An optical correlator system having a plurality of reflective optical components, both active and passive, positioned (1) between a source of electromagnetic radiation, such as a visible beam of coherent light, and an output detector array, and (2) around an asymmetrical perimeter of a planar support body to develop an asymmetrically folded optical axis or path wholly within the body where the path is traversed by the beam SO THAT information processed by the active optical components along the optical path and imparted to the optical beam enable the optical detection of an unknown object at the detector array which is then subject to an identification process.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention is an optical correlator system having reflective optical components positioned along an asymmetrically folded optical axis or path between an electromagnetic radiation beam generator, which can be a laser that generates a beam of coherent light, and an output light detector for recognition of information processed along the optical path by active ones of the reflective optical components.
2. Description of the Related Art
Optical correlators can perform complex pattern recognition more rapidly than known digital techniques. Optical correlators are capable of processing large amounts of data in a data stream that can be useful in the detection, extraction and classification of desired information included in the data. Although known optical systems can perform extremely high speed, two-dimensional pattern recognition, their development has been hindered by the lack of suitable optical components; particularly at the input plane and at the spatial filter plane. However, the recent development of magneto-optic display assemblies (for example, see William E. Ross' U.S. Pat. No. 4,550,983, which is assigned to the same assignee) now provide a two-dimensional array of electronically programmable light shutters or valves that can be used to enter information into optical correlators at very high rates, e.g., at this time about 2000 frames per second. Such optical correlators can operate in, or nearly at, real-time. [See Mills and Ross, "Dynamic Magneto-optic Correlator: Real-time Operation", Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE) Acoustic-Optic, Electro-Optic and Magneto-Optic Devices and Applications (1987) vol. 753, pp 54-63.]
U.S. Pat. No. 5,148,496 by Robert H. Anderson, similarly assigned, teaches a discoid optical correlator system having reflective optical components positioned along a symmetrically folded optical axis or path between a source of light and an output light detector.
The discoid optical correlator system of Patent '496 has the folded optical path developed within a special disk. By definition, the disk is circular in shape and its perimeter or rim is regular. As a circle, its diameter D is the root in any determination of a folded optical path which is composed of one or more path segments (D, 2D,..nD). Therefore, each segment has a length determined by D, and each is of equal length as taught by this Patent. Also, the total length of the optical path and the number of its path segments in a folded configuration within the discoid is limited by its regular circumference or perimeter. This further determines the number of optical correlator components that can be positioned along the optical path.
The '496 Patent also teaches that the optical components are either active or passive. Its active optical components, excluding the laser diode and the charge coupled detector (CCD) array, are the input spatial light modulator (SLM) chip and the filter SLM chip. The passive components are the several concave and plane mirrors. These active and passive components are positioned along the symmetrical optical path between the laser diode and the CCD detector array in a sequence dictated by the disk diameter D which interposes passive optical components to link the active components. In the '496 Patent, the linear optical correlator path which is symmetrically folded within the discoid structure does not sequentially alternate and interpose the passive optical components in a desired active-passive-active-passive arrangement between a source of electromagnetic radiation and a detector array.

Reflective optical correlator with a folded asymmetrical optical axis


An improved capacitive discharge ignition apparatus includes disable circuitry for permitting shut-off of the engine. The disable circuitry includes a SCR and a transistor in series to provide a bypass for current that would otherwise charge the ignition capacitor. The SCR is gated by a RC circuit charged by momentary contact of a user-actuated switch. The transistor is rendered conductive only during periods when a positive voltage is induced on the charge coil, thereby limiting discharge of the RC circuit. In addition, the RC circuit is regeneratively charged by a leakage current through the SCR gate. The disable circuitry thus achieves engine stoppage regardless of the time required.

The present invention generally relates to an improved ignition system for use in an internal combustion engine. More particularly, the invention relates to a discharge ignition apparatus configured to permit engine shut off.
It is often desirable to provide a "kill switch" to disable the ignition of a small gasoline engine. In many designs, an ignition switch is provided that remains in either an "On" position or "Off" position until changed by the user. Thus, the user is required to ensure that the switch is in the "On" position before the engine can be restarted.
In other designs, a momentary contact switch is provided to disable operation of the engine. In this case, the user will typically depress the "kill switch" while the engine is running. Even if the contact switch is subsequently released, holding circuitry may be provided to continue the ignition disable until the engine comes to rest. An example of this type of system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,193,385 to Katsumata, incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention is directed to novel ignition arrangements including a shut off feature.

Discharge ignition apparatus for internal combustion engine having shut-off feature


Step keys, a step key assembly, and a terminal having the step key assembly are disclosed. An individual step key includes a first slope portion inclined at a first predetermined angle, a second slope portion inclined at a second predetermined angle in the opposite direction to the first slope portion, a recess having a first height and opened under the first slope portion in the forward direction of the step key, a protrusion having a second height lower than the first height and extended from under the second slope portion in the rear direction of the step key, and an extension extended from under the first and second slope portions.

This application claims priority to an application entitled xe2x80x9cStep Keys, Step Key Assembly, and Terminal Having the Step Key Assemblyxe2x80x9d filed in the Korean Industrial Property Office on May 16, 2000 and assigned Serial No. 2000-25975, and to an application entitled xe2x80x9cStep Keys, Step Key Assembly, and Terminal Having the Step Key Assemblyxe2x80x9d filed in the Korean Industrial Property Office on Sep. 22, 2000 and assigned Serial No. 2000-55680, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a terminal, and in particular, to individual step keys that are pressed to enter data like characters or digits and a step key assembly having the individual step keys.
2. Description of the Related Art
Portable terminals are classified into a bar type, a flip type, and a folder type according to their outer appearances. The flip-type and folder-type ones are more commonplace because they are feasible for miniaturization of main bodies and protection of keys. In the case of a flip-type terminal, its flip acts as a sound reflecting plate and a microphone can be installed on the flip. In the case of a folder-type terminal, its folder acts as a sound reflecting plate and protects a plurality of keys, and an, auxiliary device such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) can be installed on the folder. In the future, in terms of performance and design, the terminals will be developed further toward small size and lightweight design, and customers will carry smaller and lighter terminals as accessories.
The terminal is necessarily provided with a data input device and a data output device to input and output information. A keypad having a plurality of keys that are pressed for entry of data is most widely used as the data input device. Aside from the keypad, data is input by touching a touch screen or by voice using a speech recognition device.
It is, however, well known that the keypad (or key assembly) occupies a large area on a main body, impeding miniaturization of the terminal. On the other hand, scaling down of individual keys in the keypad will cause a user inconvenience in pressing them and increase pressing errors. Therefore, miniaturization of terminals is incompatible with convenient user key pressing in the conventional technology.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide step keys and a step key assembly having step keys that are easy to press and feasible for miniaturization of a main body.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a terminal having a step key assembly that contributes to miniaturization of its main body and maximization of key size in order to offer a smaller terminal and more convenient key pressing to a user.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a terminal having a step key assembly that is readily assembled.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a terminal that enables a user to input data more conveniently.
The foregoing and other objects are achieved by providing step keys, a step key assembly, and a terminal having the step key assembly. An individual step key includes a first slope portion inclined at a first predetermined angle, a second slope portion inclined at a second predetermined angle in the opposite direction to the first slope portion, a recess having a first height and opened under the first slope portion in the forward direction of the step key, a protrusion having a second height lower than the first height and extended from under the second slope portion in the rear direction of the step key, and an extension extended from under the first and second slope portions.
The key assembly includes a plurality of step keys and a film. Each includes a first slope portion inclined at a first predetermined angle, a second slope portion inclined at a second predetermined angle in the opposite direction to the first slope portion, a recess having a first height and formed under the first slope portion in the forward direction of the step key, a protrusion having a second height lower than the first height and extended from under the second slope portion in the rear direction of the step key, and an extension extended downward from the lower surface of the step key. The film has a plurality of holes at predetermined positions for holding the step keys and a protrusion in a predetermined position, for pressing down a metal dome when the step keys are pressed down. Therefore, the individual step keys are integrally arranged in contact with each other with the protrusions of the step keys inserted into the recesses of the respective adjacent step keys thereof on the film.
In the terminal, a main body has support frames integrally arranged in parallel in a transverse direction. A plurality of step keys are arranged in rows and columns, the rows of the step keys are separated from each other, and the top ends of the step keys are exposed between the support frames from the main body. A film has a plurality of holes at predetermined positions for holding the step keys and a protrusion at a predetermined position, for pressing down a metal dome when a step key is pressed down. Therefore, the step keys are integrally arranged with the protrusions of the steps keys inserted into the recesses of the respective adjacent step keys on the film.

Step keys, step key assembly, and terminal having the step key assembly


Methods and devices producing time varying magnetic field have therapeutic uses. The device contains a coil made of insulated wires, an energy storage device, an energy source and a switch. The coil is flexibly attached in a case. The device has at least one blower for cooling the coil. The methods and devices can be used in for example in physiotherapy, neuropsychiatric therapy, aesthetic therapy, urology or urogynecology.

