A polishing head assembly for single side polishing of silicon wafers is provided. The polishing head assembly includes a polishing head and a cap. The polishing head has a recess along a bottom portion, the recess having a recessed surface. The cap is positioned within the recess, and has an annular wall and a floor extending across the annular wall. The floor is spaced from the recessed surface to form a chamber therebetween. The chamber is configured to be pressurized for deflecting the floor. The annular wall is attached to the polishing head with an adhesive.

Semiconductor wafers are commonly used in the production of integrated circuit (IC) chips on which circuitry are printed. The circuitry is first printed in miniaturized form onto surfaces of the wafers. The wafers are then broken into circuit chips. This miniaturized circuitry requires that front and back surfaces of each wafer be extremely flat and parallel to ensure that the circuitry can be properly printed over the entire surface of the wafer. To accomplish this, grinding and polishing processes are commonly used to improve flatness and parallelism of the front and back surfaces of the wafer after the wafer is cut from an ingot. A particularly good finish is required when polishing the wafer in preparation for printing the miniaturized circuits on the wafer by an electron beam-lithographic or photolithographic process (hereinafter "lithography"). The wafer surface on which the miniaturized circuits are to be printed must be flat. Similarly, flatness and finish are also important for solar applications.
The construction and operation of conventional polishing machines contribute to the unacceptable flatness parameters. Polishing machines typically include a circular or annular polishing pad mounted on a turntable or platen for driven rotation about a vertical axis passing through the center of the pad and a mechanism for holding the wafer and forcing it into the polishing pad. The wafer is typically mounted to the polishing head using for example, liquid surface tension or a vacuum/suction. A polishing slurry, typically including chemical polishing agents and abrasive particles, is applied to the pad for greater polishing interaction between the polishing pad and the surface of the wafer. This type of polishing operation is typically referred to as chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP).
During operation, the pad is rotated and the wafer is brought into contact with and forced against the pad by the polishing head. As the pad wears, e.g., after a few hundred wafers, wafer flatness parameters degrade because the pad is no longer flat, but instead has a worn annular band forming a depression along the polishing surface of the pad. Such pad wear impacts wafer flatness, and may cause "dishing" or "doming" or a combination thereof resulting in a "w-shape".
When the flatness of the wafers becomes unacceptable, the worn polishing pad has to be replaced with a new one. Frequent pad replacement adds significant costs to the operation of the polishing apparatus not only because of the number of pads that need to be purchased, stored, and disposed of, but also because of the substantial amount of down time required to change the polishing pad.
Accordingly, there is a need for a polishing apparatus that has the ability to optimize flatness parameters by modulating the wafer thickness shape in the polishing process for doming, dishing, and +/− w-shape.
This Background section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present disclosure, which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.

Center flex single side polishing head having recess and cap

SunEdison Semiconductor Limited (UEN201334164H)


