Fluid diversion measurement systems and methods are described. One system includes a section of tubular having a main flow passage and a fluid diversion port, the section of tubular adapted to be either moving or stationary during a fluid diversion operation, at least two sensors in the section of tubular, at least one sensor located upstream of the fluid diversion port and at least one sensor located downstream of the fluid diversion port, each sensor adapted to measure a parameter of a fluid diverted into a wellbore through the fluid diversion port; and means for using the measured parameters in realtime to monitor, control, or both monitor and control diversion of the fluid. This abstract allows a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the disclosure. It will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. 37 CFR 1.72(b).

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates generally to oilfield fluid diversion systems and methods, and more specifically to fluid diversion measurement systems and methods that may use a pre-job design that may be executed and evaluated in realtime to ensure treatment fluid is efficiently diverted in a reservoir.
2. Related Art
It may be appreciated that stimulation diversion processes and systems have been in use for years. Typically, stimulation diversion processes and systems are comprised of downhole production logging tools (PLT), radioactive tracers with gamma ray detection tools and fiber optic strings measuring distributed temperature. These measurements in the PLT usually have single pressure, single flow meter, gamma ray and temperature. The data from these downhole tools are realtime when an electric cable and/or fiber optic fiber is connected inside the coiled tubing string, or in memory mode when the data is collected after the job.
The main problems with conventional stimulation diversion processes and systems are that interpretation of the measurements, whether gathered in realtime or delayed, may be difficult. In most cases, interpretation will come hours after the data is collected. If the telemetry system is not hardwired to the surface, the delay time/data time to the surface also becomes a hardship on timing for interpretation. Another problem with conventional stimulation diversion processes and systems is that the measurements were not designed to provide a qualitative answer to the service that is being performed. One of the many services is flow diversion of fluid into a reservoir section of a well. Another problem with conventional stimulation diversion processes and systems is that they were never designed to run on the end of oilfield tubulars such as coiled tubing. This is especially true for the logging tool flow meters which are designed to be run on the end of cable. This makes them vulnerable to damage. Existing systems also typically use a wired cable in the coiled tubing that increases weight while decreasing reliability.
While existing processes and systems may be suitable for the particular purpose to which they address, they are not as suitable for processes that may use a pre-job design that may be executed and/or evaluated in realtime to ensure treatment fluid is efficiently diverted in a reservoir. Previously known processes' and systems' use of multiple sensors and/or measurements were typically not strategically placed or adapted for flow measurements in coiled tubing and/or drill pipe.
In terms of the types of flowmeters, spinners are commonplace for measuring downhole flowrates, profiling flow velocities across the flowpath, and determining the phase distributions if multiple phases are present. Spinners are known to be fragile in certain circumstances and are prone to blade breakage, bearing damage, and jamming by foreign objects. This is especially true in 'barefoot' well completions where the wellbore may not be smooth. Debris accumulation on the low side of the hole may damage or even destroy a spinner. FIG. 1 illustrates schematically a horizontal well, 12, having low-side debris accumulation 14. Therefore, because of the vulnerability of the mini-spinners it is worthwhile considering alternative technologies that could replace them within the stimulation and treatment environment. Indeed, even though the risk of damage in the stimulation application is lower than the production logging application, an alternative type of flowmeter may be worth evaluating.
Electromagnetic flowmeters for the measurement of the velocity of conducting fluids are commercially available. Increasingly they are becoming available for less conducting fluids despite the technical challenges. The electromagnetic flowmeter principle is described in relation to FIG. 2. The operation of electromagnetic flowmeters is based on Faraday's law of electromagnetic induction. Electromagnetic flow meters (sometimes referred to as magnetic flowmeters, or simply magmeters) measure the velocity of fluids in a pipe, and if the pipe cross-sectional area is known then they may measure the volumetric flowrate. Full-bore magmeters usually comprise a non-magnetic pipe 16 lined with an insulating material (not illustrated). Electromagnetic coils (not illustrated) create the required B-field and a pair of electrodes 17, 18 penetrate the pipe and its lining as illustrated schematically in FIG. 2. As a fluid flows through the magnetic field (B) generated by the coils, a voltage (E) is developed across electrodes 17, 18. The voltage will be proportional to the velocity (V) of the liquid. Usually, as the magnetic field density and the pipe diameter are fixed values, they are converted into a calibration factor (K) giving a simple relationship between voltage and fluid velocity:E=K×V Magmeters may measure flow in both directions, as reversing fluid direction will change the polarity but not the magnitude of the signal. Magnetic flowmeters may detect the flow of clean, multi-phase, dirty, corrosive, erosive, or viscous liquids and slurries as long as their conductivity exceeds the minimum required for the particular design. The expected accuracy and range of the better designs are from 0.2-1% of rate, over a range of 10:1 to 30:1, if the flow velocity exceeds 1 ft/sec [31 cm/sec]. At slower flow velocities (even below 0.1 ft/s [0.3 cm/sec]), measurement error increases, but the readings remain repeatable, which is key for logging tool applications. Originally, magmeters could detect the flow of conductive fluids only. Early magmeter designs required a minimum fluidic conductivity of 1-5 microsiemens per centimeter for their operation. The newer designs have reduced that requirement a hundredfold to between 0.05 and 0.1 microsiemens, and maybe now much lower.
Insertion type electromagnetic flowmeters may be built and such a meter is illustrated schematically in FIGS. 3A and 3B. The relationship between the magnetic field, induced voltage and fluid velocity must respect Faraday's law as illustrated schematically in FIG. 3A. A plan view, FIG. 3B, is illustrated schematically and its symmetry ensures a similar response to a fluid flowing in either direction.
Use in insulating fluids is feasible but design challenges are much greater due to the high source impedance, triboelectric ('static charge') voltage noise and a mean impedance linked gain function (therefore mixing-law dependent). The equation then becomes:E=G(K×V)where G is a function of the mean mixture dielectric constant. Meters such as this have been considered for application to surface flow measurements, for example U.S. Pat. No. 4,920,795 to Dowell Schlumberger discusses an electromagnetic flowmeter for conductive or dielectric fluids and its applications in oilfields in particular, but the product did not develop due to technology limits then present. General magmeter designs may use capacitive electrodes which permit function with insulating deposits (e.g. an oil film) but would usually need a modulated magnetic field and therefore require an electromagnet to generate the B-field which could impose strength limitations due to coil design/size and current limitations.
From the above it is evident that there is a need in the art for improvement in monitoring oilfield fluid diversion systems and methods.

Fluid diversion measurement methods and systems


The invention relates to a sensor arrangement including a torque sensor for measuring the torque acting on a first shaft and including a rotational angle index unit. The first shaft is supported by at least one bearing, the seal of the bearing including a magnetic index encoder that is detected by at least one magnetic sensor element.

More and more electronically assisted steering systems are used in modern motor vehicles. For controlling said steering systems it is necessary to detect the driver's command. A torque sensor is usually used for controlling the steering system. For determining the steering angle it is possible to determine the steering position using an intelligent commutation sensor of the steering assistance motor and a simple index sensor.
Owing to the desire to minimize the installation space in the axial direction, a solution with an additional fastening element is disadvantageous.

