There are provided a multi-bit electro-mechanical memory device capable of enhancing or maximizing a degree of integration of the memory device and a method of manufacturing the multi-bit electro-mechanical memory device which includes a substrate, a bit line on the substrate, and extending in a first direction; a word line on the bit line, insulated from the bit line, and extending in a second direction transverse to the first direction, and a cantilever electrode including a shape memory alloy. The cantilever electrode has a first portion electrically connected to the bit line and a second portion extending in the first direction, and spaced apart from the word line by an air gap, wherein the cantilever electrode, in a first state, is in electrical contact with the word line, and, in a second state, is spaced apart from the word line.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a memory device and a method of manufacturing the same, and more particularly, to a multi-bit electro-mechanical memory device and a method of manufacturing the multi-bit electro-mechanical memory device, in which predetermined data is programmed and read through switching operations of a plurality of cantilever electrodes that are symmetrically formed about a trench.
2. Description of Related Art
In general, memory devices that store information may be classified into volatile memory devices and non-volatile memory devices. Volatile memory devices, which can include dynamic random access memories (DRAMs), static random access memories (SRAMs) or the like, have a characteristic in that a data input/output operation is fast, but stored data is erased when power supplied to the volatile memory device is stopped. On the other hand, non-volatile memory devices, which can include erasable programmed read only memories (EPROM), electrically erasable programmed read only memories (EEPROM) or the like, have a characteristic in that a data input/output operation is slow, but stored data is maintained in the memory even though power supplied to the memory is stopped.
Such conventional memory devices are developed by employing metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs) based on metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) technologies. For example, a stack gate type transistor memory device has been developed having a structure stacked on a silicon semiconductor substrate, and a trench gate type transistor memory device has been developed having a structure in the semiconductor substrate. However, in conventional MOSFETs, a width and length of a channel should be longer than a predetermined length in order to prevent a short channel effect, and a thickness of a gate insulating layer formed between a gate electrode above the channel and the semiconductor substrate should be extremely thin. For this reason, it is difficult to implement a memory device having a nano-graded ultrafine structure.
Therefore, studies on memory devices having a structure capable of substituting for MOSFETs have been actively conducted. Recently, a micro electro-mechanical system (MEMS) technology and a nano electro-mechanical system (NEMS) technology, which are applied and developed from semiconductor technologies, have received attention. A non-volatile memory device using the MEMS technology has been disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,054,745, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Hereinafter, a conventional memory device will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating a conventional memory device;
In the conventional memory device shown in FIG. 1, a field effect transistor (FET) sensing portion 221, a drawing electrode portion 223 and a cantilever electrode support portion 225 are formed on a shallow trench isolation (STI) 224 of a substrate 222 to be individually divided. A cantilever electrode 240 has a side 238 that is supported by the cantilever electrode support portion 225 while being electrically connected thereto, and the cantilever electrode 240 is formed to be spaced apart from the drawing electrode portion 223 and the FET sensing portion 221 at a predetermined height. Here, the cantilever electrode 240 can be bent in a direction of a drawing electrode 232 by an electric field induced in the drawing electrode portion 223. Thereafter, although the electric field induced in the drawing electrode portion 223 is eliminated, the cantilever electrode 240 can maintain its bent state due to an electric field induced from electrons captured in a poly-silicon gate electrode 230 of the FET sensing portion 221. For example, the poly-silicon gate electrode 230 corresponds to a floating electrode of a flash memory device, which captures electrons tunneled through a tunnel oxide layer made of a dielectric substance formed on a top surface of a source-drain region 227 of the FET sensing portion 221. The drawing electrode portion 223 and the cantilever electrode support portion 225 are made of a poly-silicon material, that is the same as a metal of the poly-silicon gate electrode 230. Similarly, the cantilever electrode 240 is made of a poly-silicon material from the cantilever electrode support portion 225.
Accordingly, the conventional memory device comprising the drawing electrode 232 allows the cantilever electrode 240 to be bent by an electrostatic force below the cantilever electrode 240 floated at a predetermined height. Further, the FET sensing portion 221 allows the cantilever electrode 240 to maintain its bent state, thereby implementing a non-volatile memory device.
However, the conventional memory device has several disadvantages. First, in the conventional memory device, the drawing electrode portion 223 allowing the cantilever electrode 240 having a horizontal state to be bent and the FET sensing portion 221 allowing the cantilever electrode 240 to maintain its bent state are separately formed on the same plane. In addition, the cantilever electrode 240 must be sufficiently long to be positioned over top portions of the drawing electrode portion 223 and the FET sensing portion 221. Thus, there is a disadvantage in that a degree of integration of the memory device is lowered.
Second, the conventional memory device allows only 1 bit of data per unit cell, the unit cell including the cantilever electrode 240, the drawing electrode 232 and the FET sensing portion 221, to be programmed or read in the conventional memory. Thus, it is difficult for multi-bit data to be stored in the conventional memory device.
Third, in the conventional memory device, each of the cantilever electrode 240 and the drawing electrode portion 223, which allows the cantilever electrode 240 to be bent down, is composed of a poly-silicon material having a resistance relatively higher than metal. Thus, power consumption can be undesirably increased.

Multi-bit electro-mechanical memory device and method of manufacturing the same


An electrical plug connector assembly has an insulative housing, a first terminal set, a second terminal set and a circuit board. The first and second terminal sets are mounted in the insulative housing. The first terminal set has multiple first conductive terminals each including a first soldering section. The second terminal set has multiple second conductive terminals each including a second soldering section. The first and second soldering sections are soldered on an identical surface of the circuit board such that only one single soldering process is required to solder all of the first and second conductive terminals to the circuit board. The production rate of the electrical plug connector assembly is therefore improved.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical connector, and more particularly to an electrical plug connector assembly that solders two sets of soldering sections of terminals on a single surface of a circuit board to decrease the soldering processes, which increases the fabrication rate of the electrical plug connector.
2. Description of Related Art
Electrical connectors are common electrical components mounted on electronic devices and may be connected to corresponding electrical connectors on other electronic devices for signal transmission or power supply between the connected electronic devices.
A conventional electrical connector such as a universal serial bus (USB) 3.0 Type-C electrical plug connector has an insulative housing, two sets of terminals, a circuit board and a metal shell. The sets of the terminals are mounted on the insulative housing for signal transmission and each terminal of each set has a soldering section. The circuit board is mounted on a rear end of the insulative housing and has two sets of soldering portions corresponding to the sets of the terminals and respectively mounted on two opposite top and bottom surfaces of the circuit board. Each soldering portion is soldered to the soldering section of a corresponding terminal. The shell covers and accommodates the insulative housing and the terminals.
However, because the two sets of the soldering sections of the terminals are respectively mounted on the top surface and the bottom surface of the circuit board instead of being mounted on a single surface, at least two soldering processes must be implemented to connect the sets of the terminals on the circuit board. Therefore, the soldering processes waste time and lower the production rate of the electrical connector.
To overcome the shortcomings, the present invention provides an electrical plug connector assembly to mitigate or obviate the aforementioned problems.


This invention provides system and methods for managing accounts of clients at customer financial entities so that deposits of up to $100,000 or greater are insured, so that interest income earned on a portion of all of the account balances may be flexibly allocated according to customer instructions, and so that withdrawals are not limited. These objects are satisfied by holding client funds at interest-earning money market deposit accounts at one or more banks or savings institutions. More particularly, this invention provides methods for receiving client transaction information, determining a net transfer of funds into or out of each client account from transaction information, causing transfer of funds from the insured, interest-bearing deposit accounts to match the net transfer of funds into or out of each client account, and allocating interest earned by the deposit accounts to clients according to customer instructions. This invention also provides systems and software products implementing these methods.