A manager or an issuer issues a participation certificate, for an ordinary user who will newly join a group formed on a network made up of specified users, on which the manager or issuer creates a digital signature by the use of a private key of the group. Members belonging to the group authenticate one another as belonging to the same group and as authorized members of the group, on the basis of their respective participation certificates.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a communication method used between a terminal belonging to a virtual group comprised of a plurality of terminals connected to one another via a general network and another terminal whose relation with the group is unknown. More particularly, the present invention relates to an authentication method for performing authentication between the terminal and the other terminal in situations such as when the other terminal joins the group and when the other terminal wishes to obtain information it requires from the terminal belonging to the group.
(2) Description of the Related Art
The number of user terminals enjoying a variety of network services on the Internet has been increasing at an accelerated rate thanks to reductions in the prices of Internet access devices and connection fees, as well as to a wider variety of connection devices and the improvement in the speed of communications. At around the time when the commercial application of the Internet first started, most of the Internet services were one-way services in which ordinary users download information from the servers of information providers, by using their own terminals. At present, however, such information providers are not limited to a certain type of people, as there are an increased number of users wishing to transmit their privately-owned information (e.g. text data, still picture data, sound data, and moving picture data), many of whom place their information on WWW (World Wide Web) servers so that other users can view such information.
Methods in which such information providers provide information are roughly divided into two: information providers (1) operate their own servers to provide information; and (2) upload information they wish to provide onto servers that accept information on a free or chargeable basis.
Furthermore, there is an increasing demand for sharing privately-owned information only among a plurality of terminals owned by specific users (to be referred to as "group" hereinafter) such as friends, family members and those who have the same hobby, rather than transmitting information to general user terminals. As a major method in response to such a demand, there is a method utilizing an authentication server (which may be the server of an information provider) on which a set of a user ID and password (to be also referred to as "group list" hereinafter) of a user who has been permitted to join a group is registered, and a decision is made as to whether or not to permit such user to share information in the group, by verifying the set of the user ID and password inputted from a user terminal.
Also, when a formed group is made public, membership to the group is solicited from general users by registering information about the group (i.e. the category of the group, member information, and conditions for membership) on the authentication server. Then, the general users know about the registered group by accessing the authentication server, and obtain information required for joining the group. Many of the groups intended for having communications over networks (e.g. chat, BBS, and mailing list) let the public know about them in the above manner.
In a case such as the one described above where an information provider stores information on a server, and an information user accesses the server through his/her terminal (so-called client-server model), the following problems arise: when an information provider operates a server on his/her own,
(1) A high degree of knowledge is required: a technical knowledge on servers, networks and so forth is required, making it difficult for general users to operate servers of their own;
(2) Costly: operation cost is required for making a server dedicated to providing information in operation all the time, other than costs for equipment and software;
(3) There are limitations on the capacity of servers regardless of whether a service is chargeable or free: since there is a limitation on the information storage capacity of a server in many cases (in a case of servers which impose charges for information usage on information users, it is possible to relax limitations on capacity by making such information users bear most of the costs), and therefore, only a limited number of people can be information providers;
(4) Privacy leakage: there is a possibility that information stored on a server may be leaked to a third person due to some sort of accident even when an information provider is trustworthy, and therefore, it is difficult to protect privacy in a perfect manner; and
(5) Reliability as an open issue to be addressed: no information can be provided or shared at all when a server becomes inaccessible due to some sort of trouble.
The above-listed "limitations on capacity" does not pose a problem when an information provider can recover all costs incurred for providing information by obtaining an income in compensation for providing information. However, it is impossible to recover such costs when general users disseminate information or share information among user terminals.
As a solution to the above-listed problems that arise when information is shared in a communication of a client-server model as mentioned above, a peer to peer (to be referred to as "P2P" hereinafter) model has been a recent focus of attention. A "P2P" model is a communication method in which information is not concentrated on a server but is directly sent/received to and from an information provider and an information user when required, and therefore can serve as a solution to the above-listed problems (for example, refer to Keiichi KOYANAGI, P2P—New Century of the Internet (P2P Internet no shin-seiki), Ohmsha Ltd, 2002).
FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing the flow of processing in a case where information is transferred among user terminals participating in a P2P model network (to be referred to as "P2P network" hereinafter). Assume that each user terminal (more specifically, terminals A–F) in FIG. 1 knows the existence of at least one other terminal participating in the P2P network. For example, the terminal A knows the terminals B and F, the terminal B knows the terminals A, C and D, the terminal D knows the terminals B and E, the terminal E knows only the terminal D, and the terminal F knows the terminals A and C, respectively. Here, assume that a user of the terminal A wishes to obtain certain information in the above state. In order to receive information that the user of the terminal A requires, the user needs to make a search required for specifying the terminal of another user who possesses such information.
Regarding the instructions of the user, the terminal A sends, to the terminals B and F, a request indicating that the user of the terminal A wishes to search for a user terminal having the above information (to be referred to as "search request" hereinafter). Next, the terminals B and F relay the search request sent from the terminal A to the user terminals they respectively know, and further to the user terminals known to the user terminals that terminals B and F know (S1501). Then, user terminals that have information satisfying the search request (the terminals C and E in this case) directly notify the terminal A that they have such information (S1502 and S1503). The terminal A selects the terminal E based on a certain sort of judgment criteria, and the information is directly transferred from the terminal E to the terminal A in the end (S1504). Of course, both the terminals C and E may directly transfer such information to the terminal A.
Accordingly, the above problems (1)–(5) with the client-server model can be solved as described below:
(1) A high degree of knowledge on server operation is not required, since there is no need for operating a server;
(2) Cost for operating or using a server is not required;
(3) Since the information recipient A receives information directly from the information sender E, limitations on the amount of information to be transferred are imposed only on a local recording capacity of the terminal E, meaning that there is virtually no limitation on capacity;
(4) Since information is not transferred via a third person other than the terminals A and E, information privacy can be protected if the communication between the terminals A and E is encrypted by using an existing technique; and
(5) It is possible for the terminal A to obtain necessary information from the terminal C, even when the terminal E is not on the network (in offline state).
Meanwhile, when a user wishes to participate in a group formed on the P2P network, and to share privately-owned information among other group members, the following requirements (A) and (B) need to be satisfied (due to the fact that there is no authentication server in this case):
(A) A user wishing to join the group needs to obtain information about the group using some method or other;
(B) User terminals of group members need to authenticate one another to confirm if they really participate in such group, when information is to be shared among such group members.
First, let us think about the requirement (A).
An information search method of the above-mentioned P2P model can be used to obtain information about the group. By making a search which is required for obtaining information about the group on the P2P network, it is possible to obtain the group information on the network without needing to use an authentication server.
First, a user is required to obtain (1) information for identifying the group on the network and (2) information about the attribute of the group and the like that is indicative of which category such group belongs to, and then (3) information indicating where to be connected in order to participate in the group.
The above information (1) is an ID and the like assigned to the group by which the group can be uniquely identified. The above information (2) is the group category, its intention, requirements for participating the group, and the like. Finally, the information (3) is IP addresses, port numbers and the like of group members which are required for actually making an access to such group members.
In the following, the above information (1) is referred to as "group identification information", the information (2) is referred to as "group attribute information" and the information (3) is referred to as "entry point information". Moreover, the information (1) and (2) are collectively referred to as "group information".
First, a user obtains group identification information and group attribute information by means of a search, and decides whether or not to join the group by referring to the obtained group attribute information. When deciding to join the group, the user searches for entry point information of the group so as to obtain the entry point information. When this is done, the user specifies which entry point information in the group is needed, according to the previously obtained group identification information. When obtaining the entry point information, the user then needs to go through the procedure for joining the group by making an access to the entry point indicated by such entry point information. When the above processing is performed by the use of the search method of the P2P network, two problems arise because of the fact that the group information is not managed by an authentication server.
The first problem is the falsification of the group information. As shown in FIG. 2, assume that there are three groups G1, G2, and G3 on the network. Here, the terminal A of the user A specifies a condition α which should be satisfied by a group that the user A wishes to join, and searches for group information on the P2P network (S3101).
Next, upon receipt of the search request from the terminal A, the terminals B and F belonging to the group G2 judge whether the group information of their group matches the condition α specified by the terminal A. In an example shown in FIG. 2, since the group G2 does not satisfy the condition α, the terminals B and F transfer the above search request to the user terminals they respectively know. Subsequently, the terminals C and D of the group G1 that satisfy the condition α notify the terminal A of group identification information DI1 and group attribute information AI1 they possess (S3102 and S3103).
Accordingly, the user A of the terminal A comes to know the existence of a group that satisfies the condition α s/he specified, and therefore obtains an opportunity to participate in such group.
As shown in FIG. 3, however, it is easy to falsify group information on the P2P network. The user A in FIG. 3 specifies the condition α which should be satisfied by a group the user A wishes to join, using the terminal A, and searches for group information on the P2P network, as in the case of FIG. 2 (S3201).
In response to this search, there is a possibility that fraudulent responses are returned in the following manner:
(1) A person who responds to the search falsifies group attribute information of its own group
For example, assume the following case; the user B of the terminal B sends, to the terminal A as a response to the search request, not group attribute information AI2 but group attribute information AI1 of another group which satisfies the condition α, out of the group information of the group to which the user B belongs (S3202). In this case, there is a possibility that the user A will join the group G2 which does not satisfy the condition α which s/he specified.
(2) A person who responds to the search uses group identification information of another group and falsifies group attribute information of such group
For example, assume the following case: the user E of the terminal E uses group identification information DI1 of another group, and fakes such group attribute information AI4 that satisfies the condition α so as to send the fake group attribute information to the terminal A (S3203). As a result, there arises a possibility that the user A obtains false group attribute information of the group G1, and that false group attribute information AI4, which is not the group attribute information of the G1, is disseminated as such. Similarly, the same kind of falsification can take place when a search is made for entry point information.
Here, referring to FIG. 2, an explanation is given of the flow of processing for searching for entry point information, utilizing the information search method of the P2P network.
First, the user A specifies a condition α and group identification information of a group whose entry point information s/he wishes to obtain so as to make a search. Users C and D who belong to a group identified by such specified group identification information return their own entry point information as a response to the above search via their respective terminals.
In this case, too, it is easy for the above users who return a response to make a fraudulent response because of the fact that the group identification information and corresponding entry point information are not managed together by a server. In such a case, a fraudulent response is assumed to be made in the following manner:
(3) A person who responds to the search uses group identification information of another group and falsifies entry point information of such group. For example, it is possible for the terminal E to falsify entry point information and therefore return the entry point information of the terminal B in response to a search made by the terminal A for obtaining entry point information of the group G1. In this case, there is a possibility that the terminal A will join the group G2, which is not the group G1, and therefore, the member B of the group G2 is forced to deal with a wrong access made by the terminal A.
Of the above three fraudulent responses, the response (1) can take place in communications of a client-server model, but the responses (2) and (3) are more likely to take place in P2P environments. Since group identification information and corresponding group attribute information, and group identification information and corresponding entry point information are not managed by a server, a malicious user can make a fraudulent response by tampering with and transmit fake group attribute information and entry point information.
With the existing information search method of the P2P network, it is not possible to ascertain the validity of the above response. This is because anyone can make a response to a search made by a searcher in the existing search method of the P2P network.
The second problem is concerned with the uniqueness of a group. When a group is managed by an authentication server in a collective manner, it is easy to create an identifier for discriminating one group from another by the use of an authentication server. By using such an identifier as group identification information, a user can uniquely identify a group whose information s/he wishes to obtain.
On the P2P network, however, anyone can form a group freely and therefore it is not easy to determine an identifier for uniquely making a distinction between other groups. For example, assume that the user A forms a group and assigns an identifier G1 to such group, after which the user B forms another group and assigns the same identifier G1 to such group. In this case, another user C cannot discriminate between the user A's group and the user B's group using the identifier G1. More importantly, since a case is assumed where the user B will intentionally use the same identifier as that of the user A's group, the second problem cannot be solved by just using identifiers. Thus, what should be used as group identification information is one of the biggest issues in a case where groups are operated on the P2P network.
In order to solve the first and the second problems described above, it is possible to use a method in which information about a group and users is managed on an authentication server and actual data transfer is carried out in a P2P system. Such method, which is known as hybrid P2P, is one of the solutions to the above-mentioned problems (3) and (4) with client-server model. With this method, it is possible to protect group information from falsification, allowing group uniqueness to be easily assured.
Next, let us think about the requirement (B).
Referring to FIG. 4, an explanation is given of existing methods and the problems thereof.
As shown in FIG. 4, the first existing method is a method in which each user terminal in the group holds the same group list as one owned by an authentication server in the client-server model. In FIG. 4A, the user terminals A, B and C have their respective group lists on which the terminals A, B and C are described as the user (member) terminals making up the group (members). For example, when the user terminal C lets the other terminals (terminals A and B) know its user ID and password, the terminals A and B compare such user ID and password with the user ID and password described in their respective group lists. If the result of such comparison shows that the user ID and password presented by the terminal C match the user ID and password described on the group lists of the terminals A and B, the terminal C is authenticated as a group member, and is allowed to share information among the terminals A, B and C. Therefore, a user terminal X, which is not a group member, cannot know the user IDs and passwords described in the group list, and thus, the user terminal X is not allowed to share information among the terminals A, B and C. Accordingly, the privacy of the group comprised of the terminals A, B and C is protected.
However, there is a problem with the first existing method. Assume that the terminal A or the terminal B lets a terminal D join the group as a new member while the terminal C is in an offline state. In such a case, as shown in FIG. 4B, the user ID and password of the newly added terminal D are added to the group list of the terminals A, B and D, which enables them to share the group list with the same contents. However, since the terminal C is in an offline state at this point of time, it is impossible for the terminal C to update its group list. Next, assume the case where the terminals A and B are in offline state and only the terminals C and D are participating in the network (in an online state) (FIG. 4C). In this case, the terminal C cannot authenticate the terminal D as a group member since there is no description about the terminal D in the group list of the terminal C, making it impossible for information to be shared between the terminals C and D despite the fact that they are members of the same group (although there is a description about the terminal D in the group list of the terminal D, the terminal C cannot trust such description because of the possibility that the terminal D has tampered with the group list). In other words, there is a problem with the first existing method in that synchronization cannot be maintained among group lists possessed by the respective user terminals.
The second existing method to circumvent this problem is a method in which only a specified member holds a group list and such specified member makes changes in group members on the group list and performs authentication concerning a participation status of the user terminals in the group.
However, when hybrid P2P is employed in response to the requirement (A), the problems (1), (2) and (5) with the client-server model cannot be solved.
Furthermore, regarding the requirement (B), the second existing method has a problem in that, when the above-described specified member is in an offline state, the other members cannot authenticate with each other. In FIG. 4D, for example, assume that the terminal A is the above-described specified member, and the terminals B and C are the other group members. When the terminal A is in an online state, it is possible for the terminal B to authenticate the terminal C as a group member by making an inquiry about the terminal C to the terminal A. As shown in FIG. 4E, however, since the terminal B fails to make an inquiry to the terminal A when the terminal A is in an offline state, the terminal B cannot authenticate the terminal C, making it impossible for information to be shared between the terminals B and C, despite the fact that they are members of the same group.
As described above, when wishing to share information within a group on the P2P network that is capable of solving the problems of the client-server model, the following problems occur:
(1) There is a possibility that synchronization cannot be maintained among group lists possessed by the respective user terminals, in which case authentication cannot be performed even among members of the same group; and
(2) If a specified member responsible for holding the group list is in offline state, the other members cannot authenticate with one another as members of the group.
Meanwhile, in a public key encryption system such as PKI, authentication is generally performed between terminals by the use of expired participants lists distributed from a specified server. Users make an access, via their terminals, to a server that distributes expired participant lists at the time of authentication or on a specified date, so as to update their respective expired participant lists possessed by their terminals.
However, since there is no server on the P2P network which is in operation all the time, it is impossible, with the above method, to obtain an expired participant list when the manager terminal is in an offline state.
As shown in FIG. 5A, a possible method which addresses this problem is one in which the manager A who prepared the expired participant lists broadcasts new expired participant lists to the terminals of all the group members via the terminal A. However, since the terminals of the group members are not always in an online state, the terminal X of the member X in an offline state cannot obtain an expired participant list as shown in FIG. 5B.
Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 5C and 5D, if the terminal A enters in to an offline state before the terminal X, which failed to obtain an expired participant list, enters in to an online state, it is impossible for the terminal X now in the online state to make an access to the terminal A, and therefore, the terminal X cannot obtain an expired participant list after all, as shown in FIG. 5D.

