Detecting a wildfire and an electrical arc, which are characterized by emission of ultraviolet (UV) radiation at a given wavelength, are described using a light sensor having a pulse output responsive to the given wavelength and generating an intermediate output responsive to the pulse output in a way which tracks a trend in the pulse output, irrespective of any increase in the relative number of pulses in the pulse output that is responsive to extraneous sources other than wildfire or electrical arc. The intermediate output is generated responsive to pulses occurring within an event window that continuously terminates at present time and extends backward therefrom by a selected time duration. An alarm signal is produced based on a predetermined characteristic of the intermediate output. Packaging of the sensor and alarm arrangement is described along with photo-detection tube optimization. Further, atmospheric transmission of the detected wavelength is described.

The present invention relates generally to fire detection systems and, more specifically, to fire detection systems for sensing the presence of fire and/or precursors thereof which are located remotely therefrom.
As more residences are built in forested parts of the country, the danger of wildfire becomes ever more ominous due to the number of lives and properties that are at risk. Particularly in dry or windy times and locations, a wildfire can double in size every few minutes. Without early detection, such a fire can quickly overwhelm any resources available to fight the fire. Early detection by a homeowner can in many cases ensure notification of the fire department while the fire is still small enough to be stopped or, if necessary, an emergency evacuation by the homeowner. However, no homeowner can be constantly on the lookout for wildfires, particularly at night. It is well known that wildfires may grow exponentially in dry weather, steep terrain or in high winds. Due to the exponential growth of wildfires, a wildfire must be attacked early or it quickly grows too large and hazardous for a direct attack.
Early attack of a wildfire depends on early detection. For example, if a one-foot fire doubles its diameter every five minutes, it would take 39 minutes to become a one acre blaze, then quickly blows up to 100 acres in the next 16 minutes. Since fire department response times are typically 20 minutes and such quickly-growing fires cannot be safely attacked beyond approximately two acres in size, the fire must be detected and the fire department notified within the first 20 minutes of the fire or the opportunity to stop the fire will have passed. The doubling time can be much shorter in high wind conditions. High winds are additionally dangerous since they often initiate power line arcing, which may cause the power line to break and fall to the ground, thereby immediate setting light fuels on fire. Therefore, it would be desirable to detect power line arcing, even if a fire has not yet started. Then, fire crews may wet down areas downwind of an arcing wire before a fire has begun.
An optical detection method for detecting wildfires at long distances is preferable so that the detector does not have to rely on smoke, heat or other indicators of fire. While fires emit light in the visible spectrum, most of the emitted radiation is in the infrared portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. Consequently, many fire detection systems rely on the detection of infrared radiation. However, various other warm or hot objects, such as the sun or its reflections, also emit large quantities of infrared radiation. Therefore, the infrared radiation sources must be distinguished spatially, and an array-type detector with an imaging and/or scanning system is often used for this purpose. Since the signal processing for such an array-type infrared detector is complex, these systems are generally expensive. Furthermore, these infrared detection systems are ineffective in detecting electrical arcs, which have low infrared emissions. Also, although some bands of the infrared spectrum (such as the 2.7 μm, 4.3μm and 6.5μm bands) are "solar blind" to some extent because the atmosphere blocks sunlight at those wavelengths and thereby prevents these solar wavelengths from reaching the ground, the usefulness of these infrared detectors in long-distance wildfire detection is limited since the atmosphere also blocks these wavelengths when they are emitted by a fire.
While numerous flame sensors , many of which respond to UVC photons emitted by hydrocarbon flames, are commercially available, these sensors are typically designed to respond to flames within approximately fifty meters. To be useful, however, a wildfire sensor should detect fires at much longer distances, for example, up to a mile away. Also, a wildfire sensor should be capable of detecting small electrical sparks, such as from arcing power lines, which are common precursors to wildfires. Given geometrical considerations, one might logically assume that a sensor which detects a 0.01 meter diameter flame at 5 meters would be capable of detecting a 1.0 meter diameter flame at 500 meters and, by extension, a 10 meter flame at 5000 meters. However, in the case of UVC detection, atmospheric oxygen absorbs approximately half of the UVC signal every 160 meters, and, additionally, the terrestrial half-power point of UV due to O2 absorption increases dramatically with wavelength (e.g., the half power point is approximately 60 meters for a wavelength of 210 run, 130 meters at 220 nm, 230 meters at 230 nm, 480 meters at 240 nm, 1150 meters at 250 nm, etc.). In other words, over the course of a one mile path for a UVC wavelength of approximately 225nm as an example, 99.9% of the UVC signal is absorbed by the atmosphere (UVC is substantially blocked by stratospheric ozone), thereby leaving just one tenth of one percent for detection. Moreover, currently available UV detectors are limited in usefulness in sunlight because the sun also radiates ultraviolet radiation. Since sunlight contains ultraviolet radiation in the UVC and UVC as well as UVC ranges, a UV detector for detection of weak and/or distant flames or arcs must be able to ignore UVA and UVB radiation while being sensitive to UVC radiation such that the sensor is essentially blind to sunlight but is highly sensitive to both flames and electrical arcs. That is, the sensor must be highly sensitive in a range within the UVC range (particularly from 230nm to 280nm which are not absorbed by O2) while exhibiting much lower responsivity at wavelengths, for example, longer than 280nm that are not absorbed by O3.
In order for a UV sensor to detect weak and/or distant flame or electrical arc, the sensor must be highly sensitive to a selected range of UVC radiation. However, most UVC radiation is blocked by tropospheric atmosphere, particularly by oxygen. Since there exists significant overlap between the absorption bands of tropospheric oxygen (O2) and stratospheric oxygen (O3), an ideal UV sensor should operate in a spectral region between 240 nm and 270 nm in order to remotely detect the presence of wildfire and/or electrical arc.
Unfortunately, ideal detectors which operate in this limited ultraviolet radiation range are not currently available. While highly effective, absorptive bandpass filters of cobalt glass are available, no such filter is currently available with such exacting specifications. As an alternative, interference filters may be designed to specifically pass only wavelengths between 240nm and 270nm, but interference filters are expensive, have limited field of view (i.e., exhibits high angle sensitivity) and generally do not provide sufficient wavelength rejection at wavelengths longer than 280 nm. The angle sensitivity is particularly problematic in fire detection since it is desirable to have one detector to cover a large angular field of view.
Recently, specialized semiconductor photodiodes have been developed under DARPA with the goal of targeting the UVC band of wavelengths which is substantially blocked by stratospheric O3 but is largely transmitted by tropospheric O2. The efforts are generally aimed at purposes of, for example, tracking missiles and other such projectiles. However, the UVB rejection of such photodiodes thus far has been limited to approximately 30 dB. Such values of UVB rejection may suffice for military purposes, but effective detection of distant wildfires and electrical arcs would require that the response to UVB relative to the desired band of UVC radiation should be reduced at least 25 dB at 280 nm, 45 dB at 290 nm, 75 dB at 300 nm, 90 dB at 310 nm and 100 dB at 320 nm. Very few detectors can meet such UVB rejection requirements, and still fewer achieve such values of UVB radiation rejection over a hemispherical field of view. Additionally, since the spectral emissions of various hydrocarbon flames may or may not be adequately similar and the UVC emissions from such flames are largely re-absorbed on passage through the plasmas of the various flames, the UV spectra of various flames may differ.
Various types of UVC photo-electric avalanche detectors are available. Turning now to the drawings, where like items are indicated by like reference numbers, a typical photo-electric avalanche detector is shown in FIG. 1, indicated by a reference numeral 10. Photo-electric avalanche detector 10 includes a glass envelope 12 enclosing a plurality of avalanche gas atoms 14, as well as an anode 16 and a photo-cathode 18, and photo-electric avalanche detector 10 is sensitive to a signal photon 20. An electric field 22 (indicated by arrows) is established between the anode and the photo-cathode by a bias voltage applied therebetween (not shown). When signal photon 20 is incident on photo-cathode 18, thereby knocking off an electron from the cathode, electric field 22 produces an electron avalanche, thereby leading to the detection of the signal photon. As will be further described, an electric field is easily overwhelmed by the presence of noise sources.
In a conventional "photon counting" mode of operation of a UVC photo-electric avalanche detector, the presence of extraneous noise counts precludes simply increasing the circuit gain in order to compensate for reduced signal levels. As a result, detection of small or distant fires is difficult at best and typically fraught with the problem of unacceptable false alarms.
One type of photo-electric avalanche detector is the Geiger-Mueller detector, which was originally invented in 1928 for detection of gamma rays. Geiger-Mueller detectors (or GM tubes) can and have been adapted for use as UV detectors. These adapted GM tubes employ the photoelectric effect to strongly reject photons whose energies fall below the work function of a photocathode. Like the original GM tubes, these adaptations employ a low pressure gas to achieve avalanche gain in a strong electric field when an incident UV photon of the correct wavelength succeeds in knocking loose an electron from the photocathode. As different photocathode metals exhibit different work functions, different GM tubes may detect different UV wavelengths. For example, nickel ideally rejects any wavelength longer than 247nm; tungsten ideally rejects any wavelength longer than 274nm; and molybdenum ideally rejects any wavelength longer than 295nm. However, when placed at above absolute zero temperatures and due to crystal structure imperfections, these cut-off wavelength values blur considerably. Furthermore, although GM tubes commonly exhibit a response peak at around 200nm, the presence of atmospheric O2 shifts the peak of the already weak UV signal from a fire toward 250nm. As a result, the rather unpredictable response of GM tubes to solar UVB radiation around 280 nm becomes critical to maintaining an acceptable signal-to-noise (SNR). For instance, although nickel cathode GM tubes have a much lower response to ultraviolet radiation at 250 nm in comparison to molybdenum or tungsten based devices, nickel devices may also exhibit a high enough responsivity to solar radiation greater than 280 nm so as to make the SNR of the device intolerable in remote fire detection applications. Poisson or "shot" noise in the signal as well as cosmic ray background noise becomes problematic in the attempt to extract the fire signal from the background noise.
One example of a compact GM tube for use in fire detectors and alarms is UV TRON® R2868 available from Hamamatsu Corporation. According to the specification provided with the device, the R2868 exhibits a narrow spectral sensitivity in the 185 to 260nm range with a wide angular sensitivity so as to detect, for example, a cigarette lighter flame at "a distance of more than 5 m" and "corona discharge of high-voltage transmission lines."1 However, the specification of R2868 lists the background noise characteristic of the device at 10 cpm Max under room illumination and operating conditions. Since the background noise characteristic further worsens in sunlight conditions, this background noise characteristic of R2868 as supplied by the manufacturer is unacceptable in detecting the presence of wildfire and electrical arcs at long distances. Also, the driver/processor circuit available from Hamamatsu for use with R2868 employs a fixed integration period time integration circuit which triggers the generation of an alarm signal when the photon count received at R2868 reaches a user-specified threshold value during a given integration period. In the Hamamatsu driving circuit, if the photon count is even just slightly below the threshold value at the end of any given integration period, then the photon count is reset to zero at the end of the integration period. This time integration method is inadequate for use in the long distance detection of wildfires and flames because the photon count over time may be very low for a long period of time but increase exponentially over a short time period. Since early detection is key in this application, the resetting of the photon count at the end of each integration period may lead to the loss of precious time in detection of far away but significant fire sources. 1HAMAMATSU Flame Sensor UV TRON® R2868 Specification sheet.
Furthermore, since it is very common for wildfires to be caused by a downed power line, it is highly desirable for a wildfire alarm system to be battery operated. However, this feature proves difficult since conventional circuitry, even of low power, CMOS variety, may consume enough power to require unacceptably frequent battery replacement.
The present invention provides a fire detection apparatus and associated method which serves to reduce or eliminate the foregoing problems in a highly advantageous and heretofore unseen way and which provides still further advantages.

