A system and method for data backup over a network has been developed. The method includes creating a baseline copy of the data files that are to be archived. When the data is subsequently being backed up, the system checks for the presence of newly added files by comparing the sort order of the present data files with the sort order of the baseline copy. Any newly added files are then saved to the baseline copy. The system checks for any changes in existing files by comparing the hash numbers of the present data files with the hash numbers of the data files in the baseline copy. Any changed files are then merged into their corresponding data files in the baseline copy.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to computer software. More specifically, the present invention provides for methods and systems for electronic data archival, backup and recovery over a network.
2. Background Art
A great deal of information is stored electronically and must be backed up or archived in a systematic fashion to protect against the loss of critical data. The traditional process of data archival and/or backup involves writing a copy or mirror image of the data to a tape or other data storage device on a regularly scheduled basis, often nightly. Once the data is copied to the data storage device, the data storage device is physically moved off-site to another, secure location where it is stored. If the original data is lost or corrupted, a copy of the data is available and can be retrieved from the off-site location. A drawback to the traditional back up process is that it is cumbersome and time-consuming. In addition, as the amount of data being backed up increases, the number and cost of storage devices needed to keep copies of the data increases as well.
Another back up process that has grown increasingly popular in recent years involves the use of wide are networks to transmit back up data to a secure site. Data management companies, such as EVault, Inc. now provide backup and archival services to allow a company to transmit backup data to a data manager on a regularly scheduled basis. The backup data is usually encrypted to protect against the release of proprietary information and a third-party data storage manager handles the storage and recovery of the business data. By sending information to a third-party data storage manager, a company avoids the cost of paying for and maintaining its own data storage system and can take advantage of the economies of scale available to a data storage manager.
A drawback to the process of transmitting backup data to a data storage manager over networks like the internet is the length of transmission. In many cases, the amount of data to be backed up exceeds the capacity of the communication line between a company and its data storage manager. When large or numerous files are involved, the traditional data backup process of copying or mirroring an entire data system requires a great deal of time and/or a tremendous amount of bandwidth, neither of which is typically available. Furthermore, only a small percentage of the files typically need to be backed up per session. One of the ways used to address this problem involves the use of delta extraction algorithms. A delta extraction algorithm monitors the changes made to the data files of a company between backups and rather than transmitting the entire file, transmits only the changes to the file. This results in a much quicker backup process as files that are unchanged are not transmitted. Additionally, it reduces the amount of storage needed for a backup.
For example in some delta extraction processes, selected files are processed in a depth first order, ascending alphabetically. For example, a "C:" drive under Windows NT might be processed in the following order:
C:\autoexec.bat
C:\boot.ini
C:\Dir1\
C:\Dir1\Data1.dat
C:\Dir1\Data2.dat
C:\Dir1\Sub1\Image1.bmp
C:\Dir1\Sub1\Image2.bmp
C:\Dir1\Text1.dat
C:\Dir1\Text2.dat
C:\Dir2\Data1.dat
C:\Dir2\Data2.dat
C:\Dir2\Image1.bmp
C:\Dir2\Image2.bmp
C:\pagefile.sys.
These files are sequentially compared against a delta mapping file (DTA), using alphabetic comparisons to determine if a file is new or part of a prior backup. Next, like files are compared block by block to see if the file had been changed ("delta changes") since the last backup. If a new file is discovered, it is copied in its entirety. Files that were deleted in the interim since the last backup are ignored and are no longer used as part of future backups. Once this sometimes lengthy process is completed, the data is transmitted from a client application to a server (file names and changed/new blocks of data).
At the server, files included in the backup are processed in the order in which they were backed up, depth first order, ascending alphabetically. These files are sequentially merged with the previous backup data, using alphabetic comparisons to determine if a file is new or part of a prior backup. Like files are merged or indexed block by block to update and verify the new delta block changes. New files, those that were not present in any of the prior backups, are merged in their entirety. Deleted files are ignored, that is, treated as no longer part of the backup data.
Not withstanding the use of a delta extraction algorithm, backup processes can take a long time when large amounts of data are involved and when a backup of a complex or extensive data system is involved. Some sub-directories may contain upwards of 10,000 separate files and take so long to sort that problems such as slowdowns, timeouts, or even system crashes frequently occur. Client-side applications known in the art that perform the delta extraction algorithms rely heavily upon sorting routines. These routines sort a log of file changes to allow the changes to be matched with the baseline files that are stored off-site by the data storage manager. The client-side process of extracting the changes and transmitting the log is often time-consuming.

Systems and methods for data backup over a network


A computer-implemented method for managing conditional authorities in a vehicle network for a target train, including: generating at least one conditional authority for the target train, the at least one conditional authority comprising authority data related to at least one identifying train; establishing at least one direct or indirect communication link between the target train and the at least one identifying train; determining position data for the at least one identifying train; comparing at least a portion of the position data with at least a portion of the authority data; and based at least partially on the comparison, generating at least one indication that the target train is authorized to proceed. Systems for managing conditional authorities in a vehicle network for a target train are also disclosed.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to vehicle systems and networks, such as railway systems including trains travelling in a track or rail network, and in particular to data management systems and methods for use in managing conditional authorities in a vehicle network, preferably a vehicle network of multiple trains operating in a track network.
2. Description of Related Art
Vehicle systems and networks exist throughout the world, and, at any point in time, a multitude of vehicles, such as cars, trucks, buses, trains, and/or the like, are travelling throughout the system and network. In order to effectively manage and control such vehicles, a central controller, e.g., intermediate or central dispatch (or some back office server), tracks the vehicles, e.g., trains, travelling in the network. This management and control is typically implemented and operated based upon identifying the position of each train in the network, or a specific portion of the network. For example, this central controller may issue authorities that provide an indication (or permission) for a vehicle to move into or operate within a specified portion of the network, such as permitting a train to move into or operate within a block or section of track. These authorities may also take the form of a conditional authority, where the target train or vehicle (e.g, the named train or vehicle) is not permitted or authorized to move into or operate within a portion of the network until one or more other vehicles are clear.
In one exemplary and existing system, a railroad dispatcher issues a form-based movement authority to a train that is not in effect upon its issuance, but rather is dependent on the movement of another train or other trains. This provides the dispatcher with a degree of flexibility in managing workload, allowing him or her to "work ahead" on issuing authorities in a heavily trafficked track warrant area or territory. In one example, and as illustrated in FIG. 1, the authority issued to train (A) includes the condition that it is "in effect after arrival" of up to three trains (B), (C), and (D) moving in an opposing direction. The authority may include an "at" location or "entry point" specifying where the trains will meet (or where train (A) will enter the portion of track), or alternatively or additionally, the authority specifies at least the last identifying train (e.g., train (D), after which train (A) is authorized to proceed. The authority is conditional in that it is not in effect until all of the trains (B), (C), and (D) are confirmed to have passed the "at" location or entry point, or that the last identifying train is clear.
In another example, and as illustrated in FIG. 2, the condition "in effect behind" is a condition where the order of movement of trains (A), (B), (C), and (D) are all in the same direction. Some authority forms refer to this condition as "do not foul limits ahead." Further, in this example, the "at" location or entry point may be augmented with a specified distance, where each of trains (B), (C), and (D) must be passed the "at" location or entry point by some distance before the authority for train (A) to pass the "at" location or entry point is effective. Also, as discussed above, the authority may include the identity of the last identifying train (e.g., train (D)), after which train (A) may safely proceed behind.
In certain railroad and train control and management systems, e.g., the I-ETMS® of Wabtec Corp., enforcement of these conditional authorities is required in order to prevent a train from entering an unauthorized section of track until the condition for making the authority effective has occurred. In one exemplary embodiment of an existing system, the location of the named trains (referred to as "identifying trains") in the conditional authority are confirmed by the train crew via a prompt or similar interaction on the display of the on-board computer on the locomotive. The terms "identifying train" or "identifying locomotive" refer to the train or locomotive listed in the movement authority dataset of a conditional authority as being in the lead of one of the trains for which the train holding that authority must wait. Assuming the crew answers the prompt correctly, the appropriate protection between trains is achieved. However, in some situations, the crew may respond incorrectly, assuming a train has passed when, in reality, it has not. This creates a situation where the authority of the train or trains named in the conditional authority may be violated, possibly resulting in a collision. The Federal Railroad Association has expressed its concern regarding this potential hazard.
Continuing with the above exemplary embodiment of an existing implementation, the crew is presented with a prompt to indicate the arrival of the trains named in the conditional authority, while the train is located outside of the limits of that authority. "Soft-key" labels are displayed to the operator, and these labels indicate the locomotive identification (e.g., reporting mark and vehicle number) of the identifying train/locomotive, and the timetable direction (i.e., North, South, East, or West) in which the train is travelling. An example operator display with such prompts is illustrated in FIG. 3 (where no trains in the conditional authority have yet "arrived"). As each train arrives, the crew presses the soft-key for that train. The soft-key label changes from red to blue, and the soft-key text changes from "due" to "arrived" (as shown in FIG. 4 (where one train in the conditional authority has "arrived")). If the crew presses the key in error, pressing the same key again changes the color back to red and the text back to "due." With reference to FIG. 5, when the key for the last train is pressed, an "all arrived" soft-key label is displayed. Pressing this key serves as a final confirmation and removes the zero (0) mph target over the authority limits.
While the above-discussed methodology and process facilitates the effective management of trains subject to conditional authorities, there is room in the field of train management for improved systems and methods for managing, controlling, and tracking a plurality of trains moving within the track network.