Devices and methods generating magnetic pulses have long been used for medical treatments. A time-varying magnetic field induces electric currents in the patient's body, which may provide similar effect as electrotherapeutic treatment. With sufficient intensity, duration and repetition rate, the induced electrical currents may evoke action potential of neurons, muscle fibers and endocrine cells. The advantage of the methods using magnetic field compared with electrotherapeutical methods is that changing magnetic field therapy does not require contact with the patient and can be performed through clothing. With magnetic field treatments, the stimulating signal does not pass through the skin. Rather, the electrical currents are induced directly in the stimulated tissue. This increases stimulation focus and eliminates unwanted side effects of the therapy (e.g. skin irritation). Using a sufficiently large magnetic flux density and/or repetition rate, it is possible to stimulate various tissues without need of invasive methods.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Magnetic stimulation methods and devices for therapeutic treatments

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A terminal plate, an insulating plate, and an end plate are stacked on a stack body. The terminal plate has current collectors at least at lower portions of an oxygen-containing gas supply passage, a coolant supply passage, a fuel gas discharge passage, a fuel gas supply passage, a coolant discharge passage, and an oxygen-containing gas discharge passage. The current collectors contact the water generated in the reaction or a coolant for collecting electricity.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fuel cell stack including electrolyte electrode assemblies and separators stacked alternately in a stacking direction. Each of the electrolyte electrode assemblies includes a pair of electrodes and an electrolyte interposed between the electrodes. Fluid passages extend through the fuel cell stack in the stacking direction, and at least one of a coolant and reactant gases flows through the fluid passages.
2. Description of the Related Art
For example, a solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell employs a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) which includes two electrodes (anode and cathode), and an electrolyte membrane (electrolyte) interposed between the electrodes. The electrolyte membrane is a polymer ion exchange membrane. The membrane electrode assembly is interposed between a pair of separators. The membrane electrode assembly and the separators make up a power generation cell for generating electricity. In use, a predetermined number of the power generation cells are stacked together. Further, terminal plates, insulating plates, and end plates are provided at opposite ends in the stacking direction to form a fuel cell stack.
In the fuel cell, a fuel gas such as a gas chiefly containing hydrogen (hereinafter also referred to as the "hydrogen-containing gas") is supplied to the anode. A gas chiefly containing oxygen or the air (hereinafter also referred to as the "oxygen-containing gas") is supplied to the cathode. The catalyst of the anode induces a chemical reaction of the fuel gas to split the hydrogen molecule into hydrogen ions and electrons. The hydrogen ions move toward the cathode through the electrolyte membrane, and the electrons flow through an external circuit to the cathode, creating a DC electrical energy.
In the fuel cell, a fuel gas flow field for supplying the fuel gas to the anode, and an oxygen-containing gas flow field for supplying the oxygen-containing gas to the cathode are provided in the surfaces of the separators. Further, a coolant flow field is provided between the separators for allowing the coolant to flow along the surfaces of the separators.
In general, in the so-called internal manifold type fuel cell, fluid supply passages and fluid discharge passages extend through the separators in the stacking direction. The fluids, i.e., the fuel gas, the oxygen-containing gas, and the coolant are supplied to the fuel gas flow field, the oxygen-containing gas flow field, and the coolant flow field through the respective fluid supply passages, and discharged from the fuel gas flow field, the oxygen-containing gas flow field, and the coolant flow field through the respective fluid discharge passages.
In the internal manifold type fuel cell, the terminal plates or the end plates also have the fluid supply passages and the fluid discharge passages as necessary. In this case, metal plates (metal components) such as the metal separators or the terminal plates contact the water produced in the reaction or the coolant water. Therefore, corrosion current flows through the metal plates easily, and electrical corrosion occurs in the metal plates undesirably.
In an attempt addressing the problem, for example, Japanese Laid-Open patent Publication No. 2002-124292 discloses a fuel cell stack as shown in FIG. 37. A terminal plate 3 is interposed between a separator 1 and an insulating plate 2. The fluid passage 4 extends through the separator 1, the terminal plate 3, and the insulating plate 2 in the stacking direction, and a stopper 5 is provided in the inner circumference of the terminal plate 3, around the entire circumference of the fluid passage 4.
An insulating grommet 6 is attached to the terminal plate 3. The insulating grommet 6 has an engagement portion 7 attached to the stopper 5. Further, the insulating grommet 6 has seal lips 8 at positions where the insulating grommet 6 contacts the adjacent separator 1 and the adjacent insulating plate 2.
In Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2002-124292, the grommet 6 having a complicated shape is used as an insulating structure, and the stopper 5 is formed in the inner circumference of the terminal plate 3. Thus, it is not possible to provide the insulating structure economically. In particular, if a large number of the insulating structures are provided in the fuel cell stack, the production cost of the fuel cell stack is considerably high.
Further, for example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2001-155761 discloses a structure for cooling fuel cells as shown FIG. 38. In the cooling structure, four fuel cell stacks 1a through 1d are connected in series. The cooling structure includes a supply member 2a for supplying a coolant to a coolant flow field (not shown) in each of the fuel cell stacks 1a through 1d.
The supply member 2a includes an inlet pipe 3a as an inlet of the coolant, and an outlet pipe 4a as an outlet of the coolant. Mesh members 5a, 6a, made of electrically conductive material are provided at the inlet pipe 3a and the outlet pipe 4a. The mesh members 5a, 6a are electrically connected through an electrically conductive line 7a. The electrically conductive line 7a is connected to a reference electrode 8a having a potential of 0V through an electrically conductive line 7b, and connected to the ground through an electrically conductive line 7c. In this manner, the corrosion of other apparatuses connected to the cooling structure, and leakage of the electricity to the outside are prevented.
In Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2001-155761, each of the fuel cell stacks 1a through 1d includes a plurality of cells connected in series. Thus, in particular, the corrosion current flows easily on the high potential side through metal components such as the metal separators. Thus, electrical corrosion occurs in the metal components.
Further, U.S. Pat. No. 4,371,433 discloses grommets or the like as insulators. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 39, a separator 1e has a chamber 2b at its central position. A plurality of projections 2c are provided in the chamber 2b to form a plurality of flow passages 2d extending vertically. Inlet manifolds 3b are provided at the lower end of the flow passages 2d, and a channel 4b is formed at the upper end of the flow passages 2d. An outlet manifold 5b extending vertically is connected to one end of the channel 4b. Further, the separator 1e has an outlet manifold 5c. The outlet manifold 5c extends vertically as same as the outlet manifold 5b.
An insulating liner 6b is provided at each of the inlet manifolds 3b, and an insulating grommet 7d is attached to each of the outlet manifolds 5b, 5c. Passages 6c connected to the flow passages 2d are formed in the insulating liner 6b, and the insulating grommet 7d has an opening 7e connected to openings 4c.
In this case of U.S. Pat. No. 4,371,433, when the power generation cells are stacked substantially horizontally, the water produced in the reaction or the condensed water is likely to stay at the inner bottoms of the inlet manifolds 3b and the outlet manifold 5b (hereinafter, simply referred to as the "fluid passages"). In the water, ions are eluded from components such as the membrane electrode assemblies and the seals, and the electrical conductivity is increased. Thus, in the fuel cell stack formed by a plurality of fuel cells, since the voltage is applied between the metal separators during power generation, the short circuit occurs easily between exposed metal portions of the metal separators through the water which stays in the fluid passage.
Since the liquid resistance between the exposed metal portion of the metal separator and the fluid passage is the lowest in the region, the most of the corrosion current flows through the exposed metal portion. Thus, the corrosion of the metal separator progresses, and elusion of the metal ions causes reduction in the number of ions exchanged through the solid polymer electrolyte membrane. As a result, the power generation performance may be lowered undesirably, and the degradation of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane itself occurs.

Fuel cell stack comprising current collector provided at least at one fluid passage


Provided is a radar device. The radar device includes a raising frequency converter configured to raise frequencies of split channel signals from a baseband to a different passband on the basis of a channel frequency, a transmission antenna configured to transmit the split channel signals received from the raising frequency converter to a target object, a reception antenna configured to receive split channel reflection signals received from the target object, a lowering frequency converter configured to lower the frequencies of the split channel reflection signals from a different passband to a baseband on the basis of the channel frequency, a transmission/reception driving unit configured to data-frame the split channel reflection signals received from the lowering frequency converter, and a device control unit configured to generate an integrated band response signal by using the data-framed split channel reflection signals.

The present disclosure herein relates to a radar device and an operation method thereof, and more particularly, to a radar device for transmitting and receiving radar signals by using a split channel method and an operation method thereof.
A penetration radar device is one of devices used for non-destructing tests. The penetration radar device projects an RF penetration signal to a penetration target object and then receives a reflected signal so as to sense a state of the inner surface of the penetration target object. A method of a penetration radar device to obtain a reflective signal includes an impulse method and a step frequency method.
The impulse method uses a signal having a great energy in a very short time, that is, an impulse signal, as a penetration signal. A projected impulse signal has broadband frequency characteristics. Herein, as the bandwidth of a frequency becomes broader, high-resolution target inner sensing is possible. Additionally, since the impulse method projects a broadband signal at a time instantaneously, sensing may be performed at a very high speed in general.
The step frequency method provides effects as if it projects a broadband signal over all by projecting a Continuous Wave (CW) signal (that is, sine wave) at uniform frequency intervals within a specific frequency band so as to sense the inner surface of a target. Unlike the impulse method of projecting a broadband signal at once instantaneously, the step frequency method divides the frequency of a CW signal by a step according to a time flow and then, raises or lowers the divided frequency to generate a broadband signal. As a result, it takes a time to generate one broadband signal and in comparison to the impulse method, sensing is performed at a very slow speed in general.
Moreover, since a generated signal has excellent frequency band characteristics and signal generation is possible at high power, the step frequency method has an advantage in obtaining a high-resolution penetration signal but as mentioned above, very-slow speed sensing is possible.

