitis and related conditions.

The actions of Protease Activated Receptor-2 (PAR2) are thought to be involved in pain, musculoskeletal inflammation, neuroinflammatory disorders, airway inflammation, itch, dermatitis, colitis and related conditions. The protease activated receptors are composed of four family members (PAR1, PAR2, PAR3 and PAR4), which are G-protein coupled receptors activated by a proteolytic cleavage of the N-terminal region of the receptor (Ramachandran, Hollenberg et al, Nature Reviews Drug Discovery, 2012, 11 69-86). Upon proteolytic cleavage, the receptor then is activated for second messenger activation and cellular responses. Many enzymes are known to cleave the N-terminal region of PAR receptors to initiate this process such as thrombin, trypsin, mast cell tryptase, kallikreins and related enzymes in the inflammatory and coagulation cascades. Other ligands are known to activate the receptor, such as short peptides like SLIGKV-NH2 (SEQ ID NO.: 2), SLIGLR-NH2 (SEQ ID NO.: 3) or small molecule ligands such as GB-110 (Fairlie et al, Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 2013, 56, 7477-7497).
PAR2 expression has been shown to be increased in synovial lining, chondrocytes, and tissues in human rheumatoid arthritis and animal models of arthritis (Amiable, N. et al, Bone, 44, 1143-1150). PAR2 also potentiates signaling via channels such as TRPV1 (Dai, et al Journal of Innate Immunology, 2010, 2, 495-504), a ligand-gated ion channel involved in inflammatory pain. PAR2 signaling is also known to sensitize TRPV1 in vivo, resulting in thermal hyperalgesia.
The inhibition of PAR2 receptors is known to be responsible for inflammatory signaling pathways. In mice lacking the PAR2 receptor, there is a delayed onset of inflammation (Linder et al, Journal of Immunology 2000, 165, 6504-6510). Other rodent PAR2 knockout studies have demonstrated that PAR2 plays an important role in pathophysiology of many disease conditions such as pain, musculoskeletal inflammation such as osteoarthritis, neuroinflammatory disorders, airway inflammation, itch, dermatitis, colitis and related conditions (Fairlie et al, Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 2013, 56, 7477-749). PAR2 receptor antagonists such as GB88 have also been shown to block inflammatory responses in vivo such as collagen-induced arthritis model in rats (Fairlie et al, FASEB Journal, 2012, 26, 2877-2887).
PAR2 antagonists are thus thought likely to provide benefit to numerous people and to have a potential to alleviate pain and inflammation related conditions.

Inhibitors of protease-activated receptor-2


A zoom lens system includes a negative first lens group, a diaphragm, and a positive second lens group, in this order from the object. Zooming is performed by moving the negative first lens group and the positive second lens group along an optical axis of the zoom lens system. The negative first lens group includes a negative first lens element, a negative second lens element, and a positive third lens element, in this order from the object.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a zoom lens system, and in particular, relates to a zoom lens system appropriate for a digital camera.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In recent years, for the purpose of being used with a digital camera utilizing a solid-state image sensor such as a miniaturized imaging device or CDD, a smaller zoom lens system, which has a small (fast) f-number, and has a variable angle-of-view, has been in demand.


An on-chip loop filter includes a 1st resistor, a 1st capacitor, a 2nd capacitor, a 3rd capacitor, a 2nd resistor, and a 4th capacitor. The 1st resistor is operably coupled to receive a charge pump output. The 1st capacitor is coupled in series with the 1st resistor where the second node of the 1st capacitor is coupled to a return. The 2nd capacitor is coupled in parallel with the series combination of the 1st resistor and 1st capacitor. The 3rd capacitor is coupled in parallel with the 2nd capacitor. The 2nd resistor is coupled to a node of the 3rd capacitor and to a node of the 4th capacitor. The other node of the 4th capacitor is coupled to ground. To enable these components to be placed on-chip, the 1st capacitor is of a 1st capacitor construct having a 1st quality factor, the 2nd capacitor is of a 2nd capacitor construct having a 2nd quality factor, where the 2nd quality factor is greater than the 1st quality factor, and the 3rd and 4th capacitors are of a 3rd capacitor construct having a 3rd quality factor, which is greater than the 2nd quality factor.

1. Technical Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to wireless communication devices and more particularly to phase locked loops.
2. Description of Related Art
CMOS (complimentary metal oxide semiconductor) technology has enabled the integration of very complex circuitry into very small integrated circuit packages. However, some components must remain off-chip due to the precision needed, value flexibility needed, and/or the excessive die area required to implement the component on-chip. For instance, components of a loop filter of a local oscillation generator (which includes a phase locked loop) used in radio frequency integrated circuits by both the transmit and receive sections are off-chip. While the off-chip components allow for greater flexibility in value selection, greater precision, and/or die area savings, it comes at the cost of pin count and increased noise.
As is known, at radio frequency (RF) frequencies (e.g., in the gigahertz), coupling between integrated circuits and external components via pins and board traces adds unwanted parasitics (e.g., inductance and capacitance) to the loop filter that adversely effect the performance of the local oscillation generator and hence adverse effects the overall performance of the radio frequency integrated circuit.
Therefore, a need exists for an on-chip loop filter for use within a local oscillation generator that provides similar advantages as off-chip components and minimizes the disadvantages.


A track-bound vehicle converter comprises a block-wave generator (20) configured to be connected to a direct voltage source (21) and connected to a series resonance link (34), or to an inductive link, for providing the input of a direct converter (41) with semi sinusoidal current pulses. The direct converter has at least one phase leg (42-44) having on one hand one switch (45-47) connected to the link (34) and able to block voltages in both directions thereacross and conduct current in both directions therethrough and on the other a capacitor (48-50) connected in series therewith. The voltage across the capacitor (48-50) of the direct converter is used to provide a converter output with an alternating voltage.