Computer-implemented method and system for managing conditional authorities in a vehicle network

Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation


Systems and methods for systems and methods for reliably broadcasting content to a plurality of users and facilitating distribution of portions of the broadcast content that either were not received by particular users, or were received with errors. In one embodiment, a wireless communication system is configured to broadcast content from a content source to a plurality of user devices. The content source is configured to provide the content to a base station. The base station parses the content into a plurality of segments and associates sequential identifiers with each of the segments. The content is then broadcast to each of the user devices. An identifier of an alternative data source is also provided to the user devices. When a mobile station receives the segments, it examines the segment identifiers to identify missing segments. The segments are then retrieved from the alternative data source identified by the base station.

1. Field
The present invention relates generally to broadcast communications and more particularly to systems and methods for providing improved reliability in broadcast and/or multicast communications.
2. Related Art
Wireless communications are widely used for a vast array of applications. For example, wireless communications systems are used to provide mobile telephone access, paging capabilities and satellite communications. One of the most familiar applications of wireless technologies is in cellular telephone systems. As used herein, the term "cellular" is used to refer generically to wireless telephone systems, including cellular, PCS, and any other systems.
Cellular telephone systems have expanded from simply carrying voice communications to carrying voice and data, to providing high-speed data transfers for applications such as internet access. Various wireless interfaces have been developed for such cellular telephone systems including frequency division multiple access (FDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), and code division multiple access (CDMA).
Assorted standards have also been developed for wireless communications, including Advanced Mobile Phone Service (AMPS), Global System for Mobile (GSM), and Interim Standard 95 (IS-95). IS-95 and its derivatives, such as IS-95A, IS-95B (often referred to collectively as IS-95), ANSI J-STD-008, IS-99, IS-2000, IS-657, IS-707, and others, are promulgated by the Telecommunication Industry Association (TIA) and other well known standards bodies.
Information which is transmitted using wireless communications systems is typically formatted into discrete groupings of data, each of which can be transmitted over a short period of time. These groupings of data may be referred to by various terms, including data packets, data frames, or simply packets or frames. When data (e.g., a data stream) is to be transmitted, it is broken down into pieces that are formatted into frames. The frames are typically transmitted individually over a wireless communication channel, checked to ensure that the frames have been accurately transmitted, and reassembled to form the original data stream.
Various techniques have been developed to allow receiving devices to verify the integrity of transmitted frames (i.e., to determine whether any errors occurred in the transmission of the frames). For example, each packet may contain a check value such as a CRC (cyclic redundancy check) value. The check value is computed based on the contents of the frame and is inserted into the frame prior to transmission. The check value of the received frame is then checked against the frame contents to determine whether the value accurately corresponds to the contents. If so, then the frame is determined to be free of errors.
While the use of check values can be used to ensure data integrity, it does not address the problem of frames that are dropped during transmission (as opposed to being received with errors). If a frame is not received, the check value clearly cannot be used to identify the error (the fact that the frame was dropped). Other mechanisms have therefore been developed to identify frames that are missing from the received data. One such mechanism is the radio link protocol (RLP).
RLP is used to control frame re-transmissions when one or more frames are not successfully received (i.e., that are dropped or that contain errors). RLP determines how and when the frames are re-transmitted. One of the primary features of RLP is the inclusion of a sequence number in the header of each frame that is transmitted. Because each frame has a sequence number, the receiving device knows that the received frames should contain a continuous series of sequence numbers. If a sequence number is missing, then the corresponding frame is missing. Consequently, if the receiving device detects a missing sequence number, it transmits a request to the transmitting device to re-send the frame with the missing sequence number. The receiving device may request re-transmission a number of times. If the frame is still not successfully received, the receiving device may ignore the missing frame.
RLP was developed to address the problem of missing frames in point-to-point transmissions of data. This type of re-transmission scheme is impractical in a broadcast communication system, however, because there is a potentially large number of receiving devices that may request re-transmission of frames that are missing or that contain errors. Even if there were relatively few re-transmission requests, the overall performance of a broadcast system would suffer if a broadcast had to be interrupted to service the re-transmission requests of a small number of receivers. It would therefore be desirable to provide a mechanism for servicing these requests without degrading the performance of the broadcast system.

Reliable reception of broadcast/multicast content


The present invention relates to a soluble polyfunctional vinylaromatic copolymer improved in heat resistance, resistance to thermal decomposition, solvent solubility, and processability. The soluble polyfunctional vinylaromatic polymer is obtained by cationically polymerizing, at a temperature of 20 to 120° C., one or more monomer ingredients including 20 to 100 mol % divinylaromatic compound (a) in the presence of a donor ingredient, e.g., a quaternary ammonium salt, with the aid of a Lewis acid catalyst and an initiator represented by the following general formula (1)

Many monomers having reactive unsaturated bonds are capable of producing polymers by selecting a catalyst for cleaving the unsaturated bonds and causing a chain reaction and appropriate reaction conditions. In general, there are various monomers having unsaturated bonds, and thus various resins should be obtained. However, the number of monomers each capable of obtaining a polymer having a molecular weight of 10,000 or more and generally referred to as a polymer compound is relatively small. Typical examples of such monomers include ethylene, substituted ethylene, propylene, substituted propylene, styrene, alkylstyrene, alkoxystyrene, norbornene, various acrylates, butadiene, cyclopentadiene, dicyclopentadiene, isoprene, maleic anhydride, maleimide, fumarate ester, and an alkyl compound. A wide variety of resins are synthesized by polymerizing one kind of monomer or by copolymerizing those monomers.
Applications of those resins are mainly limited to fields of relatively inexpensive consumer appliances. The resins are hardly applied to advanced technology fields relating to electronic substrates and the like because heat resistance, thermal stability, solvent solubility, and processability cannot be attained simultaneously.
Examples of the prior documents related to the present invention include the following.
Patent Document 1: JP02-170806 A
Patent Document 2: JP 2000-128908 A
Patent Document 3: JP 2001-512752 A
Patent Document 4: U.S. Pat. No. 5,767,211
Patent Document 5: JP 2002-194025 A
Non Patent Document 1: Makromol. Chem., 1978, Vol. 179, P2069-2073
Non Patent Document 2: Makromol. Chem., 1988, Vol. 189, P723-731
Non Patent Document 3: Macromolecules, 1980, Vol. 13, P1350-1354
Non Patent Document 4: Macromolecules, 1982, Vol. 15, P1221-1225
As a method of solving such problems of a vinyl-based polymer, resin properties such as strength are improved by adding a trace amount of a polyfunctional vinyl aromatic compound such as a divinyl aromatic compound or a trivinyl aromatic compound to the vinyl-based monomer. For example, JP-A-02-170806 discloses copolymerization of a polyfunctional aromatic compound and a styrene-based monomer with heat or an initiator, to thereby obtain a styrene-based polymer having a broad molecular weight distribution and exhibiting high impact strength. However, increase in polymerization yield following the disclosed technology rapidly causes a cross-linking reaction of the polyfunctional vinyl aromatic compound. Thus, in the case where the aromatic polyfunctional vinyl compound is present in a large amount, gel formation of a resin occurs and processability and appearance of the resin are significantly degraded. Thus, conventionally performed modification of a resin with an aromatic polyfunctional vinyl compound is not sufficiently effective for applications to advanced technology fields because an addition amount of the polyfunctional vinyl aromatic compound is suppressed low to 50 to 250 ppm.
Further, JP-A-2000-128908 discloses a styrene-based polymer having a controlled branching degree by using a polyfunctional chain transfer agent in combination with a polyfunctional vinyl aromatic polymer and a method of producing the styrene-based polymer. However, an addition amount of the polyfunctional vinyl aromatic polymer is suppressed to 1 to 700 ppm with respect to an amount of a styrene-based monomer. A polymer obtained through polymerization by mixing a large amount of a polyfunctional vinyl aromatic compound usually has a highly developed cross-linking structure and often forms into an insoluble and infusible gel polymer without processability.
Meanwhile, a hyperbranched (highly branched) polymer formed of highly branched polymer chains has little entanglement of molecular chains, has a low viscosity compared with that of a linear polymer having a similar molecular weight, and has attracted attention as a highly functional polymer capable of introducing many reactive groups into branches. JP-A-2001-512752 discloses a method of producing a hyperbranched polymer through polymerization of 50 to 99.9 parts by weight of a monofunctional vinyl monomer and 0.1 to 50 parts by weight of a polyfunctional vinyl aromatic monomer at 250 to 400° C. in the presence of a radical polymerization initiator. However, results disclosed in Examples of JP-A-2001-512752 indicate that a molecular weight distribution of a polymer obtained by adding 6 to 25% of the polyfunctional vinyl aromatic compound is represented by a very high value of 60 or more because a cross-linking reaction is liable to occur during polymerization. Thus, the technique disclosed herein does not allow increase in addition amount of the polyfunctional vinyl compound and thus modification with a polyfunctional vinyl aromatic compound is not sufficiently effective for applications to advanced technology fields.
Further, U.S. Pat. No. 5,767,211 discloses a method of producing a hyperbranched polymer having no cross-linking structure through polymerization of a bifunctional to trifunctional vinyl compound in the presence of an azo-based radical polymerization initiator and a cobalt-based chain transfer catalyst. However, this polymerization method uses a chain transfer catalyst capable of accelerating β-hydrogen release for producing a branched structure, and thus a produced polymer has a structure with a double bond in a vicinity of the branched structure. Thus, even if a heat-curing operation for enhancing heat resistance of the produced polymer is performed, an effect of improving the heat resistance is small because reactivity of the polymer is low. This method has a disadvantage in that it is not appropriate for applications to advanced technology fields. In this method, a chain transfer reaction is mainly dependent on chain transfer capability of the cobalt-based chain transfer catalyst. Thus, a large amount of the chain transfer catalyst must be added to a polymerization system. This method had problems for practical use such as significantly reduced polymerization rate and difficulties in removal of the catalyst during recovery of the polymer.
Makromol. Chem. (p. 2069 to 2073, vol. 179, 1987) discloses a method of obtaining a solvent-soluble divinylbenzene polymer by performing anionic polymerization of divinylbenzene with di-iso-propylamine and butyl lithium as catalysts. Further, Makromol. Chem. (p. 723 to 731, vol. 189, 1988) discloses a method of obtaining a solvent-soluble divinylbenzene/styrene copolymer by performing anionic polymerization of divinylbenzene and styrene with lithium di-iso-propylamide as a catalyst. However, in the anionic polymerization method disclosed in those documents, selectivity of a vinyl group during polymerization is not sufficient and gel formation is liable to occur. Thus, the methods not only have problems in that a monomer concentration cannot be increased and a polymerization temperature cannot be increased to higher than 0° C., but also have problems of trace amounts of impurities in a polymerization system for progress of the polymerization. For example, water must be completely removed for progress of the polymerization. The methods have problems in industrial application in that purification of a solvent or a polymer during production involves difficulties and a polymerization reaction has low efficiency because the monomer concentration cannot be increased.
In comparison with the anionic polymerization method, a cationic polymerization method is generally known to have a small effect of impurities on polymerization and to have no problems with mixing of about 0.04 to 0.06 mole of water per 1 mole of a polymerization initiator. Thus, production of a polymer having an aromatic divinyl compound through the cationic polymerization method is expected to realize synthesis of the intended polymer without requiring advanced purification operations for the monomer and the solvent. Conventionally, Macromolecules p. 1350 to 1354, vol. 13, 1980 and Macromolecules p. 1221 to 1225, vol. 15, 1982 each disclose a method of obtaining a solvent-soluble divinylbenzene polymer by performing cationic polymerization of divinylbenzene with acetyl perchlorate as a catalyst. However, the divinylbenzene polymer to be obtained through each of the production methods disclosed in those non-patent documents has a carbon-carbon double bond in a form of an internal olefin alone. Thus, the carbon-carbon double bond has low reactivity, and a curing reaction does not proceed sufficiently in heat-curing. Thus, the divinylbenzene polymer to be obtained has a disadvantage of low heat resistance, that is, insufficient properties as a material used in advanced technology fields. The divinylbenzene polymer to be obtained through each of the production methods disclosed in those non-patent documents has a broad molecular weight distribution, and thus has disadvantages of high viscosity of a resin during molding and difficulties in forming process.
Thus, highly efficient production of a soluble polyfunctional vinyl aromatic polymer having a controlled molecular weight distribution, solving the various problems of the conventional techniques, and having a vinyl group on a pendant position by using a divinyl aromatic compound without requiring advanced purification operations for the monomer and the solvent has not been imagined.