Sensor arrangement comprising magnetic index encoder in a bearing seal


Quality degradation of a radiograph obtained from a stimulable phosphor sheet used repeatedly for radiography can be suppressed by an image data correction apparatus. Light emission characteristic storage means stores light emission change characteristic data and section storage means stores a position and a range of each of areas in the sheet obtained by dividing the sheet. Cumulative radiation dose acquisition means obtains an accumulated radiation dose for each of the areas, and light emission change rate acquisition means finds a light emission change rate representing a change in an amount of emitted light in accordance with the accumulated radiation dose for each of the areas, by using the light emission change characteristic data. Correction means corrects a value of image data obtained by reading each of the areas, for the change in the amount of the light with reference to the light emission change rate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image data correction method and an image data correction apparatus. More specifically, the present invention relates to an image data correction method and an image data correction apparatus for correcting image data read from a stimulable phosphor sheet used repeatedly for radiography. The present invention also relates to a program for causing a computer to execute the image data correction method.
2. Description of the Related Art
A radiography system using a stimulable phosphor (storage phosphor) is well known. A stimulable phosphor stores a part of energy of radiation emitted thereon, and releases the stored energy in the form of light in proportion thereto in response to exposure to a stimulating ray such as visible light. In a radiography system, an image of a subject such as a human body is recorded in a stimulable phosphor sheet, and the sheet is scanned with a stimulating ray such as a laser beam to cause the sheet to emit light. The light is then photoelectrically read to obtain an image signal, and a radiograph generated from the image signal is used for diagnosis. In the radiography system, a residual part of the radiation energy is released from the stimulable phosphor sheet by irradiation of the sheet with an erasing ray after the radiograph is read from the sheet. The stimulable phosphor sheet can then be used again for radiography.
In the radiography system, shading may be observed in the form of uneven density in the radiograph generated in the above manner, due to uneven scanning of the stimulable phosphor sheet with the stimulating ray or due to uneven detection of the light emitted from the sheet. Therefore, a method of measuring an effect of shading (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 1(1989)-099372) and a method of correcting shading (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 64(1989)-086759) are known.
Meanwhile, a light emission characteristic of a stimulable phosphor, comprising a stimulable phosphor sheet changes, due to repeated exposure to radiation for radiography. More specifically, a stimulable phosphor is altered by exposure to radiation, and the light emission characteristic (a characteristic in an amount of light emitted upon exposure to a stimulating ray of a predetermined condition from the sheet having been exposed to radiation of a predetermined dose) changes in proportion to an accumulated dose of radiation. Furthermore, in radiography described above, a center part of the sheet generally receives radiation having passed through a target and thus having weaker strength while a peripheral part of the sheet receives radiation not having passed through the target and thus having no change in the strength. Therefore, the dose of radiation increases in the peripheral part than in the center part. In addition, transmissivity varies from part to part in the target. Therefore, even in the center part of the sheet, the radiation exposure varies from point to point.
Consequently, a difference becomes larger in the accumulated dose of radiation between the center part and the peripheral part and among different points in the center part due to repeated radiography of various kinds of subjects. As a result, an amount of light emitted from each point becomes different even in the case where the sheet has received the same amount of radiation and has been exposed to the same amount of stimulating ray. Therefore, uneven density is observed in the image read from the sheet. In other words, uneven density is observed in the radiograph because the light emission characteristic becomes different between areas wherein the accumulated dose of radiation varies. The accumulated dose of radiation refers to a total amount of radiation the sheet has ever received. In the case where the amount of radiation on the sheet changes from point to point as has been described above, the accumulated dose of radiation varies from area to area in the sheet.
Especially, in the case where a stimulable phosphor sheet is used for radiography in a radiation therapy apparatus (such as an apparatus described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 9(1997)-239044) for curing by exposing a lesion to radiation of a much larger dose, such as radiation of 1 million times the strength of diagnostic radiography, an amount of radiation on the sheet becomes larger even in a single radiography operation. Therefore, the change in the light emission characteristic becomes apparent in some cases even if the sheet has been used in radiography for a limited number of times.

Method, apparatus and program for image data correction


A multiple function hydroponics system consisting of three major components; a plant pot container, a reservoir container and a pumping chamber. The plant pot container has a drainage tube down into the reservoir, this drainage tube height is adjusted to determine the upper level that the liquid can reach within the plant pot container. For a ebb and flow type operation of the assembly there is a siphon tubes from the bottom of the plant pot container back into the pumping chamber to drain the plant pot container each cycle. For top down watering or a drip system a watering tube assembly is installed so that each plant has an fluid outlet opening. The liquid pumping chamber, which contains a cycling container, is connected to the bottom of the reservoir with tubing and a one way valve allowing liquid to enter. When in the top down watering mode, the height of the drainage tube within the plant pot container is lowered so as to allow complete drainage back into the reservoir. The incoming pressurized air coming into the pumping chamber enters at the lowest level so as to aerate the water. In operation with the cycling container resting near the bottom of the liquid pumping chamber the gas within the system is expanded in the pumping chamber, the resultant pressure build-up in turn force's liquid out of the cycling container tube and the siphoning tube. When the chamber's liquid reaches a predetermined level, the pressurized gas is released to the atmosphere through the cycling container tube, liquid from the plant pot container refills the pumping chamber through the siphon tube, and the reservoir as the pumping chamber is now open to the atmosphere. When the pumping chambers refill to a predetermined level, the cycling container sinks and the cycle repeats.

1. Field of the invention
This invention relates generally to hydroponic systems and more particularly to hydroponic systems with a pump powered by expansion of air or gas.
This invention relates to the assembly and integration with an existing patent (described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,662,459 of Newby) which is a liquid pump, to components that will enable the pump to circulate the fluid in a multiple functioning hydroponic system.
2. Description of Prior Art
The addition of various chemicals to water had been found to produce a solution in which plant life flourished. By the 1920's the preparation of chemical mixtures had been standardized and various methods of usage of these mixtures had been developed. However not all of the methods had yet been developed.
The ebb and flo hydroponics method of growing plants was developed during the 1940's by Robert B. and Alice P. Withrow. They used inert gravel as the growing medium The plants were alternately flooded and then drained, thus giving the plants the maximum amounts of both nutrients and air to the plant roots. This method later become known as the gravel method of hydroponics and also as nutriuculture.
Another meted of applying the nutrient to the plants is that of sub-irrigation. The nutrients are periodically fed to the plants from below the roots. This method is called the sub irrigation method. It is very similar to the ebb and flo method. In present day large scale commercial greenhouses plants are grown from seeds or small plants to harvest. This process is mainly controlled by automation.
A modern example of an open system pump that can be used in the automated sub-irrigation or gravel method is found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,662,459 of Newby, a simplified version of an open system pump is shown. It is shown to include a hollow chamber, a cycling container disposed within the chamber, and a flapper type check valve.
Briefly, the invention includes a hollow chamber, with an attached float and a hollow cycling container, open at the top, disposed within the chamber. The cycling container is coupled to a pipe which is attached to a flexible tube joint near the bottom of the enclosure wall, the joint in turn is coupled to the a outer pipe on the outside of the enclosure. This allows communication between the cycling container and the outside pipe. When the cycling container is empty it becomes buoyant. Whenever the cycling container is buoyant the pressurized gas within the chamber will escape. Whenever the cycling container is submerged the gas entering through the input pipe will be contained and the pressure within the chamber will rise until it forces water out of the output pipe. The circular arc distance the cycling container can travel upward is determined by the length of the output pipe attached. Whenever the cycling container is raised to the level the pipe length will allow, the container will be rotated into a position that allows water to enter, the container loses its buoyancy and sinks to the bottom of the chamber. Once again the cycling container is submerged and the gas entering the chamber through the input pipe is again captured.
An advantage of the invention is that it is an open system mechanism, the gas is vented to the atmosphere between each cycle. This design allows for simplified construction and reduces the need for expensive pumps or timing mechanism to cycle the fluid.
Another advantage of this invention is the unique design of a cycling container to utilize the forces of buoyancy and gravity to recycle the system.

Gas driven hydroponic system with a liquid pump outlet pipe connected to a variable buoyant float


An optical device includes an optical element that transmits or reflects light, and scans the light onto a target surface to form a latent image on the target surface. The optical element includes a conducting portion that is located on at least any one of a light transmitting surface and a light reflecting surface, and a bias applying unit that applies a predetermined bias to the conducting portion.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical device, and an image forming apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
There have been utilized optical devices that include a light emitting element such as laser diode (LD) or light emitting diode (LED) to irradiate a target surface, and project an image from the target surface on various positions. Some image forming apparatuses, for example, copiers, printers, scanners, and facsimile machines, include such an optical device. In the optical devices and image forming apparatuses, if the performance is deteriorated by contamination of the surface of the optical element, treatments are usually performed to prevent contamination, to provide the optical element surface with contamination resistance, or to minimize performance deterioration even if the optical element is contaminated. If such treatments do not work well, contamination is removed or the optical element is replaced.
To prevent the contamination of the optical element surface or provide the optical element with the contamination resistance, a process is shut down that causes the contamination, a layout is provided that minimizes influences of gravity (a method of preventing horizontal layout), or a coating is applied that hardly attaches matters that can contaminate the surface.
To minimize the performance deterioration even if the optical element is contaminated, an image is enlarged on an optical path and focused on an irradiated surface, the amount of light is increased depending on the degree of contamination, or image processing is performed. Although there are many methods for removing contamination, such methods are not necessary if contamination is suppressed to a degree that the performance deterioration does not occur.
Meanwhile, electrophotographic devices with superior productivity and handling property become widely used as image forming apparatuses. Minimization of toner particles that influences greatly improvements in image quality has progressed. As toner particles have electric charges with a predetermined polarity because of their image forming function, they are easily attracted electrostatically. Therefore, measures against contamination of optical elements caused by toner are required.
For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H8-244277 discloses a conventional technology in which contamination of an optical system is prevented through the use of a power source that is effective for preventing contamination of charging wires and electrostatic absorption for attracting floating toners.
According to the conventional technology, contamination of an optical system is prevented by attracting floating toner around an optical element electrostatically. Toner that is actually floating in the image forming apparatus is usually moving not slowly but quickly to some extent because of airflow generated in the image forming apparatus.
Toner does not remain around the optical element but collides with the optical element to be attached thereto or removed therefrom. A few kilovolts of voltage must be applied to generate efficiently, on an electric field, an attraction force that is sufficient to detach once electrostatically attracted toner from the optical element by a predetermined spatial distance. Measures against leakage to the vicinity need to be also considered.