Terminal apparatus, communication method, and communication system

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


In one embodiment, the method includes sending a first transfer message to a target optical line terminal (OLT) corresponding to the target passive optical network (PON), the first transfer message including first identifier information of the first ONU; and sending a second transfer message to a source OLT corresponding to the source PON, the second transfer message including second identifier information of the first ONU and wavelength information of the target PON.

Recently, a Time and Wavelength Division Multiplexed-Passive Optical Network (TWDM-PON) has been regarded as a primary solution to the Next Generation-Passive Optical Network (NG-PON2) in the standard meeting hosted by the FSAN. Multiple XG-PONs (10 Gbit PONs or 10G Passive Optical Networks) are stacked into a TWDM-PON system. Besides the ITU-T G.multi working team also proposes Multiple Wavelength-Passive Optical Network (MW-PON), which is a stack of several Time Division Multiplexed-Passive Optical Networks (TDM-PONs) by assigning a different wavelength to each TDM PON in a single Optical Distribution Network (ODN). The TDM-PONs include an E-PON, a G-PON, an XG-PON, etc., all of which will be referred simply to as a PON. Thus the TWDM-PON system can be regarded as an MW-PON system. In the MW-PON system, a plurality of PONs share an ODN through time and wavelength division, and an ONU can tune its own wavelength to be connected to a corresponding PON.
In the MW-PON system, a plurality of PON systems share an ODN so as to lower the cost of network deployment and maintenance. However in the existing MW-PON system, each PON is consisted of an Optical Line Terminal (OLT) and a plurality of ONUs connected therewith, and the connections between the OLT and the ONUs are fixed. Consequently the existing MW-PON system is architecturally inflexible.

Method of supporting transfer of optical network unit between passive optical networks


A matrix, including epithelial basement membrane, for inducing repair of mammalian tissue defects and in vitro cell propagation derived from epithelial tissues of a warm-blooded vertebrate.

Submucosal tissues of warm-blooded vertebrates are useful in tissue grafting materials. For example, submucosal tissue graft compositions derived from small intestine have been described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,902,508 (hereinafter the '508 patent) and U.S. Pat. No. 4,956,178 (hereinafter the '178 patent), and submucosal tissue graft compositions derived from urinary bladder have been described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,554,389 (hereinafter the '389 patent). All of these compositions consist essentially of the same tissue layers and are prepared by the same method, the difference being that the starting material is small intestine on the one hand and urinary bladder on the other. The procedure detailed in the '508 patent, incorporated by reference in the '389 patent and the procedure detailed in the '178 patent, includes mechanical abrading steps to remove the inner layers of the tissue, including at least the luminal portion of the tunica mucosa of the intestine or bladder, i.e., the lamina epithelialis mucosa (epithelium) and lamina propria, as detailed in the '178 patent. Abrasion, peeling, or scraping the mucosa delaminates the epithelial cells and their associated basement membrane, and most of the lamina propria, at least to the level of a layer of organized dense connective tissue, the stratum compactum. Thus, the tissue graft material previously recognized as soft tissue replacement material is devoid of epithelial basement membrane and consists of the submucosa and stratum compactum.
The epithelial basement membrane is a thin sheet of extracellular material contiguous with the basilar aspect of epithelial cells. Sheets of aggregated epithelial cells of similar type form an epithelium. Epithelial cells and their associated epithelial basement membrane are positioned on the luminal portion of the tunica mucosa and constitute the internal surface of tubular and hollow organs and tissues of the body. Epithelial cells and their associated epithelial basement membrane are also positioned on the external surface of the body, i.e., skin. Examples of a typical epithelium having a basement membrane include, but are not limited to the following: the epithelium of the skin, intestine, urinary bladder, esophagus, stomach, cornea, and liver.
Epithelial cells are positioned on the luminal or superficial side of the epithelial basement membrane, opposite to connective tissues. Connective tissues, the submucosa, for example, are positioned on the abluminal or deep side of the basement membrane. Examples of connective tissues that are positioned on the abluminal side of the epithelial basement membrane are the submucosa of the intestine and urinary bladder, and the dermis and subcutaneous tissues of the skin.

Tissue regenerative composition, method of making, and method of use thereof


A control input of an electrical device is disclosed, which is resistant to parasitic currents and which is especially suitable for a large bandwidth of various driving voltages. For this purpose, a control input circuit includes a constant current sink connected to a control line, whose current consumption during the duration of the detection pulse assumes a detection value relative which the power consumption between two successive detection pulses is reduced. The circuit also includes an evaluation module that analyzes the input current flowing in the control line and that indicates a control signal if, during the detection pulse, the input current does not fall below a predetermined switch-on value for a predetermined duty cycle.

The control signal may be produced by applying a control voltage to the control input of the appliance. In this context, the control input circuit associated with the control input has the task of recording the control current excited by the control voltage and, if a control signal is present, triggering an appropriate reaction to the control signal in the appliance.
Various control voltages are usual which differ in terms of voltage level and voltage form, particularly DC or AC voltage. In particular, the use of 24 V DC, 48 V DC, 110 V AC, 230 V AC etc. as control voltage is customary. In line with conventional nomenclature, DC stands for DC voltage and AC stands for AC voltage in this context.
To increase the compatibility of an appliance, and at the same time to have to provide the smallest possible number of different control inputs, it is the usual practice to design a control input for a bandwidth including a plurality of control voltages, e.g. for 24 V DC to 48 V DC or 110 V AC to 230 V AC. In this connection, it would be desirable to have a control input which is equally suitable for all common voltage levels and also for DC and AC voltages.
A conventional control input circuit with a purely nonreactive input characteristic can generally fulfill this not at all or only inadequately, especially since a rising control voltage usually means that it is also necessary to take account of a rising residual current which inevitably flows through the control line connecting the appliance to the control unit even when there is currently no control signal applied. In addition, this residual current is overlaid by interference currents which are transferred to the control line, particularly through capacitive interference injection. Such interference injection may arise, by way of example, when the control line is placed close to a network cable with only inadequate shielding. A control input circuit designed for wideband control voltages must imperatively have a comparatively low trigger threshold in order to trigger with certainty when a low control voltage is used.
On the other hand, however, a control input circuit with a nonreactive characteristic has an increased risk of the trigger threshold being exceeded. This is merely on account of the residual current and/or the interference current when a high control voltage is used.
To increase the wide bandwidth of a control input, from time to time a control input circuit is also used which contains a constant current sink. The term constant current sink is understood to refer to, for example, a circuit module whose drawn current is largely independent of the applied voltage within a prescribed voltage range. In the case of a control input circuit of the latter type, however, it is usually possible to set only a comparatively small drawn current in order to limit the maximum power loss arising in the control input circuit and the associated heating of the appliance to a tenable degree. The maximum drawn current which can be set without the need to provide complex overheating protection is in this case often too small to reach the minimum turned-on current demanded in accordance with the relevant standards, e.g. EN 61131-2: 1994.