Radar device and operation method thereof

ELECTRONICS AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS RESEARCH INSTITUTE


The present invention relates to a method for adding a graphical object to image data of one or more image frames comprising a first image frame, the graphical object being added during encoding of the one or more image frames using an encoder, wherein the image data generator is converting the graphical object into a first set of discrete frequency transform, DFT, blocks each DFT block being associated with a position in the one or more image frames to which the DFT block corresponds. The encoder is performing DFT on a plurality of block of pixels of the first image frame, to output a second set of DFT blocks and then replacing a subset of DFT blocks of the second set of DFT blocks with the first set of DFT blocks according to the positions associated with the first set of DFT blocks.

It is today common to add graphical features in a video stream. These may be added to for example help the viewer discern between various objects in the stream or simply to append information. Graphical features may include bounding boxes, privacy masks, border lines as well as matrix barcodes such as quick response (QR) codes.
However, when adding the additional graphical features directly, as pixels, to the image frames of the video stream, this may often result in distortion of the graphical features when the image frames of the video stream is compressed during encoding. This is because many encoding methods rely on transforming the image from the spatial domain to the frequency domain, through mathematical operations like discrete cosine transform (DCT), and smoothing out the high-frequency information. This corresponds to a loss of the discrete colour and intensity transitions, which may distort the added graphical features such as a QR code or bounding box when the image is transformed back into the spatial domain.
One solution to this problem may be found in adding the graphical features as a rendered overlay on top of the source video stream. Creating these overlays however, could cause extra system load due to the added rendering step as well as a higher bit rate requirement. It may in some cases also not be viable to use a single hardware encoder to encode both the video stream and the rendered overlay, adding to required system complexity. Another limitation, which the overlay approach does not address, is the lack of specific handling of the areas of the underlying image frame where the overlay comprises a graphical feature, which may lead to coding inefficiencies as the same regions of the video may be rendered more than once.
In this context, there exists a need for further improvements to this technical field.

Method and system for adding image content that contains one or more graphical objects to an image frame using an encoder


Computer-implemented methods and systems for simulating a multiplayer game environment to allow players of different skill levels to concurrently play the same level of a gaming session, to encourage and incentivize cooperative team behavior, to match players based on subjective variables, such as likeability and a general fun factor, and to tailor gaming content based on the social group itself.

Online gaming platforms enable social interactions between players who may or may not be known to each other. Multiplayer gaming environments often enable players to form teams and therefore foster virtual interaction while they play in the same gaming environment at the same time. Individuals can form partnerships and participate in play against the system via pre-programmed challenges and/or against another team of individuals, thereby allowing for either cooperative or competitive play. Each gameplay session may be played with either the same or a different group of matched players.
Typically, when a player logs into an online multiplayer gaming environment, the player may engage in a gameplay session in which he or she is matched, based on skill, with other players to play together on the same team or as opponents. A given player may engage in multiple gameplay sessions during a login session. In addition, each gameplay session may be played with either the same or a different group of players that are compatible with their individual skill levels. Conventionally, when interested in playing in a group with other players, an individual player may ask other players who are of the same skill level to form a player group. The player may also study profiles of other players and invite them to play together. There are often times when players invite their friends to play together in a game. However, friends may or may not be familiar with the specific game and/or gaming levels within the specific game to which they have been invited. Alternatively, some friends may be familiar with the game but may have different comfort levels and/or levels of proficiency at playing the game. While some players enjoy playing videogames interactively with friends, these differences in skill set, experience or proficiency at a game and/or certain levels within the game may prevent them from playing with the people they would most enjoy playing with.
There is thus a need for a gaming environment that enables players of different skill levels to play together, while still providing players at the various different skill levels the appropriate amount of challenge for their given skill level, thereby avoiding having lower skilled players be overwhelmed or higher skilled players be bored. A gaming environment is needed that enables players within the same team to experience a different degree of difficulty or challenge while participating in the same gameplay session on the same game level.
With respect to team formation or opponent matching itself, different types of matchmaking processes are utilized to connect players for online gaming sessions. Most processes attempt to match based on complimentary gaming skills. Examples of matchmaking elements used may include game profile, player profile, prior match scores, and prior quality scores. Conventionally, when interested in playing in a group with other players, an individual player may ask friends to form a player group, may ask other players who are of the same skill level to form a player group, and/or may otherwise form a group by sending invitations to other players. Some systems may automatically group or match players based solely on a limited number of hard-coded characteristics (e.g., skill level), which are not dynamically adjusted. Such systems may create sets of rigidly segregated pools of players. For example, in some conventional systems, a player who is at a lower skill level may never be matched with a player at a higher skill level, which may result in one dimensional and unsatisfying gameplay. Additionally, prospectively enjoyable gaming partnerships may not be formed between players of different skills due to these pre-defined criteria for matching players. Thus, there is also a need for methods and systems that enable players in a multiplayer gaming environment to play together effectively based on subjective variables, such as a degree of likeability or a fun factor between the players. There is also a need to incorporate stronger social elements in multiplayer games.
Once a team is formed, it would be preferable to encourage and incentivize cooperation among teammates. Such cooperation increases the satisfaction among players and typically results in improved performance. However, conventional gaming environments do not recognize, or quantify, cooperation between team players. Therefore, players are unable to track whether they are taking steps to improve their cooperation and fail to identify, or pay attention to, opportunities to behave cooperatively. Therefore, there is also a need for a gaming environment to recognize team cooperation and encourage cordial team performance through quantified metrics and visual representations thereof.
Some gaming environments allow players to interact with each other, and virtual characters, via social networking platforms. These platforms provide a virtual space to connect with other players with common interests and profiles related to certain gaming environments, are used by the players to discuss their gaming activities and experiences, and often provide a way for players to offer suggestions and feedback that could improve their gaming experiences. Frequently, groups of players, who are connected with each other over a social network and who often play together, have different suggestions and desires for what they wish to see in the gaming environment, and these suggestions and desires may vary greatly between players' various social groups, which have different interests, discussions, suggestions and feedback. While these varied social groups are rich in ideas and content suggestions, conventional gaming systems are unable to efficiently collect and utilize this feedback from each social group to generate different, tailored gaming environments. Therefore, there is also a need for a gaming system and environment that may identify players and/or player groups active over a social network, monitor and track content suggestions made within the social group, and dynamically modify the gaming parameters for that player or group of players within the tracked social group, based on their activities, suggestions, feedback, or other information provided within the social network.

Methods and systems for improved content customization in multiplayer gaming environments


A tabbed index divider assembly comprising a folded divider sheet having length and width dimensions where the sheet is folded along a line that bisects the length dimension, forming a folded outside edge and dual binding edges and having at least one slit in the folded outside edge, and an insert sheet having a tab edge with an index tab extending therefrom, said insert sheet sized and adapted to be secured between the folded halves of the divider sheet with the index tab inserted through the at least one slit in the folded outside edge of the divider sheet. The invention includes a method for making the index divider assembly and a kit having the components for assembling a plurality of index dividers.

Tabbed dividers for comb or spiral wire-bound books or for loose leaf ring binders are common commodities in any office supply store. The tabs may be pre-printed with general indicia, such as numbers or letters, or may be left blank for user designation. In the latter case it is often desirable to use a computer printer to print the information on the tab. In many cases it is also desired to print material on the divider sheet itself. In either case a tabbed 8½″ wide sheet will not pass through the paper conveyance mechanism of a standard desktop type of printer, because the tab increases the width dimension beyond that which the printer will accommodate.
Dealing with the printing limitations imposed on tabbed divider sheets has been the subject of much effort that is memorialized in a number of U.S. Patents. Notable among these are U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,068,423, 6,099,189 and 6,361,639 to Owen and all of the patents cited and referred to therein by the Patentee. A somewhat similar configuration, also requiring folding and the use of adhesives, is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,089,777 to Wong. The Deutschmann U.S. Pat. No. 5,954,445, and the Mangler U.S. Pat. No. 6,039,354, are also directed to apparatus and methods for creating index sheets having perforations or foldable portions defining a guide, removable guide strips on the tab edge, foldable binding sides, hinged cutouts, removable index tab portions and the like, all of which are designed to allow the index sheet to pass, in a guided or controlled fashion, through a printer.
It is apparent from the continuing effort to improve the apparatus and process related to printing index tabs and index divider sheets with a standard computer printer that a satisfactory solution has yet to be developed.
It is therefore, the primary object of the present invention to provide a simplistic, cost effective and workable solution to the inability of computer printers to print traditionally formed index tabs or index divider sheets having protruding index tabs.


