A group of object servers configured for workload management is described wherein the group exports an object reference to clients that may want to call the group in order to perform some work. The object reference has a field which points to a workload management unit which performs workload management among the group at the Internet Protocol (IP) level.

Client/server computing has become more and more important over the past few years in the information technology world. This type of distributed computing allows one process (a "client") running on a machine to delegate some of its work to another process (a "server") running on another machine that might be, for example, better suited to perform that work. The client and server might also be two processes running on the same physical machine.
The benefits of client/server computing have been even further enhanced by the use of a well-known computer programming technology called object-oriented programming (OOP), which allows the client and server to be located on different (heterogeneous) "platforms". A platform is a combination of the specific hardware/software/operating system/communication protocol which a machine uses to do its work. OOP allows the client application program and server application program to operate on their own platforms without worrying how the client application's work requests will be communicated and accepted by the server application. Likewise, the server application does not have to worry about how the OOP system will receive, translate and send the server application's processing results back to the requesting client application.
Details of how OOP techniques have been integrated with heterogeneous client/server systems are explained in U.S. Pat. No. 5,440,744 and European Patent Published Application No. EP 0 677,943 A2. These latter two publications are hereby incorporated by reference. However, an example, of the basic architecture will be given below for contextual understanding of the invention's environment. In this example, the client and server are on different machines, but, the same software architecture applies if they are on the same machine.
As shown in FIG. 1, the client computer 10 (which could, for example, be a personal computer having the IBM OS/2 operating system installed thereon) has an application program 40 running on its operating system ("IBM" and "OS/2" are trademarks of the International Business Machines corporation). The application program 40 will periodically require work to be performed on the server computer 20 and/or data to be returned from the server 20 for subsequent use by the application program 40. The server computer 20 can be, for example, a high-powered mainframe computer running on IBM's MVS operating system ("MVS" is also a trademark of the IBM corp.). For the purposes of the present invention it is irrelevant whether the requests for communications services to be carried out by the server are instigated by user interaction with the first application program 40, or whether the application program 40 operates independently of user interaction and makes the requests automatically during the running of the program.
When the client computer 10 wishes to make a request for the server computer 20's services, the first application program 40 informs the first logic means 50 of the service required. It may for example do this by sending the first logic means the name of a remote procedure along with a list of input and output parameters. The first logic means 50 then handles the task of finding and establishing the necessary communications with the second computer 20 with reference to definitions of the available communications services stored in the storage device 60. All the possible services are defined as a cohesive framework of object classes 70. During this process, the first logic means determines an object reference which has one component (the server address) identifying the server computer 20 and another component (the object key) identifying the particular server object located on server computer 20. Defining the services in this way gives rise to a great number of advantages in terms of performance and reusability.
To establish the necessary communication with the server 20, the first logic means 50 determines which object class in the framework needs to be used, and then creates an instance of that object, a message being sent to that object so as to cause that object to invoke one of its methods. This gives rise to the establishment of the connection with the server computer 20 via the connection means 80, and the subsequent sending of a request to the second logic means 90.
The second logic means 90 then passes the request on to the second application program 100 (hereafter called the service application) running on the server computer 20 so that the service application 100 can perform the specific task required by that request, such as running a data retrieval procedure. Once this task has been completed the service application may need to send results back to the first computer 10. The server application 100 interacts with the second logic means 90 during the performance of the requested tasks and when results are to be sent back to the first computer 10. The second logic means 90 establishes instances of objects, and invokes appropriate methods of those objects, as and when required by the server application 100, the object instances being created from the cohesive framework of object classes stored in the storage device 110.
Using the above technique, the client application program 40 is not exposed to the communications architecture. Further the service application 100 is invoked through the standard mechanism for its environment; it does not know that it is being invoked remotely.
The Object Management Group (OMG) is an international consortium of organizations involved in various aspects of client/server computing on heterogeneous platforms as is shown in FIG. 1. The OMG has set forth published standards by which clients (e.g. 10) communicate (in OOP form) with servers (e.g. 20). As part of these standards, an Object Request Broker has been defined (known as the Common Object Request Broker Architecture, or CORBA for short), which provides the object-oriented bridge between the client and the server. The ORB decouples the client and server applications from the object oriented implementation details, performing at least part of the work of the first and second logic means 50 and 90 as well as the connection means 80.
Oftentimes, duplication of server resources (in the form of plural servers) is provided to enable "the server" to handle a large number of simultaneous client requests and to provide for fault tolerance (if one server is defective another can "step in" and take over). The clients think they are communicating with a single "server", but in fact, a plurality (or group) of servers is actually handling the requests (these servers could be located on separate machines, or they could be separate processes running on the same machine). In this context, client requests destined for "the server" are directed to a central gateway (common to all of the server machines making up "the server") which performs workload management and load balancing to distribute client requests to the various servers in the group according to any well-known workload balancing policy (or combination of a plurality thereof), such as the round robin by method policy, where each server is assigned a request in turn. The current workload of each server in the group is also a common factor used in scheduling a new request (i.e., a new request is assigned to a server with a low current workload). The specific details of the balancing policy/policies to be used are selected by the person configuring "the server" system architecture, typically a systems administrator.
As part of the CORBA standard, a protocol for communication amongst ORBs is defined, known as the General Inter-Orb Protocol (GIOP). This protocol is basically a list of messages which a client ORB and a server ORB can send to each other. When the Internet is used as the transport medium between the client ORB and the server ORB, a mapping is required from the GIOP to the TCP/IP level (which is the basis for Internet traffic). This mapping is known as the Internet Inter-Orb Protocol (IIOP).
Heretofore, all known workload management gateways, such as those described above, have carried out the workload management policies at the IIOP level. That is, the IIOP gateway receives client requests from the client ORB and then proceeds to assign a server in the server group to the request, all at the IIOP level. Once the IIOP gateway has selected a server in the group, the gateway must then form another IIOP request in order to forward this request on to the selected server. The IIOP gateway must, therefore, marshall and demarshall the parameter list included in each client request in order to redirect an incoming client request to a selected server, thus requiring a high level of work to be necessary at the gateway. This slows up the overall system performance and results in an inefficient design.
IBM's Component Broker Series (a trademark of IBM) product released in September 1997 involved adding extra functionality to the client ORB in order to enable workload management to be carried out amongst a group of object servers, and to thus, for the clients with the added functionality, do away with the need for passing requests through a gateway router. See, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 853,102, filed May 8 1997. However, this approach is only usable by the clients that have the extra functionality installed and is thus not capable of being used in an environment where a broad range of clients are involved. Clients without the added functionality still have to send their requests through an IIOP router in this IBM product.
Thus, there is a need in the prior art for a way of allowing a broad range of clients to access the resources of a workload managed server group in a more efficient way.

Workload management amongst server objects in a client/server network with distributed objects