Remote sensing and signaling of the presence of wildfire


Devices, systems, and components for attaching a modular element to a lateral surface at a variety of different angles include a connector module having a modular element interface on one end and a lateral surface interface on an opposing end. A flexible tip seal is located at the lateral surface interface of the connector module. The flexible tip seal enables an assembler to attach a modular element to a desired lateral structure at a variety of different angles.

1. The Field of the Invention
The present disclosure is generally related to modular systems.
2. Background and Relevant Art
Office space can be relatively expensive, not only due to the basic costs of the location and size of the office space, but also due to any construction needed to configure the office space in a particular way. For example, an organization might purchase or rent a large open space in an office complex, and then subdivide or partition the open space into various offices, conference rooms, or cubicles, depending on the organization's needs and size constraints. Rather than having to find new office space and move as an organization's needs change, it is often necessary to have a convenient and efficient means to reconfigure the existing office space. Many organizations address their configuration and reconfiguration issues by dividing large, open office spaces into individual work areas using modular systems.
One advantage of modular systems is that they are relatively easy to set up and can be configured in a number of different ways. Another advantage is that modular systems can be less expensive to set up, and can be, if necessary, reconfigured more easily than more permanently constructed office dividers. For example, a set of offices and a conference area can be carved out of a larger space in a relatively short period of time with the use of a modular system. If needs or desires change, the organization can readily reconfigure the space.
Conventional modular systems are assembled by connecting individual modular elements, like modular wall elements or modular desk elements, together. Modular wall elements can be connected to other modular wall elements in a number of different configurations to divide a space into a desired configuration. For example, modular wall elements can be connected together at their ends to create an elongated modular wall. Modular wall elements can also be connected in non-straight lines to form angles and create corners in a modular system. Conventional modular systems also allow for three or more modular wall elements to intersect at a single point, thereby creating a "T" or "X" configuration in the modular system.
Creating a desired configuration using a conventional modular system can be challenging for several different reasons. First, conventional modular systems do not generally provide much flexibility in terms of attachment locations for intersecting modular wall elements. In some conventional modular systems, an assembler can only place an intersecting modular wall element at a pre-existing intersection between two or more modular wall elements. For example, if an organization wants to divide a large modular office into two smaller modular offices, an assembler may only be able to place the partitioning modular wall element at the connecting points of two modular walls already defining the larger office space. This may present a problem if the organization wants the partition to attach to an existing modular wall element at a point somewhere in between connecting points of individual modular wall elements defining the larger office space. This reduces the number of configuration options that are possible in many conventional modular systems.
In addition, many conventional modular systems require the presence of a post module at the location where the modular wall element intersects. Post modules can contain multiple surfaces that attach to the ends of modular wall elements, thereby allowing for the intersection of multiple modular wall elements at a single point. To the extent that a post module is not present at the desired intersection location, an assembler may need to add one. Depending on the size of the post module, installation of a post module to a pre-existing modular wall could extend the length of the modular wall. This could present spacing problems in large modular systems where extending the length of a modular wall, even by a small amount, could require a reconfiguration of the entire system.
Finally, in some conventional modular systems, the angles at which modular wall elements connect tend to be fixed, and not variable. In some conventional modular systems, very few angular configurations for connecting two walls are possible. For example, in some conventional modular systems, two walls may be joinable only at 180 degree angles (or in a straight line), 90 degree angles, 45 degree angles, or 30 degree angles. With these systems, it is difficult to partition a space into offices or cubicles that require angular configurations other than those for which hardware is specifically provided.
Accordingly, there are a number of disadvantages in conventional modular systems that can be addressed.

Tangential non-dimensional interface module


An apparatus and method for using indexed segment identifiers in segment routing. An example method involves receiving a globally unique index value at a node. The method also involves receiving a base value at the node, where the base value comprises a segment routing value configured to identify a nodal segment. The method then involves calculating a segment identifier based on the index value and the base value.

Packet forwarding is a process of relaying packets from one communication link to another by nodes in a network. A packet is a formatted unit of data that typically contains control information and payload data. Control information may include: source and destination IP addresses, error detection codes like checksums, sequencing information, etc. Control information is typically found in packet headers and trailers, with payload data in between. Network nodes may take form in one or more routers, one or more bridges, one or more switches, or any other suitable communications processing device.
At network nodes where multiple outgoing links are available, the choice of link to use for packet forwarding requires a decision process that, while simple in concept, can be complex. Since packet forwarding decisions are handled by nodes, the total time required for this can become a major limiting factor in overall network performance.
Segment routing (SR) is one mechanism that nodes can use to forward packets. Segment routing involves attaching one or more segment IDs (segment IDs) to a packet. Segment routing capable nodes determine how to forward a packet based on the segment IDs. This stands in stark contrast to traditional Internet Protocol (IP) routing in which packet forwarding decisions are made using IP addresses contained within packets. Since nodes use segment IDs, there is no need for nodes to examine the contents (e.g., IP addresses) of packets to make packet forwarding decisions.
However, one constraint of classic SR networks is that all nodes in a given SR network must be able to determine what segment is referred to by a given segment ID. That is, all nodes use a common range of segment IDs, and a segment ID assigned to a particular segment is allocated from that range and must mean the same thing (identify the particular segment) to all nodes in the SR network. However, it may be inconvenient or impossible for some nodes to utilize the common range of segment IDs, for example due to varying capabilities of the nodes. If a node in the SR network does not recognize and use the common range of segment IDs used by other nodes the node may be unable to use SR to forward packets.


Under the present invention, when an error condition for the computer system is identified, settings for a series of demographical factors of the computer system are determined. These settings are compared to settings for the demographical factors during at least one previous instance of the error condition to identify a similar error scenario. Then any corrective actions that were taken to address the at least one previous instance of the error conditions are determined and possibly used to resolve the current error condition.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to resolving computer system error conditions. Specifically, the present invention provides a method, system and program product for analyzing demographical factors of a computer system to address error conditions.
2. Related Art
As the use of computers in business has become more prevalent, there is a growing need to provide proper planning in deciding when/if to upgrade or replace ("refresh") machines. Currently, the upgrading or replacement of a machine is typically driven by its age. That is, when the machine reaches a certain age it is replaced with a newer machine or upgraded with improved hardware and/or software.
Such a method for handling upgrades and replacements fails to take into consideration many other factors that could influence the decision-making process. As such, this methodology could cause a machine to continue in use beyond its practical usefulness, or it could cause a machine that is functioning well to be replaced or upgraded. Moreover, this methodology fails to take into consideration any error conditions the machines might have been experiencing. To this extent, no existing methodology examines error conditions on a machine against a series of factors that could be the cause thereof. If this was done, a more "educated" and cost effective decision could be made in upgrading or replacing a machine.
In view of the foregoing, there exists a need for a method, system and program product for analyzing demographical factors of a computer system to address error conditions of a computer system. Specifically, a need exists whereby when an error condition is identified, certain demographical factors of the computer system are analyzed to determine the cause thereof. Once the cause is determined, the computer system can be upgraded or replaced to resolve the error condition.