2.1 Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to computerized account management techniques and, more specifically, to techniques by which financial entities may offer accounts allowing unlimited withdrawals while the deposited funds earn interest at rates that can be flexibly assigned and are covered by deposit insurance.
2.2 Background Art
It would be desirable if depositors and investors could obtain FDIC insured, interest-bearing accounts with interest rates that can be flexibly assigned, with an unlimited number of fund transfers per month, and with insurances that may exceed $100,000. However, account offerings in the United States ("US") are limited by statutes generally codified as Title 12 of the United States Code ("U.S.C.") (Banks and Banking). These statutes and accompanying regulatory scheme limit investors and depositors seeking investments and deposits having a lower risk profile to a rather limited selection of choices, all of which suffer inhibiting constraints.
Financial entities are prevented from paying interest on certain types of deposit accounts, especially "demand deposit accounts" that permit unlimited withdrawals of deposited funds, by relevant statutes and regulations, namely Title 12 U.S.C. Chapter 3 (Federal Reserve System); Title 12 Code of Federal Regulations ("C.F.R.") Chapter II Part 204 (12 C.F.R. §§ 204.1-204.136) (Federal Reserve Board ("FRB") Regulation D); and Title 12 C.F.R. Chapter II Part 217 (12 C.F.R. §§ 217.1-217.101) (FRB Regulation Q).
More specifically, 12 CFR 329.2 states that "no bank shall, directly or indirectly, by any device whatsoever, pay interest on any demand deposit". A "deposit" is any money placed into a checking account, savings account, Certificate of Deposit (CD), or the like. In a "demand" account, the owner can make an unlimited number of funds transfers to another account (having the same or a different owner), or to a third party, typically by bank drafts, checks, credit cards, and debit cards. In essence, an account in which a depositor has the ability to make at least six transfers will be deemed a demand account and no interest will be payable on the funds therein (unless the funds are held in a NOW account under 18 U.S.C. 1832(a)). Therefore, owners of demand accounts are denied interest on their funds.
Second, deposit insurance provided by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation ("FDIC") is limited in various ways. The FDIC is a federal governmental entity created under Title 12 U.S.C. Chapter 3 (the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation) that provides insurance for deposits in most banks and savings institutions in the United States. Bank deposits are insured by the FDIC's Bank Insurance Fund ("BIF") and savings institutions' deposits are insured by the FDIC's Savings Association Insurance Fund ("SAIF").
The rules governing insurance of deposits in institutions insured by the BIF and the SAIF are the same. In particular, according to 12 U.S.C. § 1821(a), the FDIC limits insurance coverage provided to the owners(s) of funds deposited in each insured institution to $100,000, and bases insurance coverage on the concept of ownership rights and capacities, that is funds held in different ownership categories are insured separately from each other; and funds owned by the same entity but held in different accounts at the same financial entity are subsumed under the same insurance coverage.
Additionally, such insured, interest-bearing, demand accounts with flexibly-assigned interest rates would be desirable not only for depositors and investors but also for financial entities such as broker/dealers, savings institutions, credit unions, and the like seeking their deposits. In more detail, broker/dealers and some other financial institutions have been able to pay interest on their deposits. However, these deposits are not backed by insurance comparable to that provided by the FDIC (a portion of cash in broker/dealer accounts may be insured by SPIC). Also, their interest-rate flexibility is strictly limited by the securities statutes. For example, under the Regulated Investment Company Act of 1940, money market mutual funds, which are often used to provide income on deposits, must pay the same rate of return to each account owner, thereby limiting an institution's ability to respond to the varying profitability of different classes of accounts.
Banks and other savings institutions have developed several approaches, which include money fund sweeps and re-purchase agreement ("repo") sweeps, in an effort to compete with those financial institutions, principally broker/dealers, who are able to offer interest on cash balances for their commercial customers. However, these approaches are disadvantageous in that they involve a removal of commercial customer deposits from the bank's balance sheets. This disadvantage is especially burdensome for smaller, regional or local banks.
Further, banking institutions have been able to take advantage of the interest-rate flexibility permitted by statute and regulation to address a problem of bank management that has grown in importance, namely the differential profitability of different classes of accounts. The economics of bank management are such that costs for an account are relatively fixed, and are largely independent of account balances. However, income from a given account is generally a function of the differential in the interest paid and that earned by the bank in subsequent re-investments of account funds. In particular, accounts with significant account balances are substantially more profitable, in comparison with accounts that have lower balances.
For example, prior art certificates of deposit or CDs are issued by banks to provide an insured interest bearing investment that preserves the invested capital. Typically, CDs are a commitment by the depositor for a select period of time, e.g., 6 months, or 2 years, etc. where the deposits remain without any access by the investor for alternate uses. To create incentives for investing larger amounts of capital, many banks use their interest-rate flexibility to vary the interest rate paid on CDs in two dimensions. Along a first dimension, CDs pay a rate that will vary depending how long the funds are committed. Longer commitment periods are rewarded with a corresponding higher rate of return. Along a second dimension, many banks permit investors to gain a greater interest rate when the investor commits an increasing amount to the CD. These variations are very attractive to investors, but are linked to the severe handicap suffered by all CDs, in that any alternate use of the funds or penalty-free early withdrawal is essentially foreclosed.
Therefore, what is needed are systems and methods for providing insured, interest-bearing accounts at broker/dealers, savings institutions, credit unions, and the like with interest rates that can be flexibly assigned with an unlimited number of fund transfers per month, and with insurance that may exceed $100,000. It would be especially advantageous if these systems could be readily integrated into the existing infrastructure of a broker/dealer, savings institution, or credit union and in a manner that would minimally disrupt existing relationships between clients and their broker/dealers, savings institutions, credit unions and other financial entities.
Citation or identification of any reference in this Section or any section of this application shall not be construed that such reference is available as prior art to the present invention.

Systems and methods for money fund banking with flexible interest allocation


A liquid crystal display (LCD) is provided. The LCD includes a solder-coated pad on a printed circuit board (PCB) and a solder-coated lead of a tape automated bonding integrated circuit (TAB IC). The solder-coated lead has a different shape from the solder-coated pad is electrically connected with the solder-coated pad. The difference of shape between the solder-coated lead and the solder-coated pad improves the quality of soldering between the solder-coated lead of the TAB IC and the solder-coated pad on the PCB and thus improves the yield of the LCD production method.

The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display device (LCD). More particularly the present invention relates to a LCD driven by electrically connecting a tape automated bonding integrated circuit (TAB IC) with a printed circuit board (PCB).
In conventional integrated circuits, electric wires are generally connected by soldering, a method involving connecting solid metals using a medium such as a solder through a thermal process. A soldering method joins solid metal pieces together using a solder that has a lower melting point than those of solid metals to be connected. The solder is melted and diffused during the melting process by a capillary action to connect two or more solid metal pieces into a single assembly.
A conventional LCD module manufacturing process includes a TAB-solder step for thermally compressing a solder-coated pad on a TAB IC after an out leader bonding (OLB) process. In the TAB-solder step, the solder-coated pad on the PCB and a solder-coated lead of a TAB IC are connected by thermal compression. During thermal compression, a solder cream is melted from the solder-coated pad on the PCB to cover the solder-coated lead of the TAB IC, thus connecting the solder-coated pad on the PCB to the solder-coated lead of the TAB IC. Because of the importance of this connection, the solder-coated pad on the PCB should be carefully matched to the solder-coated lead of the TAB IC during the thermal compression step. In addition, it is important to have a structure that can help the diffusion of the solder cream in this method.
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a connection state among a liquid crystal panel, the TAB IC and the PCB in a conventional LCD, and FIG. 2 is a side view of the device in FIG. 1.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the TAB IC 13 electrically together with peripheral circuits (not shown) on a PCB 15 drives a liquid crystal panel 11. The TAB IC 13 serves to electrically connect the PCB 15 and the liquid crystal panel 11.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a solder-coated pad 33 on a PCB and a solder-coated lead 31 of a TAB IC 13 in a conventional LCD. The solder-coated lead 31 of the TAB IC and solder-coated pad 33 on the PCB shown in FIG. 3 are both comprised of lead and both have a rectangular shape. In this structure, a horizontal side length L.sub.1 of the solder-coated lead 31 of the TAB IC is the same as a horizontal side length L.sub.2 of the solder-coated pad 33 on the PCB.
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a state where the solder-coated pad 33 on the PCB and the solder-coated lead 31 of the TAB IC, shown in FIG. 3, are soldered together. As shown in FIG. 4, during the process of thermally soldering them, the solder cream is diffused from the solder-coated pad on the PCB into the solder-coated lead of the TAB IC. When using the solder-coated pad 33 and the solder-coated lead 31 of FIG. 3, the diffusion of solder from the solder-coated pad 33 onto the solder-coated lead 31 occurs in a pattern similar to that shown by the shaded portion 41 in FIG. 4. Here, the solder cream is only partially diffused into the solder-coated lead of the TAB IC, resulting in a lower soldering quality of the contact between the solder-coated lead of the TAB IC and the solder-coated pad on the PCB. Because of this lower quality soldering, the two components are occasionally electrically isolated.
Much of the shape of the diffusion of solder results from the shape of the solder-coated lead 31 and the solder-coated pad 33 and the fact that the horizontal side length L.sub.1 of the solder-coated lead 31 of the TAB IC is the same as the horizontal side length L.sub.2 of the solder-coated pad 33 on the PCB. In order to increase the quality of soldering between the solder-coated lead 31 of the TAB IC and the solder-coated pad 33 on the PCB, it is desirable that their shapes should be different to widely diffuse the solder cream during the soldering process.


The invention provides novel beta-carboline derivatives of formulae (Ia) and (Ib) useful in the treatment of proliferative disorders including cancer, intermediates used in their preparation, processes for preparing the same and uses thereof.