Optical device and image forming apparatus


A method and system for detecting, in real time, resource requirements of a system in virtual environment and automatic scaling of resource parameters to compensate resource requirement in a system. The Virtual machine controller constantly measures resource utilization in the servers and virtual machines associated with it. If a resource requirement is detected with any virtual machine, the automatic resource scaling system detects the type of resource to be scaled and scales the selected resource. Further, the resource may be scaled up or scaled down, based on the requirements. Further, the scaled resource may be CPU, RAM, disk or any such resource. The proposed system helps to save space and power without compromising security, performance and accessibility.

A virtual machine is a logical computing unit which is formed on a physical computing unit and works similar to a physical computing unit. A virtual machine may be categorized as a system virtual machine and a process virtual machine. A system virtual machine provides a complete system platform that supports the execution of a complete operating system. A process virtual machine is designed to run a single program. A virtual machine facilitates co-existence of multiple OS environments on the same computer.
The resource utilization of a virtual network changes dynamically. Resource utilization is less at times when fewer numbers of systems are accessing the resources and/or data traffic in the network is low. Whereas, when more numbers of users are accessing the resources and/or data rate is high, resource utilization is very high. At the time of resource overloading, resource scaling is to be done to overcome the overloading condition. In existing virtual machine systems at the time of resource requirement, allocation of new resources and/or freeing of existing resources are done manually. In a web hosting industry, where resource requirements change dynamically, manual adjustments may affect the system efficiency and throughput.

Method and system for real time detection of resource requirement and automatic adjustments


An actuator assembly includes a housing, a piston rod, and a lost motion device. The housing defines a housing bore that extends along a first axis from a first housing end towards a second housing end. The piston rod is at least partially disposed within the housing bore. The piston rod defines a piston bore that extends from a first piston end towards a second piston end along the first axis. The lost motion device is at least partially disposed within the housing bore and extends into the piston bore. The lost motion device and the piston rod are arranged to move relative to the housing along the first axis.

Exemplary embodiments pertain to the art of linear actuators for opening a gas turbine engine nacelle.
A gas turbine engine is generally provided with a cowl or door that is movable to allow access to perform maintenance tasks. A ground service technician may operate an actuator to move the cowl or door between an open position and a closed position. Relative motion between the nacelle and a gas turbine engine fan case may impart a load to the actuator that may affect sealing performance of seals associated with the actuator.
Accordingly it is desirable to provide a more robust actuator that is less susceptible to imparted relative motion and loads.

Actuator assembly with lost motion device


A method and apparatus for providing motor vehicle sub-assemblies with unrestricted model mix and quick changeover between models. The apparatus includes a track; a carriage mounted for longitudinal movement along the track between first and second positions; and first and second turrets rotatably mounted on the carriage at longitudinally spaced locations and each including a plurality of circumferentially spaced individual faces and unique tooling fixtures on the respective faces for receiving unique work piece components corresponding to a plurality of motor vehicle body styles.

A typical motor vehicle assembly plan is set up to produce several different body styles or models on the same assembly line. Each body style requires unique sub-assemblies and each sub-assembly requires unique end effector tooling. In the prior art, in order to change end effector tooling to effect a body style changeover at a sub-assembly location from a first model to a second model, robots are utilized to move the end effecter tooling corresponding to the first model from the sub-assembly location to a suitable storage location, all of the energy feeds for the tooling are decoupled, the robot picks up new tooling corresponding to the second model, the energy feeds of the new tooling are coupled to the robot, and the robot moves the new tooling to the sub-assembly location. This entire procedure is time consuming and inefficient especially in a random model mix assembly plant where the body style is frequently changed.


A one-step correction mechanism for voice interaction is provided. Correction of a previous state is enabled simultaneously with recognition in a current or subsequent state. An application is decomposed into a set of tasks. Each task is associated with the collection of one piece of information. Each task may be in a different state. At any point during the interaction, while a task/state pair is active, the dialog manager may enable multiple other task/state pairs to be active in latent fashion. The application developer may then use those facilities or resources to the active task/state and the latent task/state pairs depending on contextual condition of the interaction state of the application.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to data processing and, in particular, to computer voice interaction. Still more particularly, the present invention provides one-step correction of voice interaction.
2. Description of Related Art
An interactive voice response (IVR) system is an automated telephone information system that speaks to the caller with a combination of fixed voice menus and realtime data from databases. The caller responds by speaking words or short phrases. Applications may include, for example, bank-by-phone, flight-scheduling information, and automated order entry and tracking. IVR systems allow callers to get needed information without the expense of employing call centers with human operators. IVR systems may also used as a front end to call centers in order to offload as many calls as possible to costly human agents.
As an example, an IVR system may reside in a data processing systems equipped with special expansion cards that contain digital signal processor (DSP) chips. These specialized processors may connect to a telephone system that switches telephone calls. IVR systems may also be networked, although IVR systems may be present in a stand-alone data processing system or as a client application on an end user machine.
One problem associated with speech applications is correction. Correction is the process of identifying, locating, and replacing incorrect or misrecognized values returned by the speech recognizer. For example, a user is prompted to speak some piece of information by a prompt player device, which is driven by a dialog manager. The user speaks into a microphone device and the speech recognizer receives the speech signal, decodes it, and extracts the spoken piece of information, which is then sent to the dialog manager. The dialog manager interprets the information received from the speech recognizer and instructs the prompt playing device to play the next prompt. The next prompt could be, for example, a request for some other piece of information, a confirmation, or correction or reentry of the current piece of information.
In an IVR, the input of the user is prone to being misrecognized. This may be due to the nature of the speech recognition device, for example. Typical speech applications take these mistakes into consideration and make use of mechanisms that indicate when and where a possible misrecognition has taken place. Correction mechanisms are then used to correct and possibly re-capture the piece of information until the system is confident that a correct value is received from the speech recognition engine.
Typically, correction mechanisms are activated when the dialog manager has poor confidence in information received from the speech recognizer. A typical process implemented in many systems involves two or more steps. The first step is to identify the intention to correct as well as the attribute to be changed. The second step is to capture a new value for the attribute. For example, consider the following interaction:
System:Where would you like to make the payment?User:In Austin--correction turn 1--System:Was that Boston?User:No.--correction turn 2--System:Let's try again. Where would you like to make the payment?User:Austin--next information prompt--System:Got it! And how much would you like to pay?User:Two hundred dollarsIn the above example, the user has to go through two additional interaction turns compared to a case where the system does not make any mistake.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method, apparatus, and computer program product for one-step correction of voice interaction


A solid-state imaging device includes a semiconductor layer on which a plurality of pixels are arranged along a light-receiving surface being a main surface of the semiconductor layer, photoelectric conversion units provided for the respective pixels in the semiconductor layer, and a trench element isolation area formed by providing an insulating layer in a trench pattern formed on a light-receiving surface side of the semiconductor layer, the trench element isolation area being provided at a position displaced from a pixel boundary between the pixels.

The present disclosure relates to a solid-state imaging device and an electronic apparatus, and particularly to a solid-state imaging device including a trench element separation area and an electronic apparatus including the solid-state imaging device.
A solid-state imaging device includes a plurality of pixels arranged along a light-receiving surface side of a semiconductor substrate. The respective pixels include a photoelectric conversion unit provided in the semiconductor substrate, and a color filter and an on-chip lens provided on the upper side of the semiconductor substrate.
In the solid-state imaging device having such a configuration, if light that has obliquely entered a light-receiving surface leaks to a photoelectric conversion unit of an adjacent pixel, the light leakage becomes a factor to cause color mixture and color shading.
In this regard, a configuration in which trench element isolation areas that separate the photoelectric conversion units of the pixels are formed in the semiconductor substrate on the light-receiving surface side, and a light-shielding film is provided in the respective trench element isolation areas to prevent light leakage from occurring between adjacent pixels, has been proposed. In such a configuration, the width of an opening of the trench is narrowed at a shallow position on the light-receiving surface side, and a light-shielding film is embedded only in the trench at the shallow position. Accordingly, it is possible to form a light-shielding film without generating a void, and to block light between the pixels effectively (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2012-178457).

Solid-state imaging device and electronic apparatus


There is provided an optical film. The optical film comprises a first surface defined by a first surface structure function modulated by a second surface structure function such that the first surface acts to diffuse light incident on the film, wherein the first surface structure function has a function of a microlens structure, and the second surface structure function has characteristics to provide the diffuse light. The optical film may be incorporated into a number of optical devices and structures.

Optical devices incorporating diffusion films that diffuse light incident upon the films are known. For example, diffusion films may be added to liquid crystal display (LCD), or other display structures to diffuse light. In a typical LCD display diffusion is introduced to a backlight assembly by adding separate diffusion films.


A computer system includes a main system that executes an application in cooperation with a human user. An auxiliary system evaluates problems that occur in the main system. The auxiliary system includes a service module that collects problem related data from the main system, an acquisition module that acquires knowledge representations, a knowledge module that stores knowledge representations, an inference module that processes problem related data with knowledge representations to identify solutions and that forwards the solutions through the service module to the main system. The auxiliary system distinguishes a context of the problems and distinguishes versions of the main system.