Method, system and program product for analyzing demographical factors of a computer system to address error conditions

International Business Machines Corporation


A method for permitting access to secured computer resources based upon a two-piece user verification process. In the disclosed embodiment, the user verification process is carried out during a secure power-up procedure. At some point during the secure power-up procedure, the computer user is required to provide an external token or smart card to the computer system. The token or smart card is used to store an authentication value(s) required to enable secured resources. The computer user is then required to enter a plain text user password. Separate passwords can be used to enable various portions of the computer system. Once entered, a one-way hash function is performed on the user password. The resulting hash value is compared to an authentication value (token value) downloaded from the token. If the two values match, the power-on sequence is completed and access to the computer system and/or secured computer resources is permitted. If the two values do not match, power to the entire computer system and/or secured computer resources are disabled. The two-piece nature of the authorization process requires the presence of both the user password and the external token in order to access protected computer resources.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to security in a computer system, and more particularly to permitting access to secured computer resources based upon comparison of a hash value representation of a plain text user password and a hash value stored in an external token.
2. Description of the Related Art
Today's businesses invest large amounts of money in hardware and software, and even more money is spent developing information contained in data files such as text documents and spreadsheets. Protecting such investments can be critical to the success and reputation of a business. Public accounts of the exploits of computer "hackers"--as malicious code-breakers or eavesdroppers are sometimes called--have therefore focused and magnified corporate desires for secure communications and better methods of protecting data. The scope of the problem is undoubtedly even more serious than reported, given the reluctance of many businesses to report security breaches. As a result, security conscious users are requesting that security and integrity features be incorporated into their computers to restrict access to data contained on hard drives, as well as information contained in other critical system components.
One known approach to security involves encryption or cryptography. Cryptography is typically used to protect both data and communications. Generally, the original message or data item is referred to as "plain text", while "encryption" denotes the process of disguising or altering a message in such a way that its substance is not readily discernable. An encrypted message is called "ciphertext". Ciphertext is returned to plain text by an inverse operation referred to as "decryption". Encryption is typically accomplished through the use of a cryptographic algorithm, which is essentially a mathematical function. The most common cryptographic algorithms are key-based, where special knowledge of variable information called a "key" is required to decrypt ciphertext. There are many types of key-based cryptographic algorithms, providing varying levels of security.
The two most prevalent cryptographic algorithms are generally referred to as "symmetric" (also called secret key or single key algorithms) and "public key" (also called asymmetric algorithms). The security in these algorithms is centered around the keys--not the details of the algorithm itself. This makes it possible to publish the algorithm for public scrutiny and then mass produce it for incorporation into security products.
One problem with key-based algorithms is speed. Public key algorithms, in particular, are typically on the order of 1,000 times slower than symmetric algorithms. Even symmetric algorithms can be slow when compared with so-called "one-way functions" (also known as "one-way hash functions").
Briefly, a typical one-way hash function, denoted H(M), operates on an arbitrary-length block of text or message M. The one-way hash function returns a fixed-length hash value, h, such that h=H(M), were h is of length m. One-way hash functions have special characteristics that make them one-way. Given M, for example, it is easy to compute h. Given h, it is hard reverse the hashing process and compute M such that H(M)=h. Further, it is very difficult to find another message, M', such that H(M)=H(M'). In essence, the one-way hash function provides a "fingerprint" of M that is unique, and is therefore frequently used for purposes of authenticating the source of a message.
While much attention has been given to protecting and authenticating communications and data as they are transmitted via internal networks (intranets) and external networks (such as the Internet), fewer security improvements have focused on protecting the hardware itself. One known method of offering limited access to hardware and the data it contains is by the use of passwords. A password is typically stored in battery-backed CMOS RAM memory. Before the user is allowed access to the computer or secured computer resources, the user is required to enter a password. Once a password is entered, the computer's power-on routine compares the password to the password in CMOS memory and, if they match, the user is allowed access.
A main disadvantage of this system is that certain forms of attack can bypass the CMOS memory because in many cases it is not read protected. To address this concern, the password can be encoded. Many encoding schemes can be reverse engineered by a sophisticated computer virus or malicious code, however, potentially leading to a costly security breach. Further, the CMOS memory could simply be disconnected from its battery, causing the loss of the password and any other contents.
Physical keys or tokens, such as those used to unlock a door, have also been used to permit access to a computer system. Like the password approach, this type of security is "one-piece" in nature, and is compromised if the key or token is stolen. Anyone possessing the key can gain access to the computer's data and is accorded the same level of access as the authorized user.
Providing sufficient security can be particularly difficult for portable computers. Unlike their desktop counterparts, portable computers are easily stolen. Once stolen, the security afforded by physical keys or passwords used to protect data stored on a hard drive or other mass storage devices is readily bypassed. For example, it is a simple procedure to physically remove the hard drive unit from the stolen computer--which is password protected--and install it in a second computer system. Because the surrogate computer system may not employ password protection or the password may be known, the hard drive unit or other mass storage device becomes readily accessible to an unauthorized user and its data is vulnerable to theft and misuse.
To prevent unauthorized access of this type, the data may be encrypted before it is placed on the hard drive, rendering the data meaningless until it is decoded. Encryption, however, reduces the computer system's performance due to the delay associated with the encryption process. To confront this problem, hard drives and other storage devices have been created which prevent data access operations on the hard drive upon power-up until the user enters a password. The password is located on the disk itself to prevent bypassing the hard drive security by installation in a new computer system. This type of security, while generally effective, is again one-piece in nature and is only as secure as the password itself. Currently, there exists no satisfactory method of protecting vulnerable or stolen computer equipment and the data it might contain from unauthorized access.

Method for controlling access to a computer system by utilizing an external device containing a hash value representation of a user password


A facsimile apparatus is connected to an information processing apparatus, such as a computer, which executes a communication protocol defined by a general-purpose communication application software program. The facsimile apparatus includes an own number memory which stores an own number, and determines whether or not an addressing number sent by the computer corresponds with the own number. When the own number and the addressing number do not correspond with each other, the facsimile apparatus transmits image data sent from the computer to another facsimile apparatus which is indicated by the addressing number. If the own number and the addressing number correspond with each other, the facsimile apparatus responds to the computer with dummy response information, and image data is sent from the computer to a printer to be printed out.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a facsimile apparatus capable of being connected to an information processing apparatus. More specifically, the present invention relates to a facsimile apparatus interfaced to an image processing apparatus capable of executing a general-purpose facsimile communication application software.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A facsimile apparatus is a means for electrically transmitting document information to a remote place by utilizing a telephone line, and reads an original by a digital scanner utilizing a CCD, for example, and converts an original information signal into a compressed code and transmits the code to an addressing facsimile apparatus. However, in recent years, a facsimile board by which a document produced by an information processing apparatus such as a personal computer, a word processor, etc., can be transmitted from a facsimile apparatus to an addressing facsimile apparatus has been developed. The interfaces between the information processing apparatus, the facsimile board and the facsimile apparatus have come to be standardized (EIA specification classes 1, 2 and so on). In accordance with such standardization, a general-purpose facsimile communication application software (hereinafter, simply called as "a general-purpose communication software" applicable to such a standard interface has been supplied.
In the general-purpose communication software, a transmission function by which a document produced by an information processing apparatus is transmitted to another facsimile apparatus via a facsimile apparatus being connected to the information processing apparatus by the standard interface, and a reception function by which a document being sent from another facsimile apparatus is written in a memory of the information processing apparatus are supported. That is, in the general-purpose communication software, a print function by which a document produced by the information processing apparatus is directly printed-out by the facsimile apparatus is not supported.
In addition, in a prior art device disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laying-open No. 62-249560 laid-open on Oct. 30, 1987 or Japanese Patent Application Laying-open No. 61-292467 laid-open on Dec. 23, 1986, in a local operation mode or a remote print mode, a file held by an information processing apparatus can be printed-out by a printer of a facsimile apparatus.
However, in the prior art disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laying-open Nos. 62-249560 and 61-292467, if a specific control command is not applied to a facsimile apparatus from an information processing apparatus, the facsimile apparatus can not print-out the document from the information processing apparatus. Therefore, in order to implement such a print function, a specific software is further required, and accordingly, the aforementioned general-purpose communication software can not be utilized as it is.

Facsimile interfaced to information processing apparatus


A video processing system is provided for reducing distortion in video signals. The system includes a first transfer function that applies a transfer function to a received video signal to generate a gamma corrected video signal in a first color space; and a first matrix component that transforms the gamma corrected video signal in the first color space to a gamma corrected signal in a second color space, and extracts a luminance component from the gamma corrected signal in the second color space. Moreover, the system includes a second transfer function that generates a gamma corrected downsampled video signal in the first color space, and a second matrix component that transforms the gamma corrected video signal in the first color space to a gamma corrected video signal in the second color space, and extracts the chroma component in the second color space.