International Business Machines Corporation


A BGA semiconductor package comprises a chip mounted on the central region of the upper surface on the substrate. The substrate includes an upper surface, a lower surface, a ground plate disposed under the upper surface, and at least one power plate disposed between the ground plate and the lower surface. A ground ring surrounds the periphery of the chip and possesses a first set of serrated portions extending toward the outer edge of the substrate. A first power ring surrounds the ground ring and possesses a second set of serrated portions extending among the first set of serrated portions of the ground ring, such that the extending portions of the first and second sets of serrated rings interlace coincidentally with each other and the wire bonding distances from the bonding pads of chip surface to the extending portions of the first and the second serrated rings are comparable. According to another aspect of the present invention, a plurality of power vias are dispersedly distributed in the power ring to electrically connect the power ring to the power plate, wherein at least two power vias are coupled together. The coupled power vias can reduce the damage to the wholeness of ground plate thus enables the best electrical performance of the ground plate.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a ball grid array (BGA) semiconductor package, and more particularly to a BGA semiconductor package with enhanced electrical performance and package efficiency.
2. Description of the Related Art
As the demand for the lighter and more complicated semiconductor devices becomes increasing day by day, semiconductor chips become higher in speed and the complication of semiconductor devices thereby brings more electrical connections. The ball grid array (BGA) with high package efficiency has, therefore, been developed by the semiconductor chip packaging industry to meet these needs.
FIGS. 1 and 2 depicts a conventional BGA semiconductor chip package 100 with a chip 101 mounted on a substrate 102 which has a ground ring 103, two power rings 104 and a plurality of fingers 105. A number of bonding pads 106 are connected to the ground ring 103, two power rings 104 and a plurality of fingers 105 by bonding wires 107a-107d respectively. An area array of solder balls 108 are disposed at the lower surface of the substrate 102 for electrically connecting to the ground ring 103, the power ring 104, the fingers 105, the ground plate 103g and the power plate 104p through the vias 103v, 104v and 105v respectively. Each solder ball 108 is used for electrical connection to external circuit, such as a printed circuit board. Finally, a package body (not shown) encapsulates the chip 101, bonding wires 103 and the substrate 102 to form a BGA semiconductor package structure.
In the conventional BGA semiconductor chip package 100, all the ground ring 103, power rings 104 and the fingers 105 are arranged around the chip 101 with different distances and positions with respect to the chip 101, and thus different lengths of bonding wires are required for electrical connection. Accordingly, at least four different looping profiles 107a-107d of the bonding wires are necessary for connecting the bonding pads 106 to the ground ring 103, the power ring 104 and the fingers 105. So. it is necessary to set the operation parameters of wire bonding machine individually for bonding wire with each looping profile and then to operate the wire bonding. It takes four times of each operation to finish the wire bonding process for bonding wire with four looping profiles 107a-107d. More time is consumed for the bonding wire with more types of looping profiles. Furthermore, the more types of looping profiles of the bonding wires will result in the larger height and length of the outer bonding wire, thereby increasing the difficulties of wire bonding operation. For the package having the bonding wires with long and high looping profile, the bonding wire is easily broken especially for that with longer and higher looping profile, and the phenomenon of wire sweep also easily occurs during the encapsulation of package body. Furthermore, the packaging efficiency is reduced because package body with more volume is required to enclose all the bonding wires.
Besides the deficiency in package efficiency as described above, as long as the electrical performance is concerned, the impedance is significantly increased as the length of the bonding wire increases. This influences the electrical performance of BGA semiconductor package. As the bonding wire between the ground ring 103 and the power ring 104 becomes longer, the corresponding inductance and noise therebetween becomes larger. Larger inductance consumes more power in semiconductor package and induces power surges in bonding wire and the integrated circuit of chip 101 easily. In addition, the dispersed distribution of the power via 104v inside the power ring 104 destroys the wholeness of the ground plane 103g, and thus reduces electrical efficiency of ground plane 103g.
Accordingly, it becomes an important issue to reduce the length and the number of loop profiles of the bonding wire between the ground ring 103 and the power ring 104. Less looping profiles in bonding wire not only can improve electrical performance but also can enhance the package efficiency. Ideally, frequency response between the ground and power rings should be a low pass filter. It can obtain a better frequency response through reducing the inductance and increasing the capacitance of bonding wire. The improved frequency response leads to the operation of the semiconductor package in higher speed, with enhanced electrical performance and less power consumption.
The primary object of the present invention is to provide a novel structure of BGA semiconductor package with less looping profiles and shorter length of the bonding wire between the ground ring and the power ring such that the packaging efficiency can be enhanced.
The secondary object of the present invention is to provide a BGA semiconductor package with less looping profiles and shorter length in the bonding wire between the ground ring and the power ring such that the electrical performance of BGA semiconductor package can be improved.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a BGA semiconductor package with improved frequency response, wherein the semiconductor package can operate in higher speed and with enhanced electrical performance and less power consumption.
To achieve the above objects, according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention, the chip is mounted on the central region of the upper surface on the substrate. The substrate includes an upper surface, a lower surface, a ground plate disposed under the upper surface, and at least one power plate disposed between the ground plate and the lower surface. A ground ring surrounds the periphery of the chip and possesses a first set of serrated portions extending toward the outer edge of the substrate. A first power ring surrounds the ground ring and possesses a second set of serrated portions extending among the first set of serrated portions of the ground ring, such that the extending portions of the first and second sets of serrated rings interlace coincidentally with each other and the wire bonding distances from the bonding pads of chip to the extending portions of the first and the second serrated rings are comparable. The first power ring also comprises another third set of serrated portions extending toward the outer edge of the substrate. The second power ring surrounds the first power ring and possesses a fourth set of serrated portions extending toward the third serrated ring, such that both the extending portions the third and fourth serrated rings interlace coincidentally with each other and the wire bonding distances from the bonding pads of chip to the extending portions of the third and the fourth serrated rings are comparable. According to the first embodiment of the present invention, only three looping profiles are employed for the bonding wires connecting the bonding pads to the ground ring, the two power rings and the fingers.
According to the second preferred embodiment of the present invention, the chip is mounted on the central region of the substrate, and the first ground ring possesses the first set of serrated portions extending toward the outer edge of the substrate. A second ground ring surrounds the first ground ring and possesses a second set of serrated portions extending toward the first serrated extending portions of the first ground ring, such that both the extending portions of the first and second serrated ground rings interlace coincidentally with each other and the wire bonding distances from the bonding pads of chip to the extending portions of the first and second serrated rings are comparable. A first power ring surrounds the second ground ring and possesses a third set of serrated portions extending toward the outer edge of the substrate. A second power ring surrounds the outer region of first power ring and possesses a fourth set of serrated portions extending toward the third serrated ring, such that both the extending portions of the third and fourth serrated rings interlace coincidentally with each other and the wire bonding distances from the bonding pads of chip to the extending portions of the third and fourth serrated rings are comparable. According to the second embodiment of the present invention, only three looping profiles are employed for the bonding wires connecting the bonding pads to the two ground rings, the two power rings and the fingers.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a plurality of power vias are dispersedly distributed in the power ring to electrically connect the power ring to the power plate, wherein at least two power vias are coupled together. The coupled power vias can reduce the damage to the wholeness of ground plate thus enables the best electrical performance of the ground plate. Moreover, the power vias are distributed radially with respect to the chip on the central of substrate so that the current can flow smoothly in the ground plate and the best electrical performance can thereby be achieved.
The present invention can significantly shorten the operation time for wire bonding, and reduce the height and the length of the bonding wire, thus the difficulty in wire bonding operation can be greatly decreased. This invention can also reduce the thickness of package body and thereby enhancing the packaging efficiency. Besides increasing the packaging efficiency, the present invention can prominently shorten the length of the bonding wire from bonding pads to the ground ring and the power ring, and thus decreases the corresponding inductance and noise to greatly enhance the electrical performance of semiconductor package. Since it can shorten the distance between the ground ring and the power ring, the corresponding inductance and capacitance therebetween can be respectively decreased and increased and a better frequency response can be achieved. The enhanced frequency response enables the semiconductor package to operate at a higher speed, with less power consumption and higher electrical performance.

Ball grid array semiconductor package and substrate therefor

Advanced Semiconductor Engineering, Inc.


A radiation generating system for treating a coating on a substrate. A high voltage circuit provides power to a microwave generator that, in turn, supplies microwave radiation to drive a lamp. A current limiting device is connected between the high voltage circuit and the microwave generator, and a fault detector is connected to the high voltage circuit for providing an error signal in response to excess current being supplied to the microwave generator. A control is operative to interrupt a supply of AC power to the high voltage circuit in response to the error signal.

In lamp heating and curing of adhesives, sealants or coatings in industrial applications, one or more microwave generators, for example, magnetrons, are used to provide microwave radiation to a lamp source, such as an electrodeless ultraviolet (UV) lamp. When the plasma of the lamp is sufficiently excited by the microwave radiation from each magnetron, the lamp illuminates to provide the necessary light wavelength and intensity for the particular heating or curing process.
Microwave-excited lamp power supply systems often have one or more high voltage power supplies that provide higher voltages to one or more magnetrons and low voltage power supplies that provide a lower voltage to a blower, a magnetron filament and other devices. The power supply system is often electrically coupled to sensors positioned within the system and the lamp head. It has been observed that as a magnetron ages and approaches the end of its useful life, there is a higher probability of the magnetron experiencing short circuits that result in high voltage arcing. Further, on occasion, the high voltage circuit components associated with the magnetron can experience a short circuit. In either event, any such short circuits can cause components associated with the high voltage power supply to experience either a life shortening stress or destruction.
Therefore, there is a need to provide apparatus and methods of detecting short circuit conditions in an output circuit of a high voltage power supply driving a microwave generator and minimizing or eliminating any harmful effects and damage.