Electronic data processing uses integrated and distributed computer systems with complex architecture. Coupling different computers over networks (e.g., Internet) enhances functionality but adds complexity and increases maintenance.
Each computer system operates in the complexity of hardware (e.g., computers and network) and software (e.g., operating systems, applications, databases).
Problems are deviations from the predefined operation of the computer system that are caused by malfunction of hardware or software or by improper input by the user. To name a few examples, components like processors suddenly fail, applications occasionally provide wrong results, and users sometimes manipulate data.
Problems often remain hidden from the user. Once detected, the user engages in problem solving. For example, the user reads documentation papers, activates help functions (e.g., predefined advices, often obtained via online services), looks up in databases to identify advices ("notes"), makes experiments, or tells problem symptoms to specialists (e.g., through phone hotline, email, Internet portal).
A majority of users relies on passive assistance; only a minority actively solves the problem. There are further challenges: For example, sensitive data remains with the authorized user but is shielded from specialists (data protection); users and specialists might introduce further errors. In any case, problem solving remains time consuming and expensive.
Further, heterogeneous system landscapes have systems that differ for example, by manufacturer, release version, and application. Each difference increases the number of potential problems and corresponding solutions. Selecting solutions becomes critical.
There is a need to improve problem solving by mitigating disadvantages of the prior art.

Systems and methods for identifying solutions to computer problems using contexts and versions


Embodiments disclosed herein provide systems and methods for compelling a cell selection metric to indicate that a wireless cell is not suitable for communications. In a particular embodiment, a method provides receiving system information from a base station of a visited wireless communication network. The method further provides calculating a cell selection metric from cell selection parameters within the system information and a cell selection offset stored in the wireless communication device, wherein the cell selection offset causes the cell selection metric to indicate an unsuitable wireless cell. The method further provides receiving a request for a data connection from an application executing on the wireless communication device and, in response to the request, recalculating the cell selection metric from the cell selection parameters without the cell selection offset. The method further provides determining whether the wireless cell is suitable for communications based on the cell selection metric.

Many wireless network operators enter into roaming agreements with one or more other wireless network operators. The roaming agreements allow wireless devices to exchange wireless communications with visited wireless networks when a home wireless network, to which the wireless devices are subscribed, is not available. Moreover, a roaming agreement may allow a visited wireless network to provide wireless connectivity over a protocol that is not available on a home wireless network in the same area despite the home wireless network offering connectivity in the area over other protocols. For example, the visited wireless network may provide service in the area using both 3G and 4G wireless protocols while the home wireless network only provides service using the 3G protocol. Thus, even though the home wireless network is available in the area, a wireless device may be able to roam on the visited wireless network using the 4G protocol.
The roaming agreements discussed above typically require a fee be paid the home wireless network operator to the visited wireless network operator for the use of the visited wireless network. Moreover, these fees may vary depending on the protocol used by a wireless device when roaming. Accordingly, limiting when a wireless device roams and what protocol the wireless device uses when roaming may help minimize roaming fees paid by the home wireless network operator.
Overview
Embodiments disclosed herein provide systems and methods for compelling a cell selection metric to indicate that a wireless cell is not suitable for communications. In a particular embodiment, a method provides receiving system information from a base station of a visited wireless communication network, wherein the system information includes at least a portion of cell selection parameters for a wireless cell of the base station. The method further provides calculating a cell selection metric from the cell selection parameters and a cell selection offset stored in the wireless communication device, wherein the cell selection offset causes the cell selection metric to indicate that the wireless cell is not suitable for communications. The method further provides receiving a request for a data connection from an application executing on the wireless communication device and, in response to the request, recalculating the cell selection metric from the cell selection parameters without the cell selection offset. The method further provides determining whether the wireless cell is suitable for communications based on the cell selection metric.

Cell selection offset used to indicate wireless cell unsuitable for communications


A portable computing device, including a latch apparatus and system, may include a rotatable high wear plastic oversnapping arm, a pivot portion on the portable computing device, and an enclosure door with a geometric mating feature. The oversnapping arm may be configured to rotate 90° about the pivot portion to snap over the geometric mating feature and secure the enclosure door in a closed, latched position. As the oversnapping arm is rotated downward, its progress may be frictionally impeded by the geometric mating feature. Applying downward pressure on the oversnapping arm towards the physical interference may cause the oversnapping arm to bend over the interfering feature and snap into a closed, geometrically interlocked position. In the closed, latched position, the oversnapping arm may apply a positive pressure against the enclosure door. The positive pressure on the enclosure door increases the environmental sealing capabilities by putting additional pressure on the existing environmental seal.

In recent years, decreased prices and increased processing capability have resulted in a dramatic increase in the use of portable computing devices. Personal and professional consumers alike are attracted to portable computing devices because, among other things, some are lightweight and mobile. With portable computing devices, users can perform computing tasks in various places outside the confines of a traditional workstation area.

Over-center latch apparatus for a portable computing device


Provided is a method of manufacturing an electronic apparatus, the method including approximating a surface of a three-dimensional (3D) structure with two-dimensional (2D) meshes, forming a developed view by developing the 2D meshes, manufacturing an electronic apparatus having the same shape as a shape of the developed view, and attaching the electronic apparatus to the surface of the 3D structure.

Recently, design elements of electronic apparatuses have become a significant factor in purchasing electronic apparatuses, and accordingly electronic apparatuses having a predetermined curved surface have been introduced. For example, flat-panel display apparatuses according to the related art have been developed into curved display apparatuses, flexible display apparatuses, etc., and moreover, research has been conducted into stretchable display apparatuses having a deformable shape. However, an electronic device such as a display apparatus is manufactured in a flat state, and thus a curved surface generally maintains a flat state in a direction even when a flexible display apparatus has a curved shape. That is, the Gaussian curvature is 0.

Electronic apparatus attachable to surface of 3D structure having curved surface and method of manufacturing the same

Seoul National University R&DB Foundation


A micromirror array lens includes a plurality of micromirrors, and reproduces a predetermined free surface by controlling rotation and/or translation of the micromirrors. The micromirror is controlled by control circuitry, upheld by a mechanical structure, and includes a reflective surface. The predetermined free surface of the lens is changed by controlling rotation and/or translation of the micromirrors. The micromirrors are arranged in one or more concentric circles to form the lens. The micromirror has a fan shape, a hexagonal shape, a rectangular shape, a square shape, or a triangle shape. The reflective surface of the micromirror is substantially flat. The control circuitry is constructed under the micromirrors by using semiconductor microelectronics technologies. The micromirrors are actuated by electrostatic and/or electromagnetic force. The reflective surface of the micromirror is made of materials with high reflectivity. The lens is used for an imaging apparatus, video monitoring camera, a camcorder, etc.

The present invention relates to a micromirror array lens with free surface. More particularly, this invention relates to a micromirror array lens with free surface that enables high performance with compactness.
Spherical lens cannot converge parallel rays into one point. Therefore, many lenses are combined to correct it. In those cases, since many lenses are assembled, there is limitation in achieving high performance of a large-aperture lens with compactness.
On the other hand, if an aspherical lens with desired free surface which can gather rays at one point is used, it can converge parallel rays into one point with a single lens. It can reduce volume and weight of optical system. High optical performance is also possible.
For this reason, an aspherical lens has been used for beam projector, projection TV, CD-ROM pickup, DVD player, laser printer, laser scanning unit, etc.
But, it is difficult to make an aspherical lens with actually required complicated aspheric surface of accuracy less than 0.1 μm with existing machine performance. In addition, it is difficult to measure the misbehavior of the lens produced with less than 0.1 μm accuracy. On the other hand, micromirror array lens with free surface can form aspherical lens with accuracy less than 0.1 μm.

Micromirror array lens with free surface


A semiconductor memory device according to an embodiment comprises a stacked body, a semiconductor layer, a charge accumulation layer, and a slit portion. The stacked body includes a plurality of control gate electrodes stacked above a substrate. The semiconductor layer has one end thereof connected to the substrate, and faces the plurality of control gate electrodes. The charge accumulation layer is positioned between the control gate electrode and the semiconductor layer. The slit portion extends in a direction of the substrate from a surface of the stacked body, wherein the slit portion has its longitudinal direction in a direction intersecting the first direction.

Field
Embodiments described herein relate to a semiconductor memory device and a method of manufacturing the same.
Description of the Related Art
A flash memory that stores data by accumulating a charge in a charge accumulation layer, is known. Such a flash memory is connected by a variety of systems such as NAND type or NOR type, and configures a semiconductor memory device. In recent years, increasing of capacity and raising of integration level of such a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device have been proceeding. Moreover, a semiconductor memory device in which memory cells are disposed three-dimensionally (three-dimensional type semiconductor memory device) has been proposed to raise the integration level of the memory.
In such a three-dimensionally structured semiconductor memory device, there is a problem that as a stacking number increases, warping of a substrate occurs due to stress of stacked films.