Typically, video signals, whether in the high dynamic range (HDR) or standard dynamic range (SDR) context, must be downsampled to a lower resolution in order to save storage and/or bandwidth during transmission. Color components (i.e., chroma components) are compressed by sampling them at a lower rate than the sampling applied to the brightness components (i.e., luma components). Downsampling video components requires the use of low-pass anti-aliasing filters. However, the filtering is performed on non-linear video signals, i.e., those signals that do not have a linear relationship to the amount of light that they will cause a display to emit. As a result, the video signal that is ultimately displayed is significantly distorted after the filtering because a non-linear transfer function was applied to the signal, and a linear filter was subsequently applied to the signal.
The problem arises from the fact that high-frequency information is filtered out of the color difference components. The magnitude of the luminance component can be significantly affected by applying a linear filter to a non-linear signal. FIG. 1 illustrates this case.
As shown in FIG. 1, a video signal is received at an opto-electronic transfer function (OETF) component that applies an optoelectronic transfer function (e.g., HDR OETF, SDR OETF or the like) to the signal. The output of the OETF converts linear scene light into a video signal in a first color space, for example, R′G′B′. Typically, this conversion occurs in a camera or other video device. A matrix transform component applies a matrix transformation to convert the signal from a first color space to a second color space, for example, from R′G′B′ to Y′CBCR. The luma component (or gamma-adjusted/non-linear luminance), in this case, Y′, is transferred to a display, and/or for further signal transmission. The chroma components, in this case, CB and CR, are subjected to a low-pass filter after the non-linear transformation in order to be sampled at a lower resolution to reduce bandwidth without sacrificing excessive image quality (as measured, for example according to a predetermined threshold).
As noted above, because the linear filter is applied to the non-linear chroma components, resulting distortion occurs by applying the low-pass filter to the chroma components (e.g., CBCR). This sequence of video processing is standard across the industry, as prescribed by the SMPTE RP 177 standard. However, the distortion produced by this processing methodology is problematic and therefore there is a need for a system and method for reducing the distortion caused by chroma downsampling.

System and method of reducing distortion during downsampling


An air conditioning system having an evaporator 8 at a location upstream from a compressor. When a compressor is stopped, a refrigerant inlet is closed by an electromagnetic valve 28 and a refrigerant outlet is closed by a check valve 29. A pressure in the closed passageway is detected by a pressure sensor 22. A leakage of refrigerant at the evaporator is reliably detected, which allows the leakage of the refrigerant to be quickly noticed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an air conditioning system provided with a device for detecting leakage of refrigerant from a heat exchanger, such as an evaporator, arranged in a chamber to be subjected to an air conditioning. The present invention is particularly suitable for an air conditioning system wherein, as a refrigerant, a combustible fluid, such as propane or butane, or a toxic fluid such as a carbon dioxide or ammonia, is employed.
2. Description of Related Art
An air conditioning system which is provided with means for preventing a refrigerant from leaking is shown, for example, in the Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Publication No. 54-62137. In this prior art, detection of the leakage of the refrigerant is done based on a pressure change at the high pressure side of the refrigerating system constructing the air conditioning system.
In such an air conditioning system utilizing, as the refrigerant, a combustible fluid or carbon dioxide, it is necessary that any leakage of the refrigerant from heat exchanging parts in the cabin, such as an evaporator, is detected very quickly. A quick detection of leakage of refrigerant from parts in the cabin cannot, however, be executed in the prior art since detection of the leakage of the refrigerant, by the pressure change at the high pressure part (condenser) makes it difficult to identify a particular part at which the leakage of the refrigerant is actually occurring.
Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Publication No. 58-54904 discloses a gas sensor, for detecting leakage of a gas, which is arranged in a cabin or an air conditioning apparatus. However, this prior art is, also, disadvantageous in that a quick detection of the leakage of the refrigerant is not possible due to the following reason. Namely, although not described in a detailed manner in the 904 publication, the gas sensor is generally of a contact combustion type, where an existence of a gas is detected in accordance with the degree of an oxidation of the gas to be detected. In this contact combustion type gas sensor, it is necessary to increase the temperature of the sensor part to a temperature which is suitable for an oxidation of the gas and which is in a range between 250 to 300.degree. C. in case of a combustible fluid. Thus, any detection of the existence of the gas, i.e., an occurrence of the leakage of the gas can not be done until the gas temperature is increased to a temperature in the above range.
Furthermore, the location of the gas sensor must be suitably determined while considering various situations such as a difference in the density between the refrigerant and the air and the flow of the air. Namely, a non suitable location of the gas sensor may cause, irrespective of a fact that a leakage of the gas has actually occurred, the sensor to not detect the occurrence of the leakage of the gas in good time.


A liquid level indicating system includes a plastic link chain suspended in a container extending between a high level position and a low level position of a liquid in the container. A weighing device is positioned above the high level position of the liquid for measuring the weight of the chain. An attachment device secures a lower portion of the chain to the bottom of the container with sufficient slack so as not to affect the operation of the weighing device.

Methods and systems are known for making various measurements of liquids within containers, including those that measure or indicate liquid level or volume by the use of a float, and those that weigh the liquid together with its container of known weight. However, the known systems are usually relatively complicated or are limited as to the types of applications in which they may be conveniently and accurately used. For example, the accuracy provided by a liquid measuring system that weighs the liquid together with its container is inherently limited by the additional component of the container's weight in the initial output of the system. An exemplary embodiment of a prior art float system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2.096,411 to St. John et al. Float systems generally require the use of guide wires within the container to position the float, and often require a significant amount of maintenance to keep the measuring system operational. Moreover, liquid measuring systems that use floats may not be well-suited for applications involving pressure vessels due to the affect of the pressure on the floats.
Consequently, as a result of these and other disadvantages in the prior art systems, a need exists for improved liquid level indicating methods and systems.

Liquid level indicating method and system


Embodiments of the invention provide an anonymous RFQ system for financial instruments that resolves the inherent conflict between a capital provider's need for information and a market participant's need for confidentiality by creating an environment where market participants and capital providers can realize the benefits of sharing confidential trading interest (CTI) information without sacrificing anonymity or enabling information leakage. This secure environment preferably is created within an electronic matching book that distills all CTI information related to each Request for Quote (RFQ) into a risk class that is sent to capital providers in lieu of order-identifying or trader-identifying information. These risk classes give capital providers enough information to offer customized, risk-adjusted quotes without requiring the market participant to reveal confidential information about herself or her order.