Microwave lamp power supply that can withstand failure in high voltage circuit


An enhanced data transport system and method for a mobile terminal are provided that may improve transmission rates. A data transport system for a mobile terminal includes a radio frequency unit, a data processing unit, a memory unit, and a control unit. The radio frequency unit establishes a radio frequency channel on the basis of a transmission control protocol parameter received from a mobile communication network. The data processing unit performs encoding/decoding and modulation/demodulation on signals to be transmitted or received through the radio frequency unit. The memory unit stores routines to execute a communication session and the transmission control protocol parameter. The control unit controls signal flows among the radio frequency unit, the data processing unit, and the memory unit, and configures a data transmission scheme according to the transmission control protocol parameter.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mobile terminal and, in particular, to an enhanced data transport system and a method for a mobile terminal that may provide for an improved transmission rate with fewer errors.
2. Discussion of the Background
In a wireless communication system, information is transmitted via a wireless interface. Such a wireless interface is defined by a wireless protocol and thus, subscriber terminals communicate data with each other based on the wireless protocol. The wireless protocol is developed considering various factors, such as network characteristics including network facilities, terminals, communication environment, and traffic characteristics. Since the 1990's, with the exponential growth of Internet population and usage, Internet traffic has increased dramatically. The majority of internet traffic is Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) traffic carrying data generated by various application programs, such as the World Wide Web (WWW), Teletype Network (TELNET), File Transfer Protocol (FTP), and the like.
In an Internet protocol suite, TCP operates above Internet Protocol (IP) and guarantees reliable and in-order data delivery. TCP uses a sliding window mechanism to control transmission of packets. With the sliding window mechanism, a sender can send a series of packets without acknowledgement. A sender's congestion window and a receiver's advertise window determine the size of the sliding window and a receiver's current buffer size determines the size of its advertise window. The congestion window performs its congestion control.
In a wireless communication system, TCP window size is fixed in accordance with the characteristics of the network. That is, most conventional wireless communication systems use a preset window size for data transmission. In such a case, changes in network characteristics may decrease efficiency. The conventional mobile communication system may be an IS-95A, an IS-95B, a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) 1x, a CDMA 1x Evolution Data Optimized (CDMA 1x EVDO), a Wideband CDMA (WCDMA), a Global System for Mobile communication (GSM), or a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) system. Such mobile communication systems use different packet sizes.
In the current mobile communication systems, a mobile terminal requests transmission and reception of data packets in accordance with preset data transmission environments. Accordingly, data transmission through preset fixed size packets without considering the network characteristics pushes conventional mobile communication systems into pitfalls, such as data loss when high speed burst data passes a low speed network, and inefficient network use when low speed data passes a high speed network.

Enhanced data transport system and method for mobile terminal


A method and apparatus for adaptively transmitting an uplink signal comprising information from a ground station to a satellite is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of receiving a transmitted downlink signal at a ground station from the satellite; measuring the quality of the transmitted signal; computing a prediction of a degradation of the uplink signal using the quality of the received signal, and transmitting the uplink signal according to the predicted degradation of the uplink signal. The apparatus comprises a tuner for receiving a transmitted downlink signal from the satellite; a signal analyzer, communicatively coupled to the tuner, for measuring a characteristic of the received downlink signal; an uplink degradation estimation module, communicatively coupled to the signal analyzer, for estimating the degradation of the uplink signal from the received downlink signal characteristic; and a controller, communicatively coupled to the uplink degradation module, for controlling the transmission of the uplink signal according to the estimated degradation of the uplink signal.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to systems and methods for improving a power and bandwidth constrained transmission system, and in particular to a system and method for adaptively varying an uplink signal from a terrestrially-based user terminal to a satellite according to a predicted degradation of the uplink signal.
2. Description of the Related Art
A typical communications system, whether terrestrial or satellite-based, is constrained in its transmission power and signal bandwidth. The communications system may also be required to deliver reliable communications to one point, as in a terrestrial microwave link, or to many points in a satellite broadcast system serving the United States.
A typical satellite communications system is typically designed such that all signals transmitted to and received from terrestrially based receivers have a minimum carrier to noise ratio (CNR). The CNR of the received signal is a function of a number of parameters, including the power of the signal transmitted and signal propagation characteristics such as atmospheric attenuation. Unfortunately, at the wavelengths typically used in satellite-home communications systems, rain and other sources of atmospheric attenuation have a significant effect upon the CNR. Hence, during heavy rain, subscribers can experience degraded signal quality in both transmitted and received signals.
In the past, system designers have assured a minimum signal quality is provided by designing transmitters, power systems, and related components to produce sufficient power to assure a minimum CNR in all conditions, even when compromised by unfavorable atmospheric attenuation characteristics. Unfortunately, the amount of attenuation from rain and similar atmospheric parameters can be substantial and widely varying. Hence, to achieve the desired CNR at all times (including intense rain periods) this solution requires that the ground and satellite transmitters, power system and related components be designed for high performance levels that are not needed most of the time.
Setting the transmitter power to a level that results in a sufficient CNR for all conditions (or nearly all conditions) may be economically impractical, and is typically infeasible in existing field units. What is needed is a system and method for adaptively controlling transmissions to account for signal propagation characteristics. The present invention satisfies that need.

Adaptive return link for two-way satellite communication systems


Double clutch for coupling a drive shaft of a motor to a transmission shaft of a transmission in a vehicle having a first friction clutch for frictionally clamping a first clutch disc couplable to the transmission shaft between a first pressure plate and a first counter-plate, the first pressure plate displaceable in an axial direction to close the first friction clutch, a second friction clutch for frictionally clamping a second clutch disc couplable to an accessory power take-off between a second pressure plate and a second counter-plate, the second pressure plate displaceable in the axial direction to close the second friction clutch, a first actuating element configured to displace the first pressure plate, and, a second actuating element configured to engage a pressure ring connected to the second pressure plate to displace the second pressure plate, wherein the second actuating element is pre-loaded by at least one wire load ring.

The invention relates to a double clutch for coupling a drive shaft of a vehicle motor to a transmission shaft of a motor vehicle transmission and/or an accessory drive of the motor vehicle. Such clutch assemblies are used in tractors or other agricultural machines, for example. A first friction clutch is used for the driving operation and a second friction clutch is used for independently connecting and disconnecting an additional power take-off to drive additional units. The second friction clutch is usually open in a disengaged state, for example when the vehicle motor is started, and may take the required power directly off the drive shaft when it is engaged. As the second friction clutch is operated independently, the accessory drive may be used while the vehicle is at a standstill or while the vehicle is being driven. The second friction clutch may be used to drive mowing machines and other accessory agricultural equipment such as mechanical or hydraulic winches, hydraulic pumps, or compressors, which are much more powerful than electrical devices and do not affect the on-board electrical system of the motor vehicle. However, in such double clutches, the pressing force and the engaging forces are usually highly tolerance-dependent and in an engagement process, the actuating system of the second friction clutch of the double clutch in particular is loaded in a tension-critical way.


A wireless communication device performs a wireless communication with a communication target device via an intermediate device. A route-information obtaining unit obtains communication route information indicating a communication route to the communication target device. A quality-information obtaining unit obtains quality information indicating quality of a signal received by a device included in the communication route indicated by the communication route information. A route selecting unit selects an optimum communication route to the communication target device based on the quality information.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wireless communication technology implemented in a mesh network.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, the use of a mesh network for performing wireless communication is being extensively studied. The mesh network is one of the network forms that include a star network, a bus network, a ring network, and the like. More particularly, the mesh network is a reticulate network in which each of a plurality of communication devices can mutually communicate with all other communication devices via a plurality of communication routes. Thus, even if a problem occurs in one of the communication routes, the communication can be performed via the rest of the communication routes. Such a feature facilitates in configuring a failure-resistant mesh network. Moreover, to maintain the communication speed in a mesh network, a communication route can be selected based on the data communication traffic. A common example of a mesh network is a power distribution network or the Internet network.
In a mesh network used for a wireless communication (hereinafter, "wireless mesh network"), direct communication of wireless signals between two communication devices is possible if the communication devices are arranged in a direct communicable range. However, even if the communication devices are arranged out of the direct communicable range, the wireless signals can be communicated by arranging one or more intermediate communication devices therebetween. Furthermore, because large amount of transmission power is necessary to perform direct communication between two distant communication devices, the communication performed via the intermediate communication devices is useful from an energy saving perspective. Meanwhile, such a wireless mesh network can be easily incorporated with a wired network by connecting any one of the communication devices to the wired network. That eliminates the need of a conventional configuration in which an access point, which is connected to the wired network, needs to be installed at the center of the communicable range of a wireless network. Instead, by using a communication device that is arranged near an end limit of the communicable range as the access point for connection with the wired network, the cabling can be restricted to the minimum.
Moreover, it is also possible to easily expand the communicable range of the wireless mesh network. Conventionally, when an access point is installed at the center of the communicable range, the communicable range can be expanded by enhancing the output capacity from the access point or by installing additional access points. Generally, to enhance the output capacity from an access point, it is necessary to replace the device thereat. Similarly, while installing additional access points, it is necessary to lay the communication line up to the additional access points. On the other hand, in the wireless mesh network, the communicable range can be easily expanded by newly arranging a communication device at the desired place for communication outside the current communicable range and supplying power to the newly arranged communication device.
In such a wireless mesh network, a significant factor while performing communication is the selection of a suitable communication route from among a plurality of communication routes. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-186565 discloses a mesh network in which a separate communication route is allotted for transmission of each signal to prevent overlapping of communication routes. More particularly, consider a case when an intermediate communication device is transmitting a first signal and receives a request for transmission of a second signal, which has a higher priority than the first signal. Then, according to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-186565, the intermediate communication device transmits the second signal and informs a source communication device of the first signal about the subsequent communication route for the second signal. Based on that information, the first signal is transmitted via another communication route and overlapping of the communication routes is prevented. Such a configuration reduces the throughput of the mesh network in entirety.
Generally, a communication route is selected based on the number of intermediate communication devices arranged therein. The number of intermediate communication devices corresponds to the number of hops taken while transmitting a wireless signal via a communication route. Because an overhead time is generated when each intermediate communication device in a communication route transmits a wireless signal, it is desirable that a communication route having the least number of intermediate communication devices is selected such that the transmission is completed at the earliest. Moreover, the actual time for transmission of a wireless signal from one communication device to another communication device depends on the distance therebetween. By taking into consideration the transmission speed of a wireless signal, the overhead time generated at each intermediate communication device affects the actual time for transmission more than the distance between the source communication device and the destination communication device does.
However, as the distance between two intermediate communication devices in a communication route increases, the transmitted wireless signal gets weaker thereby reducing the reception power of the communication device that receives the wireless signal. Moreover, there is also a possibility that the noise increases during the transmission. Thus, longer the distance between the communication devices, more is the possibility that the signal quality degrades. Consequentially, a signal to noise ratio (SNR) at the communication device that receives the signal also degrades. If an error rate for the wireless signal is at a correctable level, then the actual time for transmission is not substantially affected. However, when the error rate reaches an uncorrectable level, then it becomes necessary to retransmit the signal thereby increasing the actual time for transmission. Thus, to sum up, selecting a communication route having the least number of intermediate communication devices does not guarantee speedy communication of a wireless signal.