Soluble polyfunctional vinyl aromatic polymer and method of producing the same

Abstract: wherein R1 represents hydrogen or a monovalent C1-6 hydrocarbon group; R2 represents an aromatic or aliphatic hydrocarbon group having a valence of p; Z represents halogen or C1-6 alkoxy or acyloxy; and p is an integer of 1 to 6; provided that when two or more R1's and Z's are present per molecule, they may be identical to different from each other.


A method for applying an image to a target wax article is provided. The method comprises the steps: a) forming a reverse of the image on wax-coated transfer paper; b) transferring and reversing the reverse image to produce the image on the surface of a carrier wax article; and c) mounting the carrier wax article bearing the image to the target wax article. Wax articles, in particular candles, produced by the method are also provided.

This invention relates to a method for applying an image to a wax article. The invention also relates to wax articles, in particular candles, produced by the method.
It has long been known to apply images to candles. In particular candles sold for special occasions (either public festivals such as religious festivals, or private celebrations such as weddings) may bear images commemorating that occasion.
One method of applying such an image to a candle is to form the image on paper or similar material, and mount the material bearing the image to the candle. However, as paper is more combustible than wax, the paper catches fire when the candle burns, and the image on the paper is burnt away or rendered unrecognizable long before the candle is burnt out. Moreover, as paper does not adhere well of its own accord to wax, it would be necessary to use adhesive, staples or other such material to mount the paper etc. To the candle: this adds an extra step which may be difficult to automate, and an adhesive may interfere with the burning of the candle.
GB 1466550 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,030,959 suggest a solution to this problem, by providing a method of transferring images to wax candles, comprising imprinting the image onto a waxed transfer sheet by conventional gravure or lithographic techniques, and then wrapping the imprinted sheet around the candle body while applying heat and pressure thereto.
JP-A-8-197899 discloses two processes for printing candles. One method involves forming a printed image on the release surface of a release sheet expressed with thermal copying toner without thermal fixing (for example, by using a thermal copying machine wherein the heating and pressurising roller has been removed, or by removal of the printed image from the copying machine before it reaches the heating and pressurising roller). The printed image is then adhered to the surface of the candle by the application of pressure. The sheet is then released and the printed image then heated to fuse the toner and soften the surface of the candle. This is stated to allow the toner to fuse on the surface of the candle in a uniform manner.
Another method disclosed by JP-A-8-197899 involves forming a printed image on the release surface of a release sheet expressed with thermal copying toner, heating the surface of the sheet bearing printed image without the application of pressure in order to fuse the toner, adhering the printed image to the surface of the candle, removing the release sheet, and coating the printed image on the surface of the candle with paraffin.
JP-A-2-33397 discloses a transfer paper consisting of a release paper, a printed image-bearing layer and an adhesive layer comprising an adhesive agent which includes rice wax or candela wax having a melting point between 60° C. And 100° C. The document further discloses a method for decorating candles, in which the transfer paper is cut to a predetermined size and is then inserted into a could so that the printed image-bearing layer faces inwards. Molten paraffin wax is then cast into the could, which is then allowed to cool so that the paraffin wax solidifies and the image is transferred to the candle. The release paper is then removed to produce the finished candle.
DE-A1-19649545, DE-U-29623315 and UP-B-941161, all to Bubeck, describe an alternative process for forming color printed images on wax articles and the like, comprising the steps:    a) forming a reverse copy of the desired image on wax-coated transfer paper by means of a color photocopier;    b) fixing the copy to the article; and    c) pressing the copy on to the article by means of suitably shaped tools.
However, a number of problems exist with the method described in the Bubeck documents. A specially shaped tool, corresponding exactly to the shape and size of the required wax article, is required to transfer the image to the surface of the wax article (eg a cylindrical tool for a candle). If the mould is not exact, the image transfer will not be performed cleanly. Temperatures of 60 to 200° C. And pressures of up to 30 bar are required to effect the transfer, and expensive, complex equipment is therefore required. It is also necessary to fix the transfer sheet to an exact location on the wax article before applying pressure: this requires an additional step of forming locating or marking holes or the like in the article. Furthermore, it is necessary to cut the transfer sheet bearing the image to shape before fixing it to the wax article. In addition, in the process described in the above documents, good adhesion of the wax-coated transfer paper to the wax article requires the surfaces of both to be smooth: adhesion is unsatisfactory when either the wax article or the transfer paper has a rough surface. Moreover, as the Bubeck process requires the use of a white wax sheet, production of color images on candles is rendered difficult.
In addition, the quality of the image produced by this method is unsatisfactory: the image may peel off the wax surface, particularly at low temperatures. A protective coating of wax or lacquer is required to protect the material. Finally, due to the complexity and cost of setting up the equipment to carry out this method, it is suitable only for production of large numbers of candles etc., production of smaller numbers of candles (eg. for private celebrations) being uneconomic.