When a market participant in the public securities market (or any financial market) needs to execute a large (block) order, that participant faces a significant challenge: achieving an economically efficient transaction in a timely manner. As used herein, the term "market participant" refers to any person or firm with the ability to trade securities; examples of market participants include broker-dealers, institutions, hedge funds, statistical arbitrage and other proprietary trading operations, and private investors trading on electronic communication networks (ECNs). There are a number of reasons why the timely and efficient execution of large orders is a particular challenge. First and foremost, the move to decimalization, coupled with a drastic increase in the number of trading venues, has driven down the average trade size from 1,187 shares in December of 2000 to 393 shares in December of 2004 (NYSE Fact Book online). As a result, the display of a large block is an anomaly, and tends to create adverse price action. This adverse action is driven by many factors, including "front running" (buying or selling activity by other market participants in anticipation of price movement resulting from the large revealed order), and the general increase in trading activity, based solely on the assumption that a large buy (or sell) interest indicates that a stock is worth more (or less) than its current price.
In order to avoid, or at least reduce, the negative market impact caused by the display of large orders, most participants choose to divide larger orders into a series of smaller orders, which they then enter through multiple trading venues over an extended period of time. This tactic can reduce adverse market impact and protect the confidentiality of a larger order. However, with this approach a market participant has no guarantee of enough fills to complete the larger order, or any idea of the range of prices she will need to accept in order to complete the transaction. As a result, confidentiality is maintained, but in exchange the market participant sacrifices the efficiency of a quick fill at a single, known price.
Market participants often turn to capital providers (also called dealers and market makers) when they do not want to accept the confidentiality vs. efficiency trade-off offered by exchanges, alternate trading systems, and ECNs. However, a market participant who chooses to work with a capital provider still faces a similar set of trade-offs: information leakage vs. quality of spread. Because a capital provider commits its own capital, when a market participant makes a Request for Quote (RFQ), a capital provider must respond with a quote that reflects the risk inherent in the position it will own if the transaction executes. The degree of risk is driven by a number of factors, including the type of stock, the price of the stock, the stock's liquidity, general market conditions, and the behavior of the market participant post-execution. Because the capital provider must consider so many risk factors in pricing its response, the more information a capital provider has about a request, the more accurate its risk-assessment and the tighter the responding spread.
Therefore, to enable a capital provider to offer the most competitive spread possible, a market participant must reveal a great deal of very valuable information: who she is, what stock she wants to trade, the size of her order, the side of her order, and the price that will satisfy her. While this information enables capital providers to offer the tightest spreads, it also represents a real option that the capital provider can use to his own advantage. It is difficult to distinguish, on the one hand, information that is legitimately required to estimate risk, and on the other hand, information that could be exploited by the capital provider's proprietary trading desk outside the scope of the customer's interests. For example, an institutional order seeking capital might be the first slice of a multi-million share order, and the overall strategy and price aggression for completing the full order must remain confidential to ensure that this strategy and the entire block can be properly executed.
Thus, a fundamental problem for capital providers and their customers lies in the fact that much of the information that is required to evaluate accurately the risk of providing capital is by its nature too confidential for a market participant to share with the capital provider. If a market participant chooses to limit the information she gives to the capital provider in the interest of protecting the option value of her trade information, she does reduce the likelihood that her order information will be used against her. But at the same time, providing less information reduces the accuracy of the capital provider's risk assessment, thereby increasing the size of the spread.
Up to this point, market participant/capital provider transactions have been plagued by the inefficiencies inherent in a system that forces both parties to make significant tradeoffs: market participants must choose between tighter spreads and potential information leakage, and capital providers must choose between customer satisfaction and potential risk. At present, the inventors are aware of three pending applications that attempt to address these inefficiencies, though they do so in ways that are markedly different from the subject system. It should be noted that the discussion herein of these applications does not imply that they are prior art, since this application claims priority to applications filed as early as June 2000.
United States Patent Application Publication No. 20050246261, "Method and System for Block Trading of Securities," to Stevens et al. and assigned to Bank of America, teaches an "automated dealer system that formulates customized, risk-controlled, two-sided indicative quotations for block quantities of a security." This system attempts to address the information/spread quality conflict by offering a spectrum of quote customizations. At the end of the spectrum focused on confidentiality, a generic quote is adjusted according to "the size of the block, and at least one historical characteristic of the security. Historical characteristics for securities can include a historical spread, volatility, liquidity, or other characteristics." At the other end of the spectrum, focused on quality of the spread, the quote is further customized through the application of a "client-specific profitability constant," that associates the market-participant's identity and trading history to his RFQ. While this system improves on the traditional dealer market by enabling market participants to match their quote customization level to the point on the confidentiality/spread quality spectrum that best suits their needs, the system still forces a tradeoff between quote quality and confidentiality.
United States Patent Application Publication No. 20030033239, "Request for Quote (RFQ) and Inside Markets," to Gilbert et al., also attempts to address the challenges associated with anonymous capital providing. This application teaches "systems and methods for rule-based bilateral negotiation of quotes in response to request for quotes (RFQ) and inside markets." The system enables market participants and capital providers (CPs) to share a range of user-selected data points in a controlled dialogue or rules-based negotiation. Since all information in the negotiation is shared directly with the CPs, it does not provide a means to obtain a better spread while protecting the confidentiality of the information used to estimate risk. It also does not enable reducing the option value of the information.
The primary focus of the Gilbert system is to ensure that information shared between market participants and capital provider(s) is protected, rather than trying to minimize the amount of information that needs to be shared. Another significant aspect of this system is that it enables rules-based negotiation "that emulates a voice request for a final price." But, as with the Bank of America system, the quality of the quote generated through this system is ultimately tied to the amount of information shared between the two parties. Although the move towards "policing" behavior is a dramatic improvement on traditional dealer markets, the fact that there are "rules" does not change the reality that this system requires participants to share confidential information in order to achieve the best quote. For example, if a market participant uses this system, and chooses to remain anonymous but indicates that she trades for a hedge fund, she is likely to receive a bigger spread, even if her historic trading behavior does not warrant a larger spread. To achieve the best spread in Gilbert's system, the "well behaved" hedge fund trader would ultimately have to reveal her identity or past trading history to get a fair quote.
The system of United States Patent Application Publication No. 20020091617, "Trading program for interacting with market programs on a platform," to Christopher Keith, is a complex trading platform that attempts to address the inefficiencies found in all "conventional financial instrument trading systems." The essential goal of Keith's system is to enable market participants and capital providers to input their order and liquidity providing requirements via intelligent agents which "decide" how, when, and where to input and execute orders based on criteria pre-programmed by the users. The purpose of this system is to provide users with a flexible platform that offers the speed and convenience associated with electronic trading, without losing the advantages of floor trading and without forcing traders to abandon the use of "private, interpersonal agreements and arrangements that have been considered unsuitable for automation in conventional trading systems."
In order to achieve this goal, Keith's system permits market participants to employ "electronic liquidity finder" (ELF) programs, and market providers to employ "umpires" to act on their behalf inside a black box. ELFs are described as "virtual floor brokers working at electronic speeds," and umpires are "formal or informal markets that define and implement the rules of engagement by which information is exchanged between ELFs." ELFs and umpires interact through a wide range of complex and nuanced rules that allow traders to combine the benefits of an electronic trading platform with a level of customization and personalization associated with floor-based trading.
While Keith's system does offer traders more control over the information leakage related to their orders, it is not a Request For Quote system: CPs are able to submit trading algorithms, but they are not able to decide on a case by case basis (according to order information or a risk classification system) whether or not they should respond to an RFQ. Likewise, the market participants are not able to review a plurality of quotes and decide, looking at their own strategic interests, whether or not to execute a CP's quote.

Systems and methods for providing anonymous requests for quotes for financial instruments


An engine part has a construction which prevents the surface discoloration/deterioration associated with a high-temperature exhaust gas, irrespective of the type of Cr used in the formation of a chromium plating layer (hexavalent chromium or trivalent chromium). The engine part includes a metal substrate, a chromium plating layer covering at least a region of a surface of the metal substrate, the region being heated to a temperature of about 350° C. or more, and an intermediate plating layer provided between the metal substrate and the chromium plating layer. The chromium plating layer has a thickness of about 0.2 μm or more in the region.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an engine part, and more particularly, the present invention relates to an engine part which is subjected to a high temperature due to a high-temperature exhaust gas discharged from an engine.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a vehicle such as a motorcycle or an all-terrain four-wheeled vehicle, not only the performance of the vehicle itself, but a good vehicle design are vital. FIG. 10 is a side view showing an example of a sports-type motorcycle. A motorcycle 200 shown in FIG. 10 includes a V-type engine 201 and an exhaust pipe 202 for guiding along exhaust gas. The V-type engine 201 includes cylinders 203, cylinder heads 204, and head covers 205. The aesthetically excellent V-type engine 201 is likely to be mounted to the motorcycle such that the engine is exposed on the outside, and is highly influential to the exterior appearance of the entire motorcycle.
The two cylinders 203 of the V-type engine 201 are united at the single exhaust pipe 202, which extends toward and above the rear wheel so as to allow exhaust gas to be discharged at the rear portion of the body. The exhaust pipe 202 must have a certain thickness for allowing the exhaust gas generated in the engine 201 to be efficiently discharged. Moreover, the portion constituting a muffler 202a has an increased diameter in order to accommodate the muffling structure. For these reasons, the exhaust pipe accounts for a relatively large part of the exterior appearance of the entire motorcycle, and thus the shape and color of the exhaust pipe are highly influential to the entire motorcycle design.
In the present specification, engine components such as the cylinders 203, the cylinder heads 204, the head covers 205, as well as the exhaust pipe 202 for guiding the exhaust gas from the engine, will be generally referred to as "engine parts". For the aforementioned reasons, the shape and color of engine parts are important factors in determining the entire motorcycle design.
Conventionally, those engine parts which show up on the exterior appearance are subjected to surface treatments such as plating to acquire a lustrous metallic color, thus to enhance the engine part design. Above all, decorative chromium plating has been widely used for engine parts because it is possible to give the plated material a characteristic, lustrous silver-gray color (see, for example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2003-41933).
Since decorative chromium plating provides an excellent metallic luster, and also excels in anticorrosiveness, it is also used in various fields other than engine parts. In order to obtain excellent exterior appearance and anticorrosiveness, it is unnecessary to provide a thick layer of decorative chromium plating. In fact, a thick layer of decorative chromium plating will result in a poor color tone and surface finish. Therefore, in general, decorative chromium plating is likely to be used at a thickness in the range from 0.1 μm to 0.15 μm.
On the other hand, hard chromium plating (industrial chromium plating) is also widely used as Cr plating in industrial products. Since hard chromium plating provides a low friction coefficient and an excellent abrasion resistance, it is used for sliding sections of various machine parts, for example. Since abrasion resistance is a requirement, hard chromium plating is usually formed to a thickness of at least several μm. Moreover, hard chromium plating does not provide a decorativeness surface as does decorative chromium plating. Generally, decorative chromium plating provides a surface roughness (Ra) of about 1 μm or less (typically, about 0.2 μm or less), while hard chromium plating provides a surface roughness of more than about 1 μm.
In such engine parts, due to the high-temperature exhaust gas generated from the engine, the surface of the chromium plating layer may change its color tone to result in a violet discoloration, or the decorative chromium plating layer may have cracks and then peel. Particularly in recent years, the engine performance has improved, and catalysts have been used for exhaust gas purification, and as a result the exhaust gas temperature has increased. Thus, engine parts are becoming more susceptible to discoloration due to high-temperature exhaust gas. As described above, engine parts account for a relatively large portion of the overall exterior appearance of the entire motorcycle. Therefore, even a muddy spot on the chromium plating may greatly impair the entire design.
This problem may be addressed by preventing the temperature of the surface of the exhaust pipe or the like from becoming too high, by adopting a two-fold or three-fold cylindrical structure for the exhaust pipe, for example. However, even by adopting a two-fold or three-fold cylindrical structure, the temperature of the exhaust pipe surface will not be adequately lowered, and surface oxidation or deterioration due to heat will not be completely prevented. Moreover, in this case, there is another problem in that the outer dimensions of the exhaust pipe or the like are increased.
It might be possible to prevent discoloration or deterioration of an engine part surface by covering the exhaust pipe (for example) with a cowl or a protector so that the exhaust pipe will not show on the exterior. However, in this case, the exhaust pipe no longer contributes to the entire motorcycle design, thus making it difficult to pursue the characteristic beauty of a motorcycle. In particular, covering an exhaust pipe with a protector will result in a diameter which is greater than the exhaust pipe itself, thus worsening layout constraints.
A decorative chromium plating layer is usually formed by using a chromate, including hexavalent chromium (Cr6+). Hexavalent chromium is inexpensive. A decorative chromium plating layer obtained by using hexavalent chromium shows good contact with a base substrate, and has excellent anticorrosiveness and abrasion resistance. A chromium plating layer obtained by using hexavalent chromium has a silver-gray color with a characteristically metallic luster. Therefore, hexavalent chromium is widely used in engine parts for motorcycles, for example. However, its toxic nature has been recognized in the recent years. Hence, proposals have been made to use trivalent chromium (Cr3+), instead of hexavalent chromium, to obtain decorative chromium plating. Although trivalent chromium is inferior to hexavalent chromium in terms of anticorrosiveness, contact with the base substrate, and the like, environmental pollution concerns and safety-oriented thinking have led to the trends toward selective use of trivalent chromium. The trend for such alternative plating, i.e., trivalent chromium replacing hexavalent chromium, is also becoming popular in the field of engine parts. For example, a motorcycle having a trivalent chromium-plated protector provided on the outer periphery of a muffler has recently been developed.
However, according to the studies by the inventor, discoloration of the plating layer and surface deterioration due to a high-temperature heating are observed even in the case where trivalent chromium is used, and in fact, such discoloration and deterioration are more noticeable than in the case where hexavalent chromium is used.
Furthermore, a decorative chromium plating layer obtained by using trivalent chromium has a slightly blackish color tone. This presents a new problem in that the silver-gray color tone obtainable by using hexavalent chromium is difficult to obtain. Such a difference in color tone can be highly problematic in the field of motorcycles and the like, where exterior appearance is regarded as important. Therefore, there is a desire for engine parts which, even by using trivalent chromium, attain a similar color tone to that which is obtained by using hexavalent chromium.