Wireless communication device, wireless communication method, and computer program product


A foot board and brake pedal for a four wheeled all-terrain vehicle of light weight simple structure with an easy braking operation is provided, on which an operator's foot is freely movable during running, by which the operator's foot is protected from mud and water splashed by front wheels. A recessed portion is formed on a foot putting face of the foot board to accommodate the foot stepping portion of the brake pedal below the foot putting face when the braking pedal is stepped down. An opening is formed on a bottom wall of the recessed portion through which the foot stepping portion of the brake pedal can pass at the maximum stepping amount. The foot board is supported on a body frame by an inverted U-shaped bracket covering the arm portion of the brake pedal through a vibration damper member.

The present invention relates to a structure of a foot board for a four wheeled all-terrain vehicle having a seat designed to be straddled by an operator and handlebars for steering control, and more particularly to a structure of a plate shaped foot board with a brake pedal provided generally horizontally on one side of a lower portion of a body frame of the vehicle.
A foot rest (a foot placing portion) for the all-terrain vehicle generally has a structure similar to that of a motorcycle, that is, a bar type foot rest attached to a lower member of a body frame to protrude outwardly on both sides, and has a tip portion covered with an elastic material such as rubber. Such a conventional structure, however, has disadvantages that the operator's foot is restricted on the foot rest, and the operator tends to feel fatigue on the foot after the running of long hours, because the position of the operator's foot cannot be changed freely relative to any change in the riding position of the operator, due to the speed of the vehicle or the unevenness of the ground. In addition, the operator's foot is exposed to mud and water splashed by the front wheels.
In order to overcome the disadvantages mentioned above, employment of a plate shaped foot rest, or a foot board made of synthetic resins or metals is proposed. Such a plate shaped foot board, however, needs to provide a foot stepping portion of a brake pedal above a foot resting or putting face of the foot board, which tends to locate much higher above the foot putting face of the foot board with respect to the stepping amount of the brake pedal. As a result, the operator must raise his (her) ankle or heel from the foot resting or putting face of the foot board to perform a braking operation, which is inconvenient compared with the bar type foot rest wherein the foot stepping portion of the brake pedal can be located almost horizontally with respect to the foot putting portion of the foot rest.
Consequently, a plate shaped step board (foot board) provided with a foot rest projection thereon for easier braking operation, is proposed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 60-209373. In such a step board (foot board), however, the position of the operator's foot is still restricted on the projection during running in the same manner as in the bar type foot rest. Therefore, the above mentioned disadvantage is not completely eliminated regarding restricted movability of the operator's foot. In addition, due to a wide plane portion of the plate shaped foot board, weight reduction of the foot board is difficult with respect to the necessity of providing strength and preventing vibration.
As described above, the bar type foot rest has disadvantages in that the operator feels fatigue on the foot after a running of long hours since the position of the operator's foot is restricted, and in that the operator's foot is exposed to mud or water splashed by the front wheels. The plate shaped foot board on the other hand, still has disadvantages in that the braking operation is inconvenient, because the foot stepping portion of the brake pedal is located so high above the foot resting or putting face of the foot board that the operator must raise his (her) ankle or heel from the foot putting face of the foot board to perform a braking operation. In addition, the large plane area of the foot board tends to reduce the rigidity, and weight reduction is difficult with respect to the necessity of providing strength and preventing vibration.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a foot board for a four wheeled all-terrain vehicle of light weight simple structure and with easy braking operation, by which the operator's foot is protected from mud and water splashed by the front wheels, and on which the position of the operator's foot can be freely changeable during running.

Foot board for four wheeled all-terrain vehicle


A biological sensor is provided with at least two sensors for detecting vibrations, and is configured so that the at least two sensors form layers. One of the at least two sensors is a first sensor used to acquire biological information, and one is a second sensor used to remove noise. A first cushion material for reducing vibrations is disposed between the first sensor and the second sensor. The first cushion material is integrally laminated with the first sensor and the second sensor. This facilitates accurate detection of biological information.

Deterioration of health condition of a driver who drives a vehicle can adversely affect driving of the vehicle. It is desirable to detect deterioration of health condition in advance and take some measures. As such a measure, known technique recognizes health condition of the driver. A non-contact blood flow sensor embedded in a seat and a backrest for the seat measures pulse waves and the like. Biological information such as a blood flow and a blood pressure are estimated based on measurement results (see Patent Document 1).


A method for processing seismic data acquired using a first over/under streamer and a second over/under streamer. In one implementation, the method may include estimating seismic data that would have been acquired by a third over/under streamer disposed at a depth equivalent to a distance separating the first over/under streamer from the second over/under streamer; and applying a dephase and sum algorithm to seismic data acquired by the first over/under streamer and the second over/under streamer and the estimated seismic data.

1. Field of the Invention
Implementations of various technologies described herein generally relate to seismic data processing, and more particularly, processing seismic data acquired using twin over/under streamers.
2. Description of the Related Art
The following descriptions and examples do not constitute an admission as prior art by virtue of their inclusion within this section.
Seismic exploration is widely used to locate and/or survey subterranean geological formations for hydrocarbon deposits. Since many commercially valuable hydrocarbon deposits are located beneath bodies of water, various types of marine seismic surveys have been developed. In a typical marine seismic survey, seismic streamers are towed behind a survey vessel. The seismic streamers may be several thousand meters long and contain a large number of sensors, such as hydrophones, geophones, and associated electronic equipment, which are distributed along the length of the seismic streamer cable. The survey vessel may also include one or more seismic sources, such as air guns and the like.
The seismic streamers may be in an over/under configuration, i.e., one set of streamers being suspended above another set of streamers. Two streamers in an over/under configuration, referred to as twin streamers, may be towed much deeper than streamers in a conventional single configuration.
As the seismic streamers are towed behind the survey vessel, acoustic signals, commonly referred to as "shots," produced by the one or more seismic sources are directed down through the water into strata beneath the water bottom, where they are reflected from the various subterranean geological formations. Reflected signals are received by the sensors, digitized, and then transmitted to the survey vessel. The digitized signals are referred to as seismograms and are recorded and at least partially processed by a signal processing unit deployed on the survey vessel. The ultimate aim of this process is to build a representation of the subterranean geological formations beneath the streamers. Analysis of the representation may indicate probable locations of hydrocarbon deposits in the subterranean geological formations.
In order to build the representation of the subterranean geological formations, streamer seismic data may be processed in an effort to create an up-going wave field at the sea surface, or zero depth. Typically, the seismic data from a streamer has notches or areas without data because the equipment used may be insensitive at certain frequencies. A primary aim of twin streamer acquisition is to use the second streamer data to fill in the information at the notch frequencies of the first streamer. In addition, the seismic data from each streamer may be a combination of up-going and down-going wave fields. The up-going wave fields may include data about the subterranean geological formations. The down-going wave fields may typically be reflections of the up-going wave fields at the sea surface, referred to as surface seismic ghosts. The down-going wave fields may be considered noise that needs to be attenuated. A multitude of processing techniques generally aimed at filling the notch frequencies and removing the down-going wave fields have been developed.
Various conventional techniques for processing seismic data acquired by streamers or sources in a twin over/under configuration may use a shift and subtract algorithm. Generally in a shift and subtract algorithm, the data recorded on one of the twin over/under streamers may be time shifted such that the up-going or down-going wave fields occur at the same time on both streamers. Subtraction of one data set from the other may remove the aligned wave fields. The data set of the wave fields may be commonly referred to as a ghost and may be dependent on the vertical separation of the twin over/under streamers.
Other conventional techniques for processing seismic data acquired by streamers or sources in a twin over/under configuration involve a dephase and sum algorithm. Generally in the application of the dephase and sum algorithm, the data recorded at each streamer may be first processed by a correlation step to dephase the individual surface ghost wavelets for each of the two streamers. The two dephased data sets may then be summed yielding a seismic data set that would have been acquired by a single streamer at the sea surface.

