Systems and methods for managing provisioning of keys prior to a key rotation are provided. A license server generates a license that is associated with a renewal time. The renewal time is a time that is prior to a key rotation time, and triggers a receiver device to send a renewal request prior to the key rotation time. The renewal time may be a randomized time prior to the key rotation time that differs for different receiver devices. The license is transmitted to the receiver device. The license server then receives a renewal request from the receiver device that is triggered at the renewal time. The license server generates a next license that comprises a next key, whereby the next key is a decryption key for decrypting the encrypted signal after the key rotation time. The next license is transmitted to the receiver device prior to the key rotation time.

Conventionally, different digital rights management (DRM) systems use different structures to signal availability of a new key (e.g., for live over-the-top (OTT) broadcasts or re-broadcasts). Standards bodies have agreed to allow the DRM system and key (license) identifier to be embedded in the content. One intention of OTT protocols is to use HTTP to allow content to be cached in a network and to efficiently deliver to customers the same content. Typically, the content carries a signal that provides a newer license identifier to the receiver. Thus, all receivers receive the indication that there is about to be a key change at about the same time. This near simultaneous reception, therefore, results in congestion at a license server as each receiver requests the new license from the license server upon receiving the newer license identifier. Furthermore, the content key is typically uniquely encrypted for each of the receivers, which places an even heavier load on the license server.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


When performing imaging in synchronization with a biological movement of an examinee by using a pulse sequence applying a pre-saturation pulse, it is possible to reduce irregularities of echo signal intensity and artifact on the image generated by the irregularities. Especially, it is possible to prevent artifact attributed to blood in the ventricle when performing delay contrast imaging. For this, before measuring the echo signal, an IR pulse or the like for adjusting magnetization to a desired state is applied so as to suppress irregularities of the echo signal intensity and prevent artifact.

In the magnetic resonance imager, it is a practice to perform a delayed contrast-enhanced imaging that extracts a heart muscle in the form of a high signal region based on T1-enhanced imaging through utilization of the property a contrast agent, such as Gd-DTPA, is to aggregate on the heart muscle in the state of necrosis/infarction.
The application of a magnetic field in delayed contrast-enhanced imaging (pulse sequence, hereinafter referred merely to as sequence) is generally based on a procedure as per the following. Namely, after a wait time TD (first wait time) from the R-wave, an inversion recovery sequence is performed by stopping the patient's breath, to apply a slice-non-selective 180-degree-inversion pulse as a pre-saturation sequence synchronously with an electrocardiogram R-wave. Then, a signal-measuring sequence is performed to measure an echo signal after a wait time TI (second wait time) Generally, some 20 echo signals are measured per pulse. By repeating those over 10 to 20 pulses, imaging is made in about 15 seconds per slice.
However, in the delayed contrast-enhanced imaging, it is known that there arises, on the image, an artifact resulting from the ventricular blood. Such an artifact is responsible for the following. Namely, the blood relaxation time T1 is approximately 1500 ms at a static magnetic-field intensity 1.5 T, which is longer as compared to the usual cardiac cycle (from 700 ms to 1 second). In a delayed contrast-enhanced imaging, because inversion-recovery and signal-measuring sequences are performed on every pulse, the longitudinal-magnetization of blood is not fully recovered within the time period of one pulse. Consequently, there encounters the intensity variation of between the echo signals measured on respective pulses. As a result, an artifact occurs on the image reconstructed from the echo signals. Because the blood and the heart muscle are adjacent within the ventricle, the artifact on the image is superposed over the heart muscle, thus lowering the diagnosability.
The art described in (Patent Document 1) is known as a method to prevent the artifact. In the art, a first inversion recovery pulse is first applied to a predetermined slice synchronously with an electrocardiogram R-wave. Then, a second inversion recovery pulse with an notch is applied to a region except for the predetermined slice. Thereafter, an echo signal is measured as to a region included in the predetermined slice, as a slice plane. Namely, by applying twice inversion recovery pulses different in saturation region within a time period of one pulse, an artifact resulting from the intraventricular blood is prevented. This can obtain a sufficient suppression effect for the blood outside the predetermined slice, is described.    Patent Document 1: JP-A-2002-306450
In the delayed contrast-enhanced imaging, artifacts can arise from the intraventricular blood. However, in the art described in (Patent Document 1), the second inversion recovery pulse does not have an effect upon the blood included in the predetermined slice. Thus, there is obtained an insufficient effect in suppressing the intensity variation or the echo signals of from the predetermined slice. This results in an imperfect suppression against the artifact occurring on an image.

Magnetic resonance imaging method and apparatus


A method for treating a marker material includes combining at least one treatment for a marker material, a foaming agent and a solvent to form a marker composition, foaming the marker composition to form a foamed marker composition, and applying the foamed marker composition to a marker material.

Landscaping materials, such as wood chips, wood mulch, gravel, sand, rubber chips, and rubber mulch, are currently available in their normal natural colors, and in some cases, specifically wood chips and wood mulch, are available colored, for example, in black, brown, and red. Rubber chips are available painted for use as playground material. Gravel and sand used in landscaping applications are not commonly available in non-natural colors.
The conversion of natural wood or other plant fiber-based substrates to colored substrates is currently a rather sloppy, inefficient, expensive, and, in some cases, environmentally unfriendly process. In the case of converting natural mulch to colored mulch, or natural chips to colored chips, the process circumstances are highly inefficient. In order to color mulch or chips, a producer of such colored product typically purchases a pigment suspension of an appropriate color, which, if it is carbon to produce a black product, typically ranges from about ten pounds per gallon to about eleven pounds per gallon, and about twenty-five to fifty weight percent carbon pigment. Typically, the carbon suspension is distributed in 55-gallon drums weighing approximately 500 net pounds and containing about 150 to 250 pounds of carbon. Currently, in order to apply this concentrated pigment dispersion to the substrate to be colored, the producer dilutes it with a substantial volume of water, a 60:1 dilution in some cases, bringing the final volume from 55 gallons to as much as 3300 gallons or more. The mulch is essentially then slurried in this highly diluted pigment dispersion. This results in a water saturated product which must be allowed to dry for extended periods of time before it can be used, and still may contain excessive water, adding significantly to the shipping weight and thus the shipping costs.
Some currently available mulch colorant devices can process mulch at the rate of 80-200 cubic yards per hour, consuming about 25-70 gallons of water per minute, or about 1500-4200 gallons of water per hour. This volumetric flow rate converts to about 15 to 20 gallons of water per cubic yard of mulch treated. At a mid-range black color level using a carbon black pigment dispersion, and 200 cubic yards per hour, 3.33 cubic yards per minute, the carbon dispersion feed rate is about 0.5 to 1.5 gpm, corresponding to about 5 to 15 pounds per minute of carbon dispersion or about 1.3 to 5.3 pounds of carbon pigment per minute, where the dispersion is approximately 25 to 35 percent carbon by weight. This corresponds to about 0.4 to 1.6 pounds of carbon pigment per cubic yard of mulch.
Assuming a pigment dispersion having 30 weight percent carbon pigment, in one hour, 200 cubic yards of mulch will be colored, using 3600 gallons of water and 666 pounds of carbon dispersion (or 200 pounds of carbon pigment). Since the wet colored mulch weighs about 700 pounds per cubic yard, the total mass of mulch, wet, is approximately 140,000 pounds, including the added total weight of water of about 30,000 pounds, along with 666 pounds of carbon dispersion, or 30,700 pounds total, added weight. Depending on the substance or substances from which the mulch is made, the untreated mulch may contain anywhere from 10 weight percent to 75 weight percent moisture, from very dry pallet wood to mulch exposed to excessive rainfall. Where the moisture content of the mulch material is essentially about 60+ weight percent moisture, there is little capacity to absorb significant additional water, meaning that the coloring water solution will be mostly wasted.
If the mulch is able to absorb 10 percent moisture weight from the colored water solution, as an example, approximately 13,000 pounds of water would be absorbed and 19,000 pounds, 2278 gallons (60 percent), would be lost as overflow, runoff, or post-treatment bleeding. This is not only an inefficient use of materials, but, depending on the colorant being employed, may also be an environmental hazard.
In the case of coloring rubber chips, a pigmented polymeric composition, essentially paint, is generally used to coat the rubber chips by dip coating, i.e., submersion of the chips in the liquid composition. In this process, the resultant colored rubber chips are covered in wet paint, and therefore the unused paint needs to be separated and the coated rubber chips dried. These coating compositions are water-based so the drying process is either slow at ambient conditions or energy consumptive at elevated (dryer) conditions. The residual unused coating composition is not recoverable, and since this composition is expensive, the loss of material adds to the overall cost of production.
A process capable of more efficient water and pigment consumption, and of reduced moisture content of the colored product would benefit the overall economics and environmental consequences of these coloring processes.