Control input circuit for an electrical device


A lockable storage case includes a top cover pivotably coupled to a bottom cover through a spine. The top cover includes loops or an upper lock receiving member and a lower lock receiving member defining a top cover lock insertion path. The bottom cover includes loops or an upper lock receiving member and a lower lock receiving member defining a bottom cover lock insertion path. The lower lock receiving members of both the top and bottom covers include hooks for receiving and maintaining a latch. When the top cover is closed on the bottom cover, the top and bottom cover insertion paths combine to form a combined lock insertion path. A lock for the storage case includes first and second catch mechanisms with first and second catches. To lock the storage case, the lock is inserted into the combined lock insertion path so that the catches on the lock mate with and are retained with the hooks in the top and bottom covers.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a case and lock for storing and securing recorded media such as DVDs, CDs, memory cards, and the like, and more particularly to a case and lock which can more effectively protect recording media from theft.
2. Description of the Related Art
Storage cases are frequently used for storing recording media. A typical storage case comprises a top cover pivotably coupled to a bottom cover through a spine. The recording medium is placed in the bottom cover and the top cover is closed on the bottom cover to retain the recording medium therein. These storage cases can be displayed in a retail or rental environment where potential customers pick up and examine the storage case to determine whether they are interested in buying or renting the media stored therein. As many potential customers handle these storage cases, it is necessary to provide a locking mechanism to deter potential thieves from stealing stored media.
A typical prior art lock is a rigid structure placed around both the top and bottom covers at a portion of the storage case which is distal from the spine. The rigid lock maintains the top and bottom covers coupled together thereby inhibiting access to the inside of the storage case.
By disposing the lock at a portion of the storage case distal from the spine, however, and external to both the top and bottom covers, the lock increases the area of the lock-case combination. Many display shelves are designed to store cases of a specified cross-sectional area and volume—e.g. VSDA (Video Software Dealers Association) standards. By adding a lock to a case which already has such a cross sectional area that conforms to these standards, the lock-case combination may become too large to fit on these shelves. If the case itself is reduced in size so that the lock-case combination conforms to VSDA standards, it becomes difficult to integrate the lock and case with existing automated equipment. Moreover, storage cases typically have paper inserts describing the contents of the case to a potential customer. If the case is altered in size, the size of these paper inserts needs to be altered which also affects manufacturing.
There exists, therefore, a need in the art for a storage case and lock which can be assembled using standard automation equipment, be displayed on shelves using a standardized format (such as VSDA) and which still prevents a thief from gaining access to the receding medium stored therein.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


The present invention relates to a method and a device for transforming an object image, e.g., using a rotation and/or scaling, for showing it on a display unit having a matrix-shaped array of target image points. In order to achieve a rapid and exact representation of the rotated object at relatively low expenditure, the present invention provides, for at least a portion of the target image points, determining source image points by an inverse transformation, and comparing the source image points to pre-stored object image points. From this comparison, the target image point data of the target image points are ascertained. Furthermore, a suitable image of such a transformation is created.

Transformation of images may be achieved by a rotation and/or scaling, i.e., an extension or stretching, of an image of an object stored as a pixel database or a pixel map. Such methods are used in graphics programs for rotating images of an object through any desired angle and for scaling them in the x direction and/or the y direction. They are used especially for representing a pointer, symbols or a map on a matrix-shaped indicator device of a motor vehicle, e.g. an LCD display.
A pointer is generally displayed on the display unit of a motor vehicle with respect to an angle of rotation, which depends on a parameter of a driving state variable, such as vehicle speed, engine speed, fuel tank content or a temperature. In this context, the image of the object of the pointer to be rotated may generally be formed in color and have different transparencies for reproduction in front of a background image, so that to each image point of the target image a plurality of image point data has to be assigned, such as the primary colors red (hereinafter represented as R), yellow (hereinafter represented as G) and blue (hereinafter represented as B) and possibly also a transparency value α, or YUV and possibly α. In navigational systems, prestored map data are scaled for adjusting to the size or pixel number of the display device, and the indicated road map is partially aligned continuously by extension in the travel direction such that the vertical direction of the display unit corresponds to the direction of travel. In addition, a compass indication may also be represented in the image.
Furthermore, in graphics applications, for example, scanned-in images may be aligned as a rectangle, images may be rotated before being printed, for the optimum use of the format of the paper, and graphics symbols may be placed in CAD programs, such as during the planning of furnishing a home.
Regarding rotation and/or scaling of images and objects, fundamental differences are made between methods that are pixel-oriented and vector-oriented. Both methods may be imaged in hardware, software or a mixture of the two.
An image of a method in a hardware implementation is defined by an algorithm that is permanently wired on a chip, as a rule, in the graphics controller. This hardware block awaits agreed-upon parameters in the source data, processes these, and makes the result available again, for example, in a memory region. Thus, algorithms in hardware only have to be supplied with few data and work out the wired problem very rapidly. The algortihm itself, however, may no longer be changed.
An image in a software implementation is performed, for instance, on a usual computing device, such as a personal computer. A microprocessor receives instructions from a software program. The software program includes an algorithm, and processes the instructions with the aid of the microprocessor and associated peripheral units. An algorithm in software is very flexible because of the ease of making changes, but the software algorithm runs slower than the hardware algorithm because of the purely sequential processing method of the microprocessor.
Furthermore, for example, in personal computers having an efficient graphics board for game applications, combined systems are used in which the software takes over the extension of the vector data, but the drawing of the new image is implemented by a hardware block in the graphics controller. This solution combines the flexibility of the software with the speed of hardware imaging. In this context, for instance, a graphics controller, a microprocessor, a program memory and a working memory may be connected via a bus system. The software for a microprocessor and all the required graphics data, including the source pixel image, are stored in the program memory. The working memory is used by the microprocessor and the graphics controller, when needed, as temporary memory, and includes an image refresh memory, on which the target image to be shown on the display unit is stored. The image stored in the image refresh memory is cyclically read out by the graphics controller, for instance, 60 times per second, and sent to the display unit.
In pixel-oriented methods, the object image is described as a pixel map graphic. In the extension and/or scaling of pixel map graphics, each individual pixel of the object image is computed anew by an algorithm. In the case of a continuous adjustment of the object image to a changeable angle of rotation, such computing in real time during a software implementation leads to great computing effort. Implementations using hardware are not used, especially in the automotive field. In order to represent, for example, rotary pointers, for each possible pointer position an image having target image point data may be computed in advance and stored. Thus, for each pointer position, only the image point data of the image have to be called up and represented. It is a disadvantage in such a method wherein, particularly in case of higher resolution and colored, transparent representations, considerable storage space is required.
In vector-oriented methods, the object image is described by vectors stored beforehand. The rotation and/or scaling of the vector graphics is accomplished by the recalculation of the individual vectors followed by redrawing of the image. In this context, a pointer is described, for example, by a pointer contour. To show the pointer, the vectors are rotated in real time at their respective angle of rotation.
Since in this method only the vectors of the pointer contour are stored, the required storage space is low. In the continuous representation of the pointer, only the transformation of the vectors as a function of a parameter has to be calculated, so that the computing effort is also limited. However, using such methods generally only allow description of simpler representations of a pointer, since in particular costlier shape formations and pointer representations, having several color shades and transparency values, either require a large number of vectors or a description of each image point by its own vector. In the case of a software implementation, this leads to a computing effort that may in practice not be able to be carried out in real time, so that, at all events, costly hardware implementations are used.
German Published Patent Application No. 198 16 795 describes a method for representing moved objects in pixel map format on a matrix-shaped display device in which, for various object representations of a predetermined path line, pixel maps are in each case calculated in advance and stored, and the respective positioning of the object along the path line is performed by reading and display of the pixel maps as well as the computing of a temporary pixel map, if necessary, by interpolation from the image point data of the prestored pixel maps. Thus the methods described above, of storage of all image point data as well as the computation of each target image based on a prestored object image are combined. However, this has the disadvantage that either a large number of pointer illustrations has to be prestored, using the corresponding storage space, or the quality of the illustration is visibly impaired during the interpolation.

Method and device for transforming an object image


Approaches to signal processing using tapered coherent integration time period durations. In this regard, signal processing of received signals (e.g., received satellite navigation signals) may be received at a receiver. The received signals may be processed in a coherent integration process whereby the duration of subsequent coherent integration time periods are reduced in response to errors resulting from frequency instability that grows in time. As such, relatively long durations for coherent integration times may result in improved signal to noise ratios (SNRs) for integrated signals in initial coherent integration time periods. However, as errors that are introduced into the signal processing due grow over time, the durations of subsequent coherent integration time periods may be reduced, thus reducing the effect of the error in a SNR of resulting integrated signals. In turn, receiver sensitivity may be improved.