Processing of seismic data acquired using twin over/under streamers


Allocating potentially needed resources for a transaction before having completely received the transaction is disclosed. An initial part of a transaction is received in first clock cycle. The resources potentially needed by the transaction are determined based on the initial part thereof that has been received, and allocated. The transaction then proceeds. The final part of the transaction is received in a final clock cycle. The resources actually needed by the transaction from the resources previously allocated are determined based on the remaining part thereof that has been received. Any unneeded remaining resources are then deallocated.

This invention relates generally to multi-processor computer systems in which transactions may be completely received over two or more clock cycles, and more particularly to allocating resources for such transactions.
There are many different types of multi-processor computer systems. A symmetric multi-processor (SMP) system includes a number of processors that share a common memory managed by a memory transaction manager. SMP systems provide scalability. As needs dictate, additional processors can be added. SMP systems usually range from two to thirty-two or more processors. One processor generally boots the system and loads the SMP operating system, which brings the other processors online. Without partitioning, there is only one instance of the operating system and one instance of the application in memory. The operating system uses the processors as a pool of processing resources, all executing simultaneously, where each processor either processes data or is in an idle loop waiting to perform a task. SMP systems increase in speed whenever processes can be overlapped.
A massively parallel processor (MPP) system can use thousands or more processors. MPP systems use a different programming paradigm than the more common SMP systems. In an MPP system, each processor contains its own memory and copy of the operating system and application. Each subsystem communicates with the others through a high-speed interconnect. To use an MPP system effectively, an information-processing problem should be breakable into pieces that can be solved simultaneously. For example, in scientific environments, certain simulations and mathematical problems can be split apart and each part processed at the same time.
A non-uniform memory access (NUMA) system is a multi-processing system in which memory is separated into distinct banks. NUMA systems are similar to SMP systems. In SMP systems, however, all processors access a common memory at the same speed. By comparison, in a NUMA system, memory on the same processor board, or in the same building block, as the processor is accessed faster than memory on other processor boards, or in other building blocks. That is, local memory is accessed faster than distant shared memory. NUMA systems generally scale better to higher numbers of processors than SMP systems. The term building block is used herein in a general manner, and encompasses a separable grouping of processor(s), other hardware, such as memory, and software that can communicate with other building blocks.
One particular type of NUMA system is the NUMA-quad (NUMA-Q) system. A NUMA-Q system is a NUMA system in which the fundamental building block is the quad, or the quad building block (QBB). Each quad can contain up to four processors, a set of memory arrays, a memory transaction manager, and an input/output (I/O) processor (IOP) that, through two host bus adapters (HBAs), accommodates two to eight I/O buses. An internal switch in each QBB allows all processors equal access to both local memory and the I/O buses connected to the local I/O processor. An application running on a processor in one QBB can thus access the local memory of its own QBB, as well as the shared memory of the other QBBs. More generally, a quad refers to a building block having at least a collection of up to four processors and an amount of memory.
A difficulty with multi-processor systems, as well as with single-processor systems, is that transactions may be multiplexed over the physical interfaces of processors, such that they are not completely received by the transaction managers in a single clock cycle. Manufacturers and designers of processors typically attempt to minimize the number of pins on their integrated circuits (ICs), typically because of cost constraints, which can necessitate the multiplexing of information sent to the transaction managers. In the case of many types of transactions, this means that the transactions cannot be completely sent by the processors in a single clock cycle, but rather are sent over two clock cycles. A transaction can be generally and, non-restrictively defined as a request from a transaction generator, such as another processor, an application-specific IC (ASIC), and so on. The request may ask that the transaction manager perform a command on a resource, such as a read command, a write command, and so on.
Because a transaction may not be completely received in a single clock cycle, the transaction manager may not be able to determine with precise specificity the resources to which the transaction relates, and thus the resources that the transaction manager should allocate. The resources may include queues, buffers, memories, and so on. The transaction manager may thus have to wait an extra clock cycle until it completely receives the transaction before the transaction manager can determine the resources the transaction needs, and thus the resources the transaction manager should allocate for the transaction. This can unnecessarily slow the system down, and furthermore may result in a reduction of transaction bandwidth. Alternatively, the transaction manager may have extra resources allocated to it on more or less a permanent basis just in case a given received transaction needs them, but this can lead to a lack of or underutilization of resources.
For these described reasons, as well as other reasons, there is a need for the present invention.

Allocation of potentially needed resources prior to complete transaction receipt

International Business Machines Corporation


A portable exercise system for providing convenient weight training and exercise equipment. The portable exercise system includes a main housing assembly having at least one bladder member designed for being filled with water to provide weight; and a coupling assembly operationally coupled to the main housing assembly, the coupling assembly being designed for selectively securing the main housing assembly to a torso of a user.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to exercise devices and more particularly pertains to a new portable exercise system for providing convenient weight training and exercise equipment.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of exercise devices is known in the prior art. U.S. Pat. No. 3,781,007 describes a folding dumbbell barbell combination. Another type of exercise devices is U.S. Pat. No. 6,099,441 having a water fillable bladder with a central handle member.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the need remains for a system that has certain improved features of use, portability, and aerobic as well as weight training uses.


A mold that can prevent molten metal from leaking out of it as well as from leaking onto a parting plane of the mold. The mold includes a lower mold having a concave portion that has the shape of a product, into which the amount of molten metal required to produce a casting is poured and an upper mold comprising a convex portion that has the shape of the casting, and forming a cavity that molds the casting, when the upper mold overlaps the lower mold. A structure is formed so as to have certain clearances between the lower mold and the upper mold such that molten metal is prevented from leaking onto the parting plane that is formed where the upper mold and the lower mold overlap, when the casting is produced.

Conventionally it is considered indispensable in manufacturing a mold that, to obtain a good casting by controlling the flow of molten metal and by restraining any involvement of any impure substance and gas in the product, a passage for the molten metal called a gating system, which has nothing to do with the shape of a casting (see, for example, Non-Patent Publication 1), is provided. However, the gating system often has lowered the yield rate of casting. Moreover, it also requires removing the gating system after crashing the mold. Thus the gating system often worked disadvantageously to the productivity and the cost efficiency of casting.
Therefore, to improve the yield rate for casting, it is proposed to use a molding method wherein it is carried out by using a lower mold, which is a main mold formed by various kinds of molding methods, and which has no gating system, but only a cavity required for casting, and an upper mold, which is a main mold formed by various kinds of molding methods, and has no cavity for a gating system, but which has a protruding portion capable of forming a cavity for casting. In this casting method it is proposed that, after the molten metal required to produce only the casting is poured into the cavity of the lower mold, the protruding portion of the upper mold be advanced into the cavity filled with the molten metal so as to form the cavity required to produce the casting, and that then the upper mold overlap the lower mold.
In the casting method according to the present invention, for the mold that makes unnecessary the work of eliminating, from castings, gating system, feeders etc., that are used in the method based on the gating system plan, a lower mold and a upper mold are disclosed. In this method the lower mold is a main mold formed by various kinds of mold-forming methods, and has no cavity for a gating system, but only a cavity for casting, and the upper mold is a main mold formed by various kinds of mold-forming methods, and has no cavity for a gating system, but has a protruding portion capable of forming a cavity for castings in combination with a cavity of the lower mold. Further also disclosed is adding a flow-off cavity, i.e., a cavity necessary for castings. By adding this flow-off cavity it becomes possible to obtain some tolerance in the amount of such molten metal that is required to produce the casting.
[Non-Patent Publication 1]
Nihon Chuzou Kogakukai (Japan Foundry Engineering Society),
Illustrated Foundry Dictionary, 1st Ed.,
published by Nikkan Kogyo Sinbunsha, Japan, Nov. 30, 1995, page 212, gating system, and
[Patent Publication 1] Patent Application Publication Gazette No. JP2005-52871


A method of reducing virulence in a bacterium comprising at least one of a GacS/GacA-type system, a HrpX/HrpY-type system, a T3SS-type system, and a Rsm-type system, the method comprising contacting the bacterium with an effective amount of a compound described herein.