In an arrangement of an initial core, the core is loaded with 572 high enrichment fuel assemblies H with 4.2 wt % average enrichment and 300 low enrichment fuel assemblies L with 1.5 wt % average enrichment. The average enrichment of the core is about 3.3 wt %. In this core, only the low enrichment fuel assemblies are loaded into the most outer position of the core and the high enrichment fuel assemblies are loaded into an area other than the most outer position. In this arrangement, the average enrichment of reload fuel assemblies is 3.7 wt %.

This invention is related to an initial core loaded before operation of a nuclear reactor. A nuclear reactor requires continuous operation for a fixed period without supplying fuel, and the core contains a larger quantity of fissionable materials than necessary to maintain the critical state of the nuclear reactor. Therefore, if there is no control material in the core, a critical excess in reactivity will result. This excessive in reactivity is called excess reactivity, and it is important to control the excess reactivity properly throughout the operation cycle. As a technique to do so, it is well known to mix a burnable poison in the fuel. The burnable poison is a neutron absorber that burns gradually during the operation cycle, and gadolinia is a typical known burnable poison.
Next, the suppression effect of the reactivity by the burnable poison will be explained by reference to FIG. 3. FIG. 3 shows a relation between the infinite multiplication factor of a fuel assembly containing gadolinia as a kind of the burnable poison and the exposure. As is shown in FIG. 3, as the number of fuel rods with gadolinia (Gd fuel rods) is reduced, the infinite multiplication factor at the early stage of the exposure increases. On the other hand, if the density of gadolinia (density of Gd) is increased, the maximum value of the infinite multiplication factor can be suppressed, because the time when the gadolinia will burn out can be delayed. Therefore, excess reactivity can be properly controlled by a selected combination of the density of the burnable poison and the number of the fuel rods with the burnable poison.
Next, the improvement of the fuel economy of the initial core will be explained. Parts of fuel assemblies loaded into the initial core are taken out after the first operation cycle (first cycle) and these are exchanged for reload fuel assemblies. The fuel assemblies taken out after the first cycle have a lower burnup and a lower generated energy than other fuel assemblies. Then, to efficiently utilize the fissionable materials, the formation of an initial core using a plurality of fuel assemblies that have a different uranium enrichment according to the duration of their use in the reactor is determined.
With regard to this initial core, a core, composed of high enrichment fuel assemblies with 3.4 wt % average enrichment, middle enrichment in the axial direction of fuel assemblies with 2.3 wt % in the axial direction of the fuel assemblies and low enrichment fuel assemblies with 1.1 wt % in the axial direction of fuel assemblies, has been described in Japanese Patent Laid-open print No. 5-249270. It is also described in this publication that fuel assemblies with lower average enrichment in the axial direction are taken out from the core in an earlier stage and other fuel assemblies with a higher average enrichment in the axial direction are loaded into the core for a long period to efficiently utilize the fissionable materials.
With regard to a known way of improving the fuel economy of the initial core, it has been described that fuel assemblies having a higher average enrichment than reload fuel assemblies are loaded in the most outer position of the core in Japanese Patent Laid-open print No. 60-13283.
Another known way to improve the fuel economy of the initial core is described in Japanese Patent Laid-open print No. 61-165682. In this publication, an increase of exposure which originated from the start-up test is compensated by increasing the number of the high enrichment fuel assemblies of the initial core to more than the number of reload fuel assemblies of the equilibrium core. As a result, the fuel economy of the initial core is improved. In this known arrangement, the enrichment of the high enrichment fuel assembly is the same as that of the reload fuel assembly.
The nuclear reactor requires operation with a proper control of the reactivity for a constant term. Generally, the increase of excess reactivity caused by increasing the average enrichment of the initial core in the axial direction is reduced by insertion of control rods or by mixing burnable poison into the fuel. But, in a core which is provided with an increased average enrichment in the axial direction for purposes of obtaining a higher burnup, the excess reactivity also increases further. When the control rods are inserted to reduce the increase of the excess reactivity, with an increase in the number of the inserted control rods, the channel peaking factor increases, and the thermal margin decreases. Moreover, it is also necessary to repeat an adjustment of the quantity of the control rods being inserted to compensate for a large change of the excess reactivity in the operation cycle. This reduces the availability factor of the nuclear reactor, and it is not desirable from the viewpoint of fuel economy. In case of increasing the mixing quantity (density) of the burnable poison, while the excess reactivity could be suppressed by increasing the mixing quantity (i.e. enrichment) of the burnable poison, this causes the thermal conductivity of the fuel pellets to decline, producing a problem from the integrity point of view.
As is mentioned above, an increase of the excess reactivity of the core was the main factor for a disturbance in case of achieving a high burnup of the initial core.
When the high burnup of the initial core is designed according to the technique described in Japanese Patent Laid-open print No. 60-13283, a sufficient effect is not achieved. In this case, because fuel assemblies with a high average enrichment in the axial direction are only loaded into the most outer position of the core, the number of the fuel assemblies with a high average enrichment in the axial direction is limited. Consequently, there is a limit to the improvement in the fuel economy to be obtained by increasing the average enrichment in the axial direction of the initial core.
Even if the technique described in Japanese Patent Laid-open print No. 61-165682 is used, a sufficient effect is not achieved. In this technology, because the number of the high enrichment fuel assemblies of the initial core is at most about 20-30% of the total number of the fuel assemblies, there is a limit to the increase of the average enrichment of the initial core. Consequently, the effect for fuel improvement is not sufficient.


A semiconductor device includes a memory cell array includes a plurality of memory blocks, each of the memory blocks including a plurality of pages, wherein at least one of the plurality of memory blocks functions as a first storage unit to store a plurality of page addresses associated with the plurality of pages. A second storage unit loads a page address stored in the first storage unit. A control circuit is configured to cancel a program operation if an externally inputted page address is less than or equal to the page address loaded into the second storage unit, and perform the program operation and update the second storage unit with the externally inputted page address if the externally input page address is greater than the page address loaded into the second storage unit.