Semiconductor memory device and method of manufacturing the same


A rolling line for long products having a starting nominal transverse dimension between 120 and 180 mm and a final nominal transverse dimension between 4 and 25 mm. The rolling line comprises at least one roughing assembly, an optional reduction and sizing assembly, a fast pre-finishing assembly, and a fast finishing assembly. The optional reduction and sizing assembly having three rolling passes for finishing the long products when their final nominal transverse dimension is in a range between 20 mm and 25 mm. The fast pre-finishing assembly having a plurality of rolling passes, wherein the products are subjected to a same reduction sequence up to the last rolling pass of the plurality of rolling passes. The fast finishing assembly is provided for finishing the long products when their final nominal transverse dimension is lower than 20 mm and has four rolling passes comprised as two separate modules, each having two rolling passes. At least the fast finishing assembly and the reduction and sizing assembly are associated with a changing assembly for quickly changing equipment according to the required reduction of the transverse dimension of the long products. A method for rolling feedstock having a starting nominal transverse dimension between 120 and 180 mm to become long products having a final nominal transverse dimension between 4 and 25 mm. is also provided.

In the field of the production by rolling of long products such as bars, rods, wire rods, etc. the great competition between the producers entails more and more the need to meet very strict processing parameters in obtaining products of a high quality at ever lower costs and with ever shorter times.
To be more exact, the requirements of the steelmakers as directed to the designers of plants concern the possibility of meeting the following specifications:
dimensional tolerances in a range between .+-.0.08 mm. and .+-.0.1 mm. over the whole range of dimensions of the rolled product (this range of dimensions in this type of plant being generally between 4.0 and 25 mm.); PA1 a speed of finishing of the product higher than 120 mts/sec. and even as high as 140 mts/sec.; PA1 a speed of production of the line at least equal to 120 tons/hr.; PA1 a percentage of discarded material not greater than 3%; PA1 a factor of plant usage at least equal to 90%; PA1 the ability to carry out a finishing process at a low temperature on the whole range of products so as to obtain a high surface and inner quality of the finished product.
All these specifications are not normally met as a whole in the conventional rolling plants, or at least are not met over the whole ranges of products which can be produced by the line.
This situation is due to a plurality of causes which arise mainly from the arrangement of the lay-out of the plant and from the rolling methods conventionally employed, particularly in the change from one dimensional range of products to another.
The rolling method in the conventional plants, which includes a great number of specialised finishing passes for each type of section, entails the necessity of performing frequent and long processes for the change of equipment, and these processes involve long times and the use of labour, thus reducing the factor of exploitation and therefore the efficiency of the plant.
Moreover, in the conventional rolling plants the necessity of performing in separate steps the cropping of the spirals of the leading and trailing ends of the coil entails the use of additional personnel with a resulting increase in costs and in working times for the completion of the process.
Moreover, the conventional rolling method causes the necessity of discarding a great quantity of material, and this situation is now unacceptable in the present rolling plants.
All these problems have induced the present applicants to design a rolling line suitable to meet the above specifications by providing an improved rolling method which improves the characteristics of exploitation and efficiency of the rolling plant, thus achieving a great financial advantage in the production of rolled steels together with quality levels and the ability to repeat those qualities hitherto unattainable in conventional plants.
For this purpose the present applicants have designed, tested and embodied this invention.
This invention is set forth and characterised in the respective main claims, while the dependent claims describe variants of the idea of the main embodiment.
The purpose of the invention is to obtain an improved rolling method and also a rolling line which performs this improved method, the method and the line being such as will optimise the efficiency of a plant performing the rolling of long products, at the same time enabling a product to be made of a high surface and inner quality which is characterised by very small dimensional tolerances.
Another purpose of the invention is to provide an optimised line suitable to work on the whole range of products with shorter and faster operations for the change of equipment, with less use of manual labour and therefore a saving of the labour force and with an improved logistical occupation of space.

Method for the rolling of long products and rolling line which performs that method


A system includes a display device, a memory configured to store a visual analysis application and image data including a plurality of images including detectable objects; and a processor, operatively connected to the memory and the display device. The processor is configured to execute the visual analysis application to learn generative factors from objects detected in the plurality of images, visualize the generative factors in a user interface provided to the display device, receive grouped combinations of the generative factors and values to apply to the generative factors to control object features, create generated objects by applying the values of the generative factors to the objects detected in the plurality of images, combine the generated objects into the original images to create generated images, and apply a discriminator to the generated images to reject unrealistic images.

Autonomous driving research aims to build safe and reliable systems that operate beyond their original design environment. This is because a complete interpretation of the environment is not possible at design time. Most of the current systems perform well within only a limited set of situations. Beyond these situations, the performance is potentially unknown and unpredictable. Ensuring that the artificial intelligence (AI) system will make reasonable decisions in all situations becomes a critical task.
Deep neural networks (DNN) are one of the most widely deployed machine learning models nowadays due to its superior performance in many challenging tasks such as object recognition in images, event detection from audio signals, machine translation, and so on. The ability of DNNs to learn and generalize beyond training data makes it particularly suited to open context systems. In fact, deep learning enables computers to learn tasks that seemed to be intractable for computer programs before.
However, this approach still faces challenges. For example, its generalization is limited to the training data scope. As a result, the behavior of large-scale black-box deep learning models is still unpredictable for rare events or unseen cases. As another challenge, deep learning models are susceptible to crafted perturbations called adversarial examples that, when added to natural examples, lead deep neural network models to make wrong predictions.

Involved generative machine learning models for functional testing


Package for a group of cigarette packs which are surrounded by an outer wrapping (11) made of paper, foil, thin cardboard or the like. For easy opening of such a package for cigarette packs in particular, a perforated line (27) is formed in the region of a long side wall (17), specifically in the region of a separation plane (14) between subgroups of the cigarette packs (10).

The invention relates to a (cuboid-shaped) package for a group of cigarette packs which is surrounded by an outer wrapper made of foldable packaging material such as paper, foil, thin cardboard.
Packages for cigarettesxe2x80x94so-called cigarette cartonsxe2x80x94are large packages consisting of a plurality of individual cigarette packs. One very widespread type of package consists of ten cigarette packs which are divided into two rows. The cigarette packs of one row lie with their front or rear side against the cigarette packs of the adjacent row. The contents of the package so arranged are held together by an outer wrapper made of foldable packaging material, primarily paper or thin cardboard in the case of packages for cigarettes.
The ease of opening of such packages is in need of improvement, in particular for retailers in case the entire contents of the package is to be removed and, for example, inserted in a vending machine.
The object underlying the invention, therefore, is to provide a package of the type mentioned initially with an opening aid which when used makes the access to the package contents easier. In addition, the purpose underlying the invention is to propose a method and device which are suitable for the mechanical attachment of the opening aid to the package.
In achieving this stated object the package according to the invention is characterized by the following features:
a) the group of cigarette packs is surrounded on all sides by the outer wrapper,
b) the cigarette packs are arranged in (two) rows of packs in such a way that a continuous separation plane is formed between the two rows of packs,
c) the separation plane extends in the region of side walls of the outer wrapper,
d) the side wall exhibits a weakened line, in particular a perforated line,
e) the weakened or perforated line extends in the region of the separation plane of the pack rows (approximately) along the full length of the side wall.
A package of the preferred embodiment has an extended cuboid-shaped form, with a large-surface front and rear side, narrow long side walls and with small end walls formed by folding. According to the invention, the perforated line extends along at least one of the side walls, with said wall exclusively exhibiting the perforated line which runs in the longitudinal direction of the side wall.
The perforated line ensures quick and easy access to the total contents of the package. The perforated line can be split along its full length by manual intervention. Thus the total contents of the package are immediately exposed for removal.
The method according to the invention is such that a continuous web of material for the outer wrapper is provided with transversely-directed weakened or perforated lines, which preferably are centered on the material web and end at a distance from the side edges of the material web, and that following the correctly positioned application of the weakened or perforated line the blanks are severed from the material web.
The device according to the invention for the manufacture of packs or blanks for the outer wrapper is equipped with a perforation tool arranged in the region of a perforation station which applies the perforated line, specifically during a temporary standstill phase of the material web, either by means of a perforation tool which can be moved back and forth transversely to the material web or by means of a perforation blade, which applies the complete perforated line in a single working stroke.

Package, especially for a group of cigarette packs, plus method and device for manufacturing same


A tying mechanism comprising a bill hook, twine holding device for holding strands of twines, a cutting arm adapted for cutting twines between the bill hook and the twine holding device while moving between a rest position and an extended position, a drive adapted to make the bill hook perform at least a first full rotation and a second full rotation and to move the cutting arm from the rest position to the extended position and back during a full operation cycle to form respectively a first and a second consecutive knot wherein the tying mechanism further comprises a tension regulating mechanism able to provide and regulate the tension exerted to the twine holding device during the operation of the tying mechanism.