A layout method for a printed circuit board (PCB) is provided. A memory type of a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) to be mounted on the PCB is obtained. A module group is obtained from a database according to the memory type of the DRAM, wherein the module group includes a plurality of routing modules. A plurality of PCB parameters are obtained. A specific routing module is selected from the module group according to the PCB parameters. The specific routing module is implemented into a layout design of the PCB. The specific routing module includes layout information regarding a main chip, a memory chip and a routing configuration between the main chip and the memory chip.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a layout method for a printed circuit board (PCB), and more particularly, to a layout method of an embedded multi-chip package (eMCP) for a PCB.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, electrical products tend to have higher efficiencies and be smaller. Therefore, sizes of printed circuit boards (PCB) and chips mounted on the PCBs are continuing to be miniaturized, while frequencies of electronic signals transmitted on the PCBs are being increased.
A PCB layout diagram file (design) is created based on a circuit schematic diagram, and includes a plurality of layout modules. When designing a PCB using layout software (e.g. an electronic design automation (EDA) tool), signal performances of the components should be considered. For example, time is needed to arrange the placement of a memory and other related chips and the traces of high speed buses between the memory and the chips for a product manufacturer.


Protecting computer networks by altering unwanted network data traffic. An Intrusion Protection System (IPS) or an Intrusion Detection System (IDS) can monitor network data traffic comprising byte information. This network security device analyzes network data traffic at the byte level to determine whether an intrusion event is present in the network data traffic. If an intrusion event is detected, the network security device alters at least a portion of the relevant byte information to prevent the occurrence of a successful intrusion event at the intended destination. This altered byte information is then passed to the destination by the network security device. If an intrusion event is not present, the network security device passes the byte information without alteration to the destination.

In the conventional art, network security devices, such as Intrusion Detection Systems ("IDS"), Intrusion Prevention Systems ("IPS"), and firewalls, are used to detect and/or prevent intrusion events from infiltrating a computer network, such as an enterprise intranet. Existing network security solutions can respond to unwanted network traffic, such as viruses and hacker attacks, by altering the transport-layer of the computer network, typically by blocking packets, reconfiguring firewalls, or sending TCP reset signals to terminate or "kill" connections between a source and a destination for network traffic.
For example, a conventional IDS device can "eavesdrop" on or monitor network data traffic without interfering with the content of the network data traffic. In either an inline or out-of-line configuration, the IDS can monitor the network data traffic for an intrusion event. If the IDS detects an intrusion event, the IDS can send an alert to an administrator of the computer network to advise of a potential attack on the computer network. In addition, the IDS can termination or "kill" a TCP connection between the sender of the intrusion event and the intended destination or take defensive actions to reconfigure resources on the computer network.
An IPS is typically positioned "inline" with a computer network to monitor network traffic and to block certain network traffic in response to detecting an intrusion event. While an IDS passively monitors packets as they pass by on the network wire, an IPS typically stops the packets for an inspection before allowing the packets to pass to the intended destination within the computer network. In response to detecting an intrusion event, the IPS can block or "drop" the packet(s) by preventing the packet(s) from reaching the destination. This packet drop capability is often augmented with a "kill" connection feature that terminates the connection between the source and the destination to prevent the occurrence of a successful intrusion event.
Although conventional IDS and IPS devices are effective in detecting intrusion events and preventing unauthorized or inappropriate acts, conventional network security devices have certain performance limitations. For example, the act of blocking packets or terminating connections may accomplish the desired objective of preventing malicious behavior associated with an intrusion event. However, this type of network security response does not result in an efficient use of resources in the typical computing network system featuring a TCP environment.
When packets carried by a TCP transport are dropped by an IPS, the source responsible for the original transmission of such packets will automatically retransmit this network data to attempt delivery again to the intended destination. Valuable network resources and bandwidth are consumed while the victim of the attack, the intended packet destination, waits for a completed delivery of the packets and the original sender attempts a successful resend of the packets. To counter this problem, conventional IPS devices can terminate or "kill" the TCP connection between the source and destination by sending TCP reset signals to both the source and destination computers. This termination of the connection effectively frees the network resources from a resend cycle that would otherwise arise from the block of an intrusion event by an IPS device. Nevertheless, in many cases the source typically responds to the killed connection by creating a new connection in an attempt to send the information to the destination. While the termination of the original connection prevents the completion of a successful attack, the source's responsive act of creating a new connection results in a further inefficient use of network resources.
In addition, termination of a TCP connection by a conventional IPS is likely to prevent the delivery of e-mail messages from an upstream client to the destination, such as a downstream server. Because many viruses are carried by legitimate upstream e-mail systems; the killing of a connection each time a virus is discovered will prevent the successful delivery of all legitimate e-mail (as well as the virus) to the intended destination. Consequently, the termination of a TCP connection is not a selective response that targets only the intrusion event because this action prevents the delivery of all network data traffic from a source to the destination.
Those of skill in the art will recognize that conventional email proxy servers can remove an offending email message and allow other messages to pass to a destination computer in a computer network. A key difference between conventional IDS and IPS solutions and an email proxy server is that these network security systems typically pass packets to the intended destination without alteration while a proxy server alters all communications handled by the system. Another significant difference for these devices is that proxy servers process network data traffic at approximately 1% of the processing speed of conventional network security systems, such as IDS, IPS, and firewall systems.
In view of the forgoing, there is a need in the art for a network security solution that combines the processing advantages of conventional IPS and IDS devices with the defensive capabilities of proxy servers in order to prevent the successful occurrence of intrusion events in a distributed computer network. Particularly, a need exists in the art for altering harmful data traffic at the application layer to prevent intrusion events, while allowing harmless data traffic to pass through unaltered for delivery to the intended destination.

Method and system for protecting computer networks by altering unwanted network data traffic

International Business Machines Corporation


A dermatome assembly is operable to harvest a skin graft and includes an ultrasonic dermatome and a power supply. The ultrasonic dermatome includes a body and an ultrasonic blade assembly mounted in the body. The blade assembly includes a frequency generator and a cutting horn powered by the frequency generator. The cutting horn is spaced apart from the body so that the body is restricted from damping vibrational movement of the cutting horn. The dermatome assembly is operable to precisely control the thickness of the cut skin graft and also restrict the cutting horn from overheating.

1. Field
The present invention relates generally to devices for harvesting skin grafts. More specifically, embodiments of the present invention concern an ultrasonic dermatome.
2. Discussion of Prior Art
A dermatome is a medical instrument for cutting skin grafts and has been in use since the early 1900s. Prior art dermatomes include a blade with a straight razor-like edge and a head that can be adjusted to vary the width and thickness of the skin graft. Conventional dermatomes are either manually operated or electrically powered. Powered dermatomes are generally able to cut skin grafts more easily and more precisely than manual dermatomes. One electrically powered dermatome includes a blade that is driven in a side-to-side oscillating motion along the length of the blade edge and is powered by an electric motor and a mechanical drive.
Prior art dermatomes have a number of undesirable limitations. For example, conventional dermatomes require significant physical effort and coordination to operate and typically require more than one person to perform the procedure of cutting a skin graft. In particular, conventional dermatomes require the user to apply a precise amount of pressure to the dermatome while precisely controlling the speed at which the dermatome is drawn along the skin Powered dermatomes are also notorious for generating an excessive amount of mechanical noise. Furthermore, the mechanical drive of prior art powered dermatomes are prone to undesirable wear and failure after only 20-30 hours of continuous use.


A flexible circuit board and a display panel are provided. The flexible circuit board includes a circuit board substrate layer, devices, a fluorinated-liquid solidification layer, and an insulating film. The devices are disposed on the circuit board substrate layer. Surfaces of the devices away from the circuit board substrate layer are covered with fluorinated liquid. The insulating film includes an insulating film substrate layer and a fluorine-containing adhesive layer. The fluorine-containing adhesive layer includes a resin adhesive and a fluorine-containing substance, and is in contact with the fluorinated liquid.

With more and more functions of smart wearable projects, a Z-direction space of a whole device, that is, a height space requirement, is becoming smaller and smaller, such that it is required that a flexible circuit board device is not coated with a full sealant but with a fluorinated liquid to protect the device. In existing technologies, a flexible circuit board is usually formed by: dispense insulating adhesive around devices with a height not exceeding the height of the devices; spraying fluorinated liquid on surfaces of the devices; and then attaching an insulating film to the surfaces of the devices according to the design of the devices with an extension of 0.5 mm.
However, due to the space limitation of this structure, an area of the insulating film cannot be effectively attached to the surface of the flexible circuit board. Further, the fluorinated liquid will reduce the surface energy of the coating, causing the insulating film on the device to lift. The insulating film adhesive layer in the existing technologies is made of silica gel. The silica gel molecules and the fluorinated liquid coating are attracted to each other by weak van der Waals forces (intermolecular forces), resulting in poor adhesion of the insulating film with the fluorinated liquid coating.

Flexible circuit board, display panel, and insulating film

Wuhan Tianma Micro-Electronics Co., Ltd.