The present invention relates to a track-bound vehicle converter as well as a track-bound vehicle having at least one such converter.
Such a converter is arranged in a track-bound vehicle, such as a rail vehicle, for converting a direct voltage to an alternating voltage or vice versa for different purposes. The invention also includes indirect AC/AC converters, i.e. converters with two stages, interconnected on their DC sides. The invention is not restricted to any number of phases of this alternating voltage, although single phase and three phase voltages are most common, neither is the invention restricted to any particular levels of such voltages or electric power to be fed through said converter.
The present invention is primarily directed to an auxiliary converter, i.e. a converter configured to deliver a voltage on the converter output to be used for electrical appliances, such as through socket outlets arranged in the track-bound vehicle and the heating/cooling system of the vehicle. However, the invention does also cover motor converters configured to deliver power through the converter output to a motor used to drive the vehicle as well as line converters configured to                in driving mode absorb power from the AC supply line via the main transformer connected to its AC side and feed it to the motor converter connected to its DC side and        in braking mode absorb power from the motor converter and feed it to the main transformer and back to the AC supply line.
FIG. 1 illustrates schematically how these three types of converters may be arranged in a track-bound vehicle 1. It is shown how the vehicle is in this case configured to move along an AC-supply line 2, which accordingly acts as a AC-source and which may for example carry an one-phase alternating voltage of 15 kV and 16⅔ Hz (Sweden) and 25 kV and 50 Hz (Denmark). The vehicle has a transformer 3 for transforming the voltage from the supply line 2 to a suitable level. The transformer has here two secondary windings 4, 5, one of which being connected to a converter 6 for delivering a direct voltage of for example 1.5-3 kV on the output thereof. This direct voltage is delivered to an auxiliary converter 7, which is controlled by a control unit 8 for generating a train of pulses according to a Pulse Width Modulation pattern for delivering a three-phase alternating voltage on the output thereof. The output of the converter is connected to a three-phase transformer 9 as well as harmonic filters 10 for smoothing out the alternating voltage delivered by a distribution network 11 to sockets arranged in the track-bound vehicle, such as for connection of computers, and to lighting, heating and other appliances.
The other secondary winding 4 of the transformer 3 is connected to a converter 12 configured to deliver a direct voltage on the output thereof to the input of a motor converter 13 controlled by a control unit 14 in a similar manner as the control carried out by the control unit 8 for delivering a three-phase alternating voltage on the output thereof to motors 15 in the form of electric machines, for driving the vehicle. The control unit 14 will receive orders from the driver of the vehicle for adapting the frequency of the voltage delivered to the stator windings of the motors to the vehicle speed being desired. In the case of braking the vehicle electric power will flow in the direction from the motors to the AC-supply line 2 through the converter 12 then acting as a line converter controlled through a control unit 16 to deliver a single phase alternating voltage on the output thereof.
The invention is just as well directed to track-bound vehicle converters to be used in vehicles fed by a power supply line in the form of a DC-source, and in such a case the part to the left of the dashed line 17 in FIG. 1 is not needed, but the direct voltage supply line will then be connected via a line filter inductor to the direct voltage side of the converters 7 and 13 close to said dashed line 17. However, the DC-power supply line may then be connected to a DC/DC-converter controlled by a control unit if the DC-power supply voltage is for example 3 kV for adjusting the supply voltage level to the motor converter 13 and the auxiliary converter 7 to for example 1 500 V.
The control units 8, 14, 16 of these converters utilising a Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) scheme for controlling the converters which produces voltage pulses on the outputs thereof with steep flanks, such as in the order of 2 000 V/μs, resulting in high requirements of insulations, such as in bearings, stator winding pockets and so on for avoiding creation of detrimental eddy currents. Furthermore, heavy and costly filters (only shown for the auxiliary converter in FIG. 1) have to be connected to the outputs of these converters for removing low and high frequency harmonics resulting from the switching of components of the converters producing the pulses.


A dustproof lens assembly includes a holder and a barrel. The holder has an inner space, in which an image sensor is received. The holder and the barrel have connecting portions for engagement and a block portion is provided between the inner space and the connecting portions to block dust between the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion out of the inner space of the holder and give the image sensor a clean environment.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an optical lens assembly, and more particularly to a dustproof lens assembly.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 shows an image catch unit 1 of an electronic product, such as digital camera, digit personal assistant (PDA), and mobile phone, includes an optical lens assembly 2 and an image sensor 3. The image sensor 3 is electrically connected to a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) 4, and the optical lens assembly 2 is mounted on the image sensor 3. The optical lens assembly 2 includes a holder 5, on a bottom of which the image sensor 3 is provided, a barrel 6 mounted on the holder 5 and lens 7 mounted in the barrel 6. Light is emitted to the image sensor 3 through the lens 7 and the holder 5 to generate an image signal. The FPCB 4 receives the image signal and transmits it to a circuit board of the electronic product.
The barrel 6 and the holder 5 have a threaded section 8 respectively so that the barrel 6 is screwed into the holder 5. We find that dust always is received between the threaded sections 8 of the barrel 6 and the holder 5 and will drop onto the image sensor 3 when the image catch unit 1 is moved or vibrated. The dust on the image sensor 3 will greatly affect a performance of the image sensor 3.
An improved lens assembly was provided to avoid the dust problem, which provides a film around the image sensor to block the dust. In practice, the film blocks the dust under the image sensor only. The dust between the threaded sections of the barrel and the holder still drops onto the image sensor directly rather than onto the film while the image catch unit is leaning. As a result, this lens assembly still has dust on the image sensor.