Rectangular bales are able to maintain their shape by means of a series of parallel extending twine loops, provided lengthwise around the bales. Balers typically use automatic knotters by which e.g. two knots are made on every loop for binding a bale. An example of such a knotter system for a baler is disclosed in EP 1 584 227 in the name of the Applicant, the disclosure of which is included herein by reference. The knotter system disclosed in EP 1 584 227 has the advantage that two consecutive knots can be formed during one operation cycle, without the formation of twine tails.
A problem with the knotter system of EP 1 584 227 is that, in particular for high density balers, the twine loop is not able to resist the high pressure exerted by the bale. When the bale is formed and moved out of the baling chamber, the compressed crops forming the bale will expand resulting in pulling on the twine. If this pressure is such that the twine loop cannot resist this pressure, it will open at the weakest point in the loop. In the case of the twine loop formed with the baler of EP 1 584 227, the weakest point in the loop is the standard knot. This type of knot has the problem that due to the way it is knotted, the twine ends are able to slide with relation to each other when being pulled on at each end. That way, the knot will open up.
When using more expensive twine, the resistance against slipping is improved, due to the structure of the twine. These type of twine have an internal netting structure with small barbs on the fibres of the netting structure. Due to this netting structure with the barbs, the twines will be entangled more in the knot and will thus be able to withstand the pulling force on the twines. However, the resistance against slipping is limited and it was noticed that this expensive twine is no longer capable of withstanding the pulling force when high density bales are being formed with a baler as disclosed in EP 1 584 227.
Another problem which was noticed with the knotter system of EP 1 584 227 is that the fibres of the twines are often damaged. This damage occurs due to the fact that the twines or strands are firmly gripped by a twine holder in the twine disk. The contact between the strands and the twine holder and twine disk, in combination with the pulling of the rotating bill hook will result in the damage of some of the fibres. If some of the fibres are damaged, this location in the twine will be a weaker point in the closed loop. Depending on the strength of the formed knots and the degree of damage of the fibres of the twine, it is very well possible that the twines will break at the point in the loop where the strands were held when forming the knots.
Reference is also made to the BE application filed by the Applicant on 16 Oct. 2012 with the title 'Knotter system for a baler', the disclosure of which is included herein by reference. In this application, it was the object of the invention to improve the removal of the second loop knot from the bill hook by maintaining the cutting arm in the extended position after the second rotation of the bill hook. In this application, as is the case with EP 1 584 227, the second knot will be formed as a loop knot, while the first is still a standard knot.
The object of the present invention is to further improve the knotter system of EP 1 584 227 and more in particular to realize a knotting cycle without leaving loose ends while providing two knots with improved resistance against opening of the knot and with a limited damage to the fibres of the twine.


A mitigation system comprises a plurality of types of mitigation devices which execute a defense function against an attack, and a control device which selects, if it is detected that an attack has been performed on a network to be monitored, one of the plurality of types of mitigation devices, which executes a defense function in accordance with the type of the attack.

There is a technology of performing an attack on a communication apparatus connected to a network. As an example of an attack technology, there is an attack (hereinafter, simply referred to as an attack) which makes it difficult to provide a service to a communication apparatus subjected to an attack. As specific examples of the attack, there are Denial of Service attacks and Distributed Denial of Service attacks. As a defense technology against DDoS attacks, there is a technology of reducing a communication load by introducing traffic transmitted from an attack source communication device to a specific device (hereinafter, referred to as a "mitigation device," "Mitigation" means "mitigation"). In addition, a technology for selecting different defense methods for DoS attacks and DDoS attacks has been proposed (for example, refer to Patent Literature 1).

Control device, mitigation system, control method, and computer program


An electric power trading support system includes a demand prediction unit, a demand prediction error evaluation unit, a demand predicted value upward adjustment ratio (quantity) setting unit, a private power generation/power purchase ratio (quantities) setting unit, an optimization unit for evaluating optimum values of the demand predicted value upward adjustment ratio (quantity) and the self power generation/power purchase ratio (quantities) based on costs, and a display unit for displaying the optimum values evaluated by the optimization unit, maximizing profit to an electric power retailer by minimizing the cost for power generation and power purchase when the electric power retailer sells electric power by use of a private power generator and backup electric power purchased from an electric power company.

The present invention relates to an electric power trading support system to be used by electric power retailers (recently appearing since the deregulation or liberalization of the electric power industry) when the electric power retailer sells or supplies electric power generated by its own private electric generator to customers (customers demanding electric power) together with electric power (backup electric power) purchased from other suppliers (electric power company, electric power exchange/market, other electric power retailers, etc.), and in particular, to an electric power trading support system for letting the electric power retailer estimate and predict the demand of the electric power and evaluate, examine and optimize the planning of the ratio between the private power generation and the power purchase (backup power) or the quantities of them in order to increase the profit.
Until recently, electric power was generated by electric power companies only. In order to let the electric power companies plan operation schedules of power generators on the next day, various techniques for predicting electric power demand on the next day have been developed, in which prediction techniques employing a neural network, multiple linear regression analysis, etc. are well known.
Since electric power companies were the only provider of the electric power, fluctuation of the electric power demand on the day of power generation used to be taken care of by each electric power company, by adjusting the output level of its own power generators. In a method disclosed in JP-A-2002-84661 (hereinafter referred to as "patent document #1"), the amount of electric power to be generated by each power generator (or to be covered by each power purchase contract) for supplying sufficient electric power to the customers is determined starting from a power generator (or power purchase contract) of the lowest cost, under several conditions such as whether the demand/supply of each power generator (or the power purchase contract) can be adjusted on the day, minimum power generating capacity (or minimum power purchase quantity), etc.
In a method disclosed in JP-A-2001-327074 (hereinafter referred to as "patent document #2"), an electric power retailer gathers information on the demand of each customer by use of a network, predicts the electric power demand of the next day, and presents the result of the electric power demand prediction of the next day to each customer. Each customer is allowed to declare the amount of electric power to be used on the next day easily and precisely based on the electric power demand prediction result presented by the electric power retailer. In a method disclosed in JP-A-2002-315191 (hereinafter referred to as "patent document #3"), each customer is commissioned to predict its own electric power demand, and the electricity charges are changed depending on the accuracy of the prediction made by the customer.
Meanwhile, more and more electric power retailers are appearing in recent years since the deregulation of the electric power industry. The electric power retailer generates electric power by its own private power generator and supplies the generated electric power. If the electric power retailer owns a private power generator having a power generating capacity adapted to peak electric power demand, operating ratio of the private power generator remains low and the profits to the electric power retailer declines. Therefore, in peak hours, the electric power retailer purchases backup electric power (hereinafter, also referred to as "backup power") from an electric power company, an electric power exchange, another electric power retailer, an owner of a private power generator having surplus power, etc. Since storage of electric power is generally impossible and it is also difficult to rapidly increase/decrease (especially, rapidly increase) the amount of power generation, the electric power retailer who purchases the backup power has to previously report or declare expected quantities of hourly power purchase (demand) to the supplier of the backup power (electric power company, electric power exchange, another electric power retailer, etc.) prior to the day of power supply. However, if the actual demand deviates from the prediction (the prediction is off) and the electric power retailer uses too much backup power exceeding a threshold value (3% of the contract demand, for example), the electric power retailer has to pay an expensive penalty to the backup power supplier.
On the other hand, even if the quantity of backup power actually used is smaller than the declared power purchase quantity, the electric power retailer has to pay for the declared quantity. The power purchase contract includes such severe conditions that are characteristic of electric power.
The deviation of the actual demand from the prediction is inevitable. Paying the penalty to the backup power supplier can be avoided by estimating the demand a little higher and reporting a little larger power purchase quantity to the backup power supplier, or by setting the ratio of the private power generation at a low level so as to give a safety margin to the private power generator and let the power generator cope with the fluctuation of demand. However, in either case, a lot of the expensive backup power has to be purchased without making effective use of the private power generator which can generate electric power at a low unit cost. Therefore, profitability is necessitated to be deteriorated unless the ratio between the private power generation and the power purchase is set properly.
As described above, reduction of the cost for receiving the supply of the backup power is a critical issue for the electric power retailers.