Wuhan Tianma Microelectronics Co., Ltd. Shanghai Branch


A method and a drilling fluid/cement slurry composition for cementing a wellbore. The drilling fluid/cement slurry composition comprises A cement slurry composition comprising:. a) a cementitious material; PA1 b) a drilling fluid; and PA1 c) a dispersant selected from the group consisting of water soluble polymers comprising allyloxybenzene sulfonate or allyloxybenzene phosphonate polymerized with at least one of acrylic acid, acrylamides, alkyl acrylamides, maleic anhydride, itaconic acid, sulfonated or phosphonated styrene sulfonated or phosphonated vinyl toluene, sulfonated or phosphonated isobutylene, acrylamidopropane sulfonate, acrylamidopropanephosphonate, vinyl alcohol, sulfonated or phosphonated propene and alkali, alkaline earth and ammonium salts thereof.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method and a drilling fluid/cement slurry composition for cementing a wellbore. More specifically the present invention relates to a method and composition for displacing drilling fluid from an annular space in a wellbore and sealingly occupying the space with the drilling fluid/cement composition.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Techniques and methods are well known for drilling and completing wells, particularly oil and gas wells which are drilled from the surface of the earth into subterranean formations containing oil and gas. Typically a bore hole is drilled from the earth's surface to the fluid-containing geologic formation to permit recovery of the fluid material contained therein.
Such wells are typically drilled by positioning a conductor tube or casing from the earth's surface a short distance into the earth and thereafter initiating drilling operations through the conductor tube. Drilling operations are conducted by maintaining a weight on a drill bit which is rotated by a drill string which is a length of pipe extending from the surface to the drill bit. Drilling fluids (frequently referred to as drilling muds) are passed through the drill string and the drill bit into the wellbore where they perform a variety of functions such as removing drill cuttings upwardly around the outside of the drill string to the surface.
Drilling fluids used during drilling of the wellbore are generally classified on the basis of their principal component. When the principal component is a liquid (water or oil) the term "mud" is applied to a suspension of solids in the liquid. The most common drilling fluids contain water as the principal component and are referred to as water based drilling fluids or water muds.
Water based drilling fluids vary widely in composition and properties and many have been classified based upon their principal ingredients. Some common classifications of water-based drilling fluids are fresh water muds, low solid muds, spud muds, salt water muds, lime muds, gyp muds and CL-CLS muds.
In addition to water, drilling fluids often contain several known additives which perform various functions in the drilling fluid system. Among the most common additives are materials which increase density such as barite and hematite and viscosifiers or thickening agents such as clays (usually bentonite). The term drilling fluid as used herein includes spacer fluids which typically comprise a drilling fluid containing no viscosifiers or densifiers.
Many water-based drilling fluids are also formulated to contain one or more polymeric additives which serve to reduce the rate of filtrate loss, stabilize clays, flocculate drilled solids, increase carrying capacity, emulsify, lubricate and the like. Among the most commonly employed polymeric additives are starches, guar gum, xanthan gum, sodium carboxyl-methylcellulose (CMC), hydroxyethylcellulose (HEC), carboxyl methyl hydroxyethyl cellulose (CMHEC) and synthetic water dispersable polymers such as acrylics and alkylene-oxide polymers.
Such drilling fluids also frequently contain materials referred to broadly as "dispersants". Materials conventionally used as dispersants are classified as plant tannins, polyphosphates, lignitic materials, synthetic water dispersable polymers and lignosulfonates. Such drilling fluids are described in considerable detail in U.S. Pat. No. 5,030,366, "Spacer Fluids", issued Jul. 9, 1991 to Wilson et al; U.S. Pat. No. 5,113,943, "Spacer Fluids", issued May 19, 1992 to Wilson et al; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,292,367, "Dispersant Compositions for Subterranean Well Drilling and Completion", issued Mar. 8, 1994 to Bloys et al; all of which are hereby incorporated in their entirety by reference.
After the wellbore has been drilled, the casing is secured in position in the wellbore to ensure permanence of the wellbore and to control the entry of fluids into the casing from formations penetrated by the wellbore. The well casing is typically cemented in place by pumping a cement slurry downwardly through the casing, out through the open lower end of the casing at the well bottom and then upwardly around the casing in the annular space between the outer wall of the casing and the inner wall of the wellbore. Frequently a spacer fluid is pumped downwardly through the casing ahead of the cement slurry to form a buffer between and prevent the contact of the drilling fluid and the cement slurry which are typically incompatible fluids.
The drilling process which produces the wellbore will usually leave behind on the wall of the wellbore a drilling fluid filter cake of mud-like material. This material is detrimental to the formation of proper bonding between the cement composition and the walls of the wellbore.
Desirably the drilling fluid filter cake is removed from the wellbore wall and replaced by the cement slurry to permit the formation of a solid layer of hardened, cured and bonded cement between the casing and the walls of the wellbore. It is well known that the removal of the drilling fluid filter cake is greatly enhanced by injecting the cement slurry, spacer fluid or the like into the wellbore under turbulent flow conditions.
Suitable spacers for this purpose have been disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,030,366; 5,113,943 and 5,292,367 previously incorporated by reference. In cementing oil and gas wells, rather than displacing and removing the drilling fluid during cement slurry placement, it has been proposed to convert the drilling fluid into a cementious slurry for cementing casing or tubing in place or otherwise stabilizing or protecting the casing by sealing the formation in the vicinity of the wellbore using a dispersant such as sulfonated styrene maleic anhydride (SSMA). Such a method is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,883,125, "Cementing Oil and Gas Wells Using Converted Drilling Fluid," issued Nov. 28, 1989 to Wilson et al; which is hereby incorporated in its entirety by reference.
Drilling mud constitutes a waste stream or a waste material when the drilling operation is concluded unless it can be used in another well drilling operation or the like. Further, the disposal of drilling muds is subject to increasingly severe environmental restrictions. Accordingly, it is desirable that the amount of surplus drilling fluid remaining for disposal at the end of the well completion be minimized. As a result there has been considerable interest in using the drilling fluid in combination with cementious materials to produce a cementitious slurry-drilling fluid mixture for use in cementing the casing in the well.
The conversion of drilling fluid or "mud" to a cement slurry is subject to several operational problems and undesirable compositional changes. For instance, the addition of cementitious materials such as mixtures of lime, silica and alumina, lime and magnesia, silica, alumina and iron oxide, cement materials such as calcium sulphate and Portland cements, pozzolanic materials such as ground slag, fly ash and the like to drilling fluids can substantially increase the viscosity of the fluid mixture and result in severe flocculation. Efforts to circulate such mixtures through a wellbore can result in highly unsatisfactory circulation rates, plugging of the wellbore annulus, breakdown of the earth formation in the vicinity of the wellbore, failure of the cement slurry to properly mix and the like.
These problems can be overcome by the addition of a dispersant composition which disperses both the drilling fluid and the cement slurry mixture. However, conventional drilling fluid dispersants do not necessarily disperse cement slurries and conventional cement slurry dispersants do not necessarily disperse drilling fluids. In addition, conventional dispersants which disperse both drilling fluids and cement slurries do not necessarily disperse mixtures of drilling fluids and cement slurries.
It is known in the art that hydroxypropyl acrylate-acrylic acid copolymer, sulfonated vinyl toluene-maleic anhydride copolymer, sulfonated vinyl toluene-maleic anhydride copolymer (SVT-MA), sulfonated methyl, ethyl, or phenyl polyacrylamide, and copolymers of ethylenic acids, acrylamides and ethylenic esters of phosphoric acid, and the sodium salts thereof act as dispersants or deflocculants in drilling fluids.
As further disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,292,367, polymers including hydroxypropyl acrylate-acrylic acid copolymer, sulfonated vinyl toluene-maleic anhydride copolymer, sulfonated vinyl toluene-maleic acid copolymer, sulfonated methyl, ethyl or phenyl polyacrylamide, copolymers of ethylenic acids, acrylamides and ethylenic esters of phosphoric acid, acrylic acid polymers, acrylamide polymers, and sulfonated and/or phosphonated copolymers of acrylic acid and acrylamide are effective to disperse mixtures of drilling fluids and cement slurries. Unfortunately, the preferred polymers (SSMA and SVT-MA) are in short supply and are not readily available commercially in the quantities necessary for drilling operations.
Accordingly, continuing efforts have been directed to the development of alternate methods and other dispersants for use to disperse mixtures of drilling fluids and cement slurries to produce drilling fluid/cement slurry compositions for use in cementing oil wells.

Method and cement-drilling fluid cement composition for cementing a wellbore


An article of footwear with multiple cross sectional profile shapes disposed on an outer peripheral edge of a sole is disclosed. The multiple cross sectional profile shapes on the outer peripheral edge of the sole can help increase the lateral performance and lateral stability of a wearer of the article of footwear.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an article of footwear, and in particular to an outer peripheral edge of a sole.
2. Description of Related Art
Articles of footwear with beveled edge shapes have been proposed. Wayser (U.S. Pat. No. 4,161,829) teaches shoes intended for playing golf. Wayser teaches a sole of a left shoe that includes a curved bevel. The curved bevel allows the left shoe to pivot outwardly. Wayser also teaches a sole of a right shoe including a curved bevel that allows the translation of the right foot when the legs bend slightly to be adapted to the movement of the body when the club strikes the ball.
Ellis (U.S. Pat. No. 7,287,341) teaches corrective shoe sole structures using a contour greater than the theoretical ideal stability plane. Ellis teaches a sole that is shaped to provide natural stability for a foot.
Neither Wayser nor Ellis teach provisions increasing both lateral agility and lateral stability. There is a need in the art for an article that provides enhancement of both lateral agility and lateral stability.