Global navigation satellite systems (GNSSs) such as, for example, the Global Positioning System (GPS) or GLONASS, have provided for the ability to locate devices equipped with receivers adapted for receipt of signals from the positioning system. Additional satellite positioning systems have been proposed, or are in development, that include the Galileo system (Europe), the Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (Japan), the Indian Regional Navigational Satellite System (India), and the BeiDou navigation satellite system (China). With the increased prevalence of satellite positioning systems such as those listed above, an increasing number of devices may come equipped with satellite receivers capable of receiving signals transmitted by satellites that may be used to determine the location of a device.
For instance, signals originating from satellites in a satellite positioning system may contain time data and satellite location data. In turn, a receiver that is operable to receive signals from the satellite positioning system can measure the time taken for the signal to reach the receiver from the satellite position. This is often referred to as calculation of a pseudorange. In turn, pseudoranges from multiple satellites may be compared using trilateration to determine the position of the receiver.
In turn, receiver performance may be related to the ability to discern a signal received at the receiver from the positioning system (e.g., from noise or the like). As such, efforts have been made to improve the signal processing capabilities of receivers for processing of signals received at the receiver from the positioning system. Such processing may be made more difficult based on the introduction of errors that may result in a lack of precision of location derived using the signals from the satellite positioning system. That is, introduction of errors into the signals used to derive pseudoranges may degrade the precision of a location that is determined using the signals. Furthermore, receipt of satellite signals may be particularly difficult in certain environments such as, for example, when a receiver is deeply embedded within a building or other structure. Accordingly, approaches to use of GNSS to locate devices located in a building (e.g., a VoIP telephone device or the like) may be hindered given the location of the device to be located. However, it may be important to locate such devices (e.g., in order to provide location based emergency services or the like). Thus, continued efforts related to signal processing of satellite signals received at receivers is needed to develop precise receivers that are efficient and cost effective.

Tapered coherent integration time for a receiver of a positioning system


A method and apparatus for providing mapping data in a network are disclosed. For example, the method receives coordinate data from a customer mobile endpoint device, and processes the coordinate data against at least one existing map. The method then identifies a route associated with the coordinate data as a candidate new route if the route is not previously known on the at least one existing map.

Today's communications networks are used to access services from any location. For example, Internet service providers enable their customers to access a variety of services such as news, weather reports, map search, product search, and so on. For example, a customer may search for travel directions. However, the data being used by the service provider for mapping a geographical area may be outdated. For example, when a new street is added in a neighborhood, there may be a time lag between the opening of the street for travel and the street showing up on a map. New neighborhoods are often unaccounted for on street maps due to this time lag.

Method and apparatus for providing mapping data


A method and system for managing M2M traffic in a network is provided. The M2M device sends a message that includes a machine identity for the M2M device. A query is submitted to a database that correlates the machine identity with a QoS parameter or a priority. The message is assigned to one of a plurality of input queues based on the assigned QoS parameter or priority. Each input queue is associated with a delay period so that the message is held in the queue for a period less than the delay period.

The subject matter disclosed herein generally relates to communications involving wireless devices and more particularly to methods and systems for managing differentiated wireless device traffic such as machine to machine (M2M) traffic to manage network performance.
The rapid development of telecommunications technologies has allowed providers of a wide range of services to manage and control devices remotely. M2M devices communicate with other devices and/or systems of similar capabilities. M2M devices have applications in a variety of service areas including security, tracking and tracing, payment, health, remote maintenance and control, metering, and consumer devices. Examples of M2M type devices include temperature sensors, water meters, electric meters, gas meters, automotive navigation aids, emergency notification, digital billboards, or the like. Typically, an M2M device acquires information (e.g., temperature, utility usage, documents, etc.) and provides the information to another device via a network. Because of the large number of potential applications, M2M is expanding at an unprecedented pace, and it is forecasted that through exponential growth there will be 50 billion devices by 2020. Due to the increasing number of M2M devices entering the marketplace and the resulting traffic, it is likely that network congestion may occur.
A typical cellular network includes a radio access network and a core network. The key core network components are a database of device locations and security keys and the "front end workers" that are the computers/servers in front of it to allow many transactions per second. The core network is designed for the rapid response needed for making synchronous voice calls. Much of the cost of network elements like the Home Location Register/Home Subscriber Service (HLR/HSS) is driven by the low latency required to connect to the network and the network locating the other party. This all happens within milliseconds. The lower the latency needs, the more front end worker resources that must be applied.
Currently all M2M traffic is treated equally, which results in network congestion when massive numbers of machines are attempting to communicate with each other simultaneously. Consequently, today there is a single "quality" level at the core network. However, not all M2M communications require the same Quality of Service (QoS) as synchronous voice communications, in that M2M communications may have a higher latency tolerance than synchronous voice communications.
Services like voice calls require high QoS via low latency. Video has high data throughput requirements. These needs have driven the development of network air interface bearers and the ability to assign the resources to ensure service experiences. The maturity of QoS is around allocation of the scarce radio access network resources of which are primarily spectrum. With M2M traffic there is often a high tolerance for latency to transmit very small amounts of data. However, the macro cellular network is dimensioned to be able to support high QoS services like voice and video. Even though M2M devices may use very little throughput meaning they do not consume much of the scarcest resource of spectrum, overall costs to operate an M2M network are high, partly driven by the bottleneck (and cost) moving into the core network. Therefore, there is a need for methods and systems to manage M2M traffic in a way that reduces network congestion. There is a need for a method and system to manage M2M traffic based on the QoS requirements and latency needs of M2M devices.

Machine to machine traffic management methods and systems


To provide a network control system which prevents a system performance degradation caused by generating/updating routing information and enables a connection request to be established reliably. The significant change detection module 33 sets the flag 33a to on when a pre-determined change occurs. The first timer 21 determines the longest interval at which the routing information 24 is updated, while the second timer 22 determines the shortest interval at which the routing information 24 is updated. When the first timer 21 times out, the routing information update control module 23 unconditionally updates the routing information 24. When the second timer 22 times out, the routing information update control module 23 updates the routing information 24 only if the flag 33a is on.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the update of routing control information. In a network where a plurality of switches each having an ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) interface are interconnected, the switches make SVC (Switched Virtual Circuit) connection with each other by referring to the information produced by exchanging PNNI routing control packets (Hello packets and PTSP (PNNI Topology State Packets)).
2. Description of the Prior Art
PNNI (Private Network to Network Interface) Specification V1. 00 (hereafter called PNNI) from The ATM Forum Technical Committee describes the interface via which the switches in an ATM network make SVC connections. This PNNI contains information on the following:
(a) PNNI routing control packet exchange method and exchange information PA1 (b) Interface requirements for SVC connection and connection establishment procedures PA1 (a) Routing information is generated from the topology information when a call is made from a terminal PA1 (b) Routing information is generated when a PNNI routing control packet is received PA1 (c) Topology information is generated from a received PNNI routing control packet and, at a specified interval, routing information is generated.
The PNNI specifies that topology information be required for generating routing information. The topology information refers to network component information or state information on the network components such as lines and switches. This information is obtained by exchanging PNNI routing control packets the switches within the network.
In the SVC connection mode, each call request from a terminal causes routing information to be read from the destination address field of the call request message to determine the best route (the route composed of lines and switches ensuring the fastest delivery of a message to the destination). One of the following methods is used for generating or updating this routing information:
However, methods (a), (b), and (c) described above have the following problems:
In case of (a), a delay in setting up a call from an originating terminal degrades the overall system performance. In case of (b), there is a possibility that a large number of PNNI routing control packets are received when a line or a switch in the network fails or when a condition (repetitive errors and error recovery processing) occurs. This condition causes routing information to be updated frequently, affecting the system performance. In case of (c), PNNI routing control packet information exchanged in the network is not reflected on the routing information immediately. Therefore, when an SVC connection request is received before routing information is updated by a PNNI routing control packet, the connection request may fail; conversely, when an error is already recovered but the routing information is not yet updated accordingly, the connection request may fail.