GacS/GacA is a two component signal transduction system ("TCSTS") that is widely distributed in many bacteria to respond to environmental stimuli and adapt to different environmental conditions. GacS is a putative histidine kinase sensor and GacA is the response regulator. The homologs of the TCSTS of GacS/GacA have been reported in a variety of Gram-negative bacteria, including E. coli (BarA/UvrY), Pectobacterium spp., S. typhimurium (BarA/SirA), Pseudomonas spp. (GacS/GacA), Legionella pneumophila (LetS/LetA) and Vibrio species.
GacS/GacA and homologous systems regulate many virulence factors including, but not limited to, regulatory RNA, quorum sensing ("QS") signals, type III secretion system ("T3SS") genes, pectate lyases, proteases, biofilm formation, and toxins. For example, in D. dadantii, the GacS/GacA system is located at the top of a regulatory cascade and functions as a central regulator by controlling an assortment of transcriptional and posttranscriptional factors. Mainly, the influence of the GacS/GacA system on pectinase production and T3SS gene expression is channeled through a regulatory RNA system, the Rsm system, by activating rsmB which binds to and inhibits the T3SS mRNA decay effect of RsmA.
In addition to the GacS/GacA-RsmA-rsmB-hrpL regulatory pathway, the T3SS of Dickeya dadantii, which belongs to Group I T3SS of phytobacteria, is regulated by a HrpX/Y-HrpS-HrpL pathway. The two-component system HrpX/HrpY activates the gene encoding HrpS, which is required for expression of hrpL. HrpL, an alternative sigma factor, further activates expression of genes encoding the T3SS apparatus and its secreted products. Thus, the GacS/GacA and HrpX/HrpY TCSTS systems both exert a regulatory effect in D. dadantii, in particular through the T3SS system.

Methods of reducing virulence in bacteria


Memory cells including a semiconductor layer having at least two source/drain regions disposed below a surface of the semiconductor layer and separated by a channel region; a lower insulating layer disposed above the channel region; a charge storage layer disposed above the lower insulating layer; an upper insulating multi-layer structure disposed above the charge storage layer, wherein the upper insulating multi-layer structure comprises a polysilicon material layer interposed between a first dielectric layer and a second dielectric layer; and a gate disposed above the upper insulating multi-layer structure are described along with arrays thereof and methods of operation.

Non-volatile memory ("NVM") refers to semiconductor memory which is able to continually store information even when the supply of electricity is removed from the device containing the NVM cell. NVM includes Mask Read-Only Memory (Mask ROM), Programmable Read-Only Memory (PROM), Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EPROM), Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EEPROM), and Flash Memory. Non-volatile memory is extensively used in the semiconductor industry and is a class of memory developed to prevent loss of programmed data. Typically, non-volatile memory can be programmed, read and/or erased based on the device's end-use requirements, and the programmed data can be stored for a long period of time.
Non-volatile memory devices can employ various designs, including devices which have charge storage layers of the "floating gate" type and devices which have charge-trapping layers that store charge in a localized manner. Localized charge storage (or trapping) refers to the ability of a charge-trapping layer to store charge without significant lateral movement of the stored charge throughout the layer. Conventional "floating gate" memory cells contain a charge-storage layer which is conductive and in which the stored charge is spread laterally throughout the entire layer (i.e., throughout the entire floating gate).
As the information technology market has grown vastly in the past twenty years or so, portable computers and the electronic communications industry have become the main driving force for semiconductor VLSI (very large scale integration) and ULSI (ultra large scale integration) design. As a result, low power consumption, high density and re-programmable non-volatile memory are in great demand. These types of programmable and erasable memories have become essential devices in the semiconductor industry.
A rising demand for memory capacity has translated into higher requirements for integration level and memory density. Dual bit cells which can store two bits of information in each memory cell are known in the art but are not yet prevalent in use. Some dual bit cells have multiple threshold voltage levels, where every two threshold voltage levels together store a different bit. These types of dual bit cells involve operational complexities which discourage their widespread use. Other dual bit cells employ charge-trapping layers and have two separate storage sites and store one bit in each site on either side of the cell. One kind of dual bit cell of the latter variety is known as Nitride Read Only Memory (NROM).
In general, an NROM cell uses a thicker tunnel oxide layer between the semiconductor layer and the charge-trapping nitride layer to prevent charge loss during retention states. However, a thick tunnel oxide layer may impact channel erase speed. As a result, band-to-band tunneling hot-hole (BTBTHH) erase methods are often used to inject hole traps from the channel to compensate the stored electrons. However, the BTBTHH erase methods may cause reliability issues. For example, the performance characteristics of NVM devices employing BTBTHH erase methods may rapidly degrade after numerous P/E (program/erase) cycles due to semiconductor layer/oxide interface damage which can occur as a result of the BTBTHH methods. For purposes of this invention, the "semiconductor layer" refers to that layer in which the source/drain regions are proximate to the layer's surface and the "semiconductor substrate" or "substrate" refers to a support or insulation layer contiguous to the semiconductor layer that does not contain source/drain regions. Not all semiconductor devices have semiconductor substrates and in those instances the semiconductor layer is commonly considered to also be the substrate.
Another example of a charge-trapping NVM cell design is the so-called SONOS (silicon-oxide-nitride-oxide-silicon) device, which can include a thin tunnel oxide layer between the semiconductor layer and the charge-trapping layer to allow hole direct tunneling erase operations. Although such designs can have good erase speed, the data retention is usually poor, in part, because direct tunneling may occur even at a low electrical field strengths that may exist during a retention state of a memory device.
Thus, a need in the art exists for non-volatile memory cell designs and arrays which can be repeatedly programmed and erased numerous times with improved data retention performance, increased operation speeds and which do not suffer semiconductor layer/oxide interface degradation as a result of hot hole tunneling from the semiconductor layer.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Non-volatile memory cells having a polysilicon-containing, multi-layer insulating structure, memory arrays including the same and methods of operating the same


Provided is a vehicle information management system having a vehicle-mounted information terminal and a management center. The vehicle-mounted information terminal collects vehicle information including charge information indicating a charging status of a storage battery. The storage battery is mounted on a vehicle configured from an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle. The management center manages the vehicle information uploaded from the vehicle-mounted information terminal. The vehicle-mounted information terminal is configured so as to monitor a vehicle state. The vehicle-mounted information terminal uploads the vehicle information to the management center when the vehicle state is shifted to an upload state as a previously defined state on the basis of a monitoring result which is a result of the monitoring.

In recent years, a system known as a system that learns a state of a vehicle includes a vehicle-mounted information terminal mounted on the vehicle to collect vehicle information indicating the vehicle state, and a specific center (data center) that controls the vehicle information. The vehicle-mounted information terminal sends the collected vehicle information to the specific center through a wireless communication function.
For example, a system seen in Patent Document 1 detects the presence and absence of an abnormality in a passenger compartment by an abnormality detection sensor. As a result thereof, for example, when an occurrence of an abnormality of an improper unlocking in a door lock is detected, the detection result is delivered to a specific center as vehicle information of the vehicle. In this system, in a case where the occurrence of the abnormality is notified as above to the center, the center transfers information informing the occurrence of the abnormality in the vehicle to a cell phone and the like of the owner of the vehicle as a delivery source of the vehicle information, that is, the user (driver). Accordingly, the owner of the vehicle can learn that the abnormality has occurred in the vehicle based on the information delivered from the center.
On the other hand, recently, accompanying the spread of electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles, a development of a system that enables learning a state of a secondary battery mounted on a vehicle as above is in progress. For example, a system described in Patent Document 2 sends information indicating the state of charge of the secondary battery mounted on the electric vehicle located at a charging station to a specific center. The center having received the information sets a charging schedule of the secondary battery based on the information. Further, the center generates information notifying charged amount and remaining amount of the secondary battery based on the information received from the vehicle, and sends the generated information to an information terminal such as a cell phone possessed by an owner of the relevant vehicle. As above, according to the system described in Patent Document 2, automation of the charging is achieved through the charging schedule set based on the state of the secondary battery acquired from the vehicle. The user can remotely learn the state of the secondary battery mounted on the vehicle.

Vehicle information management system, vehicle-mounted information terminal and vehicle information providing device


A stereoscopic image display device that enables 2D/3D image output conversion includes a display panel configured to display an image and a polarization lens panel disposed on the display panel and configured to transmit as-is or refract light supplied from the display panel according to an image display mode. The polarization lens panel includes: first and second substrates; a lower electrode formed on the first substrate; an upper electrode formed on the second substrate; and a polymer liquid crystal layer formed of a polymer liquid crystal in which a polymer and a liquid crystal are combined, and disposed between the lower electrode and the upper electrode.