1. Technical Field
Various embodiments relate generally to a semiconductor device and a method of operating the same and, more particularly, to a program operation.
2. Related Art
A semiconductor device includes a memory cell array in which data are stored. A non-volatile memory device includes a plurality of memory blocks, and each of the memory blocks includes a plurality of pages. A page refers to a group of memory cells coupled to the same word line. In general, a program operation is performed in order of page number. A page address is allocated to each page. A program operation may be performed on each corresponding page according to a page address being input during the program operation. For example, when first and fifth pages are programmed, a sixth or any subsequent page is to be programmed. If any one of the second to fourth pages is programmed, interference may occur between the first to fifth pages having already been programmed. Therefore, the semiconductor device is set to be programmed in the order of page numbers.
However, when a user executes a program operation on a page that violates a program order, the semiconductor device may perform the program operation according to a page address input by the user unless it includes a device or an algorithm designed to detect and control a violation of the program order. As a result, other pages having been programmed may experience interference, which may reduce the reliability of the stored data.

Semiconductor device and method of operating the same


A transceiver (100) for TTL and RS232 communication with automatic sensing (130) of the type of input and adjustment of the output to correspond together with current stealing (131) from the input communication lines to provide extreme voltages for transmission. Hysteresis and surge suppression are built into the sensing.

The present invention relates to electronic devices, and, more particularly, to low-power data communication over a serial channel.
Battery-powered and portable electronic modules and systems have found increasing applications due to advantages such as: portability; improved immunity to electrical noise; nonvolatile memory; improved safety; lighter weight; improved capaciltiy for international marketing; and simplified regulatory requirements. Battery-powered systems demand very low power for long battery lifetime and small battery size.
However, serial data communication with conventional protocols implemented in a straightforward fashion consumes significant power and would quickly drain a battery.
For example, the RS232 standard, widely used in microcomputer systems, specifies a 3 to 7 K.OMEGA. load resistor connected to ground, and the RS232 data line will normally remain in the mark state (typically at -12 volts) when idle and alternate between marks and spaces (typically at +12 volts). Thus a substantial current must be sourced when transmitting with a straightforward implementation, and if the data lines remain connected after a communications session has ended, power will statically flow into the transmitters and drain a battery. Despite this power consumption, the RS232 has a number of advantages: it is already widely used, the connections are simple (only a receive line RX, a transmit line TX, and ground line), and the standards are actually somewhat flexible in practice. Thus efforts have been made to design RS232 interfaces that extend performance; see for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,607,170 and the Cross-Referenced Applications.
Battery-powered systems frequently must support both RS-232 and TTL interfaces, but it is a problem with the known interfaces to distinguish between RS232 and TTL operation.
The present invention provides a transceiver with automatic operation for both RS232 and TTL interfaces by sensing of the received voltage levels to determine the mode of operation, and senses the negative levels of RS232 inputs to steal current with surge protection to provide output transmitter power, and includes hysteresis on the negative level sensing and provides selectable output levels, slew rates, polarities together with selectable input impedances and polarities.

Surge limited low power transceiver circuit


The present invention relates to a method of synthesizing hydrocarbon polymers using a deoxygenation reaction, wherein, by deoxygenating polymers including oxygen atom-containing functional groups in side chains thereof to thereby remove the functional groups of the side chains, various block copolymers including polyolefins and hydrocarbon polymers with complex architectures can be synthesized.

Polyolefins such as polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) are the most widely used general-purpose plastics in modern life. Polyolefins are typical hydrocarbon polymers consisting of a polymer main chain with carbon-carbon linkages and without functional groups, and representative examples thereof are polyethylene with —[CH2—CH2]— repeating units, polypropylene with —[CH—CHCH3]— repeating units, and polyisobutylene with —[CH—C(CH3)2] repeating units. These polymers are the most commonly produced materials in modern society, and play an essential role in sustaining and enriching our lives. As can be seen from the name of polyolefins, they are usually obtained by polymerizing monomers containing olefinic double bonds.
Most polyolefins are generally synthesized by metal-catalyzed coordination polymerization, and are commercially produced by metal-catalyzed coordination polymerization, which is first developed by Ziegler and Natta. To date, the design of polymerization catalysts capable of controlling the molar mass of molecules, branching, and the tacticity of polyolefins has progressed significantly (Chen, E. Y.-X. et al., Chem. Rev. 2000, 100, 1391-1434; Kaminsky, W., Macromol. Chem. Phys. 2008, 209, 459-466). Ziegler-Natta metal catalysts or metallocene metal catalysts are mainly used for the synthesis of polyethylene and polypropylene, and low-density polyethylene (LDPE) is also produced through radical polymerization. It is impossible to produce polypropylene through radical polymerization. Polyisobutylene is synthesized only through cationic polymerization.
However, most catalysts do not exhibit controlled polymerization behavior due to undesired irreversible chain transfer and/or (3-elimination routes. In recent years, numerous alkene polymerization catalysts exhibiting controlled properties have been developed and used for the synthesis of polyolefins with complex macromolecular structures such as block copolymers (Anderson-Wile, A. M. et al., Wiley: Singapore, 2011, Chap. 9). Nevertheless, the scope has been largely restricted to several structures (Chung, T. C., Israel J. Chem. 2001, 42, 307-332; Yoon, J. et al., Macromolecules 2006, 39, 1913-1919; Arriola, D. J. et al., Science 2006, 312, 714-719; Crawford, K. E. et al., ACS Macro Lett. 2015, 4, 921-925; Eagan, J. M. et al., Science 2017, 355, 814-816; Kim, S. D. et al., Macromolecules 2018, 51, 4821-4828), particularly when compared to the structural control level and vast compositional freedom provided by other controlled polymerization systems, including anionic (Hirao, A. et al., Macromolecules 2014, 47, 1883-1905) and controlled radical polymerization (Braunecker, W. A. et al., Frog. Polym. Sci. 2007, 32, 93-146). However, controlled radical polymerization of ethylene and propylene is inherently difficult, mainly due to the lack of pendant groups capable of stabilizing radicals (Nakamura, Y. et al., Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2018, 57, 305-309).
As such, polymerization methods using metal catalysts have the following limitations. 1) Since a metal catalyst is not compatible with functional groups containing heteroatoms such as oxygen, it is very difficult to synthesize functional polyolefins by copolymerizing monomers having functional groups. 2) In many cases, chain branching occurs, so it is difficult to obtain a polyolefin consisting of linear chains, and a large number of branches are irregularly present in the main chain. 3) For this reason, it is difficult to realize a complex architecture including block copolymers by extending chains with various monomers, like anionic polymerization or controlled radical polymerization. Therefore, in order to synthesize a well-controlled polyolefin, many attempts have been made to synthesize a well-controlled linear hydrocarbon-based polymer containing an olefin double bond in the main chain using anionic polymerization, ring-opening metathesis polymerization, and the like and to synthesize a well-controlled polyolefin by hydrogenating the same. Polystyrene-b-polyethylene-b-polystyrene and polystyrene-b-poly(ethylene-alt-propylene)-b-polystyrene triblock copolymers, which are obtained by hydrogenating polystyrene-b-poly(1,4-butadiene)-b-polystyrene and polystyrene-b-polyisoprene-b-polystyrene synthesized through anionic polymerization, are commercially available from Kraton. However, the types of polyolefins that can be obtained using this method are very limited, and the degree to which functional groups can be introduced remains very limited.
Therefore, as a result of having made intensive efforts to address the above-described problems, the inventors of the present invention confirmed that, when a polymer including oxygen atom-containing functional groups in side chains thereof was subjected to a deoxygenation reaction to thereby remove the functional groups of the side chains, only hydrocarbons remained, and thus various block copolymers including polyolefins and hydrocarbon polymers with complex architectures can be synthesized, and a novel hydrocarbon polymer material containing a functional polyolefin can be developed, thus completing the present invention.

Method of synthesizing hydrocarbon polymers using deoxygenation

KOREA ADVANCED INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY


The invention relates to non-ionic triiodo aromatic compounds and compositions comprising triiodo aromatic polymers useful for X-ray imaging of gastro-intestinal tract. Disclosed compounds are acrylic acid esters of triiodobenzenes with a different degree of reticulation and their polymers/homopolymers. A method of making the polymers, method of making X-ray contrast agents using the polymers and use of the contrast agents is also disclosed.