Network control system which uses two timers and updates routing information


The invention is related to findings that IL-17F-mediated inflammation of airway passages may be mediated via signaling through IL-17R on the basolateral surface of human respiratory epithelial cells. Thus, the present invention provides isolated and purified IL-17F or IL-17R polynucleotides and polypeptides. The present invention also is directed to novel methods for screening test compounds capable of inhibiting, i.e., decreasing, limiting, blocking, or otherwise reducing, IL-17F bioactivity, and methods for diagnosing, prognosing, and monitoring the progress of, disorders related to IL-17F bioactivity, e.g., disorders related to the effects of IL-17F binding to IL-17R on airway inflammation, e.g., in patients with cystic fibrosis, including pulmonary exacerbations due to bacterial infections in same. The present invention is further directed to novel therapeutics and therapeutic targets and to methods for the intervention (treatment) and prevention of said disorders related to IL-17F bioactivity.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to characterization of the effects of IL-17F binding to IL-17R; in particular, the invention relates to the effects of IL-17F binding to IL-17R on airway inflammation, e.g., in patients with cystic fibrosis, including pulmonary exacerbations due to bacterial infections in same.
2. Related Background Art
IL-17A is a proinflammatory cytokine that regulates both granulopoiesis and recruitment of neutrophils into sites of inflammation (Yao et al. (1995) J. Immunol. 155:5483-86; Ye et al. (2001) J. Exp. Med. 194:519-28; Kolls et al. (2003) Am. J. Respir. Cell Mol. Biol. 28:9-11; Laan et al. (1999) J. Immunol. 162:2347-52; Linden et al. (2000) Eur. Respir. J. 15:973-77). This is due, in part, to the ability of IL-17A to both induce the release of CXC chemokines and regulate the expression of G-CSF, a critical granulopoietic growth factor (Laan, supra; Moseley et al. (2003) Cytokine Growth Factor Rev. 14:155-74; Jones and Chan (2002) Am. J. Respir. Cell Mol. Biol. 26:748-53; Ye et al. (2001) Am. J. Respir. Cell Mol. Biol. 25:335-40; Ye et al. (2001) J. Exp. Med. 194:519-28). Mice with a homozygous deletion of the receptor to IL-17A, i.e., IL-17 receptor (IL-17R), have enhanced lethality, defective neutrophil recruitment, and decreased granulopoiesis to experimental Gram-negative pneumonia (Ye et al. (2001) J. Exp. Med. 194:519-28). However, they do not have an increased susceptibility to intracellular infections caused by Listeria monocytogenes or Mycobacteria tuberculosis (unpublished observations). This defect in host defense is likely due, in part, to a greater than 90% reduction in G-CSF in response to Gram-negative bacterial challenge in IL-17R-deficient mice compared to control mice, as well as a significantly attenuated response to infection (Ye et al. (2001) J. Exp. Med. 194:519-28).
Recently five other proteins, in addition to IL-17A, have been identified as members of the IL-17 family of proteins; IL-17F has the closest sequence homology (58% at the protein level) to IL-17A, as well as similar induction of CXC chemokines and similar neutrophil-mobilization profiles (Moseley et al., supra; Li et al. (2000) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 97:773-78; Starnes et al. (2001) J. Immunol. 167:4137-40; Starnes et al. (2002) J. Immunol. 169:642-46; Hurst et al. (2002) J. Immunol. 169:443-53; Aggarwal and Gurney (2002) J. Leukoc. Biol. 71:1-8; Hymowitz et al. (2001) EMBO J 20:5332-41). IL-17A and IL-17F lie immediately adjacent to each other on mouse chromosome 1 and human chromosome 6, and both cytokines are produced by T cells in response to IL-23 (Chmiel et al. (2002) Clin. Rev. Allergy Immunol. 23:5-27; Aggarwal et al. (2003) J. Biol. Chem. 278(3):1910-14; Happel et al. (2003) J. Immunol. 170:4432-36; Kolls et al. (2004) Immunity 21:467-76). Furthermore, IL-17A and IL-17F are induced in a similar time course in the lung in experimental Gram-negative pneumonia (unpublished observations). Although IL-17F has a lower affinity for IL-17R, by an order of magnitude as compared to IL-17A, there has been some speculation as to whether both IL-17A and IL-17F signal via IL-17R because the two proteins share similar biological activities (Hymowitz et al., supra).
To date, the interaction between IL-17F and IL-17R has not been characterized. Consequently, a direct correlation between IL-17F-mediated signaling and airway inflammation has not been proven definitively. The present invention provides this correlation. In particular, the correlation provided by the present invention allows for the diagnosis, prognosis, monitoring and/or treating of airway inflammation, e.g., in patients with cystic fibrosis, including pulmonary exacerbations due to bacterial infections in same, via methods that detect IL-17F.

Use of IL-17F in diagnosis and therapy of airway inflammation

University of Pittsburgh of the Commonwealth System of Higher Education


A mobile apparatus is disclosed that includes: a plurality of network interfaces; a processor; the mobile being configured to monitor applications running on it, including real time or non real time nature of said applications; the mobile being configured to monitor its operating situation, including moving or non moving status; and the mobile being configured to control processes of the mobile during silent periods based on one or more of its application awareness and its operating situation awareness.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to wireless networking and more particularly to systems and methods for improved utilization of silent periods in wireless devices.
2. General Background Discussion
Wireless Networks
Wireless networks can incorporate a variety of types of mobile devices, such as cellular and wireless telephones, laptop computers, wearable computers, cordless phones, pagers, headsets, and PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants). Such mobile devices may include network interfaces to enable fast wireless transmission and reception of voice and/or data over the wireless network. Typical mobile devices include some or all of the following components: a transceiver (i.e., a transmitter and a receiver, including single chip transceivers having integrated transmitters and receivers); an antenna; a processor; one or more audio transducers (for example, a speaker or a microphone); a data storage medium (such as ROM, RAM, EPROM, hard disk, etc); operational memory; a full chip set or integrated circuit; and interfaces (such as USB, CODEC, UART, PCM, etc.).
Wireless LANs (WLANs) may be employed for wireless communications wherein a user can connect to a local area network (LAN) through a wireless (e.g. radio frequency) connection. Wireless communications also can include signal propagation via light, infrared, and microwave transmission. There are a variety of WLAN standards that currently exist, such as, e.g., Bluetooth, IEEE 802.11, and HomeRF.
The IEEE standard known as 802.11 specifies technologies for wireless LANs and devices. Using 802.11, wireless networking may be accomplished with each single base station supporting several devices. Mobile devices may be pre-equipped with wireless hardware or a user may install a separate piece of hardware, such as a card, that may include an antenna. In addition, Multiple Interface Devices (MIDs) may be utilized in some wireless networks. MIDs may contain two or more independent network interfaces, such as Bluetooth interface and an 802.11 interface, thus allowing the MID to participate on two separate networks as well as to interface with dedicated Bluetooth devices. The MID may have an IP address and a common IP (network) name associated with the IP address.
Wireless network devices may include Bluetooth devices, Multiple Interface Devices (MIDs), 802.11x devices (i.e., IEEE 802.11 devices including 802.11a, 802.11b and 802.11g devices), HomeRF (Home Radio Frequency) devices, Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) devices, GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) devices, 3G cellular devices, 2.5G cellular devices, GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) devices, EDGE (Enhanced Data for GSM Evolution) devices, TDMA type (Time Division Multiple Access) devices, or CDMA type (Code Division Multiple Access) devices, including CDMA2000. Each network device may contain addresses of varying types including an IP address, a Bluetooth Device Address, a Bluetooth Common Name, A Bluetooth IP address, a Bluetooth IP Common Name, an 802.11 IP Address, an 802.11 IP common Name, or an IEEE MAC address.

Applications and/or situation responsive utilization of silent periods


According to the present invention, the operating amount of the brake is detected, and the target value of the regenerative torque is set in accordance with the detected operating amount. In the meantime, the change in the detected operating amount along with time is detected, and the rise speed of the regenerative torque is set in accordance with the detected change along with time. The regenerative torque is controlled in accordance with the set target value of the regenerative torque and the set rise speed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a regenerative control apparatus of an electric vehicle, which is driven by a battery power generated by a motor for running the vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
In an electric vehicle a dynamic power of which is an electric motor, when its brake pedal is stepped on, a mechanical braking power and an electrical regenerative braking power based on the power generating effect of the motor, are applied at the same time, and the energy for the regenerative brake, that is a so-called regenerative torque, is stored in the battery power. Further, in order to achieve an appropriate braking operation, the step-on (actuating) amount of the brake pedal is detected, and the value of the regenerative torque is adjusted in accordance with a results of the detection.
For example, according to the technique disclosed in Jap. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 47-24012, a brake force is sensed from the step-on amount of the brake pedal or the leg-power applied on the brake pedal, and a regenerative torque, which is in proportional to the brake force, is determined.
Or, according to the technique disclosed in Jap. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 1-58203, the value of a regenerative torque is obtained by multiplying a regenerative torque command value which is set in accordance with the step-on amount of the brake pedal, with the maximum regenerative torque in accordance with the number of rotation of the motor for that step-on amount.
Or, according to the technique disclosed in Jap. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 1-126103, a regenerative torque is determined in accordance with the operation amount of the brake operating means and the operation acceleration speed of the brake operating means.
It should be noted that there is a time lag mainly due to a mechanical factor, from the point when the braking operation is started, and to the point a regenerative torque is actually generated. If there is an excessively long time lag, the braking is delayed, whereas if there is an excessively short time lag, an excessively quick service is always obtained, resulting in an uncomfortable vehicle ride.
With the techniques of the above-described documents, a time lag between when the brake is operated and when the regenerative torque for braking is actually generated, is set always at constant, and therefore an optimum brake response cannot be obtained.