Method for applying images to wax articles


A method for signal processing is provided. The method includes: obtaining a predistortion signal for compensating nonlinear distortion generated by a transmission path; adding the predistortion signal to the transmission path to compensate the nonlinear distortion; and outputting the nonlinear distortion compensated signal by the transmission path. With the above method, the nonlinear distortion of the transmission path can be compensated without modifying a current transmission path, thereby enhancing transmission performance of a transmitter by using a simple structure.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates in general to a wireless communication technology, and more particularly, to a method and a device for signal processing.
2. Description of the Related Art
The Long-Term Evolution (LTE) standard demands a transmitter to have different transmission requirements for different frequency bands. For example, for the frequency band 13 (Band 13), as the Band 13 is located only 2 MHz from a public safety band, the LTE standard requires a transmitter operating on the Band 13 to significantly reduce the transmission power in order to guarantee that the leaked power posed on the public safety band is within a very small range, e.g., a range within −57 dBm. However, reducing the transmission power noticeably affects the transmission performance of the transmitter.
In a transmission path of a transmitter, processes including baseband filtering, frequency mixing and driving amplification are performed to obtain a radio-frequency (RF) signal for transmission. However, due to a nonlinear distortion of the transmission path, harmonic signals occur near the RF signal to be transmitted. For example, the harmonic signals may be intermodulation 3 (IM3) signals, also referred to as 4FMOS signals, which are generated by the nonlinear distortion of the transmission path. The frequency of such signals exactly falls within the range of the public safety band. Due to the presence of the 4FMOS signals, a transmitter operating on the Band 13 barely achieves the requirements of the LTE standard.
Further, the generation of the harmonic signals consumes the power of a transmitter, lowering not only the power of RF signal transmitted but also the transmission performance of the transmitter.
The U.S. Patent Publication No. 20110306300A1 discloses a method for harmonic suppression and/or rejection. The above method is a harmonic elimination method base on analog nonlinearity. To also achieve preferred suppression effects, during the process for eliminating harmonic signals, a calibration operation needs to be performed. However, such analog operation has complicated implementation and is thus not practical.
Therefore, there is a need for a simple method for compensating the nonlinear distortion of a transmission path of a transmitter and for enhancing the transmission performance of the transmitter.


A multi-point detection system includes one or more light sources, one or more light sensors, and a controller. The light sources are configured to emit an array of collimated light beams, and the light sensors define an array of lines of view. Each of the lines of view intersect different ones of the collimated light beams at respective detection nodes. The light sensors are operable to emit sensor signals responsive to received scattered light from interaction of the collimated light beams with an analyte at the detection nodes. The controller is connected to receive the sensor signals and configured to determine from the scattered light whether the analyte contains a contaminant.

There are several types of optical detectors for smoke detection and the like. One type is an aspirating detector that may include a chamber, a light emitter, and a light sensor. Ambient air is circulated through the chamber. The light emitter directs light through the chamber and the light sensor detects the intensity of the light received. The light sensor emits signals that are proportional to the intensity of the light received. When particles from smoke are present in the ambient air, the particles block or scatter a portion of the light. As a result, the intensity of the light received, and thus the signals, changes. This change is used to determine whether smoke is present and may trigger an alarm, for example.
Another type of optical detector is a chamber-less detector. In this approach, rather than the chamber, a light beam is emitted through an open volume, such as a room. A light sensor in the volume detects intensity of light and, similar to the aspirating detector, determines whether smoke is present based on changes in intensity.


A data recording apparatus and a data recording system of the present invention includes buffer memories 2a to 2c that accumulate data in a plurality of channels transferred from an external appliance on a channel basis, a data selector 3 that reads the data accumulated in the buffer memories 2a to 2c, and a data drive 4 that records the data read by the data selector 3 onto a magnetic tape, wherein the data selector 3 selectively reads the data accumulated in the buffer memories 2a to 2c, and outputs the data in an order of recording onto a magnetic tape in the tape drive 4. According to such a configuration, a data recording apparatus that can be realized at low cost and a recording system using the data recording apparatus can be provided.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a data recording apparatus capable of recording a data signal onto a magnetic recording medium such as a magnetic tape. The present invention also relates to a data recording system using the data recording apparatus.
2. Description of Related Art
A multi-channel recording system such as a recent security camera system includes a plurality of cameras, controllers for controlling the operations of the cameras, and monitors capable of displaying images photographed by the cameras. The images photographed by the cameras are recorded in a hard disk. The number of cameras that can be connected to such a system is determined by a data transfer speed. For example, in the case of a system using a hard disk, the data transfer speed is at most about 14 Mbps, and the number of cameras that can be connected to one system is at most 16 (16 channels).
Patent Document 1 (JP 2003-339042 A) discloses a configuration of recording image data captured by cameras in a hard disk drive. According to the configuration described in Patent Document 1, captured image data is recorded in a hard disk drive, and thereafter, saved in a tape library. That is, the tape library is used for the purpose of backup.
The above-mentioned configuration of recording image data in a hard disk drive has a problem of an increase in cost. More specifically, according to the above configuration, the number of cameras that can be connected to a system is limited to 16, so that a system needs to be added in order to increase the number of cameras, which increases cost substantially.
Furthermore, in the case where the remaining capacity of a hard disk drive is used up, it is necessary to add a hard disk drive. One hard disk drive costs about ¥1,000,000, which is more expensive compared with a tape medium that costs about several tens of thousands yen per volume. Thus, cost increases largely every time a hard disk drive is added.

Data recording apparatus for recording a data signal onto a magnetic recording medium and data recording system using the data recording apparatus


An apparatus for driving a microwave oven, comprising a system controller for controlling the associated peripheral components in response to an output signal from an AC/DC sensing section, a first switching section for selecting one of external AC power and a DC power from battery and supplying the selected power to an interlock switch, a second switching section for supplying the AC power from the interlock switch to lamp and fan motor driving section, a switching control section for controlling the first and second switching sections in response to control signals from the system control section, a pulse generating section for alternately outputting pulses of the opposite levels in response to two pulse control signals from the system controller, a magnetron driving section for inputting the alternate pulses from the pulse generating section when the driving power to the microwave oven is DC and the AC power from the second switching section when the driving power to the microwave oven is AC and supplying desired voltages to filament and anode terminals of a magnetron, respectively, to drive the magnetron, and a lamp and fan motor drive pulse generating section.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to a microwave oven driving apparatus, and more particularly to an apparatus for driving a microwave oven using both alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC) power sources.
2. Description of the Prior Art
One example of an apparatus for driving a microwave oven with both AC and DC power is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,904,837, and is shown in a block form in FIG. 1. As shown in this drawing, the conventional microwave oven driving apparatus comprises a high power inverter 5 for converting DC power supplied by actuation of a relay 6, into AC power. The high power inverter 5 is connected between a battery 1 and magnetron driving means 7 which drives a magnetron 8, so as to convert DC power from the battery 1 into AC power and supply desired voltages to filament and anode terminals of the magnetron 8, respectively. A low power inverter 2 is connected between the battery 1 and a relay 3 which is connected to one side of an interlock switch, so as to convert the DC power from the battery 1 into AC power and supply the AC power to a fan motor and lamp driver 4 which is connected to the other side of the interlock switch.
However, the conventional microwave oven driving apparatus with the above-mentioned construction has a disadvantage in that it is difficult to match the actuations of the high and low power inverters employed as means for costly AC relay results in an increase in the manufacturing cost.

Apparatus for driving microwave oven using both A.C. and D.C. current


A gasketless enclosure (10) for housing outdoor electrical equipment. The enclosure includes a box (12) having a base (14) and upwardly extending, sidewalls (16A-16D). The walls define an open, upper face, over which fits a cover (18). A closure mechanism (28) includes an upwardly projecting lip (30) formed at the upper end of the sidewalls and extending around the circumference of the box, and a channel (32) formed in the abutting face (34) of the cover and sized to receive the lip. To help prevent moisture from seeping into the interior of the box and harming the equipment housed therein, gutters (42, 44) are formed in the abutting surfaces of the box and the cover. The gutter (44) formed in the box is formed outwardly of the lip, and the gutter (46) formed in the cover is formed outwardly of the channel. The gutter in the cover sits over the gutter in the box when the cover is in place. The gutter formed along the top and sides of the box is open at the bottom of the enclosure, providing a drain (45) for directing moisture collecting in the gutters to the outside of the box.

This invention relates to outdoor enclosures for electrical equipment and the like, and more particularly, to a waterproof, gasketless cover.
Electrical equipment such as transformers, relays, etc. which are used outdoors must be protected from rain, sleet, hail, or snow. This is not only to prevent them from shorting out, for example when it rains, but also to increase their life which would otherwise by shortened by constant exposure to the elements, ultraviolet and solar radiation, and so forth. Accordingly, there have long been protective enclosures in which this type of equipment has been housed. And, the enclosures must be accessed for service, repair, or replacement of the equipment. To protect the insides from moisture, the door or other closure had a sealing gasket for effecting a watertight or moisture proof seal when the door was closed. Of course, the gasket was subject to wear as well as being exposed to the elements and, over time, could fail. Once it had failed, the equipment was again subject to the environment. Separate and apart from this problem, gaskets are typically costly and increase the price of the enclosure.
There have been gasketless enclosures for use in housing this equipment. In general, if the electrical equipment is used in relatively benign environments; i.e., the primary exposure is to rain, the enclosure might only have a simple tongue and groove arrangement at the mating surfaces of a base and lid. The basic idea in these constructions is to create such a torturous path that water cannot travel it. If, however, the equipment is subjected to more severe environments, more complex constructions have been used to provide the requisite degree of protection. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,973,797; 4,805,073; 4,675,782; 4,654,470; 4,623,753; 4,291,817; 3,912,348; and 3,467,929. Also see Surface Tension Provides Raintight Seal by Steven Feldman, prepared for the 18th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialist Conference, 1985. While the various enclosures described in these publications may produce the desired result, they tend to be more complicated, and therefore costly, than may be necessary.