A lighting circuit for a discharge lamp which reliably detects short-circuiting of, or current leakage from, a discharge. A lighting circuit 1 has DC-AC conversion means 3 for converting a DC voltage from the DC power supply 2 to an AC voltage and supplying the AC voltage to the discharge lamp 9. The lighting circuit further comprises sampling means 4 for sampling a lamp voltage or a lamp current of the discharge lamp 9 in synchronism with a drive signal Sp sent to the DC-AC conversion means 3 to generate an AC wave, and abnormality determining means 5 for determining short-circuiting of, or current leakage from, the discharge lamp 9 based on a detection signal from the sampling means 4. When an abnormality is detected, power supply to the discharge lamp 9 is stopped.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lighting circuit capable of coping with short-circuiting of and current leakage from, a discharge lamp.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, greater attention is being paid to a compact discharge lamp (a metal halide lamp or the like) as a light source for vehicular lamps. As shown in FIG. 11, for example, a known lighting circuit a includes a DC power supply b, a switching power supply circuit c, and a DC-AC converter d.
In this lighting circuit a, a DC voltage, which is acquired by the switching power supply circuit c based on the voltage from the DC power supply b, is converted by the DC-AC converter d to an AC voltage of a rectangular wave, which is in turn supplied to a discharge lamp f via a current-limiting inductive element e.
FIG. 12 shows a lighting circuit g as a known lighting system, which supplies an AC voltage of a negative rectangular wave to a discharge lamp. The lighting circuit g comprises a DC power supply b, a switching power supply circuit h and a DC-AC converter i. In this circuit g, the switching power supply circuit h and the DC-AC converter i generate a negative rectangular wave based on the voltage from the DC power supply b, and this rectangular wave is then supplied to the discharge lamp f via the current-limiting inductive element e.
When one electrode of a discharge lamp contacts a conductive member or the like to cause short-circuiting or the electrodes are wetted with water or the like, resulting in a current leakage, the conventional lighting circuits are likely to suffer increased power loss, which will heat the circuit.
With the discharge lamp f having connector terminals ja and jp as shown in FIG. 11, for example, when a current leakage occurs on the jb side in the lighting circuit a, the output current is separated into a lamp current IL and a leak current Ir as indicated by the arrows.
Although the lighting circuit a tries to perform power control on the discharge lamp based on the lamp current IL of the discharge lamp f or its equivalent current detected (e.g., the lamp current is detected by means of a detecting resistor k provided between the switching power supply circuit c and the DC-AC converter d) at that time, some of the power supplied to the discharge lamp from the switching power supply circuit c leaks out in the phase where the potential at the connector terminal ja is low and the potential at the connector terminal jb is high, the lamp current decreases or the discharge lamp becomes off (IL=0), or the lamp voltage drops (to a level equal to the product of the leak current Ir and leak impedance Z or the product of the lamp current and lamp impedance) and, at the same time, the leak current Ir is not detected. When control is carried out to ignite the discharge lamp f on, for example, the rated power, therefore, the power that is output from the lighting circuit a becomes greater than the rated one due to the leak current.
In the lighting circuit g in FIG. 12, when a current leak occurs, the leak current Ir flows into the lighting circuit from the ground through the leak impedance Z and the leak current flows across a detecting resistor k' provided between the switching power supply circuit h and the DC-AC converter i. This may cause erroneous detection at the detecting resistor k' that is provided to detect the lamp current, so that the discharge lamp f, even in an off state, is erroneously determined as if it is on, as a result of detecting the current that includes the leak current.
One possible way of overcoming this shortcoming is to detect the lamp voltage or its equivalent signal, pass it through a low-pass filter and inhibit the operation of the lighting circuit when the lamp voltage drastically varies.
While this scheme is effective when the discharge lamp becomes off at the time the current leaks in the lighting circuit a in FIG. 11, however, the scheme still has a difficulty in detecting current leakage when the discharge lamp does not become off upon occurrence of current leakage unless the detection sensitivity is increased considerably by properly setting the time constant of the low-pass filter. It is therefore hard to distinguish between the normal lighting of the discharge lamp and the state of the discharge lamp at the time current leakage occurs. The lighting circuit g in FIG. 12 has a similar shortcoming besides a difficulty in deciding the reference level for determining at which pulse width of the detection signal, obtained in response to a drastic variation in lamp voltage, the operation of the lighting circuit should be stopped.
In a case where a drastic variation occurs in the voltage from the DC power supply b, depending on the frequency of the variation, the lamp voltage or the lamp current may show a change similar to what occurs at the time of current leakage, even when short-circuiting of the discharge lamp or current leakage has not occurred. At this time, erroneous detection may happen.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to reliably detect short-circuiting of, or current leakage from, a discharge lamp.


A CAS device receives streaming media content encrypted utilizing a CAS, decrypts the received streaming media content utilizing a CAS module associated with the CAS, and transmits the unencrypted streaming media content to a rendering device. The CAS device may be operable to receive and store an additional CAS module associated with an additional CAS. The CAS device may also be operable to receive unencrypted streaming media content, encrypt the streaming media content utilizing a CAS module, and transmit the encrypted streaming media content. In another embodiment, the CAS device receives streaming media content encrypted utilizing a first CAS, decrypts the received streaming media content utilizing a first CAS module, transmits the unencrypted streaming media content from the first CAS module to a second CAS module, encrypts the unencrypted streaming media content utilizing the second CAS module, and transmits the encrypted streaming media content to a rendering device.

Streaming media content is media content that is constantly received by, and normally rendered to, an end-user while being delivered by a streaming media content provider. Providers of streaming media content, such as the MPEG (moving picture experts group) streams in television (including, but not limited to direct broadcast satellite television) or IPTV (Internet protocol television), typically protect the streaming media content to prevent copying or storing of the content and distribution of that content over channels that are not under the control of the providers. Conditional Access Systems (CAS) may be utilized to protect streaming media content.
Typically, the streaming media content is encrypted. In some streaming media content distribution systems which encrypt content utilizing a CAS, encrypted keys that may be utilized to decrypt the streaming media content, referred to as entitlement control messages (ECM), are distributed in-band with the streaming media content. In order to utilize the ECM to decrypt the streaming media content, the ECM are typically decrypted utilizing an EMM (entitlement management message) key. EMM keys may be distributed out-of-band of the streaming media content and/or in-band with the streaming media content. ECM keys are typically set to expire in a much shorter time period than EMM keys.

Loadable and modular conditional access application


The present invention provides methods and intermediates for the preparation of (1aR,12bS)-8-cyclohexyl-11-fluoro-N-((1-methylcyclopropyl)sulfonyl)-1a-((3-methyl-3,8-diazabicyclo[3.2.1]oct-8-yl)carbonyl)-1,1a,2,12b-tetrahydrocyclopropa[d]indolo[2,1-a][2]benzazepine-5-carboxamide (formula I), including pharmaceutically acceptable salts. The compound has activity against hepatitis C virus (HCV) and may be useful in treating those infected with HCV.

The disclosure relates to methods of preparing (4bS,5aR)-12-cyclohexyl-N—(N,N-dimethylsulfamoyl)-3-methoxy-5a-((1R,5S)-3-methyl-3,8-diazabicyclo[3.2.1]octane-8-carbonyl)-4b,5,5a,6-tetrahydrobenzo[3,4]cyclopropa[5,6]azepino[1,2-a]indole-9-carboxamide (Compound I, formula I), its salts, and intermediates in the preparation of this compound. The compound has activity against hepatitis C virus (HCV) and may be useful in treating those infected with HCV.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major human pathogen, infecting an estimated 170 million persons worldwide. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is the most common bloodborne infection in the USA and worldwide and is the leading cause of liver transplantation (Eric Chak et. al. Liver International 2011, 1090-1101). A substantial fraction of these HCV infected individuals develop serious progressive liver disease, including cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (Lauer, G. M.; Walker, B. D. N. Engl. J. Med. 2001, 345, 41-52).
A number of compounds which are inhibitors of HCV NS5B are in clinical development or have advanced to clinical studies and been discontinued for various reasons. More specific to this application, HCV NS5B inhibitors which bind to a site referred to in the art as Site 1, including Compound I, have been disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,456,166 (issued Nov. 25, 2008; US patent publication 20070270405, published Nov. 22, 2007).
For purposes of large-scale production there is a need for a high-yielding synthesis of compound of formula I and related analogs that is both efficient and cost-effective.

Methods and intermediates for the preparation of (4bS,5aR)-12-cyclohexyl-N-(N,N-dimethylsulfamoyl)-3-methoxy-5a-((1R,5S)-3-methyl-3,8-diazabicyclo [3.2.1]octane-8-carbonyl)-4b,5,5a,6-tetrahydrobenzo [3,4]cyclopropa[5,6]azepino[1,2-A]indole-9-carboxamide


It is intended to provide oily cosmetics (for example, oily cosmetics to be applied to the skin such as oily liniments, oily hair care products such as hair oils) which have excellent effects including an antibacterial effect and are yet safely usable by consumers sensitive to chemicals. Namely, oily cosmetics comprising oily bases such as vegetable oils, mineral oils or mixtures thereof together with tea leaf components.