Compositions, methods and devices for enhancing landscaping or marker materials


A production process of a propylene block copolymer, comprising the step (I) of polymerizing propylene alone or a combination of propylene with an olefin other than propylene, in the presence of a defined polymerization catalyst, to form a polymer component (1), and the step (II) of copolymerizing propylene with an olefin other than propylene in the presence of the polymer component (1), to form a polymer component (2), wherein a combination of a transition metal compound such as Zr(OR1)4 and Hf(OR1)4 (R1 being a hydrocarbon group) with an ether group-containing linear hydrocarbon compound and/or a Lewis base compound is added to the above polymerization system between the ending point of the step (I) and the starting point of the step (II), or during the step (II).

As an example of a production process of a propylene block copolymer having a good balance among its impact resistance, stiffness and workability, JP 3325419B discloses a production process comprising the steps of (1) homopolymerizing a predetermined amount of propylene or copolymerizing a predetermined amount of propylene with a predetermined amount of other olefin, thereby forming a slurry of the homopolymer or copolymer, (2) transferring the slurry to a reactor containing a combination of an ether or ester with a dialkylaluminum halide, and (3) further copolymerizing ethylene with propylene in the reactor.

Process for producing propylene block copolymer


After molding a substrate located between first and second molds of a molding system, a used release film that is in contact with the substrate during molding is removed from the molding system with a gripper assembly, which is reciprocally movable between a retracted position outside the molding system and an extended position in a space between the first and second molds when the first and second molds are opened. A carriage mechanism on which the gripper assembly is mounted moves the gripper assembly towards the first or second mold until the gripper assembly contacts the used release film, before an actuator actuates the gripper assembly to clamp onto a part of the used release film. The carriage mechanism also conveys the gripper assembly away from the first mold or second mold to remove the used release film from the molding system.

Semiconductor devices are encapsulated with a molding material to protect the semiconductor chips therein from the external environment. The encapsulation process may comprise mounting a semiconductor chip onto a supporting surface or substrate, such as a wafer or a lead frame, and then introducing a molding material such as an epoxy resin around the semiconductor chip to form molded semiconductor devices.
Film-assisted molding (FAM) is a popular semiconductor device encapsulation process that uses a release film to enhance the encapsulation process. FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a conventional molding apparatus 100 for performing FAM. The molding apparatus 100 comprises a top mold 102 and a bottom mold 104 clamping onto a substrate 106 in a closed configuration, thus forming a molding cavity 120 which is to be filled with a molding material during molding. Semiconductor chips 108 are mounted on the upper surface of the substrate 106, and a release film 110 covers an inner surface of the top mold 102 in the molding cavity 120. The molding material is subsequently introduced into the molding cavity 120 to surround the semiconductor chips 108. Thereafter, the molding material is cured so that it hardens, thus forming a molded semiconductor device.
One of the benefits of FAM is that by covering the inner surface of the top mold 102 in the molding cavity 120 with the release film 110, the molding material does not come into direct contact with the inner surface of the top mold 102 in the molding cavity 120. Thus, the surfaces of the top mold 102 would not be contaminated by the molding material, so that the need to clean or condition the inner surface of the top mold 102 prior to subsequent molding steps is avoided. Furthermore, the release film 110 comprises a resilient material, which is useful for cushioning the various components in the molding apparatus 100 during the encapsulation process and for sealing the molding cavity 120 more tightly in order to improve a vacuum generation capability of the molding apparatus 100.
After the encapsulation process, the top mold 102 separates from the bottom mold 104 to an open configuration, at which point the release film 110 may either adhere to a molded compound surface of the molded substrate 106, as shown in FIG. 2A, or adhere to the lower surface of the top mold 102, as shown in FIG. 2B. One conventional approach to removing the release film 110 from the molded compound surface of the molded substrate 106 or the lower surface of the top mold 102 would involve blowing a stream of air between the release film 110 and the surface to which it adheres in order to detach the release film 110 from the surface. However, this conventional approach is ineffective when the molding material is very sticky or if the molding apparatus 100 is relatively small. Hence, it would be desirable to provide a more effective method of removing the release film 110 from the surface to which it adheres.

Apparatus and method for removing a film from a surface


A guidance prompt used for guidance for a guide branch point ahead of a movable object is selected from among a plurality of potential guidance prompts, based on whether a distance from a guidance starting point where guidance starts to a guidance ending point by which guidance is required to be finished is greater than a distance traveled by the movable object while guidance is being spoken. The selected guidance prompt is then set as the guidance prompt for the guide branch point, and guidance for the guide branch point by the set guidance prompt is performed when the movable object reaches the guidance starting point associated with the set guidance prompt.

In recent years, navigation systems that enable a driver to easily reach a desired destination by providing vehicle travel guidance are often provided in vehicles. The term navigation system here refers to a system configured to detect the current position of a host vehicle using a GPS receiver or the like, obtain map data corresponding to the current position through a network or a storage medium such as a DVD-ROM or a HDD or the like, and display that map data on a liquid-crystal display (LCD). In addition, this navigation system includes a route searching function that searches the optimum route from a point of departure to a destination when a desired destination is input. The navigation system then reliably guides a user to the desired destination by displaying a guide route set based on the search results by the route searching function on a display screen, and performing guidance using voice or the display screen when the host vehicle approaches a branch point for which guidance, such as for a left or right turn, is to be performed (hereinafter simply referred to as a "guide branch point"). Also in recent years, some mobile phones, Personal Digital Assistants (PDA), and personal computers and the like also have a function similar to that of the navigation system described above. Moreover, this kind of guidance can also be performed for pedestrians and bicyclists, as well as vehicles.
Here, when guidance for a left or right turn or the like is performed at a guide branch point, the guide branch point must be accurately identified by the user. Therefore, the timing at which guidance starts and the timing at which guidance ends according to a guidance prompt must each be set appropriately. For example, when providing the guidance "turn left at the second light" using a traffic light, guidance preferably starts after the traffic light that is two traffic-light branch points before the guide branch point disappears from the view of the user, and guidance preferably ends while the traffic light that is one traffic-light branch point before the guide branch point is still viewable by the user. Therefore, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2002-156242 (JP-A-2002-156242), for example, describes technology that, when performing guide branch point guidance with voice guidance in which the number of traffic lights is used, performs voice guidance using the number of traffic lights when the output of voice guidance ends before passing through the traffic light that is one traffic-light branch point before the guide branch point, and does not perform voice guidance when the output of voice guidance will not end before passing through the traffic light that is one traffic-light branch point before the guide branch point.

Travel guidance system, travel guidance apparatus, travel guidance method and computer program


A high-density memory device and design method that utilizes some or all of the existing stacked process conductor layers provided by a manufacturing process to enhance the number of available bitlines and/or wordlines within the memory device. The memory device includes a plurality of memory cells arranged in columns and rows, a plurality of wordlines, a plurality of bitlines, at least one via-stack, wherein said existing stacked process conductor layers are used to implement at least one additional wordline or bitline. The via-stacks consist of a plurality of vias, are located close to a memory cell, and adapted to electrically connect the memory cell to multiple bitlines or multiple wordlines or both0. This design method increases the number of possible connections to or from each individual memory cell. When this design method is combined with varied configurations of basic underlying ROM cell types, even further increased cell density can be achieved.