A constant temperature crystal oscillator includes on a circuit substrate: a surface-mount crystal resonator which is provided with two crystal terminals as mount terminals and a dummy terminal on the bottom surface, and has a metal cover; an oscillation circuit element which forms an oscillation circuit together with the crystal resonator; and a temperature control element which keeps a constant operation temperature of the crystal resonator, in which the temperature control element includes at least a heating chip resistor, a power transistor for supplying electric power to the chip resistor, and a temperature sensitive resistor for detecting the operation temperature of the crystal resonator, wherein a dummy terminal on the substrate side of the circuit substrate for connection to the dummy terminal of the crystal resonator is connected to a resistor terminal on the substrate side to which the temperature sensitive resistor is connected through a conductive path.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a constant temperature crystal oscillator (hereinafter referred to as a constant temperature oscillator) using a surface-mount crystal resonator (hereinafter referred to as a surface-mount resonator), and more specifically to a constant temperature oscillator which excels in response characteristic to a temperature change.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a constant temperature oven has been used for a constant temperature oscillator. Since the operation temperature of a crystal resonator can be kept constant, the frequency stability is high (the frequency deviation is approximately 0.05 ppm or lower). For example, it is used for the communication facilities of a base station for optical communications, etc. Recently, these communication facilities have become downsized. In this connection, a surface-mount resonator has been widely adopted. The Applicant of the present invention has disclosed one of these facilities (Japanese Patent Application No. 2004-157072).
FIGS. 1A, 1B, 2A, and 2B are explanatory views showing a related art. FIG. 1A is a sectional view of a constant temperature oscillator. FIG. 1B is a plan view of the first substrate. FIG. 2A is a sectional view of a surface-mount resonator. FIG. 2B is a bottom view.
The constant temperature oscillator has a surface-mount resonator 1A, an oscillation circuit element 1 for forming an oscillation circuit together with the resonator, and a temperature control element 2 for keeping a constant operation temperature of the surface-mount resonator 1A arranged on a circuit substrate 3, and these components are airtightly sealed in a metal container 4. The surface-mount resonator 1A fixes a crystal element 7 using a conductive adhesive 6 on the inside bottom portion of a concave ceramic container body 5, a metal cover 8 is used as a cover and airtightly seals the entire structure.
At the four corners of the outside bottom portion (reverse side) of the container body 5, crystal terminals 9a and dummy terminals 9b are provided as mount terminals for a set substrate of a wireless equipment, etc. The crystal terminals 9a (two terminals) are provided at a set of diagonal portions, and connected to an excitation electrode (not shown in the attached drawings) of the crystal element. The dummy terminals 9b (two terminals) are provided at the other diagonal portions, and are normally connected to the metal cover 8 using a via hole, etc. (not shown in the attached drawings), and function as, for example, grounding terminals connected to a grounding pattern (not shown in the attached drawings) of the substrate.
The temperature control element 2 keeps the constant operation temperature of the surface-mount resonator 1A, and includes at least a heating chip resistor 2a (for example, two resistors), a power transistor 2b for supplying power to the resistors, and a temperature sensitive resistor 2c for detecting the operation temperature of the surface-mount resonator 1A. The temperature sensitive resistor 2c is assumed to be a thermistor indicating a decreasing resistance value with an increasing temperature. The power transistor 2b provides the power controlled by the resistance value based on the temperature of the temperature sensitive resistor 2c for the heating chip resistor 2a. Thus, the operation temperature of the surface-mount resonator 1A is kept constant.
The circuit substrate circuit substrate 3 includes a first substrate 3a and a second substrate 3b, and the second substrate 3b is held by a metal pin 10a on the first substrate 3a. The first substrate 3a is made of a glass epoxy material, and the oscillation circuit element 1 excluding the surface-mount resonator 1A is arranged on the bottom surface. The second substrate 3b is made of a ceramic material, and has the crystal resonator 1A arranged on the top surface, and has the chip resistor 2a and the temperature sensitive resistor 2c excluding the power transistor 2b in the temperature control element 2 arranged on the bottom surface.
Between the first substrate 3a and the second substrate 3b, a silicon base thermal conductive resin 11 is applied for covering the chip resistor 2a and the temperature sensitive resistor 2c. Since the power transistor 2b is long in height, it is arranged on the terminal side of the first substrate 3a. The metal container 4 is formed by a metal base 4a and a cover 4b. An airtight terminal 10b of the metal base 4a holds the first substrate 3a, and the cover 4b airtightly sealed by resistance welding. The dummy terminal 9b as a grounding terminal of the crystal resonator 1A is connected to the airtight terminal 10b for grounding through the conductive path (grounding pattern) not shown in the attached drawings and the metal pin 10a.
In this example, electric power is supplied to the heating chip resistor 2a by, for example, a well-known temperature control circuit shown in FIG. 3A. That is, a temperature sensitive voltage by the temperature sensitive resistor 2c and a resistor Ra is applied to one input terminal of an operational amplifier 12, and a reference voltage by resistors Rb and Rc is applied to the other input terminal. Then, the reference temperature difference voltage from the reference voltage is applied to the base of the power transistor 2b, and electric power is supplied from the direct current voltage DC to the heating chip resistor 2a. Thus, the electric power to the heating chip resistor 2a can be controlled by the resistance value depending on the temperature of the temperature sensitive resistor 2c.
Normally, before connecting the metal cover 4b by setting the first and second circuit substrates 3a and 3b to the metal base 4a, for example, the frequency temperature characteristic as the cubic curve shown in FIG. 3B of the surface-mount resonator 1A as, for example, AT cut is individually measured. When the temperature as the minimum value at the high temperature side of the operation temperature of the surface-mount resonator 1A is, for example, 80° C., the resistor Ra of the temperature control circuit is controlled and the surface-mount resonator 1A is set to 80° C. Then, the control capacitor (not shown in the attached drawings) of the oscillation circuit matches the oscillation frequency f with the nominal frequency. Thus, the resistor Ra and the control elements 13 which require exchange such as the control capacitor, etc. are arranged on the perimeter of the first substrate 3a horizontally projecting from the second substrate 3b (FIG. 1).
With the above-mentioned configuration, the conventional constant temperature oven not shown in the attached drawings is not used, and the heating chip resistor 2a is used as a heat source. Therefore, the entire system can be basically downsized. Then, the second substrate 3b having the surface-mount resonator 1A, the chip resistor 2a, and the temperature sensitive resistor 2c is a highly thermal conductive ceramic material. These components are covered with a thermal conductive resin. Therefore, the operation temperature of the surface-mount resonator 1A can be directly detected by the temperature sensitive resistor 2c, and the response characteristic to a temperature change can be improved.
However, in the constant temperature oscillator with the above-mentioned configuration, although the surface-mount resonator 1A and the temperature sensitive resistor 2c are arranged on both main surface sides of the second substrate 3b which is made of a highly thermal conductive ceramic material, the thermal conductivity is low (poor thermal conductivity) as compared with copper (Cu), gold (Au), etc. as a wiring pattern, for example. Therefore, since the resistance value of the temperature sensitive resistor is not immediately changed in synchronization with the operation temperature of the surface-mount resonator, and the operation temperature cannot be detected in real time, there has been the problem that the response characteristic to an ambient temperature is poor.
Since the first substrate 3a and the second substrate 3b are arranged up and down by the metal pin 10a, the number of production processes can be increased and the height is increased. Furthermore, since the second substrate 3b is made of a ceramic material, it is more expensive than a substrate of a glass epoxy material. In addition, since the power transistor 2b of the temperature control element 2 is long in height, it is arranged on the first substrate 3a aside from the second substrate 3b on which the chip resistor 2a is arranged. Therefore, the liberated heat from the power transistor 2b can be prevented from being effectively used.


A method and system for the localized delivery of therapeutic agents to internal body tissues, especially the brain. In one aspect the invention is a method of delivering a therapeutic agent to a target location within an internal body tissue, the method comprising: charging the therapeutic agent; providing a plurality of polarizable microcatheters surrounding the target location; delivering the charged therapeutic agent between the microcatheters; and polarizing the microcatheters thereby generating an electrical field between the microcatheters that moves the charged therapeutic agent throughout the target location. In another aspect the invention is a system for carrying out the method.