Regenerative control apparatus of electric vehicle, which obtains regenerative torque for brake from motor for running

Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha


A method for reviewing broadcast channels. The method including: capturing at least one broadcast channel at a first site at a reduced quality from its broadcast quality; receiving the at least one reduced quality broadcast channel at a second site, the second site being remote from the first site; and reviewing the at least one reduced quality broadcast channel at the second site. Preferably, the reduced quality broadcast channel is captured on a video server corresponding to an Internet address and is downloaded from the Internet via a wireless transmission to a cellular phone, PDA, or the like.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to apparatus and methods for reviewing broadcast channels, and more particularly, to apparatus and methods for reviewing broadcast channels that are captured on a video server at a reduced quality and received at an apparatus to review, where the apparatus is preferably a wireless communication device.
2. Prior Art
It is known in the art to use a "picture-in-picture" (PIP) feature in televisions to give a viewer the capability of viewing a broadcast channel while reviewing another broadcast channel. Typically, televisions having a PIP feature require two tuners, one tuner to display the main broadcast channel being viewed and a second tuner for displaying another broadcast channel to be reviewed. Generally, the display from the second tuner is displayed in a small portion of the television screen.
A significant drawback of PIP is that it disturbs the viewer of the main channel and requires a second tuner in the television to browse other channels while a channel is being viewed. In addition, PIP does not support channel browsing outside a home.

Broadcast video channel surfing system based on internet streaming of captured live broadcast channels


A system and method for tracking a moving object very accurately at short ranges in general, and a handwriting input device such as a pen in particular. The method is based on measuring times of arrival of ultrashort RF pulses transmitted by the pen to an array of receivers. Dealing with the ultrashort events is done by "strobing" the pen position. To achieve the necessary resolution, on the order of 0.25 mm, the times of arrival of the pulses are determined by sampling the pulses digitally and fitting appropriate mathematical functions to the samples pulses. The time jitter is averages over many sweeps, and a dedicated receiver is used for synchronization.

The present invention relates to digital input devices and, more particularly, to a method and system for digitizing handwriting while the user is writing.
Systems exist that are capable of digitizing the motion of a writing implement in real time. These systems fall into two broad categories: those that rely on a digitizing tablet, and those that do not. Examples of systems that rely on digitizing tablets include those described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,206,314 to Paden, U.S. Pat. No. 4,318,096 to Thornburg, U.S. Pat. No. 4,564,928 to Glenn, U.S. Pat. No. 4,641,354 to Fukunaga and U.S. Pat. No. 4,558,757 to Mori. These systems generally are suited to the real time digitization of handwriting; but they require the provision of a digitizing tablet, which often is inconvenient.
Systems that are independent of digitizing tablets generally lack sufficient accuracy for the digitization of handwriting. The system described by Epperson in U.S. Pat. No. 5,247,137 relies on an accelerometer-based inertial navigation system to track the writing implement. Because the position of the writing implement is determined by a double integration of the measured accelerations, this system is subject to an amount of drift that is unacceptably large for the present application. Other systems measure the coordinates of the writing implement directly, using one or another type of global positioning system. Systems based on propagation times of ultrasonic pulses are described by Hansen in U.S. Pat. No. 4,506,354; by Herrington, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,654,648; by the De Bruyne, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,758,691; by Mallicoat, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,777,329; by Sterfik, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,814,552; by Milner, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,862,152; by Gilehrist, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,991,148; by Edwards, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,142,506; and by Biggs, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,308,936. There are several reasons why these systems lack suitable resolution for the accurate rendition of handwriting. One is that these systems are subject to systematic errors caused by phenomena such as multiple travel paths of the ultrasonic signals. Another is that the ultrasonic signals are most conveniently generated in a frequency range, 40-60 KHz, in which the transmitted ultrasonic pulses are too long for adequate resolution. To achieve the higher frequencies and shorter pulses needed for requires high energy circuitry that cannot be packaged easily and safely in a writing implement. Suzuki describes an infrared-based system in U.S. Pat. No. 5,227,622, that suffers from the inconvenience of requiring a clear line of sight from the infrared transmitter on the writing implement to the external tracking device.
There is thus a widely recognized need for, and it would be highly advantageous to have, a system and method of digitizing handwriting in real time that is free of the limitations of the prior art systems.

Method and system for digitizing handwriting


An assembly for holding an item includes a bendable strap. A base plate is secured at one end of the bendable strap. The base plate includes a plurality of openings therethrough. Each of the openings has a larger diameter portion and a smaller diameter portion. A clip is secured to the openings in the base plate. A holster or other item may be secured to the clip.

Retention of a handgun in a safe but accessible location is often difficult. Sometimes a handgun is not able to be carried in a holster on a user's belt but should still be accessible. It is still preferred that the handgun be in the holster, i.e. with the trigger covered. The assembly provided herein permits a handgun to be retained in any holster (including custom holsters) and secured in a variety of locations.
An assembly for holding an item such as a handgun holster includes a bendable strap. A base plate is secured at one end of the bendable strap. The base plate includes a plurality of openings therethrough. Each of the openings has a larger diameter portion and a smaller diameter portion. A clip is secured to the openings in the base plate. The holster or other item may be secured to the clip in the same way that it secures to a belt.


A system and method for a data write unit in a 3-D graphics pipeline including generic cache memories. Specifically, in one embodiment a data write unit includes a first memory, a plurality of cache memories and a data write circuit. The first memory receives a pixel packet associated with a pixel. The pixel packet includes data related to surface characteristics of the pixel. The plurality of cache memories is coupled to the first memory for storing pixel information associated with a plurality of surface characteristics of a plurality of pixels. Each of the plurality of cache memories is programmably associated with a designated surface characteristic. The data write circuit is coupled to the first a memory and the plurality of cache memories. The data write circuit is operable under program control to obtain designated portions of the pixel packet for storage into the plurality of cache memories.

The rendering of three-dimensional graphical images is of interest in a variety of electronic games and other applications. Rendering is the general term that describes the overall multi-step process of transitioning from a database representation of a three-dimensional object to a two-dimensional projection of the object onto a viewing surface.
The rendering process involves a number of steps, such as, for example, setting up a polygon model that contains the information which is subsequently required by shading/texturing processes, applying linear transformations to the polygon mesh model, culling back facing polygons, clipping the polygons against a view volume, scan converting/rasterizing the polygons to a pixel coordinate set, and shading/lighting the individual pixels using interpolated or incremental shading techniques.
Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) are specialized integrated circuit devices that are commonly used in graphics systems to accelerate the performance of a 3-D rendering application. GPUs are commonly used in conjunction with a central processing unit (CPU) to generate three-dimensional images for one or more applications executing on a computer system. Modern GPUs typically utilize a graphics pipeline for processing data.
Prior art FIG. 1 shows a diagram depicting the various stages of a traditional prior art pipeline 100. The pipeline 100 is a conventional "deep" pipeline having stages dedicated to performing specific functions. A transform stage 105 performs geometrical calculations of primitives and may perform a clipping operation. A setup/raster stage 110 rasterizes the primitives. A texture address 115 and texture fetch 120 stage are utilized for texture mapping. A fog stage 130 implements a fog algorithm. An alpha test stage 135 performs an alpha test. A depth test 140 performs a depth test for culling occluded pixels. An alpha blend stage 145 performs an alpha blend color combination algorithm. A memory write stage 150 writes the output of the pipeline.
The stages of the traditional GPU pipeline architecture illustrated in FIG. 1 are typically optimized for high-speed rendering operations (e.g., texturing, lighting, shading, etc.) using a widely implemented graphics programming API (application programming interface), such as, for example, the OpenGL™ graphics language, Direct3D™, and the like. The architecture of the pipeline 100 is configured as a multi-stage deep pipeline architecture in order to maximize the overall rendering throughput of the pipeline. Generally, deep pipeline architectures have sufficient data throughput (e.g., pixel fill rate, etc.) to implement fast, high quality rendering of even complex scenes.
There is an increasing interest in utilizing three-dimensional (3-D) graphics in portable handheld devices where cost and power consumption are important design requirements. Such devices include, for example, wireless phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), and the like. However, the traditional deep pipeline architecture requires a significant chip area, resulting in greater cost than desired. Additionally, a deep pipeline consumes significant power, even if the stages are performing comparatively little processing. This is because many of the stages consume about the same amount of power regardless of whether they are processing pixels.
As a result of cost and power considerations, the conventional deep pipeline architecture illustrated in FIG. 1 is unsuitable for many graphics applications, such as implementing three-dimensional games on wireless phones and PDAs. Therefore, what is desired is a processor architecture suitable for graphics processing applications but with reduced power and size requirements.
In conventional GPUs, calculation of depth data and color data as well as texture coordinates may be hard coded. That is, portions of the GPU pipeline architecture are fixed in function. Consequently, results from the GPU pipeline architecture are stored in specific buffers associated with the respective depth, color, or texture coordinate data and have specific data write functions at each stage. As a result, the GPU is limited in its application by software engineers.
In addition, conventional GPUs may write depth, color, or various texture coordinate data to system memory on a pixel-by-pixel and stage-by-stage basis. For low power, and small screen size handheld devices, this pixel-by-pixel transfer may present a bottleneck in data transfer, since pixel information is typically reduced in size to accommodate the handheld devices. As a result, the bandwidth of the GPU architecture is extremely limited and may retard read and writes to the system memory slowing the overall speed and increasing power consumption of the GPU pipeline architecture.