Barium sulphate, a widely used contrast agent for the imaging of the gastrointestinal tract over the years has been administered orally or rectally to millions of patients around the world. Relatively inexpensive, with negligible adsorption and speedy elimination from the body, barium sulphate, despite of its disadvantages, is still in use. Of unpleasant taste, poor adhesion to the luminal linings and insuficient homogeneity in the presence of gastric fluids, this contrast agent has been in use for almost 40 years since proposed alternatives, although off-setting some disadvantages, have not been able to provide GI tract contrast agent which will eliminate use of this otherwise not harmless chemical.
Due to their capacity to efficiently absorb X-rays, and thus generate very good contrasts, iodinated compounds have also been in use in X-ray imaging of gastrointestinal tract. So far, many proposals aiming at improved characteristics of formulations comprising these compounds have been made. Different formulations with lower toxicity, smoother passage through the GI tract, reduced number of undesired side effects, lower irritation of the intestinal mucosa, etc. have been suggested (see for example U.S. Pat. No. 3,360,436, U.S. Pat. No. 4,735,795 & U.S. Pat. No. 5,047,228).
Among different proposals, EP-A-0 436 316 (Sovak) discloses use of hydroxy amino-substituted triiodobenzoates with the remaining position substituted by amino or carboxy group. The compounds disclosed have low solubility in the GI tract and can be formulated and used as contrast agents for radiography of the GI tract. Addition polymers comprised of triiodo compounds bonded through an amino nitrogen to a non-oxo-carbonyl group have been proposed as compounds with low toxicity and improved osmolality vis-a-vis the tract. Compounds and polymers disclosed are obtained by O- or N- alkylation of sodium diatriazoate or triiodobenzoates to yield intermediates which are subsequently polymerized to produce polymers with the molecular weight of at least 50 kDaltons. In the sole example of acylation reaction, 5-amino-2,4,6-triiodo-isophtalic acid is converted to 5-N-acrylamido derivative by reacting acryloyl chloride with 2,3-dihydroxy-propyl 5-{N-(2,3-dihydroxy-propyl)-acetamido}-2,4,6-triiodo-3-{N-(methyl) carbamoyl}-benzoate in dry N,N-dimethyacetamide. All compounds disclosed are ionic in nature which means that they still have higher osmolality than non-ionic compounds.
Another approach has been disclosed in WO-A-93/10824. This document deals with macromolecular polyamine compounds which contain a number of aromatic iodinated molecules. The disclosure is based on use of polyamine polymers to which aromatic iodinated compounds are attached via a number of reaction routes to yield dendrimers useful for manufacture of injectable X-ray contrast agents. Dendrimers disclosed comprise as the backbone all known dense star polymers, dense star polyamines, starbust polymers, star combed-branched polyamines, etc.
Acylation of triiodophenol or iothalamic acid with methacryloyl or methacrylate derivatives has been described as a viable route to production of radiopaque implant materials. Visible in a non-invasive manner using routine X-ray absorption imaging technique, these materials have attracted certain interest in the recent times. Synthetic routes and different studies of these solid polymeric biomaterials are described by A. Jayakrishnan et al. in Journ. Appl. Polymer Sci. 44 (1992) 743, M. A. B. Kruft et al. Journ. Bio. Mat. Res. 28 (1994) 1259, D. Horak, Biomat. 8 (1987) 142, etc.
Thus over the years various improvements of X-ray contrast agents were made bringing different compositions closer to the desired contrast medium for GI tract examinations. However, none of the media presently available has properties which would make any of them to be a widely acceptable GI tract contrast agent. Ideally, contrast agent for GI tract would have negligible adsorption, speedy elimination from the body and the low cost of barium sulfate, would be easier to swallow (have lower vicosity and better i.e. less unpleasant taste), but would also be able to delineate intestinal wall detail, be inert to gastric pH, provide adequate opacificity and have differential affinity for the gastro-intestinal mucosa.

Compositions for imaging of the gastrointestinal tract


A method for forming a field oxide is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method comprises providing a semiconductor structure having a substrate, a pad oxide, and a patterned barrier layer, performing a dry oxidation process to form a first field oxide on the substrate in a region not covered with the barrier layer by introducing pure dry oxygen, and performing a wet oxidation process to form a second field oxide adjacent the first field oxide by introducing hydrogen and oxygen. The method of the present invention can improve the quality and electrical property of the semiconductor device, increase the yield, and reduce the cost.

The present invention relates to a method for forming an oxide, and more particularly to a method for forming a field oxide.
The active area of the metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) device is generally isolated with the field oxide formed by the local oxidation of silicon (LOCOS) in the manufacturing process of integrated circuit (IC) above 0.25 μm. FIGS. 1(a)–(d) are schematic diagrams showing the conventional process for forming the field oxide of the MOS device. As shown in FIG. 1(a), the first step is providing a silicon substrate 11 and forming a pad oxide 12 and a nitride film 13 such as Si3N4 on the silicon substrate 11. A photolithographic process is performed thereupon to form a patterned photoresist 14 on the nitride film 13, wherein the patterned photoresist 14 is formed via the pattern transfer of a mask to define the active area of the MOS device. As shown in FIG. 1(b), the nitride film 13 and the pad oxide 12 which are not covered with the photoresist 14 are subsequently etched and removed. As shown in FIG. 1(c), the photoresist 14 is removed and the resulted semiconductor structure is then placed into an oxidation furnace (not shown) to form a field oxide 16 with thermal oxidation. Finally, as shown in FIG. 1(d), the finished active area of the MOS device is isolated with the field oxide 16 after removing the pad oxide 12 and the nitride film 13. For isolating the neighbor active areas of the MOS device effectively, the field oxide 16 with a certain thickness is required.
With consideration of the oxidation reaction rate, the wet oxidation process is extensively used for forming the field oxide in industry nowadays. The chemical equation of the wet oxidation process is H2+O2+Si→SiO2+H2O, and the reaction condition and process are shown in FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 2, the temperature of the furnace is raised from 700–800° C. to 800–1000° C. before the wet oxidation process. Subsequently, the reaction gas like hydrogen and oxygen with a flow ratio of 5500 sccm: 3300 sccm to 2000 sccm: 2000 sccm is introduced into the oxidation furnace to oxidize the silicon substrate 11 after the temperature of the oxidation furnace comes to a steady state. Finally, the temperature of the oxidation furnace is lowered down to finish the wet oxidation process after the certain thickness of the field oxide 16 is obtained and the reaction becomes stable.
While forming the field oxide 16, the active area of the MOS device is covered with the pad oxide 12 and the nitride film 13, therefore the reaction gas cannot permeate the nitride film 13 and react with the silicon substrate 11. The gas can only react with the silicon substrate 11 not covered with the nitride film 13 in an isotropic way. Due to the speedy reaction rate of the wet oxidation process, the field oxide forming rate at 45° and 90° angle is faster than that at 0° to 30° angle to the silicon substrate 11. Hence, it is easy to form the active area with a tip 111 as shown in FIG. 1(d) and FIG. 3 after removing the pad oxide 12 and the nitride film 13. The field concentration and tip discharge are attributed to the formation of the active area with a tip 111 and thus make a breakdown of the gate oxide, and further affect the quality and electric property of the MOS device.
Therefore, it is desirable to develop a method for forming an even field oxide without tip and dealing with the conventional defects.


An interactively authorizing access control method applicable to an access control center is disclosed. According to the present invention, an effective time interval can be set for the permit by an authorized person of the object according to his/her usual pass time such that when the access control center identifies the permit is valid, the effectiveness of the permit can be further determined according to the effective time interval set by the authorized person, thereby determining whether the object is allowed to pass.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to access control mechanisms, and more particularly to an interactively authorizing access control method.
2. Description of Related Art
An access control mechanism can be used to record access information of objects such as access time, restrict access authority for objects and set certain access time for objects. The access control mechanism can be a gate control system of a building, a vehicle access control system of a factory or a parking lot, or a commodity theft preventing system of a marketplace. The objects to be controlled can be vehicles, personnel, commodities or other items.
To describe the access control method in detail, we use an example of a access control system of a parking lot. In such an access control system, the validity of permits are identified for determining whether the objects are allowed to access or not and the moving status of vehicles at the gate or at other certain areas are monitored by monitors. Currently, the permits can be automatically identified by devices or manually identified by guards. However, both these methods require vehicles to stay at a certain zone, which not only slows down the access speed of vehicles, brings inconvenience to drivers, but also often causes jams. Meanwhile, since the permit can be copied easily, it increases the risks of vehicle thefts. Although such risks can be decreased by stricter examination of vehicles, it causes the problems such as much slower access speed of vehicles and so on.
In recent years, permits integrated with radio frequency identification (RFID) technology have been developed for vehicle access controlling. Such permits include personal information such as RFID tags for identification. Although the identification method with the help of the RFID technology can increase the access speed, prevent faked permits and reduce the labor cost, the problem of unauthorized use of a permit still exists. That is, as long as a permit can be identified, the corresponding vehicle is allowed to pass no matter who is the driver, which decreases the safety of vehicles in the parking lot. For example, a permit disposed near the windshield of a vehicle can be easily stolen or used by children without permission of parents. Thus, big safety problems exist in such an access control system.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,427,913 and U.S. publication No. 20050040232 disclose application of the RFID technology in parking lots for vehicle access control. According to those inventions, the code information of the RFID tag on a vehicle is first read by an RFID reader and then processed by a computer or a CPU for identifying. If the code information is identified, the corresponding vehicle is allowed to pass. In both inventions, there exists the abovementioned problem of unauthorized use of the permit. In addition, since identification needs to be performed at certain zones, it causes slow pass speed and brings inconvenient vehicle driving. From the cost-effective viewpoint, both these inventions are almost same as the automatic card identification method.
U.S. patent publication No. 20050046584 discloses an access control mechanism, wherein the wireless communication technology is used to control a movable device (object). According to the invention, the object can be prevented from leaving home, provided that someone is at home and notices the alarm signal. Such a condition limits the application of the present invention. Further, if the object is used by other authorized users while the authorizer does not change the authorizing status timely, a false alarm can be triggered, thereby decreasing reliability of the control mechanism.
In view of the above prior art, there is a need to develop an access control mechanism which can prevent unauthorized use of permits and improve the pass speed.

Interactively authorizing access control method

Industrial Technology Research Institute