Read-only memories (ROMs) are non-volatile memory devices that are programmed once. ROMs are high-density storage elements designed to accept an address and to return data associated with that address. As shown in FIG. 1, a conventional ROM 2 consists of a two-dimensional array of storage elements or memory cells 3, wordline WL (row) decoder circuitry 4 and data or bitline BL (column) decoders 6 and sense amplifiers 8. Wordline decoder circuitry 4, positioned on one side of the array, is designed to activate one row of storage cells at a time based on the input address provided to ROM 2.
Each memory cell 3 is programmed to store one of the two logic states during the fabrication of the cell by connecting the gate of the transistor to either the source of the transistor (e.g. if the cell is to store a logic "1") or to the wordline WL that corresponds with the cell if the cell is to store a second logic state (e.g. logic "0"). The information stored within the two-dimensional array of memory cells 3 traverses the bitlines (in column formation) to the sense amplifiers 8, where the analog voltages from the bitlines are converted to a digital signal. Bitline data decoders 6 relay the requested data to external circuitry (not shown) based on the other part of the input address. One current example of ROMs being used today, is in lookup tables for complex calculations in micro-processor units (e.g. fast division or transcendental functions).
Typically, the data contents of a ROM are determined at the time of creation and are static. However, there are exceptions in which the contents of a ROM can be modified at a later point in time. One example of such an arrangement is disclosed in William D. Brown and Joe E. Brewer, Nonvolatile Semiconductor Memory Technology IEEE Press, 1st edition, 1998. Even so, the desireability of ROMs over other non-volatile memories (e.g. flash EEPROMs) is related to the fact that while non-volatile memory can be altered after manufacturing, this capability comes at the cost of decreased density and increased manufacturing complexity. If an application truly requires a static data set, a ROM will cost less and operate at higher speed.
Accordingly, various types of ROM memory cells are in widespread use in the electronics industry. The following are a few examples of conventionally utilized ROM memory cells.
NOR ROM Cell
FIG. 2A illustrates the structure of a NOR ROM memory cell 10 that uses one transistor to represent one bit. The combination 11 of a resistive device connected to a fixed potential, provides a default value for the memory cells. The wordlines WL0 and WL1 run along rows of cells. Also, since wordlines are built using polysilicon (a high resistive material), a conductor layer is typically placed on top of the polisilicon and electrically connected to the polisilicon periodically. This allows the metal to act as a low resistance backup path and results in a low resistance wordline. As is conventionally known, a one or zero in a memory cell is represented through the presence or absence of the cell transistor or connection to the bitline. Some ROMs are built such that the connection to the bitlines is made in the highest layer of metal, to facilitating the "writing" of the ROM data contents at a later date. Bitlines are either actively pre-charged between reads or are connected to a weak pull-up device. FIG. 2A shows two NOR ROM cells connected to a bitline BL along with a pre-charge device 11. In this case, if either wordline WL0 or WL1 turns on, the bitline BL would be pulled low.
The number of cells attached to a bitline depends on the design considerations, namely the desired density versus speed. Typical values range from 32 to 256 cells in a column. A read operation is conducted by first decoding the address to activate one wordline. The wordline turns the access transistors "on", which may or may not exist. Depending on the presence or absence of the transistor within the cell, the associated bitline will or will not be pulled low from a pre-charged level. The voltage swing on the bitlines is sensed by a sense amplifier and the data at the columns is multiplexed out to produce the output of the ROM. The wordline is turned "off" and the bitlines are then pre-charged in preparation for the next read.
NAND ROM Cell
FIG. 2B illustrates a conventional NAND ROM memory cell 12 where memory cells are connected in series within a column to form the bitline BL. This is in contrast to the NOR ROM 10 of FIG. 2A, where memory cells within a column are connected to the bitline in parallel. During normal operation, all the wordlines WL0 and WL1 are "on", with the exception of the addressed wordline, which is turned "off". If a bypass connection (from the source to drain of the transistor) exists, "zero" is stored in the memory cell. In such a case, the act of turning "off" the cell transistor has no effect on the state of the bitline BL. On the other hand, if a bypass connection does not exist, the transistor will turn off, the bitline BL will charge high and a value of "one" will be read. The NAND ROM 12 of FIG. 2B has its cells in series and no bypass connection exists in either cell. Therefore, if either wordline WL0 or WL1 was to turn "off" (it should be noted that all wordlines in a NAND rom are by default "on") the bitline BL would charge high. Due to the series connection between cells, a large amount of resistance can be seen on bitline BL, thus limiting the speed of operation for this NAND ROM cell architecture.
Multi-Valued ROM Cell
FIG. 2C illustrates a multi-valued ROM memory cell 14 which operates in much the same way as the NOR ROM 10 of FIG. 2A, except that multi-valued cells store information through the modification of the storage transistor (e.g. by changing the width or length of the transistor). The resulting variation in sourcing current can be sensed and converted to a binary value. Specifically, in FIG. 2C, the relative widths of the transistor are represented above the transistor (i.e. as "1", "2", "3" or "4"). Shown are four variations on the size of the transistor, which effect the drive strength. The underlying cell configuration is that of a NOR network, where the cells are connected to the bitline BL in parallel.
Non-Volatile Memories
Non-volatile memories allow the contents of the memory to be modified. For example, Flash EEPROMs, consist of many different types: floating gate, charge-trapping, ferro-electric and magnetic devices. In principle, floating gate and charge-trapping non-volatile memories work by altering the threshold of a transistor though the injection of charge into a region between the transistor gate and the channel. This charge can be stored in a conducting layer (floating gate) or a non-conduction layer (charge trapping). Depending on the technique used, densities can approach those of DRAM. However, non-volatile memories typically lag behind by one or two generations as documented in William D. Brown and Joe E. Brewer. Nonvolatile Semiconductor Memory Technology, IEEE Press, 1st edition, 1998.
Further, by finely controlling the amount of charge injected into the floating gate, more than two levels can be stored as discussed in C. Bleiker and H. Melchior. A four-state eeprom using floating-gate memory cells. IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits, 22(3):460–3, June 1987. Specifically, both 4-level and 16-level EEPROMs have been reported (see D. L. Kencke, R. Richart, Shyam Garg, and S. K. Banerjee. A multilevel approach toward quadrupling the density of flash memory. IEEE Electron Device Letters, 19(3):86–8, March 1998). EEPROMs benefit from their re-programmability and that they can hold there charge for over ten years. However, for those applications that do not require the memory to be modified, ROMs hold a clear advantage in that they require no modification to the integrated circuit manufacturing process and they typically have a smaller cell size.
Multiple Bitline ROM Cell
FIG. 2D illustrates an example of a multiple adjacent bitline ROM memory cell 16 designed according to a relatively new technique which uses multiple bitlines BL1, BL2, BL3 and BL4 in a ROM as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,002,607 to Dvir. Dvir describes a method by which the drain of a transistor in a ROM cell can connect to one of many adjacent bitlines BL1, BL2, BL3 and BL4 which allows a single transistor to store multiple bits. Also presented is a method by which x bits can be stored using x+1 bitlines and x/2 transistors. This reference states that for a 2-bit cell, that the bitline capacitance is reduced by approximately 75%. This reduction is due the to reduced number of transistors connected to each bitline BL1, BL2, BL3 and BL4. However, such a large reduction would only appear possible if the parasitic capacitance of the bitlines is ignored.
Multiple Transistor Cell
FIG. 2E shows an example of how two transistors can be used to connect to a combination of two of the bitlines BL1, BL2, BL3, BL4 and BL5 (or one or no bitlines). In the case of multiple bitlines BL1, BL2, BL3, BL4 and BL5, it is possible to use multiple transistors to connect to them. This allows for multiple bits to be represented by two or more transistors configured together in this way. The theoretical number of bits that can be represented is the "log base two" of the total number of combinations of connections between the transistors and the bitlines BL1, BL2, BL3, BL4 and BL5.
Storage density, or simply density, is defined to be the amount of storage divided by the area required to implement the storage. For a ROM, the area includes decoders, sense amplifiers and an external interface (periphery circuitry) along with the storage elements. Generally, the periphery area is ignored and cell density is calculated as the number of bits stored in the cell divided by the area of the cell. While the density of the above-noted ROM devices have been sufficient for past and present computing needs, as the devices that utilize ROMs get smaller, cheaper and faster, there is a continuing need for ROMs that are faster, consume less power, and require less silicon to implement and manufacture.


The present disclosure relates to a method for preparing a polyolefin using a supported hybrid metallocene catalyst. According to the present disclosure, a polyolefin having a narrow molecular weight distribution can be prepared very effectively by introducing a cocatalyst in an optimum content in the presence of a supported hybrid metallocene catalyst containing two or more metallocene compounds having a specific chemical structure. The polyolefin prepared according to the present disclosure exhibits excellent uniformity in chlorine distribution in polyolefin during chlorination, thereby significantly improving elongation of the chlorinated polyolefin, compatibility with PVC and impact reinforcing performance. Thus, it exhibits excellent chemical resistance, weather resistance, flame retardancy, processability and impact strength reinforcing effect, and can be suitably applied as an impact reinforcing agent for PVC pipes and window profiles.

Olefin polymerization catalyst systems may be divided into Ziegler-Natta and metallocene catalysts, and these highly active catalyst systems have been developed in accordance with their characteristics. Ziegler-Natta catalyst has been widely applied to commercial processes since it was developed in the 1950's. However, since the Ziegler-Natta catalyst is a multi-active site catalyst in which a plurality of active sites are mixed, it has a feature that a resulting polymer has a broad molecular weight distribution. Also, since a compositional distribution of comonomers is not uniform, there is a problem that it is difficult to obtain desired physical properties. In particular, the broad molecular weight distribution can cause a decrease in physical properties due to polymer chains having a relatively low molecular weight.
Meanwhile, the metallocene catalyst includes a main catalyst having a metallocene compound as a main component and an organometallic compound cocatalyst having aluminum as a main component. The stereoregularity, copolymerization characteristics, molecular weight, crystallinity, etc. of the resulting polymer may be controlled by changing a ligand structure of the catalyst and polymerization conditions.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,032,562, a method for preparing a polymerization catalyst by supporting two different transition metal catalysts on one support is disclosed. This catalyst is prepared by supporting a titanium (Ti)-based Ziegler-Natta catalyst which produces a high molecular weight polymer and a zirconium (Zr)-based metallocene catalyst which produces a low molecular weight polymer on one support, and results in a bimodal molecular weight distribution. This catalyst is disadvantageous in that the supporting procedure is complicated and morphology of polymers is poor due to a cocatalyst.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,525,678, a method for using a catalyst system for olefin polymerization is disclosed, in which a metallocene compound and a non-metallocene compound are simultaneously supported on a support to realize simultaneous polymerization of a high molecular weight polymer and a low molecular weight polymer. However, there are disadvantages that the metallocene compound and non-metallocene compound must be separately supported and the support must be pretreated with various compounds for supporting.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,914,289, a method for controlling a molecular weight and a molecular weight distribution of polymers using metallocene catalysts which are respectively supported on supports are disclosed. However, a large amount of solvent and a long period of time are required to prepare the supported catalysts, and a process of supporting metallocene catalysts on the respective supports is troublesome.
Moreover, according to these prior arts, it is difficult to effectively prepare polyolefins, particularly ethylene (co)polymers, which simultaneously satisfy a desired level of density and narrow molecular weight distribution.
In particular, chlorinated polyolefins such as chlorinated polyethylene (CPE) are widely used for an impact reinforcing agent for pipes and window profiles by compounding with PVC, and are generally prepared by reacting polyethylene with chlorine in a suspension, or by reacting polyethylene with chlorine in aqueous HCl solution. This PVC compound product requires excellent impact strength, and the strength of the compound varies depending on physical properties of the chlorinated polyolefin. In the case of general-purpose chlorinated polyolefins which are widely known at present, since a polyolefin prepared using Ziegler-Natta catalyst is applied, the uniformity in chlorine distribution is decreased in the polyolefin due to the broad molecular weight distribution. There is also a disadvantage in that the impact strength is insufficient when compounded with PVC.
Accordingly, excellent uniformity in chlorine distribution is required in the chlorinated polyolefin in order to improve impact strength of PVC compound. Thus, there is a continuous demand for developing a method for preparing a polyolefin having a narrow molecular weight distribution.

Method for preparing polyolefin using supported hybrid metallocene catalyst


Allocate power so as to maximise the throughput of each user of a multi-user MIMO group, with the constraint that over time all users in the group have equal throughput. This differs from equal capacity per slot in that each user may be assigned multiple slots as well as unequal power. This is illustrated in FIG. 4. Total throughput is maximised on any given slot for any two users. Power is shared between the spatial modes such that the total number of slots used by the two users is minimised. The membership of the MIMO group may change between slots and thus throughput is not necessarily equalised on a slot by slot basis.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the allocation of transmit power in the downlink of a distributed MIMO cellular radio network to achieve generally equal throughput for each mobile terminal whilst generally maximizing throughput for the network.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is often desirable to provide a service uniformly within the coverage area of a cellular wireless network, despite variations in propagation conditions experienced by users in different locations. Conventionally this may be achieved by a scheduling technique in which the base station of the network spends a greater proportion of time transmitting to users in areas of poor reception and compensates by using a higher level of modulation (and hence higher data rate) for users with better reception.
This prior art technique is equally applicable to SISO (single input, single output) systems, in which a single spatial mode of the wireless channel is employed for communication between the base station and each mobile terminal, and to MIMO (multiple input, multiple output) systems, in which multiple spatial modes of the wireless channel are employed for communication between the base station and each mobile terminal.
A further aspect of a MIMO system concerns the allocation of the transmitter power between the spatial modes of the channel between the base station and an individual mobile terminal. In such a system, it is desirable that the power be allocated so as to maximise the capacity of the MIMO channel. Where multiple spatial modes of the wireless channel are employed for communication between the base station and each mobile terminal, a technique known as "water-pouring" may be employed, in which the power of the transmitter is allocated so as to maximise the capacity of the channel as a whole. Although this technique results in significantly improved capacity, it often requires that all of the transmitter power be allocated to one of the spatial modes. It can therefore only be used if all of the modes of the channel are used to support communication with a single mobile terminal, as in conventional MIMO systems. If it were to be employed in a system where, for example, each mode of the channel were to be used to support communication with a different mobile terminal, then those mobile terminals reliant upon modes with no power allocation would find themselves effectively outside the coverage of the base station, which typically is undesirable. A MIMO system in which the spatial modes serve more than one mobile station is known as a distributed MIMO system. It is also sometimes known as Virtual MIMO or Cooperative MIMO.

Transmit power allocation in a distributed MIMO system


The invention relates to a method and an apparatus (100) for the enrichment of magnetic particles (1) in a sample fluid. The sample fluid is provided in a sample cartridge (2) between a first pole (111) and a second pole (112) of an actuator magnet (110). A minimal magnetic flux as well as a minimal magnetic gradient are then established inside the sample fluid, wherein their values depend on the particular magnetic particles (1) and the sample fluid under consideration. In a preferred embodiment, the first pole (111) has a single tip (T).

The WO 2008/155716 discloses an optical biosensor in which an input light beam is totally internally reflected and the resulting output light beam is detected and evaluated with respect to the amount of target components at the reflection surface. The target components comprise magnetic particles as labels, which allows to affect the processes in the sample by magnetic forces.

Apparatus for the enrichment of magnetic particles


The invention relates to a cryogenic distillation apparatus for a gas mixture, including a purification apparatus for purifying a gas mixture in a system with a plurality of adsorbant bottles, a column system, a capacity, means for feeding a cryogenic liquid to the capacity, means for feeding a vaporized liquid from the capacity to a column of the system, a vaporizer in the capacity for vaporizing the contained liquid; means for feeding a calorigenic gas to the vaporizer, and means for drawing a liquid from the capacity.

The two bottles for the purification of the gas mixture intended for a cryogenic separation device operate in a cyclic manner between high-pressure adsorption phases and low-pressure regeneration phases. The transition between regeneration and adsorption therefore requires a pressurization of the bottle with feed gas from the cold box. This additional flow must be supplied by the main air compressor for air separation units. This therefore makes it necessary to size this compressor for the nominal flow increased by this bottle pressurization flow.
For air separation units without the production of argon, it may be accepted that the pressurization of the bottles is carried out to the detriment of the feed flow from the cold box without significant stability problems for the columns.
For separation units with argon production, the flow disturbance is too severe not to specify the compressor without this additional flow.
It is known to compensate for the reduction in the airflow by regulating the flows of reflux liquid (U.S. Pat. No. 6,073,463).

Method and device for separating a gas mixture by cryogenic distillation

L'Air Liquide Société Anonyme Pour L'Étude Et L'Exploitation Des Procedes Georges Claude


A ceramic material powder for a translucent ceramic is molded with a binder, and the resulting green compact is embedded in a ceramic powder having the same composition with the ceramic material powder. After removing the binder, the green compact embedded in the ceramic powder is fired in an atmosphere having an oxygen concentration higher than that in the removal procedure of the binder and thereby yields a translucent ceramic represented by Formula I: Ba{(SnuZr1-u)xMgyTaz}vOw, Formula II: Ba(ZrxMgyTaz)vOw or Formula III: Ba{(SnuZr1-u)x(ZntMg1-t)yNbz}vOw. The translucent ceramic has a refractive index of 1.9 or more and is paraelectric.

Conventional materials for optical parts of optical devices are glass, plastics and single crystals of, for example, lithium niobate (LiNbO3) as described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication Nos. 5-107467 and No. 9-245364.
Such glass and plastics have a high light transmittance, can easily be processed into devices and are used as optical parts such as lenses. The single crystalline LiNbO3 has some electrochemical properties and exhibits double refraction and is used as an optical part such as an optical waveguide utilizing these properties. Demands have been made on further miniaturized or slimmed optical pickups and other optical devices using these optical parts.
However, the conventional glass has a refractive index less than 1.9, and the resulting optical parts and optical devices using the same have the limitations in miniaturization and slimming. The plastics have low moisture resistance and a low refractive index, exhibit double refraction and cannot efficiently transmit and condense incident light. The single crystals of, for example, LiNbO3 have a high refractive index of, for example, 2.3 but exhibit double refraction, are difficult to use as the optical parts such as lenses and have the limitations in their application.


An alarm tag made of two parts, one of which is provided with a pin (13) attached to the one part (12) to be located on one side of the product (11) with the pin extending through the product into locking engagement with the other part (10) located on the opposite side of the product. A resonance chamber (29), mounted in the one part (12), having a central outlet (30) is provided for activating the alarm device. A cover (19) is mounted on the one part (12) over the resonance chamber, and includes a central portion in register with the outlet (30), and bars (36) extending radially from the central portion (35) to the periphery of the cover, the bars defining slots (37) between adjacent bars.

The alarm tag is of the type disclosed in PCT/SE95/00385 the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
The purpose of the invention is to further improve the security against unauthorized removal of an alarm tag of the type referred to above from the product to be protected against theft by means of the alarm tag, and particularly to minimize the possibility of attenuating the sound emitted from the alarm tag when the alarm is trigged due to manipulation of the tag.
GB-A-2 272 987 describes a gas driven alarm carried at the top end of a closed tubular housing enclosing a liquid propellant container. The casing has an apertured frustoconical top portion the apertures in which are located laterally in the top portion and are protected by flanges and finer inner mesh each aperture being located between adjacent flanges. The alarm device is essentially a conical volume with a vibratory diaphragm at the narrow end and its larger mouth opening to the outside radially of the frustoconical top portion through the apertures therein.


An exemplary method for edge scan of an image is provided. The method includes: setting parameters of an image edge scan; setting parameters for scanning edges of the workpiece; obtaining an image of the workpiece; processing the image and designating a point in the image; searching a first edge point near the designated point in a clockwise direction, wherein there is at least one point adjacent to the first edge point whose color is different with the color of the first edge point; searching other edge points in the manner of searching the first edge point by utilizing a recursive method; calculating coordinates of initial points and end points of scan lines according to the parameters, and searching scanned points according to the initial points and end points on the image that has not been processed; scanning edges of the image based on the scanned points. A related system is also provided.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system and method for scanning edges of a workpiece.
2. Description of Related Art
Measurement is an important phase in the production process. It is closely interrelated to the quality of the production. In ordinary measurement technology, some people use a charge coupled device (CCD) or a contact-measure method to measure ball grid array (BGA) objects and three-dimensional objects. Some other people use an image measure machine within a CCD to measure the BGA objects and the three-dimensional objects, and convert images captured by the CCD into data files. If actual sizes of the objects are very small, the images captured by the CCD should larger than the actual sizes of the objects in order to insure the measurement precision of the objects.
When the image measure machine measures a workpiece, the CCD captures images of the workpiece firstly, and then a user edits a program to scan the images of the workpiece. The CCD has a focusing, which has a fixed capture spectrum, can only capture images limited to part of the workpiece. If the user wants to scan an overview image of the whole workpiece in one plane, the program is required to be edited preliminarily, and there may be some errors in editing the program.
What is needed, therefore, is a system and method for scanning edges of the workpiece automatically in the plane.

System and method for scanning edges of a workpiece

Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (ShenZhen) Co., Ltd.


A network element with equipment protection has first and second redundant signal paths for first and second redundant signals; a selector for selecting either of the two redundant signals as active; and first and second transition monitors coupled to the first and second signal paths, respectively, for monitoring the first and second signals for bit level transitions. The selector is controlled by the transition monitors to alter selection in the case that the selected signal does not contain bit level transitions while the non-selected signal does.

In telecommunications networks, reliability and failure resistance is a primary issue and telecommunications equipment shall ensure continued operation even in the case any equipment component fails. Therefore, network elements are provided with equipment protection, which means that core components are provided twice so that a redundant system component can take over operation of a failed system component.
Typical network elements of a transmission network such as crossconnects and add/drop multiplexers have a switching matrix for randomly connecting signals from any input to any output. This switching matrix (referred to as copy A) is typically protected by a redundant second matrix (referred to as copy B).
The principle of equipment protection is that all signals are duplicated and distributed to the active and the redundant standby equipment component, which both perform the identical operation on the signal. On the output side, the two signals are combined again by selecting the better of the two for further processing. So, if the active component fails, the signal processed by the standby component is selected and the standby component thus becomes active.
However, loss of signal detection may take some time, during which a bit error burst is transmitted before the protection switch is activated. This situation results in a "hit" in the output signal and it is thus desirable to perform hitless protection switching, i.e., to switch from active to standby signal before a disruption in the active signal may reach the output.
Known hitless protection switch systems have a large buffer for synchronization of the data signals. This buffer allows to base the loss of signal detection on a loss of frame event. Known failure detectors therefore need a long time (expressed in bit periods) to detect a failure condition and switch from active to standby signal. Moreover, a large buffer impacts the signal delay performance during normal operation and involves higher equipment cost and higher power dissipation.
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a hitless equipment protection system and method that does not require large buffers.
European patent application EP 0 696 111 A2 describes a hitless path switching apparatus where the working and protection paths are continuously monitored for bit errors. If a bit error occurs in the working path and no bit error occurs in the protection path, switching from the working to the protection path is performed on data block basis.
European patent application EP 1 261 157 A2 describes hitless protection switching in a transmission system supporting virtual concatenation. The described apparatus receives data signals on at least two transmission paths and outputs data from a selected one of these paths. The received data signals are aligned first so that the selector mechanism can select between corresponding elements of the received data signals. This allows hitless switching to be performed since there is no loss or repetition of signal elements when switching occurs.
German patent application DE 42 38 410 A1 describes a communication and control system in a base station of a cellular network. All modules of the base station communicate over a common bus system. Two redundant bus systems are provided and all data communicated in parallel over both of them. Check bits are evaluated to select only valid data from the two busses.
German patent application DE 39 29 793 A1 describes duplex communication over redundant communication paths. In receive direction, the paths are monitored for the presence of a carrier signal. When no modulated carrier signal is received on the selected path, a modulated carrier is sent in reverse direction step by step on all paths. When a carrier signal is detected on one of the paths, this one is selected as active path.


An electrolytic solution is comprised of a borate, at least one dicarboxylic acid and at least one hydrotropic agent. The hydrotropic agent serves to maintain soluability at low temperatures, for example, in glycol type solvents. The invention also provides use of 1,10 dodecanedioic acid or dimer acid, thus improving the cost of the electrolyte is improved over use of branched chain dicarboxylic acids, while the use of the hydrotropic agent maintains solubility at acceptable temperatures.

This invention pertains generally to the field of electrolytic capacitors ("elcaps") and specifically to the composition of the electrolyte used in elcaps.
The basic structure of an electrolytic capacitor is known. In an elementary form, a cylindrical container or can houses a "roll" comprised of a cathode foil, a first paper, an anode foil and a second paper. The first and second papers are porous separators which hold the fill electrolyte by capillary action. The papers and films are rolled onto the cathode foil; thus, the first and second papers separate the anode and cathode foils in the roll, while an end portion of the second paper is also interposed between the anode and the can. See FIG. 1. A tab connected to each of the anode and the cathode foils and projecting through the top of the can provide the electrodes.
An insulating oxide film is usually formed on the side of the anode facing the cathode. The electrolytic solution of the elcap is a conducting solution. Thus, the solution immediately adjacent the anode (on the cathode side of the anode) actually performs the function of the cathode. The oxide film forms a dielectric barrier between the anode and the electrolyte.
Accordingly, the characteristics of the elcap are determined in large part by the composition of the electrolyte. The conducting electrolytic solution is generally comprised of acid and salt. Prior efforts to improve the performance of elcaps, including reduction of the ESR, increasing the sparking voltage level, etc. have been directed at the composition of the electrolyte, among other things. Another important feature of the elcap, and thus the electrolyte, is its ability to perform over an acceptable range of temperatures. For example, an electrolyte that precipitates into solid particles at the low end of the operating range (such as room temperature), is usually unacceptable. Such characteristics can be related to the pH range of the solution; in many prior elcaps, the solution had to remain slightly basic in order to hold the acids together in the particular solvent.
In particular, maintaining the soluability of heavy dicarboxylic acid in glycol-like solutions containing borates has been difficult. The addition of borates to a composition having heavy dicarboxylic acids, even in a somewhat basic solution, results in the heavy acid separating from solution as a separate phase when it is standing at room temperature.

Use of hydrotropic agents in electrolytic capacitors


In a stereoscopic image conversion panel for enhancing display quality and a stereoscopic image display apparatus having the panel, the stereoscopic display panel includes lower and upper transparent substrates, lower and upper transparent electrodes, and a liquid crystal lens layer. The lower and upper transparent substrates face each other. The lower transparent electrodes are disposed on the lower transparent substrate, formed along a first direction, and formed substantially in parallel with each other along a second direction. The upper transparent electrodes are disposed on the upper transparent substrate, formed along the second direction, and formed substantially in parallel with each other along the first direction. The liquid crystal lens layer is disposed between the upper and lower transparent substrates, and a longitudinal arrangement direction of liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal lens layer is changed by an electric field to have a predetermined refractive index. Therefore, a refracted incident light produces a stereoscopic image for enhancing display quality.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a stereoscopic image conversion panel and a stereoscopic image display apparatus having the stereoscopic image conversion panel. More particularly, the present invention relates to a stereoscopic image conversion panel for enhancing image display quality and a stereoscopic image display apparatus having the stereoscopic image conversion panel.
2. Description of the Related Art
Nowadays, stereoscopic image display apparatuses to display a three-dimensional ("3-D") stereoscopic image are being developed according to an increase in demand for 3-D stereoscopic images in the fields of games, movies and so on.
Generally, the stereoscopic image display apparatus applies two-dimensional ("2-D") flat images different from each other to a viewer's eyes to display the 3-D stereoscopic image. For example, a viewer may watch a pair of 2-D flat images with one image being displayed to each eye, and then the brain merges the pair of 2-D flat images for the viewer to sense the stereoscopic image.
Stereoscopic image display apparatuses may be classified as either a stereoscopic type or an auto stereoscopic type according to whether or not the viewer is required to wear glasses for viewing the stereoscopic image. The stereoscopic type includes a polarizing type, a time divisional type, and so on. The auto stereoscopic type includes a parallax-barrier type, a lenticular type, a blinking light type, and so on.
Generally, since glasses are not typically required to use a flat display apparatus, the stereoscopic image display apparatus without requiring the extra glasses, such as the parallax-barrier type, the lenticular type and so on, is usually used.
In the parallax-barrier type, a light emitted from a left pixel and a right pixel is blocked or transmitted using a time-delay barrier to control a viewing angle, so that a stereoscopic image is displayed. In the lenticular type, the light emitted from the left pixel and the right pixel is refracted using a concave lens to control the viewing angle, so that the stereoscopic image is displayed.
However, in the parallax-barrier type, since the light is partially blocked, the brightness can be reduced by about 50%. In the lenticular type, since a concave lens is used, forming an alignment groove on an alignment film formed on the concave lens is difficult.
Therefore, when the parallax-barrier type or the lenticular type of stereoscopic image display apparatus is employed without using the extra glasses, the brightness and alignment properties are reduced, thus reducing the image display quality.

Stereoscopic image conversion panel and stereoscopic image display apparatus with liquid crystal lens having periodically fluctuating lower voltage applied to lower parallel electrodes and same voltage applied to upper parallel electrodes perpendicular to lower electrodes


Techniques are described for predicting the language of a text excerpt. The language prediction is accomplished by comparing n-grams of the text excerpt with n-grams of different language references. A probability is calculated for each n-gram of the text excerpt with respect to each of the language references. The calculated probabilities corresponding to a single language are then averaged to yield an overall probability corresponding to that language, and the resulting overall probabilities are compared to find the most likely language of the sample text.

Many situations arise in which it is desired to programmatically determine the language (English, French, German, etc.) of a given sample text. One way to accomplish this is by comparing the sample text to reference texts of different languages.
In practice, such comparisons may be performed by first identifying n-grams of the sample text and of the reference texts, and by statistically comparing the n-grams. In general, an n-gram is an ordered sequence of data elements found in a larger sequence of data elements. With respect to text, an n-gram may be a sequence of n words or n characters, where n may be any integer larger than zero. In the context of language comparison, an n-gram is usually a sequence of characters. Thus, the n-grams of a particular text may include all possible substrings of size n that can be extracted from the text, including overlapping substrings. In some cases, the n-grams may be limited to characters that occur adjacently. In other cases, n-grams may include sequences in which the characters are found in a given sequence, but not necessarily adjacent to each other. Text is often normalized before identifying n-grams, such as by removing white space and punctuation, and by converting to a single case (uppercase or lowercase).
In order to determine the likelihood that a sample text corresponds to the language of a reference text, n-gram statistics for the sample text and the reference text can be calculated and compared. This can be done with respect to reference texts of multiple languages, in an attempt to determine which of the reference texts produces the best correspondence with the sample text.
Some methods of performing this analysis involve probability analysis. Specifically, when determining the likelihood that a sample text corresponds to the language of a reference text, each n-gram of the sample text is analyzed with respect to the reference text: for each n-gram, the analysis calculates the Bayesian probability that the n-gram might belong to the reference text. The calculated probabilities for multiple n-grams are then combined in some manner to indicate an overall probability of the sample text corresponding to the language of the reference text.
The Bayesian probability for an individual n-gram with respect to a particular language reference can be calculated in accordance with the conventional Bayesian formulation. In Bayesian terminology, the probability of a particular n-gram corresponding to a particular language reference is indicated symbolically as P(A|B), where B represents the occurrence of the n-gram, A represents the result that the n-gram is of the given language, and P(A|B) indicates the probability of A given B. P(A|B) can be calculated by the following equation:
            P                    (                  B          ❘          A                )                        P                    (        A        )                  P              (      B      )
In this equation, P(B|A) is the probability of B given A, which in this scenario is the probability or frequency with which the given n-gram occurs within the language reference, relative to other n-grams. For example, a particular n-gram may occur once in every 1000 n-grams of the reference, which may be represented as 0.001 or 0.1%.
P(B) represents the probability or frequency with which the individual n-gram occurs within all of the available language references, relative to other n-grams. For example, a particular n-gram may occur once in every 10,000 n-grams when evaluated with respect to the n-grams of all available language references, which may be represented as 0.0001 or 0.01%.
P (A) represents the probability, apart from any other factors, of any unknown n-gram being of a particular language. For many implementations, it may be assumed that every language has the same probability of occurrence, and this factor may therefore be removed or ignored for purposes of comparing between different languages. In other implementations, this factor may be a constant that is set for each individual language.
The process above results in a probability value for every n-gram of the sample text with respect to a reference language text. These calculated n-gram probabilities may be analyzed statistically to determine an overall likelihood that the sample text corresponds to the language of the reference language text. The overall likelihoods corresponding to different languages can then be compared to determine which language the sample text is mostly likely to represent.
Analyzing or combining the individual n-gram probabilities to create an overall evaluation of the sample text with respect to a particular reference text is typically accomplished by creating an ordered vector corresponding to the sample text, in which the vector contains all n-grams of the sample text in their order of probability. Similar vectors are created for the reference texts. A difference measurement is then calculated between the sample text vector and each of the reference text vectors, and the reference text having the smallest difference measurement is considered to represent the most likely language of the sample text. The difference measurements may be calculated in some embodiments as the edit distances between the sample text vector and the reference text vectors.


Embodiments of a solid state photomultiplier are provided herein. In some embodiments, a photosensor may include a sensing element; and readout electronics, wherein the sensing element is AC coupled to the readout electronics. In some embodiments, a solid state photomultipler may include a microcell having; a sensing element; and readout electronics, wherein the sensing element is AC coupled to the readout electronics.

The subject matter disclosed herein generally relates to detectors for use in imaging systems, such as X-ray, nuclear medicine imaging systems, combinations thereof, or the like.
Conventional imagining technologies generally include one or more detectors configured to convert incident radiation to useful electrical signals that can be used in image formation. Such detectors may employ solid state photomultipliers (e.g., silicon photomultipliers (SiPM)), which may be useful for detecting optical signals generated in a scintillator in response to the incident radiation. Typical mechanisms utilized to read out analog SSPM pixels may include either AC or DC coupling of the SSPM signal to external electronics. However, due to stray or parasitic capacitance along the signal path, the signal may be degraded, thereby causing the detector to suffer from crosstalk, signal integrity degradation and additional noise.
The inventors have observed that integrating the readout electronics with the SSPM on the same die may be one mechanism to reduce such crosstalk or signal noise, and preserve signal integrity. Such mechanisms typically including a photodiode (e.g., single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) (fabricated in a high voltage well) on the same die as the readout electronics (fabricated in a low voltage well) and interfacing the SPAD and readout electronics to DC couple the signal generated by the SPAD to readout electronics. However, these configurations require the die to be specifically fabricated to facilitate isolation between the SPAD and the electronics. Moreover, such configurations may still suffer crosstalk between the high voltage components (SPAD) and low voltage components (readout electronics).
Thus, the inventers have provided an improved solid state photomultiplier.


A light-resistant recording layer of an optical information recording medium composed of a cyanine dye compound having the formula (I): EQU [DYE.sup.+ ].sub.n X.sup.n- (I). in which DYE.sup.+ is a monovalent cyanine dye cation, n is an integer of 2 or more, and X.sup.n+ is an n-valent anion, and a compound having the following formula (A1) or (A2): ##STR1## in which each of R.sup.11 and R.sup.12 is a hydrocarbon group.

An information recording medium on which information can be only once recorded by means of a laser beam is known as a recordable compact disc (CD-R), and has been getting widely used because it can be produced on a relatively small scale and at a low cost, as compared with a conventional compact disc (CD).
The optical disc of CD-R type generally has a multi-layer structure typically comprising a disc-shaped transparent substrate (support), a recording layer comprising an organic dye, a light-reflecting layer made of a metal such as gold, and a protective layer made of a resin overlaid in order. The information can be recorded by irradiating the disc with a laser beam of a near infrared region (usually around 780 nm). By the irradiation with the laser beam, the irradiated area of recording layer is locally heated to change the physical or chemical characteristics, and thus pits are formed in the recording layer. Since the optical characteristics of the formed pits differ from those of the area having been not irradiated, the information is recorded. The recorded information can be read by the reproducing procedure comprising the steps of: irradiating the recording layer with the laser beam having the same wavelength as that of the laser beam employed in the recording procedure, and detecting the light-reflection difference between the pits and the other area.
The above CD-R having a recording dye layer is desired to keep a high light-resistance after recording, as well as high information reproductivity and such a high light-reflection that the information can be reproduced by means of a commercially available CD player. As described above, CD-R has been getting widely used in these days, and accordingly it is often used under severe conditions (such as extreme fluctuation of ambient temperature and/or humidity). Therefore, the light-resistance of CD-R is now very important subject.
As a dye compound for the recording layer, a cyanine dye having a benzoindolenine structure (in which a benzene ring is fused with the indolenine skeleton) is advantageously used, as is described in Japanese Patent Provisional Publications No. 64-40382 and No. 64-40387. In combination with the above-mentioned cyanine dye, various singlet oxygen quenchers are generally employed as an anti-fading agent so as to improve the light-resistance of the recording dye layer. For example, nitroso compounds (Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. H2-300288) and nickel complexes (Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. H4-146189) are well-known singlet oxygen quenchers. Besides them, electron accepting compounds such as tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ) are proposed to effectively enhance the light-resistance of the recording layer containing the above cyanine dye (Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. 63-64794).
According to studies by the inventors of the present invention, however, the above singlet oxygen quenchers and the electron accepting compounds may not give a satisfactory light-resistance to the recording layer containing the cyanine dye.
In Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. H4-175188, a cyanine dye preferably employed for CD-R is proposed. According to the publication, the proposed dye has a light-reflection higher than that of the dye described in Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. 64-40382, and also it exhibits a high light-resistance in the presence of the conventional anti-fading agents. However, although the publication says that the dye can have an anion of 1 to 3 valence, concrete examples of the dye having only a monovalent anion are disclosed, and there is no description about those of the dye having a di- or tri-valent anion.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an optical information recording medium having an improved light-resistance after recording. Particularly, it is an object of the invention to provide an optical information recording medium which keeps a high light-resistance during its storing under severe conditions such as a high temperature, a high humidity and an extreme fluctuation of temperature and/or humidity.