The search for novel anti-cancer drugs is a never ending story, since cancer is becoming a more and more important cause of death amongst humans. More than 80% of all anti-cancer drugs are directed towards the apoptosis pathway of tumour cells and are cytotoxic upon activating said pathway.
A large number of cancer cells such as glioblastomas (brain cancers), brain metastases, melanomas, pancreatic cancers, lung cancers of the NSCLC-type, refractory prostate cancers (HRPC), breast cancers such as triple negatives and other types are naturally resistant to apoptosis and cannot be treated by the many known drugs and chemotherapeutics. Development of new compounds having cytotoxic and/or cytostatic effects in tumour or cancer cells, and particularly in tumour or cancer cells which are resistant to apoptosis, is of considerable importance.
A naturally-occurring beta carboline, harmine, has been previously isolated from plants such as the Middle Eastern plant harmal or Syrian rue (Peganum harmala) and the South American vine (Banisteriopsis caapi) and shown to exhibit anti-cancer properties. However, previous reports demonstrated that harmine and its derivatives caused remarkable acute neurotoxicity characterized by tremble, twitch, and jumping in experimental mice model. Results of investigation on the in vitro anti-tumour activity of harmine and certain of its derivatives showed that these compounds had significant inhibition effect on several cultured tumour cell lines, such as HeLa cells (cervical carcinoma), S-180 cells (sarcoma), BEL-7402 cells (hepatoma), MGC-803 cells (gastric carcinoma), CNE2 cells (nasopharyngeal carcinoma), MA782/5S cells (breast cancer) and K562 cells (leucocythemia) (Wu, US 20090227619). EP 0357122 showed cytostatic properties of certain beta-carbolines.
Moreover, harmine and certain of its derivatives exhibited DNA intercalation capacity and topoisomerase I inhibition, which was related to their anti-tumour activity (Cao et al., 2005, Biochem. Biophys. Res. Com. 338: 1557-63).
Additionally, harmine was repeatedly shown to inhibit the protein kinase DYRK1A (Göckler, 2009, FEBS J. 276(21): 6324-37; Seifert, 2008, FEBS J. 275(24): 6268-80; Bain et al., 2007, Biochem J 408: 297-315). Over-expression of the DYRK1A kinase (dual specificity tyrosine-phosphorylated and regulated kinase 1a) has been implicated in multiple diseases or disorders or syndromes prominently including cancer, tumorigenesis and uncontrolled cell proliferation (Laguna et al., 2008, Dev Cell. 15(6): 841-53), but also Alzheimer disease, Pick disease (Ferrer et al., 2005, Neurobiol Dis. 20(2): 392-400) and Down Syndrome (Lepagnol-Bestel et al., 2009, Hum Mol Genet. 18(8): 1405-14).
Moreover, caspase-9 is a substrate of DYRK1A: inhibition of DYRK1A, by, e.g., harmine, induces the activation of caspase-9 and leads to massive apoptosis in different human cell types (Seifert et al., supra). It was also shown that melanomas are intrinsically resistant to pro-apoptosis stimuli and over-express DYRK1A (de Wit et al., 2002, Melanoma Res 12: 57-69). Recently, it was shown that harmine could reverse resistance to anticancer drugs by inhibiting BCRP (Ma et al., 2010, Phytother. Res. 24(1): 146-9).
There is therefore a continuous need in the art for identifying novel anti-proliferative drugs and for improving the efficacy of existing anti-proliferative treatments by combining the latter with novel anti-proliferative drugs.

Beta carboline derivatives useful in the treatment of proliferative disorders

FACULTES UNIVERSITAIRES NOTRE DAME DE LA PAIX


A gas purifying apparatus and a method thereof are disclosed. According to an exemplary embodiment, a gas purifying apparatus includes a first chamber comprising a first inlet into which a first fluid flows and a first outlet through which a part of the first fluid is discharged, a purifier which purifies air from the first chamber, which air is then re-injected into the first chamber and a conduit which transports air from the first chamber to the purifier.

1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to a gas purifying apparatus and a method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
In various industries, in order to protect materials from moisture or oxygen, a vacuum pump is used to remove the moisture or the oxygen in a sealed chamber creating a vacuum in the chamber or a predetermined area.
When the vaccumization is performed for a predetermined time, an attached glove such as a glove box is used to manually perform the job or a robot having a simple configuration which is provided outside the chamber is used to automatically perform the process.
Instead of a vacuum, inert gas can be partially used to manage the gas atmosphere in a small size of a predetermined area, but this has limitations in application.
If a vacuum chamber is used, it takes long time to maintain a desired degree of vacuum, and it is difficult to control the air flow.
For example, the inside of the chamber is evacuated so that a driving unit, which performs the process, such as a motor or a cylinder cannot be provided and only some of the driving units are provided outside the chamber with a limited configuration and then need to be connected to the chamber while maintaining a sealed chamber.
However, available uses for the chamber are limited and it is very difficult to monitor and manage the inside of the chamber.
Further, it is required to monitor the inside of the chamber from the viewpoint of management, maintenance, and repair of the process progress. However, it is difficult to be observed by eye in a vacuum status and to install an illumination or a camera so that there are many restrictions.
When inert gas is used as described above, the purifying apparatus is connected to a general gas purifier so that application size is limited to a very small size. Further, it is difficult to manage purity precisely. If the purifying apparatus is applied to a large size display, it is inefficient.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art which is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.

Samsung-ro, Giheung-Gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-Do


A tamper resistant security seal is a laminated tape having a transparent carrier layer (2); an optical, diffraction pattern defining layer (3,4); and an adhesive layer (6) for adhering the tape to a substrate. The optical pattern, such as a hologram, defined by the optical pattern defining layer is visible from outside the laminate. The optical diffraction pattern defining layer (3) is formed by a polymeric layer permanently bonded to the transparent carrier layer which, when heated, causes the diffraction pattern to undergo an irreversible change. The adhesive is a pressure sensitive adhesive. An additional removable support layer may be provided on the carrier. The laminate is constructed so that a reduction in temperature below 0.degree. C. will cause an irreversible change in the diffraction pattern, or is such that subsequent to such a temperature reduction, attempted removal of the tape from a substrate will cause an irreversible change in the diffraction pattern.

1. Technical Field
The invention relates to a tamper resistant security seal, for example for sealing containers such as security pouches and the like which are used for conveying items of value such as banknotes, letters of credit and the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is extremely important that any such pouches possess tamperproof or tamper-evident seals. Various attempts have been made in the past to make such seals.
Generally these seals are adhesive backed tape constructions which are applied under or over the edge of the pouch flap so that the flap is held in place against the body of the pouch in a firm and tamperproof manner. They can also be in the form of labels.
In recent years the use of metallised films has been replaced by the use of optically embossed metallised films, which have a holographic or diffractive image. Such a construction was recently described by Advanced Holographics in GB-A-2211760. The advantage of using holographic films is that their counterfeiting is extremely difficult. The construction of the general purpose tape is similar to tapes used for hot stamping, for example as described in GB-A-2129739.
Very generally these tapes consist of a supporting film, a wax release layer, and a coating of an embossable thermoplastic polymer which has been subsequently diffractively embossed. Vapour deposited aluminum is then applied with an optional protective layer. The adhesive is then applied from a coating solution. WO-A-88/05728 introduces the general concept of a holographic protective film having a wax interlayer. Then a general purpose pressure sensitive adhesive layer is applied which is in turn protected by a peelable release paper. In use, the tape is fixed to a substrate using the adhesive. It is difficult to copy or alter.
JP-A-63106780 also describes another general purpose holographic tape. The tape is designed with weaker bonding between a protective layer over the holographic layer and an adhesive layer than between a transparent film on which the tape is formed and the holographic layer.
Similar constructions are known for covering large areas of, say, carton card in which an holographic transfer foil is rolled onto the card to produce a card having a diffractive metallic appearance. Such transfer foils are not known to have been used for security pouch seals. However, they are of similar structure to the tapes mentioned above except that instead of a wax release layer the embossable layer is chosen to have release properties from the carrier film.
Searle (GB-B-2136352) discloses holographic seals in which locally embossed areas of thermoplastic polymer are covered by a metallised film which is then demetallised. This leaves areas which are unprotected by the holographic image which is undesirable in case forgery is attempted.
Dai Nippon Insatsu in U.S. Pat. No. 4,856,857 discloses transparent embossed holographic structures in which the holographic impression is supplemented by a partial appearance of the underlying surface which may be a photograph.
Makowka (U.S. Pat. No. 4,834,552) describes making tamper-evident seals for plastic envelopes. The seal is double sided requiring two adhesives and is concealed under the flap in use. Inspection of tamper evidence can only be by folding back the flap and looking at the edges. Paper or cloth having a porous structure is used to protect against low temperature attack.
The use of holographic effects for security purposes is thus well known. The fineness of optical embossing and the nature of the holographic image make it very difficult to alter such devices or manufacture them afresh.
The term "counterfeiting" may be taken to mean the copying of an article by fresh but fraudulent manufacture.
Holographic devices are counterfeit resistant and may be counterfeit indicating. It is relatively difficult to construct an holographic image by "copying" it on a holographic table even if one were available. Slight variations in image quality would also be readily detected in any copy because of the fineness of the surface relief structures employed. The counterfeiter would need to have access to holographic equipment, embossing equipment and metallising equipment to manufacture copies, in practice this would be very difficult.
Holographic seals are also forgery resistant by which is meant alteration resistant. They are also readily alteration indicating, as it is very difficult for a forger to replace accurately any cut away or altered area: the fineness of optical relief embossing acts as a considerable deterrent.
Despite many holographic seal variants disclosed in the art, these all being directed towards enhancing in various ways the anti-counterfeiting properties and/or anti-forgery properties, the importance of providing substitution resistance, which is the third form of attack which a criminal may make, has not hitherto been maximised.
The prior art recognises that holographic seals should not be readily detachable from the substrate to which the seals are attached. Thus for example it is recognised in GB-B-2136352 that the holographic layer should be weak so that attempted removal of the carrier will destroy the holographic embossing.
Similarly in GB-A-2211760 the removal of the carrier film (aided by the strength of the wax it is assumed) will cause damage to the holographic layers.
While such structures have been used previously, they are unlikely to have provided substitution prevention or tamper prevention and possibly tamper indicating properties for example when such substitution or tampering is undertaken at extremes of ambient temperature during freezing or heating. Neither is there any indication in the prior art as to how a superior holographic tape possessing such properties may be made.
By substitution is meant the detachment of all or part of the seal allowing its replacement without giving evidence of that having happened. For example if a seal on a security pouch could be temporarily detached and then resealed without trace, this would be particularly undesirable. Yet many of the prior art seals are susceptible to such action.
By tampering is meant unauthorised interference with the seal whether for the purposes of counterfeiting, forgery or substitution.
In this specification, by printing is meant the application of readable markings of dyes and/or pigments such as those delivered during printing operations, especially thin ink film printing operations such as occur in lithographic, flexographic and gravure printing. The marking may be employed under electronic control such as during laser printing of toners, ink jet printing, thermal transfer printing, impact ribbon printing and the like. Markings may take the form of fine line security indicia, such as alpha numerical characters, symbols, geometrical designs, obliterating coatings and the like.
Markings may also be made caused by printing small shapes which pattern the embossed surface before or after metallisation or by gross embossing number shapes. The printed markings a take the form of single images which may require registration for labels, or the printed markings may take the form of multiple repetitions of a particular design in the form of an endless pattern. Serial or batch numbering may be used to identify individual seals.