1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates to a stereoscopic image display device, and more particularly, to a stereoscopic image display device that enables a viewer to view a stereoscopic image without glasses.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Stereoscopic (three-dimensional (3D)) image display devices are devices that provide different images to a left eye and a right eye of a viewer, and thus enable the viewer to view a stereoscopic image due to a binocular parallax between the left eye and the right left.
Recently, research is being actively done for a glasses-free technique in which a user does wear stereoscopic glasses. Examples of the glasses-free technique include a lenticular technique, which separates a left image and a right image by using a cylindrical lens array, and a barrier technique that separates the left image and the right image by using a barrier.
In a stereoscopic image display device using the barrier technique, a plurality of barriers in which a plurality of openings having a slit shape are arranged in parallel are arranged at certain intervals in a display panel, and a left image and a right image are separated by the barriers and are respectively input to a left eye and a right eye of a viewer. The stereoscopic image display device using the barrier technique is easily manufactured, but since light is blocked by the barriers, brightness of a screen is severely reduced.
In a stereoscopic image display device using the lenticular technique, a transparent lenticular lens having a semicylindric shape is disposed in a display panel, and a left image and a right image are separated by the lenticular lens and are respectively input to a left eye and a right eye of a viewer.
In the stereoscopic image display device using the lenticular technique, brightness of a screen is not reduced unlike the barrier technique, but it is impossible to perform two-dimensional (2D)/3D image output conversion.


A process for separating sperm cells from a chemical compound by electrophoresis comprising subjecting the sperm cells to an electric potential between a cathode and an anode such that the sperm cells are separated from the chemical compound, and related methods including methods of using said sperm cells in intrauterine insemination.

It is estimated that 1 in 7 human couples have problems conceiving. Estimates put the percentage of cases of infertility that can be ascribed to the male partner at between 25% and 50%, depending on the population. The principal cause of male infertility is poor semen quality. Poor semen quality can be caused by a reduced number of spermatozoa ("sperm cells") and/or reduced motility (asthenozoospermia) of those cells that are present. A number of treatments are available for both male and female infertility including intracervical insemination (ICI) and intrauterine insemination (IUI). In essence, these procedures involve placing either recently collected sperm or sperm which has been frozen and thawed into the cervix, typically after washing, into the uterus by artificial means. IUI has great potential to be used in many cases of infertility currently treated by in vitro fertilisation (IVF). However, IUI typically suffers from low success rates primarily attributed to low semen quality.
Such techniques are also important in veterinary medicine including livestock breeding and conservation biology, where poor animal fertility may be a barrier to commercial or conservation goals. The chances of IUI treatment resulting in a pregnancy is greatly increased if the sperm cells used can be of the highest possible quality. Quality may be improved by any or all of the following:                pre "washing" of sperm, for example in Hams F-10 media without L-glutamine, to remove seminal fluid, leukocytes and non-motile sperm;        separation techniques to enrich the sample with higher quality cells, for example by discontinuous gradient configuration or electrophoresis (see, for example, WO2005/033295);        treatment of the cells ex-vivo with a chemical agent in order to increase motility or otherwise improve their fertilisation capability.
Pre-treatment of cells with a chemical agent to improve fertilisation capability is usually followed by a washing step both in order to prevent exposure of the female partner, zygote and embryo to the chemical agent and to prevent "burn out" of the sperm cells which may result if their motility is stimulated for too-prolonged a period of time such that when insemination takes place the sperm cells are "exhausted" or have undergone premature triggering of the acrosome reaction.
Common to all pre-treatment procedures is the imperative that the procedure be as fast as possible (because sperm quality decreases with time ex-vivo) and that it avoids as far as possible physical and chemical trauma (for example shearing forces) which may damage cells.
Professor John Aitken and colleagues have developed an electrophoretic system (therein referred to as the "Aitken process" or "Aitken technique") for the isolation of human spermatozoa (see Ainsworth et al. 2005, Hum. Repro. 20(8)2261-2270; and Aitken et al. 2011. Hum. Repro. 26(8) 1955-1964) which results in a sample for use in insemination comprising cells with less DNA damage than conventional density gradient centrifugation technologies of cell preparation. In essence, the technique of Aitken involves use of a separation cassette comprising two buffer-filled chambers separated by a membrane permeable to ions and sperm cells. A sample of semen is placed in one chamber and an electric field placed across the cassette. Within seconds sperm cells migrate in the electric field through the membrane to the second chamber. The small size of sperm cells makes them especially mobile in an electric field and the sialic acid on the cell surface causes migration to the positive electrode. Contaminating cells, for example, leukocytes and damaged and/or dead and or improperly matured cells, are much less mobile and thus the cell sample can be enriched for high quality sperm cells of use in subsequent fertility treatments.
The present invention is based on an adaptation of the Aitken technique to removal of chemical agents from sperm cells by electrophoresis either as a stand-alone technique or, advantageously, for use in combination with the Aitken technique whereby cells are enriched for high quality cells simultaneously to being washed of pre-treatment chemical agents. As such the invention is especially suitable for use in methods involving ex vivo treatment of sperm cells with a chemical compound to increase their fertilisation capability followed by the removal of the treatment chemical compound.


A hinge actuator for a wing mirror unit includes a base plate, including base shaft with mirror support; output part; coupling ring; and gear wheel. The base plate and mirror support include cooperating stops. The coupling ring is arranged so as to be rotatable with limited travel about the base of the shaft between a first angle α1, which corresponds to a folded-out position, and a second angle α2. The coupling ring can cooperate with the mirror support via a first set of cooperating stops, and can cooperate with the base plate via a second set of cooperating stops, such that in the first angle α1 of the coupling ring, the spring force is transmitted, through cooperation of the first set of stops, and that in the second angle α2, the spring force, through cooperation of the second set of stops, is transmitted to the base plate.

Hinge actuators for wing mirror units are generally known and are typically attached by a base plate to a door of a motor vehicle. A mirror support, also referred to as mirror supporting frame, typically comprises a mirror housing that accommodates a mirror glass. The mirror support, in particular the mirror housing, can then pivot relative to the base plate between a folded-in position, in which the width of the vehicle, for instance for the purpose of parking, is reduced, and a folded-out position for use of the wing mirror unit under normal operating conditions. In the folded-in position, the mirror support extends in a substantially rearward orientation along the longitudinal axis of the bodywork of the vehicle. In the folded-out position, the mirror support extends substantially transversely to the longitudinal axis of the bodywork.

MCi (Mirror Controls International) Netherlands B.V.


A novel method for producing a mogrol glycoside and mogrol has been required. The present invention provides a method for producing a mogrol glycoside and/or mogrol, said method comprising a step for cleaving at least one glucoside bond in a mogrol glycoside.

Siraitia grosvenorii is a plant of the Cucurbitaceae family, native to Zhuang Autonomous Region of Guangxi, China. Fruits of Siraitia grosvenorii have a very sweet taste, and extracts from the fruits are used as natural sweeteners. Moreover, dried fruits of Siraitia grosvenorii are used as Chinese herbal medicines.
Fruits of Siraitia grosvenorii are known to contain mogrol glycosides as sweet components. Mogrol glycosides are glycosides wherein glucose is linked to the aglycone, mogrol. Mogrol glycosides are classified into various types of mogrol glycosides according to the linkage position of glucose or the number of glucose units. Mogroside V, mogroside IV, siamenoside I, and 11-oxomogroside are contained as the mogrol glycosides in fruits of Siraitia grosvenorii. Other mogrol glycosides are also known, such as mogroside I, mogroside IVA, mogroside III, mogroside IIIA1, mogroside IIIA2, mogroside IIIE, mogroside IIA, mogroside IIA1, mogroside IIA2, mogroside IIB, mogroside IIE, mogroside IA1, and mogroside IE1.
The aglycone, mogrol is known to have an anticancer effect as a bioactive effect (Non Patent Literature 1).
Some methods of preparing mogrol from a mogrol glycoside are known, and, for example, a method comprising heating a mogrol glycoside at 95 to 100° C. for 10 hours in 0.5 N HCl for acid hydrolysis has been disclosed (Non Patent Literature 1).
In addition, a method comprising hydrolyzing a mogrol glycoside with an enzyme is known (Patent Literature 1). In this method, specifically, pectinase derived from Aspergillus niger is added and reacted at 50° C. for 48 hours. However, neither the enzyme protein responsible for this activity nor a gene encoding it has been revealed.
It has been disclosed that yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) has an activity to convert mogroside V into mogroside IIIE, and the gene of the yeast responsible for this activity is EXG1 (GH family 5, β-1,3-glucanase) (Non Patent Literature 2).