The controlled and accurate delivery of therapeutic drugs to target locations, such as tumors, or other target areas, within tissues of the internal body has long been a goal in the medical industry. However, physiological variables and barriers often prohibit delivery of a therapeutic agent to the target location in optimal concentrations or in a systematic controlled manner. In other instances, the internal body tissue that encompasses the target location can not be subjected to substantial physical trauma, thereby limiting and/or prohibiting direct delivery of the therapeutic agent to the target location itself.
Drug delivery problems are especially problematic in the brain because of the susceptibility of the brain to permanent damage from physical trauma. Conditions/diseases involving the brain rarely involve other areas of the body. In fact, many brain conditions/diseases are rooted in malfunction of selective areas within the brain itself, such is the case for example in stroke, head injury, brain tumors, and many psychotic disorders. Yet, despite the fact that brain conditions/diseases are either localized to the brain or even to a small part of the brain, treatment of these diseases/conditions is predicated on the systemic administration of therapeutic agents to the entire body, for example, through oral, intravenous, or intra-arterial introduction into the circulatory system.
However, many brain diseases/conditions are treated with therapeutic agents that when systematically delivered to the body in quantities to provide the target location with a concentration of the agent to be curative are toxic to other areas of the body or to healthy parts of the brain. Thus, the systemic administration of therapeutic agents to the entire body to treat a brain disease/condition is not possible or less than optimal due to side effects resulting from the drugs reaching other areas of the body or parts of the brain not affected by the disease.
Drug delivery problems to locations in the brain are further complicated by the presence of the blood-brain-barrier. The blood-brain-barrier is an anatomical and physiological barrier that prevents the entry of many charged substance into the brain, thereby limiting the type of therapeutic agents that are used in the treatment of brain pathologies to non-charged (i.e., non-polarized) agents.
Localized delivery of drugs to the brain has been attempted using wafers impregnated with drugs, or through microcatheters delivering drugs using convection enhanced techniques. However these attempts have been largely unsuccessful due to the limited distribution of the therapeutic agent within the brain. Typically, the therapeutic agent will travel only a few millimeters away from its delivery location and in a non controllable fashion. Thus, there is a need for a system and method that can deliver therapeutic agents to target locations within the brain (and other tissues of the body) in a controlled and accurate manner.

System and method for controlled delivery of a therapeutic agent to a target location within an internal body tissue


A head related transfer function generation apparatus includes a first input unit that inputs a first head related transfer function generated in a first measurement environment, a second input unit that inputs a second head related transfer function generated in a second measurement environment, and a transform normalization processing unit that normalizes a first gain of the first head related transfer function represented in frequency-axis data with a second gain of the second head related transfer function represented in frequency-axis data and also calculates a square root thereof.

The present disclosure relates to a head related transfer function generation apparatus, a head related transfer function generation method, and a sound signal processing apparatus which are suitable, for example, to be applied to a television apparatus that adjusts a sound image position of a sound reproduced by a mounted speaker.
Up to now, in a television apparatus or an amplifier apparatus or the like that is connected to the television apparatus, one utilizing a technology called virtual sound image localization for virtually localizing a sound source of a reproduced sound at a desired position has been proposed.
This virtual sound image localization is for virtually localizing a sound image at a previously supposed position, for example, when sounds are reproduced by left and right speakers and the like arranged in the television apparatus, and to be more specific, the virtual sound image localization is realized through the following technique.
For example, a case is supposed in which stereo signals in left and right channels are reproduced by the left and right speakers arranged in the television apparatus.
As illustrated in FIG. 1, first, a head related transfer function is measured in a predetermined measurement environment. To be more specific, microphones ML and MR are installed at locations (measurement point positions) in the vicinity of both ears of a listener. Also, speakers SPL and SPR are arranged at positions where the virtual sound image localization is desired to be realized. At this time, the speaker is an example of an electro-acoustic transduction unit, and the microphone is an example of an acousto-electric transduction unit.
Then, in a state in which a dummy head DH (or which may be a human being, in this instance, a listener itself) exists, first, for example, sound reproduction of an impulse is carried out by the speaker SPL in one channel, for example, in the left channel. Then, the impulse emitted by the sound reproduction is picked up by each of the microphones ML and MR to measure a head related transfer function for the left channel. In the case of this example, the head related transfer function is measured as an impulse response.
At this time, as illustrated in FIG. 1, the impulse response serving as the head related transfer function for the left channel includes an impulse response HLd where a sound wave from the speaker SPL is picked up by the microphone ML (hereinafter, which will be referred to as impulse response of a left main component) and an impulse response HLc where a sound wave from the speaker SPL is picked up by the microphones MR (hereinafter, which will be referred to as impulse response of a left cross talk component).
Next, sound reproduction of an impulse is similarly carried out by the speaker SPR in the right channel, and the impulse emitted by the sound reproduction is picked up by each of the above-mentioned microphones ML and MR. Then, a head related transfer function for the right channel, in this instance, an impulse response for the right channel is measured.
At this time, the impulse response serving as the head related transfer function for the right channel includes an impulse response HRd where a sound wave from the speaker SPR is picked up by the microphones MR (hereinafter, which will be referred to as impulse response of a right main component) and an impulse response HRc where a sound wave from the speaker SPR is picked up by the microphone ML (hereinafter, which will be referred to as impulse response of a right cross talk component).
Then, the television apparatus convolves the impulse response of each of the head related transfer function for the left channel and the head related transfer function for the right channel as it is by applying a sound signal processing on the sound signal supplied to each of the left and right speakers.
That is, the television apparatus convolves the head related transfer function for the left channel obtained through the measurement, that is, the impulse response HLd of the left main component and the impulse response HLc of the left cross talk component with respect to the sound signal in the left channel as it is.
Also, the television apparatus convolves the head related transfer function for the right channel obtained through the measurement, that is, the impulse response HRd of the right main component and the impulse response HRc of the right cross talk component with respect to the sound signal in the right channel as it is.
With this configuration, although the sound reproduction is carried out by the left and right speakers, for example, in the case of the left and right two-channel stereo sounds, the television apparatus can realize the sound image localization (virtual sound image localization) as if the sound reproduction is carried out by left and right speakers installed at desired positions in front of the listener.
In this manner, in the virtual sound image localization, the head related transfer function in a case where the sound waves output from the speakers at desired positions are picked up by the microphones at desired positions is measured in advance, and the head related transfer function is set to be convolved to the sound signals.
Incidentally, in a case where the head related transfer function is measured, an acoustic characteristic of the speaker or the microphone itself affects the relevant head related transfer function. For this reason, even when the sound signal processing is applied on the sound signals by using the above-mentioned head related transfer function, the television apparatus may not realize the sound image localization at the desired positions in some cases.
In view of the above, as the head related transfer function measurement method, a method of normalizing a head related transfer function obtained in a state in which the dummy head DH or the like exists by a transfer pristine state characteristic in a state in which the dummy head DH or the like does not exist is proposed (for example, see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2009-194682 (FIG. 1)).
According to this head related transfer function measurement method, it is possible to eliminate the acoustic characteristic of the speaker or the microphone itself, and a highly accurate sound image localization can be obtained.

Head related transfer function generation apparatus, head related transfer function generation method, and sound signal processing apparatus


UV-absorbing polymers are provided that have at least one anhydride repeating unit that is covalently attached to at least one UV-absorbing moiety selected from the group consisting of functionalized dibenzoylmethanes, benzophenone sulfonamides, triphenyl triazines, and combinations thereof. Also provided are formulations comprising the UV-absorbing polymers.

Field of the Invention
The invention provides UV-absorbing polymers. The invention further provides a wide variety of formulations comprising the UV-absorbing polymers.
Description of Related Art
It is now generally accepted that ultraviolet (UV) radiation can be a serious health hazard. Even a limited exposure to solar radiation can cause short- and long-term skin damage, such as erythema, burns, wrinkles, lentigo ("liver spots"), skin cancers, keratotic lesions, and other cellular changes. There is a greater risk for developing such conditions for those who send prolonged time in the sun, such as for their occupation or during recreation.
UV radiation is just one portion of the electromagnetic spectrum with wavelengths from about 100 nm and about 400 nm, and is further divided into three subregions. UV-A radiation, from about 320 nm to about 400 nm, has the longest wavelength within the UV spectrum, and consequently is the least energetic. While UV-A rays can induce skin tanning, they are liable to induce adverse changes as well, especially in the case of sensitive skin or of skin which is continually exposed to solar radiation. In particular UV-A rays cause a loss of skin elasticity and the appearance of wrinkles, leading to premature skin aging. UV-B rays have shorter wavelengths, from about 290 nm to about 320 nm, and their higher energy can cause erythema and skin burns which may be harmful. The third subgroup, UV-C has the shortest wavelengths, from about 200 nm to about 290 nm, and the highest energy. The Earth's ozone layer effectively filters much UV-C radiation from reaching the ground. Nonetheless, UV-C rays can be generated from tanning bed devices.
In addition to harming the skin, UV radiation can injure the hair, resulting in color changes (especially for color-treated hair), embrittlement, and a loss in aesthetics (e.g., shine, manageability).
UV radiation damage is not limited to the skin and hair, as inanimate objects exposed to solar radiation can experience changes related to color, hardness, and structural integrity, which can contribute to aesthetical and functional deterioration. Thus, there is the very real and demanding need for compositions that protect the skin, hair, and objects from UV rays, especially UV-A and UV-B radiation. Of special interest are compositions that provide broad UV-spectrum protection from both UV-A and UV-B radiation.
Broadly speaking, para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA) exhibits a common trait shared with many UV absorbers/filters. The molecule possesses both electron withdrawing and electron accepting groups, providing resonance delocalization that coincides with the absorbed energy of UV radiation:

However, PABA is a highly polar molecule, making it water soluble, and giving it low persistence, meaning that it is not highly retained on the skin after swimming or perspiring. In addition, due to extensive intermolecular bonding, PABA exists as a solid, which may further complicate its formulation. Thus, there exists the need to improve the persistence of UV absorbers, especially those that are water-soluble, and to provide formulation flexibility.
UV absorbers may exhibit photolability, in which the absorbed energy causes photodegradation and/or photoreactivity, and thus reduce its efficacy. Such photolability may result from irreversible isomerisms (i.e., keto-enol tautomerism and cis-trans isomerism), photocleavage, and/or photoaddition, and may be formulation sensitive, (e.g., blends of avobenzone and octinoxate). Examples of photolabile UV absorber include, without limitation: avobenzone, PABA derivatives, cinnamates, and dibenzoyl methane derivatives, all of which degrades over time, and reduce UV protection. Hence, there exists a need to stabilize UV absorbers from photodegradative effects.
Additionally, there exists the need to enhance the efficacy of UV absorbers without increasing their content in the formula, since a maximum addition level frequently is regulated. This efficacy need is especially important for avobenzone, a highly effective UV-A absorber. Avobenzone is subject to keto-enol isomerization due to formulation dependencies (e.g., solvent, other UV absorbers):

The enol tautomer (left) has its maximum absorbance at 357 nm, which identifies it as a UV-A absorber. Unfortunately, avobenzone is subject to bimolecular reactions (viz, via cleavage mechanisms) that alter the molecule's structure and decrease its effectiveness as an UV absorber. Hence, an effective method is needed for stabilizing labile chromophores like avobenzone in order to enhance their efficacy without increasing their addition level.
Methods for stabilizing chromophores, and in particular UV absorbers, are known in the prior art. For example, Japanese patent 1971/26,860 describes UV stabilizers having amino, hydroxyl, or isocyanate groups attached to crosslinked polymers, being crosslinked glycidyl methacrylate-divinylbenzene copolymers or crosslinked styrene-maleic anhydride-divinylbenzene copolymers.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,868,246 teaches polymer chemistries having UV absorbers bonded to recurring units:
in the polymer backbone, on grafted side chains, as pendant units, or as combinations thereof. The group N-G is the residue of a primary amino or hydrazido substituted stabilizer group selected from (a) 2-hydroxybenzophenones, (b) 2-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-2H-benzotriazoles, (c) aryl salicylates, or (d) oxalic acid amides. The polymeric stabilizers are directed for use in other polymeric systems which are normally subject to actinic light degradation, for example polypropylene. No mention is made of their use in personal care compositions.
A similar approach is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 4,857,596 for thermally stabilizing antioxidants.
Polymer-bound light stabilizers are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,975,494 that are prepared from a preformed polymer having two different types of reactive groups and a light stabilizer having hydrazido functionality.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,569,531 teaches additive-containing resins having a bi- or multifunctional additive linking a polyester resin with an additive, such as a UV absorber.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,648,697 teaches compounds derived from polyanhydride resins with film-forming, UV-absorbing, and photostabilizing properties.
Japanese patent 1985/84,378 provides 2-hydroxy-4-(2-hydroxyethoxy)benzophenone reacted with maleic anhydride-grafted polyethylene to form a polyethylene-bound 2-hydroxybenzophonone semi-ester.
Two radiation-absorbing polymer chemistries are taught in U.S. Pat. No. 6,255,405. The '405 patent is directed toward radiation-absorbing compositions and coatings, particular for "forming a bottom anti-reflective coating upon producing an integrated circuit." The polymeric compositions comprise two recurring units, the first having the formula:
wherein Ra and Rb may be the same or different and represent hydrogen, an alkyl group or other organic groups, Ar represents an organic chromophore, and n represents 0 or an integer of 1 or more; and the second recurring unit having the formula:
wherein Rc and Rd may be the same or different and each represents hydrogen, an alkyl group, a carboxyl group, or other organic groups, and Z represents hydrogen, a substituted or non-substituted alkoxyl group, a substituted or non-substituted alkyl group, a halogen atom, —CN, an alkylcarbonyloxy group, an imide group, a substituted or non-substituted carbamoyl group, a substituted or non-substituted oxycarbonyl group, or a substituted or non-substituted phenyl group.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,492,455 discloses compositions comprising the reaction product of a C6+ alpha olefin/maleic anhydride copolymer with a polyfunctionalized secondary or tertiary amine. The resulting copolymer is an alternating copolymer of an olefinic monomer and a maleic anhydride with a polyfunctionalized secondary or tertiary amine. Uses includes hair spray and water-proof sunscreen compositions
U.S. Pat. No. 7,361,710 describes compositions comprising the reaction of (a) an unsaturated vegetable oil and an enophile or dienophile having acid, ester, or anhydride functionality and (b) a functional vinyl monomer. For example, soybean oil is reacted with maleic anhydride, to yield a maleated vegetable oil:
The maleated oil is reacted with hydroxyethyl methacrylate, 2-(tert-butylamino)ethyl methacrylate, or glycidyl methacrylate.
Another maleated oil is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,428,589, which is directed to polycarboxylic acid anhydride resins of high viscosity, and for such resins of voltage capabilities. This invention discloses the heating (1) of a dry oil, a modified drying oil, or a mixture thereof, and (2) and alpha, beta-ethylenically unsaturated dicarboxylic acid anhydride, which is heated until a polycarboxylic acid anhydride resin product (i.e., an adduct) with a desirably high viscosity is obtained. The polycarboxylic acid anhydride resin is then reacted with an organic aromatic primary or secondary amine, as represented in the following reaction:
wherein R′ represented the drying oil portion of the adduct, and R″ is hydrogen or alkyl. The '589 patent specifies that the organic aromatic primary or secondary amine has from 1 to 20 carbon atoms, preferably from 1 to 10 carbon atoms. The '589 patent discloses compositions for electrocoating baths, compositions with high throwing power, and of excellent intermediate voltage capacity.
Additional disclosure related to anhydride-functionalized vegetable oils is provided by Aydin, S., et al., Prog Org Coat, 51, 273-279, 2004; and by Guner, F. S., et al., Prog Polym Sci, 31, 633-670, 2006, both of which are incorporated in their entirety by reference. While these works describe methods to graft anhydride functional groups onto vegetable oils, they do not teach subsequent grafting of UV absorbers onto the anhydride moiety.
Functionalized poly(alpha olefin-maleic anhydride) polymers are the subject of application WO 2007/096400A1. This functionalized copolymer has the structure:
wherein X is —O— or —NH—, and —X—R2— is a functional radical selected from a group that includes natural molecules that are UV absorbers, such as tannins, flavonoids, thymol, caffeic acid esters, and vitamin E.
UV absorbers bound to polymers in personal care compositions are taught in US 2010/0189661, the contents of which are incorporated in their entirety by reference.
Despite advances in UV-absorbers, there remains a commercial demand for UV-absorbing polymers with enhanced performance.

UV-absorbing polymers and formulations thereof


A wireless communication system (WCS) comprises a plurality of portable communication units (PCUs) (109) each PCU having a telephone number for receiving incoming calls. The WCS is coupled to the public switched telephone network (PSTN) (106), and has a plurality of locations (102) defined by radio coverage of a plurality of fixed communication units (FCUs) (108) at each location. The FCUs (108) are coupled to the PSTN, each FCU having at least one transceiver channel, and each transceiver channel having a telephone access number. The WCS further comprises a routing controller (RC) (104) for routing (514) incoming calls for PCUs, a location database (116) for storing (408) information used in the routing, and a plurality of location controllers (LCs) (110) each assigned an identification. One LC is at each location and is coupled to the FCUs thereat. The LCs communicate (304, 602, 604) with the RC and control (610, 612) the FCUs in response to messages (410, 412, 510) from the RC.

Two-way wireless communication systems (WCS) that support inbound calling from the public switched telephone network (PSTN) are well known to those skilled in the art. Examples of such systems include cellular telephone systems and trunked radio systems. In addition to using the PSTN for the transport of calls to and from the WCS, these conventional systems require dedicated, complex centralized switching systems having special controllers for routing the calls. The switching systems are coupled to each of a small plurality of radio transmission sites comprising the fixed part of the WCS.
Simpler, less expensive two-way WCSs have recently become available. An example is the Motorola S35XGB1602AP telepoint base station manufactured by Motorola, Inc. of Schaumburg, Ill. That system comprises a plurality of fixed communication units (FCUs) at a plurality of locations called "telepoints." Each telepoint usually has from two to six FCUs, each FCU being coupled to the PSTN by a telephone line. Each telepoint also comprises at least one location controller (LC) for controlling and coordinating the FCUs at the telepoint.
The FCUs are low power radio transceivers having a maximum communicating range of about 150 meters. A typical large city requires thousands of telepoints for good coverage, but the price of telepoint equipment is low enough to justify the quantity. Additionally, the low power allows frequent reuse of a relatively small amount of radio spectrum to provide a relatively large amount of communication capacity. Thus, unlike cellular and trunked radio systems that use higher power, the telepoint systems can serve large numbers of users in densely populated metropolitan areas.
To use the telepoint for communication a user must be within range and must possess a compatible portable communication unit (PCU). An example is the Motorola S35XCD1000AA personal telephone manufactured by Motorola, Inc. of Schaumburg, Ill. This PCU is a highly portable unit that is more easily transported in one's pocket or purse than conventional cellular PCUs. Because of the low power requirements of the telepoint compatible PCU, it also exhibits a much greater battery life than conventional cellular PCUs.
Unfortunately, conventional telepoint systems do not provide incoming call capability. That is, a telepoint user may originate a call to any destination reachable by the worldwide PSTN, but may not receive any calls. A partial solution to this limitation is for a user to subscribe to a radio paging service and carry a radio pager having a numeric or alphanumeric display in addition to carrying the telepoint PCU. That way, the user can be paged when someone wants to communicate and can subsequently return the call to the number displayed on the pager. For greater convenience there are telepoint compatible PCUs having built-in radio pagers now available. Still, the inability of telepoint users to directly receive incoming calls is viewed by many users as an undesirable limitation.
While it perhaps would be technically possible to use the centralized switching system approach described earlier for routing inbound calls, the large number of telepoints makes this approach economically impractical. Such an approach typically would require thousands of dedicated telephone circuits between the switching system and the telepoint FCUs. A telepoint system is not like a cellular system, which has a far smaller number of radio transmission sites to be interconnected.
Thus what is needed is a way of directly routing inbound calls to telepoint PCUs without requiring a radio paging system including radio pagers, without requiring any additional dedicated switching equipment, and without requiring numerous additional dedicated telephone circuits.

Apparatus and method for controlling the routing of incoming calls in a wireless communication system


A glove, having a finger sheath comprising multiple pieces of fabric held together by seams; and reinforcements for the seams so that part of the sheath can be removed by cutting without the seams unraveling.

Gloves protect and comfort hands against cold or heat, damage by friction, abrasion or chemicals, and disease. As an example, gloves are worn to protect the wearer's hands against rugged conditions, such as outdoor activities.
Very often, a wearer will desire to wear gloves, but have the tips of the fingers exposed for maximum dexterity. To remove the covers on some or all of the fingers, some wearers often cut all or a portion of the finger sheathes off of their gloves. However, this cutting can result in fraying or accidental dismantling of the glove.


A radio receiver has an ADC connected to an RF module. Baseband processing modules are connected to the ADC, and a power control module is connected to each of the baseband processing modules. Each of the baseband processing modules is capable of performing detection, demodulation, time and frequency synchronization, decoding, and de-scrambling of signals of a respective modulation format among numerous modulation formats. At least one of the baseband processing modules also has a rate converter connected to the ADC for converting a data rate of signals output from the ADC to a data rate of the corresponding modulation format of that baseband processing module. The power control module is connected to the baseband processing modules and controls power to the baseband processing modules according to signals received from the baseband processing modules.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a radio receiver, and more particularly, to a radio receiver that is capable of supporting multiple modulation formats with a single pair of analog to digital converters (ADCs).
2. Description of the Prior Art
This is the age of radio communications. Around the world, cell phones are now one of the most common pieces of equipment to be found among the general public. Wireless local area network (WLAN) is an acknowledged trend for business and consumer networking environments. The mobility enabled by wireless connections has dramatically changed and improved the lives of ordinary people. However, there is no universal standard for wireless modulation formats. For example, there are digital enhanced cordless telecommunications (DECT), global system for mobile communications-900 (GSM-900), GSM-1800, wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA), and code division multiple access 2000 (CDMA2000) systems for mobile telephony. Another situation is that there may be multiple modes within a standard. For example, there are orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) modes and direct sequence spread-spectrum/complementary code keying (DSSS/CCK) modes within the Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11g standard. For mobile telephony systems base stations supporting multiple formats, signals of different standards need to be dealt with simultaneously. On the other hand, on the mobile station end, only one signal standard needs to be supported at the same time. For example, a base station that supports both GSM-1800 and WCDMA standards needs to deal simultaneously with signals modulated according to these formats. But a cell phone needs to receive or transmit signals of only one standard at one time.
The IEEE 802.11 WLAN standard provides a number of physical layer options in terms of data rates, modulation types and spreading spectrum technologies. Please refer to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 illustrates provided data rates, sample rates, carrier frequencies and modulation types for various modes of IEEE WLAN standard. An extension of the IEEE 802.11 standard, namely IEEE 802.11a, defines requirements for a physical layer operating in the 5 GHz frequency and data rates ranging from 6 Mps to 54 Mps. IEEE 802.11a defines a physical layer based on the orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) modulation scheme. A second extension, IEEE 802.11b, defines a set of physical layers' specifications operating in the 2.4 GHz industrial, scientific, and medical (ISM) frequency band up to 11 Mps. The direct sequence spread spectrum/complementary code keying (DSSS/CCK) physical layer is one of the three physical layers supported in the IEEE 802.11 standard and uses the 2.4 GHz frequency band as the RF transmission media.
The IEEE standard committee has created a working group, TGg, with the mission of developing a higher speed PHY extension to the 802.11b standard. The 802.11g standard will be compatible with the IEEE 802.11 MAC and will implement all mandatory portions of the IEEE 802.11b PHY standard. A part of the scope of TGg is to provide a wireless LAN standard where stations communicating in OFDM modulation and legacy stations communicating in DSSS/CCK modulation coexist and communicate with each other.
In a multiple mode standard, like IEEE 802.11g, signals of both the OFDM mode and the DSSS/CCK mode need to be dealt with, but only one mode can be performed at a time. All of these standards have been extensively adopted and have their own features and market niches. As a result, systems supporting multiple modulation formats are highly desirable.
Recently, technological advances in the design of programmable computing devices have made possible the real-time processing of algorithms formerly implemented by ASIC circuits, and this is especially true in the field of telecommunications. Thus, the complexity of transceivers can be partly moved from hardware to software. Moreover, due to the high level of reconfigurability, improved algorithms or newer versions of the transmission standards can be downloaded to the terminal, avoiding the need for hardware upgrades. Under this scenario, the adoption of a single user terminal, capable of interfacing with different transmission standards, opens the door to an enlarged set of services that can be delivered to the end user, with complete independence of the air interface if proper techniques are chosen. For example, there are now available dual-system or even tri-system cell phones. There also exist IEEE 802.11g WLAN cards supporting both the OFDM DSSS/CCK modes.
Please refer to FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a dual-system receiver R1 according to the prior art. Receiver R1 is a zero-IF radio architectured receiver for a mobile phone supporting both GSM-1800 and FDD WCDMA standards. The two systems operate in different radio frequency bands and at different data rates. Because of the different radio frequency bands, two radio frequency (RF) modules 10 and 20 are required to complete band selection, low noise amplification, down-conversion, and channel selection, as some of these functions are performed by frequency-selective components. Because the data rates of the two standards are different, and the modulations have an I/Q structure, two pairs of analog to digital converters (ADCs) 12 and 22 are adopted to sample the analog signals. The respective sampling rates of the two pairs of ADCs are in accordance with the modulation formats for GSM-1800 and the FDD WCDMA standard. Two baseband processing modules 14 and 24 are respectively electrically connected to the two pairs of ADCs 12, 22, and each takes responsibility for performing detection, demodulation, time and frequency synchronization, decoding, and de-scrambling of signals of the respective predetermined standard.
Please refer to FIG. 3. FIG. 3 is a block diagram of another two-standard receiver R2 according to the prior art. Receiver R2 is a zero-IF radio architectured receiver for a WLAN card supporting IEEE 802.11g standard. As mentioned above, there are OFDM modes and DSSS/CCK modes within the IEEE 802.11g standard. The radio frequency bands of the two modes are the same, but the modulation formats and data rates are different. Since the radio frequency bands are the same, the RF module 30 is shared by the two modes. As I/Q structures are adopted in each of the modes, electrically connected to the RF module 30 are two pairs of ADCs 32 and 42. The two pairs of ADCs are capable of sampling the analog signals, and the sampling rate of each ADC pair corresponds to the data rate of the respective predetermined mode. Similarly, two baseband processing modules 34 and 44 are respectively electrically connected to the two ADCs 32, 42, providing functionality like that of the baseband processing modules 14 and 24 in receiver R1.
It is easily seen that there are duplicated analog circuits, especially the ADC circuits, in a receiver supporting multiple modulation formats of the prior art. The ADC circuits usually have very complicate configuration, and the area occupied by these circuits can be relatively large. Hence, the ADCs present a severe drawback in the design and manufacture of integrated circuits. The larger the area of a circuit is, the higher the total cost becomes. In addition, in a user terminal supporting multiple standards or multi-mode standards, only one signal modulation format needs to be handled at one time. There is no need to waste power on paths other than that which is receiving or transmitting the signals.

Radio receiver supporting multiple modulation formats with a single pair of ADCs