System and method for a universal data write unit in a 3-D graphics pipeline including generic cache memories


The invention relates to a cooling system for a motor vehicle comprising a first heat exchanger (1), in particular, embodied in the form of a main cooler for cooling a first liquid coolant (3) of an internal combustion engine (2) by means of an air flow coming from the ambient air and a second heat exchanger (7, 13, 407, 415) for cooling gases introduceable into the internal combustion engine, in particular, exhaust gases and/or charge air, wherein the second heat exchanger (7, 13, 407, 415) is coolable by the an air flow coming from the ambient air and is spatially separated from the main cooler (1).

The invention relates to a cooling system for a motor vehicle.
Modern motor vehicles already have, on account of increasing levels of engine power and an increasing number of auxiliary units, a high overall thermal output, which requires high cooling capacities in order to dissipate heat by means of heat exchangers. Here, the often limited installation space for a heat exchanger or combination of heat exchangers arranged in the relative wind has in the meantime been completely used up. The possible flow of ambient air is generally improved by means of ever more powerful fans which are usually arranged on the suction side of a main cooler. Overall, the maximum cooling capacity by means of heat exchangers or heat exchanger packs arranged in the relative wind or at the end side of a motor vehicle has been largely exhausted.
This situation clashes with ever stricter emissions standards which are impending in the coming years primarily in Europe and the USA. In order to meet said emissions standards in particular in the case of diesel engines, though fundamentally also in spark-ignition engines and new engine concepts such as for example HCCI, there are numerous proposals to reduce the emissions, in particular of nitrogen oxides, by means of at least partial exhaust-gas recirculation into the combustion tract of the engine. Said exhaust-gas recirculation is only expedient if the exhaust gas is previously cooled. For this purpose, substantially liquid-cooled heat exchangers have been proposed, with the cooling liquid usually being connected to the main cooling circuit of the internal combustion engine. In this way, high levels of thermal output, which can reach up to over 100 kW, are introduced into the main cooling circuit of the internal combustion engine by means of the exhaust-gas recirculation.
In addition, in exhaust-gas recirculation, there is the fundamental problem that the power and pollutant emissions of the engine are all the better the cooler the intake-side gases are. Here, the cooling of the recirculated exhaust gases by means of a liquid heat exchanger arrives at theoretical limits, since at least when using main engine coolant, the temperature of the secondary medium which is to be cooled lies in the region of 100° C.
In addition to the problem of cooling recirculated exhaust gases, there are also increasing problems in cooling charged fresh air. In the meantime, multi-stage charging systems have been developed, with fundamentally the efficiency and power-to-weight ratio of an internal combustion engine being improved by means of high exhaust-gas charging. The high fresh gas temperatures generated during the exhaust-gas charging must however be cooled. In the known arrangements of a charge-air cooler in a structural unit with the main cooler, which is arranged in the relative wind, of a vehicle, the attainable cooling capacity is limited on account of the use of the same air flow of ambient air. Said cooling capacity is ultimately limited by the possibly design-related delimitation of the vehicle end face or of the air inlet cross sections.
DE 102 03 003 A1 describes a cooling system for a motor vehicle in which a part of the exhaust gases of the internal combustion engine are introduced into a charged fresh air flow, with the recirculated exhaust gases first being cooled by means of a liquid heat exchanger which is provided with a bypass. Here, the liquid heat exchanger is connected to the main cooling circuit of the internal combustion engine.


The invention relates to a process for producing copper-containing catalysts, in particular shaped catalyst bodies having increased mechanical strength and a low volume shrinkage, and also the shaped catalyst bodies produced by the process of the invention and the use thereof as catalysts or as precursors and components for catalysts. The catalysts of the invention are particularly suitable for the synthesis of methanol and for the low-temperature conversion of CO into CO2.

Copper-containing catalysts are used on a large scale in the production of basic and fine chemicals, e.g. in the catalytic conversion of mixtures of CO2, CO and H2 into methanol. The properties of such catalysts can be varied as a function of various parameters, e.g. by the choice of support material or via the size and shape of the metal particles. The activity of these catalysts having copper as active component is generally dependent on the size of the metal particles.
Copper-containing catalysts are often produced by means of a multistage process. Here, a catalyst precursor material is produced in a first step from the copper component and also further components which have a stabilizing support function on the active component in the future catalyst. This is usually effected by coprecipitation of all desired components. After washing to remove excess salts or undesirable (alkali) metals, drying is carried out to give a solid catalyst precursor material. In a further step, this solid catalyst precursor is treated thermally and converted into a largely oxidic state. This is followed by shaping of the catalyst composition by tableting, granulation, extrusion or by a combination of the methods mentioned. Finally, the shaped body obtained is converted by means of hydrogen, carbon monoxide or wet-chemical reducing agents into the catalytically active, finely divided copper metal.
Methanol synthesis plants are usually charged with the oxidic catalyst in pellet form and this is subsequently converted in-situ into the catalytically active catalyst by means of reduction in a stream of hydrogen according to appropriate activation processes.
For example, DE 10 2005 020 630-A1, WO 03/053569, DE 3317 725 A1 and DE 101 60 487 A1 describe the production of copper-based catalysts for the synthesis of methanol.
However, the catalysts produced in the manner described have the disadvantage that they suffer from pronounced volume shrinkage as a result of reduction, which is also associated with a significant decrease in the mechanical strength of the shaped body. There are many reasons for the pronounced volume shrinkage of copper-containing shaped catalyst bodies during reduction. For example, the shaped body can shrink due to the volume contraction during transformation from the oxidic state into the metallic state. Further reasons are the condensation of water vapor which is usually formed in the reduction, which can lead to collapse of the pore structure of the shaped catalyst body. However, a very low volume shrinkage of the shaped body is desirable for optimal utilization of the catalyst bed in the reactor during operation. An increased volume shrinkage of the catalyst bed in the reactor leads to poorer utilization of the reactor (part of the reactor remains empty) and poorer utilization of the heat transfer area of the reactor. The latter is particularly problematical since cooling of the catalyst bed usually represents a limiting factor during operation.
In principle, the reduction step can also be carried out before loading of the reactor with the catalyst by reduction and subsequent passivation under mild conditions by means of an oxidant, generally by means of gaseous oxygen (reduction stabilization) or by wet-chemical stabilization by means of an oil. However, the copper catalysts produced in this way usually have the disadvantages that (i) a further process step associated with additional costs is necessary in production of the catalyst, that (ii) the copper catalyst has a significantly lower mechanical strength compared to the unreduced (oxidic) state, which shows up, in particular, by increased fracture in the catalyst bed compared to the oxidic state during loading of the reactor, and that (iii) the reduction-stabilized catalysts are not storage-stable and reoxidize by contact with air over time. Here, reference may be made, for example, to the document EP 1 238 702 A1.
A high mechanical strength is demanded of shaped bodies, e.g. pellets, so that they can survive the stresses which act on them at the time of charging of the reactor and also during operation without suffering damage. However, the reduction of catalysts is generally also associated with a significant reduction in the mechanical strength. Particularly in the case of reduced metal catalysts in the form of pellets, the lateral compressive strength, as a measure of the mechanical strength of pellets, is many times lower compared to the lateral compressive strength in the oxidic state. Correspondingly, the mechanical strength of the pellets is also many times lower after reduction than in the oxidic state. As a result of vibrations, external and internal pressure fluctuations in the reactor during operation and/or the weight of the catalyst bed on the individual shaped catalyst bodies, the pellets are highly stressed during operation by rubbing against the reactor wall or by rubbing of the pellets against one another, which in particular as a result of the stresses arising at the edges and corners of the pellets leads to increased abrasion of the pellets.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a production process by means of which copper-containing shaped catalyst bodies having greatly reduced, preferably absolutely no, volume shrinkage after activation (reduction to the metal) combined with high mechanical strength can be obtained. The process should also be simple to carry out and inexpensive. The catalysts obtained should preferably be able to be used for the synthesis of methanol.

Method for producing catalysts having increased strength and decreased volume reduction