Article of footwear for increasing stability and lateral performance


A device is mounted with a capability for angular movement in a mounting unit, the movement being detected by an element that is able to send electrical signals within a processing unit. The element consist of a single 2D Hall-effect sensor able to measure the rotations of the magnetic field, the sensor being mounted in close proximity to a dual magnet to measure two rotations of the lever in two planes, each corresponding to the P, R, N, D and M+, M and M− positions.

Technical Field
The invention concerns a device for the detection of the position of a control lever of a gearbox of an automotive vehicle.
More particularly, the invention concerns the detection of the P, R, N, D positions and the M+, M and M− positions of the control lever, notably, of a robotized gearbox generally servocontrolled by a processing unit.
Description of the Related Art
Generally, and in a perfectly known manner, the lever is mounted with a capability for angular movement in a mounting unit that is generally located within the vehicle's passenger compartment. The lever is designed to commands for the selection of the P, R, N and D positions around a rotation axis, and the engagement of speeds around another rotation axis for the M+ and M− positions.
Therefore, it is important to be able to detect the position of the lever, so as to ascertain its movements and its precise position in space.
One solution is addressed in patent EP 09 305 268, of which the applicant for the patent herein is also the holder.
This patent addresses a device for the detection of the position of the control lever, with the aim of detecting the movements of the said lever and sending electrical signals within a processing unit.
For this purpose, the device employs a 3D-type Hall-effect sensor to indicate the various movements and positions of the lever in the 3 X, Y and Z axes of the sensors, which are mounted in close proximity to a magnet.
This solution is satisfactory, but requires a dimension of positioning of the 3D sensor with a low tolerance, so as to enable one to precisely ascertain the P, R, N, D and M+ and the M and M− positions.

Device for detecting the positions of a control lever of a gearbox in two axes of rotation


The present invention relates to a health monitoring device for measuring blood or tissue indicators and a strip cassette. The device comprises a body having first and second openings, a piercing means being connected to the body and having a piercing head, the piercing means being arranged to extend from the first opening and cockable and releasable for piercing the skin with the piercing head, and a space, into which a number of sensor strips can be arranged so that the strips can be brought out from the body one at a time. The device further comprises a shutter that is functionally connected to the body and has a first position arranged to tightly close the first and second openings, and a second position for allowing one sensor strip to be pushed from the first opening into sampling position and for exposing the first and second openings.

Currently there are over 120 million diabetics world-wide. By 2025 the number is estimated to be already about 300 million. For example, in Finland about 4 percent of the population have diabetes. Diabetes is divided into juvenile diabetes (Type I) and adult onset diabetes (Type II).
Diabetes has a heavy effect on the everyday life of a diabetic. Especially persons with juvenile diabetes must, in order to maintain sugar balance, in addition to constantly monitoring their diet take care that their insulin intake corresponds to their diet and consumption. Should there be deviations between the amount of sugar consumed with food and the amount of insulin intake, the blood sugar values of a diabetic can vary on a wide scale, as the body can't use the sugar. A constantly too high a sugar value can lead to, for example, accumulation of sugar in the fats and proteins of the body, which can cause organic changes in, for example, eyes, kidneys and nerves as well as in heart and blood circulation. In an insulin shock, on the other hand, the glucose content of blood drops to a very low level and the person can become unconscious. In order to avoid these drawbacks, it is recommended that diabetics constantly monitor their blood sugar, many times per day.
A number portable devices have been developed for measuring blood sugar content. What is traditionally used is a separate needle pen by means of which the skin is pierced, a sensor strip on which the blood sample is placed and a separate measurement device. The individually packed strip is manually placed in the opening in the meter. Such a measurement device is difficult to transport and use. A relatively large carrying pouch is needed, from which the various elements must be taken out and used in a multi-step measurement operation. According to a survey (United States Food and Drug Administration, FDA, http://www.fda.gov/diabetes/glucose.html) users do not feel taking the blood sample is a problem, but instead the need for a number of components and the fact that such a measurement is difficult to carry out unnoticed by others, are felt to be problems by the users.
Meters with sensor strips stored in an internal magazine in the device, from which the strip is taken out for the measurement, have also been developed. Strip magazines are disclosed in, e.g. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,575,403, 5,510,266 and 5,489,414.
Strips arranged as belts are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,218,421 and European patent 1360935. In the former, a number of strips arranged next to each other are transported one after the other in a roll to roll method, and in the latter the strips include both a needle element and a meter element. In the latter, the strip is protected by a protective layer that is removed from the belt of strips when the strip is removed from the device. The strip belt itself is returned to a roll inside the device.
Published application WO 03/83469 discloses a pistol-like device with a lancet device arranged thereto and a number of test strips in stack form. The lancet device can be cocked by means of a switch arranged on the side of the device and the strips can be pushed from the device one at a time. The end of the lancet can be protected by a cap that can be removed from the device. The device also comprises measurement electronics and a display for showing the results of the analysis.
The published US application 2003/191415 discloses a device bringing the strip automatically to the blood sample, the drawing of which can be amended with vacuum. A separate lever is installed in the housing of the device for preparing the device for use.
The published US application 2004/003903 and WO publication 03/071940 disclose wristwatch-like devices containing a number of lancets and sensor elements arranged radially. A lancet corresponds to each sensor. As the measurement devices are personal and typically one needle of a lancet can be used many times, it is difficult to reason the use of multiple lancets. Manufacturing such a device will inevitably be expensive and its structure is complex. Additionally, especially in case of the former application, hygienic problems are a drawback, because as the finger is pressed directly against the device, the blood sample can easily be in contact with the outer surface of the device.
A mobile phone (LG KP8400) having an opening in the side for a test strip used for measuring blood sugar is known. The electronics of the phone are used in analysing the strip. The device does not contain a lancet device.
DE publication 19819407 and WO publication 2005/032372 disclose twin-hub cassettes in which the sensor strip can be transported from one hub to the other. A new sensor area is exposed by pulling so that a blood sample can be applied thereto. Such cassettes are inevitably rather large and so they can not be used in very small health monitoring devices. In the use of such devices, trans-porting the used strip back to the device and storing it is unhygienic and unpleasant. Blood can also stain the inner surface of the device in the used strips' compartment. A continuous strip does not allow separating unused strips from used ones, either. Such a separation is necessary, as the enzymes of normal strips are deteriorated by the influence of oxygen and moisture.
In the above-mentioned prior art solutions the exit opening of the strip and/or the lancet is unprotected. Thus, the meter must be kept in, for example, a pouch or a case for preventing soiling and accumulation of dust of the strip opening and/or the lancet. Separate strips are hermetically packed, usually individually or in a sealed box. The strip cassettes can also tightly enclose the strips, but even in this case dirt can get into the device from the opening of the strip and the lancet. Known devices are also relatively large. However, as this is a case of daily health monitoring carried out many times per day, there is a need for small, simple and reliable devices, the use of which does not draw attention.

Health monitoring device, device modules and method


Various of the disclosed embodiments contemplate a computer-implemented method of energy consumption and energy demand management in a building. In accordance with some embodiments, interval energy data of a specific building may be collected with a fixed time interval and paired with local historical weather data and other forms of operational data, as well as financial data including historical utility bills, utility rate structures and billing cycle dates. Paired energy interval data and the local historical weather data may be analyzed according to one or more analytic algorithms.

According to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, buildings account for 36 percent of total energy use and 65 percent of electricity consumption in the United States. Hundreds of billions in energy savings may be achieved if energy consumption and energy demand of each building can be optimized.
However, energy use patterns of a specific building can be complex and may change over years. Energy use patterns of a typical building may be affected by factors such as weather, the age of the building, building equipment (e.g., air-conditioning systems, heating ventilation systems, lighting systems and windows), occupancy levels, occupancy hours, building control systems, operator or occupant behavior, the characteristics of the building roof, walls and floor, the building function, etc.
On the other hand, digital energy and non-energy information of many buildings, such as energy interval data commonly associated with smart meters, local historical weather data, operational data regarding the state of equipment such as lights, windows, and air-conditioning, occupancy data, etc. are readily available.
In consequence, the present inventors have recognized that there is value and need in providing a method for energy management by analyzing energy data in conjunction with non-energy data of a specific building and optimizing energy consumption, energy demand, and cost. Further, by performing such analysis on an ongoing basis or across a portfolio of buildings, the techniques developed can detect trends, changes, and outliers that may indicate fault conditions or opportunities for operational improvements. Finally, by combining the analytic output with detailed energy cost data and other decision procedures related to best practices in facilities operations, the techniques can be used to develop and refine a consolidated list of operational issues, each scored in terms of material relevance to the building owner.