There have been known oily cosmetics comprising vegetable oils, mineral type oils or mixtures thereof. For example, oily cosmetics containing olive oil, mineral oils or camellia oil have been widely employed for preventing the skin or hair from drying and for moistening the same. In particular, olive oil has been frequently used in Western countries for maintaining the smoothness of the skin or preventing the skin from drying. Immediately after applying olive oil to the skin, however, the skin surface becomes oily and, therefore, miscellaneous bacteria in the air would stick thereon more frequently than the ordinary state. Thus, it is feared that such skin surface might serve as an adequate medium for the growth of the miscellaneous bacteria.
To solve this problem, it has been a practice to add antibacterial compounds to oily cosmetics. However, a large number of artificially synthesized chemicals sometimes cause eczema and skin fit in consumers highly sensitive to chemicals, which makes it necessary to use these oily cosmetics with care. Actually, most of these products are marketed in association with strict instructions.
It is an object of the present invention to provide oily cosmetics which are free from the above problem and thus can be safely used even by consumers highly sensitive to chemicals. This object can be achieved by providing oily cosmetics containing tea leaf components which are natural materials and a process for producing the same. The term "oily cosmetics" as used herein means cosmetics to be applied to the skin such as oily liniments or oily hair care products such as hair oils.
In addition to β-carotene, tocopherol (vitamin E), ascorbic acid, niacin, etc., tea leaves contain substances having purine base such as caffeine and essential oil components such as geraniol. Moreover, it is already known that tea leaves contain various tannins in a large amount. Among all, it is known that much catechins falling within the category called fused tannins are contained therein. As the results of recent studies on effects of catechins contained in tea leaves, it is reported that catechins have a bactericidal and antibacterial effect, a deodorizing effect, an effect of preventing atopic dermatitis, a hypotensive effect and the like.
Since catechins are soluble in water, a special treatment is required to dissolve a sufficient amount of catechins in an oily base (Japanese Patent Publication of unexamined Application No.279758/1994). There have been known cosmetics containing tea extract, for example, cosmetic oils obtained by blending tea extract and vitamin E to linoleic acid (Japanese Patent Publication of unexamined Application No. 78231/1993), cosmetics obtained by blending tea extract, disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate, etc. with lipids containing highly unsaturated fatty acids such as linolenic acid (Japanese Patent Publication of unexamined Application No. 81325/1996), and antibacterial cosmetic compositions comprising as the essential components tea extract containing catechins, tea tree and thyme extract (Japanese Patent Publication of unexamined Application No. 63262/2000). However, there has been known no cosmetic comprising tea extract alone without any other active components.
The present invention aims at producing and providing oily cosmetics which have excellent properties including antibacterial activity and are mild to the skin by totally using various active components typified by catechins contained in tea leaves without resort to any chemicals such as emulsifiers.


The new plant is readily distinguishable from other Ilex vomtoria as the Ilex described herein does not have the same characteristics as other Ilex in growth habit, or foliage color as described in horticultural literature.

This new variety of Ilex vomitoria was found as a sport of Ilex vomitoria `Stokes Dwarf` maintained in the Flowerwood Nursery at Dauphin Island Parkway, Mobile, Ala. The sport was found in September, 1988. The new and distinct Ilex vomitoria plant of this invention comprises a novel and valuable holly plant of dense, compact and attractive mounding habit. This plant is a color sport of `Stokes Dwarf` and exhibits all of ther outstanding attributes of the parent plant but differs primarily from and attractively contrasts with the parent plant in color of new growth. The new growth of this plant is interestingly and clearly red due to anthocyanin, which is of distictly higher concentration than in the parent variety. As with the parent plant, the plant of this invention, which has been named `Condeaux`, may be advantageously employed as a specimen appointment, a ground cover, in either formal or informal groupings, and is quite attractive in mass plantings. The plant serves equally well in foundation plantings or as a single specimen and is adapted for culture as a potted plant. This plant is responsive to pruning and training and may be employed in forming dense, attractive hedges, and maintained without an excessive amount of care. This plant is easy to care for and maintain in size due to its small stature, heavy branching and dense canopy. It is highly drought tolerant, insect and disease tolerant and balanced in growth, and is well adapted to culture in most of the Sunbelt States. Having short internodes, this plant has a natural propensity to remain small and is thereby a valuable contribution to the industry for landscape uses which require a plant which can be maintained in a small size to maturity, so as not to outgrow its intended mature dimensions in home gardens which tend to be smaller by trend.
The low mounding habit of this plant is similar to Ilex cornuta `Rotunda`, however, it doesn't have the dangerous spines which can be a problem when young children are around. This plant can be used in place of Ilex crenata varieties to produce a more colorful landscape which requires less pruning.
Asexual propagation of the new plant by cuttings has been under Mr. Pittman's direction at the same location. The increased number of plants were evaluated and demonstrated stability of the new characteristics from generation to generation.


A Transmit line driver with selectable pre-emphasis and driver signal magnitudes comprises a primary current driver for setting a primary current level and a pre-emphasis current driver that provides an additional amount of current that is superimposed with or added to the primary current level produced by the primary current driver. The pre-emphasis current has either negative or positive magnitude based upon a pre-emphasis signal logic state. A first current selection module defines a reference signal that is used to select the primary current driver output signal magnitude in a first current mirror, while a second current selection module is used to define a second reference signal that selects a pre-emphasis current driver signal magnitude in a second current mirror. Logic generates a binary signal to both the first and second current selection modules to select the current levels as well as the pre-emphasis signal.

1. Technical Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to communication systems and more particularly to line driver circuits used therein.
2. Description of Related Art
Communication systems are known to transport large amounts of data between a plurality of end user devices, which, for example, include telephones, facsimile machines, computers, television sets, cellular telephones, personal digital assistants, etc. As is also known, such communication systems may be local area networks (LANs) and/or wide area networks (WANs) that are stand-alone communication systems or interconnected to other LANs and/or WANs as part of a public switched telephone network (PSTN), packet switched data network (PSDN), integrated service digital network (ISDN), or Internet. As is further known, communication systems include a plurality of system equipment to facilitate the transporting of data. Such system equipment includes, but is not limited to, routers, switches, bridges, gateways, protocol converters, frame relays, private branch exchanges, etc.
The transportation of data within communication systems is governed by one or more standards that ensure the integrity of data conveyances and fairness of access for data conveyances. For example, there are a variety of Ethernet standards that govern serial transmissions within a communication system at data rates of 10 megabits per second, 100 megabits per second, 1 gigabit per second and beyond. Synchronous Optical NETwork (SONET), for example, requires 10 gigabits per second. In accordance with such standards, many system components and end user devices of a communication system transport data via serial transmission paths. Internally, however, the system components and end user devices process data in a parallel manner. As such, each system component and end user device must receive the serial data and convert the serial data into parallel data without loss of information.
Accurate recovery of information from high-speed serial transmissions typically requires transceiver components that operate at clock speeds equal to or higher than the received serial data rate. Higher clock speeds limit the usefulness of prior art clock recovery circuits that require precise alignment of signals to recover clock and/or data. Higher data rates require greater bandwidth for a feedback loop of the recovery circuits to operate correctly according to one embodiment of the invention. Some prior art designs are bandwidth limited.
As the demand for data throughput increases, so do the demands on a high-speed serial transceiver. The increased throughput demands are pushing some current integrated circuit manufacturing processes to their operating limits, where integrated circuit processing limits (e.g., device parasitics, trace sizes, propagation delays, device sizes, etc.) and integrated circuit (IC) fabrication limits (e.g., IC layout, frequency response of the packaging, frequency response of bonding wires, etc.) limit the speed at which the high-speed serial transceiver may operate without excessive jitter performance and/or noise performance.
A further alternative for high-speed serial transceivers is to use an IC technology that inherently provides for greater speeds. For instance, switching from a Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) process to a silicon germanium or gallium arsenide process would allow integrated circuit transceivers to operate at greater speeds, but at substantially increased manufacturing costs. CMOS is more cost effective and provides easier system integration. Currently, for most commercial-grade applications, including communication systems, such alternate integrated circuit fabrication processes are too cost prohibitive for wide spread use.
Modern communication systems, including high data rate communication systems, typically include a plurality of circuit boards that communicate with each other by way of signal traces, bundled data lines, back planes, etc. Accordingly, designers of high data rate communication transceiver devices often have conflicting design goals that relate to the performance of the particular device. For example, there are many different communication protocols specified for data rates that range from 2.48832 gigabits per second for OC48, to 9.95 gigabits per second for OC192. Other known standards define data rates of 2.5 gigabits per second (INFINIBAND) or 3.125 gigabits per second (XAUI). These different data rates affect the allowable rise and fall time of the signal, the peak amplitude of the signal and the response time from an idle state. For example, one protocol may specify a peak voltage range of 200–400 millivolts, while another standard specifies a mutually exclusive voltage range of 500–700 millivolts. Thus, a designer either cannot satisfy these mutually exclusive requirements or must design a high data rate transceiver device that can adapt according to the protocol being used for the communications.
Along these lines, field programmable gate array (FPGA) circuits are gaining in popularity for providing the required flexibility and adaptable performance described above for those designers that seek to build one device that can operate according to multiple protocols. Thus, while FPGA technology affords a designer an opportunity to develop flexible and configurable hardware circuits, specific designs that achieve the desired operations must still be developed.
One design challenge for high data rate communications relates to the physical media of the communications. For example, for high data rate communications, long printed circuit board (PCB) traces and communication lines through one or more connectors are known to seriously degrade signal magnitude and quality. Among other factors, not only is the signal magnitude degraded, but also the relative signal timing. The crossing point of a signal shifts thereby affecting the timing of its' proper detection and interpretation. Accordingly, it is desirable to produce circuits that counteract the aforementioned channel frequency response and associated affects to restore a signal.

DAC based driver with selectable pre-emphasis signal levels