A coupling substrate for semiconductor components includes a patterned metal layer on a topside of an insulating carrier. Metal tracks project beyond the insulating carrier, the metal tracks being angled away at the lateral edges of the carrier in the direction of the underside of the carrier and projecting beyond the underside of the carrier. The metal tracks have a metal coating, thereby enlarging each cross section such that the metal tracks form dimensionally stable, flat, conductor external contacts of the coupling substrate.

Coupling substrates or intermediate substrates are also called "interposers" and can connect semiconductor components or semiconductor chips stacked one above another. These "interposers" are based in part on a flat conductor leadframe which accommodates a plurality of coupling substrates arranged in strips and provides a metal cross section which imparts to the flat conductor leadframe a sufficient stability for a self-supporting structure. The semiconductor chips are fixed to the flat conductor leadframe via bonding wires or flip-chip contacts, which leads to failures, particularly when such semiconductor components are packed to form semiconductor stacks or semiconductor modules.
If the semiconductor components to be stacked are based on a flat conductor construction of this type, or on a construction with a rewiring substrate, then the central regions are occupied by semiconductor chips and the stacked components can be interconnected only via the edge regions of the components to be stacked. Consequently, the arrangement pattern for external contacts, at least of the upper semiconductor component, is constructionally restricted to the edge regions.
Other solutions, such as are known for example from the document DE 101 38 278, propose using flexible films as "interposers." These have the disadvantage that they have to be areally fixed with a film area on the semiconductor component or the semiconductor chip and are bent semicircularly toward the nearest neighbor in a stack, which increases the risk of a connection interruption caused by microcracks. At the very least this does not result in a stable stack construction, which adversely affects the reliability of the semiconductor module.

Coupling substrate for semiconductor components and method for producing the same


A communication arrangement including a room having at least one communication device therein, the at least one communication device receiving in-room images, in-room video and/or in-room audio within the room. The communication arrangement also includes a communication system for transmitting the in-room images, in-room video and/or in-room audio from within the room to a location remote from the room. The communication system has a privacy setting that, when activated, prevents viewing of the in-room images or in-room video and/or hearing of the in-room audio from within the room at the location remote from the room and communicates to the location remote from the room that the privacy setting is activated.

Privacy in medical facilities is very important to patients along with being legally mandated by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 in some situations. In many medical facilities, cameras capture images of rooms and communication is made using teleconferencing, video conferencing and video broadcasts. There is a desire to ensure that privacy is maintained during teleconferencing, video conferencing and video broadcasts.

Privacy setting for medical communications systems


A socket for an electric light is provided including a first electric supply circuit, a second electric supply circuit, and a safety device adapted to detect presence or absence of a light bulb in the socket.

1. Technical Field
The present invention concerns a safety socket for a light bulb with either a screw cap or a bayonet cap.
2. Discussion
Many electrocution accidents occur when an electric socket provided to receive a light bulb is devoid of such light bulb while being connected to a powered supply line. As safety specifications stipulate that the voltage is applied to the central contact block of the socket, an accident may arise when a finger or a tool such as a screwdriver is inserted into a bulbless socket and makes contact with the central contact block.
In the relatively frequent case where the phase voltage is applied to the contact tube of the socket instead of to the central block as a consequence of an assembling of the socket or of the supply line by an unqualified person, an accident can very easily occur because this contact tube is relatively unprotected from the exterior since it is normally connected to the earthed, or neutral wire conductor.
Similarly, an electrocution accident can occur when a light bulb is broken in a socket and a portion of the electric circuit of the light bulb remains under voltage and is no longer protected by the glass of the light bulb. In this case, likewise, a contact with a finger or a tool can be dangerous.
There are sockets provided with a hand-operable switch allowing to cut off the supply circuit of the central contact block. Since in a general manner these switches are rotary switches, it is not possible for the user to know if the supply circuit of the central contact block is cut off of not. The switch of such a socket is rather intended to turn the light on or off rather than to operate as a safety device.
The application EP-A-0 744 792 discloses a socket provided with a safety disc that descends when the light bulb is inserted into the socket. The safety disc is provided with a traversing contact to ensure the connection between the contact at the bottom of the cap and a contact block having the phase voltage. This embodiment corresponds to the closest prior art of the invention which is introduced in the preamble of the independent claims. In this document, the safety disc is provided with another traversing contact for the passage of the earth line, this contact being made in connection with a flexible conductive blade pushing against the thread of the light bulb. This conductive blade represents a danger for the user because it is easy, when there is no bulb in the socket, to bend this blade with the fingers or with a tool and to make it alive, in particular in the case where the phase and neutral wire conductors have been inverted,
The application EP-A-0 027 244 describes a socket provided with a safety device having a very complicated construction, thus being little reliable in use. As mentioned previously, a movable conductive blade is provided to ensure the connection to the neutral with the same drawback as that mentioned previously.
A first object of the invention is to propose a safety socket for a light bulb provided with a safety device allowing to avoid an accidental contact with any accessible conductive part of the socket.
A second object of the invention is to propose that the preceding safety socket is provided with a safety device able to operate whatever the manner in which said socket is connected to the supply fine.
Another object of the invention is to propose a safety socket provided with a safety device of simple design and reliable in use.
Another object of the invention is to propose a safety socket provided with a safety device with redundant safety.
Still another object of the invention is to propose that the safety socket is provided with a lockable safety device.
Furthermore, transition sockets are known that allow fitting a light bulb provided with a cap having a determined diameter into a socket having an equal or different diameter.
On this basis, another object of the invention is to propose a transition socket provided with one or another of the above-mentioned safety devices.
These objects have been achieved by a safety socket of which a first embodiment is described in claim 1 whereas a second embodiment is described in claim 2, particular embodiments or variants being described in the dependent claims.
Several embodiments and variants of a safety socket according to the present invention are described in detail below, this description further mentions other advantages of the invention, and should be considered with respect to the annexed drawings comprising the Figures in which:


A system and method provides a web interface which enables consumers to select nutritious meals and easily obtain needed ingredients for the meals. The web interface provides a plurality of user selectable meals to a user, obtains a selection of at least one of the user selectable meals from the user, provides a recipe for the selected meal to the user, generates a shopping list of ingredients for the selected meal, and provide the shopping list of ingredients and a store map illustrating locations of the ingredients in a specific store to the user.

Our world to day is hectic. As a result, families are frequently forced to eating fast food or other types of carry out food or prepared food in order to fit dinner into their schedules. However, eating in such a manner can be very unhealthy. Nutrition is very important for not only the body, but also the mind. People can live a healthier life style by following a dietician's recommendations. Such a healthy life style may also save costs on some medications that are necessary from eating an unhealthy diet.
In today's economic environment, most families, no matter how rich or poor, are on budgets. Unfortunately, it is difficult to stay within a budget when considering nutrition or time. It is even more difficult when considering both time and nutrition. Accordingly, there is a need for improved systems and methods for providing assistance to families for purchasing nutritious food that is obtained in a desired time period and is within a desired budget.

System and method for providing assistance to purchase goods


A vacuum-creating fly swatter. A blade is flat and a handle is hand-held, slender, elongated, and extends from the blade. The blade has a plurality of through bores that are diamond-shaped and extend in a specific configuration forming a vacuum when the blade is swatted, thereby sucking in a fly. The plurality of through bores include one central through bore and four peripheral through bores. The four peripheral through bores, each of which is 1 cm high and ½ cm wide, are positioned substantially at corners of a rectangle. Two peripheral through bores are ½″ from a forward edge of the blade, are 2¾″ apart from each other, and are ⅝″ from a pair of side edges of the blade, respectively. The other two peripheral through bores are 2½″ back from the two peripheral through bores, are 2¾″ apart from each other, and are ½″ from the pair of side edges, respectively. The one central through bore is central to the four peripheral through bores, is 1½ cm high, and is 1 cm wide.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fly swatter, and more particularly, the present invention relates to a vacuum-creating fly swatter.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Numerous innovations for fly swatters have been provided in the prior art that will be described. Even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, however, they differ from the present invention.
A FIRST EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 1,860,939 issued on May 31, 1932 to Miller teaches a fly swatter including a head or flap made of rubber-like material in sheet form and provided throughout the main portion of its surface with slits defining secondary flaps within the contour of the head or flap permitting the escape of air therebetween. The secondary flaps have independent movement of their own in the swatting operation, as well as movement as a part of the head or flap.
A SECOND EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 2,736,129 issued on Feb. 28, 1956 to Roop teaches a fly swatter including a molded blade member of flexible material having an inner end formed centrally and longitudinally thereof with an integral sheathing defining an internal wedge-shaped and resiliently expansible socket opening substantially at the inner end of the blade member and having forwardly converging top and bottom walls and side walls uniting the top and bottom walls. A lug is formed on the bottom wall and projects into the socket adjacent to the open end thereof. An elongated handle member includes an integral molding formed at the forward end thereof with a longitudinally tapered, wedge-shaped tongue extension for close-fitting, frictional insertion into and in engagement with the internal wall surfaces of said socket. The tongue extension is of a size to resiliently expand the walls of the sheathing when inserted in the socket. A positioning stop flange is integrally formed with the handle member at the rear end of the extension for abutting engagement with the open end of the socket. The tongue extension is formed on one side thereof with a recess which, when the tongue extension is fully inserted into the socket with the flange of the handle member in engagement with the wall surfaces defining the open end of the socket, receives the lug to retain positively the blade and handle members in operatively united but detachable relationship. The tongue extension is formed on the side thereof opposite to that containing the lug-receiving recess, and slightly forward thereof, with a second recess to provide an air pocket. A portion of the lug-receiving recess is of different curvature than the curvature of the corresponding portion of the lug to provide a space between the lug and tongue. The space and the second recess facilitates separation of the handle member from the sheathing.
A THIRD EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 3,673,730 issued on Jul. 4, 1972 to Hegenberger teaches a fly swatter blade for killing insects without squashing them including a perforated sheet of relatively resilient plastic material to which is bonded relatively thick cushioning strips formed of soft sponge-like plastic material.
A FOURTH EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 3,984,937 issued on Oct. 12, 1976 to Hamilton teaches a flyswatter device including an elongated handle portion having a flat head portion at one end thereof. A layer of material is provided on at least one side of the head portion. The layer of material is capable of receiving and holding a static electrical charge sufficient to cause flies or the like to adhere thereto.
A FIFTH EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 4,653,222 issued on Mar. 31, 1987 to Viscosi teaches an insect swatter including a handle having an enlarged head portion with a raised lip around the perimeter of the head portion. A pair of pads of replaceable adhesive paper are each secured to both sides of the head portion to permit insects to adhere to the top sheets of the adhesive paper without the adhesive paper adhering to household surfaces and crushing the insects. A wall mounted poison holder is also provided to store the insect swatter when not in use.
A SIXTH EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 5,586,407 issued on Dec. 24, 1996 to Raymond teaches a swatter having a handle and a flat swatting blade that is fast with the handle. The blade is provided with openings which are uniformly distributed over the blade. Two sets of impaling projections are mounted on one of the major surfaces of the blade. The projections of the two sets are of different length and are uniformly distributed over the blade and among each other. Neighboring projections of each set are spaced from one another by distances that are so large that essentially no squashing of an insect would occur were the insect to be impaled by more than one projection of a set.
A SEVENTH EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. DES. 415,814 issued on Oct. 26, 1999 to Re teaches the ornamental design for a fly swatter.
AN EIGHTH EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 6,055,767 issued on May 2, 2000 to Carter teaches a fly swatter for killing insects. The device includes an elongate handle member with a substantially planar swatting member extending from the proximal end of the handle member. The swatting member has opposite substantially planar first and second swatting surfaces. Provided on each swatting surface of the swatting member are a plurality of swatting sheets. The swatting sheets of each plurality of swatting sheets are adhesively coupled to the adjacent swatting sheets its respective plurality.
It is apparent that numerous innovations for fly swatters have been provided in the prior art that are adapted to be used. Furthermore, even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, however, they would not be suitable for the purposes of the present invention as heretofore described.


A control device 10 at a main center, in order for an update carried out in an operation database device M to be also conducted in an operation database device S at a sub-center, generates and transmits a differential log file 16 to a control device 20 at the sub-center. The control device 20 at the sub-center, when receiving a differential log file 22, updates the operation database device S on the basis of the log information in the differential log file 22, and accumulates the log information in a recovery log file 26. The log information of a recovery point set at the main center is incorporated into this recovery log file 26.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of managing a database system configured by a plurality of database devices and to a database system for actualizing this operation method.
2. Related Background Art
As known well, for storing a large quantity of operation data generated through daily operations on terminal computers, a database device is generally utilized. Further, for preventing a loss of the operation data due to a natural disaster, a power failure or a system fault, separately from a database device provided at main center for storing the operation data, a replica of this database device is prepared at a sub-center in a remote place to back up the operation data.
Further, the replica may be operated as a secondary database device for the case the database device at the main center becomes unusable, so that the operations on the terminal computers can be continued by using the database device in the sub-center as current movement database device instead of the database device at main center in that case until the database device at the main center is restored. However, when the current movement database device is changed from the database device at the main center to the database device at the sub-center due to occurrence of disaster, a transaction from which the executing of the operation is to be restarted among the series of the transaction constituting the operation must be matched up to the operation data from which new pieces of operation data is to be overwritten after the operation restarts among the series of the operation data stored in the database device in order of their generation.
Note that if an operation mode for backup is an asynchronous mode, because executing result of the same transaction is reflected asynchronously in database devices of each center, there is a time difference between the update of the same operation data in the database device at the main center and that in the database device at the sub-center. Hence, in switching the current movement database device after occurrence of disaster, as a matter of course, it is required that the matching process described above is carried out (refer to, e.g., Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2004-348701). On the other hand, even if the operation mode is a synchronous mode, because executing result is reflected synchronously in database devices of each center, consistency between the update of the same operation data in the database device at the main center and that in the database device at the sub-center is assured. However, in case each operation consists of plural pieces of transaction which are continually executed as one unit, if the database device at the main center falls during execution of one operation, the transaction which was committed before down in the main center is also committed in a sub-center, but, it must be confirmed which pieces of transaction have been committed among a series of transaction in the broken operation. Moreover, to continue remaining transactions except committed transaction, a system operator needs to make some manipulation such as the input commands to execute the remaining transaction by handwork or making an exclusive program to start the transaction is necessary, which impose the system operator excessive task. Therefore it is common that pieces of operation data of committed transaction among a series of transactions of the broken operation is delete from the database device at the sub-center and the same operation is re-started. However, in this case, it must be confirmed which transactions have been committed among a series of transaction. Therefore, even if the operation mode is the synchronous mode, it is required that the matching process described above is carried out.
The matching process described above has hitherto been executed by collating journal data left in each terminal computers with the operation data already stored in the database device at the sub-center. However, this matching process is extremely time-consuming. It therefore follows that a long period of time is expended from occurrence of disaster until resuming storing the database device at the sub-center with the operation data.
Note that there is recovery technology to return a state of operation data in a database device to a certain past state. Recovery of a database device is performed with a recovery log file. The recovery log file stores log records in which information to specify a transaction is associated with time and date when its corresponding transaction is executed and committed and with an updated operation, respectively. Moreover, a recovery point for specifying an operation to be re-executed is inserted in one of the intervals between log records stored in order of the time and date. To perform recovery of a database device, a system operator designates one of the recovery points in the recovery log file and starts a well-known recovery function, so that the system operator can return a state of operation data in a database device to a state at the time when the recovery point was set.
As described above, in case the database device at the main center gets unusable, the transactions on the terminal computers must be matched up to the operation data in the database device at the sub-center before the resumption of storing the operation data to the database device at the sub-center as current movement database device. Here, for facilitating returning a state of operation data in the database device at sub-center to a certain past state before occurrence of disaster, recovery of the database device at the sub-center may be enabled by adding a recovery function to the database device at main center and the database device at the sub-center and by transferring a copy of information in a recovery log file of main center into sub-center.
However, whether the operation mode for backup is the asynchronous mode or the synchronous mode, execution and commit of same transaction are performed at main center and sub-center individually, so that time and date of execution and commit of transaction performed at the main center is recorded in the recovery log file of the main center, time and date of execution and commit of transaction performed at the sub-center is recorded in the recovery log file of the sub-center. Therefore, even if a copy of the information in the recovery log file of the main center is transferred into sub-center, the recovery function at sub-center cannot be performed normally in the sub-center (refer to, e.g., Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2005-157897). As a result, recovery point set in the recovery log file of the main center cannot be performed normally at sub-center.
Therefore, such a problem arises that the matching process cannot be performed by use of the recovery point in case of disaster.
Further, in case the database device at the main center is restored, for the resumption of storing the operation data to the database device at the main center as current movement database device, it is necessary to transfer (mirror) the operation data accumulated in the database device at the sub-center to the database device at the main center, and to perform the matching up the operation data accumulated in the database device at the main center to one in the database device at the sub-center. However, in such matching process, it is required that all the items of operation data in the database device at the sub-center be copied to the database device at the main center. In the case of copying all of a large quantity of data held by the database device, the database device must be stopped. Therefore, there is a problem that the operation on the terminal computers must be interrupted for a long period of time before the resumption of storing the operation data to the restored database device at the main center. To resolve the problem, it is devised such a method that the database device at the main center is temporarily configured as a replica of the database device at the sub-center, and the current movement database device is returned from the database device at the sub-center to the database device at the main center. However, with this method, an interruption period of the operation for switching over the current movement database device can be decreased, but the problem that all the items of operation data in the database device at sub-center must be copied to the database device at the main center cannot be resolved.

Database system management method and database system