Systems and methods for energy consumption and energy demand management


A contact retention assembly includes a body, an outward angled tine and an inward angled tine. The body extends between a front end and a back end. The outward angled tine extends from the body to a housing engagement surface and is configured to engage a portion of a housing. The inward angled tine extends from the body to a contact engagement surface and is configured to engage a contact in order to retain the contact within the assembly. The inward angled tine extends from the body in a different direction than the outward angled tine.

The subject matter herein relates generally to electrical connectors, and more particularly, to assemblies for retaining contacts in electrical connectors.
Contacts in known connectors may be used to provide current from one connector to another connector. In connectors configured to provide relatively low amounts of current, the contacts may be secured in the connector by pressing the contact into a housing of the connector. However, for known connectors configured to provide relatively high amounts of current, the contacts are screw machined so that the contacts may have a higher current carrying capability. These screw machined contacts may not be secured in the connector by pressing the contacts into the housing. Instead, the contacts are secured in the connector by placing a contact clip around the contact in an opening on the contact loading side, or the side that opposes the mating side, of the housing. The contact clip includes extensions that engage the contact. In order to prevent the contact clip and the contact from being removed from the housing a second housing component is placed over the contact loading side of the housing. The second housing component secures the contact clip within the housing. The contact clip secures the contact within the housing. The addition of a second housing component to these known connectors increases the cost and complexity of manufacturing the connectors. In other known connectors, the contact clips are held in place by heat-staking within a plastic housing or through other external means.
Thus, a need exists for a connector having a contact retention assembly that prevents the contact from being removed from the connector housing, while reducing the cost and simplifying the complexity of manufacturing the connector.


An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle communication system which distributes information which is necessary in vehicle units. A vehicle communication system according to the present invention includes: a vehicle base station which performs wireless communication with a vehicle terminal installed in a vehicle to receive vehicle related service; and a server apparatus which specifies the vehicle base station of a message distribution destination according to the vehicle related service to be provided, and distributes a message related to the vehicle related service to be provided, to the specified vehicle base station. When receiving the message transmitted from the server apparatus, the vehicle base station transmits the message to the vehicle terminal which subscribes to the vehicle related service related to the message, from a plurality of vehicle terminals and located in a communication area formed by the vehicle base station.

In recent years, many users have been performing mobile communication by using smartphones and tablet terminals. In future, it is predicted that various devices such as sensors and machines will connect to a mobile network in order to perform mobile communication. As a service provided by using sensors and machines, a service related to vehicles such as vehicle automatic driving, high-tech driving assistance and broadcast distribution of traffic information has been studied. Accommodation of vehicles in a mobile network has been studied to execute the vehicle related service.
Non Patent Literature 1 discloses request conditions and a network configuration for accommodating vehicles in a mobile network.

Vehicle communication system, base station, server apparatus, message transmitting method, vehicle related service providing method, and readable medium


A neutron detector comprises one or more neutron detector modules (20). Each neutron detector module (20) comprises a neutron moderating block (22) having a plurality of neutron detector blades (2) embedded therein. Each neutron detector blade (2) is generally planar and comprises conversion layers on either side of a light-guiding sheet (8). Each conversion layer (4a, 4b) comprises a mixture of a neutron absorbing material and a scintillation material. This light-guiding sheet (8) is arranged to receive photons emitted from the scintillation material. A photodetector (10) is optically coupled to the light-guide (8) and arranged to detect photons generated in the conversion layers (4a, 4b) as a result of neutron absorption events and received into the light-guiding sheet (8).

The present invention relates to the field of neutron detection, in particular for neutron detection for nuclear assay purposes.
There are many situations in which it can be important to reliably measure the amount of nuclear fissile material present in a sample (that is to say to perform nuclear assay measurements). For example, national and international nuclear regulatory agencies need to maintain an inventory of the quantity of fissile material present within their domain. To this end, so-called nuclear safeguards instrumentation may be used to detect the diversion of nuclear material from declared facilities, or to detect the clandestine production, diversion or processing of nuclear material. The verification of the physical inventory at processing facilities hinges on the use of non-destructive assay (NDA) instruments which are typically based on either neutron, gamma, or calorimetric detection. Other situations where it is important to reliably measure the amount of nuclear fissile material present in a sample include Arms Control and Treaty Verification measurements and irradiated fuel measurements to quantify how much nuclear fuel remains 'unburnt' when fuel elements are removed from a reactor before their return to a storage or re-processing facility. Another scenario is for characterising nuclear waste to help prevent fissile material being wrongly consigned in nuclear waste.
A known approach to quantify fissile materials, such as uranium and plutonium present in a sample, is based on identifying the rate of 'coincident' detections of neutrons arising from the spontaneous or induced fission in the sample. The general aim of nuclear assay measurements is to estimate the number of fissile nuclei present within a sample of material. This can be done by measuring the rate of neutron detection events seen using a plurality neutron detector elements surrounding a sample which can be attributed to fission events in which multiple neutrons are simultaneously ejected from the sample, typically with an average energy of around 2 MeV. Since these neutrons must first thermalise before detection, the neutrons associated with an event in which multiple neutrons are produced are rarely detected in strict coincidence. Consequently a technique has become established based on a shift-register analysis to measure a degree of timing correlation between potentially large numbers of neutron detection events within an instrument [1]. With this kind of shift-register analysis, a coincidence gate is opened when a trigger neutron pulse from a detector is received at a shift register. The duration (gate-width) for the coincidence gate is selected according to the die-away time of the detector. When another neutron is detected during the coincidence gate (coincidence window), it is counted. Neutrons detected within the coincidence gate may be in "true" coincidence (i.e. associated with a common neutron decay event in the sample), or may be in "false" coincidence, i.e. associated with uncorrelated events. The significant coincidence rate for assay purposes is the "true" coincidence rate (coincidence rate after subtracting the "false" coincident rate) which can provide an estimate of the quantity of fissile material present within the sample.
In this regard there is now a well-established and internationally validated shift-register package available "off the shelf" for processing neutron detection event signals for nuclear assay purposes, for example of the kind described by D. T. Reilly in "Passive Nondestructive Assay of Nuclear Materials" [1]. A range of different neutron detection approaches have been developed to detect neutrons and provide corresponding neutron detection event signals for processing in accordance with this recognized processing approach. Two broad types of detection system exist. One type may be referred to as passive interrogation detectors which operate to measure neutrons generated by the spontaneous fission of nuclei within the material sample. The other type may be referred to as active interrogation detectors and these use an external source to stimulate fission events, for example for low self-activity samples (such as uranium bearing materials) or to boost sample fission signature counts above a high gamma-ray background (e.g. in a spent fuel assay implementation).
FIG. 1 schematically represents a known neutron coincidence well counter based on the use of helium-3 proportional neutron counters, namely Canberra's JCC-31 (www.canberra.com/products/waste_safeguard_systems/pdf/JCC-31-SS-C36906.pdf) [2]. The upper part of the figure represents the device in horizontal cross-section and the lower part of the figure represents the device in vertical cross-section. The detector is a portable non-destructive assay system used for high mass Pu bearing samples (20-2000 g) based on passive neutron counting. The device is considered to set a baseline target system for coincidence counting applications due to its wide use in the Nuclear Safeguards Community and its ability to handle relatively high count rates from kilogram-range mass Pu samples. The device has a ring of eighteen Helium-3-based neuron detectors (3-He tubes) around a sample cavity in which a sample to be assayed is received. The JCC-31 measures the effective mass of fissile material in the sample by detecting coincidence neutrons from the spontaneous fission of nuclei as discussed above. The JCC-31 has a cylindrical-shaped sample cavity 41 cm high by 17 cm in diameter. A cadmium sleeve surrounds the sample cavity to prevent the re-entry of thermalized neutrons into the sample, which could induce fission in the sample and adversely affect the results. Outside the cadmium sleeve is a ring of high-density polyethylene and the eighteen 3-He tubes. The 3-He tubes are divided into six groups of three with each group wired together and connected to one amplifier/discriminator circuit board for coincidence analysis.
FIG. 2 schematically represents another previously-proposed 3-He-based device known as an Epithermal Neutron Multiplicity Counter [3]. The left-hand part of the figure represents the device in vertical cross-section and the right-hand part of the figure represents the device in horizontal cross-section. The device represented in FIG. 2 is based on broadly the same detection technologies as the device of FIG. 1, but comprises 121 3-He tubes arranged in four rings around a sample cavity having a diameter of 200 mm and a height of 430 mm. The detector is reported to have an efficiency of 65.5% and a die-away time of 23.2 microseconds. The higher efficiency allows for neutron multiplicity counting.
Some sample types, such as fuel assemblies, are difficult to assay in a well-counter configuration because of their size. In this regard collar-type (as opposed to well-type) detector configurations may be used to accommodate larger sample types, for example Canberra's JCC-71 (www.canberra.com/products/waste_safeguard_systems/pdf/JCC-71-72-73-SS-C38898.pdf) [4]. This detector may be configured for active or passive interrogation operation. The device is presented for use for quantifying 235-U in fresh PWR (pressurized water reactor), BWR (boiling water reactor) and CANDU (Canadian light water reactor) fuel assemblies, and for measuring plutonium in MOX (mixed oxide) fuel. In the passive mode the device comprises four banks of neutron counters, each comprising several 3-He tubes, around a sample space. In the active mode, one of the banks is replaced by an interrogating neutron source, to measure 235-U.
A drawback with the above-described detectors is their reliance on 3-He. There has over the years been a significant reduction in the availability of 3-He following the reduction in the stock-pile of nuclear weapons. Due to the shortage of 3-He in recent years, there has been recognised a need to replace the neutron detection technology that has been at the heart of these systems since their conception. For many years, the 'gold standard' for the detection of thermal neutrons was set by proportional counters based on the use of 3-He, but the Nuclear Safeguards Community now seeks alternative technologies which do not rely on 3-He.
There are several properties of 3-He which make it well suited for nuclear assay detectors. For example, detectors based on 3-He typically have high thermal-neutron detection efficiency, good neutron-gamma discrimination, a short dead-time, and various practical operational advantages, such as high stability, non-inflammability, non-toxicity, and long operational lifetime. This means that finding a suitable replacement technology able to provide comparable performance represents a significant technical challenge. The issue has been investigated extensively over the past few years, and several 3-He replacement technology options have been proposed, such as those based on boron-lined tubes or plates, boron trifluoride as a proportional gas, boron loaded plastic scintillators, as well as LiF:ZnS(Ag) screens on wavelength-shifting light-guides. These alternate technologies have been widely discussed, for example in documents [5], [6], [7], [8], [9], [10], [11], [12] and [13]. Some 3-He alternate technology detectors have been implemented in safeguards counters with some degree of success, but several are still in the developmental stage.
In addition to providing sufficient detection efficiency, 3-He replacement technologies should also allow deployment in configurations having sufficiently short neutron die-away times to allow an appropriate precision for coincidence detection. In this regard, a recognised figure of merit (FOM_2) for characterising the performance of a neutron detector is defined both in terms of single neutron detection efficiency ε (%) and detector die-away time τ, which is a measure of the mean time-delay expected between a fission event and the detection of a neutron following moderation. This figure of merit is conventionally defined as FOM_2=ε/√{square root over (τ)} and it may be used to compare detector performance for different detector technologies and configurations against one another. A relatively high value for FOM_2 indicates a detector with relatively high efficiency and/or relatively low die-away time. Generally speaking, it can be desirable to have neutron detector elements that are compact and, when in a well counter configuration, do not rely on large amounts of surrounding material for moderation since this can extend the detector's neutron die-away time.
An LiF:ZnS(Ag)-based detector used for Pu assay and independent measurements of neutrons and gamma rays is described in document [7]. This detector uses LiF:ZnS(Ag) material as a thin screen, coupled to wavelength shifting fibres in the form of a ribbon. These layers can be combined to produce slabs which can then be assembled to surround a sample on four sides forming a well counter. One side consists of 3 individual detector bundles per side. As example of such a slab is represented in FIG. 3.
FIG. 4 schematically represents another previously-proposed LiF:ZnS(Ag)-based detector as described in document [9]. The left-hand part of the figure represents the device in vertical cross-section and the right-hand part of the figure represents the device in horizontal cross-section. The detector is presented as a demonstrator unit to determine the feasibility of utilizing LiF:ZnS(Ag) detectors in a well counter configuration. The detector comprises four walls, around 1.5 m tall, surrounding a central cavity for source placement. Each wall comprises alternating layers of five LiF:ZnS(Ag) screens between six polyvinyltoluene (PVT) sheets. A single PMT detector is provided at the top and bottom of each wall to receive light from the LiF:ZnS(Ag) screen which is guided by the polyvinyltoluene (PVT) sheets to the PMT.
Various other previously-proposed designs are described in the above-identified documents. However, none of these previously-proposed designs have been able to provide a practical detector having performance comparable to a 3-He based detector for nuclear assay purposes. There is therefore a need for new methods and apparatus for neutron detection which do not rely on 3-He detectors, but which have improved performance over existing designs, for example in terms of helping to achieve performance comparable to 3-He-based detectors for nuclear assay purposes.