Method for producing mogrol or mogrol glycoside


A transformer having galvanically isolated windings defines a primary side and a secondary side of a power conversion apparatus. A switch couples power from a source on the primary side via the transformer to a load on the secondary side. A first circuit assembly has primary-side circuitry galvanically coupled to a port for connection to an input power source. The primary-side circuitry includes a primary-side communicator for sending or receiving control information used in controlling operation of the power conversion apparatus. A second circuit assembly has secondary-side circuitry galvanically coupled to a port for connection to a load. The secondary-side circuitry includes a secondary-side communicator for sending or receiving the control information. The first and second circuit assemblies are mechanically separable as assemblies from one another, are galvanically isolated from one another, and are configured to be placed in positions relative to one another to enable the primary-side and secondary-side communicators to cooperate to pass the control information.

This invention relates to power converter configuration, control, and construction.
Power converters generally include power transfer components (e.g., transformers and switches) and control circuitry which governs the operation of the power transfer components to achieve desired operating characteristics. For example, in some zero current switching (ZCS) converters of the kind sold by Vicor Corporation, Andover, Mass. (see also U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,415,959, 4,441,146, and 4,675,797, incorporated by reference), the power transfer components are discrete components mounted on a printed circuit board.
Referring to FIG. 1, in a simple version of a ZCS converter, a main power transformer 10 has primary and secondary windings 12, 14 which define primary and secondary electrical sides 16, 18 of the converter. Power conversion occurs by quantized transfer of energy from the primary side to the secondary side during a succession of energy transfer cycles. Each energy transfer cycle begins and ends with the closing and subsequent opening of a switch 20 at times when the current through the switch is essentially zero.
A control circuit 22 governs the opening and closing of switch 20 so that the energy transfer cycles occur with a frequency that is varied to cause the converter to supply the output power at a desired voltage. A voltage sensor 24 detects Vout and information about Vout (i.e. control information) is fed back to a portion of the control circuit which turns the primary side switch on and off.
It is often important (e.g., for safety reasons) that the primary and secondary sides of the converter be isolated from one another. As a result, the transfer of control information from the secondary to primary sides is usually done via an isolation device (e.g., a transformer in which two windings are coupled by a permeable core, an opto-coupler, or a discrete light emitting device located adjacent to a discrete light detecting device) which is included in the control circuitry.
During construction of the converter, the control circuitry typically is formed by mounting discrete electronic components on the same circuit board that bears the power conversion parts, or on separate daughter boards which form an assembly to be mounted on the main power conversion board (see U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/947,937, Providing Electrical Components for Circuit Assembly, filed Sep. 21, 1992, incorporated by reference).
Powercube Corporation and General Electric Corporation have offered modular building blocks (e.g., AC rectifier blocks, PWM conversion blocks, control assembly blocks, output rectifier blocks) from which a complete switching power supply could be assembled, by connecting blocks together by means of wires, electrical connectors or traces on a circuit board.

Power converter configuration, control, and construction


A hand held cutter which is able to facilitate users to easily replace a blade received therein. The users will only need to push a pusher, then an upper cover and a lower cover of the hand held cutter are easily separated. The upper cover and a lower cover of the hand held cutter are assembled by pressing down a pressing knob, which initiates a secure attachment relationship between the upper cover and the lower cover.

A structure of a conventional hand held cutter is shown in FIGS. 9 and 10. The hand held cutter comprises an upper cover 80 and a lower cover 81 threadingly secured to the upper cover by means of a screw 87. A blade 82 having two sharp edges (not numbered) is slidably received in a recess 83 defined between the upper cover 80 and the lower cover 81 and securely confined within a seat 84 having a width equal to that of the blade 82. The seat 84 has integrally formed on a side a push-button 85 extending out from an elongate opening (not shown or numbered) defined by both the upper cover 80 and the lower cover 81, such that pushing of the push-button 85 will drive the blade 82 to move outward from a slit (not shown or numbered) defined by both an end of the upper cover 80 and the lower cover 81. The upper cover 80 and the lower cover 81, as previously described, are threadingly secured together by the screw 87 extending through a first through hole 801 defined in the upper cover 80 and a second through hole 811 defined in the lower cover 81, when both the first through hole 801 and the second through hole 811 are aligned.
After frequent use of the blade 82, one edge of the blade 82 will become dull and a replacement of the blade 82 is necessary. To replace the blade 82, a user needs to unscrew the screw 87 and therefore separate the upper 80 and the lower cover 81 to access the blade 82. It is very inconvenient for the user to separate the upper cover 80 from the lower cover 81 every time he/she wishes to replace the blade 82. Sometimes, when the user is working at an altitude, separating the hand held cutter to access the blade 82 will compromise the safety of the user.
From the previous description, the hand held cutter available in the market is not able to fulfill the needs of users and improvements or alterations thereof are thus required. A hand held cutter constructed in accordance with the present invention tends to mitigate and/or obviate the aforementioned problems.

2nd Fl., No. 203-8, Chinlung Rd., Neihu Dist.


A light intensity detection system for a wind turbine including a single light sensor adapted to measure the intensity of light, a housing for protecting the single light sensor from environmental influences, and a driving mechanism configured to allow the single light sensor to receive light from a first direction at a first time and from a second direction at a second time.

The subject matter described herein relates generally to methods and systems for wind turbines, and more particularly, to methods and systems concerning a shadow flicker protection system of a wind turbine.
Wind energy harvested, for example, through the use of large scale wind turbines has experienced rapid growth in recent years. Sources of this growth may be the numerous environmental, technical and economic benefits related to wind generated energy production. Wind energy is widely available, renewable and reduces the production of greenhouse gases by diminishing the need of fossil fuels as energy source. Furthermore, technical developments have improved design, manufacturing technologies, materials and power electronic devices of wind turbines and will in the future continue to decrease production costs of wind turbines while increasing their energy production capabilities and efficiencies.
At least some known wind turbines include a tower and a nacelle mounted on the tower. A rotor is rotatably mounted to the nacelle and is coupled to a generator by a shaft. A plurality of blades extend from the rotor. The blades are oriented such that wind passing over the blades turns the rotor and rotates the shaft, thereby driving the generator to generate electricity.
Wind turbines may be placed individually or in groups, also known as wind farms, in on- or off-shore environments. When the wind turbine is placed in the proximity of a residential area, it is possible when the sun is unfavorable positions, that the wind turbine or rotor thereof is between the sun and a residence of the residential area. If the sunshine is not affected by dark clouds, the rotating rotor constantly throws a shadow on to the residence or property thereof. The shadow casting, also known as shadow flicker, caused by a wind turbine on the adjoining properties is often perceived by the residents as being very troublesome and may spook animals, such as animals grazing in the proximity of a wind turbine.
A number of factors such as the position and point of the sun and cloudiness may influence the shadow flicker behavior of wind turbines. In the northern hemisphere, the risk for shadow flickering is largest in spring, autumn and winter as well as sunrise and sunset. Therefore, even if the wind turbine satisfies the legal approval requirements, there is however not always any guarantee that the undesired shadow casting effect is prevented.
The effect of shadow flicker may be resolved by the use of wind turbine shut-down systems that use a plurality of expensive light sensitive sensors typically positioned in different locations to determine the shadow casting behavior of a wind turbine. In particular, the multiple light sensors are used to determine light intensity at different regions, i.e., in a shadowed region and in a light region with direct light incidence (direct sun irradiation). Such shut-down systems often have a complex set-up and wiring. Each light sensitive sensor is prone to failure. If one of the light sensors fails, the shut-down system fails. This causes such shut-down systems to be unnecessarily un-reliable, expensive and to have a high cost of ownership.
Hence, it will be appreciated that a more cost efficient, reliable and simpler shut-down system is desired. The subject matter described herein pertains to such a system and method of use thereof, amongst other things, by improving the reliability of such shut-down systems.

Wind turbine shadow flicker protection system having a driving mechanism allowing a single light sensor to receive light at different times and directions


A method includes the steps of selecting an image filtering technique, receiving an image from an image source, processing the received image to provide a processed image, and displaying the processed image to a user. Processing the received image includes the steps of adjusting the received image to provide an adjusted image, filtering the adjusted image according to the selected image filtering technique to provide a filtered image, and adjusting the filtered image. The image filtering technique may be selected from histogram equalization, band-pass filtering, adaptive enhancement filtering, or other techniques. The method may be used in an image processing system having memory, a processor, and a display.

The invention relates generally to the field of image processing.
Adverse visibility conditions, such as haze, smog, dust, and smoke, and adverse weather conditions, such as fog, snow, and rain, reduce the ability for current image-recognition devices to accurately detect objects. In the littoral environment, the reduced visibility caused by adverse visibility and weather conditions can cause catastrophic harm. Further, adverse visibility and weather conditions can significantly impact road visibility for land-based vehicles or air-based vehicles attempting to land at a designated landing zone.
Therefore, there is a need for a method for enhancing imagery detection in low-visibility conditions.

System and method for enhancing low-visibility imagery

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy