This invention provides secure, policy-based separation of data and applications on computer, especially personal computers that operate in different environments, such as those including personal applications and corporate applications, so that both types of applications can run simultaneously while complying with all required policies. The invention enables employees to use their personal devices for work purposes, or work devices for personal purposes. The secure, policy-based separation is created by dividing the data processing device into two or more “domains,” each with its own policies. These policies may be configured by the device owner, an IT department, or other data or application owner.

3.1 Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of computing, and more particularly, to policy handling and distribution, and to policy-driven information (data) segregation in portable computing devices, such as, but not limited to, "smart" phones, tablet computers, and personal digital assistants ("PDAs").
3.2 The Related Art
With the advent of a wide variety of portable computing devices, such as PDAs and smart phones, and the proliferation of these devices for business purposes, control over applications and information has become more difficult for central information technology ("IT") departments. In particular, many employees desire to use their own devices in their jobs for a number of reasons, including: the greater merging of work and home lives leading to a need to include both personal and work-related information on a single device to avoid using multiple devices (e.g., having two cell phones or PDAs), the higher degree of technical sophistication of employees and their greater independence from IT departments, and the increasing use of technology as a means of self-expression. The trend towards BYOD ("bring your own device") creates a challenge for IT departments, not only for maintaining control over multiple device types from a plurality of manufacturers, but also for protecting sensitive data and access to data on secure servers or other enterprise resources.
Application program ("app") use typically involves one or more types of data, such as configuration settings for the application and/or the device, data to be manipulated or used by the application, or output from the application. (The term "data" is used herein to refer to any or all types of information associated with a specific application instance.) Regardless of ownership, portable computing devices often have a mix of enterprise and personal applications and information. It is difficult to maintain separation between enterprise information and personal information using currently available methods. In some cases, a portable computing device also may contain applications and information belonging to other entities, such as clubs, volunteer organizations, schools, etc. Therefore, it is useful to have a mechanism that can establish and manage one or more segregated application and information "domains" on portable computing devices, each such segregated domain encompassing a defined set of applications and information accessible within that domain that are kept isolated from the applications and information external to the domain unless permitted to be shared; the domain being further associated with a domain-specific policy that specifies required controls over the applications and information that are part of the segregated domain. Capability must exist to define the set of applications and information accessible within a domain in a flexible manner that is not necessarily tied to OS protection mechanisms such as user ID numbers, user groups, or file system access protection settings, or to storage locations such as directories. It is also useful to be able to independently extend such domains to encompass applications and information on other devices, such as enterprise servers, mobile devices of co-workers or friends, or third party services such as DropBox or SalesForce, while maintaining the defined application and information segregation in a policy-controlled manner.
Applications are typically run as "processes" on portable computing devices, and can be assigned various levels of resource usage, such as processor time or memory, by an operating system (OS) on the portable computing device. Applications call the OS or service daemons to provide various functions, such as access to data files or peripheral devices, network connections, inter-process communication, allocation of resources, etc. On some portable computing devices, these calls make direct reference to the OS. In other portable computing devices, these calls are made through dynamic or statically loaded library function calls, service processes, or other well-known methods. Applications running on portable computing devices may have OS-level protections applied to them (when these protections exist for the portable computing device). These OS-level protections provide access-controls to specific resources. OS-level protections do not limit how applications can share information (they limit access, not usage), nor do they limit how the data can be communicated and/or stored.
Some portable computing devices utilize virtualization technologies in which applications and their data are segregated into disparate virtual machines. Applications implemented using virtualization techniques can be isolated from each other and rendered unable to communicate and/or share information outside of the virtual machine by not provisioning the virtual machine with communication facilities or access to storage shared with other systems; this can provide control over applications and data But in many cases some level of sharing is desired, such as to transfer or share user interface preferences or authorizations, or to introduce data to process or to extract processed data, and provision of communication facilities or access to storage shared with other systems is necessary for these purposes. Once such connectivity or sharing is arranged, however, the isolation of the virtual machine is removed and control over applications and data becomes problematic. Networking and storage sharing facilities do not typically provide application- or data-level access control, or control over use of data. If any control is provided, it is likely to be at the network node level, such as by limiting connectivity between nodes, or limited to OS-level data protections, such as user ID numbers, file protections, or user groups. These do not permit flexible specification of applications and data or the permitted uses of data. They can not specify, for example, that a particular file may be read by a first application, but not written to by it, that a second application may read or write the file, but that neither application may transfer the file over a network link unless that link goes over a virtual private network (VPN) to a specific destination. These limitations, and the typical need to provide networking or storage sharing facilities that exhibit them to virtual machines in order to make the virtual machines useful, result in virtualization alone being insufficient to solve the problem of application and data control.
Even when a portable computing device can be configured to maintain applications and data separately, the problem of controlling owned data still is not solved: The application can only enforce required policies on the data for itself while it is running; it cannot prevent other applications from treating the data in ways that violate the data owner's policies, especially when it is not running. Application enforcement of information policies thus is neither persistent nor pervasive, and is therefore inadequate for the needs described above. For example, if a Post Office Protocol (POP) e-mail client were written to keep messages received from a first mail server separate from those received from a second mail server, and to permit forwarding of a message only through the mail server it was received from, there may be nothing to prevent a different e-mail client or a file transfer application from sending the stored messages or message files to a third server. Policy enforcement must be both persistent and pervasive to be effective.
Summarizing, current portable computing devices do not:                Recognize a plurality of owners of the applications and data stored or used on the device;        Provide for a combination of external and locally resident policy elements to define and enforce application and information segregation;        Segregate applications and information in accordance with policy-defined requirements;        Provide mechanisms for persistent and pervasive control over applications and information subject to policy control; or        Provide mechanisms for fine-grained control over operations by and between applications operating on the device or between applications operating on the device and other applications or services that exist off of the device.
What is needed is a computing solution that isolates application information according to policy requirements and provides distinct improvements over existing portable computing device architectures by dynamically enabling one or more policy controlled "domains," each comprising one or more applications and their information. The present invention meets these and other needs.

Dividing a data processing device into separate security domains


A fence apparatus for handling a workpiece and resting on a support surface includes a rigid rectanguloid base, a top side of which includes a plurality of parallel guide slots. A bottom side includes at least three height-adjustable feet. A fence assembly includes an adjustable fence bracket and a fence. In some embodiments a top edge of the fence includes one of the guide slots, and the flip stop includes one of the guides for cooperating therewith to allow the flip stop to slide along the top edge of the fence. The flip stop may further include a removable pusher bar extending parallel to the fence for pushing the workpiece close to the tool. Two side L-brackets are each adapted for fixing with sides of the base and for fixing with the support surface. The fence apparatus is fully reversible from left to right.

Miter saw installations having an extended guide or fence for guiding a workpiece towards a tool are well known. However, such extended fences are typically not portable and can be bulky and difficult to handle. Further, such prior art extended fences do not allow for reversible use on either side of the tool, or allow for a flip-stop having a range finder or a pusher bar for handling the workpiece.
Therefore, there is a need for an extended fence apparatus that can be quickly assembled adjacent a tool such as a miter saw, on either the left or right side of the tool as necessary. Such a needed invention would provide for an extended fence with an adjustable flip stop that includes a range finder and/or a pusher bar for handling the workpiece. Such a needed apparatus would be collapsible for ease of transport and storage. The present invention accomplishes these objectives.


A photodetector element according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a semiconductor layer with an uneven structure on one surface side that is constituted of projection portions and recess portions, and converts light into surface plasmons, and a metal film that is provided on the one surface side of the semiconductor layer in a manner corresponding to the uneven structure and a Schottky junction is formed between the metal film and the semiconductor layer. The semiconductor layer is constituted of n-type conductive silicon, and the other surface side of the semiconductor layer serves as an incident surface for light. The metal film is constituted of a material including nickel which form the Schottky junction when combined with the semiconductor layer.

In the field of light detection, there is an increasing demand for a technology capable of detecting near-infrared light at low cost. Detection of near-infrared light is expected to be applied to autonomous driving technologies of automobiles, for example. Examples of photodetector elements in the related art capable of detecting near-infrared light include a photodetector element using a compound semiconductor including elements of Group II to Group VI. However, the step of manufacturing a photodetector element using a compound semiconductor has been complicated and expensive. Moreover, in a general pn junction-type photodetector element, it is difficult to detect light having a longer wavelength (for example, 1,100 mu or longer) than the bandgap of silicon. Even in a photodetector element using black silicon, the detection limit on a long wavelength side is approximately 1,200 nm.
On the other hand, in a Schottky-type photodetector element using a Schottky junction, free electrons are excited due to light absorption inside a metal film, and generated excited electrons (that is, hot carriers) pass over a Schottky barrier and flow to a semiconductor side as a photocurrent. Since the detection limit on the long wavelength side is determined based on the height of the Schottky barrier, light having a longer wavelength than the bandgap of silicon can be detected. Japanese Patent No. 5437486 and Japanese Patent No. 4789752 disclose a photodetector element as an example of such Schottky-type photodetector elements. In these photodetector elements in the related art, a metal film, which forms a Schottky junction with the semiconductor layer, and a periodic uneven structure are provided on a front surface side of a semiconductor layer.


The present invention discloses a capacitive high-side switch driver for a power converter. The capacitive high-side switch driver according to the present invention includes an inverter and two alternately conducting totem-pole buffers with complementary duty cycles. The duty cycles alternate in response to an input signal. The capacitive high-side switch driver further includes a low-side transistor and a high-side transistor. Once the low-side transistor is turned on, a bootstrap capacitor is charged to create a floating voltage via a charge-pump diode to supply power for the high-side switch driver. To supply additional power for the high-side switch driver, differential signals are produced to further charge the bootstrap capacitor via a bridge rectifier. The capacitive high-side switch driver utilizes a programmable load to provide variable impedance. Furthermore, an under-voltage protector supervises the supply voltage to ensure a reliable gate driving voltage.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a high-side switch driver, and more particularly relates to a driver circuit for driving the high-side switch of a power converter.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many commonly used power converters utilize bridge circuits to regulate a voltage source in response to a load. Some of these power converters include power supplies and motor drivers.
The bridge circuits used by these power converters are normally built from a pair of switching devices connected in series across the voltage source. The switching devices include a high-side switch and a low-side switch. The high-side switch is connected to the voltage source while the low-side switch is connected to the ground reference. A common node between the high-side switch and low-side switch is coupled to the load. The switches are generally transistor devices (MOSFET, IGBT, etc). The switches are controlled to alternately conduct, so that the common node will periodically swing in between the voltage source and the ground reference. When the high-side transistor is turned on, the voltage of the common node will rapidly shift to the voltage level of the voltage source. When the high-side transistor is fully turned on, the bridge circuit will operate in low-impedance mode. To turn on the high-side transistor, the gate drive voltage must exceed the voltage of the voltage source. Thus, the gate-to-source voltage of the high-side transistor will be floated with respect to the ground reference.
FIG. 1 demonstrates a technique that employs a pulse transformer 5 to create a floating voltage for driving a high-side transistor 10. However, the design of the pulse transformer 5 suffers from two disadvantages. First of all, its size is relatively large. Second, the pulse transformer 5 will require a substantially higher driving current due to magnetizing-current consumption.
FIG. 2 shows another prior-art bridge circuit using a bootstrap capacitor 30 and a charge-pump diode 40 to create a floating voltage for driving a gate of a high-side transistor 10. Switching on a transistor 45 will pull down the voltage at the gate of the high-side transistor 10 to the ground reference. The gate voltage of the high-side transistor 10 will be pulled down via a diode 42. This will turn off the high-side transistor 10. Once the high-side transistor 10 is turned off and a low-side transistor 20 is turned on, the floating voltage of the bootstrap capacitor 30 is charged up to a bias voltage VB via the charge-pump diode 40. Switching off the transistor 45 will turn on the high-side transistor 10 by conducting the floating voltage to the gate of the high-side transistor 10 via a transistor 41. The drawback of this circuit is that the gate voltage level might not be sufficient to ensure proper operation. Since the bootstrap capacitor 30 is charged via the low-side transistor 20, its charge time and the bootstrap voltage may decrease to an unacceptable level due to the reduced duty cycle of the low side transistor 20. Furthermore, the voltage drops across the diode 40 and the transistor 41 will cause the gate voltage level of the high-side transistor 10 to fall.
Recently, various techniques have been proposed for generating the required gate voltage for the high-side transistor in a more reliable manner. One such technique appears in U.S. Pat. No. 5,381,044 (Zisa, Belluso, Paparo), U.S. Pat. No. 5,638,025 (Johnson), and U.S. Pat. No. 5,672,992 (Nadd).
The drawback of these prior-arts is the need for a switch-off transistor such as the transistor 45. The prior-art bridge circuits listed above use something like the transistor 45 of FIG. 2 to turn off the high-side transistor. This switch-off transistor must be manufactured according to a high-voltage process, in order to be safely used in high-voltage applications (200 volts or more). To be integrated into a silicon chip, this high-voltage transistor requires a relatively thick coat of oxide and silicon. Furthermore, the parasitic capacitance of this high-voltage transistor will slow down the slew rate of the switching signal, thus resulting in significant high-side transistor switching losses. Therefore, these prior-arts are not suitable for high-voltage applications, or for high-speed applications.
To remedy this shortcoming, a technique using a boost converter is proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,344,959 (Milazzo). The boost converter is essentially a voltage doubling circuit. While this technique generates a more reliable gate voltage to drive the high-side transistor, it requires an additional switching element and other circuitry. This increases the cost and complexity of the driving circuit. Moreover, severe noise will be generated by the voltage source and the ground reference, due to high frequency charging and discharging of the voltage doubling capacitor in the charge pump.
The objective of the present invention is to provide a high-side switch driver for high-voltage and high-speed applications that overcome the drawbacks of prior art high-side switch drivers.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Capacitive high-side switch driver for a power converter


An internal combustion engine's start-up torsional disturbances are reduced by drawing down intake manifold pressure prior to engine cranking. In a preferred arrangement, a secondary air injection reaction pump is adapted for evacuating the intake manifold to effect the desired draw down of the intake manifold pressure.

Improvements in noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) in automobile systems, significantly in the area of powertrain systems including engines, transmission and other driveline components, are always being sought. One readily identifiable source of NVH can be attributed to torsional torque disturbances induced by relatively high compression and expansion forces acting upon the engine's pistons during a start-up sequence prior to ignition (i.e. engine cranking). Since engine cranking historically has been a relatively infrequent and temporally limited event—typically one per driving cycle—improving NVH from other sources has been given higher priority. However, the emergence of automobiles, particularly hybrid electric vehicles, that enable engine shut-down during periods of vehicle operation when it is not required (e.g. traffic signal idle) has required significantly more frequent engine starts during a normal driving cycle. The engine starts are effected without conventional operator interaction (i.e. rotation of ignition lock cylinder). That is to say, engine starts may be effected, for example, subsequent to the operator releasing the vehicle service brake pedal and depressing the vehicle accelerator pedal. Additionally, engine starts may be effected to satisfy various vehicle demands including, for example, battery state-of-charge maintenance and exhaust catalyst thermal management. While such technological advances can significantly and favorably impact overall vehicle fuel economy and tailpipe emissions, a relatively new source of potentially objectionable NVH to the operator has been created thereby.
Engine starting sequence NVH may be improved in some engines through advanced valvetrain controls. For example, single cylinder engine starts wherein all cylinders save one are mechanically deactivated may show NVH improvements. Likewise, cam phasing may be employed to reduce compression pressures during engine starts with the same improvement objective. However, such solutions require additional valvetrain complexity and expense and are not implementable in engines having conventional valvetrain hardware.

Method and apparatus for engine torque disturbance reduction during cranking


The present invention relates to an organo-functional polysiloxane of formula (1) wherein each R1 is independently selected from alkyl or aryl radicals, each R2 is independently selected from hydrogen, alkyl or aryl radicals, n is selected so that the molecular weight for the organo-functional polysiloxane is in the range of from 400 to 10,000, R3 is a bivalent radical or —O—W—(X)z is hydroxy or alkoxy, z is 1, 2 or 3 and X is a reactive functional group for reacting with amine radicals and wherein 0 to 90% of —O—R3—(X)z is hydroxy or alkoxy

Polysiloxanes are known to give interesting properties as resins and coatings. True advancements in the state-of-the-art for protective coatings require substantial improvements in weathering (primarily ultraviolet resistance), heat resistance, chemical resistance and corrosion control. Polysiloxane chemistry offers the potential for providing many of these advancements. Polysiloxane is defined as a polymer consisting of repeating silicon-oxygen atoms in the backbone that imparts several advantages over previously used carbon-based polymer binders; one of these advantages being an enhanced chemical and thermal resistance due to the silicon-oxygen bond. Polysiloxane's polymer linkage is also transparent to ultraviolet light making it resistant to ultraviolet degradation. Finally, polysiloxane is not combustible and is resistant to a wide range of chemicals and solvents, including acids.
Functional polysiloxanes have been described. U.S. Pat. No. 4,413,104 to Wacker describes a process for preparing organo-functional polysiloxanes such as amino-functional polysiloxanes and copolymers thereof. These organo-functional polysiloxanes possess a Si—C bond between the polymeric polysiloxane backbone and the functional linking arm. WO 01/09261 describes coating compositions comprising as component functional polysiloxanes comprising reactive functional groups.
It is an object of the present invention to provide new organo-functional polysiloxanes, which can be prepared with a simple method. It is another object to introduce functional groups on a polysiloxane backbone, which are reactive with amine radicals. It is yet another object of the present invention to provide new coating compositions comprising said organo-functional polysiloxanes with improved hardness development without impairing chemical, mechanical and weathering resistance.


The invention relates to a box-like container for flat mailings in the upright position, comprising a stack support, which may be removed from the container open at the top, a base, two narrow front face walls and two lateral longitudinal walls. The mailings are arranged with the largest sides thereof facing the front face walls. The inner sides of the lateral longitudinal walls comprise straight long recesses, open to above, arranged at regular intervals perpendicular to the base, which are wider in the longitudinal direction of the lateral longitudinal walls than the slot like openings thereof to the container interior. The stack supports have formed elements at both lateral ends thereof which may only be slid into place in the long recesses perpendicular to the base with a positive fit connection through the slot like opening.

The invention relates to a box-like container for flat mailings in an upright position, having a stack support that can be removed from the container open at the top, and having a base, two narrow end walls and two lateral longitudinal walls. The mailings are aligned in the container with their large sides toward the end walls.
Modern letter sorting systems reach peak throughputs of up to approx. 45,000 mailings per hour. Emptying is generally carried out manually, that is to say the sorted stacks of mailings are transferred from the sorter into mail containers by hand. The mail containers themselves are then either stacked manually on trolleys or transferred to modern tray management systems. This manual process is associated with a high error rate of the operator, a high monotonous loading on the operator and very low throughputs.
When the mailings are fed into the sorter, there is generally likewise a manual transfer from containers to the separating apparatus of the sorter.
A further increase in output would therefore require additional operating personnel and therefore reduce the profitability of the sorting system.
In EP 0 109 325, FR 2 621 297, mail containers needed for this purpose are described. These consist of plastic (PP) and have various reinforcements in order to achieve the necessary dimensional stability. These containers are shaped in such a way that, given mutual alignment with one another and with an alignment rotated through 180° about the vertical axis in relation to one another, they can be stacked in one another.
In this connection, a container that is suitable for flat mailings in an upright position has been disclosed (DE 89 13 760 U1), whose inner sides of the lateral longitudinal walls have elongated recesses open at the top and running in straight lines at regular intervals at right angles to the base for a removable stack support which, in the longitudinal direction of the lateral longitudinal walls, are wider than their slot-like openings toward the interior of the container. At its two lateral ends, the stack support has shaped elements which can be pushed into the elongated recesses through the slot-like openings with a form-fitting connection only at right angles to the base. These recesses are wider in the longitudinal direction of the lateral longitudinal walls than their slot-like openings. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,200,983, the recesses are formed as dovetail guides.
For further increases in throughput, the development of automatic filling and emptying machines and the mail transport containers suitable for this purpose are required.
For this purpose, what is known as the mail cartridge system (MCS) is known (U.S. Pat. No. 6,026,967, WO 97/36523), in which use is made of a specific container which, itself formed as a stacking compartment, is suspended directly on the sorter in front of the stacking mechanism. The sorting is carried out directly in the cartridge-like container without a transfer process. After the sorting process has been completed, the cartridge is removed by a robot on the sorter, replaced by an empty cartridge and transferred to a buffer or transport system. The disadvantages inherent to the MCS system are, firstly, the complex and heavy cartridge, on account of the high functional integration, the considerably increased transport costs, the lack of any ability to be stacked and nested, restricted suitability for air freight and, secondly, the low filling rates of the containers. These cannot subsequently be filled with mailed goods.
The invention is based on the object of providing a box-like container having a removal stack support in order to hold and to transport flat mailings, in which, in spite of side walls with a low rigidity, secure retention of the stack support absorbing the stacking pressure is ensured in various positions corresponding to the stack size, and which prevents uncontrolled slippage of the mailings at right angles to the stacking direction.


A system for defending a planet having a satellite against impact from an incoming body includes an explosive system and a propulsion system. The explosive system is adapted for deployment on the satellite and detonation thereon with sufficient explosive force to produce at least one ejectum to which is imparted a velocity increment sufficient for the ejectum to exceed the satellite's escape velocity and enter orbit about the planet. The propulsion system is adapted to be secured to at least one ejectum and impart a velocity increment to the ejectum sufficient to leave orbit about the planet and enter an orbit intercepting the incoming body.

Planets, as well as their satellites, are subject to periodic impacts by objects of various sizes, from dust and small particles to comets and asteroids. Evidence of such impacts is readily apparent in the form of craters, and such impacts have also been observed, for example the 1994 impact of Comet Shoemaker-Levy into the planet Jupiter. The effects of such impacts can be devastating. One such impact is thought to have led to the extinction of the dinosaurs at the end of the Cretaceous period. A similar impact today could potentially end human civilization, or even lead to the extinction of the human race.
In view of the threat such impacts pose to human existence, a clear need exists for methods and systems capable of defending a planet, such as Earth, from impacts from incoming bodies. Proposed methods such as launching missiles armed with nuclear warheads, however, while potentially effective, require escape from Earth's gravity well, which constrains the effective payload and/or velocity of the missiles.

Abstract: The system is used in a planetary defense method in which the explosive system is deployed at a deployment site on the satellite and detonated to produce at least one ejectum having a velocity that exceeds the escape velocity of the satellite. The ejectum enters into orbit around the planet, at which time the propulsion system is secured to the ejectum to produce a projectile. The propulsion system is then activated to increase the velocity of the projectile, causing the projectile to enter into an intercept orbit targeting the incoming body and subsequently intercept and impact the incoming body. The impact prevents the incoming body from impacting the planet.


A device for generating a magnetic field includes at least one electric coil having electric conductors that are arranged along a circular arc within a first angular range and that deviate from the circular arc within a second angular range. At least one magnetic yoke is arranged along a part of the first angular range.

Nowadays, highly energetic charged particles are used for a wide variety of purposes. While in the beginning highly energetic charged particles were only used in scientific experiments, they are meanwhile used in: industry and medicine. As an example, highly energetic charged particles are used for surface hardening or the implantation of impurities into semiconductors. For medical applications, the treatment of cancer by highly energetic charged particles plays an increasingly important role.
As charged particles, in principle all types of charged particles can be used. In particular, leptons (electrons, positrons), hadronic particles (protons, helium cores, heavy ions, mesons, anti-protons) have to be mentioned. If the energies to be obtained (i.e. the speed of the particles) are comparatively low, usually linear accelerators are used. However, if the energies to be obtained are higher, linear accelerators would become too long and hence too expensive to reach such high energy levels. Therefore, as an alternative, circular accelerators (so-called synchrotrons) are used for accelerating (and even for storing) charged particles to very high energy levels.
If circular accelerators are used, the problem of how to introduce (inject) and to extract the particles into and out of the circular accelerator arises.
For performing this task, special (particle) switches are used. Typically, a combination of a so-called kicker magnet and a septum magnet is used. The kicker magnet is an extremely fast switching electromagnet (switching time typically in the order of 0.1 microseconds) that is selectively "distorting" the path of the particle beam. If the kicker magnet is switched off (undistorted path), the particle beam flies straight forward and continues to circle within the circular accelerator. If the kicker magnet is switched on, however, the particle beam is kicked sideward (hence the name kicker magnet) by a couple of centimeters. To further separate the two possible particle tracks, a so called septum magnet is used (which shows an essentially static magnetic field). The septum magnet is designed in a way that a first cavity is provided, in which a strong magnetic field (in the order of around 1 Tesla) is present while in a second cavity no or only a very small magnetic field is present. Depending on the "kicking distance" of the kicker magnet, the two cavities are typically separated by only a couple of centimeters. It, is easily understandable, that this is a difficult task to accomplish.
The standard design for septum magnets is an electric coil with a C-shaped iron yoke, wherein the gap in the C-shaped iron yoke is forming the area, in which the magnetic field is applied to the charged particle beam.
Other possible designs for septum magnets are described in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,939,493 and in the scientific publications "The Truncated Double Cosine Theta Superconducting Septum Magnet" by F. Krienen, D. Loomba and W. Meng, Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research A 283 (1989), pages 5-12 and in "The Superconducting Inflector for the BNL g-2 Experiment" by A. Yamamoto et al, in Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research A 491 (2002), pages 23-40.

GSI HELMHOLTZZENTRUM FUER SCHWERIONENFORSCHUNG GMBH


A device configured to facilitate resection of tissue. The device may include a proximal end configured to be secured to a distal portion of an introduction sheath and a distal end defining an opening that may communicate with a channel extending between the proximal and distal ends. The opening may be defined by at least one straight edge.

Organ walls are composed of several layers: the mucosa (the inner surface layer), the submucosa, the muscularis (muscle layer), and the serosa (connective tissue layer). In cases of gastrointestinal, colonic, and esophageal cancer, for example, small polyps or cancerous masses may form along the mucosa and often extend into the lumens of the organs. Conventionally, that condition has been treated by cutting out or otherwise removing a portion of the affected organ wall. This procedure, however, often may cause extensive discomfort to patients and may pose health risks. Recently, physicians have adopted a minimally invasive technique known as endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR), which removes the cancerous or abnormal tissue while keeping the walls of the organ intact. EMR may also assist in removing any undesired tissue, even if such tissue is not abnormal or diseased.
EMR is generally performed with an endoscope, which, in some embodiments, may be a long, narrow elongated member having channels equipped with an illumination source, an imaging device, and/or other instruments. In some instances of EMR treatment, the endoscope may be passed down the throat, guided through the rectum, or passed through other natural body openings to reach the tissue targeted for resection. The distal end of the endoscope may further include a cutting guide (e.g., a cap) and a cutting device (e.g., a wire loop) introduced through an endoscopic channel towards the guide. Once there, suction may be applied through the elongate member, which draws the targeted tissue towards and into the cutting guide. Alternatively, the targeted tissue may be drawn into the cap by any suitable means. When the tissue is sufficiently drawn into the cap, the cutting device may close around the tissue, thereby resecting it from the organ wall. Subsequently, excised tissue may be extracted for examination, biopsy, or disposal.
In addition, conventional EMR caps may be circular, oblique, elliptical, or any combination thereof. These EMR caps may consequently have resection openings of similar geometries. During procedures where a large area of tissue is to be removed, separate circular cuts are generally utilized to remove the target tissue. However, due to the risk of perforating the underlying muscularis layer, caution is exercised and overlapping cuts are avoided. By avoiding overlapping circular cuts, areas between the adjacent circular cuts are often not removed. These areas of potentially undesired tissue may be left behind by the conventional circular EMR caps, may require additional procedures or contribute to the development of metastatic cancer, if the tissue left behind is diseased.
Therefore, there exists a need for an improved endoscopic mucosal resection tool that effectively resects targeted tissue without damaging the surrounding tissue or muscle layers of the organ; and that allows for more complete, efficient removal of larger areas of tissue.

Tissue resection device and related methods of use


Computer-implemented methods relating to interactive graphical designs are provided. One method includes adding a widget to a graphical instantiation of a web page design that is being displayed in a graphical design environment. The method also includes generating an encoded instantiation of the web page design using a compiler and the graphical instantiation. The method also includes rendering the encoded instantiation in a player. A portion of the encoded instantiation is used by the player for an aspect of an interaction between a viewer of the web page design and the widget. The method also includes generating a notification to describe that aspect of the interaction. The notification is a more cogent description of that aspect of the interaction than the portion of the encoded instantiation.

Design programs allow users to specify various designs such as text documents, web pages, spreadsheets, and illustrations. A common interface for modern design programs is a graphical design environment that allows users to specify the design at the same time as the design is displayed. This mode of design specification is commonly referred to as what-you-see-is-what-you-get (WYSIWYG). This mode of design specification assists the design process because a user is able to constantly preview the design as it is being specified. However, certain designs are too complicated to specify and preview in the same environment. This is particularly true for interactive graphical designs.
Interactive graphical designs, such as web sites, are problematic for graphical design environments because both the design itself and the design environment are interactive. With reference to web page design 100 in FIG. 1, clicking on button 101 for purposes of specifying the design could bring up a widget interface for specifying the characteristics of button 101; whereas clicking on button 101 while the design was being rendered could execute the rendering of a "submit" action in which the information entered in prompts 102 would be accepted and stored for later use by the design. As illustrated, it is difficult to provide both the interactivity of the design environment, and the interactivity of the design itself in a single interface. Furthermore, an instantiation of the design that provided both of these levels of interactivity would be heavily encumbered by its dual responsibility, and would be inefficient if used as a final design. As a result, interactive graphical designs are generally exported from their design environments for rendering in an external player. In the case of a web page, an example of an external player is a web browser used to render the web page design.
Although separating out the design specification and rendering of an interactive graphical design provides for a large advantage in terms of simplifying the design environment, separating the design environment from the rendering environment can make it difficult to figure out how the state of the design in its rendering environment relates back to the design as it was specified. Furthermore, when the design is exported from the design environment it is generally compiled into an encoding in a lower level language so it is difficult to understand how portions of the encoding relate back to this design. Both of these factors can make debugging the design difficult. If the interactive design crashes, or doesn't perform as expected while it is being rendered in a player, the designer will have to back-track to figure out what was wrong with how the design was specified by reloading the design in the design environment. This problem is exacerbated when the exported design is encoded in a lower level language before it is rendered. It is extremely difficult to translate up from a lower level language description of a design to glean a more cogent description of what the lower level language is describing. Therefore, there isn't a simple intermediate link between an aspect of the design as rendered, and its location in the design as specified.
Returning to the example in FIG. 1, a user could have intended the design to only allow a viewer to progress past web page 100 if appropriate data was entered in prompts 102 when button 101 is clicked. A condition placed on prompt 103 by the designer could be that the expiration date of the credit card has to be a date that is later than the current date. If the designer made a mistake while specifying the design, and specified that the expiration date had to be before the current date, the design experience would not match what was expected, and the user would be unable to progress beyond web page 100 even if all of the data in prompts 103 appeared to match the appropriate criteria. However, without a link between the design as specified and the design as rendered, the user could have a difficult time locating what portion of the specified design was causing the problem. As a specific example, a user might not be able to identify which condition was failing in the rendering of a multi-condition interaction.
The related art includes a collection of approaches that seek to provide the user with the ability to determine a link between the performance of an interactive graphical design and how the design was specified. Certain debugging tools allow a user to step through the code that underlies a graphical design as it is being executed in a run time environment. For example, in the particular situation of a web page design, the design could be rendered in an external player and the rendering experience could be paused each time a new segment of HTML was rendered by the browser so that a user could monitor the effect of each segment of the encoding on the design. Users are also able to input manual code into their designs that will output information concerning the current status of their design in combination with the execution of related events while the design is being rendered. The manual code is then manually removed from the design when it is fully debugged.
The related art also includes other methods of providing a link between the underlying design of an interactive graphical design and how that design is executed in an external player. As an example, certain analytics tools will insert code into an encoding of a design such that a notification will be generated when a particular event occurs while the design is being rendered. Referring to the specific situation of an analytics tool for a web page, a segment of JavaScript could be added to an encoded web page design that will generate a notification when a specific value is entered into a text box. As another example, logging tools can save a copy of what portion of the code was executed while a design is being rendered. As such, a user that is rendering a design, and comes across an unexpected occurrence that needs to be debugged, will be able to go back to the log and identify the portion of the code that was responsible for the unexpected occurrence.


A method of measuring temperature across wafers during semiconductor processing includes the step of providing a correlation between a peak wafer temperature during a processing step and a change in wafer surface charge or surface potential following the processing step. A first wafer to be characterized for its peak temperature spatial distribution during the processing step is processed through the processing step. The wafer surface charge or surface potential at a plurality of locations on the first wafer are measured following the processing step. A peak temperature spatial distribution for the first wafer is then determined based on the correlation and the wafer surface charge or surface potential measured in the measuring step.

Wafer temperature is known to be an important processing parameter in the manufacture of semiconductor devices. Wafer temperature variation can be both wafer-to-wafer (e.g. in a batch process) and across a given wafer, whether in a batch process or not. Temperature variation is known to introduce non-uniformities in processing parameters, such as etch rate, deposition rate, plasma density, grain growth, and doping levels, across a wafer. Such non-uniformities can reduce yield by resulting in widened distributions for devices formed even within a given die, such as for dimensions and parametric values like voltage thresholds and resistance values. There is thus a need to detect and monitor process temperature variation across wafers during processing to allow improved process control and for more robust process development. The method should be rapid, provide high spatial resolution, and not require expensive equipment.

Monitoring of temperature variation across wafers during processing


A password-hardening system comprises at least first and second servers. The first server is configured to store a plurality of sets of passwords for respective users with each such set comprising at least one valid password for the corresponding user and a plurality of chaff passwords for that user. The second server is configured to generate valid password indication information indicating for each of the sets which of the passwords in that set is a valid password. The valid password indication information comprises index values computed for respective ones of the password sets by the second server to identify respective valid passwords in the respective password sets. The second server may be further configured to compute the index values utilizing a keyed pseudorandom function, and to send the index values to the first server in association with respective values of a user number counter maintained in the second server.

In order to gain access to protected resources, users are often required to enter static passwords in order to prove their identity. Different applications, accounts or other types of protected resources associated with a given user may each require entry of a distinct alphanumeric password, thereby necessitating that the user remember multiple such passwords in order to access the corresponding resources. This is not only unduly burdensome for the user, but can also undermine security in that the user will often write down the passwords or otherwise make them vulnerable to inadvertent disclosure.
Various password-hardening systems are known that attempt to alleviate this situation. For example, it is possible for a user to store multiple passwords in encrypted form in a so-called password "vault" that is protected by a master password. Nonetheless, such password-hardening systems can remain susceptible to attack. In the case of a password vault, compromise of the master password gives the attacker immediate access to multiple valid passwords stored in the vault. Similar issues arise in hashed password files and other arrangements involving storage of multiple valid passwords. Accordingly, a need exists for improved security in password vaults, hashed password files and other types of password-hardening systems.

Methods and apparatus for obscuring a valid password in a set of passwords in a password-hardening system


A liquid crystal display (LCD) device is provided. The LCD device includes a substrate having at least one pixel region defined by a pair of gate lines extending in a first direction and a pair of data lines extending in a second direction. A first insulating layer is disposed on the substrate corresponding to the pixel region. A first common electrode is disposed on the first insulating layer. A pixel electrode pattern is disposed above the first common electrode. A second insulating layer is interposed between the first common electrode and the pixel electrode pattern. A pair of second common electrodes is formed on the second insulating layer and corresponds to the pair of data lines.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display device, and in particular relates to a liquid crystal display device with a high pixel density.
2. Description of the Related Art
Liquid crystal displays have become increasingly used in various electronic devices. In particular, active matrix liquid crystal displays (AMLCD) have attracted great interests because each pixel can be selectively turned on or off by a switching element provided in each pixel. Various modes of AMLCDs such as an in-plane switching (IPS) mode and a fringe field switching (FFS) mode have been developed. An IPS mode or a FFS mode LCD includes a pixel electrode pattern and a common electrode formed above a substrate, and liquid crystal molecules are controlled by a transverse electric field which is substantially parallel to the substrate surface. When a voltage is applied to the pixel electrode pattern, the liquid crystal molecules rotate in a plane which is substantially parallel to the substrate surface to allow light transmittance. One of the major advantages provided by an IPS mode or a FFS mode is a wide viewing angle, and compared to the IPS mode, the FPS mode has improved electrode design such that light transmission is enhanced. However, for currently available IPS or FFS mode LCDs, there are still issues to be resolved such as low light transmission, light leakage and color mixture.
Furthermore, there has been a demand in recent years for developing liquid crystal displays having a high pixel density or pixels per inch (PPI) such that a higher resolution can be achieved. However, challenges still exist for the development of high pixel density liquid crystal displays.


A method includes obtaining first information indicative of instability of a data communication network. The method also includes isolating a first portion of a network from a second portion of the network responsive to the obtained first information. After a predetermined period of time, second information indicative of instability of the first portion is obtained. The method further includes isolating a first segment of the first portion from a second segment of the first portion responsive to the obtained second information.

One common form of digital communication network is a network that employs a link-state routing protocol. Asynchronous transfer mode ("ATM") networks and Internet protocol ("IP") networks are well-known examples of networks that employ link-state routing protocols. While a large class of link state routing protocols exist, common examples include Open Shortest Path First ("OSPF"), primarily for IP networks and Private Network to Network Interface ("PNNI"), primarily for ATM networks.
IP and ATM networks are organized into one or more areas or peer groups. Each area or peer group defines an interconnected group of nodes, which are connected by trunks. End points or customer premises equipment are connected to the nodes. The network is used to provide connectivity to allow data to propagate from one end point to another end point. To this end, the data may pass through several nodes and several trunks, particularly if the two end points are connected to different nodes.
The web-like structure of nodes and trunks of the network define large numbers of alternative data paths between a particular set of two end points. In order to route traffic between the two end points, one of the data paths through the network must be selected. The selection of the path requires information regarding the availability and other status information pertaining to the trunks and nodes in the network. In the case of source routing this information is needed at the source node, and in the case of hop-by-hop routing this information is needed at the intermediate nodes as well. In either case, each node needs to maintain data records of the status of every node and trunk of the network. For trunks, the status may include availability (up or down), an administrative cost to reflect the desirability of routing over this trunk, and the amount of reserved bandwidth for one or more traffic classes. For nodes, the status may include availability (up or down), a list of neighbors to which it is connected and the identification of each trunk connecting it to a neighbor.
In order to maintain such status records, each node on the network from time to time broadcasts status update message routing control messages to all of the other nodes to appraise the other nodes of its status as well as the status of trunks connected to it. The broadcasting is effected using a technique known as "reliable flooding" in which the source node sends the control message to all its neighbors. Each neighbor sends the message to each of its neighbors in turn except for the one from which it received the message. This process is continued indefinitely except that any duplicate message received at a node is discarded and not flooded any further. The reliable flooding ensures that the routing control message will reach all nodes of the network quickly but it also results in many duplicate messages.
The routing control or status update messages are refreshed periodically, and are also sent whenever there is a change in status. By way of example, the PNNI protocol employs control messages known as PNNI Topology State Elements (PTSE) to provide status update information throughout the network. One or more PTSEs may be packed in a single PNNI Topology State Packet (PTSP). Each node provides status update information via one or more PTSEs under two different circumstances, 1) as periodically scheduled updates (typically once every 30 minutes) or 2) in response to significant changes in status. Examples of significant changes in status include a trunk failure, a substantial change in the reserved bandwidth of a trunk, or the recovery of a node or trunk.
The PNNI protocol also employs signaling messages that are used to establish or tear down "calls" or virtual circuits between endpoints of the network. Over an established virtual circuit between end points of the network, user data may be transmitted in the form of voice, facsimile, electronic mail, or otherwise. There are different types of virtual circuits including Switched Permanent Virtual Circuits (SPVC) and Switched Virtual Circuits (SVC).
The routing control messages used in OSPF are similar to those used in PNNI. The status update messages in OSPF are known as Link State Advertisements (LSAs) and one or more LSAs may be packed in a single Link State Update (LSU) message. The OSPF used for hop-by-hop routing of data packets in IP networks does not use any trunk reserved bandwidth information or signaling. However, OSPF with Traffic Engineering extension (OSPF-TE) uses trunk reserved bandwidth information and signaling is used for establishing or tearing down Multi Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) Label Switched Paths (LSP). Other link state routing protocols are likewise configured. We will use the PNNI terminology but our description would also apply to other link state protocols in a generic sense.
From time to time, scheduled and/or unscheduled events alter the status of one or more network entities (nodes and/or trunks). Scheduled events may include bringing down a subset of nodes or trunks to perform software upgrades, testing, or the like and bringing them back up at a later time. Unscheduled events may include failure of a subset of nodes and/or trunks and bringing them back up at a later time. In either case, the change in status of the nodes and/or trunks triggers a flooding of control messages as discussed above. For example, if a trunk fails or recovers, then the nodes at its two endpoints would generate routing control messages. If a node fails, then each trunk connected to it would also fail and routing control messages would be generated by its nodes at the other endpoint of the trunk. In addition to the initial flooding of status update messages, as nodes or trunks fail many SPVCs and SVCs passing through them need to be rerouted through other paths thereby generating additional signaling control messages. Furthermore, the rerouting of SPVCs and SVCs may cause many trunks to experience significant changes in reserved bandwidth which would also generate status update messages. As nodes and trunks recover, some existing SPVCs and SVCs may reroute to utilize a more optimal path which in turn would generate more signaling and routing control messages.
Thus, node and/or trunk failures can cause the propagation of multiple control messages, thereby forming a "storm". If large numbers of control messages are generated over a short period of time, then processors within the nodes that process the control data may begin to overload, the memory used to store the messages may begin to exhaust, and/or trunks may become too busy from transporting all of the control messages. The overloading of the node processors and/or the trunks could delay routing control messages and memory exhaustion may cause them to be dropped. This may result in many retransmissions of the dropped control messages, thereby worsening the storm. Moreover, if particular status maintenance messages, for example, the keep alive or Hello messages used to maintain trunk status between neighbors, are delayed excessively, then the trunk may be declared down which may cause generation of many routing and signaling control messages. In addition, when the trunk recovers (or is declared up) more routing and signaling control messages would be generated.
Thus, it has been determined that scheduled and unscheduled events can trigger a control message storm that can create positive feedback to cause additional events, thereby increasing the severity of the control message storm. Such a storm having positive feedback and potential for propagation from one congested node to others, referred to herein as a network congestion event, can create severe congestion and even failure of the network.
In response to network congestion events, attempts may be made to inhibit escalation of the event so that the network continues to operate with stability. However, despite attempts to inhibit escalation of network congestion events, some remedial measures may not be enough to preserve full connectivity in the network. Loss of connectivity within the network, combined with the additional control message storm resulting therefrom, can result in total network failure.
There is a need therefore, for inhibiting total network failure even when other remedial measures cannot preserve full network connectivity.


An adaptive bandwidth bus is provided that switches between a current mode of operation and a voltage mode of operation. Furthermore, related methods include transmitting a data signal in a current mode or a voltage mode and transmitting a control signal to indicate whether the signal should be transmitted in the current mode or the voltage mode.

Achieving low propagation delays and high signaling bandwidth in on-chip global interconnects may be increasingly important to high-performance microprocessors and embedded systems. However, low propagation delays and high signaling bandwidth may be increasingly difficult to achieve due to, for example, a 0.7X reverse-interconnect scaling trend, a fourteen percent increase in die (chip) size, and doubling of clock operating frequency per technology node. Typically, in order to achieve low propagation delays and increased throughput data transfers within computational units on-chip, repeaters are systematically inserted in long global buses. Often, however, repeater insertion is difficult or in some cases cannot be achieved due to placement blockages caused by underlying critical processing units, i.e. lack of space on-chip due to the presence of components that typically cannot be removed. Furthermore, repeater insertion distance may decrease with each technology node due to increased interconnect resistive effects, which may cause the overall improvement in delay and bandwidth to be undermined by an exponential increase in the number of repeaters on-chip and associated driver/repeater power dissipation.
Furthermore, as integrated circuits continue to be aggressively scaled, the number of gates per chip and clock frequencies may continue to increase. The increasing clock rates may exceed, for example, 10 GHz in 2011,and the trend toward larger die sizes exemplified in many microprocessor designs, typically result in longer average interconnect lengths which may increase the electrical distances to be traversed. A solution adopted by the industry to decrease the relative delay of interconnect lines has been to increase the aspect ratio of metal layers to reduce the resistance of on-chip interconnects. However, the increase in aspect ratio with each technology generation may progressively exacerbate signal integrity problems due to increase in the ratio of the coupling capacitance between adjacent conductors to the total capacitance.
Accordingly, cross-talk noise due to inductive and capacitive coupling effects may become increasingly important and may eventually become the dominant problem over local and global propagation delays. The potential problem due to cross-talk may be magnified due to reduced noise margins in modern high performance non-static logic circuits, for example, dynamic circuits with multiple phase clocks and pre-charge logics, which may be used to meet increased speed requirements.
The implementation of alternative solutions, such as using new materials to lower the progressive increase in resistance in interconnects, may show negligible impact on cross-talk noise. The use of low κ dielectrics has proven to reduce cross-talk noise almost proportionally to the reduction in permittivity. Nevertheless, the implementation of low resistivity materials and low κ dielectrics may still be subject to higher production costs. Alternatively, process scaling may impose the need for higher margins of cross-talk noise reduction, which may become progressively difficult on material and interconnect technology.
Other techniques, for example,.are discussed in Clocking Design and Analysis for a 600-MHz Alpha Microprocessor by D. Bailey and B. Benschneider (IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits, Vol. 33, no. 11, pp. 1627–1633, November 1998.), the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference. In this reference, on-chip power planes are placed between pairs of signal layers, which may sacrifice metal layers to shield signals from interlayer cross-talk. Nevertheless, the dynamic random access memory (DRAM) may pose some significant challenges due to the aggressive aspect ratios used in DRAM interconnects, leading to higher levels of noise coupling.
Accordingly, improved integrated circuit devices and methods that provide low propagation delays and/or high signaling bandwidth in on-chip global interconnects may be desired. Furthermore, integrated circuit devices and methods that may reduce cross-talk noise caused by inductive and/or capacitive coupling effects may also be desired.

Integrated circuit devices having on-chip adaptive bandwidth buses and related methods


Provided is a communication unit for implementing functions for URLLC that requires communication of high reliability and/or low latency in the 5GS. Provided is a communication unit for enabling functions for URLLC even in the 5GS that supports a network-initiated configuration update procedure and multiple types of session and service continuity. Further, provided is a communication unit for, in a case that multiple types of functions for URLLC are possible, sharing which function out of the functions for URLLC is available and appropriately managing shared information between a user equipment and a network.

In the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), the study of the system architecture of the fifth generation (5G) System (5GS), which is the mobile communication systems of the next generations, specifically 5G, has been started, and support of new procedures and new functions has been discussed (see NPL 1 and NPL 2). Further, discussion in order to support Ultra-Reliable and Low Latency Communications (URLLC) that requires communication of high reliability and/or low latency in the 5GS has also been started (see NPL 3).

User equipment, control apparatus, and communication control method


A bio-based polyester thin film substrate for thermal transfer printing ribbon. The bio-based polyester thermal transfer ribbon substrate film has a radiocarbon content of at least 12 pMC. The film exhibits excellent uniformity, handling, and processability, substantially equivalent to petroleum-based counterparts, while being derived wholly or partly from non-petroleum sources.

Biaxially oriented polyester films are used for a variety of purposes including packaging, industrial, electronic, decorative, label, and imaging applications and often perform multiple functions. For example, biaxially oriented PET films and laminations are popular, high performing, and cost-effective flexible substrates for a variety of film structures used in thermal transfer printing, such as transferring ink to substrates by thermal sublimation.
These films may, for example, be used as a thermal transfer ribbon. The films, for example, may be used in the printing of barcodes or digital photographs on paper or other suitable recipient substrate.
Thermal transfer printing applies to printing processes that utilize heat in order to produce an image by either physical or chemical means or a combination of both (G. Laporte et al., "The Forensic Analysis of Thermal Transfer Printing", J. Forensic Science, Vol. 48, No. 5 (2003)). Its predominance has evolved in the past three decades with the advent of bar coding, retailer receipts, fax machines, event tickets, high resolution digital photography and plastic identification cards.
Thermal transfer printing is a digital printing process in which material is applied to paper (or some other material) by melting a coating of ribbon so that it stays glued to the material on which the print is applied. FIG. 1 shows an example of a thermal transfer printing process.—(Based on Image from Wikipedia "Thermal Transfer Printing", http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermal_transfer_printing). In its simplest form the ribbon is formed from a polymeric substrate and at least one layer of ink coating. As the ribbon moves over the print head, resistive elements on the print head get heated, which causes the ink to melt. As the ink becomes molten, it releases from the substrate film and transfers onto the receiver (print surface). Release happens either via ink sublimation ("dye diffusion thermal transfer" D2T2) or by means of a wax carrier ("thermal mass transfer, TMT). The used ribbon separates from the receiver and is wound up on a take-up spindle.
Spent ribbons constitute a significant waste in the thermal transfer ribbon process. Accordingly, some references have described ribbon recycling methods. See, for example, Chinese patent application CN102582294A. However, these recycling methods show that the complex structure of the thermal transfer ribbon makes it difficult and uneconomical to recycle and recover the polyester component once the ribbons are spent. As a result they end-up usually disposed of by incineration or thrown into a landfill resulting in significant carbon footprint.
Coca-Cola Company's U.S. Patent Application Pub. No. 2009-0246430 A1 states that "It is known in the art that carbon-14 (C-14), which has a half-life of about 5,700 years, is found in bio-based materials but not in fossil fuels. Thus, "bio-based materials" refers to organic materials in which the carbon comes from non-fossil biological sources. Examples of bio-based materials include, but are not limited to, sugars, starches, corns, natural fibers, sugarcanes, beets, citrus fruits, woody plants, cellulosics, lignocelluosics, hemicelluloses, potatoes, plant oils, other polysaccharides such as pectin, chitin, levan, and pullulan, and a combination thereof. The detection of C-14 is indicative of a bio-based material. C-14 levels can be determined by measuring its decay process (disintegrations per minute per gram carbon or dpm/gC) through liquid scintillation counting. This reference also teaches the use of bio-based ethylene glycols and terephthalic acids to form a bio-based polyethylene terephthalate resin useful for beverage bottles.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010-0028512 A1 describes a method to produce bio-based polyester terephthalate (PET) resin which may then be used to make articles, containers, or packaging for food and beverage products. The application also discloses the use of bio-based polyethylene to produce closures, caps, or lids for bio-based PET containers as well as the use of bio-based polyethylene labels via film extrusion for said containers. However, there is no contemplation of producing bio-based polyethylene terephthalate films for thermal transfer ribbon applications.

Biaxially oriented bio-based polyester thin films and laminates for thermal transfer printing


A method and apparatus (40) for testing an occupant position sensing system (12) of a vehicle (10) includes a motor (42) having a stationary portion (44) and a movable portion (46). A test object (90) is fixed relative to the movable portion (46) of the motor (42). A motor position sensor (64) senses a position of the movable portion (46) of the motor (42) relative to the stationary portion (44) and for providing a motor position signal indicative thereof. Motor drive electronics (58) are responsive to the motor position signal for controlling the motor (42) for moving the test object (90). A data recorder (80) is adapted to receive and record data from the occupant position sensing system (12) and is adapted to receive and record the motor position signal provided by the motor position sensor (64).

It is known to control the actuation of an actuatable occupant restraint system, such as an air bag, in response to a sensed position of the occupant of the vehicle. The position of the occupant is determined using an occupant position sensing system. Such systems generally determine a position of the occupant relative to a fixed reference point, such as, for example, the deployment door of an air bag module. Occupant position sensors may include forward mounted sensors such as cameras or ultrasonic sensors.
The occupant position system provides sensed occupant position information to an air bag controller. The air bag controller is responsive to the sensed occupant position information for controlling the air bag. For example, the air bag controller may be responsive to the sensed occupant position information for inhibiting actuation of the air bag or for actuating the air bag in a low inflation mode, i.e., less than 100% maximum possible inflation pressure.
Testing of a dynamic occupant position sensing system has generally resulted in damage to all or part of the vehicle in which the occupant position sensing system is located. For example, one known testing procedure for testing an occupant position sensing system includes placing a crash dummy on the occupant seat and sharply braking the vehicle. Given such a testing procedure, the ability to repeat test under various conditions, such as under differing ambient light conditions, becomes economically impractical.
One known system for testing occupant position sensing systems uses pneumatics for launching a head-shaped form toward an instrument panel of a stationary vehicle. The pneumatic system, however, is likely to result in damage to the instrument panel of the vehicle. The pneumatic system also is unable to accurately mimic occupant movement for particular vehicle crash scenarios, such as a crash scenario involving pre-crash braking.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,672,177 discloses another system for testing an air bag proximity suppression system. The system includes rails for enabling motion of an occupant model along three orthogonal axes. The system disclosed in the 6,672,177 patent is large and appears to require removal of the vehicle seat at the location at which testing is to occur.
It is desirable to be able to test the occupant position sensing system without damaging the vehicle containing the occupant position sensing system. It is also desirable to enabling such testing to be repeatable under various environmental conditions, such as variable amounts of ambient light, and in some instances, to conduct the test without removing the vehicle seat or seat back.

Apparatus and method for testing and occupant position sensing system of a vehicle


A method encodes a video by applying a dual-tree discrete wavelet transform to the video to generate sequences of wavelet coefficients. The sequences are compressed to produce a compressed bitstream corresponding to the video. The compression iteratively selects the wavelet coefficients in a large to small order, and entropy encodes the selected wavelet coefficient.

A discrete wavelet transform (DWT) provides a multi-resolution representation of a signal. The DWT can be used for a variety of applications such as denoising, restoration and enhancement. The DWT can also be used for compression, particularly the compression of video signals. The DWT for video compression achieves high compression efficiency, and also enable a scalable representation of the video in spatial resolution, temporal resolution and quality, i.e., signal-to-noise ratio (SNR).
One of the most successful applications of the DWT for image compression is the JPEG 2000 compression standard, see "ISO/IEC 15444-1:2000: Information technology—JPEG 2000 Image Coding System—Part 1: Core Coding System," 2000.
As shown in FIG. 1, the encoding system includes a forward DWT 110, a quantization encoder 120, and an entropy encoder 130 to compress an input image 101 into an output bitstream 102. These operations are performed in reverse in a decoder. This image encoding system achieves both spatial and SNR scalability.
According to the JPEG 2000 standard, the transform can be irreversible or reversible. The default irreversible filter is a Daubechies 9/7 filter described by Antonini, et al. in "Image coding using the wavelet transform," IEEE Trans. Image Processing," April 1992, while the default reversible filter is a Le Gall 5/3 filter described by Le Gall et al., in "Subband coding of digital images using symmetric short kernel filters and arithmetic coding techniques," Proc. IEEE Int'l Conf. Acoustics, Speech and Signal Processing, 1988.
During encoding, an image is decomposed into rectangular tiles, where each tile-component is a basic unit of the original or reconstructed image. The DWT is applied to each tile, and the tile is decomposed into multiple resolution levels. The resolution levels are made up of subbands of coefficients that describe the frequency characteristics of the tile components. The subband coefficients are quantized and collected into rectangular arrays of code blocks, which are then entropy coded with a bit plane coding technique.
For video compression, there exists several codecs that use the DWT. The prior art codecs can be classified into two distinct categories: a first that is strictly transform-based and does not use any motion compensation techniques, and a second that attempts to exploit temporal redundancy in the video using motion compensation. Both methods are scalable in both the spatial and temporal domains, as well as SNR scalable.
An example of the transform-based wavelet video codec is described by Kim et al., in "Low Bit-Rate Scalable Video Coding with 3D Set Partitioning in Hierarchical Trees (3D SPIHT)," IEEE Trans. Circuits and Systems for Video Technology, December 2000. That method is referred to as 3D-SPIHT and applies a separable 1D wavelet transform in each dimension to obtain the 3D subband decomposition. That encoding technique has the following properties: (1) partially ordering of the magnitudes of the 3D wavelet-transformed video with a 3D set partitioning algorithm, (2) ordering of the bit-planes of refinement bits for transmission, and (3) exploiting self-similarity across spatio-temporal orientation trees.
While the 3D-SPIHT codec is free from the computational burden of motion compensation, it has a fundamental problem in that different orientations are mixed. To explain this mixing problem, consider applying the DWT to a 2D signal such as an image, where we apply the 1D transform in both the horizontal and vertical directions. There are three wavelets associated with this 2D transform.
FIGS. 2A-2C show respectively their impulse responses. The wavelet in FIG. 2C does not have a dominant direction. This checkerboard artifact indicates that the 2D DWT is poor at isolating diagonal orientations.
For 3D signals such as video, this problem becomes much worse because the third dimension is time, and the mixing of different motion orientations is a much more severe issue that leads to significant inefficiencies for coding.
An example of a motion compensating wavelet video codec is described by Hsiang et al., in "Embedded video coding using invertible motion compensated 3-D subband/wavelet filter bank," Signal Processing: Image Communications, May 2001. That method is referred to as MC-EZBC, which stands for motion compensation with embedded zero-tree block coding.
FIG. 3 shows a block diagram of that codec. An input video is first subject to a motion compensated temporal filter (MCTF) 310 that filters the video in the temporal direction using motion vectors computed by a motion estimation unit 320. The filter 310 is half-pixel accurate with perfect reconstruction, which allows for higher coding gains compared to the full-pixel temporal filters.
The output of the MCTF is subject to a spatial analysis 330 to complete the 3D decomposition. The resulting 3D subband coefficients are entropy encoded 340. The motion vectors are also entropy coded by a MV encoder 350, which utilizes traditional prediction and entropy coding techniques. The output of the encoders 340 and 350 can be buffered 360 before an output bitstream 302 is produced.
Because the above codec performs motion estimation locally at the block level and applies the temporal filtering accordingly, the problem of mixing different motion orientations is less of an issue than in the 3D-SPIHT codec. However, a 2D spatial analysis filter is still used. Therefore this codec is still susceptible to the mixing of spatial orientations. Regardless of the mixed orientations problem, the major drawback of this codec is the computational requirements for motion compensation, which is performed locally at the block level.
Given the above prior art in this area, there exists the need for a wavelet-based video codec that avoids the problem of conventional multi-dimensional DWT that mixes different orientations and also avoids the need for motion estimation.

Video encoding with motion-selective wavelet transform

Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc.


A crawler-tracked vehicle with a variable track width can be used as a construction vehicle and/or as a vehicle for agricultural purposes. The vehicle includes an undervehicle with a vehicle frame, on which is provided on each of the two sides a chassis with a chassis carrier respectively for carrying at least one driving wheel and one deflecting wheel and supporting wheels for the guidance of crawler tracks. At least one of the two chassis carriers (10, 11) can be fastened releasably to the vehicle frame (7) at a different distance transversely to the undervehicle (6) with carrying elements (24, 25) arranged laterally at the front and rear and with receiving and supporting elements (26, 27) and with holding and releasing elements (28).

Crawler-tracked vehicles of this type with variable track width are basically known. However, they do not satisfactorily fulfill the expectations placed on them, since the technical outlay is high and the costs associated with this often do not justify the advantages which are basically present and which are associated with the possibility of varying the track width.

Crawler-tracked vehicle with variable track width


It is an object of the present invention to reduce a high speed FV n-order component of a completed tire by specifying a mounting phase of a raw tire with respect to a vulcanization mold. A variation amount of a total gage of a tread portion of each of non-vulcanized raw tires Pi (i=1 to m) each having a plurality of (k) tire constituent members including a joint portion whose one end and the other end in its circumferential direction are connected to each other, and a high speed FV of each of completed tires Qi (i=1 to m) obtained by vulcanizing and forming the raw tire Pi (i=1 to m) using a vulcanization mold are measured to obtain an estimation equation. Based on the equation, the mounting phase of the raw tire after the m-th can be specified.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a producing method of a high speed FV (force variation) reducing tire in which, for each of rn-number of raw tires in the same lot, a variation amount of a total gage of a tread portion and high speed FV in a completed tire formed by vulcanization-forming the raw tires are measured to obtain a predetermined estimation equation, mounting phases of raw tires after the m-th tire with respect to the vulcanization mold are specified based on the estimation equation, and thereby an n-order component of high speed FV of the completed tires after the m-th tire is reduced.
2. Prior Art
In order to improve vehicle vibration resulting from a tire, it is necessary to reduce a vibration force generated by the tire, and a 100% inspection of low speed uniformity is conventionally carried out in many cases when the tires are produced. A measuring method of the low speed uniformity is laid down in JASOC607-87. According to this method, uniformity factors such as a radial FV, a tangential FV, a lateral FV, and a radial runout (RRO) are measured at low rotation speed of 60 rmp or lower.
In recent years, it has been found that a higher-order component of the high speed uniformity is strongly involved in vibration and noise caused by running at high speed. Therefore, the desire to provide tires having excellent high speed uniformity grows in the tire market. However, since it is necessary to measure the high speed uniformity at high speed rotation using a special uniformity machine, it takes a long time for carrying out the measurement, and it is extremely difficult to carry out the 100% inspection.
Thereupon, in recent years, it has been proposed to estimate the higher-order component of the high speed uniformity of a tire using a regression equation or a statistical processing from a uniformity factor of the low speed uniformity.
FIG. 10(A) shows a relation between high speed radial FV2-order and low speed radial FV2-order. FIG. 10(B) shows a relation between the high speed radial FV2-order and RRO2-order. As shown in these drawings, since the tire uniformities have different mechanisms depending upon speed, a correlation between the low speed uniformity and the high speed uniformity is not high and thus, it is difficult to sufficiently enhance the estimation precision of the higher-order component of the high speed uniformity. In the conventional technique, it is only possible to discriminate a completed tire based on the estimation, and it is not possible to positively produce a tire having excellent high speed uniformity.
In view of such circumstances, the present inventor researched and found the following fact. That is, in the same lot, there were high correlations between magnitude and phase of an n-order component of a total gage distribution of a tread portion in a raw tire, between magnitude and phase of variation of local total gage at a joint position of various tire constituent members in the raw tire (e.g., inner liner rubber, tread rubber, carcass ply, belt ply and the like) in a circumferential direction of each tire, and between magnitude and phase of the high speed FV n-order component in the completed tire obtained by vulcanization-forming the raw tire. Based on the information, the estimation equation was obtained from a leading sample of the same lot, thereby making it possible to precisely estimate, for the tires after the sampled tire, the n-order component of high speed FV when this raw tire became the completed tire in a state in which the tire remained as the raw tire. For the tires after the sampled tire, if the mounting phase of the raw tire to the vulcanization mold was specified based on this estimation, the n-order component of high speed FV of the completed tire could be reduced.

Producing method of high speed FV reducing tire


A solution for controlling data transfer over the air interface is introduced. Information is transceived over a first interface and a second interface, the first interface being the air interface. A property of the data flow through the first interface is monitored for deriving a reference value for the monitored property of the data flow, at least one threshold value (T1) for the monitored property is provided; and the derived reference value is compared to the threshold value (T1). As a response to a certain relation of said reference number and said threshold value, a request for radio resource modification is initiated.

The present invention relates to telecommunication, and especially to a method mobile station and inter-working unit for dynamic radio capacity controlling. The mobile station comprises a radio unit for transceiving data over an air interface, a data interface unit for transceiving data to and from the radio unit, and a control unit for controlling the operation of the radio unit and the interface unit. The method comprises the steps of transceiving information over a first interface and transceiving information over a second interface, the first interface being the air interface. The inter-working unit comprises a data interface unit connected to a radio network unit communicating with at least one mobile station over an air interface, and a control unit for controlling the operation of the data interface unit unit.
Many existing digital wireless or mobile telephone networks make use of time division multiple access (TDMA) to share out radio resources between a number of mobile stations and between a number of channels. For example, in the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) GSM standard, a given frequency band is divided in the time domain into a succession of frames, known as TDMA (Time Division Multiplexed Access) frames. The length of a TDMA frame is 4.615 ms. Each TDMA frame is in turn divided into eight consecutive slots of equal duration. In the conventional circuit switched transmission mode, when a call is initiated, a full rate bi-directional traffic channel (TCH/F) is defined for that call by reserving two time slots (1 to 8), in each of a succession of TDMA frames, for the duration of the call. One of these slots provides the downlink from the base station (BS) to the mobile station (MS) whilst the other provides the uplink.
The circuit switched transmission mode in GSM provides for a data transmission rate of 9.6 kbps. However, due to the demand for higher transmission rates, a set of GSM enhancements known as GSM Phase 2+ have been specified by ETSI. One of the main features of GSM Phase 2+ is known as High Speed Circuit Switched Data (HSCSDxe2x80x94specified in GSM 02.34 and GSM 03.34) which achieves an increased data transmission rate by using more than one TCH/F for a single connection (i.e. effectively reserving two or more consecutive time slots in each TDMA frame).
GSM Phase 2+ also specifies (see for example GSM 01.60, 02.60, 03.60, and 03.64) a new feature known as General Packet Radio Service (GPRS). GPRS provides for the dynamic allocation of radio resources, with the allocation for uplink and downlink communications being made separately and independently of each other. That is to say that a time slot is allocated to a particular MS to BSS link only when there is data to be transmitted. The unnecessary reservation of a TCH/F, when there is no data to be transmitted, is thus avoided. In addition, a high-speed packet switched transmission channel may be provided by assigning two or more slots of a TDMA frame to a single MS.
In GSM HSCSD non-transparent connection mode the user can (if the MS supports this feature) request service level up- or downgrading, i.e. request more or less time slots to be allocated for a connection. Provided that the feature is requested in the set-up of a call, service level up- and downgrading is possible during an ongoing call. For example, when setting up a connection to an Internet Service Provider (ISP), the login and authorisation procedures do not require a lot of transmission capacity and could therefore be managed with one time slot connection. When the connection is established and a large file or a www-page (World Wide Web) containing graphics is being downloaded, more transmission capacity is needed. When the file or the www-page are downloaded and the user is reading the information, the need for capacity is not that big anymore, and a small number of time slots are needed.
In GPRS, a Temporary Block Flow (TBF) is generally initiated for delivering packet data units between the MS and the network. For each temporary flow, the need for resources is negotiated, and immediately after the flow, the resource is released for the use of traffic to and from other MSs. GPRS comprises two allocation modes, a fixed allocation and a dynamic allocation. In the fixed allocation a detailed fixed uplink resource is allocated for the MS, and an option for renegotiation of the radio resource during TBF is also defined.
The advantage of using a correct amount of capacity, i.e. correct number of time slots at each time draws from the fact that the user pays for the connection depending on the amount of time slots used. The less capacity is used, i.e. the less time slots are wasted, and the less the user has to pay. In addition, this approach is advantageous also with respect to the network, since the same resources can be used to facilitate services for a remarkably larger number of users.
However, according to the present system definitions,to facilitate such a feature of up- or downgrading in service level, the application running in the MS must be adapted to support this feature. This means that for example, a www-browser or an email application in the MS must be adapted to recognise that the connection used is a GSM connection employing multiple time slots, and that service level up- and downgrading is supported by the mobile. So far no such applications exist, and even if some such applications were created, mobile subscribers would always be limited to those few adapted applications available.
According to the first aspect of the invention the mobile station is characterized by its control unit being adapted to monitor a property of a data flow through the interface unit for deriving a reference value for the monitored property of the data flow; said control unit being provided with at least one threshold value for the monitored property; and said control unit being adapted to compare the derived reference value with the threshold value, and being adapted, as a response to a certain relation of said reference number and said threshold value, to initiate a request for radio resource modification.
In the solution according to the invention, the user data to be transmitted over the air interface is monitored, and based on the properties of this data e.g. the number of time slots allocated for the connection is controlled. Consequently, the data processing entity connected to the MS and running the applications does not have to be involved with the control of the radio resource used for the connection, and modifications to the applications in order to support this enhanced use of radio resource become unnecessary. The present invention enables the user to easily benefit from the dynamic nature of the data link and reduces the need for special application software which would have to be tailored for mobile communication environment in order to facilitate utilisation of available dynamic multi-slot features.
In the later embodiments of the invention the mobile station monitors the amount of the transmitted data, or the contents of the data frames transmitted in the physical layer level. According to the invention, certain criteria will be set for the properties of the data, and whenever said criteria are met, a request for service level modification is initiated by the mobile station.
According to a second aspect of the invention an inter-working unit of a mobile system supporting high speed circuit switched data transmission is introduced. The inter-working unit comprises a data interface unit (IU) connected to a radio network unit (BSC, BTS) communicating with at least one mobile station over an air interface, and a control unit (CPU) for controlling the operation of the data interface unit unit. The inter-working unit is characterized by said control unit being adapted to monitor a property of a data flow through the interface unit for deriving a reference value for the monitored property of the data flow; said control unit being provided with at least one threshold value for the monitored property; said control unit being adapted to compare the derived reference value with the threshold value, and being adapted, as a response a certain relation of said reference number and said threshold value, to initiate a request for radio resource modification.
According to a third aspect of the invention, a method for controlling data transfer over the air interface is presented. The method comprises transceiving information over a first interface and transceiving information over a second interface, the first interface being the air interface. The method is characterized by monitoring a property of the data flow through the first interface for deriving a reference value for the monitored property of the data flow; providing at least one threshold value for the monitored property; comparing the derived reference value to the threshold value; and initiating, as a response to a certain relation of said reference number and said threshold value, a request for radio resource modification.

Method and apparatus for dynamic radio resource controlling