A signal processing apparatus which processes signals obtained from an image pickup element including a plurality of first pixels sharing a first microlens and a plurality of second pixels sharing a second microlens, the first pixels and the second pixels having saturation characteristics different from each other, and the signal processing apparatus includes a saturation detector configured to detect a saturated pixel whose charge amount has reached a saturation level among the first pixels and the second pixels, and an estimating portion configured to estimate the charge amount of the saturated pixel using a nearby pixel of the saturated pixel.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a signal processing apparatus which processes a signal obtained from an image pickup element including a plurality of pixels that share one microlens.
2. Description of the Related Art
Previously, an image pickup apparatus which performs focus detection based on a phase difference between two pupil-divided images obtained from an image pickup element including a plurality of pixels that share one microlens has been known. Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2001-83407 discloses an image pickup apparatus having an image pickup element including a plurality of pixels that share one microlens. The image pickup apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2001-83407, with performing focus detection based on a phase difference between two pupil-divided images obtained from the image pickup element, generates an image signal using an added signal (added electric charge) from the plurality of pixels that share one microlens, thereby obtaining an image output of high quality.
However, the image pickup apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2001-83407 cannot perform highly accurate focus detection when each of the divided pixels is saturated.

Signal processing apparatus, image pickup apparatus, and image pickup system


An Error Correction Code (ECC) encoding module encodes an input data word by calculating parity bits according to an ECC index mapping. An ECC correction/detection module receives the encoded data word that may have become corrupted due to noise or distortion. The ECC correction/detection module executes a parity calculation on the encoded data word based on the ECC index mapping. Based on the parity calculation, the ECC correction/detection module can detect and correct a single bit error, detect if there is an error to an even number of bits, and detect the occurrence of a three consecutive bit burst error.

The ability to detect and correct errors is an important feature of data transmission and data storage systems. Transmitted or stored data is often susceptible to noise or distortion that can cause bits to "flip", corrupting the integrity of the data. A common technique for error detection and correction involves adding additional bits known as "parity bits" to a data word. The parity bits are calculated in such a way that they reflect characteristics of the data word. For example, in one conventional technique, each parity bit is associated with a different subset of bits in the data word. The parity bit is set to 1 if an odd number of bits in the associated subset are set to 1. The parity bit is set to 0 if an even number of bits in the associated subset are set to 1. Thus, any parity bit together with its associated subset of bits will contain an even number of 1s. The parity bits are then encoded together with the data word. At a later time (e.g., after transmission of an encoded data word), a similar parity calculation is executed to determine if the parity bits are still correct (i.e. if a parity bit together with its associated subset of bits still contains an even number of 1s). If a bit changes during transmission of the data word, one or more parity bits will be incorrect (i.e. the parity bit together with its associated subset of bits contains an odd number of 1s). This indicates an error in the data word.
An example of a common error detection/correction code is a SECDED (Single Error Correction Double Error Detection) Hamming code. As is known in the art, a SECDED Hamming code computes parity bits in such a way that a change to any single bit produces a unique "error code" derived from the parity calculation. By examining which parity bits are incorrect, the single bit in error can be identified and can therefore be corrected. Furthermore, the parity bits are calculated in such a way that a two bit error (or other even numbered bit error) can be detected. However, two bit errors are not correctable.
The conventional SECDED Hamming code is not able to detect three bit errors. Rather, in the presence of a three bit error, a conventional SECDED code returns an error code that is indistinguishable from an error code resulting from a single bit error. Therefore, in the presence of a three bit error, a conventional Error Correction Code (ECC) circuit will erroneously "correct" a bit that may actually be valid. This further corrupts the integrity of the data. Therefore, what is needed is an ECC module that can distinguish between three bit errors and single bit errors.

Three bit error detection using ECC codes


Methods and systems for filtering synthesized or reconstructed speech are implemented. A filter based on a set of linear predictive coding (LPC) coefficients is constructed by transforming the LPC coefficients to the pseudo-cepstrum, a domain existing between LPC domain and the line spectral frequency (LSF) domain. The resulting filter can emphasize spectral frequencies associated with various formants, or spectral peaks, of an inverse transfer function relating to the LPC coefficients, and can de-emphasize spectral frequencies associated with various spectral minima, or spectral valleys, of the inverse transfer function relating to the LPC coefficients.

1. Field of Invention
The invention relates to methods and systems that compensate for noise in digitized speech.
2. Description of Related Art
As telecommunications plays an increasingly important role in modern life, the need to provide clear and intelligible voice channels increases commensurately. However, providing clear, noise-free and intelligible voice channels has traditionally required high-bit-rate communication links, which can be expensive. While lowering the bit-rate of a voice channel can reduce costs, low-bit-rates tend to introduce side-effects, such as quantization noise, which can reduce the clarity and/or intelligibility of voice signals. Unfortunately, removing noise in a voice signal generated by low-bit-rate channels can require excessive processing power and distort the voice signal. Accordingly, there is a need for new technology to provide better voice channels that reduce processing power requirements while minimizing distortion.

Pseudo-cepstral adaptive short-term post-filters for speech coders