Tamper resisting holographic security seal


A method for cleaning/disinfecting/sterilizing the water circuits (1) of dental units (100) comprises at least the following steps: introducing a cleaning/disinfecting/sterilizing fluid into the water circuit (1); holding the cleaning/disinfecting/sterilizing fluid in the water circuit (1) for a predetermined length of time; draining the cleaning/disinfecting/sterilizing fluid out of the circuit (1) through endpieces (3a) of supply branches (3); the method further comprising a step of programming/selecting the contact time periods (T) of the steps of introducing and holding the fluid in the water circuit (1), this step preceding the step of introducing the fluid and being effected by selecting from a plurality of contact time periods (T1, T2, T3 . . . Tn) each of which consists at least of a fraction of a time period (Ta) of the step of introducing fluid in the water circuit (1) added to a time period (Tb) of the holding step, according to a desired parameter-level (P1, P2, P3 . . . Pn) of cleaning/disinfection/sterilization and/or of predetermined or predeterminable events on the dental unit (100).

The present invention relates to a method for cleaning/disinfecting/sterilizing the water circuits of dental units and to a dental unit implementing the method.
As is by now well within the knowledge of experts in the trade, the water circuits of dental units of the latest generation can be subjected to different types of cleaning/disinfecting/sterilizing cycles depending on requirements: a long or night cycle for aggressive treatment of the water circuit to thoroughly destroy contaminating agents, and a short cycle for quick disinfection of the circuit during the day, for example, between patients or during the lunch break.
In practice, the water circuit, which usually consists of a main fluid supply conduit and a series of branches leading to the handpieces, is supplied with cleaning/disinfecting/sterilizing fluid from an appropriate supply line until the main conduit and the handpiece branches, which are closed by suitable valves, is completely full.
After a predetermined length of time, the cleaning/disinfecting/sterilizing fluid is drained out and the circuit is filled with rinsing or user fluid.
The Applicant, in line with a policy of continual improvement of dental unit hygiene and safety and with a view to extending the capabilities of cleaning/disinfecting/sterilizing cycles, has conducted much research aimed at developing a method, and a dental unit to implement the method, for cleaning/disinfecting/sterilizing the water circuit of the dental unit where the cycle times can be selected from a wide range of programmed times in accordance with the desired degree of aggressiveness on the contaminating agents in the circuit branches and in accordance with the time of day in which the cycle must be carried out.

Method for cleaning /disinfecting /sterilizing the water circuits of dental units and a dental unit implementing the method


In an image enhancing method, an input image signal is lowpass filtered and then histogram equalized to become a contrast-enhanced signal. The lowpass filtered signal is subtracted from the input image signal. Afterwards, the subtracted value is added to the contrast enhanced signal, and the added result is output as an image enhanced output signal. The contrast of a given image signal is improved without an increase in background noise.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image enhancing method and device, and more particularly, to an image enhancing method for enhancing the contrast of an image without an increase in noise and a device for performing the image enhancing method.
2. Description of the Related Arts
A histogram of a gray level provides an overall description of the appearance of an image. Properly adjusted gray levels for a given image can enhance the appearance or contrast of the image.
Among many methods for contrast enhancement, the most widely known is the histogram equalization method, in which the contrast of a given image is enhanced according to the sample distribution thereof. The method is disclosed in documents: [1] J. S. Lim, "Two-dimensional Signal and Image Processing," Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, N.J. 1990, and [2] R. C. Gonzalez and P. Wints, "Digital Image Processing," Addison-Wesley, Reading, Mass., 1977.
Also, the useful applications of the histogram equalization method for medical image processing and radar image processing are disclosed in documents: [3] J. Zimmerman, S. Pizer, E. Staab, E. Perry, W. McCarteney and B. Brenton, "Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Adaptive Histogram Equalization for Contrast Enhancement," IEEE Tr. on Medical Imaging, pp. 304-312, Dec. 1988, and [4] Y. Li, W. Wang and D. Y. Yu, "Application of Adaptive Histogram Equalization to X-ray Chest Image," Proc. of the SPIE, pp. 513-514, vol. 2321, 1994.
In general, since the histogram equalization causes the dynamic range of an image to be stretched, the density distribution of the resultant image is made flat so that the contrast of the image is enhanced as a consequence thereof.
However, the histogram equalization method causes problems in some practical cases. That is, since the contrast is enhanced by stretching the dynamic range, background noise is simultaneously increased by the equalization. Thus, the equalization may cause degradation of image quality in a region having a constant level.

Image enhancing method using lowpass filtering and histogram equalization and a device therefor


Preventing propagation of hardware viruses in a computing system, including: determining, by a hardware virus detection module, whether an empty connector in the computing system is damaged, wherein the empty connector is blocked from receiving an attachable computing device by a bumper; determining, by the hardware virus detection module, whether a connector for the attachable computing device is damaged; and responsive to determining that the empty connector is not damaged and that the connector for the attachable computing device is not damaged, moving the bumper such that the empty connector is not blocked from receiving the attachable computing device.

1. Field of the Invention
The field of the invention is data processing, or, more specifically, methods, apparatus, and products for preventing propagation of hardware viruses in a computing system.
2. Description of Related Art
Modern computing systems can take on a variety of form factors and can frequently be augmented by adding attached components. One example of such a computing system is a blade center that includes a plurality of blade servers. Such computing systems may be vulnerable to a hardware virus that causes hardware components of the computing system to be damaged. In the context of a blade center, a hardware virus can include a damaged connector on the midplane of the blade chassis such that any blade server that is plugged into that slot will become damaged. For example, a bent pin on the midplane connector can damage, or infect, the corresponding connector on any blade server that is being plugged in to the damaged connector. Likewise, any blade server that is infected with a hardware virus can damage the midplane connector when the damaged blade server is plugged in to the midplane connector. In such a way, the hardware virus can spread to other hardware components in the computing system.

Lenovo Enterprise Solutions (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.


A new Pelargonium plant named ‘PEPZ0005’ particularly distinguished by the pink colored inflorescences held above the medium-green foliage, large single florets, trailing habit and drought tolerant with continuous color through the summer.

The present invention comprises a new Pelargonium, botanically known as Pelargonium peltatum, and hereinafter referred to by the variety name 'PEPZ0005'.
'PEPZ0005' is a product of a planned breeding program. The new cultivar 'PEPZ0005' has pink colored inflorescences held above the medium-green foliage, large single florets, trailing habit and drought tolerant with continuous color through the summer.
'PEPZ0005' originates from a hybridization in a controlled breeding program made in 2008, in Caldar, Gran Canaria. The female parent was an unpatented, proprietary plant of Pelargonium peltatum parentage, identified as 'k02-7156-6' with lighter rose color florets and smaller more open plant habit when compared to 'PEPZ0005'.
The male parent of 'PEPZ0005' was an unpatented, proprietary plant of Pelargonium peltatum parentage, identified as 'k03-8277-8' with more blue-rose colored florets and a more open plant habit when compared to 'PEPZ0005'. The resultant seed was sown in December 2008 in a greenhouse in Hillscheid, Germany.
'PEPZ0005' was selected as one flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross in April 2009 in a greenhouse in Hillscheid, Germany.
The first act of asexual reproduction of 'PEPZ0005' was accomplished when vegetative cuttings were propagated from the initial selection in December 2009 in a greenhouse in Hillscheid, Germany.


The present disclosure relates to a content supply device, a content supply method, a program, a terminal device and a content supply system that are configured to be capable of realizing rapid zapping between channels in DASH.

MPEG-DASH (Moving Picture Experts Group-Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP, hereinafter, referred to as DASH) that uses the same HTTP as the HTTP for the browsing of web sites and the like is known as a moving picture distribution protocol that can be used in moving picture distribution through the Internet and is standardized internationally (for example, refer to NPL 1).
An adaptive streaming technique is realized in DASH. That is, a content supply side is made to prepare a plurality of streams that have content with identical detail, the image quality, the size of the angle of view and the like of which have been altered depending on a communication environment, and reception capacity and state of the Internet that forms a distribution pass. Meanwhile, a reception side can acquire and reproduce the most suitable streams through selection depending on the communication environment and self decoding capacity of the Internet from among a plurality of streams that the content supply side prepares.
In this manner, in DASH, metafiles, which are referred to as Media Presentation Descriptions (MPDs), are supplied to the reception side from the supply source so that the reception side can acquire streams through adaptive selection.
In MPDs, addresses (url information) of supply sources of streaming data (media data of Audio/Video/Subtitles and the like) of content that is chunked are defined. The reception side requests streaming data by accessing a predetermined server that will be the supply source of content on the basis of the url information, and the reception and reproduction of streaming data for which HTTP distribution is performed depending on the request is possible.
FIG. 1 shows an example of a configuration of a content supply system that performs streaming distribution of content on the basis of DASH.
The content supply system 10 is configured by multiple DASH clients 30 on a side that receives content being connected with a plurality of content supply devices 20 (20A, 20B and 20C in this case) on a side that supplies content, using the Internet 11.
The content supply device 20A distributes content with identical detail as a Channel A using a plurality of streams. The content supply device 20B distributes content with identical detail that differs from the content of the Channel A as a Channel B using a plurality of streams. The same applies to the content supply device 20C. Hereinafter, in cases in which it is not necessary to individually discriminate between the content supply devices 20A, 20B and 20C, the content supply devices will simply be referred to as the content supply devices 20.
The content supply devices 20 include a content management server 21, a DASH segment streamer 22, and a DASH/MPD server 23.
The content management server 21 manages content that is supplied to the DASH client 30, generates a plurality of items of streaming data with differing bit rates from content with identical detail, and outputs the streaming data to the DASH segment streamer 22. The DASH segment streamer 22 divides each item of streaming data into segments in a temporal manner, respectively saves the segments through conversion into files, and notifies the DASH/MPD server 23 of the addresses of the supply sources of the files. Furthermore, the DASH segment streamer 22 performs the HTTP distribution of the files of the segmented streaming data as an HTTP server depending on requests from the DASH client 30 on the reception side.
The DASH/MPD server 23 generates an MPD in which addresses and the like that show the supply source of files of (segments of) the plurality of items of streaming data are defined, and performs the HTTP distribution of the MPD depending on requests from the DASH client 30 of the reception side.
The DASH client 30 makes a request from the DASH/MPD server 23, requests streaming data from the DASH segment streamer 22 on the basis of the MPD for which HTTP distribution is performed, and receives and reproduces files for which HTTP distribution is performed depending on the requests.
Additionally, in place of the DASH/MPD server 23 or the DASH segment streamer 22, a cache server (not shown in the drawings) is also provided on the Internet 11 so that the HTTP distribution of cached MPDs and segmented streaming data is performed.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Content supply device, content supply method, program, terminal device and content supply system

Abstract: The content supply device of the present disclosure supplies a plurality of items of streaming data with differing attributes, which is content with identical detail, to the same channel, and is provided with a supply portion that divides the streaming data into minimum units when the reception of streaming data is switched according to a timing that is made uniform with other channels, and supplies the streaming data to a reception side through a network, and a metafile generation portion that generates metafiles for the reception side to receive the streaming data that is supplied in the minimum units, which show that the streaming data is for zapping.

Abstract: The present disclosure can be applied to a system that performs streaming distribution of content.


A method for detecting abnormal subsequences in data sequence includes constructing a hierarchical data structure of a target subsequence, each node in a bottommost layer of the data structure storing corresponding data of the target subsequence, and each node in a layer above the bottommost layer storing values based on data stored in corresponding nodes in a lower layer next to the layer above the bottommost layer; determining a second number of neighbors of the target subsequence based on the data structure of the target subsequence and of the first number of reference subsequences constructed in advance, the second number of neighbors having minimum Euclidean distances from the target subsequence; determining a third number of neighbors of each reference subsequence in the second number of reference subsequences, which have minimum Euclidean distances from each reference subsequence and determining whether the target subsequence is an abnormal subsequence.

The present invention relates to anomaly data detection, and more particularly, to a method and an apparatus for detecting abnormal subsequences in a data sequence.
In scenarios such as Internet of Things (IOT), smarter planet or the like, data may be generated constantly over time via a certain data generation mechanism, and thereby form a time data sequence. For example, in a scenario where atmospheric pollutants are detected by using a detector, the detector outputs data constantly over time to thereby form a time data sequence that reflects atmospheric pollution levels at respective moments. In the time data sequence, there might be some data that greatly deviate from the other data, and such data may be called abnormal data. Because the abnormal data can reflect some problem existing in the data generation mechanism or some important states of object associated with the data, it is very important to detect the abnormal data in the time data sequence.
Currently, many methods have been proposed to detect an abnormal data in a time data sequence. In these conventional methods, when it is detected whether some data in the time data sequence are abnormal, all data in the sequence have to be used, and the entire time data sequence has to be scanned for many times during the detection, which results in a huge computation amount and long time for the detection operation. In addition, distribution densities of all the data of the time data sequence (especially the time data sequence generated in a long time period) in a mapping space often differ greatly, therefore if it is detected whether some data are abnormal on the basis of the distribution densities of all the data, normal data which differ greatly from other data in the distribution density may be identified as abnormal data, rendering an inaccurate result. Moreover, the conventional methods can only conduct an off-line (non-real time) detection, rather than an online (real time) detection, on the time data sequence, which is not acceptable for some scenarios where a detection result is expected to be obtained as soon as possible.

Detecting an abnormal subsequence in a data sequence

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION


A design method and a design device can design an optimal optoelectronic circuit in a relatively short period of time by exploiting the performance of hardware. They have a step of generating a connection list to be carried by electric circuits (electric nets) and a connection list to be carried by optical connections (optical nets), a step of designing the layout of electric circuits and subsequently designing optical connections and a step of evaluating the designs.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method, a device and a computer program for designing a circuit having both electronic circuits connected by electric wires and optical circuits using optical connections as integral components thereof (to be also referred to as optoelectronic circuit).
2. Related Background Art
Recently, information processing devices including personal computers, mobile phones and personal digital assistants (PDAs) have been required to operate at high processing speed in addition to be compact and lightweight. However, as the processing speed rises, problems arise to the circuits thereof, including wiring delays, EMI (electromagnetic interference) noises and so on. Techniques have been proposed to utilize optical circuits using optical connections in order to avoid wiring delays, EMI noises and other problems (see, inter alia, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H6-308519).
Meanwhile, information processing devices and robot controllers are required to be capable of switching a plurality of control algorithms on a real time basis for the control operation. From this point of view, there is a demand for reconfigurable circuits that can operate at high speed and switch configuration on a real time basis. Examples of reconfigurable circuits include FPGAs (field programmable gate arrays) and CPLDs (complex programmable logic devices) (see, inter alia, Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2000-311156). However, such circuits need further improvements in terms of high speed operation and circuit size.
FIG. 20 of the accompanying drawings is a flow chart that can generally be employed when designing an information processing device (semiconductor system) of the type under consideration. Generally, a system design is carried out according to a requirement specification and subsequently a circuit connection list (net list) is generated by way of a logical design. Then, the layout (place and route design) of the system is designed and verified. A design method using such a technique for a system having two chips is known (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-298086). According to the design method, when one or more than one problems are detected as a result of verification, the redesign process goes back to the place and route design or to the system design.
Thus, to realize a sophisticated information processing device or a controller, circuits are required to be of a large scale, operable at high speed and flexible (reconfigurable). The use of a circuit having both electronic circuits connected by electric wires and optical circuits using optical connections as integral components thereof, or an optoelectronic circuit, can meet such requirements.
When designing a system having both optical circuits using optical fibers and optical waveguides and electronic circuits coexist as integral parts thereof, the optical circuits and the electronic circuits are clearly separated from each other and designed independently as shown in FIG. 21 in the initial stages of the system design shown in FIG. 20. However, with such a design technique of designing optical circuits and electronic circuits separately, it is difficult to fully exploit the potentials of the circuits (hardware) of the two categories. To be more accurately, while optical circuits and electronic circuits may be designed optimally, the design of the optoelectronic circuit for integrally combining them is not optimal. Additionally, designing an optoelectronic circuit requires advanced professional knowledge of circuits of the two categories, a vast amount of time and huge cost.

Method, device and computer program for designing a circuit having electric wires and optical connections


A diamine and an epihalohydrin are subjected to ring-opening addition reaction in the presence of water, to thereby produce a tetrahalohydrinamino compound (i.e., halohydrin compound). Thereafter, the halohydrin compound is reacted with an alkali metal hydroxide in the co-presence of a phase-transfer catalyst, to thereby allow cyclization reaction to proceed. An alkali metal halide by-produced during the cyclization reaction is dissolved in water and removed through phase separation. The resultant organic layer is washed with water for phase separation. Then, a crude tetraglycidylamino compound obtained by recovering unreacted epihalohydrin through evaporation is dissolved in an organic solvent and washed with water for phase separation. Subsequently, the organic solvent is recovered through evaporation under reduced pressure with heating, to thereby isolate a tetraglycidylamino compound (i.e., a product of interest). An aqueous alkali metal hydroxide solution is added to the organic solvent recovered through evaporation, followed by thermal treatment. The thus-purified organic solvent is recycled. This method can effectively produce, at low cost, a tetraglycidylamino compound (i.e., a product of interest) of reliable quality having low residual epihalohydrin and hydrolyzable halogen contents.

Tetraglycidylamino compounds for producing useful as epoxy resins which exhibit low viscosity and good workability, and which give hardened products exhibiting excellent physical properties such as heat resistance, adhesion, rigidity, and mechanical strength. By virtue of these characteristic features, tetraglycidylamino compounds are used in a variety of fields and applications, including casting material, binder for carbon fiber composites, material used in the aerospace industry, material for electric and electronic parts, sporting goods, and polymer cross-linking agents.
Hitherto, there have been known methods for producing a tetraglycidylamino compound including a method in which a tetrahalohydrinamino compound having, on carbon atoms to each other, halogen and a hydroxyl group (hereinafter the compound may be referred to as a "halohydrin compound") is formed through ring-opening addition reaction between an aromatic or alicyclic diamine and an epihalohydrin, and subsequently a tetraglycidylamino compound is produced through cyclization reaction (ring-closure reaction) of the halohydrin compound.
Japanese Patent Publication (kokoku) No. H08-32697 (Patent Document 1) discloses a method for producing a tetraglycidylamino compound, including forming a halohydrin compound through reaction between an aromatic or alicyclic diamine and an epihalohydrin, and subsequently performing cyclization reaction of the halohydrin compound twice by use of a dehalogenating agent (e.g., an alkali metal hydroxide) in the co-presence of a phase-transfer catalyst, wherein washing with water is carried out before and after re-cyclization reaction. This method is provided for producing a tetraglycidylamino compound which is generally used in electric and electronic fields, and which contains a hydrolyzable halogen in a minimum possible amount.
However, in the procedure of the Examples described in Patent Document 1, an epihalohydrin is recovered, through evaporation, from a reaction product produced through cyclization reaction of a formed halohydrin compound in the co-presence of a phase-transfer catalyst; the evaporation residue containing a tetraglycidylamino compound is dissolved in an organic solvent; washing with water is carried out a plurality of times; and cyclization reaction of the halohydrin compound is carried out again in an organic solvent in the co-presence of a phase-transfer catalyst, followed by washing with water a plurality of times. The specification of Patent Document 1 describes that washing with water before re-cyclization reaction is an essential step, and prevents coloring of a final product and improves the storage stability thereof, and that when washing with water is carried out two or more times before re-cyclization reaction, the washing effect is improved.
Thus, the tetraglycidylamino compound production method described in Patent Document 1 requires an increased number of steps, a long-term process, and very intricate operations (e.g., phase separation), since cyclization reaction is performed twice and repeated washing with water is performed. In addition, the production method poses problems in that a tetraglycidylamino compound is lost and the yield thereof is reduced, due to a large amount of wastewater and repeated phase separation operations; i.e., the method involves reduction in production efficiency and an increase in production cost.
Through the method described in Patent Document 1, there can be produced a tetraglycidylamino compound containing a reduced amount of a hydrolyzable halogen. However, this patent document does not disclose recycle of an organic solvent used in a water washing (i.e., washing with water) step and re-cyclization reaction.
In the method described in Patent Document 1, when an organic solvent is disposed of in every batch process without being recycled, the organic solvent is consumed in a large amount, and thus production cost increases, leading to an economical disadvantage. In contrast, when an organic solvent recovered through evaporation is recycled as is, an epihalohydrin used is gradually accumulated in the organic solvent, and thus the residual epihalohydrin and hydrolyzable halogen contents of a product of interest increase gradually, which is problematic.
In the method described in Patent Document 1, an alkali metal halide by-produced during cyclization reaction is dissolved in water and removed through phase separation, and subsequently washing is carried out with a large amount of water (i.e., 15 mol on the basis of 1 mol of a diamine serving as a raw material). In this case, an epihalohydrin and a tetraglycidylamino compound are discharged to some extent together with water, and the amount of loss of the tetraglycidylamino compound is not negligible.

Process for producing tetraglycidylamino compound


A lens barrel for a zoom lens includes first and second lens groups arranged in the direction of an optical axis. A first rotary barrel is rotatable about the optical axis and is rotated to move the first lens group in the direction of the optical axis, and a second rotary barrel is provided coaxially with the first rotary barrel. A guide groove is provided on the second rotary barrel and guides the second lens group to move it in the direction of the optical axis in response to rotation of the second rotary barrel. A rotation transmission mechanism is disposed between the first and second rotary barrels to be able to engage to rotate both the first and second rotary barrels, thereby zooming the zoom lens, and to be able to disengage to rotate only one of the first and second rotary barrels through a predetermined angle range with the other held stationary so that focusing the zoom lens can be effected by rotating said one rotary barrel within the predetermined angle range.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a zoom lens barrel, and more particularly to a zoom lens barrel in which zooming and focusing can be effected by a single drive source.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a camera with a zoom lens, generally zooming is effected by moving lens groups in the direction of the optical axis by a cam and the like while focusing is effected by moving the lens groups in a manner different from that in zooming.
As the method of moving the lens groups of the zoom lens in such a manner, there have been known the following methods.
(1) Separate drive sources are used for zooming and focusing.
(2) Drive force of a single drive source is divided and transmitted to the zooming mechanism and the focusing mechanism.
(3) A single drive force is used and zooming and focusing are alternately effected on a continuous locus. See Japanese Patent Publication No. 6(1994)-100707.
(4) A cam ring rotated by a single drive source is provided with first and second cam grooves which respectively move first and second groups in the direction of the optical axis in response to rotation of the cam ring. When the cam ring is rotated in one direction (toward telephoto side or wide-angle-side), the first and second lens groups are moved back and forth by way of the first and second cam grooves whereby the lens is zoomed. When the cam ring is rotated in the other direction after the zooming action, the second cam groove does not act on the second lens groove for a predetermined focusing segment and only the first lens group is moved, whereby the lens is focused. See Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 9(1997)-49958.
However the method of (1) is disadvantageous in that since two drive sources are required, cost of the camera is increased. The method of (2) increases the number of components, which results in a larger size of the camera. The method of (3) is disadvantageous in that zooming cannot be effected continuously and focusing can be effected only at a plurality of particular focal lengths (a step zoom).
Further in the method of (4), though continuous zooming is possible, the following problem arises. That is, the second cam groove is provided with a first cam surface which acts when zooming from the wide-angle-side to telephoto side and a second cam surface which acts when zooming from the telephoto side to the wide-angle-side and the first and second cam surfaces are opposed to each other wide spaced in the direction of the optical axis from a cam follower which is provided on a lens holder for the second lens group and is in engagement with the second cam groove. That is, there is play in the direction of rotation of the cam ring between the cam groove and the cam follower. Accordingly, an unintentional movement of the second lens group can occur under its gravity of the like during zooming, which can result in undesirable zooming, unless the cam follower is pressed against the first or second cam surface by an urging means such as a spring. However when such an urging means is provided, the drive system must operate overcoming the force of the urging means during focusing, which adds to the load on the drive source.


A method of communicating over a network of nodes using a plurality of broadcast channels. Each channel facilitates the transmission and reception of data during cycles of time divided into discrete time frames. Each frame is divided into a plurality of slots. Each node in the network is configured to broadcast, to other nodes within one hop of said node, on a common bootstrap channel during a first bootstrap slot, slot assignment information relating to any of the broadcast channels. Each node is assigned to communicate over a broadcast channel that is one of the plurality of broadcast channels. Each node broadcasts, on its assigned channel during a second bootstrap slot, slot assignment information relating to the assigned broadcast channel to other nodes within one hop of said node and on said assigned channel. Each node communicates according to the slot assignment information.

Wireless communications networks have found great utility in many commercial and military applications. However, some types of wireless networks become less efficient in transmitting information when a large number of nodes are attempting to communicate thereon.
Previous efforts to increase the efficiency of a wireless network have included the following, all of which are assigned to the same entity as the present application and which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,949,760, entitled "Simultaneous Channel Access Transmission Method and a Multi-Hop Communications Radio Network";
U.S. Pat. No. 5,719,868, titled "Dynamic Distributed, Multi-Channel Time Division Multiple Access Slot Assignment Method for a Network of Nodes";
U.S. Pat. No. 6,487,186, titled "A Method and Apparatus for Managing Communication Resources Using Bootstrap Slots";
U.S. Pat. No. 6,504,829, titled "A Method and Apparatus for Managing Communication Resources Using Channelized Neighborhoods";
U.S. Pat. No. 6,628,636, titled "A Method and Apparatus for Managing Communication Resources Using Neighbor Segregation";
U.S. Pat. No. 6,317,436, titled "A Method and Apparatus for Managing Communication Resources Using an Adaptive Broadcast Cycle (ABC)";
U.S. Pat. No. 6,331,973, titled "Unifying Slot Assignment Protocol Multiple Access System";
U.S. Pat. No. 6,574,206, titled "A Method and Apparatus for Managing Communication Resources Using Speculation Slots";
U.S. Pat. No. 6,600,754, titled "A Method and Apparatus for Managing Communication Resources Using Standby Slots"; and
U.S. Pat. No. 6,574,199, titled "Unifying Slot Assignment Protocol Logical Neighborhooding".
One way of dealing with high network density is to segregate groups of nodes onto separate channels, thereby reducing the number of nodes that need to share any one channel. Another reason to isolate a group of nodes on a separate channel is for exchanging routine communications in support of a common mission. In either case, it is challenging to coordinate communications between nodes of different channels.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a communications network that efficiently manages a large number of nodes.
It is another object of the invention to provide a communications network that efficiently manages a plurality of nodes on a plurality of channels.
It is a further object of the invention to provide such a communications network that effectively coordinates communications between nodes on different channels.
A feature of the invention is the use of bootstrap slots on a common channel to coordinate inter-channel coordination, and an additional series of bootstrap slots on each channel, broadcast to nodes within one hop of a broadcast node, to coordinate intra-channel communications.
An advantage of the invention is the easy incorporation of heuristics to increase the efficiency of communications in a wireless network.

Heuristics for combining inter-channel and intra-channel communications in a wireless communications environment


A flow rate meter for determining the mass or flow rate of flowing air, having a temperature-dependent measuring resistor disposed in an air bypass conduit. The air bypass conduit has a convergent portion in the region of the measuring resistor in which the air flow is accelerated. As a result of the air flow the effects of any air disturbances upon the measuring element are reduced. The following geometric relationships are advantageous: l.sub.1 /l.sub.s >3.8, l.sub.1/2 >1.5, l.sub.1 /1.sub.3 >2.0, l.sub.1/4 >9.0, l.sub.5 /l.sub.s >1.5, l.sub.5 /l.sub.6 =1.7 to 1.9, b.sub.1 /b.sub.s >40.0, b.sub.1 /b.sub.2 >2.0, l.sub.1 /b.sub.1 >3.5, and l.sub.5 /b.sub.3 =5.5 to 6. The air flow rate meter is especially suitable for determining the mass or flow rate of aspirated air in mixture-compressing engines with externally supplied ignition as well as air-compressing, self-igniting engines.

The invention is based on an air flow rate meter for determining the mass, or flow rate, of a flowing medium.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,527,423 discloses an air flow rate meter for determining the mass of a flowing medium, in particular of the air aspirated by an internal combustion engine, which comprises a Venturi-like portion of a main flow conduit and an air bypass conduit that discharges into the main flow conduit in the flow direction in a narrowest cross section of the Venturi-like portion. A disadvantage in this arrangement is that the output signal of a temperature-dependent measuring resistor disposed in the air bypass conduit does not correspond, in every engine operating state, to the mass of air actually aspirated by the engine. Deviations from the output signal generated by the measuring resistor from the value corresponding to the air flow rate are caused by pulsations in the air flow when the throttle device is fully opened and by return flow effects of the portion of the aspirated air flowing through the air bypass conduit under certain load conditions. To avoid these measurement errors, an air bypass conduit is proposed in which the ratio of the flow length is 3:1 relative to the flow length of the main flow conduit.
In another known device for determining the mass or flow rate of the aspirated air, in which a temperature-sensitive measuring resistor is also disposed in an air bypass conduit, it has been found that the characteristic curve of the measuring resistor has an unfavorable course in some ranges, with a curvature that does not vary uniformly with an increasing flow rate of the medium. Ranges of constant slope alternate with those of variable slope. This characteristic is the result of a detachment zone that forms directly downstream of the measuring resistor and impedes the flow around the measuring resistor. This detachment zone, in which unsteady flow conditions, characterized by periodic vortex separations at a downstream trailing edge of the measuring resistor, prevail, is generally known as a Karman vortex street. From the negative pressure prevailing in the vortices, a flow that oscillates transversely to the main flow develops in the direction of the negative pressure regions, leading to the aforementioned wrong characteristic curve.
The disturbances in the flow around the measuring resistor that lead to the wrong characteristic curve do not occur in every operating state of the engine in the same way, and this limits the replicability of the characteristic curve of the measuring resistor. The quality of the output side of the measuring resistor is also lessened by signal noise superimposed on the output signal.


An apparatus for communicating with an external apparatus through a network includes an image capture unit configured to capture an image of a subject, a superimposing unit configured to superimpose a character upon the captured image, a reception unit configured to receive color information indicating a color relating to the superimposed character, and a setting unit configured to set an outline color of the superimposed character based on the received color information.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus, a method for controlling the apparatus, and a program and, more particularly, to a technique for superimposing information such as an image upon a captured image.
Description of the Related Art
Currently, a function of superimposing an image such as certain characters, a certain figure, or the like upon another image at a certain position is known. For example, an on-screen display (hereinafter also referred to as OSD) function of displaying an OSD image in another image at a fixed position and the like are known.
In Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-163258, an image device that outputs control command data for OSD to an interface cable and an image device that receives the control command data output to the interface cable are disclosed.
The above technique only combines OSD data with an image signal from an image signal supply source on the basis of the control command data. Therefore, a foreground color in a superimposed image and a background color in the superimposed image become similar to each other, thereby undesirably making the superimposed image difficult to recognize.

Apparatus, method for controlling apparatus, and program


A dual-band inverted-F antenna includes a ground substrate, a radiating body, a first ground part, a second ground part and a feed point. The ground substrate has a ground surface. The radiating body at least has a first side, a second side, a third side, and a split. The first side and the second side form a first included angle, while the second side and the third side form a second included angle. The third side is disposed opposite to the first side, and the split is positioned from the first side to the second side. The first ground part is extended along the third side with a first distance away from the second side. The second ground part is extended along the second side with a second distance away from the first side. A third distance is set between the feed point and the second side.

1. Field of Invention
The invention relates to a dual-band inverted-F antenna and, in particular, to the dual-band inverted-F antenna, which has reduced dimensions and increased operation bandwidth.
2. Related Art
Antenna is a key element for transmitting and receiving the magnetic wave in the wireless communication system. Without the antenna, the wireless system could not transmit and receive information. As a result, the antenna plays an important role in the wireless communication. Choosing a proper antenna not only is helpful to match up with the outward appearance of products, but also can improve the signal quality of the transmission or reception. Moreover, a proper antenna also can reduce the production cost. According to different product application, the antenna can be designed in various ways and made of various materials. Besides, the usable band is different in every country. Therefore, there are lots of points should be considerated. At present time, IEEE 802.11, DECT, and 802.15.1 (Bluetooth) are common standards of the usable bands. Among them, the usable band for DECT is 1.88 GHz, and that for Bluetooth is 2.4 GHz. The 802.11 includes 802.11a and 802.11b/g standards, which has the band of 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz respectively.
In the prior art, the antenna body is made of a coaxial cable or a printed circuit board. Because of the material and the structure of the conventional antenna, it is high cost to produce the antenna. In addition, the dimension of the conventional antenna is not easily minimized, and the performance thereof is hardly controlled.
Recently, dual-band inverted-F antennas have been developed. It's very common to be applied in the wireless communication system, since its small dimension, simple structure, and good gains.
According to FIG. 1, the conventional dual-band inverted-F antenna 1 for receiving or transmitting signals has a radiation patch 11, a shorting pin 12, a feed point 13, and a ground plate 14. In this case, the shorting pin 12 is disposed on one side of the radiation patch 11 and the radiation patch 11 electrically connects to the ground plate 14. The feed point 13 connects a feed node of the radiation patch 11 to the ground plate 14. Thus, the inverted-F antenna 1 is obtained.
For the inverted-F antenna to receive or transmit the signals in some bands, a current should be fed in from the feed point so as to induce resonance in the radiation patch 11. Utilizing the generated band according to resonance, the antenna can receive or transmit signals of specific band. Additionally, if another radiation patch (not shown) is disposed on the radiation patch 11 through a connecting portion, the inverted-F antenna could be applied to two different bands.
As described above, the band of the conventional inverted-F antenna only covers some ranges. Consequently, different countries have different limitations in the usable bands. The inverted-F antenna products cannot be applied into different country areas. In additional, it's hard to minimize the dimension of the antenna applied for the smaller electronic products.
Therefore, it is an important subjective to minimize the dimension of the inverted-F antenna, increase the effective bandwidth of the inverted-F antenna, and manufacture the inverted-F antenna products, which can meet needs of more countries.


The present invention prevents the DLL from locking into the wrong phase, harmonic lock and hang. The detection is independent of temperature, voltage and process that the DLL is running. Including these mechanisms in the DLL design, the operating frequency range of the DLL can be extended significantly. Also many design blocks in the main loop can be reused for these additional circuitries, the design time of this DLL is much faster than to design a whole new hang or harmonic lock prevention circuitries.

Delay Locked Loop (DLL) architectures are used in many applications to synchronize system clocks and to generate precise strobes in order to meet the stringent set up time and hold time requirement of the high speed system. Many DLL operating frequency ranges, however, are limited. One problem is that the loop may lock into a wrong phase.
Over different temperatures, voltages and processes variations, the operating range is hard to precisely control. What is needed is a way to prevent the DLL from locking into a wrong phase and is independent of process, temperature and voltage variation.

Delay locked loop with harmonic lock and hang prevention architecture


The present disclosure provides a semiconductor structure including a substrate, a first die vertically over the substrate, a second die vertically over the substrate and laterally separated from the first die with a gap, and an insulation material in the gap. The substrate is at least partially overlapped with the gap when viewed from a top view perspective, and a Young's modulus of the substrate is higher than that of the insulation material.

Electronic equipment using semiconductor structures is essential for many modern applications. With the advancement of electronic technology, the semiconductor structures are becoming steadily compact while having greater functionality and greater amounts of integrated circuitry. With the increasing functionality and compact scale of the semiconductor structure, numerous manufacturing operations are implemented with increased complexity.
The manufacturing, operations of the semiconductor structure involve many steps and operations on a compact and thin semiconductor structure. The manufacturing of the semiconductor structure in a miniaturized scale is becoming increasingly complicated. An increase in complexity of manufacturing the semiconductor structure may result in deficiencies such as poor electrical interconnection, delamination of components, or other issues, resulting in a high yield loss of the semiconductor structure and increase of manufacturing cost. As such, there are many challenges for modifying a structure of the semiconductor structures and improving the manufacturing operations.

TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY LTD.


Electronic devices are provided with a protective housing having one or more housing components. A housing component can be formed from a single sheet of material to appear as if the housing component had been formed from a hollowed out solid block of material. The sheet of material may be deep drawn, forged, and machined to form the housing component. One or more holes may be formed through a portion of the housing component to provide an I/O interface.

Some known electronic devices (e.g., computers and telephones) include at least one internal electronic component associated with the operation of the device and a protective housing that at least partially encloses the internal electronic component. Typically, the housing includes one or more housing components that serve to surround the internal electronic components at a peripheral region of the electronic device so as to cover and protect the internal components from adverse conditions.
Cosmetic features are important to consumers of electronic devices, as these features help create the overall impression that one has of the electronic device. Therefore, the housing may also be configured to form and aesthetically enhance the outward appearance of the electronic device. For example, the shape, contours, and/or color of the housing may be designed so as to create a positive impression about the electronic device, thereby contributing to the overall success of the device in the market place.
However, most known housings include multiple disconnected housing components that are joined together to surround the internal electronic components. The joining of multiple housing components traditionally create visible intersection locations, thereby making the outward appearance of the housing non-uniform.
Accordingly, what is needed are apparatus and methods for producing housing components of electronic devices that are aesthetically pleasing.

Housing components for electronic devices


There is disclosed a method of manufacturing a plurality of removable permanently magnetized elements from a substrate comprising ferrite material. The method prints symbol images on the substrate with an offset, automatic sheet-fed press, and die cuts the symbol images on the substrate with an automatic sheet-fed die cutter to form a plurality of elements forming portions of the substrate. Thereafter, the method magnetizes the ferrite material to permanently magnetize the substrate and form the plurality of permanently magnetized elements. The method reduces wastage, permits for improved substrate registration, more accurate symbol placement on the substrate, higher production speeds, and reduced labor costs.

Sheet permanent magnet material is a well-established commercial product, and usually is made by mixing powdered high-permeability ferrite material into a uniform mixture with a suitable settable plastic vehicle. The mixture is converted into strip or sheet form, and the plastic vehicle is set to provide a permanent stable product that usually is somewhat flexible, and that can readily be handled and made into elements of any desired shape by cutting and/or stamping. The ferrite material is permanently magnetized so that the resulting elements can act individually as permanent magnets. The magnetic field of this material is of sufficient strength that the elements will adhere to a magnetizable metal surface, such as the surface of an iron or steel sheet, even through a sheet of paper or thin cardboard. A popular application of such materials is thin, flat magnets having on what is called for convenience in description their outer surface a decorative pattern and/or information, such as advertising. These magnets are adherable to the sheet steel door of a refrigerator, where they can also be used to hold sheets of paper, etc. thereon. Ferrites and the resultant sheet materials are inherently somewhat dark in colour, and therefore it is usual to cover the sheet outer surface with a thin layer of a lighter coloured material, usually a plastics material, on which the decorative patterns etc. can be printed. Another application for these elements is in a space planning kit as disclosed in my U.S. Pat. No. 5,505,620 issued Apr. 9, 1996.
A current method of manufacturing these magnetic elements involves the first step of screen printing symbols representative of the space planning elements onto a sheet of magnetic material. The next step is to is die cut or stamp out the elements along the symbol edges. While this two step process appears to be simple, it is a rather involved and requires considerable care by an operator to minimize wastage or scrap.
In the screen printing step a film is first produced of the desired image. A printing screen is then "shot" to have the image transferred to a screen. The non-image area is blocked out to prevent ink from being "pushed" through to the sheet. The screen is positioned on a press relative to registering stops that are used to hold the material in a set placement. If the screen press has a steel bed press surface, the user has to position an insulating sheet on the bed to prevent the magnetic sheet from interacting with the steel bed and interfering with proper positioning prior to printing. Ink is poured upon the screen after determining the proper viscosity for the desired resolution of the print image. After this set-up process, the magnetic substrate sheet is positioned against the register stops, and the print machine is activated, whereby the screen is automatically lowered, a squeegee is dragged over the screen, pushing ink onto the substrate. The screen is then lifted, and the process is repeated. The printed sheets are hand-removed, and placed on large drying racks, then stacked for transportation to a die cutter.
This screen printing step is cost efficient for a low number of sheet printing runs as compared to offset-press printing which has a cost benefit for sheet printing runs at around 300 sheets and up for each set-up. However, screen printing is slow and depending upon the resolution of the image needed, the screen image tends to get blocked up with dried ink, and has to be cleaned repeatedly. Further the above set-up procedure has to be repeated for each colour of a multi-coloured job, furthering the potential for waste or scrap. In this process, the amount of waste product becomes dependent on the skill of the operator particularly during the positioning of the sheet with the registering stops. The registration of the sheet during printing is critical and must always be in the same place for every print. If not, the sheet material is wasted during the die-cutting of the sheet as the precise location of the die cutting does not align with the screen printing borders for the symbols.
This screen printing step is manual and the operator requires, and acquires, a skill to accurately carry out the process. After a few set-ups, the monotony of the procedure results in the chances of operator error increasing with each sheet printed.
Further for multi-coloured projects that require consistency from colour-to-colour to get the image quality desired, the registration issues are more compounded when compared with one-colour jobs.
Because of the force needed to push the ink through the screen, the sheet may also be subject to stretching, which affects the image quality and accuracy when the sheet is die-cut.
After the screen print process, the printed sheet is sent to the die-cutters where the setup consists of installing a complex patterned die and the die is set to cut against the register or a "feed-corner" of the sheet. This is theoretically the exact same position that the screen printer used. This is where the registration inconsistencies and material deformation becomes apparent from sheet to sheet printed. In some instances this inconsistency in registration has resulted in scrapping as much as 10-15% of the printed sheets. The die cutting process is also a manual fed process. Due to the magnetic properties of the sheet, the die cutting step is subject to the same problematic issue with a steel bed as discussed above in the screen printing step.
An in-line, high speed manufacturing process of magnetic products is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,869,148 issued Feb. 9, 1999 to Silverschotz et al. This in-line process takes a substrate and applies printing to the substrate. The ink is dried and the substrate is scored. Next a magnetic slurry is applied to the substrate over the printing. The magnetic slurry is then magnetized and the sheets are cut to desired dimensions. This high speed manufacturing process requires, in addition to know how of printing and scoring, the know how of making the substrate into a magnetic substrate by the application of the magnetic slurry and subsequent magnetization of the substrate. It is a more complex and costly procedure for manufacturers of mid size and small runs who find it more practical to acquire sheets of permanent magnet materials and then screen print and die cut these sheets.

Method of manufacturing permanently magnetized elements